Chapter 204 Digging and digging

I dug and dug in my little garden.

What kind of seeds you plant, what kind of flowers you will get?
While Diana was attending classes at Beijing Normal University during the day, Wang Deming quickly ran to the east wing of No. 18 Qinlao Hutong and started digging a pond in the garden.
There was no way. Although Zhang Shouchun didn't say anything, he quite enjoyed the pleasure of supporting Wang Deming.

But as a real man, how can you live off a gigolo?
In addition, I have to get some money, otherwise how can I buy the house at No. 11 Yongkang Hutong? It is a standard four-courtyard house, so I still need a little money.

"Oh, Comrade Deming, your spirit of serving the people is worthy of recognition!"

"Isn't it? It's only April and they've already started cleaning the silt in the garden pond. Tsk, tsk, are they planning to plant some flowers for our Soviet female comrades so that they can experience the colorful beauty of China?"

"Growing flowers is fake, picking flowers is real, right? Haha."

The Chinese medicine doctors from the branch of the Chinese Medicine Continuing Education School, the Institute of the Chinese Medicine Association, and the Chinese Medicine Health Center next door took advantage of their free morning to stroll over to the East Cross Courtyard. When they saw Wang Deming digging a pond, they all started to make fun of him.

My senior brother Wu Dinghuan is also working here now. All the Soviet comrades who have received massage from him said it was good. Especially after a tiring day, it is so comfortable to be massaged by a professional Chinese medicine practitioner. It not only relieves fatigue but also improves health.

Especially for those who work at desks, they usually have some problems with their cervical spine, such as the code farmers and code writers in later generations.
After some chatting and laughing, Wu Dinghuan took off his white coat, hung it in the pavilion, rolled up his sleeves and walked over, saying, "Deming, why don't you call the comrades from the moving company who have been helping us to come over and help?"

"Where do you have an extra shovel? I'll dig with you."

Wang Deming, wearing a rubber water jacket, stood in the drained pond, holding the handle of the shovel, waving his hand at Wu Dinghuan and refusing, "Brother, it's just a small job, I can finish it today. Besides, the comrades in the transport company are working over at Chaoyangmen, digging the foundation, there's no need to go back and forth."

"Do you know the Zhou family who sells goldfish in Goldfish Alley? Please buy me some more goldfish."

Wang Deming gestured with one hand as he planned for the east courtyard. "The pond and stream in this courtyard were not maintained before, and there is mud underneath. I plan to dig them up, plant some lotus and water lilies, and raise some goldfish."

"The silt we dug out can be used to replant the previous flower beds with flowers. February orchids are a good choice. We can also add a few more dishes to lunch: koreana, fresh lotus roots, and chicken head rice."

"I'll find time to go to Haidian to ask fellow villagers for a few Yubada apricot trees, and go to Mentougou to ask for a few Jingbai pear trees. Then, in the autumn, we can eat the fruits we grow ourselves."

The crowd around the pond burst into laughter. "Deming, that's a nice thought!"

"Should we go to Yanqing and get some Guoguang apple trees and grape trees? Just two of them is a bit too little."

"Haha, it would be best if we add watermelons from Panggezhuang, cherries from Niujie, peaches from Pinggu, Mopan persimmons from Fangshan, and chestnuts from Huairou. Wow, we can eat all of them without leaving home."

"What Deming said really makes me a little greedy," Wu Dinghuan smacked his lips and said, "In the early years, the lotus market in Shichahai was about to open at this time."

"The lotus pods, water chestnuts, tender lotus roots and chicken head rice that have just been caught are fresh and delicious. Just blanch them in water and sprinkle some salt and sugar on them when you get home, and they will become a delicious dish."

"That's right," Guan Youbo also recalled, "When the weather gets hotter, go to Huixiantang and order an ice tray or ice bowl. The ice from the ice cellar is spread on a large lotus leaf, with white lotus root in the middle and watermelon pulp on the side. One red and one white, it's beautiful and delicious."

"Oh, and there have to be two kinds of cantaloupe, Zhuyeqing and Yangjiaomi, on both sides. If there are many people at the table, put fresh peach kernels, fresh lotus seeds, and chicken head rice on top, sprinkle with Taiwan's soft white sugar and Hangzhou's osmanthus. What a delicious taste."

Guan Youbo's words immediately aroused everyone's cravings. Hu Xishu smiled and said, "Mr. Guan also eats like a big family. When I strolled to Qianhai, I often had a bowl of snow yogurt or sour plum soup. The shaved ice was mixed with various dried fruits. It was refreshing and appetizing." "The key is that it is also lively," others also sighed, "Stories, opera singers, drum players, shadow puppet shows, and all kinds of sundries and second-hand goods are sold."

"At four or five in the afternoon, take a stroll along Qianhai, enjoy the cool breeze and cool off, listen to this and look at that, buy a watermelon or cantaloupe and put it in the well to cool it down, then take it out and slice it in the evening. Hey, it's so sweet to the heart."

"It's already 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Why would you want to go home for dinner? If you don't want to go to the barbecue season because it's too hot, you can go to Fuxingju to eat sausages with fried meat and fire cakes. Hey, it's so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Jushunhe, which sells dried fruits next door, has its own ice cellar and the sour plum soup is also first-rate."

"Haha, it seems that you are all the same kind of people who are greedy for the desire of the tongue."

Suddenly, someone spoiled the view and said, "It's a pity that the lotus market in Shichahai was filled up and a sports school was built. There is no lotus market anymore. As for Huixian Hall, the first of the ten halls, it was confiscated by Baldy and sold to Fu Jen Catholic University a long time ago. We can no longer listen to operas on the second floor and watch the summer scenery of Shichahai."

The crowd that was chatting animatedly suddenly fell silent.

Wang Deming was shoveling away, listening with great interest. Although he had come to the city very early, he had never been to the lotus market in Shichahai. Listening to the explanations of the people, he was salivating and yearning for the experience.

I glanced at the person I just mentioned. I don't know him, but judging from the tone of his voice, he has ideological problems. I'll have to find an opportunity to remind Mr. Zhao Shuping later.

Wang Deming thought about it and made a suggestion, "Since the Lotus Market is gone, can we invite these vendors who sell summer cooling drinks to the cross-courtyard?"

"We need to cool down, and I think the Soviet comrades need it even more. We can set up a few stalls here, so that the vendors can have a fixed place to make a living, and we can also serve the Soviet comrades who come for health care. Why not do it?"

Guan Youbo and the others' eyes lit up. Yes! This is a great idea!

Our Soviet comrades are enjoying this, so can't we also benefit from it?

"Let's go, let's go back and think about who to invite. I'll go find Xiao Lou Yang. He must know a vendor who makes good snow yogurt."

"Then I'll go to Jushunhe and ask."

"OK."

Finally, Wu Dinghuan was the only one left by the pond. He looked back at the people who had left and asked again, "Deming, do you really not need my help?"

"Really? The Soviet comrades will be here soon. Please save some energy to serve them." Wang Deming waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly. "Remember to help me pick some good goldfish from Zhou's family in Jinyu Hutong."

"Okay then." Wu Dinghuan put on his white coat again, waved to Wang Deming, and turned back to the next door. "I'll go to their house when I pass by on my way home today. I promise to pick the best for you."

Finally, everyone left. The shovel in Wang Deming's hand danced quickly, leaving an afterimage. In a short while, all the dried silt in the pond and canal was cleaned up and piled in the flower bed.

Then he went back to the bottom of the pond again, and with a shovel he kept trying to knock on the rockery in the middle of the pond.

"Ding".
(End of this chapter)