My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 148 Crane Shadow
We've accumulated quite a few chicken and duck eggs at home, but not as many as before.

Liang Yuemin brought a lot of things with him on his first two visits to our home.

When they left, we naturally couldn't let them go empty-handed, so we gave them two baskets of eggs and duck eggs to take back with them.

Now that someone has come to buy, we've picked out fifty of both kinds and are selling them at the highest market price.

The couple squatted down and carefully picked up the eggs. After examining their color, they nodded to themselves, not feeling cheated at all.

After weighing the item, they paid promptly.

In fact, free-range eggs are much smaller than regular eggs.

The eggs at Chen Ling's house were all enormous, almost as big as other people's duck eggs.

Many people who saw it thought it wasn't a free-range egg.

However, when you touch them, the shells are much thicker than those of eggs laid by farmed chickens.

In fact, not only chicken eggs, but duck eggs are also larger than normal.

Even without eating them, you know that these chicken and duck eggs must be of high quality.

Of course, people nowadays are different from those of later generations; they don't care whether eggs are free-range or not. They actually think bigger eggs are better.

The couple didn't stay long; after buying their things, they slung their baskets over their shoulders and left.

After leaving, Qin Rongxian said that the two people lived not far from them in the county town. They bought this not for themselves, but for their daughter to eat during her postpartum period. Liang Hongyu gave them a few a few days ago and made steamed eggs with them. Their daughter ate some and wanted more, so they made a special trip over here.

"I live not far away..."

Hearing Qin Rong say this, Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt that the two people looked somewhat familiar.

"Uncle, could these two be Qin Qiumei's in-laws?"

"Haha, you know this too?"

"It's Qiu Mei's in-laws. Strictly speaking, the girl should call me Fourth Uncle. They're all from Qinwan in the south of the city. When you were building your house, we met at your house and knew that Guan was in charge of family planning. Your aunt and I both had a vague impression of him. We ran into him while we were out for a walk the other day and started talking. That's when we found out that we were from the same hometown. Her parents-in-law retired this year and have nothing to do at home. We just started seeing each other recently."

Chen Ling nodded, indicating that he understood.

He didn't know him at first. It was when Zhao Dahai was drunk during the house construction that he drove Qin Qiumei there. He felt that she looked a little familiar, but he only saw her briefly before leaving. He didn't recognize her when she came to his house this time.

They're all families who aren't short of money anyway.

He came to our house to buy it, saving him the trouble of going to the county town.

While chatting, Liang Yuemin set up a chessboard, and the old man and the young man started playing chess back and forth.

He watched for a while, and seeing that the game between the father and son was going on for a long time, he turned around, grabbed a handful of wheat, and went to feed the pigeons while whistling.

Recently, the father and son have been coming over every few days.

The villagers also knew that they had asked Chen Ling to play chess or cards.

In no time, a crowd of people had gathered in the courtyard.

Chen Ling lost two games in a row.

Not long after he was replaced, Qin Rongxian got into a heated argument with an old man in the village.

The villagers watching didn't take sides; they just stood by with smiles on their faces, arms crossed, enjoying the spectacle.

The commotion continued until noon before it finally subsided.

Qin Rongxian was still not satisfied and made an appointment with the old men to fight again tomorrow.

They then refused to stay for dinner and leisurely rode away on their bikes with their son.

The villagers also left one after another. Before leaving, Chen Yubin from Guoxing's family left a message.

"Uncle Fugui, remember to eat early tonight, we still need to go to the Earth God Temple."

"understood."

The village goes hunting together, and the night before, they worship the local earth god.

Pray to the local earth god for blessings to obtain more prey.

As for why it was a sacrifice to the land god instead of the mountain god, that remains unknown.

This is how it's been passed down from generation to generation.

in the afternoon.

The seven teams that were going into the mountains gathered together at Wang Lixian's house.

They discussed the hunting trip for the next day together.

The detailed division of labor, including which direction to go, who has a suitable dog-chasing spot, who guards the pass, and who searches the mountain, etc., is not needed in the outer forests where there is little prey. This refers to the deep forests.

With everything prepared, all that was left was to go to the local temple to worship the Earth God that evening.

Aside from the grand offerings made during the Lunar New Year, people at the local earth god temple only add incense and burn paper money during festivals like the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

It's usually deserted and quiet.

The place was full of dust and cobwebs, with a thick layer of ash. Several young people cleaned it up beforehand before they began the worship.

Everyone who comes into the mountains this time, regardless of which team they are from, must come over, burn incense, light yellow paper, offer fruit and meat, kowtow respectfully a few times, and say some respectful words.

Otherwise, so many people would come into the mountains without even a word of warning.

The Earth God will be unhappy and will hide all the prey or let them escape, leaving no one who goes hunting in the mountains with a single hair.

The worship ceremony was basically completed around nine o'clock at night.

Chen Ling then got up and went to set off the cannons.

A large plate of firecrackers was taken out of a sack, lined up, and lit around the earth god temple. The firecrackers burst into flames with a series of bangs, constantly exploding in the night sky.

It rang for a full ten minutes.

Only then is the worship of the Earth God considered complete.

The last to leave closed the temple gates, ready to head into the mountains the next day.

Team Seven had the most people going into the mountains. In addition to Chen Dazhi and Wang Lixian, there were also several uncles and brothers of Chen Yuqiang and Chen Zejia, making a total of twelve people.

Five people still couldn't get a gun because they thought they were too young, but they all insisted on going into the mountains anyway.

On the fourth day of the intercalary eighth month, Chen Ling shouldered his hunting rifle and led his two dogs out the door early in the morning.

Wait outside the village for departure.

He didn't bring much with him, just a coat and a bundle, which he asked Heiwa to carry.

A wood-chopping knife was tucked diagonally into his waistband; it was used for clearing paths and cutting vines.

This knife is similar in shape to a kukri and is quite old. It was left to Chen Ling by his father and was often carried with him when delivering messages.

Whether for clearing a path or for self-defense, this knife can solve the problem; it is extremely sharp.

After special processing and polishing, it remains bright and sharp all these years, showing no signs of rust.

In mountain villages, a wood-chopping knife is an essential household item.

Like sickles, we always keep two or three at home as spares.

For a hunter venturing into the mountains, a wood-chopping knife is just as important as a skinning knife.

Besides clearing paths through dense vegetation and protecting oneself from wild animals that suddenly appear, bamboo can also be used to make rafts, serving many purposes.

Before long, almost all the members of Team Seven had arrived.

Although the other teams didn't go together, they were still very lively, gathering in groups of three or five outside the village, smoking, talking and laughing with great enthusiasm.

Chen Ling brought a dog.

The other members of Team Seven also brought their dogs.

This was discussed at Wang Lixian's house yesterday; Chen Ling's two dogs are quite fierce.

As long as the two of them take the lead, the village dogs will transform into something else entirely, becoming exceptionally fierce.

They dared to charge at a pack of wolves.

And the village dogs, after their last battle with the wolf pack...

It was injured quite a bit, but it definitely looked much fiercer. When it barked, its spirit and energy changed.

In the countryside, hunting doesn't require hunting dogs for retrieving or tracking.

The local dogs they raise, like the yellow tabby dog ​​that Wang Lixian trained, can search, chase, bark, and bite in one go after they've trained their legs.

It's a gun hunt anyway.

It's much easier to hunt prey in the mountains than usual.

The dogs are mainly used for warning animals and for chasing prey in the mountains. "Everyone's here, so let's all tie up our trouser legs and get ready to go."

After Wang Lixian finished smoking a cigarette, he told everyone to wrap straps around their legs and feet to prevent poisonous insects from getting in after they went into the mountains.

After securing their belts and legs, the group headed north, intending to enter the mountains from Chen Ling's home.

Each of them carried a cloth bag on their back and hung bags of various sizes, which contained medicine and some commonly used items.

Passing the threshing ground, head north, and the village entrance in the northwest corner is Nianzikou.

The old millstone is gone, and the fields that once lined the edge of the village are now filled with houses.

But Langdiao Rock hasn't changed; it's still the highest peak of this mountain, and we'll have to pass through it again this time.

“Fugui, look, Susu still came out to see you off.”

After walking for a while, Chen Dazhi smiled and patted Chen Ling on the shoulder, urging him to turn around and look.

Chen Ling turned around and saw Wang Susu standing at the village entrance with her younger sister, both of them looking in their direction.

Chen Ling used to go to the mountain just to play.

This time we're going deep into Wuyun Mountain, which is very dangerous.

The villagers usually only stay in the outer areas; if they want to get more prey, they have to go deeper.

Wild boars and wolves are common, as are leopards, and venomous snakes, insects, and leeches are even more difficult to guard against... There are many dangers in the deep mountains and forests, and many things whose names we don't know are also deadly.

Before leaving, Wang Susu was reluctant to say anything unlucky, but how could she not be worried?

She could only come over for a quick look after the group had gone far away.

Chen Ling could almost see the many emotions hidden in his wife's big eyes. He smiled, waved to her, and shouted, "Go back quickly!" Then he called to the two dogs that were barking loudly with him, turned around, and went over a steep slope.

The crowd followed closely behind, and naturally, some teasing and banter ensued.

“Fugui, after we pass Wolf-Claw Rock, let Xiao Jin lead the pack of dogs to chase the mountain. Xiao Jin is fast.”

After we reached the mountain path, Wang Lixian made the suggestion.

He guessed right by sheer luck.

Little Gold certainly has that ability; she can be the queen of dogs.

Wang Lixian said this because on the night they hunted the wolf, he and the villagers witnessed Xiao Jin's amazing speed.

It runs like the wind, its legs are so short you can't even see its shadow. Even wolves would back down in its presence.

"Alright, then this important task will fall to my little Jintou."

Chen Ling patted the little golden head and gave it instructions about chasing the mountain later.

It doesn't matter if there's little prey on the outskirts of the mountains; once you cross the outer hills and enter the remote mountain ranges, you need to let the dogs search the area from the outside in.

The presence of prey is mainly determined by the barking of dogs. When a dog smells prey, it will naturally bark loudly and continuously, which indicates that prey has appeared. If the dog barks softly and intermittently, it means that no prey has appeared yet.

When they spot the prey, the search party signals one by one, shouting that the prey has come out of the mountains and is now at a certain location, and asking everyone to be on guard.

Then they flanked them and opened fire.

"Haha, Uncle Fugui, why are you wasting your breath talking to the dog? No matter how smart it is, can it understand human speech?"

"Chen Yubin, the son of Guoxing, laughed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Dazhi scolded him: "Old dogs understand human nature, old dogs understand human nature, haven't you heard of that saying? When you first became an electrician, you were electrocuted and fell under a tree. Ask who went to call for help? It was my dog."

"Back then, your second grandmother was still alive. The family dog ​​was very strong and healthy, with glossy fur. The dog was very grateful and sensible."

Chen Yubin stared blankly at him, "Huh? Is that so? I've never heard Da mention it before."

"I'm not telling you. It was because Brother Guoxing was hit on the head with a club back then that he was electrocuted. If I tell you, I'm afraid you'll hold a grudge."

"Who was it? Which bastard smacked me in the head? Uncle Dazhi, tell me, I definitely won't hold a grudge."

"That person is long dead, the grass on his grave is all overgrown, it's no use telling you."

"..."

The two of them were talking.

Wang Lixian said to Chen Ling, "We're already up the mountain, why are you making Heiwa carry so much stuff? Dogs have weak backs, they can run but can't carry. If we do this, we won't go far up the mountain, and it will exhaust the dog."

"It's alright, Heiwa is stronger than a calf, all muscle, carrying a little stuff won't be a problem."

Although Chen Ling said that.

But he still turned around and kicked Heiwa next to him, saying, "Alright, since Brother Xian said so, I won't let you carry it anymore. You lead the way. Do your best later and don't let Xiaojin outdo you again."

He then took the package off and carried it on his back.

Heiwa remained carefree, sticking out his tongue and giving him a silly look. Then he vigorously shook his fur and rushed ahead to play with Xiaojin and a group of stray dogs.

The sun was shining brightly again today, and a cool breeze was blowing gently. Looking at the heavy fruits on the wild trees, some red and some yellow, the ripe wild fruits exuded a rich fruity aroma, and everyone felt relaxed and refreshed.

However, once you enter the mountains and forests, the journey becomes arduous.

The paths that villagers carved out to gather herbs and hunt wild game in the mountains would be completely covered by weeds and vines if no one walked on them for half a month, as if these paths had never existed.

Chen Yubin, Chen Guangbin, and their brothers, who were walking in front, took out wood-chopping knives and cleared a path for themselves.

This job looks exciting, but it's actually very tiring.

Weeds are somewhat manageable, but intertwined vines and shrubs are much harder to deal with.

The young men were exhausted. Chen Yuqiang was too fat to do the job, so Chen Ze and his brothers had to take turns clearing the way.

More than an hour later, we crossed the mountain where Wolf-Claw Rock was located.

Wang Lixian reminded everyone again, "It's shady now, watch your step."

It refers to the venomous snakes and insects underfoot, which are mostly found on the shady side of the mountain.

Even fewer people come here normally, and the roads are more difficult to navigate.

The vines were thicker, and the shrubs and brambles were in a mess.

The young men were all panting heavily, swinging their arms. The wild vines were thick and tough, and the impact of chopping them made their arms ache and go numb.

Seeing this, Chen Ling drew his wood-chopping knife and stepped forward: "Let me do it, you guys take a break."

They were all replaced.

As everyone stepped back, Chen Ling picked up his wood-chopping knife and began to brandish it.

The sounds of "click" and "click" continued.

Wild vines and shrubs snapped in an instant, and the snow-white machete stood out starkly against the dim forest.

The team did indeed move much faster.

When they arrived at a valley.

The two dogs beside Chen Ling suddenly pricked up their ears and were about to rush out, but Chen Ling stopped them in a flash.

"What's wrong, Fugui?"

Wang Lixian's expression turned serious.

The people behind them also raised their hunting rifles warily.

Chen Ling put a finger to his lips and gently shushed.

Then he pointed ahead.

Looking ahead from where they stood, the view opened up considerably. In the distance, there was a mountain stream with the sound of flowing water. The surrounding area was filled with lush bamboo and dense forest. Standing in the water were large white birds with long legs and pointed beaks, preening their feathers that were completely free of any other color.

It was a flock of white cranes, about seven or eight in number, a small flock.

At this moment, the flock of cranes were playing in the mountain stream, but there was a strange white crane that held its long neck high, puffed out its chest, and opened its round eyes, as if it were on guard.

Everyone held their breath, not daring to disturb them.

But the mongrel couldn't contain itself. It whimpered softly, circling around Heiwa and Xiaojin, its tail wagging restlessly, as if it wanted to rush over.

The clever white crane quickly noticed the commotion, so it cried out loudly, flapped its wings, put its legs together, stretched its neck, and flew into the sky.

Then, a series of clear, long whistles rang out in the air.

Perhaps hearing the warning from their companions, the other white cranes stretched their necks, flapped their wings, and flew into the sky.

"The crane has flown back."

Chen Dazhi raised his gaunt face and sighed as he looked at the distant sky.

The cranes have returned, autumn has arrived, and the year is almost over.

(End of this chapter)