My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 369 Remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present: How should one recite the path to wealth?

This young couple has so much energy they don't know where to channel it.

I want to push a stone mill, but I don't want to use animals to pull it; I just want to experience it myself.

But how could these young people, who are lazy and ignorant of farming, possibly push the large millstone in Chen Ling's house?

After several attempts, the two men exhausted all their strength, their cheeks turning red, but the millstone remained motionless.

“The millstone in the Fu Gui family is so big that it’s like a grinding stone. It can only be turned by animals. It usually takes two or three strong men to push it. You two don’t believe me when I tell you this.”

Wang Laishun chuckled and said that nowadays everyone in the village uses machines to grind flour, and no one wants this big millstone anymore. Only Chen Ling treasures it and even brought it home.

"Fifth Uncle, what is this millstone? Is it also this big and this heavy?"

The man wiped his sweat, took a breath, and asked, but he also joined many villagers in calling him Uncle Wang Laishun.

"Yes, the millstone is also heavy, but it's quite different from the stone mill. It's not the millstone that's turning, but the stone roller on top that's turning, so it's a bit easier to push than the stone mill."

As Wang Laishun spoke, he pointed in the direction of the village: "There are several millstones and stone rollers at the threshing ground outside our village. If you want to play around with them, you can put them all together to grind grain. But you have to be careful with the stone rollers."

A millstone is a type of millstone, which is paired with a stone roller. Without a stone roller, it cannot be used.

The stone rollers on the threshing floor are used to thresh wheat when it is ripe. Their main function is to flatten the threshing floor and make it level. They are easy to pull by a single person and are relatively lightweight.

So we have to choose carefully, pick one that's a bit heavier, since a large stone roller is still needed to grind grain.

"So you have to choose the big stone roller too."

"If it's too big, will we be able to move it?" the girl asked.

"Yes, it can be pushed. Just attach the millstone, and the two of you can push together. It's much lighter than the millstone in the rich man's house."

"Oh, all right."

The two young men nodded as if they understood, but they hadn't been to the countryside much and didn't know the difference between a stone mill and a stone roller.

We had no choice but to go along with whatever Wang Laishun said.

“They want to change the millstone to push. Fugui, you're just sitting around doing nothing anyway, why don't you come with us?”

Watching Chen Ling holding the baby and playing with the cats and dogs nearby, Wang Laishun said with a smile.

This lazy kid actually has real skills.

He's recently become the center of attention with just a few words.

The vendors on the reservoir were orderly, and although the dam was bustling, it was clean and tidy, with no one littering.

Everyone who comes here praises him for managing the Party branch well.

This is all thanks to that lazy kid.

So the old man would try to get close to Chen Ling whenever he had free time. He would ask Chen Ling about shipbuilding, and when someone wanted to push a millstone, he would also come to Chen Ling's house.

"Go and go."

Chen Ling didn't have much to do in the morning, so he stood up with his son in his arms and followed Heiwa behind them toward the threshing ground.

After leaving the orchard and walking onto the dirt road, Wang Laishun leaned closer and whispered, "Let me tell you something, Fugui, even if these two young men don't look for the millstone today, I'll still have to clean up the millstone and stone roller outside the village."

"Ah? Why?"

"Our reservoir has produced a turtle king, and people in other places are saying that our village has treasures. In the past few days, a lot of thieves from other places have come here. After inquiring, they found out that a professor came to our village last year and went into the mountains. Recently, they have also been thinking about going into the mountains."

“I’m afraid they’ll steal these stone objects from us at night. Didn’t someone come to the village and mess with these things last year?”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling frowned, thinking to himself, "Could it be that Li Hongqi, the tomb raider from last year, has come back again?"

That's not necessarily true. That guy has Wang Chunyuan as an inside man. I don't know if he was recently attracted by the old turtle or if he's been hiding somewhere watching Chenwangzhuang all along.

After all, the old Taoist priest's treasures on Donggang have all been passed down to who knows where, and now a giant turtle has appeared in the reservoir.

It easily evokes various associations.

……

The two whispered to each other for a while, but before they could say much, they noticed the two young men glancing at them strangely from behind, so they stopped talking.

Chen Ling smiled at them and asked, "Haven't you filmed your scenes at the mountain lake yet?"

"Huh? No, no."

"We are supporting actors, and our scenes were filmed a long time ago. We just wanted to stay a few more days because the scenery here is beautiful and the accommodations are comfortable."

Upon hearing this, before Chen Ling could say anything, Wang Laishun felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey, and laughed heartily: "Then let's play for a few more days. In another half or twenty days, the wild fruits in the mountains will be ripe, such as mulberries, wild strawberries, and goat milk. They taste much better than the dried fruits you ate before."

The young couple's eyes lit up immediately. They looked at each other and were genuinely filled with anticipation.

However, when they arrived at the threshing ground, they wanted to install a stone roller, but they couldn't find a matching one. They were all too light. Old Trouble's family next to the threshing ground actually had a large stone roller, but it was said that they had given it to that thieving kid Li Hongqi last year.

There was no other way. Considering that these people had made the villagers a small fortune, they went to the village to look for one and finally found a large stone roller at Chen Yongsheng's house.

This was something Chen Gannian brought back, and it hadn't been used for over ten years. One end was covered in moss, and when it rolled out, the deep pit underneath it contained a nest of scorpions. This was truly an unexpected delight.

Chen Yongsheng immediately took out his chopsticks and put the scorpion into his pocket. The two young couples were both scared and eager to try it. Especially when they heard Chen Yongsheng happily telling Chen Ling that they would use the scorpion as a snack to drink a pot of wine, their eyes couldn't help but gleam with a strange light.

I thought to myself: There are so many delicious things to eat here, I wonder what this scorpion tastes like, and whether it's good?

……

They attached a wooden frame to the stone roller, and several people used ropes to pull the large stone roller, rolling it on the ground towards the threshing ground.

Chen Yongsheng and Chen Gannian also followed behind to join in the fun.

As they walked, Chen Yongsheng asked, "Fugui, how many batches of salted eggs have you sent out this month? There are a lot of people at the reservoir lately, and it's very congested. We haven't seen Lixian's third son-in-law drive over."

"Yes, there have been a lot of people from outside the village lately, so I've only made two deliveries this month. The salted eggs at home are pickling quite quickly, and we've already finished a batch. I told him to come over again in the evening when he has time, so the crowds will have dispersed and it will be easier for his car to drive into the village."

Chen Ling, carrying the baby, lagged behind them a few steps and walked alongside Chen Gannian.

Last year, this confused old man drank a few cups of his tea and a cup of his medicinal wine, and his confusion decreased. Sometimes he was sober for half a month or twenty days straight, which was an unexpected surprise.

The old man was very close to Chen Ling's father, and when he was confused, he would often mistake Chen Ling for his father.

She was also kind to Chen Ling, teasing Rui Rui in his arms as they walked.

Rui Rui grinned, showing off his tiny white baby teeth, and kept smiling at the old man while perched on Chen Ling's shoulder, but he never let him hold him.

This left Chen Gannian feeling quite helpless.

"Oh, that makes sense. People leave at night, so it's good to be able to drive in. Sometimes it's not so bad to drive at night."

Chen Yongsheng nodded and said, "Fugui, do you think we can do this salted egg pickling work? If we can, we'll follow you and do it too, just like with fish farming. You can be our leader, and we can set up a fish farm like the rest of the village."

"Well... this job is doable, but Uncle Yongsheng, don't expect to make money on the side while farming, just like raising fish."

Chen Ling smiled slightly: "When it comes to raising chickens and ducks and selling salted eggs, we're family, so I won't beat around the bush with you. After all, if you want to do it, I can't stop you, right?" "That's true. I see that every household in our village raises chickens and ducks. Setting up a small farm, with only ten or so to a hundred or two, is just a side thing."

Chen Yongsheng chuckled, and Wang Laishun, who was pulling the stone roller in front, also hurriedly listened.

Chen Ling is good at making money, and he's managed to make a fortune from pickling salted eggs, which has inspired the villagers to try it too.

Even he, the Party branch secretary, couldn't help but be tempted.

I want to learn from others and hear how to get rich.

"This is not something that can be done incidentally. You can raise fish on the side, but once poultry like chickens and ducks are raised on a large scale, they can't be left alone. In addition to the epidemics and plagues, you also have to guard against things that might cause harm. If you want the chickens and ducks to lay more eggs, you have to feed them and add water frequently and take care of them at all times. It's not an ordinary kind of tiring."

"Once you encounter the busy farming season, even if you want to get away, you have to keep this matter in mind all the time."

Chen Ling was telling the truth; he had explained the pros and cons to them.

"Then instead of running a breeding farm, would it be okay to raise them like you do?" Chen Yongsheng asked again.

“I’ve leased the entire mountain, and I even have dogs watching over it. Most people can’t do that,” Chen Ling said with a shake of his head and a smile.

Upon hearing this, Chen Gannian couldn't help but glare at his eldest son: "Fugui has the leisure to bring the child out to play, but if you raise chickens and ducks, even if you raise them on the mountain like Fugui, would you dare to come out and wander around with peace of mind?"

"Hey, if that's the case, this really won't work."

Chen Yongsheng clapped his hands and said helplessly, "Our dog is nowhere near as smart and capable as Fugui's dog. It's good enough if we let it watch over the chickens and ducks and not steal any food."

Chen Gannian glanced at him sideways: "This is outrageous. It's already good enough that Fugui can teach you how to raise fish. You want to learn everything from him and make all the money? Do you even have that ability?"

Wang Laishun, who was ahead of him, also shook his head and sighed. Indeed, it was easy for him to make money, but it wouldn't work for someone else.

"Da, that's not what I meant..."

Chen Yongsheng hurriedly explained, and then said to Chen Ling, "Oh, Fugui, I'm not jealous of you. Actually, if I wanted to make money, I could go out and work with them. It's just that I can't bear to leave home. I've made some money selling things at the reservoir lately. The film crew that came for you also made us some money. I was thinking about what kind of business I could do in the village without leaving home."

"I see."

Chen Ling doesn't mind others learning from him. People like him who come to ask about raising fish or making salted eggs are no different from Chen Yongsheng.

However, one's own model cannot be copied.

It's something that others can't learn even if they want to.

And so, while chatting about this and that, they pulled the stone roller to the threshing ground.

Recently, many people from other places have come to the village. They not only play in the reservoir, but also stroll around the village.

Seeing this scene, I found it novel and followed along.

And then there were the little kids who weren't old enough to go to school, carrying small whips and twigs, following behind the big stone roller, laughing and cracking their whips and banging on it.

They completely mistook Wang Laishun for an old donkey pulling a millstone.

This caused the people who followed to burst into laughter.

Wang Laishun, who was glaring and about to explode in anger, couldn't help but relax his brows and smile. He chuckled and scolded, "Go away, you little rascal. If you keep fooling around, I'll tie the millstone to your little sparrows in your pants."

The adults laughed even harder.

A few people, like the young couple, were bewildered, not knowing what this millstone was.

Chen Ling then said that this was another name for the stone roller, and in fact, the stone roller was originally called by this name more often.

For example, there was a program in Bianjing (Kaifeng) during the Song Dynasty where people would pull a stone roller.

Just like many local dialects were once the official language, they gradually stopped being called that.

This is how they call it here. The "lu" in "lu" is not pronounced as "lu" but as "liu". This is the traditional way of calling it that has been preserved.

After listening to Chen Ling's explanation, the group felt they had gained a lot of knowledge. Then, the out-of-towners who had come along rolled up their sleeves and helped wash the stone roller and millstone clean, wiped them clean with cloth, and then lifted the stone roller and placed it on the millstone.

Wang Laishun assembled the millstone frame and millstone, called over the young couple, and gave it a push. The millstone began to creak and turn.

"Put out the grain, put out the grain..."

A group of little kids crowded in front of the adults, feeling that simply pushing wasn't enough, so they clapped their hands and shouted.

Rui Rui, in Chen Ling's arms, also joined in with their babbling and shouting.

Although it was unclear, he could still manage to utter a word or two that sounded reasonable.

"What do you want to grind?" Wang Laishun asked the two men.

"What can this be used to grind? Can it be used to grind flour?"

"Yes, it can grind any kind of flour, corn, wheat, sorghum, millet, sweet potato... you can grind anything you want."

Many onlookers from out of town wanted to try it out, and when they heard what Wang Laishun said, many couldn't help but ask, "Secretary Wang, can these sweet potatoes be ground into flour?"

Before Wang Laishun could say anything, someone replied, "Why can't sweet potatoes be ground into flour? Not only sweet potatoes, but hay can be ground into flour, and even elm bark can be ground into flour. During famines, people would fight over elm bark buns."

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized him as an old man with scars on both cheeks; he was none other than Chen Ling's fourth grandfather, Chen Gannian.

The old man was born before the founding of the People's Republic of China. He was knowledgeable and experienced, and he impressed people with just a few words.

A group of young people surrounded him, asking him a series of questions.

"Is there famine here, even though there are mountains and rivers?"

"Why isn't there a famine? When there are bad years, the people in the mountains suffer a lot. When there is a drought, the harvest is poor, and there are people fleeing famine who come into the mountains from outside to find food. It's very chaotic."

"Huh? Why would refugees flee to the mountains?"

“The villages in these mountains are small, with few people and not much food. Outsiders think that with so few people, just three or five households, living in such a big mountain, they must not eat much. They must have a lot of food stored up, so people will not go hungry if they go there.”

"Why don't you eat fish or go hunting in the mountains?"

"What kind of question is this, kid? In years of drought, there's no water in the rivers, so where are the fish? As for hunting, all the wild animals have run away. Birds and beasts are clever too; they know your place is bad and there's no food, so they hurry up and run to another place instead of waiting to die of thirst and hunger."

Chen Gannian was speechless. These kids clearly had never experienced hardship. What kind of questions were they asking?

The old man's behavior spurred many young people to believe that they too could endure hardship, so they asked to try the elm bark buns that were eaten during the famine years. But who would be foolish enough to make that stuff now? In the end, they only managed to grind some dried sweet potatoes into flour for the young people to play with.

These people pushed the millstone with great effort, and they all seemed to be having a lot of fun.
The sweet potato flour that was finally ground was terrible; it was all black, and the steamed buns were also black. One bite and you'd question your existence.

Not only does it irritate the throat, but it's also extremely difficult to swallow.

Many people ate only two or three bites before their eyes welled up with tears.

Seeing this scene, Chen Ling couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time; it was truly a large-scale "bitter memories and sweet memories" event.

Look, they're all moved to tears.

(End of this chapter)