Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 593: Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes Can't Be Washed Away by Jumping into the Yellow River

After the White Dew, the cold increases suddenly. Although the temperature can reach 23-26 degrees due to sunlight during the day, the temperature will drop by about 10 degrees at night, and the temperature difference between day and night will gradually increase.

In the morning, I have to put on a thick coat when I go to the toilet. After squatting, there is even a little cool breeze blowing on my buttocks. However, this temperature is not worth mentioning for people in the Northeast. In winter, the night temperature can reach more than 30 degrees below zero. Isn't it like nothing happened to relieve worries and fatigue? But only the buttocks know the bitterness in the heart...

It has been two days since they moved into the new house. During these two days, Xu Ning, Guan Lei, Meng Yinhe, Sun Lianjun, Sun Lianxu and others have been working hard. First, they cleaned up the old house of the Xu and Wang families. It does not mean that they will not live in the old house anymore after moving into the new house. This old house is filled with the hard work and memories of his parents, so how can it be easily abandoned?

What's more, when Xu Ning and Meng Ziyan get married, the families of Chai, Wu and Sun will have to come over. They will have to stay for a night or two, and the new house will definitely not be able to accommodate them, so they will have to live in the old house.

Then they would cart the dry firewood from the old house to the firewood room in the new house. Two carts in total would be enough to burn until mid-October, because before winter, they still had to go to the mountains to fetch firewood. This was something that the residents who lived near the mountains had to repeat every year.

Some people may ask why we need so much firewood? Just enough to burn! Actually, that is not the case. People who have experienced the cold season will understand that firewood is never too much. The higher the firewood is piled, the safer it feels. This is a psychological effect of being cold in childhood and afraid of cold in adulthood, just like watching other children eat canned food when you are a child, and prefer to eat canned food when you grow up.

Afterwards, she moved the empty jars, small soy sauce jars, pickle jars, etc. from the old house to the lower room and cellar of the new house. These jars and jars were Liu Lizhen's treasures. She would be scolded if they were broken. Four "sauerkraut pressing stones" which were of excellent quality and could even be heirlooms were also moved to the lower room of the new house.

Liu Lizhen led a group of old ladies to fetch water with washbasins, wiped the sauerkraut jars and stones two or three times, and discussed how many jars of sauerkraut should be pickled this year. In the past, the four people in the Xu family (excluding Xu Ning and Wang Shujuan) only needed one jar to get through the winter, but this year the Xu family will soon have seven people, so at least two jars must be pickled.

But Han Fengjiao felt that it was not enough. She meant that the two families should pickle at least five jars, and then Wu Qiuxia and Yang Shuhua should pickle two jars each, and then they would be able to eat it. Why? Because Liu Daming and Guan Lei had to go to guard the Lengchang, and they would definitely have to send them some vegetables frequently. In winter, in addition to radishes, potatoes and cabbages, the only thing left was pickled cabbage, which could be stored for a longer time.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ning gave a suggestion to first pickle 10 jars of sauerkraut, and then pickle some Chinese mustard greens and pickles. You have to know that Lengchang provides food and accommodation, and these workers work all day and are exhausted, so their appetite will naturally increase sharply, so they must eat some heavy food to supplement the salt, otherwise they will easily get sick.

My mother thought it made sense, and she and Zhang Guifang discussed the matter of kneading dough and steaming tofu buns...

Yesterday morning, Meng Quezi dismantled the main door of Guan Lei's house and replaced it with a 1-meter double door. Liu Daming cleaned up the debris in the yard and pulled the straw in the shed to Lao Xu's new house on a donkey. He tied it into straw ropes and surrounded the doghouse, which had a heat preservation effect.

Xu Ning took some time out to go to the forest farm with Sun Jiye, Liu Zhu and others. They sat in Guo Xingmin's office and chatted for more than an hour. Their purpose was to protect the farmers, but they talked about all kinds of trivial things. However, all the forest farm employees knew that the people from Sandaohe had come to help protect the farmers, and they felt mixed emotions for a moment.

Looking at the brand new chainsaws, axes, large saws and winches piled up in the warehouse, I didn't know how to describe them, but my hostility towards the Sandaohe Forest Farm decreased a lot. I also praised Sun Jishan in casual conversation, but there were still many people who scolded him.

After all, Qing'an Forest Farm has suffered for several years. They can't forgive you just because Sun Jishan showed kindness. Did they suffer in vain? Don't be ridiculous.

Today is the 9th, the th day of the eighth lunar month, and tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival.

After breakfast in the morning, when the two forestry workers left, Sun Jiye said, "Tomorrow is the holiday, and I have to go to the city. Do you want to buy anything?"

Xu Ning had long known that Sun Jiye and the others would go to Sun Jishan's place to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, so he smiled and said, "There's nothing to buy, so you're going to celebrate the festival with my uncle?"

"Well, your third aunt and the others are all there. We will come here together the day after the festival. After you get married, they will go back to the city and I will stay... But I took a look around yesterday, and the farmland here is not as much as in Sandahe. There are some reclaimed land on the mountain, but there are not many livestock."

"Hahaha, there are only small animals on this side of the mountain where I live, and very few big animals. Okay! Then when are you leaving?"

Sun Jiye said, "We'll leave soon. I want to ask Lianfang if she wants to go to her uncle's place."

"Lianfang was here just now, why is she gone now?"

Sun Lianjun, who was sitting at the dining table holding a teacup, said, "I don't know what I did when I went home with my brother-in-law."

"Ah, Third Uncle, you guys are going to the city, but Zhuzi and the other two won't go, right? Then let them stay here and live with me..."

Liu Zhu and the other two sat aside and smiled. Sun Jiye said with a smile, "They have to go too. My eldest brother has already arranged a place for them to stay in the city."

"Uncle Xu, we have to stay in Qing'an for nearly a month, and we still have time to spend together in the future."

The man next to him said, "Well, we have to harvest the autumn harvest before we can go back to Sandaohe."

"That!"

At this time, Sun Lianfang and Guan Lei came back riding their donkeys. As soon as they entered the house, Sun Jiye asked her if she wanted to go to Sun Jishan's house to celebrate the festival.

Sun Lianfang was a little embarrassed. She turned to look at Guan Lei and said to him, "Let's go back. If we are busy after we get married, we may not have time to go back."

She lowered her head and thought that this was the case. After all, this was the last Mid-Autumn Festival before marriage, and she should spend it with her family. She nodded and said, "Okay, when are you leaving?"

"If you're done, let's go now. It'll take another three hours to get to the city."

Xu Ning stood up and waved his hand to stop him, saying, "Wait a minute! Shitou, go to the cellar of the old house to get a box of wine..."

"Hey, Erning, do we really need to do this? No, no, no." Sun Jiye said.

"Uncle San, we are not outsiders. Every time you come, you bring a lot of things. I didn't bring you anything good. This wine is what I brought back from the provincial capital. You can drink it during the festival. The taste is not worse than Maotai. My uncle San said it tastes good."

Guan Lei didn't listen to their quarrel, he just ran out and rode away on his donkey. Sun Jiye didn't struggle when he saw him leaving, he said, "Okay, I won't be polite then."

Although Fengcheng Laojiao is not as expensive as Wuliangye, the supply of this brand of liquor in other provinces is small, because it is only famous in Liaoning Province, and its name is almost unheard of in other provinces. However, the taste is really good, especially the 52-degree sauce-flavored type...

That is why Xu Ning chose it as a gift, because if you give Wuliangye or Moutai as gifts, rich and powerful people may not care, but if you give a rare and unseen wine, they may open it and taste it.

But this gift-giving method is no longer feasible in later generations. Due to the explosive development of information, everything is available on the Internet. Unless you get a collection from a small foreign winery, it will not be worth your attention at all.

After Guan Lei came back, he put a box of Fengcheng Laojiao at the feet of the co-pilot. Then Sun Jiye and others got up and walked out of the house. Xu Ning, Liu Lizhen and others followed them to the door.

Sun Jiye saw the wine box and asked, "Fengcheng Laojiao? Do they have Maotai-flavor wine in Liao Province?"

"Yes! But it's not very famous. You can try it and see how it tastes."

Sun Jiye smiled and nodded: "Okay, I really have never seen this wine."

He waved his hand and said hello to Liu Lizhen and the others: "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law... we are leaving."

Liu Lizhen and others nodded: "Well, come back after the festival. It's time to slaughter the pig in two days."

"OK!"

After Sun Jiye, Lian Fang and other people from Sandaohe left, everyone turned and went into the yard and started chatting about Xu Long, Wang Hu and others.

The holiday is coming soon, and there is no news from them. Will they come back? Stepping into the reception room, Xu Ning said, "My brother and his friends will definitely come back. Feng'er and her friends are on holiday this Sunday. Will they come back tomorrow in time for the holiday? They may be on their way back now."

Liu Lizhen responded silently, then raised her head and asked, "What about Qiangzi and Huzi? Didn't you call them and ask?"

"Oh, I was so busy that I forgot about this! I'll go there later and get two bottles of wine for my uncle."

"And your uncle Ma from Dongshan, you can take him down the mountain and let him live at home. When Lengchang opens, you can let him go to Lengchang."

"Yeah, that's what my mom thought of. My brain can't keep up..."

Liu Lizhen patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't talk nonsense, just go."

Xu Ning has indeed been very busy recently and tends to forget some things. Fortunately, there are many people in his family who can remind him from time to time.

"Do you want to buy some mooncakes at home? Or should I go to the street to buy some in the afternoon?"

"If you want to buy something on the street, it's much easier to go to Liu Guangmin's store. I'll go there later. It's a good time to settle the bills for the first half of the year."

"That's fine. Come on, Shitou, let's go back to the old house to get some wine."

Guan Lei got on the donkey and Xu Ning sat on the sidebar, waving and calling, "Mom, get on! We're on our way."

Liu Lizhen handed the sleeve to Han Fengjiao and said, "I'll learn how to drive this thing in a couple of days. It will be convenient for me to go anywhere."

"This game is easy, you will learn it once you get started!"

After throwing Liu Lizhen at the door of the convenience store, while Xu Ning and Guan Lei got the wine, my mother also settled the bill with Liu Guangmin. The Xu family didn't spend much money in the first half of the year, a total of only 8 yuan, because Xu Ning paid cash every time he came to the store, Xu Laonian didn't spend much except cigarettes and alcohol, and Chai Bing and others came every time to take something. The Xu family had enough supplies, to the point where they couldn't finish eating.

Liu Guangmin sent Liu Lizhen out with two boxes of five-nut mooncakes. Xu Ning greeted her and Liu Guangmin responded with a smile.

Ever since the Xu family built their house, the people in Qing'an Village obviously have a different attitude towards them. This is understandable. After all, they live in the village, and who dares to say that they won't need anyone in the future?
After hearing Liu Guangmin's praise, Xu Ning and Guan Lei sent their mother back home first.

After arriving home, Liu Lizhen went into the house, took out a piece of brown paper, wrapped 10 mooncakes in it, and said, "It's a festival, so we have to take some mooncakes. Is it appropriate for you to take two bottles of wine?"

"He can't pick on me, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Liu Lizhen rolled her eyes. "You and your brother ate a lot of mooncakes from your uncle's house a while ago. How could our family have spare money to buy mooncakes at that time? For two years during the Chinese New Year, your uncle gave us meat, and we only made dumplings."

Xu Ning smiled when he heard this. He had heard this story from his mother many times. He had felt disdainful when he heard it before, thinking that he helped our family in the past, so I should help his family in the future.

But after all his experiences in his previous life, even after his net worth exceeded a million, Du Shoucai never drank the wine he gave him.

So now he goes to Lao Du's house every New Year. Of course, this is due to the fact that his family is well off and has money!
"Ask your second aunt if this is true?"

Han Fengjiao smiled and said, "Of course there is! There was also a time when your brother had a fever and it was your great grandfather who paid for the medicine."

"It's not bad! Shuhua, Guifang, hurry up and try it. We can just have a bite for lunch and eat it in the evening."

Xu Ning took mooncakes and two bottles of Fengcheng Laojiao, and rode a donkey with Guan Lei to the village headquarters, but the door of the village was locked, so they turned and walked towards Lao Du's house.

At this moment, Du Shoucai was grabbing Du Manzhi by the collar and dragging him outside the house under the eaves. Du Manzhi's face flushed red as he shouted, "What does this have to do with me? Then..."

Xu Ning and Guan Lei stepped into the doorway with their things in hand and heard this. Instead of retreating, they shouted, "Brother! What are you yelling at me for?"

When Du Manzhi saw the two people entering the courtyard, he shut up and glanced towards the east room. Du Shoucai let go of his collar and said with a smile, "Come in quickly! Yue'e, Erning is here. Take the child to the west room and don't let him cry."

Inside the house, Zhao Yue'e wiped away her tears, stood up, held the two children in her arms, and quickly walked to the west room while the children were in a daze.

He whispered, "You two stay in this room and don't run around."

"Mom, there are still tears on your chin." said the eldest son.

Zhao Yue'e wiped it and said, "It's okay. You two can stay in this room and coax your little brother."

Under the eaves, Xu Ning walked to the door, holding a bottle of wine and said, "Uncle, I'll get you two bottles of wine for the festival tomorrow."

"Okay, come in quickly, this is the same old wine from last time, right? Oh, this wine tastes good!"

"That's a must..."

As soon as I walked to the outer room, I saw Zhao Yue'e coming out with red eyes. I greeted her but didn't ask too many questions.

Zhao Yue'e went to make tea. After they entered the east room and sat down, Du Shoucai asked, "Will your brother be back tomorrow?"

"He should come back. I talked to him a few days ago. Uncle, why don't you come to my house for the holiday tomorrow? We just moved into a new house, let's have some fun."

"Okay! Let your sister-in-law go early tomorrow to help with the chores."

"Well, here are mooncakes. I got them from Lao Liu's store. I don't know what they taste like. Give them to the child to try."

At this time, the two children had calmed down. Du Manzhi said, "Oh my god, that's just right! These two children... I don't even need to take back the broken mooncake. This guy has made me so upset that I can't even wash it off even if I jump into the Yellow River!"

Du Manzhi walked to the west room with two mooncakes, handed them to the two children and said, "Eat them quickly, your second uncle brought them to you."

His eldest son took over and asked, "Dad, why don't you flatter my mom?"

"Hey, I didn't make any mistakes! Come on and eat, you little mouth is chattering, you two are also greedy, oh, I won't talk about you two anymore, just eat quickly."

After saying that, Du Manzhi left the west room and looked at Zhao Yue'e, who was pouring water in the outer room. She glared at him, which made Du Manzhi feel helpless, but she went back to the east room without much explanation.

Du Shoucai said, "Look, this is the love letter that old woman wrote to your elder brother."

(End of this chapter)