Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 595 Two Bear Gallbladders Ma Liu Goes Down the Mountain
After entering the house, Ma Liu did not change his clothes in a hurry. He put his clothes on the edge of the kang, then walked to the kitchen and squatted down. He opened the cupboard door and took out two bear gall bladders that had been prepared long ago. He also put them on the edge of the kang, then walked to the corner and opened the lid of the wooden box.

The wooden box was very large, like a floor cabinet at home. It contained two 10-jin pots of honey and eight bottles of beeswax in cans, with two bear skins and six deerskins underneath.

He squatted beside the box and paused, muttering, "It seems a little too little. Well, let's just leave it like this."

He reached out to take out the bear skin, honey and other things, then raised his hand to take down the hemp rope hanging on the wall, rolled up the skin and tied it up, then stood up and sat on the edge of the kang, took out half a pack of Yingchun cigarettes and lit them. He took two puffs with a complicated expression and looked around the room.

In fact, there was nothing worth cleaning up in the room. Apart from a roll of tattered bedding on the kang, the only valuable things were the rice, flour, oil and salt in the cupboard.

Ma Liu was just feeling a little complicated. He sat on the edge of the kang, smoking and thinking, this is really his fate!
A great change happened to his family in his early years, and he had already thought about how to live the rest of his life. Perhaps no one would know until he grew old. Perhaps in the summer, five or six days after he died, there would be flies surrounding his cellar. Someone careful might find it, and out of kindness they might dig a hole nearby to help bury him. If a fire burned the cellar, Ma Liu would not be angry or blame him, because this was already the best ending for him.

But now that he has met Xu Ning, things have changed. Maybe he will no longer be lonely for the rest of his life. If he really dies, there might be someone who will kowtow to him. It seems pretty beautiful to think about it this way...

Sometimes when Ma Liu recalled the day when he first met Xu Ning, he would grin and couldn't help laughing, because the two of them had a common goal, so when they were chatting, Ma Liu could feel that this young man had a purpose, but Xu Ning also said it very clearly at the time, so the more they chatted, the more they got along, the happier they felt, and they developed feelings for each other.

"This kid..." Ma Liu threw away the cigarette butt, shook his head and smiled.

Then he stood up and opened the door curtain. Seeing Xu Ning and Guan Lei still covering the straw curtain, he shouted, "Hurry up and fix it!"

"Yes, it's almost done! Uncle, are you done?"

"I've almost finished cleaning the house. I'm going to go to the back to take care of the condoms and I'll be back soon."

"okay."

After 20 minutes, the two men had covered the beehives and beehives with straw mats and pressed down the edges with stones.

Xu Ning sat on a wooden stool outside to take a rest, while Guan Lei took down the axe and hand saw on the top of the cellar while smoking. These two things were valuable at the moment. If passers-by saw them, they would steal them directly out of temptation, so the best way was to take them down the mountain or hide them.

Ma Liu came back empty-handed and said, "I got nothing. It was a wasted trip."

"Just think of it as exercise."

"Haha, you are the biggest bullshitter!"

Ma Liu walked over to the beehive, took a look, and nodded, saying, "It's very neat. Next time, remember the date. As soon as the White Dew arrives, you must find straw curtains to keep the bees warm. Don't leave them for more than a week."

"Okay! Let's go?" Xu Ning urged.

Ma Liu dusted himself off and said, "Let's go! Bring the axe and other things inside, and you two can come in too."

"You don't want to change your clothes?"

"Am I afraid you two will see me changing my clothes? If I don't change now, I'll change after we get down the mountain, otherwise I'll be dirty all the way."

Xu Ning followed him into the house. Guan Lei placed the axe and receipt on the wooden box. Then he heard Xu Ning exclaim, "Oh my god! Uncle, where did you get the bear gall?"

"What do you think happened? I got beaten!"

"Oh my, these two bears are quite brave."

Ma Liu smiled and said, "Of course I will. Do you think I will just be raising bees and hunting traps in the mountains? Take these two bear gallbladders, as well as these two bear skins and six deer skins."

Xu Ning was stunned when he heard this, and said, "Give it to me?"

"Here you are. You are getting married, so consider it my gift."

"You don't need such a big gift for my wedding! Otherwise, I'll help you sell it when I'm free, and you can spend the money yourself."

Ma Liu frowned and waved his hand: "Do you want it? What use is there for me to have money? Look at how old I am. How many more years can I live? If I give it to you, take it. Why are you talking so much?"

Seeing that he was getting a little anxious, Xu Ning clapped his hands and said, "Okay! Then take it!"

"Oh, that's right."

Xu Ning tied two bear gallbladders into nunchakus with hemp rope and hung them around his neck. He also hung the leather on Guan Lei's back. The two of them each carried a pot of honey and four cans of food, while Ma Liu carried an old handle and a cloth bag filled with lead bullets, molds, files and the like.

"Master, don't you have a bearskin coat and a mattress? Don't you want to take them?"

Ma Liu laughed when he heard this and said, "I hid them a long time ago. Otherwise, where do you think these two bear gallbladders came from? To tell you the truth, your uncle has quite a lot of them! Just flatter me, and they will all be yours when I die."

"Hahaha..." Xu Ning didn't care and just laughed: "Uncle, I just don't want to flatter you, can you not give it to me?"

Ma Liu couldn't help but grin, his face wrinkled with laughter, and said, "Fuck! You are right. Then let me tell you now, where do I hide all the things?"

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "Forget it. You can keep it for a few more years, preferably until you are a hundred years old. Then I will have the confidence to take it. Otherwise, won't the people in our village drown me with spit? You said I flattered you just for your inventory."

Ma Liu laughed and said, "Hahaha, you understand human nature quite well, but this kind of thing is just something we both agree on, so why bother with what others say."

"Oh, I care so much about my reputation now, sir, please don't hurt me."

"Hahaha, okay! Let's go..."

The three of them stepped out of the cellar. Ma Liu turned around and put the padlock on it, saying, "It doesn't matter whether this broken door is locked or not. It can protect you from gentlemen but not villains."

"The padlock tells others that the owner of the house has gone out for a walk. Uncle, why don't you write a few words? Tell others that you have been to my house, so that if someone comes to buy honey, they can find you."

"to make!"

Guan Lei picked up a piece of charcoal from the stove outside and handed it to him. Ma Liu took it and wrote on the door: "Xu Ning took me down the mountain to attend the wedding banquet. If you have anything, come to Qing'an to find me - Ma Liu."

"Sir, your handwriting is quite neat."

"Of course. Do you know who taught me how to read? Never mind. I won't tell you two..."

After Ma Liu threw away the charcoal, the three of them walked down the mountain.

"We don't have to chat like this. You've aroused our curiosity. How can I not tickle you?"

"Hey, didn't I say I was talking nonsense? Don't ask me anymore. I'll tell you when I want to say it."

"..."

Ma Liu is an old man with a story. Xu Ning did not sincerely ask him about it, because most people who have experienced that era do not want to recall the past, let alone show off the past. Even if they have medals, they will hide them. There is a saying that goes, "A general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers." These seven words show their inner thoughts.

When they reached the edge of the mountain, Guan Lei and Xu Ning pushed the donkey out, and Ma Liu sat on the guardrail to change his clothes. Xu Ning brought him not only the clothes hand-sewn by Meng Ziyan, but also a pair of cloth shoes.

"I also bought you a pair of leather shoes. You can wear them on the day of my wedding."

"Why show off at your age? Just wear what you like." Although he said that, Ma Liu felt very comfortable. Who has bought him anything in these years? It's good enough that they don't come to steal his things. This is also the reason why Ma Liu has a bad temper...

Some people may worry that Ma Liu, with his hot temper, can survive in the mountains. Why not? He was not a primitive man before, and all his temper was based on not being bullied.

When he followed Xu Ning home, not only his family members had to respect him, but even the people in the village had to respect him. Others did not dare to offend him easily. And for the sake of Xu Ning's face, he would not get angry and his temperament would inevitably be restrained.

Besides, Ma Liu didn't go down the mountain to stay at Lao Xu's house empty-handed this time. He brought two bear gallbladders and eight skins as gifts, two pots of honey and eight bottles of beeswax as gifts. This is not a small amount of money! Who can take out two bear gallbladders at will these days? Ma Liu can!

He just told Xu Ning that when he was about to die, he would leave all the hidden things to Xu Ning. These words were not a test or a trick, but were sincere and came from his heart.

Ma Liu did not test human nature, he chose to trust directly. After spending some time together, he certainly understood what kind of person Xu Ning was. From Xu Ning's casual reply just now, it can be seen that he did not take this small amount of money seriously, so he only talked about it for a few words and then changed the subject.

But how did Xu Laonian and Liu Lizhen feel when Ma Liu brought so many gifts to their home? They must be happy! So Ma Liu gave Xu Ning two bear gallbladders not just as a gift, but also for his parents and relatives to see.

What it means is: Your family has been good to me, so I can’t be stingy. We should reciprocate, not just give alone…

Of course, the Xu family had a good impression of Ma Liu. After all, Ma Liu had captured Li San before, sent honey and beeswax to Liu Lizhen and others, and taught Xu Ning and Wang Hu how to raise bees, so there was no such thing as a lot of nonsense.

Guan Lei rode the donkey backwards, Xu Ning and Ma Liu sat on the guardrails on both sides, and the truck bed was filled with leather, honey and other things, as they drove towards Old Xu's house.

"Wow! This roof is quite spacious! It looks really grand!"

"Of course. The interior has been renovated and the furniture and appliances are all in place. You can choose a room to live in later."

Ma Liu waved his hand and said nothing.

Guan Lei rode the donkey backwards across the bridge and held the handlebars to turn into the courtyard.

"Very good! This garden is well maintained. Was it your mother who did it?"

"Yeah, my mom and the others did it when they had nothing to do."

After that, Xu Ning shouted into the house: "Mom! My uncle is here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Lizhen and others, who had already heard the noise of the motorcycle engine, ran out of the house.

"Oh my god, big brother! I've been waiting for you to come! Erning always mentions you when he has nothing to do. You said you were at the doorstep last time, but why didn't you come in for a meal?"

Ma Liu laughed and said, "Hahaha, I didn't think it through at that time! Now I think it through, and I'll stay here for a while."

Liu Lizhen said with a smile on her face: "How about staying here for a few days? You can live here permanently!"

Xu Ning pointed at the truck bed and said, "Mom, these things were all taken by my uncle. Look! My uncle gave me two bear gallbladders and eight skins, saying they were gifts for my wedding."

"Oh my God..." The old women exclaimed collectively. They all knew how much bear gall was worth, but Ma Liu just gave them two. They really didn't know what to say.

"Brother, why do you spoil him so much? It would be better if you kept the bear gall for yourself..."

Before Liu Lizhen finished speaking, Ma Liu waved his hand and said, "I have no use for it. I don't spend much money on it on a regular basis. If you need anything, Erning will buy it for you without my saying anything."

"Well, uncle, let me introduce you. This is my second aunt, Hu Zi's mother..."

Ma Liu smiled and nodded. After the introduction, Liu Lizhen said quickly, "Brother, come in! Our family will be back tonight, and you will be able to see it later."

"Ah, wow! This outer room is really big. What is this wooden shelf for?"

"I'm still arranging the sofa and chairs. Uncle, let my mom and the others prepare the dishes first. I'll take you for a walk. You'll stay in the west room tonight?"

Ma Liu said nothing. He walked into the west room and took a look. He pursed his lips and said, "It's really well decorated! It's bright as soon as you walk in. Have you cleaned up the old room? I'll live in the old room."

"Why are you going to live in the old house? Brother, why do you treat yourself as an outsider?"

Ma Liu turned around and smiled, "Old sister, it's not that you treat me as an outsider, I'm just used to living in the mountains, I get nervous when I'm suddenly in a crowded place."

Liu Lizhen was shocked and said, "Oh my god, what's going on? I know why I feel anxious. It's very uncomfortable! Then..."

Xu Ning replied, "Okay! Mom, then let my uncle live in the old house. I'll bring some bedding over later."

"Okay, think about getting a thermos, a teacup, a washbasin, etc. There's nothing over there."

"OK."

Ma Liu followed Xu Ning to the second west room and asked, "Why doesn't this room have a kang? Isn't it occupied?"

"I have a bed here. I was thinking of growing some vegetables in this room during the winter."

"Indoor cultivation? Good, you have a good brain. What is this?"

"A washing machine that is plugged in has a motor inside that can rotate..."

"Ah, I've heard of it before, but this is the first time I've seen a washing machine like this."

Xu Ning asked: "What did washing machines look like in the past?"

"It's like the hand-cranked cement mixer in the yard. These furnitures look quite eye-catching, all walnut and yellow pineapple?"

"Of course! I drew the furniture myself..."

After walking around the house twice, Xu Ning and Ma Liu came to the reception room. Guan Lei made a pot of tea, and the three of them chatted while drinking.

Xu Ning took the time to bring two bear gall bladders and skins into the lower house and hung them on the poles. On the day of moving, he thought that the two poles looked uncomfortable with no space, so he must get more bear gall bladders this winter. Unexpectedly, just two days later, two more bear gall bladders were placed on the poles.

Ever since Ma Liu entered the house, his mind has been busy, sometimes looking outside the door, sometimes looking at the ceiling or the wall.

Xu Ning knew that he felt a little uncomfortable. This feeling was not directed towards people or things, but a psychological effect. After all, he had lived in the cellar for several years and had very little contact with the outside world. Now he suddenly returned to a place with a breath of life. His heart must be itchy, as if millions of ants were crawling around.

Xu Ning did not try to persuade him. There was no way to persuade him in such matters. Ma Liu could only mediate on his own.

"Did you run into a big cat in Wanye Mountain?"

Guan Lei finished telling what happened in Wanye, and Ma Liu frowned and said, "This is not like your character. Why save him? Let him stay in the mountains, it will be much easier!"

Xu Ning smiled and said, "I just thought that having more friends would open up more paths..."

(End of this chapter)