Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 609: Good News Return Home
The next day, the sun was warm and the wind was calm.

The temperature in Qing'an in mid-September is cool and pleasant. Although it is a little chilly in the morning and evening, it is just right at noon.

Middle-aged and elderly people wear light jackets, and young people with strong energy don't feel cold even in short sleeves.

After a quick breakfast, Xu Laonian polished the tractor's exterior until it was shiny, and placed the yellow paper, gold ingots, tributes and other items in the sack in the truck bed.

Xu Ning specially put on red socks, pants and belt, Meng Ziyan was also dressed in red. Liu Lizhen chased to the courtyard with a red rope in her hand and asked Xu Laonian to tie it around her wrist.

Then, the four of them drove towards Dongshan on a tractor, leaving Chen Hedong, Guan Lei and others waiting at home, because they wanted to go to the mountain to tell the old man and the old lady that it was the so-called Shangxi Tomb!
When they arrived at the foot of Dongshan Mountain, Xu Laonian parked the tractor on the side of the road. Because the fields were planted with crops, they had to take a longer detour and enter the mountain from the southeast path.

The scenery along the way was very messy. All you could see was green mixed with yellow leaves, and patches of moss and lichen on the ground. Although there were a few mushroom patches, none of the four were in the mood to bend down and pick them up.

At this time, the plants in the mountains are venting their last temper, trying to fight the impending cold air with their vigorous growth. However, the four seasons are orderly, everything has its time, and life also has its time. Any life will wither one day, either due to old age or death from illness.

The leaves have turned slightly yellow, and Xu Ning feels that time is flying by quickly, as if he has done nothing and the four seasons have passed by in a hurry.

However, thinking back on this year's experiences, he only felt satisfied. Those so-called regrets were finally no longer as sad as the original track.

Liu Lizhen told him secretly that she wanted to go into the mountains to pick mushrooms in a few days, but Xu Ning waved his hand to refuse. He was afraid that his mother would not take it seriously, so he gave an example of how someone in a nearby village was harmed by black bears while picking mushrooms or pine cones.

My mother was a little disappointed when she heard this. She hardly went out this year. Except for trips to Sandaohe and Wangxing, she spent the rest of the time busy with trivial matters at home. She was also a little tired.

Xu Ning meant to wait until Wang Hu and Guan Hua got married, and then let her and Han Fengjiao go to the city to play for a few days. But her mother asked, "Who will prepare meals for you at home?"

Xu Laonian said with a smile: "Well, you guys are just going to play for two or three days, how can we starve to death at home? With my popularity, I can make a living anywhere."

"What are you talking about on such a happy day? Say 'Pooh, pooh, pooh!'"

Xu Laonian spat three times on the ground. Xu Ning rolled his eyes and said, "Why don't you wait until Shitou and Lianfang are married? You can go to the city to play for a few days and come back three days before their wedding."

"Will that work..." Liu Lizhen was a little tempted, but she was worried about her family.

"Okay! You old ladies are getting bored staying at home. You should go out for a walk."

Xu Laonian never stopped this kind of thing, but rather agreed with it. He was taught from childhood that men and women are equal. Although women don't work to earn money, they also contribute a lot at home. He can even drink a little wine on weekdays, so what can Liu Lizhen do? Besides, the happiness of men and women is different.

"I'll study it when I get home."

The area around the grave was covered with green grass again. Xu Laonian and Xu Ning used sickles to clean it up before starting to place offerings. Meng Ziyan filled the wine cup and placed it at the door. Liu Lizhen smiled and muttered, informing the old man and the old lady of all the big and small things that had happened in the family this year.

Soon after Xu Ning lit the yellow paper, a fire tornado appeared. It was obvious that they were also very happy.

After he and Meng Ziyan knelt down and kowtowed, Xu Laonian poured the wine in the cup at the door, and the offerings remained in place. After the three incense sticks had burned out, they picked up the sacks and left.

When going down the mountain, Xu Laonian seemed to have accomplished another major event in his life, so he was in a good mood.

He and Liu Lizhen were chatting in the front, as if they were discussing what to bring back home tomorrow. Xu Ning and Meng Ziyan were strolling slowly in the back. She would ask from time to time what that mountain was called, what that mountain was called, and Xu Ning would tell her the story in a calm tone...

After returning home, Xu Ning, Chen Hedong, Guan Lei and Wang Hu started playing mahjong again, while Xu Laonian went to the old house to chat with Ma Liu. He would go to the forest farm this afternoon. If it weren't for the arrival of a new leader at the forest farm, he could have rested at home for a day. However, a new official has three big things to do when he takes office. If he is burned, wouldn't it be like a flood that flushes out the Dragon King Temple?
Liu Lizhen went into the cellar and found a box of Fengcheng Laojiao, a basket of eggs, two bags of rice and two bags of noodles, two pots of soybean oil, as well as Lao Dingfeng cakes and mung bean cakes sent by Chen Hedong.

Giving these things to the Meng family will not only make the Xu family proud, but also leave a good reputation when others spread the word. What's more, what the Xu family lacks the least right now is supplies!
In addition to his own cellar filled with rice, flour and other things, there are still many things in Lao Wang's cellar. Even if 20 people eat at home every meal, it will not be a problem to eat for a year or two.

At noon, Wang Biao and Liu Tianen didn't come back for lunch. They must have been having fun, or they ate at Da Laba's house. Han Fengjiao and Wu Qiuxia didn't come back either. They already have their own thoughts. If they are disciplined, it will easily lead to trouble...

But when Liu Daming came back at noon, he brought news that the two of them and Huang Lin had taken their old guns into the west woods to hunt birds. Sure enough, at around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Guifang came in carrying half a sack of sparrows.

"These three kids beat the sparrow so hard that its head was completely smashed off."

Liu Lizhen asked, "Why didn't the three of them come back?"

"He went into the woods again, saying that he would ask his sister-in-law to kill sparrows in the evening..."

“He’s quite good at eating.”

"This is a holiday for them. They are not at home all day."

Wu Qiuxia said: "It's good to have some fun during the holidays, but they should stay in the western forest and avoid running into old leopards."

"Uncle, there aren't so many old leopards. It shouldn't be a big deal. I'll tell you about the three of them when you come back."

Zhang Guifang smiled and said, "You really have to say it. Our words are useless."

"You are reluctant to pick up the broom. If you were like my mom, your butt would have been bruised long ago."

Liu Lizhen glared and asked, "When did I break your ass?"

"Oh my god, this isn't a metaphor."

The old women grinned at each other.

In the evening, when Wang Biao, Liu Tianen and Huang Lin came back, they were all covered in dirt, but the old women didn't say anything to them. However, Xu Ning said a few impolite words to them.

They gave up only after they repeatedly assured them that they would never climb trees to pick pine cones or go to the river to fish.

Fried sparrows are not that great, roasted sparrows taste better!
Before going to bed, Xu Ning and Meng Ziyan were busy for half an hour, and then they lay on the bed, snuggling up to each other and chatting.

"Will you go back after dinner tomorrow?" Meng Ziyan asked.

"When did I pick you up when we got married?"

"It seems to be 8:08."

"Then be at the door at this time. Mom has prepared everything. We can just load the car and go. Nothing will be delayed."

"Okay, then...are we going to sleep now?"

Xu Ning turned around and asked, "What do you mean? Do you still want to fight?"

"Oh, I can't sleep."

"Why are you so energetic? Then you can study it yourself. I don't want to move now."

"..."

It was the third day after our wedding. It had rained a little last night, soaking the ground. As the sun slowly rose, the wet ground gradually became dry.

After dinner, Guan Lei, Wang Hu and Chen Hedong helped load rice, flour and other items into the tractor, while Su Yawen did a bun on Meng Ziyan's hair. This hairstyle is exclusive to married women, and they basically have to have their hair tied up when they go back to their parents' home, which means that she is already a woman, not a virgin.

"Just sit on my lap. It's not far anyway."

Meng Ziyan really wanted to sit on his lap after hearing that, but Xu Ning quickly pushed her away and said teasingly, "I'm just teasing you. How can I drive if you sit on my lap? Sit on the side!"

She pouted and sat next to Xu Ning, and then the two of them drove the tractor out of the yard.

It stopped at the door of old Meng's house at 8:08 on time. At this time, Meng Quezi, Liu Fenfang and Meng Yinhe who were inside the house came out to greet them.

"Erning!" "Mom and Dad!"

Meng Quezi and Liu Fenfang smiled and said, "Hey!"

"Why didn't my uncle and his family come over?"

Liu Fenfang said, "They will be here soon, please go in first."

"Cheng, Yinhe, come to the car and move the things."

"Oh my, why are you taking this older one?" Liu Fenfang exclaimed.

Xu Ning smiled and said, "These were all prepared by my mother. Didn't we collect a lot of things before we got married..."

"Then you can keep it for yourself. There are only three of us and how much can we eat? There are more people over there..."

"It's enough for us to eat. There's still a lot left at home. I didn't give you too much. I thought I'd take more after we finish eating."

Liu Fenfang said with a smile: "It's okay to just give it as a token of appreciation. This amount of food is enough for the three of us to eat for half a year."

"Yinhe is still growing, so he can't go hungry..."

While chatting, they moved the things in the truck bed into the house and placed them in the outer room, where they took up quite a lot of space and almost buried the water tank and the kitchen sink.

Meng Quezi, Xu Ning and Meng Yinhe were drinking tea in the east room, while Liu Fenfang dragged Meng Ziyan to the west room to ask her something.

It must have included that aspect, and he said bluntly: "Girl, you have to hurry up! Now is a good time to have a child since you just got married. In two years it will be too late."

"Oh, Mom, I'll feel embarrassed if you keep saying that!" Meng Ziyan said shyly with a red face.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It would be best if you had a baby next year, because you're young and your body recovers quickly, you know? How have you two been getting along these days?"

"Very good, he even washed my feet..."

Liu Fenfang frowned and said, "Why do you still let Erning wash your feet? How can a man serve an old woman? This won't be allowed in the future. The men are out there making money, and the old women have to take care of things at home..."

"Let me tell you, our two families have been friends for many years. Your father and I know the personalities of your father-in-law and mother-in-law. They are definitely among the best in our village!"

"Don't think it's a good thing that your old lady doesn't let you do anything. Over time, it will easily spoil you into bad habits! You have to do the work at home..."

Meng Ziyan nodded without saying anything. She had indeed been a bit lazy these past few days.

"Why didn't I tell you this before you got married? I just wanted to see how you acted. You said you've been married for three days and you haven't even put a fire in the stove. Is that reasonable?"

"It's outrageous... Mom, don't be angry."

Liu Fenfang said: "I'm not angry. The Erning family has many friends and people coming and going. How can it be good to see you, the new daughter-in-law, doing nothing? Isn't this just a joke to others?"

"I know, Mom."

"Who manages the money at home?"

"He asked me to manage it, but I've never seen so much money."

"How much is it? Didn't mom give you 1500 yuan?"

Meng Ziyan said with a smile: "I can't tell you the exact amount, but it's more than 1500 yuan anyway..."

Liu Fenfang smiled strangely, "Hey, I didn't learn anything else from Er Ning, but I did become a lot more cunning! Forget it, but you can't spend money recklessly. For example, your brother Bao is doing business outside, and your sister doesn't ask for money at all. It's all given by your brother Bao. Why? Doing business requires money. If it's urgent, you have to run home to ask the old woman for money, then everything will be delayed, don't you understand?"

"Yeah, I know."

At this time, the sound of a motorcycle engine was heard outside the courtyard gate.

Xu Ning and others looked out the window at the same time and saw a donkey parked at the gate of the yard. On the seat was a young man, and in the bed sat an old lady and his uncle holding a child.

Immediately, Xu Ning and Meng Quezi stood up at the same time and ran to the outer room, while Liu Fenfang and Meng Ziyan just lifted the door curtain.

As everyone walked out the door, Xu Ning walked towards them, waving and greeting them.

After going out, she saw her second uncle and others catching up with her on bicycles. Liu Fenfang held her mother's arm and walked into the house.

"Hey bro, how's that for riding a donkey? Is there anything wrong with you?"

"No problem, it's powerful, I just turn the accelerator a little and it will go forward! It's much more convenient to have this thing."

"Well, you didn't go to the market these two days?"

"I went to Beitun Market yesterday and many people asked about this donkey. I told them I bought it on the street, but I didn't tell them how much it cost."

"If anyone asks again, just tell them it's 380 yuan per unit. Then you can make some money."

"Okay, Qiangzi asked me to get this foot brace, so you can take it back to him."

A foot pin is a tree climbing tool, specifically used for picking pine cones.

Xu Ning took the foot stick and asked, "When did he tell you that?"

"On the day of your wedding, he wanted to give me money. I thought it was not a good thing, so why should I ask for money? You can give it back to him."

Xu Ning didn't hesitate and nodded immediately: "Okay! Come in."

As soon as I entered the room, my second uncle took a sip of tea and asked, "How is the newlywed couple doing?"

"It's fine, second uncle. We usually stay at home when we have nothing to do, but we should be busy tomorrow."

"What's the matter? Do you have work to do?"

"My brother Shitou is getting married soon, so we have to go to Sandahe."

"Ah! That's a good time to take a stroll. It's not winter yet anyway..." said my uncle.

They chatted in the house all afternoon, with melon seed shells all over the floor. They didn't stop until lunch time, when they felt a little pain in their cheeks, but it didn't stop them from drinking.

There were a total of 10 dishes in this return-home banquet, all of which were from Meng Ziyan's family. Except for Meng Quezi's three apprentices, everyone else was at the table.

After a long time of contact, Xu Ning felt that the three uncles' chatter was not so bad anymore. This might be related to him, because when they talked to their sons and daughters, almost every sentence was sarcastic. In fact, they also knew that it was not good to chat like this, but they couldn't control their mouths and just wanted to satisfy their desire to talk...

The three uncles, brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law did not urge him to drink, but Xu Ning knew the importance of drinking, so he had to drink well, otherwise it would embarrass Meng Ziyan.

Drinking well does not mean accompanying the wife's family well, but drinking enough by himself, preferably to the point of being half drunk.

Xu Ning controlled the amount very well. He was already drunk at around 2:. Then he was helped by Meng Yinhe and Meng Ziyan to lie down on the kang in the west room.

(End of this chapter)