Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 634: My wife is not at home, laughing all day

The sunset glows brightly and dazzlingly, and the sky gradually turns dark.

It was nearly seven o'clock when Xu Ning drove back to Shuangfu Village. Fortunately, he bought something to eat on the way, otherwise he would have been really hungry.

The car stopped at the gate of old Liu's house, and we saw the five brothers of the Liu family and several sisters-in-law coming out to greet us.

When they saw Xu Ning holding a large piece of pork, everyone was a little confused. Did he go out just to buy meat? No way, but the Liu brothers did not ask too much, just smiled and thanked him. The sisters-in-law were polite and asked why he bought so much meat and when they would eat it.

"Let the children eat more meat. When my second brother and his family go to Qing'an with me, the children can help with more housework."

The sisters-in-law nodded with a smile: "Yes! Of course, we will do what we should do. These children are very obedient. Let's make some dumplings tomorrow morning!"

"Okay! Second brother, have you told them when you're leaving?"

"I told them I'd leave at 5: in the morning. I've already made arrangements with them."

The fourth sister-in-law said with a smile, "Erning, go to the kang and have a rest. The food is already in the pot. We'll serve it right away."

"Guosheng's wife, get some water for your uncle to wash his face or something, relax a little..."

Songkuai is a Northeastern dialect, which means relaxed.

Liu San asked, "What kind of dumplings would you like to eat? Pork and cabbage, please?"

"Okay! I'm not picky about food, I can eat anything."

After Xu Ning washed his face, his fifth sister-in-law and Guo Sheng's wife brought the food into the house. The food was fresh and it was obvious that it had just been cooked.

He didn't say anything polite, just picked up the chopsticks and started eating. The Liu brothers were sitting on the edge of the kang, chatting and looking at Xu Ning with smiles on their faces.

Because before they met Xu Ning, the Liu brothers were at most a figure in Shuangfu Village, but now more than a dozen families are hanging around the five of them. Isn't it because the Liu brothers met Xu Ning and found a stable way to make money?

After the meal, the old women cleared the table and the sound of chopping dumpling stuffing could be heard from the outer room.

Liu Eryin sat on the kang, smoking a pipe, and asked, "Erning, will we have a holiday during the New Year?"

"We must have a holiday! Then we will settle their wages and let them go home with their wages to celebrate the New Year."

Liu San said, "Ah, that's great. I thought there would be no holidays during the New Year and other festivals. How many days would it take?"

"You can leave it as late as you want, because the wages are calculated based on piecework. If you go back earlier, you can earn more."

"Too……"

After chatting with the Liu brothers for a while, it was almost nine o'clock, so Liu Eryin started to prepare for bed, and the other four brothers took their wives and children home.

The next day, at dawn, the cockcrowed and the sky was foggy.

Xu Ning went out to the toilet and shivered as soon as he entered the room. This morning was obviously much colder than yesterday.

The old ladies were making dumplings at Liu Si's and Liu Er's homes. They were boiling the dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage in four pots. When the dumplings started to float, they would use a colander to scoop them out.

Because the noise was quite loud, the children also got up and sat quietly on the kang in the west room. They knew there were outsiders, so when they smelled the scent of cooking dumplings, they just wiped their saliva and did not make any loud noise. No matter how excited they were, they did not make any sound.

I have to say that these children are indeed very obedient under the care of the five Liu brothers, but the more obedient the children are, the more rebellious they become when they grow older. On the contrary, children who have been disobedient since childhood have never had a rebellious period.

In the east room, Xu Ning and the Liu brothers sat on the kang, Guosheng and Guosheng were leaning on the edge of the kang, and there were four plates of dumplings on the table, as well as pickles, vinegar dishes, etc.

Lao Liu’s pickles are delicious, similar to the pickles of the Xian people, but they lack sugar and chili oil, so the taste is a little bit different.

The fifth sister-in-law brought one plate of food after another into the house until Xu Ning really couldn't eat anymore, and then he put down his chopsticks.

The six people at the table quickly swallowed the dumplings in their mouths. Xu Ning smiled and said, "You guys should eat now. We have to wait a while. Aren't they gathering at our door?"

Liu Eryin said: "Yes, he should be here soon."

At this time, the second sister-in-law came into the room carrying a cloth bag and said, "Erning, here is your lunch box. It's full. You can keep it and eat it on the road."

"What do my second brother and his family eat?"

"Hey, don't worry about it, we have something to eat!"

Liu San smiled and said, "Well, we don't drive, we don't work, we just sit in the car, how can we be hungry?"

A moment later, Guosheng and Guosheng put down their chopsticks first, threw their luggage and bedding into the car, and stood at the door chatting with a few people who came over.

At around 5:32, the front door of Lao Liu's house was crowded with people. There were members of Lao Liu's family in total, and one car could barely fit them all.

The old woman sent them to the door and gave them a few gentle instructions. Xu Ning said, "Don't worry, I will send them back after the New Year. Even if I am not free, I will find a car for them."

"Hey, Erning, thank you for your help."

"What are you being polite about..."

Xu Ning waved to the group of people under the car, then stepped on the accelerator and drove out of Shuangfu Village.

Sitting in the passenger seat were Liu Er and Liu San. Liu Eryin was a down-to-earth man, while Liu San was a bit of a talker.

Driving alone is very boring, but it is different when someone is accompanying you. Xu Ning felt that it didn't take long before the car reached its destination.

The car stopped three times along the way, mainly to allow the people in the car to urinate. It was not until around 5 o'clock in the evening that they finally arrived in Qing'an. Xu Ning turned the car around and took them to 28lengchang.

Li Fuqiang, Guan Lei, Wang Hu, Liu Daming and Ma Liu were all waiting eagerly at the 28th floor. Xu Ning drove his car to an open space and everyone gathered around him.

Xu Ning asked Liu Er and Liu San to get out of the car. Guan Lei greeted Liu Eryin when he saw him. The two had met in Shuangfu Village before, but had never met Liu San. After Liu Si, Liu Wu, Guosheng and Guosheng gathered together, he introduced them to Liu Daming and Guan Lei.

Liu Daming greeted them and arranged for others to carry their luggage and bedding into the house. He told them about tonight's meals and that each person could drink two taels of wine. This was a routine developed by Yang Jun and Guan Lei based on Xu Ning's suggestion. The first meal for the newcomers when they arrived at Lengchang must be good food and wine, so that they could know the food treatment at 28 Lengchang.

Why did he do this? Yang Jun had a lot of ideas. His goal was to attract more experienced workers to the 28th ridge, because Qing'an Forest Farm had a rule that ridges were not allowed to poach workers from one another, otherwise the forest farm would punish them. The main purpose was to prevent the two ridges from fighting over workers.

This kind of thing happened frequently in the early years. There were always people who worked quickly and efficiently. These people were treasures in the field, especially those who did some technical jobs, such as felling trees. A good feller could cover an entire mountain with just one chainsaw, saving the food supply for at least five people.

Guan Lei and Wang Hu led Guo Sheng and Guo Sheng to deliver the luggage and bedding of Lao Liu's family to the Baotou shack...

When the four brothers of the Liu family saw that Xu Ning did not let them into the house, they were a little confused and stunned. Moreover, since they had just arrived here, they seemed like different people. Even Liu San, who loved to talk, was silent.

Why? Or maybe it's because I've lived in a small place for too long, and I'm often caught in trouble when I go out. This is normal for ordinary people. To put it bluntly, they have never seen the world.

When Xu Ning went to the street before, he thought it was very prosperous, but when he saw the cars coming and going in the city, he changed his mind...

Liu Sitie saw Ma Liu holding a spatula with pork, cabbage and vermicelli stew, and quietly pulled Liu Eryin, motioning him to take a look. The two almost blushed after looking at each other.

Because there was more pork in the pot than what they had served Xu Ning at home, they felt a little embarrassed. No wonder Xu Ning went out specially to buy more than 20 kilograms of pork. It seemed a bit stingy indeed.

Liu Wu whispered, "Are we going to eat this dish too?"

Li Fuqiang had sharp ears and said with a smile, "If you don't want to eat, my brother will arrange something else for you."

"Ah... Then we can sleep in the big bunk bed at night." Xu Ning turned around and said, "No, you can stay at my house tonight, and I will send you back tomorrow."

"...Erning, we are here to work, so we won't leave yet." Liu Eryin said while rubbing his pants.

"How can that work? When I go to your house, I will treat you to good wine and good food. When you arrive in Qing'an, I will definitely make arrangements! Work is work, but besides this relationship, don't we also have a relationship?"

"Oh, that's not a favor, I really won't go."

Xu Ning said firmly, "No, my mom and the others have already prepared the meal at home, how can you not go? Guosheng and the others are back, let's hurry up and get in the car."

Guan Lei walked over and said, "Brother, my uncle is arranging them, shall we go down the mountain?"

"Come on, big brother, you drive, my head is a little confused."

"Okay... Brother Liu, hurry up and get in the car. We'll be there soon. Don't worry about the people in your village. My uncle will prepare a special meal for them tonight, and we'll also have good wine and good food to entertain them."

Liu San hesitated and asked, "Are we still allowed to drink in this place?"

"We just arrived, so we have to treat you well for your first meal. We are like home here."

Guan Lei added: "We don't have much else to do here, except for the good food!"

Xu Ning grabbed Liu Er's arm and said with a smile, "Stop bragging and get in the car."

"Hahaha, okay, Brother Liu, you guys get in the car..."

Liu Eryin was pushed into the car at a loss, and stammered, "Erning, this is our first time going there and we didn't bring anything. Don't do this. You're embarrassing me."

"Hey, why are you embarrassed? We are all brothers, what does it matter if you take the things or not? Hurry up..."

Xu Ning urged the Liu brothers and two nephews several times before they got into the back of the car. Then Li Fuqiang drove down the mountain.

When we entered Qing'antun, it was already completely dark.

Li Fuqiang parked the car outside the old Xu's yard. After Xu Ning, the Liu brothers and others jumped out of the car, the dogs in the yard started barking.

The Liu brothers stared at the high courtyard wall in shock, and then were frightened when they heard a dog barking.

"You have a lot of dogs?"

"Yeah, they are all raised to run in the mountains."

When the Liu brothers walked to the gate of the courtyard and saw the five red brick houses with their own eyes, they were so shocked that they were speechless. The four brothers looked at each other and ultimately could not say anything like "It must have cost a lot of money to build these five houses."

At this moment, they have realized what kind of person they have met. In their minds, Xu Ning has changed from a person with "some money" to a millionaire!

In the 80s, it was hard to find a household with a net worth of yuan in a hundred miles! Even in the entire village, there were only one or two.

The Zhang family in Shuangfu Village is considered wealthy, but they are still far behind the Xu family!
In fact, the Liu brothers are simple-minded. If they were smart and cunning, they would have guessed how rich the Xu family was when Xu Ning first mentioned investing in the four Lengchangs.

The barking of the dog attracted the attention of the people in the house to the situation at the gate of the courtyard. A group of people led by Xu Laonian and Liu Lizhen came out of the house to greet them.

Liu Lizhen was quite stylish, smiling and greeting in a casual manner. Xu Ning introduced the Liu brothers one by one...

Xu Laonian looked at Liu Eryin, who was about the same age as him, and said with a smile: "We should be about the same age, so let's talk about our own things."

Liu Eryin held his hand and shook his head: "No, no... Just call me whatever you want. I'll still call you uncle."

"Come on, now that we're home, just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. You can yell whatever you want."

Ever since Xu Ning got to know a bunch of older buddies, Xu Laonian's aura has also improved. Hearing Liu Eryin, who is older than him, calling him uncle, he actually feels very happy in his heart. After all, the elders have divided their relationship, who wouldn't be happy?
Previously, Sun Jiye and Xu Ning from Sandaohe were also brothers. The reason why the name changed was because of Sun Jishan and Yang Yusheng...

When everyone entered the house, the Liu brothers saw the terrazzo floor and asked, "Is this paved with a whole piece of stone?"

"No, it is also paved with lime, broken glass and quartz, but it is polished and smooth."

"Ah, this thing is so well made!" said Liu San.

The Liu brothers' eyes were like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. This was not to disparage them, but because they had never seen such a beautiful house.

Xu Ning smiled and said, "Let's sit for a while. The food will be ready soon."

Xu Laonian handed a jasmine to each of the Liu brothers. He and Wang Erli chatted with them. Xu Ning took the time to ask Xu Long and Wang Shujuan what was going on.

Because he didn't see Wang Shujuan in the house, he found out after asking that Wang Shujuan had returned to her parents' home, and Xu Long took Xu Feng and Jin Yumantang back to the city.

"On the day you left, your brother sent her and Yan back home. Yan wanted to stay at home for two days, but her parents were in the city and hadn't come back yet, so she went to her grandmother's house. You will pick her up tomorrow."

"Then let her stay at her grandmother's house for two more days..."

Xu Ning said what all married men would say. Don't blame him for being ruthless. He was really tired...

Besides, there is a saying that goes, when your wife is not at home, you will laugh all day long!
Liu Lizhen rolled her eyes and glared at him, saying, "Don't play tricks on me, just take it back now."

"Hey, I was thinking of letting my sister-in-law stay for a few more days. Why are you in such a hurry? I just need to rest for two days."

"You can do whatever you want, I don't care about you!"

Xu Ning pouted and said, "If you don't care, who will care? You are pointing at Xu Laonian to care about me. There is a saying that goes, there is only one good mother in the world."

Liu Lizhen felt happy in her heart, but on the surface she pushed the old man and scolded him, saying, "Get out of here! You're annoying me."

After coaxing his mother, Xu Ning went to the reception room to chat with the Liu brothers.

After about 20 minutes, Liu Lizhen and others began to serve dishes to the table. There were eight dishes in total, and each one was quite appetizing.

Yang Shuhua actually fried crispy yellow vegetables. This dish is not easy to make. Like the snow-covered bean paste, it takes time and effort to make.

"Sister-in-law, when did you learn how to make crispy yellow vegetables?"

Yang Shuhua said, "I just learned how to make it yesterday. Feng'er and the others thought it was delicious after eating it. This is the second time I've made it. What do you think?"

"Very good! It's golden yellow in color."

Sun Lianfang came over and said, "Brother, I have learned a new dish. Can I prepare some for you to try tomorrow?"

"I won't eat it. Why don't you give the stone a taste?"

Sun Lianfang said, "I'm not Pan Jinlian, how can I give this to my little Shitou?"

"Then you'll give it to me?"

"Hey, aren't you my brother..."

(End of this chapter)