Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 713 My wife is carrying twins! What is the value of the Andahan?
Outside the window, the moon and stars shone brightly, and thin clouds drifted with the wind.

Inside, the house was brightly decorated and filled with laughter.

Eight days have passed since Lao Jiang and Zhou Hui last got together to handle some business. Now, they are reunited again, thanks to Lao Xu's family's good reputation.

They sat side by side, clinking glasses and chatting about the past with great enthusiasm. Even the older women, like Liu Lizhen, raised their glasses to drink with them, not wanting to waste such a good meal.

Don't be fooled by how often people come to Old Xu's house for meals and drinks; they also bring gifts from time to time. Even when Du Manzhi's wife goes to the city, she knows to buy a pair of socks for Xu Laonian and Wang Erli, or bring two boxes of tea. Not to mention the others, whenever Old Xu's family is in trouble, they are always there to help, never backing down or avoiding trouble.

When it was time to go home, everyone had something in their hands. Liu Lizhen gave each family some vegetables, fish, and bear meat. As for the elk meat, she couldn't give it to them because it had to be sent to the specimen museum.

Actually, it was just an excuse. Xu Ning's point was that surgery couldn't be performed. Once surgery was performed, the An Dahan would be dismembered, and when it was sent to the specimen museum, all that would be left was its skin, which would be too unsightly! So Xu Ning didn't let Liu Lizhen send it away randomly.

After finishing his drink and feeling refreshed, Xu Ning sat on the sofa, soaking his feet. He told his mother that he wanted to take his wife and sister-in-law to the city the next day. His mother naturally agreed, but Xu Ning instructed, "You should ask that old Chinese medicine doctor as soon as possible whether they are two boys or two girls, so I can give them names."

"What kind of name did you come up with? To show off your culture? You've drunk some cat pee and you don't know what you're doing anymore."

Liu Lizhen launched into a tirade, but Xu Laonian scoffed and said, "I'm the child's grandfather! What's wrong with me naming him?"

"Stop showing off, I'm getting annoyed by this."

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "Hey, you two, stop arguing. You're giving me a headache."

Liu Lizhen rolled her eyes: "I really don't like listening to your dad's nagging. Can't it be a boy and a girl? Besides, Juan'er's baby is already showing, but I haven't seen you name it. You always come here when there's trouble, it's so annoying."

At this moment, Wang Shujuan had already gone back to the second room in the east to sleep, Meng Ziyan was covered with a blanket in the west room, and there were only three people in the reception room.

Xu Laonian was speechless after being rebuked, and just leaned back in his chair, smoking with his breath stuffed up. Xu Ning laughed and said, "My dad isn't very good at chatting, but he has a good heart. He's just trying to make conversation because he cares about his grandson."

When Xu Laonian heard that the little brat had given him a way out, he felt a little annoyed and said, "Who's making conversation for no reason? I'm just a little anxious..."

"What's the rush? Why are you so anxious? Just shut your damn mouth!"

"How frustrating!" Old Xu snorted coldly.

Liu Lizhen pounced on him in a fit of rage, pinching his soft flesh, "Say it again?"

"Ouch, that hurts! Why can't I talk? Stop messing with me..."

After wiping her feet, Xu Ning said in her slippers, "Mom, please let Dad throw away the foot bath water and forgive him this time."

"Damn it, this little brat is going too far! Jane, don't stop me, I'm going to teach him a lesson today."

Xu Ning hurried back to the west room, where Xu Laonian and Liu Lizhen had also quieted down in the reception room.

"Why do you say all sorts of things to the children? It's only because Juan'er and Yan aren't here that they're laughing at you. What kind of father-in-law are you?"

Old Xu rubbed his face and said, "I'm so eager to have a grandson. This guy is so impatient. Before Juan'er was pregnant, I didn't think much of it. But now that both of my daughters-in-law are pregnant, he's itching to have a grandson. How can I not be proud if I have three grandsons? Oh dear, I'll have something to tell my parents when we go up the mountain at the end of this year."

Liu Lizhen didn't really go all out. Hearing Xu Laonian's words, she felt quite pleased and said with a smile, "We have to say these things eight hundred times a day."

"Haha, I laugh every time I talk about it, I can't stop having fun."

Liu Lizhen rolled her eyes, stood up and said, "You throw away the foot-washing water."

"I still have to serve this little brat! And I'll have to serve this little brat's little brat from now on. This is truly torture..."

"Get lost! You have a mouth but you speak rudely. It's disgusting."

In the west room, Xu Ning had just crawled into bed when Meng Ziyan emerged from her diaper and slipped in. The two whispered to each other for a while.

"I need to take you and your sister-in-law to the city for checkups tomorrow. Don't do anything reckless."

Meng Ziyan grinned mischievously: "I'm not messing around. Hey, you're looking forward to seeing if the two little ones in my belly are boys or girls, but you don't seem very enthusiastic."

"Both boys and girls are my offspring, so why wouldn't I be enthusiastic? I'm already getting anxious as soon as I got home."

Meng Ziyan smiled and said, "I've noticed that my sister-in-law's belly is getting bigger every day. She complains of foot and back pain after just a few steps. Do you have any suggestions to help her recover?"

"What can I do? You guys go to the hospital and ask Aunt Qu tomorrow. How could I, a grown man, possibly understand the things you women do when you're having a baby?"

"You seem to know a lot, so I thought I'd ask you first."

"You really think I'm your magic wand? Alright, go to sleep now, go lie down in your bed."

"Let me touch it..."

The next day, the rooster crowed at dawn, and the sun rose in the east.

In the small mountain village where smoke curls from chimneys, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking create a lively atmosphere.

Forestry workers and students were all heading towards the east entrance of the village. Everyone had already finished eating and was now washing dishes and tidying up their houses.

The Xu family was no exception. Wang Shujuan and Meng Ziyan were combing their hair and applying face cream, while Wang Hu and Li Fuqiang were refueling their car outside the yard. Xu Ning, carrying a 56-inch car, got into the driver's seat and waited for his two sisters-in-law to come out.

This morning, Guan Lei returned to Lengchang with Yang Jun and Liu Daming. He asked Sun Lianfang if she wanted to go to the city, but she waved her hand and said no. As for the reason? Of course, it was because Guan Lei had promised her that he would go back to the village with Yang Jun every day from now on, so Sun Lianfang naturally wanted to make the most of it.

A moment later, the two sisters-in-law went out and got into the passenger seat. Liu Lizhen had prepared thick blankets for them to cover themselves with to keep warm.

Xu Ning then drove away from home. The journey was smooth and they arrived in the city around noon. Xu Ning decided not to bother Yang Yanqiu, so the five of them found a restaurant to grab a bite to eat before heading straight to the specimen museum.

Arriving at the location just before the afternoon work hours, Director Wang and Accountant Liu were very welcoming to the two sisters-in-law, inviting them to sit in the office and drink water before going to the backyard with Xu Ning, Li Fuqiang, and Wang Hu to collect the goods.

When they saw An Dahan, Director Wang and Accountant Liu were both a little excited, saying that Xu Ning was amazing, he actually managed to hit him without warning.

They put the dog, Andahan, on the scale, and it weighed out to be 650 jin (approximately 325 catties).

"We ate the intestines and liver, and when we got home we cooked some more meat. It's pretty good that we still have 650 jin left."

Director Wang nodded: "That's really good. Our herbarium doesn't need meat either. Why don't you cut some more to take home later? No need to send any to Director Sun and the others, we..."

Xu Ning immediately understood and laughed, "Okay! Then I'll get some more meat; I haven't had enough yet."

"How about we charge 8 yuan for the meat and bones?"

"Row!"

Actually, the meat of the camel is not valuable; what is valuable are its nose and hump. However, things are valued for their rarity, and since you can hardly find any camels in Qing'an, the price is naturally higher.

"Then let's set the price at 350 per head for those six green-skinned bastards."

Xu Ning nodded without saying a word. After Liu Hui finished calculating the bill, he said, "The green skin is 2100 yuan, and the 650-jin 'An Dahan' is 5200 yuan. Adding them together, it's a total of 7300 yuan. You'll have to wait a while for this money. This stuff isn't as easy to get approved as the big cats." "Understood. Just give it to my brother directly once it's approved."

"Okay."

Afterwards, Xu Ning rushed to take Wang Shujuan and Meng Ziyan to the hospital for examinations. He chatted briefly with Director Wang and Accountant Liu. After Wang Hu had chopped about 20 jin of elk meat, he waved goodbye to the two of them. Before leaving, Accountant Wang only said, "Call me in advance if you catch any more good livestock."

Xu Ning nodded, the implication being that the herbarium was almost full of specimens, and would not accept any more unless they were large animals.

Xu Ning understood that the six thugs were recruited out of respect for Yang Yusheng.

After arriving at the hospital, Xu Ning, Meng Ziyan, and Wang Shujuan went into the building, while Li Fuqiang and Wang Hu drove to find an open space to wash their car. The back of the car was covered in animal blood, and the stench was so strong that it was impossible to sit in it.

I arrived at the gynecology department with practiced ease. Aunt Qu was inserting an IUD into a middle-aged woman. These days, IUD insertions are busier than childbirths at hospitals…

Once Aunt Qu had some free time, Xu Ning exchanged a few pleasantries with her and then let his two sisters-in-law go inside for a check-up, while he waited in the corridor. About half an hour later, Aunt Qu pulled on the door and called him inside.

"They're both in good health. Your sister-in-law is showing signs of pregnancy now. Tell your mother not to give her eggs with every meal. Even the most nutritious food isn't good if you eat too much of it."

"Yeah, I know. My mom is always worried that they won't eat well, so she makes them different dishes every day."

"I've explained everything to them. Your sister-in-law won't be able to move around much in a while, so let's wait until after the New Year to come for a check-up. Your wife should come again before the New Year. She used to have poor blood and qi, so she can't take supplements now, but if possible, she can eat some dates. It would be best to make some yam, red date, and lotus seed soup."

"Okay, I've got it. Thank you, Aunt Qu."

"No need to thank me. If you feel unwell, just call the hospital."

Aunt Qu then escorted the three people to the door, and after they left the hospital, she returned to her car.

Li Fuqiang and Wang Hu had already cleaned the back of the truck, but there was still a slight smell of blood. They could only let the wind blow the smell away.

Why didn't Xu Long come today? He drove Yang Yusheng and Sun Jishan to the countryside and won't be back until after 4 a.m.

Taking advantage of the early hour, Xu Ning took his two sisters-in-law to see an old Chinese medicine doctor. The doctor recognized Meng Ziyan at a glance, placed his hands on the pulse points (cun, guan, chi) and squinted to take her pulse.

"A girl and a boy..."

Xu Ning's eyes widened with excitement: "Are they really twins?"

The traditional Chinese medicine doctor nodded: "That's right. Your wife is pregnant with twins and her blood and qi are obviously a bit deficient. She can't take medicine right now. Why don't you get her some yam or pig liver to help her replenish her qi and blood?"

"Hey, that's good."

Then the old Chinese medicine doctor took Wang Shujuan's pulse again. She had always been in good health, and he couldn't find anything wrong with her.

As everyone was leaving, Xu Ning slipped a ten-yuan note into the old Chinese medicine doctor's apprentice's hand. He couldn't let the old doctor work for nothing; even if his apprentice didn't hand it in, Xu Ning's good intentions were still there.

In the evening, Wang Shujuan and Meng Ziyan prepared some food in the kitchen on the first floor. Xu Feng kept circling around her two sisters-in-law, making them dizzy. Xu Ning pulled Xu Feng aside and asked, "When are the final exams?"

"The 24th or 25th! What's up, Second Brother? Why are you asking when I'm coming home? Missing me?"

Xu Feng's eyes lit up with anticipation.

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I was just thinking that when you get home, I'll tell you to be careful. If you keep hanging around your two sisters-in-law like that, Mom might kick you!"

"I behaved myself when I got home. I definitely wouldn't do that. Besides, I'm all grown up now, how could I be so childish? I'm just looking forward to my nephew being born so I can play with him..."

"Is your nephew an animal? You think you can just play with him?"

"Hehehe, having children is just a game, right? Look at our dad, he teases the three of us all the time when he has nothing else to do."

“He’s always being indecent, so don’t try to imitate him, or Mom will really scold you.”

"Oh, I know, I'm the eldest aunt, so I have to act like a grown-up."

At this moment, Xu Long and Yang Yusheng pushed open the door and entered the house. They saw Meng Ziyan and Wang Shujuan setting the plates and cooking, so they asked with a smile how their hospital check-up went.

After Xu Ning told the truth, Xu Long exclaimed, "They really are twins? Wow, Mom's really something now!"

Xu Feng interjected, "Brother, you've got it backwards. It should be that our dad is all high and mighty in the village!"

"Nothing wrong!"

Yang Yusheng laughed and said, "Juan'er and Yan's due dates are only two months apart, right? Your parents are going to be very busy this time."

"Yeah, aren't they looking forward to having a grandson?"

Xu Long said, "Then go buy baby bottles and stuff tomorrow. Everything for the baby has to be clean. Go ask around..."

"What's the rush? Buy it after the New Year, then it'll be ready in no time. How about you take your night school exams?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Long's face hardened, and he said, "What's it to you? Why are you asking such nonsense..."

Xu Feng raised her hand and said, "Second brother, I know! Eldest brother only got forty points on his math test..."

"Hey, kid! Did I tell you to speak? What are you babbling about?"

Yang Yusheng laughed loudly. He really didn't expect Xu Long to be such a poor student. Li Fuqiang sat on the sofa and laughed, "Da Long served in the army for several years. He hasn't held a pen in so many years. It's not bad that he can get 40 points."

Xu Long's expression softened: "Brother Qiang is really good at chatting. Look at the two of you!"

That evening, there were two dishes of elk meat on the table, one stir-fried and one stewed.

Yang Yusheng had eaten elk meat before, but tonight's elk meat was made by his two nieces-in-law, so the taste was naturally different.

"Take the rest of the meat home. The elk meat will be delivered to your door by tomorrow or the day after at the latest. Have your brother take it home then."

"Alright, that old man Wang said the money won't be approved for a while, so let my brother take it home when it's ready."

"Hmm, didn't you go check out the farm? How much money did they actually make this quarter?"

Xu Ning laughed and said, "I actually went to take a look. To be honest, I made a good profit this quarter. Because a lot of deposits were deducted, I only saw some return after selling several truckloads of timber from several lumber yards."

Yang Yusheng nodded, understanding what Xu Ning meant. He simply instructed, "Be extra careful around the end of the year. Don't skimp on the patrols. There are inspectors down the mountain, and they won't let us off easily."

"clear."

(End of this chapter)