Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 741 I want to raise cattle for three generations and return to my ancestral home.
On the way to Lengchang, Chang Danian's smile never stopped. He was genuinely happy, and a sense of joy welled up from his heart. Moreover, the more he looked at Xu Ning, the more pleasing he became. Since he had no other relatives in the village, or even if he did, they were just two livestock, whom he could not rely on at all, he felt very comfortable when Xu Ning reached out to help him speak.

Who says you can only rely on your children? This friendship with someone of a different age who isn't related by blood is quite reliable too! No wonder so many elders are satisfied with Xu Ning; they should appreciate him just for his kindness and righteousness.

Upon arriving at the 28th yard, Xu Ning parked the old Dongfeng truck in an open space, and Guan Lei, Yang Jun, Lao Yang, and Ma Liu immediately gathered around.

"What's wrong, Uncle Chang?!"

Yang Jun greeted Chang Danian warmly, and Chang Danian nodded and smiled.

Xu Ning said, "My uncle isn't very comfortable living at home, so I'm bringing him to stay in Lengchang for a while."

After seeing Chang Danian's expression, Ma Liu nodded: "Okay, stay in the same room as me, and we old brothers can have a drink together."

If it were the usual Ma Liu who was used to being a loner, he certainly wouldn't have said such a thing, but he has been living among people for several months now, and his solitary personality has long been integrated into his life. Moreover, he used to live alone in a dugout in Dongshan, where no one cared about him or chatted with him, so it's normal for his personality to become solitary. Therefore, the current Ma Liu is the most authentic version of himself.

"Alright! I've brought my bedding, I'm ready to stay here permanently."

Yang Jun laughed and said, "Uncle Chang, you can stay as long as you want, but there's one thing you must pay attention to: you guys can't drink too much. I trust everyone else, but I don't trust my uncle. He won't stay still once he starts drinking..."

Old Yang glared at me and said, "Get lost! I drink half a jin in one meal! You used to give me two liang of liquor, which wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap. Ever since I came to Erning, I've never missed a meal without liquor. I know what I'm doing, you don't need to worry about me."

Xu Ning asked Guan Lei to move his bedding and luggage to the small shack, and instructed him: "Uncle Yang, my brother Jun is doing this for your own good. You can't take it lightly. We have plenty of food and drink in this place, but I'm afraid you'll drink too much. What if something happens?"

"Oh, I know..."

Ma Liu waved and said, "Let's go inside and chat. Are you having lunch here? It's stewed sauerkraut."

"Okay, but I can't drink much. I have some friends coming over this afternoon to discuss something."

"If you want to drink, then drink. Do you think I'll force you to?" Ma Liu said, a little annoyed.

"Hey old man, look at you! It's just that I didn't drink with you last time, okay? Next week, on Laba Festival, you all come down the mountain to my place, and we'll have a good drink together!"

"Haha, you said it yourself, Lao Chang, shall we go for a walk in the mountains tomorrow? I'll call Lao Zhao too."

Chang Danian's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Great! Oh, I didn't bring the gun. My little brat hid it."

“I have one, and so does Old Zhao. We don’t hunt livestock, we just go for a stroll.”

Ma Liu kept glancing in Xu Ning's direction, and Chang Danian immediately understood what he meant, so he quickly covered up the situation: "Ah, yes, just going for a stroll, picking some mushrooms or something."

Yang Jun burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Hahaha... Uncle Chang, you guys are kidding, there are no mushrooms to be found in this freezing weather."

“I said it exists, so it exists. When I was running in the mountains, your father and mother didn’t even know me.”

Xu Ning said, "Grandpa, please be careful when you go into the mountains. There are a lot of livestock in the mountains lately, and they are almost all black."

"I know, they're just those pigs that get scattered in snail shells."

When Chang Danian arrived at Lengchang, he didn't mention any trivial matters at home. He might murmur a few words to Ma Liu and Lao Yang, but he certainly couldn't say anything in front of younger generations like Yang Jun and Guan Lei, as that would create the false impression that Chang Juan was unfilial. In fact, Chang Juan was quite filial to Chang Danian. If she weren't, would she have agreed to take him in as a son-in-law? If she weren't, would she have served Chang Danian so diligently and without complaint?

So, after having lunch in Lengchang, Xu Ning drove back to the village and stepped on the brakes when he passed Lao Chang's house.

Hearing the commotion, Chang Juan, who was inside the house, rushed out.

"Er Ning, you bastard..."

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "My uncle is fine. He just wanted to take this opportunity to go up the mountain for a couple of days. He's been cooped up at home for two or three months. He usually listens to you and doesn't go into the mountains, but he's been running around in the mountains all his life. If you suddenly restrict him and confine him, it's easy for my uncle to feel resentful."

"Oh, when is your grandpa coming back? Is he still angry?"

Li Baoquan also came out of the west room, nodded to Xu Ning, and stood quietly next to Chang Juan, listening attentively.

“Why would my uncle be angry? You are all his own daughters and sons. How could he really be angry with you? Sister Juan, brother-in-law, but you two should think carefully about what I said today. My uncle has had a hard life. Don’t let your issues cause him any more problems in his old age.”

"I know, it's nothing serious between me and your brother-in-law, we'll be fine in a couple of days."

"That's fine. You two can both come to my house for the Laba Festival. I'll come pick him up from the mountain then. You two can admit your mistakes, and this matter will be over. Sister Juan, it's not good for my brother-in-law to just stay at home like this. Men should have ambition. Brother-in-law, is there anything you want to do?"

Li Baoquan listened to Xu Ning's words and felt sincerely grateful. He had wanted to say these words for a long time, but he had always been suppressed by Chang Juan at home and dared not say anything.

“I want to raise cattle! My backyard is quite big, and I'm thinking of building a cattle pen and buying two cows. I've been thinking about this for two or three years. I used to work as a cow herder in the production team back home. I know how to deliver calves and give injections. Last year, I even helped Black Wolf give birth…”

Xu Ning nodded, then turned to Chang Juan, "Sister Juan? Why don't you discuss this with my brother-in-law?"

Chang Juan muttered, "A cow is quite expensive, what if it dies..."

"What business can be risk-free? Whether I'm running a business, managing a livestock farm, or hunting livestock in the mountains, are there no risks? But risk and reward are proportional. As long as you put in the effort, you'll definitely get a return!"

Seeing Chang Juan hesitate, Xu Ning said, "Xiao Bao is growing up soon. To put it bluntly, my uncle is getting old. Are you going to rely on farming or the family fortune he leaves behind to support the child after he passes away? Don't you need to think of ways to make money? I really agree with my brother-in-law's idea of ​​raising cattle."

Li Bao's face flushed red. He was genuinely grateful to Xu Ning, because this was the first time in over thirty years that someone had supported him and sided with him.

“Brother-in-law, if you’re going to do this, don’t start small. You need to have a long-term vision. There’s a barren mountain behind my house that I leased a while ago. If you want to raise cattle, then go big! Don’t just raise two or three head, raise ten. We’ll do it together, but before that, you need to learn how to do it…”

Li Baoquan hurriedly waved his hand: "No, no, no, Erning, just raise two, I'm afraid raising too many won't work."

"Listen to me first. Why do I want you to go and learn? It's because I'm afraid you won't understand how to raise them properly. Let me use my connections to get you to go to the city and learn from a breeding expert for a while. Once you've learned and understood, we can start working. Then, even if the cattle get sick, you'll know what's wrong and we can treat the problem accordingly."

Li Baoquan nodded silently and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you, but your sister..."

Chang Juan turned her head and stared at him for a couple of seconds, then said, "You and Er Ning have already talked about this much, what else can I say? Let's wait for Dad to come back and ask him. Don't overthink it, we still don't know what's going on..."

Xu Ning frowned and said, "Sister Juan, I'm still here. Can you please stop talking to my brother-in-law like that? It's making me uncomfortable."

Chang Juan was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved her hand: "I'm not doing this to you."

“I know… but have you thought about it? My brother-in-law is a man, after all. You shouldn’t talk like that, not only in front of me, an outsider, but even in front of the child. He’s the father, and he has dignity. How can Xiao Bao not have problems if he hears you talking to his father like that?”

Chang Juan said awkwardly, "I'm used to it..."

"You need to change that, sis. The child is getting older. If he doesn't have any masculinity, do you want him to turn into Tang Er?"

"Oh my god, that won't do!" Chang Juan was startled, turning into Tang Er?
“That’s right, so you have to give my brother-in-law face in front of everyone. You two can talk things out behind closed doors. Even if you hit my brother-in-law, can he fight back?” Li Baoquan laughed and said, “He can’t fight back. If your sister hits me, it must be my fault.”

Chang Juan glanced at him sideways and snorted coldly, "I'm too lazy to fight with you."

Xu Ning laughed and said, "Alright, you two can chat all you want. I have to go home and entertain guests."

"Your family is here? Then you should go back quickly, Erning. Don't worry, your brother-in-law and I are fine..."

"Okay, I'm off then."

Xu Ning turned around, got into the car, and drove away.

Chang Juan and Li Baoquan exchanged a glance, then silently went inside.

Since Chang Xiaobao was taken by Xu Feng to play with Baozhu again, only the two of them were left at home.

"Did I embarrass you in front of others?"

Chang Juan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), tilting her head to stare at Li Baoquan.

He hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "Yes! Let's not talk about the past, let's just talk about something recent and a bit more significant. The day Old Jiang got married, I was setting up stools in the courtyard, and you and Chang Lihong were setting out bowls and chopsticks with a big basin. Just because I accidentally knocked over a bowl and it broke when I turned around, you said I was blind in front of everyone in the courtyard. So many people were staring at me, I wanted to disappear into the ground..."

Chang Juan frowned and said, "Didn't Dad scold me?"

“Dad is a man, of course he understands my difficulties, but you don’t understand… When others talk about me to you, you just laugh and talk about me with them.”

Chang Juan shook her head: "I didn't say anything bad about you to anyone else. I meant there are some chores you can't do, but you're pretty good at that kind of thing on the bed..."

"Why are you telling other people about this?" Li Baoquan asked, his face flushed and his fist clenched.

Chang Juan laughed and said, "They told me you're useless at everything, how could I not be angry? I can only point out your good points. If you're not satisfied with me, why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you have to wait until the kids are older?"

"I'm a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family..."

"What do you mean by 'son-in-law living with his wife'? My dad treats you like his own son. When we argue, when has my dad ever said anything about you being unreasonable?"

Li Baoquan frowned and said, "I feel uncomfortable because Dad has never said anything to me."

"You're sick! You're completely insane!"

“Look at Er Ning and Uncle Xu, that’s what a father and son should look like.”

"Hahaha, you're really out of your mind. Every family's environment is different. My dad has never said anything to my brother, but he has certainly hit him. Hasn't my dad hit you?"

"That's not because of Xiaobao..."

"So you did something wrong, that's why Dad hit you, right? We argued before because I didn't like you, so shouldn't Dad scold me? Did I have to scold you too? Are you out of your mind?"

Li Baoquan lowered his head and said, "I know Dad is very perceptive, but I've never had a father since I was little, so I don't know how to get along with my biological father."

Chang Juan looked at him and felt a little sorry for him. She said, "Alright, we've been together for so long, it's okay to talk about it now. Er Ning is right. We need to think about the future. We can't rely on Dad for everything. How confident are you about raising cattle?"

Li Baoquan looked up and said, "I'm 100% confident in raising two cows, but I'm not sure about any more than that."

"Didn't Erning say he'd find someone for you to go to the city and learn from experts?"

"But there's no guarantee. Who will buy the cow when it grows up?"

“You’re so stupid. Er Ning has already said he’s going to partner with us, what are you afraid of? He can run such a big business, how could he not be smart? As soon as you mentioned you wanted to raise cattle, he’d already figured out who to sell them to.”

"Ah, well... hey, why are you taking your clothes off?"

Chang Juan threw her cotton-padded coat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "I'm thinking of having another baby. You'll have to carry on the family line, right? The second baby will then have the surname Li."

"No, the checks are really strict now. Give me a break, besides, I don't need to have children to carry on the family line..."

"It's just a fine, we're rich! Go wash up quickly."

"No need, there's a reason why I agreed to marry into your family."

Chang Juan, wearing a tank top, was taken aback: "What's the reason?"

“My great-grandfather used to be surnamed Chang. Later, his mother married him into the Li family, so my grandfather, my father and I are surnamed Li. Now, three generations have passed, and I have married into your family. So, the children have returned to the ancestral lineage after three generations.”

Chang Juan looked completely incredulous. "You're kidding me, this is utter nonsense."

"Really! Dad knows. I told him before we got married, that's why he's so at ease."

Chang Juan was taken aback: "Then why are you only telling me now?"

“You never really opened up to me before. I know you still have feelings for Chai Bing.”

"Get the hell out of here! If I were thinking about Chai Bing, would I have had a baby with you? Don't wrong me! Are you going to do it or not? If not, get the hell out of here."

Li Baoquan blinked and said, "Go ahead and do it, do you think I'm afraid of you? You wait until I come back after I've locked the gate..."

Immediately, the front door of the Chang family was closed in broad daylight and bolted shut. When Li Baoquan entered the house, the curtains were already drawn.

Chang Juan waited expectantly, while Li Baoquan was eager to try.

At the Xu family's house, Xu Ning had just gotten out of the car when he heard Xu Feng leading Baozhu and Xiaobao to play in the courtyard. The children came up to him and pestered him. After asking around, he learned that Hu Zhibin, Liu Xuemin, Lao Qian, and Lao Jin hadn't arrived yet. So he leisurely played with Xu Feng and the others in the courtyard for a while.

About 20 minutes later, the sound of a car came from outside the courtyard. Lao Qian parked the car in the open space, and then Hu Zhibin and others got out of the car.

"Hey, Xuemin, Zhibin, Shude, Jinzi, come inside quickly."

Hu Zhibin and the others greeted Liu Lizhen with smiles, and they were not empty-handed; the carriage was filled with rice, flour, oil, and other things.

Wang Hu, Li Fuqiang, Li Mantang, and others carried half a truckload of goods into the house, while Xu Ning brewed tea, and the group sat down in the reception room to chat.

(End of this chapter)