Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 768 The Joy of Beating the Dog: You Can't Pretend You're Old

"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?" Amidst the noisy chatter, Wang Biao and Liu Tianen set up three folding tables in the reception room. After setting up the benches, Xu Feng and Li Jinyu brought bowls and chopsticks to the table. Xu Ning asked Wang Hu to go down to the cellar to fetch some wine.

Once everything was ready, Xu Laonian, as the head of the family, arranged for everyone to take their seats. The men left the large round table for Liu Lizhen and the others who had been busy for half a day, and thoughtfully served them low-alcohol liquor.

As steaming dishes were served, their aroma filled the room. Xu Ning glanced at them briefly and was already quite satisfied, as the meal was exceptionally plentiful, consisting mostly of dishes he rarely ate, such as stir-fried pork kidneys, braised three kinds of vegetables, stir-fried lamb intestines, braised pig's head, and cumin lamb. There were also a few dishes that he could only occasionally enjoy, such as cucumber salad with pig's ears, braised pork knuckle, and scrambled eggs with garlic sprouts, etc.

The cucumbers were picked by Sun Lianjun from his greenhouse, but their appearance and size were rather appalling. Why? Because Sun Lianjun and his brother Sun Lianxu had only just started greenhouse farming and were still in the exploratory stage, not yet having fully grasped the essence of greenhouse farming.

So the cucumbers looked oddly shaped and didn't taste as good as those that were in season. It was as if the same variety had mutated after being grown in a greenhouse. The taste was a bit astringent, but being able to eat cucumbers in winter, no matter what the taste was, was still delicious. In addition, Sun Lianjun also brought some chili peppers, persimmons, eggplants, green beans, and bok choy.

Amid cheers, Xu Laonian gradually lost himself. He raised his glass and recited a poem: "The bright moonlight shines before my bed, I wonder if it is frost on the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, I lower my head to see two pairs of shoes."

The crowd clapped and shouted "Good!" Wang Erli then sang a little tune for him, and Xu Laonian sang half of his best song, "Crescent Moon at Dawn."

Amidst the lively and festive atmosphere, the wine had finally been drunk three times, and smoke filled the room. At this time, Meng Ziyan, Wang Shujuan, and Sun Lianfang, who were already pregnant, had long gone to rest in the second room on the east side. The three of them were surrounded by Xu Feng, Li Jinyu, and Du Shoucai's two grandsons.

Liu Lizhen sat at the head of the large round table, watching Xu Laonian and the others making a ruckus. She didn't feel annoyed at all; she only felt that her family was happy and harmonious, which was the life she wanted.

Xu Ning, carrying a wine glass, wandered around the three tables, toasting Wu Haiquan, taking a sip with Ye Xu, Xiao Du, and others, and clinking glasses with Chen Hedong's wife, Su Yawen. He was quite busy, mainly because most of these people came to Old Xu's house because of him.

As darkness fell, the drinking session was almost over, but they didn't leave the table; they just kept chatting.

Afterwards, Liu Lizhen and the others reheated the dishes on the table, and everyone ate two bowls of rice before they were done.

The topics of conversation today were rather fragmented. They talked about Xu Ning's plan to open a car repair shop, the situation at the mountain farm, and the fact that all three wives were pregnant. In short, they rambled on about everything, big and small.

With so many people gathered together, it's inevitable that there will be situations where some things aren't taken care of properly. However, Xu Ning didn't apologize. Friendships are based on sincerity, not words. Besides, people like Wu Haiquan, Sun Liansheng, and Chai Bing wouldn't complain.

“Let Lianjun stay here a few more days. When my third brother returns to Wangxing, you can go back with him.”

Sun Lianjun laughed and said, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Next year, when Hongyan and I get married, you can be our officiant."

"Absolutely! It has to be me!"

Upon hearing that Xu Ning readily agreed, everyone laughed heartily.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, there are only three hours left on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Xu Ning quickly arranged accommodations for everyone. Due to the large number of people, they had to sleep separately for men and women, otherwise it would be difficult to find a place to sleep.

"Oh, how about I take Baotong to stay at your old house so he can keep Grandpa Ma company!"

Xu Ning laughed and said, "Third Brother, my old house is also occupied. Hai Tao's girlfriend and her three brothers live there. Why don't you stay and live with me?"

"Oh, Haitao's girlfriend has met his parents yet?"

"Yeah, I'll be spending the New Year at my house this year."

"Oh my god, we weren't sitting at the same table when we were drinking just now, so I didn't hear about this. Look at the mess this has made. Congratulations! You're getting married soon."

"Haha, thank you, Third Brother."

Wu Haitao and Chai Bing don't have any real relationship. If we're talking about kinship, we should start with Xu Ning. If we're really going to trace it back to someone, then Wu Haitao and Guan Lei should both call Chai Bing their third uncle. But the relationships among Xu Ning's friends are all messy, and everyone keeps their own connections, so it's all just casual talk.

After settling into their accommodations, everyone went back to their rooms, lined up to wash their feet, smoked a cigarette, and then crawled into bed.

However, once under the covers, there was still a lot to say. We whispered among ourselves while closing our eyes to rest, and only stopped talking when we heard snoring.

The following day was the fourth day of the first lunar month.

In the morning, Liu Lizhen, Yang Shuhua and others reheated the leftovers from last night, cooked a pot of porridge, and made some cabbage dumplings.

After dinner, Xu Long's friends Xiao Du, Yan He, and Ye Xu went back to town first. Not long after they left, Wu Haiquan also wanted to go home because he and his wife hadn't visited her parents' home for the New Year yet. Xu Ning argued with him for a bit, but in the end, he couldn't persuade them to stay, so he let Wu Haiquan and the others go home, except for Wu Haitao who stayed behind.

They hadn't been gone long when the Xu family started arriving. First, there were the three of them, followed by Yang Jun and Li Feng, and then Lao Wei...

Some of them knew each other before, so they weren't so unfamiliar. When the men got together to talk about serious matters, there was only one word for it—play!
Since we're not gambling, what should we do? Grab a gun, sling a bag over your shoulder, and go for a stroll in the mountains.

Liu Lizhen didn't try to dissuade them, but she and Han Fengjiao prepared some dry food for them and instructed them, "You must come back early tonight! Don't go deep into the mountains."

Old Xu waved his hand impatiently, pretending to be nonchalant, and said, "Oh, I know, how old am I? You still treat me like a child."

"Don't try to show off to me!" Liu Lizhen pinched Xu Laonian out of sight, gritting her teeth and glaring at him.

"I know, I know, stop it... you've pinched them all purple!"

Yang Yusheng stood in the courtyard, holding a Type 56 pistol, and asked, "Er Ning, are you walking the dog?"

"Take the dog! Taking the dog is faster, so we can just walk around for half a day and go home around 2 p.m.

With so many people going into the mountains together, the scene was quite grand. Some people didn't have guns, so Li Fuqiang brought out three spears from home and gestured as he said, "Lian Jun, Xu, the three of us are the big gun team. When we go into the mountains and spot a wild boar, we'll stab it in the spine and paralyze it in one go!"

"Understood, I've used a spear to stab wild boars."

"Really? Then we'll have to practice a lot. I used to practice my marksmanship in my dreams all the time, and I reckon I've mastered it by now."

"Hahaha, perfect!"

Xu Ning led Black Wolf and Blue Wolf on their leashes. The two dogs were so excited to see so many people dressed in mountaineering gear and carrying knives, guns, clubs and other weapons that they kept jumping around on the spot. Xu Ning patted the two dogs' heads, telling them that they must perform well today.

Immediately, everyone got ready to go. First, they sent the dog gang members onto the carriage one by one. Then, Xu Laonian led everyone onto another vehicle, and the two vehicles drove out of the village together, heading straight for Ximaduozi in the south.

Xu Ning hadn't been to Ximaduozi for a while. He'd been too busy the other day to even walk his dog. Today, he was really looking forward to letting loose and having some fun.

The two cars stopped at the foot of the western peak of Ximaduozi. After everyone got out of the cars, Li Fuqiang, Wang Hu, and Guan Lei also carried the dog out of the car.

Xu Ning said, "Let's follow the footprints up the mountain."

"Okay, so today we won't be separating middle-aged and elderly groups from young groups?"

Li Fuqiang laughed, "Uncle, can you keep up? If you can, my brother means we're not splitting the profits." "What do you mean? You look down on me? Good heavens, I've lived longer than you've drunk water, and you dare to act tough with me?"

Guan Lei grinned and said, "Grandpa, shall we have a competition?"

"Let's compete! Don't be fooled by how many days you've spent hiking; every blade of grass and every tree on this mountain is under my feet, you know?"

"Haha, Dalin, stop bragging. I went for a walk with you on the mountain before, and you almost got paralyzed..."

"Oh my god, Third Brother, I must have been blinded by the wind. How could I get lost while following a dog today? I don't believe it..."

Xu Ning had just stuffed the dog leash into the cloth bag when the dog gang couldn't wait to dash up the mountain, and then everyone followed the dog gang up the mountain.

They didn't walk silently with their heads down; instead, they walked along chatting and whistling in a very relaxed manner.

There are many traces on this mountain. Near the edge of the mountain, there are human footprints everywhere. Only when you cross the west peak of Ximaduozi and arrive at Dapingding do you see a few traces of small animals. Occasionally you can see a pig track, but these traces are from five or six days ago.

They walked south for three miles along the mountain ridge. Xu Ning suggested going down into the gully because the mountain winds come from different directions and the valley winds blow from the gullies on both sides of the mountain. So, the dogs would be able to perform better if they went down into the gully.

Some people say that setting off a dog enclosure is simple; you just need to let the dogs out and follow them. But that's not the case. Setting off a dog enclosure requires experience. You need to know which way the wind is coming from and where the livestock like to burrow...

Finally, around 10 o'clock, the blue wolf and the black wolf started running simultaneously. The group followed behind the dog gang, baring their teeth and howling as they charged forward. They had only run less than two miles when Old Xu, panting heavily and having a side injury, clutched his ribs and waved his hands repeatedly, shouting, "You guys run! I can't go on, I need to rest..."

With him falling behind, Lao Wei, Wang Erli, Liu Daming, and others also gradually fell behind, leaving only Yang Yusheng and a group of young people running forward with their heads down.

"Third Uncle! How's it going? Are you alright?"

Yang Yusheng retorted defiantly, "I can run three more rounds against you!"

"Hahaha……"

Immediately, Li Fuqiang charged forward like a donkey, leaving Xu Ning and Wang Hu more than ten meters behind.

When they arrived at the scene, the dog gang had already pinned the two yellow-haired pigs to the ground.

"Ugh, this guy's really tiring. I was thinking of hunting a wild boar for fun, but these dogs can't even tell who's good or bad."

Xu Ning laughed and said, "Third Uncle, there will definitely be a chance for you to hunt wild boar. There are several boar tracks on this mountain. I reckon we'll definitely catch some today."

"Shall we gut him, Second Brother?"

"Let whoever wants to gut them do it. What's the point of keeping them? After gutting them, feed them to the dogs. You don't need to feed them full. Just chop two pieces of pig liver into strips and feed them to them."

"okay."

Sun Lianxu and Chai Baotong stepped forward with spears and knives, and under Wang Hu's command, they gutted the two wild boars. However, the two wild boars were relatively small, and there wasn't much liver to eat, so Xu Ning told Wang Hu to chop up the lungs as well and feed them to the dogs.

The Dog Gang had eaten about three-tenths of their fill, and everyone had rested enough. Just as they were about to set off again, Xu Laonian and Liu Daming arrived late.

"Oh my god, I'm out of breath. Third brother, you're really strong."

"You dare to compare yourself to me? When I was in the army, I could run 70 miles a day like it was nothing. You're not even that old yet, how come you can't run a few steps? Have you been living in better conditions and started indulging in smoking, drinking, and eating too much?"

“It’s really hard to believe. Back when Er Ning was causing trouble all the time, I could chase him for four or five miles with a stove hook and nothing would happen. Now, I have trouble even running two miles.”

Xu Ning said, "Dad, you have to work often, otherwise your health will be ruined."

"I don't need your help! You've rested enough, right? Let's continue, I can still run a few more steps."

"Haha, let's go..."

That day, the group played dog hunting and chasing wild boars on the mountain, having a great time.

It wasn't until 3:30 that Xu Ning started making arrangements to go home, but everyone was reluctant, clearly not having had enough fun.

But as darkness fell, they knew that if they didn't leave now, they would have to wait until it was dark to get home, so they dragged their day's harvest down the mountain.

Today we caught a total of four wild boars, three pheasants, and two juvenile cats, which is quite a haul.

Exhausted and excited, they returned home around 5 a.m.

Seeing the lingering smiles on their faces, Liu Lizhen felt happy too, and said with a smile, "Go wash your hands quickly, the food will be ready soon. You must have bought a lot today!"

"Yeah, today was so much fun! The blue wolf and the gray wolf were chasing the jumping cat like crazy, and we almost lost them..."

In the evening, besides the leftovers, Liu Lizhen and the others also cooked mutton soup at home. Everyone ate fried dough sticks with mutton soup, sweating profusely and feeling very satisfied.

Xu Ning ate two flatbreads and drank two bowls of mutton soup, then patted his belly and said, "Was this mutton soup made by my sister-in-law?"

"Your second aunt cooked this, so your sister-in-law is taking a day off today."

"My aunt's cooking skills are so good she could open a restaurant! This flavor is absolutely amazing..."

"Haha, Erning is such a chatterbox! Look how blushed she is after being praised by your aunt!"

Han Fengjiao rolled her eyes at Wang Erli and said, "With so many people here, who wouldn't blush?"

"Praise my older brother, and he definitely won't blush!"

"Ha ha……"

Everyone burst into laughter, but Xu Laonian didn't seem to care and said, "What's so funny? I really can't blush."

After he said that, the laughter grew even louder.

Yang Yusheng said, "Dalin, you'd better tone it down in the future, and stop rushing to do everything."

"I know, I'm getting old, I really have to accept it, I can't deny it."

(End of this chapter)