Xing'an Mountains 1984: Starting from climbing mountains to support the family

Chapter 88 Wife, I'll help you wipe it

"Si Ni, why is there a chicken feather on your head?" Chen Weidong noticed that there was a chicken feather hanging on the little girl's pigtails and couldn't help but asked with a smile.

"Dad, just now Si Ni wanted to take the eggs, and the chicken wanted to bite me. Fortunately, Si Ni ran fast!"

Si Ni said to Chen Weidong in a baby voice with lingering fear, and reminded Wu Ni who wanted to take a look at the side: "Fifth sister, don't go in, the chicken will bite you!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Ni was so scared that she hid behind Si Ni.

"Little fool, aren't you in charge of collecting the eggs? Do you still dare to do it?"

Chen Weidong scratched Si Ni's little nose.

"I don't dare anymore!"

Si Ni was very straightforward, and Wu Ni also shook her head vigorously.

Chen Weidong was delighted and took out the eggs from the nest. The two little kids took the eggs and carefully went to find Liu Xueting and their sisters.

Chen Weidong looked at the two sisters and smiled, then fed the black tiger, the white tiger, the four puppies and the little black donkey one by one.

~

"Mom, I want to go hunting in the mountains with Brother Weidong."

In Chen Guangkun's home, in the kitchen, Guard Chen spoke loudly to his mother Li Guifang.

"You kid, why are you so stubborn? Look at your dad now, still lying on the kang."

"Do you want Mom to watch you and your son lying on the kang together for the rest of your lives?"

Li Guifang advised.

"Mom, how long has Weidong been in the mountains? He has already bought a donkey. There is no work in the village now. What else can he do if he doesn't go hunting?"

"Your brother Weidong has six children to support at home, so he had no choice but to go into the mountains. Although our family is a little poor, we will not worry about your food and clothing."

"Besides, do you think hunting is that easy? You've seen your father go hunting in the mountains many times and come back empty-handed. Hunting is not that easy."

"And yet your father is still like that. You are the only son in our family. What if something happens to you? Our family will be extinct!"

"Mom, if I can't get married, won't that mean I won't have any descendants either?"

Li Guifang: “Uh…”

"..."

……

The next day, it was dark.

Chen Weidong opened his eyes and saw Liu Xueting sitting on the kang and putting on her clothes.

"It's so cold early in the morning, why don't you take a rest?"

Chen Weidong asked with concern.

"Aren't you going into the mountains later? I'm going to cook."

Liu Xueting didn't wait for Chen Weidong to say anything, she put on her pants and went out.

Chen Weidong took a glance and saw the six little guys on the kang, all huddled in the quilt and soundly sleeping. Chen Weidong helped wipe the saliva of the little kids and then got up from the kang.

After relieving myself, I went straight into the kitchen, took out dog food, and started feeding the dog.

Liu Xueting was cooking in the kitchen. Considering that Chen Weidong usually had to stay in the mountains for a whole day,

So, this time Liu Xueting not only had to prepare breakfast, but also lunch as well.

Liu Xueting scooped two scoops of white flour and three scoops of corn flour from the flour jar, mixed them evenly in the basin, and then began to knead the dough. After kneading the dough, she took out the griddle.

Liu Xueting prepared pancakes because it was convenient for Chen Weidong to carry them with him.

"Xueting, you want to make pancakes!" After feeding the dog, Chen Weidong saw Liu Xueting take out the griddle and immediately said.

"Well! I'll make some more for you to eat in the mountains."

"Row!"

Chen Weidong didn't say much. After a simple wash, he went forward to help.

Liu Xueting is responsible for rolling the pancakes, while Chen Weidong is responsible for heating the griddle and making the pancakes.

Chen Weidong couldn't help but look at Liu Xueting who was busy and serious. At this moment, her hair was wearing the hair flower that Chen Weidong bought, but it was not tied up.
Instead, she tied her hair into a ponytail, and looked not like a married woman with six children, but rather like a young girl (after all, she was only 25 years old).
The fine and scattered hair covers the forehead, the hairline is very beautiful, the skin is very white, the nose is straight and upturned, and the lips are full and beautiful.

"Weidong, why are you looking at me all the time?"

It seemed that she was aware of Chen Weidong's gaze on her.

Liu Xueting asked softly.

Then he stretched out the back of his hand and wiped his face, "Is there something on my face again?"

It wasn't there just now, but it is now. Chen Weidong smiled and said, "There is flour on your face."

"Wife, let me help you wipe it!"

"Ah."

Liu Xueting nodded.

After this little episode, the two of them concentrated on making pancakes.

Liu Xueting and Chen Weidong are a couple who are very efficient at work. They work very well together and in a short while, they have baked dozens of single pancakes.

In the middle, Liu Xueting also took the time to cook a pot of corn grits porridge. Chen Weidong ate seven or eight pancakes in one go, with green onions wrapped in a pancake and some pickles, along with the corn grits porridge.

"Brother Weidong!" Chen Weidong had just finished his meal when Shitou and Bingzi arrived.

Seeing Bingzi carrying the old foreign gun, I knew he wanted to follow him up the mountain.
In fact, it’s not surprising that Bingzi wanted to follow Chen Weidong up the mountain. Logically speaking, although there are few people hunting in the village, there are still some, and he can find other people.

Actually, it is not as simple as imagined to go into the mountains to hunt. You can't just find a few people to go up the mountain. The people who go up the mountain to hunt are trustworthy people, most of them are fathers and sons, brothers,

Otherwise, if something really happened in the mountains, no one would know whether it was done by humans or wild beasts in such a vast mountain. Both of them had grown up following Chen Weidong, so they naturally believed it.

Chen Weidong immediately asked, "Bingzi, why are you here? It's not that I don't want to take you into the mountains. You know Uncle San!"

"Brother Weidong, my mother asked me to come."

"Okay! Have you eaten yet?"

Chen Weidong didn't say anything more. They were not going to any dangerous place this time, and what they lacked was manpower.

"I've eaten! Brother Weidong, when are we leaving?" Shi Tou asked with a simple smile.

Liu Xuetingyan quickly got up, wrapped the remaining pancakes with a clean white cloth, and put them in the cloth bag that Chen Weidong was carrying.

"Let's go now!"

"I'm leaving!" Chen Weidong and Liu Xueting said.

He picked up the leggings and tied his legs, then took the shovel, the gun, led Heihu, and went out with Shitou and Bingzi.

At this time, not only the grass on the roadside was covered with frost, but also the ground.

It looks like a layer of snow. It's early November now, the temperature is about 5 or 6 degrees during the day, and minus 6 or 7 degrees at night.

If it were last year, the Greater Khingan Range would have been closed off by heavy snow. This year the snow came a little later.

Although Chen Weidong was reborn, he couldn't remember whether it was late November or early December when the snow started.

"Brother Weidong, look, there are people going into the mountains with dogs. Is someone going into the mountains to hunt?" Bingzi suddenly said.

"Ah."

Chen Weidong looked at the shoe prints and dog paw prints on the ground, then nodded.

The mark would not have been left for more than an hour, and it must have been left by a hunter who went into the mountains early in the morning to hunt. But I don't know who it was.

There are still quite a few hunters in Jiuqutun.

Looking at the footprints, there were four people leaving them, and there were six footprints left by a dog.

But this has nothing to do with him.
"Brother Weidong, why did you ask me to bring a shovel and a backpack yesterday? Aren't we going into the mountains to hunt?"

Shitou asked doubtfully.

"Let's go up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs today. You'll know when we get there."

The last time I went into the mountains with Shitou, Chen Weidong was planning to pick those Platycodon grandiflorums.
After all, it was a vast mountain and he didn't know where to find prey. Instead of taking his chances, he might as well go dig Platycodon grandiflorum. Although it was cheap, they were all together, so if he dug more, they would be valuable!

Unfortunately, it is difficult for a donkey to pass through that place, otherwise Chen Weidong would have directly pulled the little black donkey over there.

Three people, with two dogs.
Walking in the mountains.

This time he went there specifically to dig Platycodon grandiflorum, so Chen Weidong did not let the dog out along the way.

The three of them came all the way to the last muddy candy. Stone quickly reminded:

"Be careful, Bingzi. Last time, Brother Weidong and I shot four wild ducks here. We stewed them at home and they were delicious!"

Come take a look!
Good guy!
and also……

But compared to last time, there were only three or four mergansers in the mud candy.

"Okay, stop looking! I didn't bring a slingshot this time, so it would be a waste to use a gun."

Chen Weidong pulled a handful of stones.

It’s not that Chen Weidong had a change of heart this time, but it was difficult for Chen Weidong to hit the head at this distance. If he shot at the body, the whole body would be shattered with one shot. The earth gun had no accuracy at this distance!
So, it’s better to give up first!

After all, we went into the mountains today to collect herbs, and we couldn't be distracted.

And the mud pond is here, if you want to eat it, you can come and play it by yourself anytime!
"Brother Weidong, you didn't bring it, but I have a slingshot!" Bingzi took out a slingshot cunningly.

"Alright! You even brought a slingshot!

I'll record your achievement today. Chen Weidong took the slingshot from Bingzi, patted Bingzi on the shoulder and praised him.

He took the stone that Shi Tou handed to him and put it in his pocket.

He tried pulling the slingshot empty first, then took a stone and put it into the slingshot's bullet bag.

Pull the slingshot at the wild duck.

Snapped……

Chen Weidong only killed two of them, and the rest ran back into the reed marsh.

Bingzi and Shitou had already run over, found a long branch and fished out the wild duck that Chen Weidong had just killed.

The two of them were carrying wild ducks, grinning happily. They put the wild ducks into the backpack and continued on their way.

After a while, Chen Weidong came to the place where he found Platycodon last time.

On a hillside.

There are not many trees on this hillside, and they are rather sparse. This is also why some medicinal herbs have room to grow.

Chen Weidong and Shitou tied up the dog. Digging medicinal herbs requires patience. If the dog stays for too long, it will easily run around. Therefore, it is best to tie it up to prevent it from running around!
"This is called Platycodon grandiflorum, a relatively common Chinese medicinal herb."

Chen Weidong dug out a Platycodon grandiflorum and told this to Shitou and Bingzi.

"I know this Platycodon. It can be used to make pickles, but it doesn't seem to be worth much!" Bingzi said as he looked at the Platycodon in Chen Weidong's hand.

"When there are too many things, they become valuable! The rhizome of Platycodon grandiflorum can be used to pickle vegetables, but it is also a commonly used medicinal ingredient. A pound of dried Platycodon grandiflorum can be sold for ten cents.

From this area, we can dig up several hundred kilograms of Platycodon grandiflorum."

Chen Weidong said with a smile.

"That's true. One pound is ten cents. If we dig up all of this today, we can sell it for dozens of dollars, right?" Shitou said with some longing as he looked at the entire hillside of gentian.

"Hurry up and do it!" Chen Weidong said with a smile.

Digging medicinal herbs, especially those with roots and rhizomes, is a physically demanding job.

The three of them got down to work.

Fortunately, Shitou and Bingzi are both good at work, and they are very skillful in digging Platycodon.

Chen Weidong and his two companions worked very quickly. In a short while, they had dug up a considerable area.

Remove the upper branches, leaving only the rhizome.

Putting the roots into the backpack, the three of them sat on the ground to rest. They took out the water bottles and took a few sips to moisten their throats.

Then keep working.

"Pheasant!" Stone suddenly shouted.

Chen Weidong looked up and saw a pheasant suddenly emerged from the haystack and flew away in front of the three people!
"Let's get to work!" Chen Weidong said, and continued to dig Platycodon.

After digging for a while, a wild rabbit came out from the grass in front and was seen by Chen Weidong.

Chen Weidong threw the shovel in his hand over without thinking.

Bang!
Unexpectedly, the shovel hit the rabbit accurately and knocked it to the ground.

Bingzi ran over quickly and picked up the rabbit and the shovel.

"Brother Weidong, you are so awesome! You can even hit this!" Bingzi ran back with a rabbit and a shovel, and said with admiration in his tone.

"Uh... I just got used to it. You've often followed me into the mountains to collect herbs, so you can practice it. It's just right that we caught this wild rabbit, so we have something for lunch!"

Chen Weidong said.

"Wild rabbits are the fattest at this time. Roasted rabbits must be delicious." Shitou said with a smile.

It was just an unexpected harvest. The three men continued to work and dig Platycodon grandiflorum. By noon, they had dug a large area.

Put the rhizomes of Platycodon grandiflorum into the backpack.

Chen Weidong discovered that after this morning's work, the three people had filled their backpacks with the gentian they had dug.

Chen Weidong brought Shitou and Bingzi to a small puddle nearby. Although the water was small, it was all mountain spring water and living water.

He told Bingzi and Shitou to get some dry branches.

Chen Weidong took out a sharp knife and started to clean up the rabbit.

Chen Weidong's attack just now only knocked the rabbit unconscious but did not kill it. It was still dazed. It was estimated that even if Chen Weidong did not kill it now, it would not live long.

Cut the rabbit with one knife, then start bleeding it, then skin it. Before skinning, cut the skin around the wrist joints of the front limbs and the tarsal joints of the hind limbs.

Use a sharp knife to cut the skin along the inner thigh through the anus, and then separate the skin and flesh with your hands. When skinning, hold the rabbit skin tightly at the belly and back with both hands, flip it over and pull it down towards the head, just like taking off a sock.

Peel the skin while it is hot, usually without using a knife, and finally pull out the front limbs, and a complete rabbit skin will come out.

After skinning the rabbit, gutting it and cleaning out the internal organs, fix the rabbit on a wooden stick, sprinkle some salt on it, and roast it directly over the fire!
Chen Weidong was ready when Bingzi and Shitou came back with a pile of dry firewood.

After lighting the fire, start grilling!

"Brother Weidong, do you think that is Gastrodia elata?"

Bingzi suddenly pointed at a cluster of dry trees that looked like arrow shafts not far away and asked.

"You kid, you have sharp eyes. That's Gastrodia elata!" Chen Weidong said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)