Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 73: A trap in the mountain field

After the Little New Year, the Big New Year is not far away.

These wood handles in the mountain field came from my hometown in Shandong, and some were from Tadian. Others were from Andong, Kuandian, Maoershan, and so on. There were people from both near and far away places.

It usually takes four or five months to work in the mountains, with only a half-day break during the Chinese New Year. Unless home is very close, you can't go home.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, people work as usual. In the afternoon, according to the rules of the mountain area, everyone has to cut down a "New Year tree".

This New Year tree is very interesting.

The first thing to do is to find something that goes with the flow of the mountain, to indicate that everything will go smoothly this year.

The second sawing must be of absolute size, it cannot be cut down, a part of it must be left.

Third, the tree must stand firm at night, and cannot be blown down by strong winds or crushed by heavy snow.

After the dumplings on the first day of the New Year are put into the pot, the wooden handles will go up the mountain with a saw or an axe and cut down the tree in a few strokes. Then they will shout "Fell down the mountain" together and go back to eat.

When we go back, we can’t cook dumplings in a hot pot anymore. This is what it means to celebrate the New Year in a boring way.

Behind this ritual lies a heroic and murderous spirit of duel with nature, and a grand demeanor of the woodcutters to defeat and conquer nature.

If you don't know how to cut down this tree, you can't be called a woodcutter.

Old woodcutters often say to young people, "You are still a woodcutter. You can't plant a single tree in a year." This tree refers to the New Year tree that is cut down on New Year's Eve.

At noon on the 30th, Water Crow led everyone to select a tree near the big house, cut down more than half of it, and then led everyone back to the big house.

It’s Chinese New Year, so we must have a good meal.

Li Yongfu had his men move out all the food he had brought, and Qu Shaoyang led the men in cooking.

Chicken stewed with mushrooms, braised pork trotters, braised fish, steamed sauerkraut with pork belly, stewed cabbage with pork belly and frozen tofu, and four-happiness meatballs.

There are six dishes, all served in small bowls. You don’t have to eat them, but just looking at them makes you feel comfortable.

"Everyone, take your time to eat. We have dumplings with pork and cabbage fillings. They are cooking in the pot. Don't be in a hurry."

Qu Shaoyang led a dozen young men and was responsible for today's meals.

They will wait until all the dumplings are cooked before eating together.

"Yes, everyone is eating and drinking to your heart's content. Don't be anxious. It's the New Year, so we can take a rare break and chat more." Li Yongfu also said with a smile.

"There's plenty of wine. I'll have someone bring over ten jars. It's enough for you to drink."

The woodcutters have been suffering hardship and wind in the mountains this winter, so why shouldn't they start working again during the New Year?
So everyone ate and drank as much as they wanted, and when they drank too much, they lay down on the kang and fell into a deep sleep.

Some of them don’t sleep. After dinner, they get together to chat or play cards.

When it was midnight, Li Yongfu and Shui Laowu took people out to set off firecrackers and distribute paper to welcome the God of Wealth.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, as soon as the dumplings were put into the pot, Water Crow led a group of woodcutters up the mountain. With two or three axes, they chopped down the trees that had been cut down yesterday, and then everyone went back to eat dumplings.

The dumplings had just been taken out of the pot, steaming hot, and the aroma filled people's noses.

After eating the dumplings, everyone packed up their things, carried their tools up the mountain and continued working.

This year is a leap February, and spring comes on the 14th day of the first lunar month after the New Year, so spring has a long neck.

After the beginning of spring, the weather gradually warms up. By the leap February, the snow on the mountains melts during the day and freezes at night.

There was a layer of crust on the snow, and the bottom had turned into snow particles like sand. If people stepped on it, they would sink into it without noticing.

The arrow road and ice ditch melted during the day and froze at night. There were ridges on the ice surface, making it impossible to slide logs.

At this point, the work in the mountains is over.

Li Yongfu led his men to various woodyards to check the types and quantities of wood, and then checked all the expenses of the woodyards this season, and compiled the total account. Then he distributed the agreed wages to everyone.

Working in a mountain farm doesn't make as much money as working in a water farm. After four or five months in the mountains, after deducting expenses, you can only earn about 70 or 80 taels of silver for a wooden handle.

Of course, this is not bad. Most people stay at home in the winter, not only not making money but also spending money.

After deducting food and drink, the guys can earn only seventy or eighty taels, isn't that pretty good?

After the work in the mountain field was completed and the money was divided, Li Yongfu prepared some wine and food and invited everyone in the wood gang to a farewell drink.

"Everyone, this season's mountain field work is finished today.

I have paid everyone's wages in full. After this farewell drink, let's go our separate ways.

We'll see you in the fall when the snow falls."

There are more than a hundred woodcutters in the mountain field, and not everyone knows how to work in the water field.

Some people who live nearby go into the mountains to cut down trees in the winter and return to farm in the spring.

After Li Yongfu finished speaking, Shui Laowu also stood up with a wine bowl in his hand.

“Everyone, we did a great job this season.

In the past few months, I, Shui Laowu, have offended many of you. There is nothing I can do about it. Please forgive me."

A good boss has to lead more than a hundred people to work and earn money. He certainly cannot be frivolous and joke around, he must be dignified.

Shui Laowu has a bad temper. If something goes wrong while Mu Ba is working, he will get angry and curse at people, or even kick them a few times. This is normal.

"Hey, what you said is meaningless.

We all have a plan in mind. Without you taking charge, our farm wouldn't be prosperous and we wouldn't be able to earn so much money.

Come, hold the head, I'll toast you a bowl." Lao Sun and others stood up and held their bowls to toast Shui Laowu and Li Yongfu.

After the farewell dinner, the woodcutters packed up their things, carried their axes or saws, and went down the mountain one after another.

"Second Cabinet, I really can't accompany you in the mountains this year. I have to go home quickly to see my wife.

In this way, Shaoyang and I will definitely come back around March 20th." Shui Laowu found Li Yongfu and discussed with him.

The work in the mountain field is finished, and the next step is the work in the water field.

The first task in the water yard is to thread the raft.

The rafts these days are all made in the shape of a square log. You have to hire a carpenter to use an adze to flatten the four sides of the round log into square material.

Then use a hole-gouging axe to dig out three to four-inch square holes, and use connecting rods, winding rods, eight-rivets and other tools to connect the rafts together.

In the past, water crows had no home and nowhere to go, so they took some wood handles used in water yard work and stayed behind to make rafts and other things.

When the raft was ready and the water level of the Yalu River rose, he took his men to raft towards Andong.

Now that Shui Laowu has a family and his wife is pregnant, why would he want to stay in the mountains?
I wish I could grow wings and fly home immediately.

"Okay, I understand. I've been away from home for so long, I should go back and spend some time with my sister-in-law."

Li Yongfu laughed when he heard it and nodded in agreement.

“Then let’s make a deal. You and Shao Yang must come back in early April.

This year we have more than ten pairs of counters, and without you as the leader, I feel uneasy. "

"Okay, there will be no delay, don't worry." Shui Laowu nodded repeatedly and agreed.

(End of this chapter)