The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 62 Invitation

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In every village, there are always things to do. When someone dies or gets married, the villagers help each other out. The division of labor is decided in advance, and everyone knows what they should do. When they see a task, they just start working on it.

The courtyard was bustling with activity. A group of old women surrounded Zhang Shufang, asking her all sorts of questions, and then bursting into loud laughter. The loudest laughter came from Aunt Pang. Although she loved to chatter and take advantage of others, she was also very good at creating a lively atmosphere and organizing things.

A group of men surrounded Yang Zhengfang, discussing Dahuang. Dahuang had finally bitten through the wild boar's trachea, and everyone was full of praise for Dahuang's bravery. Village Chief Wang Quangen quickly turned the topic to Dalmatian dogs, implying that he wanted one. However, Zheng Dabao steered the conversation back to the topic as soon as he started talking.

A group of young men surrounded Zhang Yang, chatting and laughing as he boasted about his glorious wolf-hunting exploits. In fact, Zhang Yang had bragged about wolf-hunting to many of his buddies, and the feat was indeed worth bragging about.

Sure enough, as Zhang Yang blew the flute with great enthusiasm, the young people immediately showed expressions of envy and began to admire him even more.

Sun Fangfang was surrounded by a crowd of people, young women and married women, asking about the lives of city dwellers.

When Yang Ming and his family returned, they saw a large group of people gathered around their yard from afar. The couple looked at each other, both a little confused. What was going on?

"Sniff... What's that smell? It smells so good, who's stewing meat?" Little Bao, who had just woken up, suddenly sniffed hard and then stood up. "Oh! Aunt Fangfang and Uncle Zhang Yang are here..." The little guy stood up and saw the van hidden under the willow tree.

The couple craned their necks to look, and sure enough, there was a van parked under the big willow tree at the entrance. A group of people had surrounded the gate so tightly that you couldn't see it unless you were craning your neck.

"Didn't they say they weren't coming?" Yang Ming asked, puzzled.

"Who knows? Did they change their minds at the last minute?" Wei Qingqing asked, puzzled.

However, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief; with these two people at home, there was nothing to worry about.

From a great distance, a group of children, waving willow branches and playing wildly, spotted the three and immediately shouted, "Uncle Yang is back... Uncle Yang is back..."

"Haha, you're finally back... You don't know yet, do you? Your little rascal caught a wild boar, and we're treating the whole village to pork today..." Zhang Yang walked out of the yard with a beaming smile.

The car stopped at the door, and the couple got out, holding their little one's hand, looking puzzled. Yang Ming asked, "What's going on?"

"What's going on? Your dad and I are here to see you two." Zhang Shufang and Yang Zhengfang walked out of the yard together.

"Huh?" Yang Ming and Wei Qingqing were both so surprised that their mouths dropped open.

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law's surprised expressions, Zhang Shufang smiled with satisfaction. This was exactly the effect she wanted today. "When we first arrived, a big wild boar ran out. Your little rascal is really capable; he subdued it in no time. I thought, we all live in the same village, and a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, so let's invite the whole village to eat wild boar meat and have a good time together..." As Zhang Shufang spoke, she reached for the baskets hanging behind the car, her brows furrowing. "You're also planning to raise sheep?"

"Ah! Yes, the livestock are thriving..." Yang Ming chuckled awkwardly.

"Haha, little Bao'er, let Auntie hold you, Auntie has missed you so much..." Sun Fangfang ran out of the yard and picked up little Bao'er.

"Is this my goddaughter?" Zhang Shufang poked her son with her finger.

"Yes!" Yang Ming nodded with a smile, took Xiao Bao'er from Sun Fangfang's arms, and led her little hand to her parents: "Xiao Bao'er, these are your godparents, greet them quickly."

"Grandpa and Grandma..." Xiao Bao looked at Yang Zhengfang and Zhang Shufang timidly.

"Oh, oh, oh..." Yang Zhengfang and Zhang Shufang immediately beamed with joy. They felt an immediate and heartfelt fondness for this adorable little girl.

Zhang Shufang nudged Yang Zhengfang, "Old man, get the gift..." She then took Xiao Bao'er's hand and chatted affectionately with the little guy, "Your name is Bao'er, right? Your godmother said you're in third grade. How's your schoolwork?"

Seeing that his godmother was quite kind, Xiao Bao'er gradually calmed down and chatted more and more intimately with Zhang Shufang. Yang Zhengfang's gift also arrived, which was a life-sized Pleasant Goat toy. The little guy was overjoyed and hugged it tightly, making the little children next to him envious.

"Hahaha, big brother and sister, Yang Ming, that kid, he doesn't know the rules. He didn't even host a banquet for such a big happy occasion as recognizing his godparents. Consider this a banquet..." Zheng Dabao laughed and walked out of the courtyard.

"Okay, okay, okay..." Zhang Shufang was genuinely happy.

"Brother Da Bao is really generous, he's saving us money..." Yang Zhengfang gave a thumbs up.

Everyone around burst into laughter.

Yang Ming drove to the backyard. To open the front door of the outer house, they had to go around to the backyard first, open the back door, and then unlock the latch from the inside. The group walked into the yard. Zhang Shufang, holding Xiao Bao'er's hand, walked in front with Yang Zhengfang and Zheng Dabao, while Sun Fangfang and Wei Qingqing walked at the very back.

"Hey? Where's Aunt Liu? Didn't she go to the market with you?" Sun Fangfang nudged Wei Qingqing.

"No? Aunt Liu isn't home?" Wei Qingqing glanced towards Aunt Liu's door and, sure enough, saw it was locked. "That's strange..."

"My aunt went to the county town, saying she wanted to buy some silk thread..." Liu Nannan interjected after the two of them.

"Oh, so that's how it is." Wei Qingqing nodded.

"What's going on?" Sun Fangfang asked curiously. Rural women usually use cotton thread for needlework, or at most chemical fiber. Why would they use silk thread?

"Oh, Aunt Liu knows we're getting married on October 1st, so she wanted to make us a set of Hanfu as a gift. She's been busy at home these past few days," Wei Qingqing explained.

"Hanbok? Aren't they sold in Hanbok stores?" It turned out that Sun Fangfang misheard, mistaking "Han" for "Han".

"It's not Hanbok, it's Hanfu..." Liu Nannan corrected.

"Hanfu?" Sun Fangfang's eyes lit up. "What kind? Well, we're pure Han Chinese, you know. Talk to Aunt Liu and ask her to make a set for me and Zhang Yang too."

"That won't do. We've already made an agreement with Aunt Liu. If Aunt Liu's skills are good, we'll partner with her to open a clothing company. If you want to do it, you'll have to put in the money..." Wei Qingqing said with a smile.

"Oh my, I didn't expect that! It's only been a few days, and you've already become big bosses. People turn bad when they have money, and you don't even recognize your good friends anymore," Sun Fangfang teased.

"Are you my good buddy? It seems like someone just gave us a surprise attack, right?" Wei Qingqing glanced at her.

"Hehe, who would dare disobey their godmother's orders..." Sun Fangfang chuckled.

"Hmph, if there's a next time, you'll see how I deal with you..."

"It's okay, I'll leave the hundred or so pounds to you..." Sun Fangfang said generously, with a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude.

"Then I'll deal with your son..."

"Do whatever you want with it, just don't do it in front of my mother-in-law..." Sun Fangfang became even more generous.

Wei Qingqing felt a wave of dizziness. This man was hopeless; he'd become a complete scoundrel. She shook her head and entered the courtyard. The outer door was already open, and several large baskets of fruit from the west room had been brought out and placed in the courtyard for everyone to wash and eat themselves. But Yang Ming was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey hey hey, look what Big Black and the others are up to now!" Zhang Yang's excited voice rang out. This guy had just shown up briefly and then disappeared, but now he's popped up again.

Everyone turned their heads and saw five dark little puppies chasing six spotted wild boar piglets, like a victorious general leading prisoners, herding them into the yard. Anyone who dared to run away was met with a low growl and bared teeth in intimidation.

"My goodness...look at that dog..."

"Isn't that too clever?"

"I wonder if they're selling their dog. If they are, I'd buy it no matter the price..."

When Dahei and his five companions brought back six wild boar piglets, it immediately caused a sensation. Everyone had different opinions, but in short, they were all envious. Who knew to bring wild boar piglets home? These six wild boar piglets could sell for several thousand yuan at the market.

Finally, Wei Qingqing found a basket in the west wing and put the wild boar piglets in to prevent them from escaping. As for where to raise them in the future, she would think about that later.

When Wei Qingqing and Sun Fangfang entered the house, the large pots inside were already burning, and a group of women were busy tending the fire to steam buns. The group chattered and laughed as they cooked, making quite a lot of noise.

The east room was packed with people. Wei Qingqing only recognized Zheng Dabao and Zheng Guangrong. She knew the others, but couldn't recall their names. She only knew that they were quite prestigious in the village, and most of them smoked, filling the room with smoke.

A table was set up on the kang (a heated brick bed), covered with peaches, apples, grapes, melon seeds, peanuts, and chestnuts. Anyone who wanted some could grab a handful. Zhang Shufang sat on the kang holding her baby, chatting with everyone, while Yang Zhengfang stayed by her side.

Wei Qingqing took off her shoes and got onto the kang (heated brick bed), opened the window to let the smoke out, and then moved closer to Zhang Shufang.

"What's all that noise outside?" Zhang Shufang asked, pulling her daughter-in-law's hand. Apparently, it was too noisy outside, and they hadn't heard a thing inside.

Wei Qingqing was about to speak...

"It's those little puppies who chased back six wild boar pups. Everyone's outside watching them..." Sun Fangfang grabbed a big peach and climbed onto the kang (heated brick bed).

Upon hearing this, everyone thought the little dog was really clever, knowing to bring the piglet home, and expressed their envy, which made Zhang Shufang beam with joy.

"Mom, where's Yang Ming?" Wei Qingqing asked.

"He's tending to those lambs in the backyard. He insists on scattering them into the mountains. If he scatters them in the mountains, they'll all run away!" Zhang Shufang said.

"It's alright, they won't get lost..." Wei Qingqing was relieved to hear this. Whether Yang Ming really wanted to scatter the lambs into the mountains or use this as an excuse to take them into the farm space, in any case, these wild goat lambs would no longer be in danger of being discovered. Besides, it is illegal to privately raise protected wild animals.

"What are you saying?" At this moment, Yang Ming lifted the curtain and walked in. After nodding to everyone, he sat down next to Yang Zhengfang.

As they continued talking, Wei Qingqing leaned closer to him and asked, "Where did the sheep scatter?"

"Anyway, it won't get lost..." Yang Ming smiled.

Wei Qingqing immediately understood; they must have been stored in the farm space. "Where are the pigeons?"

"Same here..." Yang Ming smiled again.

"Our Dahei and his dogs are really good. They just chased back six wild boar pups, which I put in their baskets."

"Hehe, is that so..." Yang Ming chuckled again, took off his shoes, got onto the kang (heated brick bed), and went to talk to Wei Qingqing.

They chatted inside for a while longer, and it gradually got closer to noon.

"The meat is cooked! The meat is cooked..." came the cheers of the little children outside.

To be honest, wild boar really does produce meat, and it's all lean meat. Several basins were piled up with it. After smoking it, the bones were removed, and the meat was cut into small pieces about an inch in size. It was then put into a pot with vermicelli and potatoes, and started simmering again. The meat was already cooked, so all that was needed was to stew the vermicelli and potatoes until they were cooked through.

The potatoes are from Yangming Farm, and they taste especially delicious when stewed. The glass noodles are reddish and translucent, making them look very appetizing. Add some stewed wild boar meat until it's tender and soft, and then take a bite of fluffy, sweet white steamed bun. That's truly satisfying.

The prominent figures in Zhengjia Village all ate indoors. Several plates of offal and heart were prepared. Zheng Dabao brought out two large jars of his homemade grain liquor, and Yang Zhengfang also took out several bottles of his homemade fruit wine from the van. It is said that Yang Zhengfang has a special fondness for fruit wine and carries a few bottles with him wherever he goes.

The killing of a wild boar brought a great deal of excitement to the entire Zhengjia Village. By the time everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and dispersed, it was already 4 p.m.

In the yard, Zhang Yang and Yang Zhengfang were looking at the dogs. Yang Zhengfang was particularly interested in the little bear, pausing it endlessly. However, the bear neither dared to run away nor bite, which was quite frustrating because it could smell its owner's scent on Yang Zhengfang.

Yang Ming, Wei Qingqing, and Sun Fangfang stayed inside, talking with Zhang Shufang.

"We'll stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning," Zhang Shufang said, holding Xiaobao'er. She truly loved this adorable little girl and didn't want to let go of her for even a moment.

"Why are you in such a hurry? If you really can't go, you can leave later in the afternoon," Yang Ming said.

"Aren't you in a hurry? We're not going back to the city, we're going back to our hometown! Isn't it October 1st in a few days? We need to go and prepare your new house." Zhang Shufang rolled her eyes at her son.

"Oh! Then let me take you back in my car. Fangfang and Zhang Yang can leave in the afternoon. My car is big, so I can take some things back with you, saving you the trouble of buying them," Yang Ming said.

"Okay!" Zhang Shufang nodded.

"Mom! Let's go soak in the hot springs together, it's so relaxing..." Sun Fangfang suggested.

"Sure! I've never tried it before..." Zhang Shufang's curiosity was piqued.

"We've planted quite a few flowers there..." Wei Qingqing said.

So, the three adults led the child to the hot spring pool.

Today was indeed a lively day, with fruit peels and cigarette butts scattered all over the house. Yang Ming first swept the kang (a heated brick bed) clean, then found a broom in the outer room and began to clean.

"Mingming, I remember now, didn't I give you three dogs? Why is one missing?" Yang Zhengfang searched the yard for a long time but couldn't find the third little yellow dog.

"Uncle Da Bao took one," Yang Ming said.

"Oh! Zheng Dabao is really helpful. When he saw Zhang Yang and me carrying the pig, he immediately offered to help." Yang Zhengfang had a good impression of Zheng Dabao.

"We've been staying here, and Uncle Dabao has taken good care of us," Yang Ming said.

"You should get along well with people in the village. We all live in the same village, and a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If you need anything, people will be willing to help you," Yang Zhengfang advised.

"I understand..." Yang Ming said.

"You and that Village Chief Wang don't seem to have a good relationship, do you?" Yang Zhengfang had been observing very closely today and felt that the chubby Village Chief Wang's smile was too fake.

"That's right, I do have some issues with him..." Yang Ming recounted the conflict with the Wang family in detail.

"That guy is really dishonest. If you ask me, you should just scam them and make them swallow those two bald mountains whole," Zhang Yang said, somewhat indignantly.

"You can't blame him. Most people in the countryside are like that. They're xenophobic. If they have the chance, they'll try to make peace with the Wang family. Living together isn't about holding grudges. It's all about getting along well. Today, I heard him hinting that he wanted a Dalmatian dog. If he asks you for one, I'll give him one," Yang Zhengfang said.

"Okay! Got it..." Yang Ming nodded, picked up the trash with a dustpan, and dumped it out.

Yang Zhengfang strolled under the persimmon tree with his hands behind his back, looking at the fruit growing on the tree. "These persimmons are ready to be picked, why haven't you picked them yet?" he said, picking a big persimmon from the tree.

"It's still green..." Zhang Yang felt a little incredulous. If you pick it while it's still green, how astringent must it be?

"These persimmons should be picked at this time of year; they'll turn red if you let them ripen a little longer," Yang Zhengfang said, picking another one. "These persimmons are quite good."

"I was just about to pick them." Yang Ming put the winnowing basket in the corner and stood beside his father to keep him company.

"What are you planning? Let's get started now. Let me tell you, son, the quality of your fruit is too good. If we use this fruit to make fruit wine, it will definitely be an unparalleled brew." Yang Zhengfang said, and immediately got to work, picking the persimmons one by one from the tree. In no time, he had picked more than ten and was holding a full arm.

Upon seeing this, Yang Ming quickly took out four or five large baskets from the side room to hold the persimmons.

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(End of this chapter)