1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Since Shuang Hong moved in, Chen Gaoshan has stayed at home for three days.

He didn't go out to work or leave the yard; he just stayed inside the house and wandered around the yard.

If it weren't for his mother and Xiaxia at home, Chen Gaoshan wouldn't even need to wear underwear. Since the house is full of family, he could just put on and take off whatever he wanted. Why bother with all that? Every little bit helps.

After dinner, Chen Gaoshan felt restless and wandered over to Xiao Kouzi's house to call him over.

Have the members of the mountain patrol militia assemble at the Zhu Family Compound.

Tie Suo didn't come back. Xu Laifu had been kicked out for making a mistake and was now paralyzed on the kang (a heated brick bed). The original team of five people was reduced to three.

Before Chen Gaoshan returned, the patrol team relied entirely on Uncle Long Hair to organize things.

Uncle Long Hair is a decisive man; he immediately hired two new people.

One of them was Li Wuyang, the nephew of Zhou Langzhong. Zhou Langzhong gave him the name, but he was completely different from his name. He got a headache as soon as he looked at a book, but he was very good at farm work.

The other one is Wang Tongsuo, the second son of Uncle Changfa's family.

That's what Uncle Long Hair said.

"There are no cowards in the Wang family. When you grow up, don't always stay at home. Go into the mountains to toughen up and build your strength. Only those who venture out can be called real men."

With this arrangement, the patrol team consisted of exactly five people: Xiao Kouzi, Qian Zhuizi, Ma Wanzhong, Li Wuyang, and Wang Tongsuo.

Everyone was present, and a meeting was held at the Zhu family compound.

Ma Wanzhong grinned and joked with Chen Gaoshan.

"Oh my, we've been waiting for our Shanzi Brigade Leader to come out! He's married three wives in three days, and now that the kang (heated brick bed) is warm enough, he's finally willing to go outside for some fresh air."

Chen Gaoshan cleared his throat. "This Uncle Wan Zhong is really a lewd old man."

He sat down on the rock and raised his hand to lower his voice.

"Alright, alright, stop rambling and get down to business."

"I called you here today to talk about going into the mountains. In previous years, wild boars would come down in droves at this time and wreak havoc on the crops. A single wild boar could destroy an entire area, causing heartbreaking damage, and the families in the village suffered losses every year."

"Let's start ahead of time this year."

Xiao Kouzi's eyes lit up.

"What should we do, Shanzi? Do you mean we should go into the mountains and catch them ourselves?"

"right."

Chen Gaoshan nodded. "The corn in the fields is now plump with kernels. Before they come down the mountain to wreak havoc, let's take our hunting dogs and go into the mountains ahead of time to hunt down the wild boars that are ravaging the crops."

Qian Zhuizi slapped his thigh.

"In previous years, we were always the ones who got ravaged by wild boars. This year, let's turn the tables and ravage them first."

Ma Wanzhong sat next to Qian Zhuizi.

"We should have done this a long time ago. Every year our crops are destroyed. Wild boars and badgers are a menace to our crops."

Chen Gaoshan continued, picking up where he left off.

"Tomorrow morning, Uncle Wanzhong will bring the hunting dogs and everyone else, and we'll meet at the entrance of Xiaokouzi. He'll give you bullets, and we'll set off early to head into the mountains while it's still cool."

He gave a final explanation of the division of labor.

"Tomorrow, no running around in the mountains, no showing off alone. Copper Lock, Wuyang, and the new recruits will follow behind, while the veterans and the hunting dogs will scout ahead. If you hear any noise, don't chase or rush around. Your life is more important than wild boars, understand?"

"I've got it."

Wang Tongsuo was so excited listening to this that his blood boiled.

"Yes, I can do this job. I'll be at the forefront tomorrow."

Ma Wanzhong loves to tease children.

"Don't you dare rush to the front! If you do, you'll be scared away before the wild boars!"

After finishing the business, they chatted for a bit more, and then everyone dispersed and went home.

Chen Gaoshan strolled back leisurely.

He stayed in the backyard for the past three days, keeping Shuanghong company.

Lotus and Apricot Blossom, the two sisters, moved into the same house.

The two little girls, Da Mao and Er Mao, are becoming more and more worry-free as they grow up. After being fed at night, they can sleep through the night until dawn, and the adults no longer have to stay up all night with bloodshot eyes.

When adults have free time, they can help the baby pee and poop, saving a lot of washing of diapers and making life much easier for the family.

He lifted the curtain and went inside. Inside, Xinghua was preparing hot water in a large wooden basin to bathe the two children.

When the two little girls on the kang (a heated brick bed) saw him enter, they waved their little arms excitedly and made "ah ah" noises.

Chen Gaoshan's heart softened upon seeing this, and he smiled and went over.

"Oh dear, my Da Mao and Er Mao, they've only been apart for half a day and they already miss their dad. They're really my little darlings."

Xinghua wrung out the hot towel, walked over, and took his wrist.

"After a half-day meeting, I'm covered in sweat. I need to wipe myself off to cool down."

Without any politeness, she started wiping his face and neck vigorously.

In an instant, Chen Gaoshan recalled that when he was a child, his mother used to wash his face like this. She never knew how to be gentle and always insisted on scrubbing hard, no matter how much he could bear it, she had to scrub him clean.

Hey, it's just like my mom.

He placed his hand on Xinghua's belly.

My belly is almost six months along, all round and big. I just don't know if I'll be able to give birth to a boy this time. If I do, my parents can finally relax. Otherwise, they'll be worrying about me every day.

"My dear sister-in-law, rub it a couple more times, just rub this layer of old skin off my face."

Xinghua, wringing out a towel, gave him a disdainful look.

"If I really had that kind of energy, I would still be here wiping your face, and I would have already gone into the mountains with you to hunt wild boars."

As she spoke, Xinghua wiped the sweat from his face, neck, and ears.

Then wash the towel twice, shake it out, and hang it on the hemp rope tied inside the house.

"Lotus, the water is just the right temperature. Come and give the two little girls a bath."

The two little girls on the kang (heated brick bed) got incredibly excited when they heard about taking a bath. They thrashed about with their little arms and legs, chattering away.

"Ah, ah."

They're incredibly happy, and love taking baths and playing in the water.

Chen Gaoshan wasn't in a hurry to go back to the backyard; there was only one large wooden tub in the house, and he could only wash one at a time.

"Let's wash Da Mao first, one by one."

As he spoke, he reached out and untied the little bib from Da Mao's body, revealing his fair and tender little body, with his bare bottom exposed. He reached out to put the baby into the warm water basin.

Lotus, quick-witted and agile, immediately spoke up to stop them. "Wait, don't release them yet."

Chen Gaoshan was stunned for a moment. Had he done something wrong?

He can hunt and farm, but he's never actually bathed his daughter.

Just then, a foul odor wafted over.

He sniffled, looking bewildered.

"Why does it smell? Da Mao...did he poop."

Lotus was incredibly fast. With one arm holding Er Mao, she swiftly placed her other hand under Da Mao's white bottom and caught him.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was so scared! Luckily I caught it in time, otherwise this basin of warm water would have been wasted."

"Our Da Mao has this problem. He gets excited whenever he touches hot water. He can't control himself. He has an accident every day when he takes a bath. He poops as soon as he touches water. We can't change it."

As soon as Xinghua entered the house, she put the bucket aside and quickly reached out to hug Er Mao, who was nestled under Lianhua's arm.

"They're such a perfect pair of sisters, Da Mao poops in the bath and Er Mao pees in the bath. They're a perfect match. Quickly pick up Da Mao and let her pee, or she'll end up in the potty."

Chen Gaoshan laughed heartily upon hearing this, thinking that this quirk must have come from him!

He's always needed to urinate whenever he got wet; it's purely a physical reflex, and he just can't hold it in.

He didn't mind at all and happily hugged Da Mao.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's all our child's own pee, there's nothing to be disgusted about. Dad doesn't mind, just wash it like this."

After saying that, he lowered his head and gave the big, fluffy little face a big kiss.

The little guy was being kissed by his dad, giggling nonstop, bouncing around happily.

Lianhua cleaned the Oli Gei off her hands and watched Chen Gaoshan clumsily splash water on his daughter.

"You're still laughing? In a minute, Da Mao will splash around and drink her own pee. I think her problem is just like that of a pig guarding its pen. She's inherited from you, her deadbeat father. She'll never get a good beating, just like you."

Chen Gaoshan chuckled as he gently splashed water on his daughter and lightly rubbed her arms and legs.

"Yes, you two are successful, but you have all the problems, just like me, the root of all evil. Anyway, whether my root is dead or alive, you two understand it better than my daughter, right, eldest daughter? If you weren't beaten by your father, then something wouldn't be right."

As soon as he finished speaking, he laughed happily, and his daughter immediately put her hand in his mouth.

This made Xinghua and Lianhua laugh heartily. "Serves you right for spoiling her. Now you've even drunk Da Mao's pee."

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