HPDBC Chapter 1863 The Incident in the Forest
Chapter 1863 The Incident in the Forest
Chapter 1863 The Incident in the Forest
Picnics offer a rustic charm and unique flavors.
Ma Yang took a sip of hot soup from the bowl, and a warm current flowed straight into his stomach. He instantly broke out in a sweat and felt very comfortable.
"Uncle, your noodles are so delicious." Even the simple-minded Ma Yang knew how to flatter, praising Xing San: "I've never eaten anything so delicious in my life."
"Hehe." Xing San was amused by Ma Yang's praise. The old man was not good at cooking at all. Over the years, he had just made do with whatever he could find in the mountains.
But since the deed is already done, who wouldn't want to hear a few kind words?
"What's wrong, Xiao Yang? Isn't my sister-in-law Ma's cooking pretty good?" Wang Qiang said this, just killing time and teasing the kid.
“Uncle, it’s different.” Ma Yang mumbled between chewing his food, “Eating outside tastes better.”
"It smells good, so hurry up and eat," Zhao Jun said with a smile. Then, he changed the subject and said, "Eat your fill, or Dad might give you a hard time when we get back."
"Hey." Ma Yang gripped his chopsticks, picked up a scallion from the oil paper next to him, took a bite, and said nonchalantly, "Brother-in-law, I've figured it out. They can't kill me, can they?"
After saying this, Ma Yang looked at Zhao Jun and Li Baoyu, and continued with a smile, "These adults are always making a fuss, trying to scare us and threaten to beat us to death. Do you think they can do that?"
As he spoke, Ma Yang pointed at Li Ruhai with his chopsticks and said, "With all the things Li Ruhai did in the past, wasn't he inhuman? Did my Uncle Li beat him to death?"
"Hmm?" Zhao Jun, Li Baoyu, and the others were all taken aback upon hearing this, feeling that what Ma Yang said made sense.
But then Li Ruhai wouldn't have it. He glared at Ma Yang and yelled, "What? I didn't do anything to you, I didn't provoke you, why are you messing with me?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Ma Yang chuckled, "Didn't I use you as an example? Why are you getting so worked up?"
"Stop nagging me!" Li Ruhai glared at Ma Yang again, then muttered to himself, "When I get back to the village, I'll find two triangular strips to take to my Uncle Ma."
"Huh?" Upon hearing Li Ruhai's words, Ma Yang's face showed panic. He said, "Li Ruhai, you're really inhuman for doing this!"
After being beaten last time, Ma Yang took advantage of the fact that Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua were not at home to steal the triangular belt from the house and throw it into the latrine. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so tough today.
Watching Ma Yang and Li Ruhai bicker back and forth, everyone wore smiles. Although conditions in the mountains were tough, the group was quite happy because they had food, drink, and money to earn together.
After eating and drinking their fill, Zhao Jun, along with Li Ruhai and Ma Yang, washed the dishes and chopsticks. Xing San boiled water, stuck cornmeal in the pan, and fed it to the dog. Zhang Yuanmin and the others made beds in the house.
The plank was supported by a framework of fried sticks, which were nailed to the tree trunk and surrounding pillars. Then, fried boards were nailed on top, and soon, with the efforts of several people, a plank plank five and a half meters long was completed.
Jie Chen and Zhao Jinhui carried in bundles of hay, intending to spread them on the bedding.
By this time, the dog food had been prepared, and Zhao Jun and the others went to feed the dogs. Zhang Yuanmin, Wang Qiang, and Li Baoyu took the opportunity to bring the stove into the shed.
The stove was set up on the south side of the shack. When Zhang Yuanmin was nailing the shack, he had left a smoke vent in advance. A square space was left between the two frying rods and the two frying plates, and the stove tube extended out from here, with the surrounding gaps sealed with mud.
Zhang Yuanmin was too short to do the plastering work, so Li Baoyu took over.
Wang Qiang, understanding Zhang Yuanmin's hard work, told him to rest aside. But at that moment, Zhang Yuanmin heard Zhao Jinhui say, "Brother Zhang, this place doesn't seem to be able to hold up for me."
"Huh?" Zhang Yuanmin was taken aback, then heard Xie Chen laugh and say, "As soon as Jin Hui went up there, it was like the bed was about to collapse. What if we sleep on it tonight and it collapses and we all fall to the ground?"
"No, no," Zhang Yuanmin laughed. "I feel I can withstand it."
"Don't feel bad, Yuanmin," Wang Qiang laughed. "My nephew said he'd build a dog kennel for the dogs tonight so they can sleep under the mattress. If the mattress collapses, won't the dogs smash it?"
"Uncle," Wang Qiang had barely finished speaking when Jie Chen chimed in with a laugh, "It's fine for a dog to sleep here, but if it were to sleep under Jin Hui and my brother Li, it'd be in big trouble, hehe..."
“Well, you have to see which dog it is.” Li Baoyu, who was being teased, was not angry and laughed: “Tiger and Erhei are too big for them to get into any trouble, but Tiger is in big trouble.”
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Zhang Yuanmin stuffed a handful of nails into his pocket, then picked up a hammer and went onto the kang (a heated brick bed), reinforcing the bed once more.
But Zhang Yuanmin, who had just gotten off the bunk, was still a little worried when he saw Zhao Jinhui's large belly, which looked like she was three years pregnant.
He checked the height of the shed, then told Jie Chen to go outside the shack, push the cart in, and place it at the west end of the shed, using it as a support at an angle.
Just as they finished doing all this, Li Ruhai came into the shack and asked, "Are you done yet? The dog has already pooped. My older brother said we have to get up early tomorrow. Once you're done cleaning up, go to sleep."
After feeding the dogs, you need to make sure they empty their bladders. Not only do you need to clean up after the dogs, but you also need to find a place to deal with your own bodily waste.
After the nine people and three dogs finished tidying up, they all went into the shack. Zhang Yuanmin took down the tarpaulin blocking the door, weighed down the bottom with soil, and nailed the sides to the board that served as the door frame.
"It's too late today, let's leave it at that," Zhang Yuanmin said. "I'll finish the whole door tomorrow during the day."
"This is pretty good," Xing San said as he added firewood to the stove. "It's much more secure than the shack I lived in at first."
After pressing down the stove, Xing San took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. At this time, Li Baoyu and the others had brought old quilts from home and spread them on the dry grass. Without taking off their clothes, they simply covered themselves with the old quilts.
We were all exhausted after a day of hiking in the mountains. No one spoke, and soon everyone drifted off to sleep.
"Cough...cough..."
Loud and rhythmic snoring echoed in the shack. The Zhao family members and the dog lying on the bed were familiar with the noise, so it didn't affect them much.
Only Ma Yang, who usually lives alone in his own room at home, had never seen this before.
While Ma Yang was keeping a close watch and striking the gong for everyone, the Zhao and Ma families in Yong'an Village, far away, were also still awake.
The Zhao family left because it was still early and the diners hadn't left yet. Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua, though already in bed, couldn't relax.
Just like Ma Yang said, which parent could really beat their child to death?
Ma Dafu whipped him with a triangular belt; there was really no other way.
Now that the boy has run off into the mountains without a word, Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua are not only angry, but also very worried.
"Oh!" Wang Cuihua sighed softly, "I wonder how my youngest son is doing? Is he able to get enough to eat in the mountains?"
Women, you know, Wang Cuihua has said the same things over and over again since dinner.
As for men, they might be okay with hearing her say it once or twice, but they'll get impatient if they hear it too often.
When Wang Cuihua first spoke, Ma Dafu tried to persuade her, saying that Ma Yang would definitely not be mistreated if he stayed with Zhao Jun.
Later, when Wang Cuihua spoke again, Ma Dafu remained silent.
Lying on the kang (heated brick bed), Ma Dafu was also worried about Ma Yang. Hearing Wang Cuihua say this again, Ma Dafu couldn't help but snap, "What are you dawdling about? If you had kept an eye on him, would he have run away?"
"I..." Wang Cuihua was stunned by Ma Dafu's retort. In that half-second of hesitation, Wang Cuihua forgot about Ma Yang and asked Ma Dafu, "Who the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking to you, what's wrong with you?" Ma Dafu said curtly, "I don't know what you do all day? You can't even manage your kids?"
"I'll fucking..." Wang Cuihua, who was already unhappy, flew into a rage, and a fierce battle ensued in the east room of the Ma family.
That's the downside of living in a single-story house; if anything happens in one house, the neighbors on both sides can hear it.
The next morning, news of the fight between Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua spread in small circles in Yong'an Village.
At seven o'clock, Ma Dafu, with a gloomy face, quickly left home and went straight to Wang Fu's convenience store to buy half a jin of steamed rice cake.
After leaving the small shop, Ma Dafu walked out of the village, then hid in the grove, opened the butter paper package, and started eating dry rice cakes.
There was nothing she could do; after last night's battle, Wang Cuihua didn't cook for him this morning.
Ma Dafu was a man who cared about his reputation. He could have asked Wang Fu to pour him some hot water so he could eat at the convenience store before coming out.
But if he did that, Wang Fu and his wife would definitely ask him why he wasn't eating at home. Ma Dafu didn't want to tell him about his argument with Wang Cuihua and how she wouldn't cook for him, so he chose to bear it all alone.
"Cough! Cough!" Ma Dafu coughed lightly as he ate the dry rice cake, and couldn't help but mutter to himself about Wang Cuihua and Ma Yang.
"Achoo!" Ma Yang tilted his head and sneezed into the air.
"What's wrong, Xiao Yang?" Zhao Jun asked with concern upon seeing this, "Did you sleep in a cold room last night?"
“It’s not cold, brother-in-law,” Ma Yang said. “Last night, Uncle San got up several times to keep the stove quite warm.”
Wood doesn't burn well; even if the stove is filled to the brim, it won't last more than an hour.
After saying this, Ma Yang picked up the small bowl, drank two sips of egg drop soup, put the bowl down, picked up the bald-head pancake next to him, and took a bite. After putting down the bald-head pancake, Ma Yang picked up a sausage and took a big bite.
With both dry and soupy dishes and meat, Ma Yang felt the food was excellent.
After eating and drinking their fill, Xing San collected the bowls and chopsticks into a bucket. The next tasks, washing the dishes and feeding the dog, were Xing San's responsibility, while Zhao Jun led the men to carry the ginseng.
Yesterday, the Zhao family gang moved earth at four different sites, and at one of them, they unearthed a snake transforming into a dragon. There are three more sites, and Zhao Jun is going to bring them all out today.
Before carrying the ginseng, Zhao Jun called everyone together and instructed them: "Today we're carrying the ginseng, so be careful not to break the tendrils. If you're unsure whether it's a tree root or something else, call me. Don't try to fix it blindly."
Upon hearing Zhao Jun's words, everyone responded enthusiastically.
Next, Zhao Jun divided the people into three groups. He, Zhang Yuanmin, and Li Ruhai were the group leaders, respectively. Wang Qiang assisted him, Li Baoyu helped Zhang Yuanmin, Xie Chen helped Li Ruhai, and Zhao Jinhui and Ma Yang learned on the side.
Then, Zhao Jun picked out the two ginseng roots with rhizomes, feeling that they should be a pair of ginseng.
The two seedlings in the other two locations were handed over to the other two groups, and the three groups began their work.
Before we knew it, the morning was over, and the work of all three groups was nearing its end.
Zhang Yuanmin's group carried ginseng seedlings that were over 80 years old, with five leaves. The ginseng was of good quality and possessed all five elements.
Li Ruhai's group carried a seedling that was over seventy years old and had four leaves. Its quality was slightly inferior to the five-leaf seedling carried by Zhang Yuanmin's group, but it was still good enough to be weighed.
As for what Zhao Jun carried, it really was a husband-and-wife ginseng pair. Both husband and wife were over eighty years old. The quality of individual ginseng seedlings was generally average, but when the husband and wife were together, they were a rare find.
By this time, Xing San had finished cooking the rice, and Lao Shan Gouzi was sitting to the side smoking, waiting for Zhao Jun and the others to finish work.
Zhang Yuanmin was the first to finish. He was holding the ginseng root head with one hand and supporting the ginseng whiskers with the other, his face full of smiles.
This was Zhang Yuanmin's first time carrying a ginseng root independently. It must be said that his hands were truly skillful and steady, managing to lift the five-petaled ginseng root out intact.
Li Baoyu took the moss he had prepared beforehand and spread it on the wooden stump. Zhang Yuanmin carefully placed the ginseng on it, then stood in front of the ginseng and whispered in admiration, "This ginseng is so beautiful."
As soon as Zhang Yuanmin finished speaking, Li Ruhai got up from the ground. His small face was serious, and he walked over with ginseng in his hands. Xie Chen quickly followed beside him.
Upon seeing Li Ruhai approach, Zhang Yuanmin and Li Baoyu asked in unison, "How's it going, Ruhai?"
Li Ruhai paused, looked up at the two men, and said in a low voice with a stern face, "At the very end, the last hair has been cut off."
"Let me see." Zhang Yuanmin took it and glanced at it, only to see that the longest whisker had a broken tip.
This is truly regrettable; ginseng that originally cost several hundred yuan is now being sold at half price.
But Zhang Yuanmin didn't complain. Instead, he comforted Li Ruhai, saying, "Alright, Ruhai, this is good enough."
Li Baoyu didn't say anything, but he patted Li Ruhai on the shoulder to comfort him.
Jie Chen gently patted Li Ruhai's other shoulder and said, "Ruhai, this isn't your fault, it's your brother Chen'er's fault. Your brother Chen is clumsy, if only he could take your place."
"You say you're clumsy? My hands are even clumsier!" Li Baoyu laughed self-deprecatingly, saying, "I can't do this job."
Li Baoyu and Xie Chen's large hands were really not suitable for such delicate work. Li Ruhai could do it, but he was young. After kneeling there picking at it for a whole morning, his limbs were sore and numb. In the end, his hand trembled and he broke off the whiskers when he pressed the antler spoon.
While Zhao Jun was still doing well, Li Ruhai, who was stretching his arms and legs, lowered his voice and explained his situation.
"Ruhai," Zhang Yuanmin said to Li Ruhai after hearing this, "Next time there's a situation, let's agree not to lift it for now, let's take a break and slow down."
"Yeah, Brother Zhang, I regret it too." Li Ruhai said with some annoyance, "I got impatient when I saw you guys finishing your work."
At this point, Li Ruhai sighed and said, "Oh dear, it's all my fault."
"What's it to blame you for?" Zhang Yuanmin said. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You've done well. Your older brother won't blame you later."
Although the voices of the group were not loud, Zhao Jun, who was not far away, could naturally detect them as they gathered there.
Zhao Jun thought something had happened to them, so he immediately stopped using the antler-shaped key and looked up at Zhang Yuanmin and the others.
Fortunately, he paused for a moment, because just as Zhao Jun was about to ask Zhang Yuanmin and the others what had happened, Black Tiger, Erhei, and Green Tiger, who were not far away, all spoke up at the same time.
The sudden barking of a dog startled Zhao Jun; if this happened during the process of carrying ginseng, the ginseng roots would surely break.
"Uncle, help me up!" Zhao Jun, who had been kneeling for a long time, subconsciously stood up but felt his legs were numb. He quickly called Wang Qiang to help him up.
At this moment, Li Baoyu and the others not far away began to make their moves.
Zhang Yuanmin lifted up the moss, protecting the two ginseng seedlings, and headed into the shack. Li Baoyu and Xie Chen both grabbed their guns and rushed towards where the dogs were tied up, followed closely by Xing San, who was holding a knife.
(End of this chapter)