Return to the small mountain village in 1986

Chapter 66

When Gao Mingcheng returned to Grandma Xi's house, there was only a slanting afterglow left in the western sky.

Green smoke curls up above the kitchen chimneys of every household. When walking between two adjacent houses, you can smell the aroma of food emanating from it.

Now everyone’s life is better than before. In the past few years, people ate less white rice, mostly sweet potato rice, bean rice, etc. In recent years, more white rice is eaten, and only a few of them still live more difficult.

The main room of Grandma Xi's house was lit, and the kitchen also had light overflowing, and there was also the sound of the spatula touching the iron pan when the vegetables were being stir-fried.

"Little grandma, is there hot water?" Gao Mingcheng poked into half of his body and asked.

"Yes, it's in the water bottle." Grandma Xi replied, and at the same time glanced at him, and immediately saw Gao Mingcheng was holding a pheasant in his hand.

Gao Mingcheng took the water bottle and knife from the kitchen, went to the yard, wiped the neck of the pheasant and bled it, and then threw it into a basin.

At this time Gao Zhuang also came to help. After Gao Mingcheng scalded the feathers with hot water, he lifted them up and put them on the ground. The two of them plucked the feathers together, and quickly took off the beautiful feathers of the pheasant.

"Brother Mingcheng, grandma has already cooked two dishes, I'm afraid the pheasant will not be cooked in time." Gao Zhuang said.

"It's okay, let's eat first. The pheasant is slowly stewed, and we will eat it later." Gao Mingcheng was not in a hurry to eat. He picked up the knife and began to open his stomach.

The light in the yard was dim, so Gao Zhuang came over with a kerosene lamp to illuminate it.

In just 2 minutes, Gao Mingcheng's knife skills were flowing like clouds and water, and he quickly processed the internal organs of the pheasant. Only the heart, liver and gizzards were needed. As for the intestines, he didn't want them.

In fact, the chicken intestines are also delicious, but it is troublesome to clean them up. Gao Mingcheng discarded the chicken intestines with some behavior habits of later generations.

But Gao Zhuang refused, so he picked the chicken intestines aside, processed them quickly, washed them with plant ash, and finally scalded them with boiling water.

"Brother Mingcheng, the chicken intestines are delicious, why throw them away! You don't want to make them, I'll make them, so as not to be scolded by grandma if she sees them!"

Gao Mingcheng laughed, put the cleaned pheasant on the chopping board, and chopped it neatly.

At this time, the fine grandma had already fried the dishes, and the pot was cleaned and filled with water. After the pheasant was chopped, it was directly put into the big iron pot, and then the pot was covered and simmered slowly.

Gao Mingcheng looked down at the stove, there were two thick firewood inside, enough to burn for a while, so he went to eat at the dining table.

Today's dishes are relatively simple, one fried pepper, one loofah egg soup.

"Growing sugarcane is so troublesome! If it weren't for the task assigned by the county, I really don't want to plant it!" At the dinner table, Gao Zhuang complained to Gao Mingcheng.

All day today, he and his grandmother worked in the sugar cane fields.

There is a sugar factory in their county, so the county assigned tasks to the countryside, requiring each household to plant sugar cane, and at the end of autumn and early winter, people from the sugar factory would drive over to buy it.

It sounds like it is seeking development for the people, but in fact it is really not the same thing!

A ton of sugarcane is only sold for more than 200 yuan, and sometimes the purchase is not timely, and the sugarcane is in the hands of the villagers. In addition, planting sugarcane is very troublesome and the price is low, so the villagers are not willing to plant it at all.

"Look, my hands are cut by sugar cane leaves!" Gao Zhuang stretched out his hand, his tone extremely aggrieved.

Sugarcane leaves are very sharp, and it hurts and itches when cut on a person's body, which is very uncomfortable.

The little grandma felt distressed and angry, and said, "I told you to wear a long-sleeved jacket, but you will never refuse!"

"It's hot!" Gao Zhuang justified. Young people are afraid of heat, and they don't have as much experience as old people, so they wear short sleeves for granted.

"Well, how about this, when the spring of next year, I will tell the village committee that I am not in good health, and the family is short of staff, so I can see if I can stop planting sugar cane, and even if I can't, I can only plant a third of the land. In the end, it was Grandma Xi who felt sorry for her only grandson.

As soon as Gao Zhuang heard this, he smiled and flattered: "Grandma is so kind."

Gao Mingcheng watched the interaction between their grandparents and grandchildren with a smile on his face.

After the meal, Gao Mingcheng entered his room, and not long after, he took out a half-new watch from the inside.

He handed the watch to Gao Zhuang, and said, "Hey, it's for you."

Gao Zhuang was surprised at first, and then he was delighted.

He took the watch and examined it carefully under the light. This watch is from Lushan brand. Although it is not brand new, it does not look old either.

"Brother Mingcheng, where did you get the watch?" Gao Zhuang asked in surprise, and Grandma Xi also looked this way.

This watch was obtained by Cheng Hei, Gao Ming - no, it was given to him by the bald man on his own initiative!

But there is no need to tell the real situation. Gao Mingcheng said: "When I was selling honey, I happened to see someone selling second-hand watches. They said they were in urgent need of money. They only cost ten yuan. I think the quality is not bad. Bought it."

A brand-new watch costs 60 yuan, and a semi-new watch only costs [-] yuan, which is really a good deal.

Gao Zhuang was very happy. He put the watch on his wrist, and then swung his wrist in a loud voice. He felt that after wearing the watch, his whole temperament changed.

Handsome!

Grandma Xi disagreed and said: "Mingcheng, you can buy it if you buy it, but you can use it yourself, don't give it to Gao Zhuang!"

Although ten yuan is cheap, it is still money!
At this moment, Gao Mingcheng took out a brand new watch from his trouser pocket.

"I bought it too. This new one is more expensive."

He bought a watch before, but kept it hidden and didn't let others know about it, and now he has passed Minglu.

"Let me see." Gao Zhuang was as happy as a fool, and took Gao Mingcheng's watch again, and compared the two watches together.

The watches are all Lushan brand, one brand new and one half old.But if you don't look carefully, you can't see it.

"You young people... Is money hot? Why can't you save money?" Grandma Xi looked at Gao Mingcheng helplessly.

After that, she went to her room to get ten yuan, handed it to Gao Mingcheng, and said, "It's not easy for you to make some money. You take this money, and we will buy it."

Gao Mingcheng naturally refused to take it, and said: "Grandma, I came to your house for board and lodging, but you didn't ask me for money. I gave Gao Zhuang something, why did you ask me for money? I don't want this money!"

One wanted to give, but the other refused to accept. The two sides were in a stalemate for a while.

So Gao Mingcheng took a bath, took a change of clothes, and dragged Gao Zhuang outside, "Grandma, Gao Zhuang and I went to take a bath, you watch the fire!"

Grandma Xi had no choice but to watch them leave.

On the bamboo chair were two watches, one new and the other half old.

The watch should not touch the water, so the two of them naturally wouldn't take the watch with them, Grandma Xiao touched this one and then the other, smiling at the corner of her mouth, but with tears in her eyes.

These days, the more the better!

(End of this chapter)