Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 484 483 Turtledove
Si is a shabby room, but Wu Dexin.

These two sentences were originally written by Liu Yuxi to describe his noble aspirations and his character of being content with poverty, but they are equally suitable for turtledoves.

The turtledove looks like a pigeon and is widely distributed in China.

This bird is careless by nature and is a typical example of being lazy in the animal kingdom. It can build a nest by just picking up a few branches.

Look at the meaning, it's very interesting, just let it go, just like an office worker who is trying to fool his boss.

It is precisely because of the turtledoves' deception that whenever there is a strong wind or heavy rain in the summer, someone can always pick up one or two little turtledoves under the tree.

In ancient times, the turtledove had a very high status and was a kind of auspicious bird, known as the "bird that never chokes."

In the Han Dynasty, "Jiuzhang" was awarded to people over 70 years old.

The dove stick is not only used to indicate age and identity, but also has certain privileges and has a strong educational significance.

An old man without children who holds a cane can make a living by selling alcohol, and he is exempt from tax.

If you are bullied, the government will step in to deal with it, and the punishment will be severe.

According to historical records, there was once a man named Wang who beat an old man holding a dove stick and was later sentenced to beheading and thrown into the public square.

Even if someone is from the government, it is not allowed to detain an old man holding a cane without permission. A grassroots official did this and his fate was similar to that of the man surnamed Wang. He was eventually beheaded in public.

There is less food this year, and hungry people have turned their attention to edible wild animals and plants, and turtledove is one of them.

In fact, not only turtledoves, but also magpies, crows, etc. enjoy the same treatment.

If the sparrows didn't suffer last year, they will probably not escape this year either.

Wan Xiangyang was on escort duty the past two days and is taking a day off today.

After a good sleep, Wan Xiangyang packed his gear and rode his bike westward, heading straight for Lugou Bridge.

Lugou Bridge is located in the southwest corner of Sijiu City, next to Wanping County.

Although Wanping County is not very large, it has a history of more than a thousand years.

In 1952, Wanping County was abolished and transferred from Hebei to Sijiucheng, and was under the jurisdiction of the Jingxi Mining District.

In 1958, the Jingxi mining area was abolished and its jurisdiction was officially named Mentougou.

Although the name has changed, people are still accustomed to calling it Wanping. Even after decades, when the administrative affiliation has changed again and again, many people still call it Wanping.

After crossing the Lugou Bridge, Ma'anshan is not far to the west, and Tanzhe Mountain is to the north of Ma'anshan.

The two mountains are close to each other, and there are two ancient temples on each mountain, Jietai Temple and Tanzhe Temple.

Although this is a Buddhist territory, Wan Xiangyang is a member of the organization and has firm thoughts. He does not believe in this and comes here just to kill.

The escort office is about 20 kilometers away from Ma'anshan. Wan Xiangyang came here and planned to bring something back no matter what.

Hard work pays off. Wan Xiangyang wandered around the mountains for a day and shot four turtledoves, two gray magpies, and no rabbits.

Compared to birds, rabbits are too alert.

Wan Xiangyang was not the only one who came to the mountains to hunt game, but not many of them brought their weapons with them. Most of them used slingshots, using tire inner tubes as bowstrings.

Compared with Wan Xiangyang, their gains seemed pitiful.

Wan Xiangyang met several of them when he was going down the mountain, but no one thought of snatching it from Wan Xiangyang because the thing on his back was very intimidating.

Wan Xiangyang returned to the dormitory before the escort department got off work, put down the prey first, returned the gun, and then went to find Tang Zhitong.

Tang Zhitong helped him many times, and Wan Xiangyang remembered it all, including ten kilograms of millet, more than thirty kilograms of sweet potatoes, twenty eggs, and two rabbits.

These are all real.

Wan Xiangyang originally thought that after his sister Wan Xianghong started school, he would slowly save some money from his food rations and pay Tang Zhitong back.

But the situation changed too quickly, and the speed of storing food was much slower than he had planned.

"What's wrong, Brother Yang? Is there something?" Tang Zhitong returned to the unit after buying tools. It was almost time to get off work, but Wan Xiangyang called him out.

"I'm taking a day off today. I went for a walk in the mountains and shot a few turtledoves. Come over after get off work and take them home to try." Wan Xiangyang said casually.

"Wow, Brother Yang's shooting skills are pretty accurate. But forget about the turtledove. It's not easy to get some meat these days. You should keep it to honor your father-in-law." Tang Zhitong waved his hand to refuse.

"What? You want me to send it to your office? That will make you look bad." Wan Xiangyang glared at Tang Zhitong and retorted unhappily.

"Okay, then I'll pack up and go over in a while. Is that okay?" Tang Zhitong saw that Wan Xiangyang was serious and immediately agreed.

"That's good enough. I'll wait for you." Wan Xiangyang nodded and walked towards the dormitory area at the back with satisfaction.

After get off work, Tang Zhitong packed up his things, put on his backpack and went to find Wan Xiangyang.

Wan Xiangyang had been looking forward to it for a long time. When he saw Tang Zhitong, a smile appeared on his face and he came out from the house to greet him.

"Brother Yang, I'm not going in. Let's smoke a cigarette outside." Tang Zhitong took out a cigarette and had no intention of going into the house.

When he got off work, Shu Qing also got off work and would be back soon. Shu Qing might not know that Wan Xiangyang was planning to give her a turtledove, so Tang Zhitong thought he had to make it clear to avoid any conflict between the couple.

"Okay, this saves me from having to open the door to let in some air." Wan Xiangyang took the cigarette and said.

"What? Did your sister-in-law start to restrict you from smoking?"

"No, I just think the smell of smoke is a bit unpleasant." Wan Xiangyang said stubbornly.

"Hehe, it does smell a bit bad." Men, as they are, always want to save face a little. Tang Zhitong didn't point it out. He was another man who loved his wife, just like Ma Kejian.

"We borrowed a lot of grain from you this year. Wan Hong and I saved some and paid back others first. It will be your turn last. Don't mind it." Wan Xiangyang took a puff of cigarette and said.

"Well, Brother Yang, you're too polite. I'm not in a hurry. Let me wait three to five years." Tang Zhitong waved his hand and spoke from his heart.

Food is in short supply right now, but once the situation eases in a few years, the pressure on the brother and sister will be less.

"It's not easy for anyone, and I can't do that kind of thing. My brother and I can take out five kilograms of food coupons this month. You take them first, and I'll settle the rest with you after the New Year." Wan Xiangyang said as he took out the food coupons from his pocket and was about to give them to Tang Zhitong.

"Brother Yang, I won't be polite with you. I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart. You can keep the food coupons. I don't need them for the time being." Tang Zhitong pushed it back again.

"You are really trying to keep me awake at night, right?" Wan Xiangyang glared again.

"Does sister-in-law know about this?" Decades later, it is harder to collect debts than to ascend to heaven. The one who owes money is the uncle, but the situation is slightly different now. "She knows, and she also said she wants to thank you for letting us transfer the food relationship. The food in the cafeteria these two days, oh!" Wan Xiangyang did not allow any explanation, stuffed the food coupons into Tang Zhitong's pocket, then shook his head and sighed, with an indescribable look.

"Then I'll take it first. When you have any difficulties, be sure to tell me." Seeing his colleagues living in the dormitory coming back from the cafeteria with meals, Tang Zhitong stopped arguing with Wan Xiangyang.

"Okay, as long as you borrow and return, it won't be difficult to borrow again." Seeing that Tang Zhitong agreed to accept it, Wan Xiangyang smiled.

Several colleagues came over with their meals, and they simply greeted each other and nodded.

After passing each other, Tang Zhitong heard them muttering about the rice being mixed with water and so on.

"Alas, it's not easy for Director Fang and Master Gao either. They are under pressure from above." Tang Zhitong spoke only after they had gone far away.

There is no way to hide this kind of thing. Although the weight has increased, my stomach won't lie.

Although only one day had passed since the promotion, the news had already spread around the Post and Telecommunications College. The canteen chefs served more rice to the students than before, but the ratio of water to rice used in cooking was also greater.

If you count carefully, the amount of rice you eat at each meal is actually less than before.

The rumor was very credible and no one doubted it, because the cafeteria of the Post and Telecommunications College had a tradition of helping in the kitchen, and every class would take turns to help in the cafeteria and do what they could.

The class that helped in the kitchen yesterday was the one that spread this message.

If even the chosen ones are like this, the situation in other units must not be much better.

"I understand, but others may not understand." Wan Xiangyang shook his head. He had heard a lot of gossip in the past two days. After all, his quota was "withheld", so it was inevitable that he would complain.

"Let's take it one step at a time." Tang Zhitong had no good solution for this matter.

"Chief Tang, please go inside and sit down. Look at you, you didn't even bother to ask Chief Tang to come in and sit down. It's so cold outside." After Shu Qing came home from get off work, she saw Wan Xiangyang and Tang Zhitong standing outside the door and complained to her man.

"Hey~ sister-in-law, it's me who wants to be outside. It has nothing to do with Brother Yang. You can just call me Anzi from now on. It's awkward to call me Weizi." When Tang Zhitong heard Shu Qing's voice, he turned sideways and made room for the door.

"Okay, then I'll call you by your nickname. Didn't you say you were going hunting today? Did you get anything?" Seeing that Tang Zhitong had no intention of going in, Shu Qing stood at the door and asked her man.

"Well, I shot a few turtledoves and magpies." Wan Xiangyang grinned at his wife, revealing a row of big white teeth.

"Then you have to bring a few eucalyptus, don't forget." Shu Qing reminded.

"Don't worry, everything is packed, you can go in quickly." Wan Xiangyang sent Shu Qing into the house and raised his chin complacently to Tang Zhitong.

Since Wan Xiangyang and his wife had already discussed it, Tang Zhitong didn't hesitate and took the four turtledoves with him when he left.

Before parting, Tang Zhitong emphasized again that Wan Xiangyang should come to him if he encountered any difficulties.

Wan Xiangyang handled it very carefully, wrapping each dove in newspaper and then putting them together in a net bag.

After arriving home, Tang Zhitong started to boil water, planning to eat it all in one go tonight.

Anyone who has shot a turtledove knows that this bird looks big, but it is not heavy at all. Its feathers weigh less than four taels. After removing the feathers and internal organs, it is good if there is one and a half taels left.

"Why don't you keep two? Send them to your mother-in-law tomorrow?" Zhang Guifang cooperated by taking the basin and basket.

"No, there's not much meat, let's stew it all. I'll go get more tomorrow." Tang Zhitong said while busy plucking the hair.

Wan Xiangyang was a very good marksman, and every shot hit the target in the head. All four doves were left with no heads.

If this hits the body, I'm afraid the flesh will be lost in half.

"You're telling the truth, as if you can hit it." Zhang Guifang muttered, not quite believing in her son's skills.

"Look at what you said. I'm not a good shooter. How can I kill a tiger?" Tang Zhitong brought up the old matter again.

The matter of beating the tiger could not be concealed from Zhang Guifang in the end. It was Tang Zhitong's fault. He was late in informing Ma Kejian, and the news was passed on to Zhang Guifang through Aunt Ma.

When Zhang Guifang found out about this, she complained a lot to Tang Zhitong. With such a "criminal record", Zhang Guifang was not very willing to let her son go far away, to avoid him doing anything naughty again and making her worry.

"How dare you say that?" Zhang Guifang glared at Tang Zhitong in dissatisfaction.

"Hehe." Tang Zhitong was not annoyed. He concentrated on dealing with the turtledove, cutting open its belly and soaking it in blood.

The turtledove is a great creature. Before it became a protected animal, many people would take slingshots and steel balls and go to the fields and woods to look for turtledoves during the slack season.

The steel balls have great kinetic energy, so any bird that is hit by them will basically not be able to escape.

Tang Zhitong saw others prepare it and tasted it himself, and found that it tasted better than pigeons.

There are many ways to cook it, such as frying, roasting, stir-frying, and stewing.

Due to limited conditions, Tang Zhitong chose to stew it, which was similar to the method used for pigeons, but the side dishes were different, today there was only cabbage.

Four turtledoves and a cabbage were stewed in a pot.

When Xiao Wang and Feng Zhen came back, the dish was not yet out of the pot.

Fengzhi volunteered to tell her sister-in-law and elder sister the menu: We're having turtledove today!

"Did you hit it?" Student Wang sniffed his nose and asked.

"Brother Yang took the taxi and gave me a few. I plan to try my luck tomorrow." Tang Zhitong gave Xiao Wang a reassuring smile.

"It's very cold, don't go through this." Classmate Xiao Wang understood what Tang Zhitong meant. It was nothing more than getting a portion for Chunshu Hutong. But she shook her head. It was okay to miss a meal of meat, but she felt bad that her man would get frozen.

"Hey, it's okay. I won't run far. If I can't catch them, I'll go back." Tang Zhitong grinned. There was no reluctance in his words, but he had full confidence. With a cheating device, how could he not catch a few little doves?

When the dish was almost done, Tang Zhitong lifted the lid of the pot, poured the turtledove entrails in the bowl into the pot, and covered it with cabbage.

In an era of material abundance, these internal organs would be thrown away or saved to feed cats and dogs. No one would eat them at all. But it is different now. Not a single bit of oil or water can be wasted.

The internal organs are quite delicate and will easily break into pieces if put into the pot right at the beginning.

Add it last and simmer on high heat for five minutes until it is cooked through and can maintain its intact shape. The downside is that it doesn’t absorb much flavor.

At least it's a piece of meat. No one cares whether it tastes good or not. At most you can just drink it with the soup.

In this meal, not to mention the internal organs, even the turtledove bones were not wasted. They were not thick and not that hard to begin with, so they could be swallowed after chewing hard. Tang Zhitong felt uncomfortable seeing this.

Of course, Tang Zhitong did not waste the bones and swallowed them as well. After all, the amount of meat was too small.
By December, the meat coupons had become two pieces, each with a face value of only 12 taels.

An egg weighs about 60 grams, and 1.5 liang is 75 grams. A piece of meat, which is not much heavier than an egg, is a person's half-month ration. How many people don't crave meat?
(End of this chapter)