Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 323 Leopard Skin Value Loudspeaker Visits

4:30, west entrance of Qingantun.

Xu Ning walked forward with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Wang Hu, carrying four guns, was behind him illuminating the way with a flashlight. In the middle was Li Fuqiang pulling a sled carrying a leopard carcass. Guan Lei, not caring about the dirtiness, was carrying a leopard skin on his back.

They had swept away the gloom of not seeing the leopard in the past few days, and walked on the road, grinning and laughing, but there was still no trace of the excitement they had when they caught the leopard in their words.

It is like this when doing anything. The process is always full of boredom, hardships and obstacles, but as long as the results can be harvested, no matter how hard or tiring the process is, it is nothing to the participants. Holding the fruit in their hands, they will definitely smile because their efforts and suffering have not been in vain!

Li Fuqiang handed the sled rope to Wang Hu, then he climbed over the fence and jumped into the yard. He turned around and walked to the gate, unbolted the bolt, and after opening the gate, Xu Ning, Wang Hu and Guan Lei walked into the yard. Li Fuqiang closed the gate again.

Inside the house, Yang Shuhua was startled awake by the creaking of the door. She had not slept well these days and would wake up easily at the slightest noise. She jumped up and knelt on the cold quilt, then opened the curtains and looked out.

At first she was a little nervous, but when she saw that it was Li Fuqiang, Xu Ning and the other three, her uneasy heart was completely calmed down. She let out a light breath and picked up her clothes to put them on.

She wore long underwear and long trousers when she went to bed. Most old ladies don't wear bras these days. Why? Because before 1980, there was no such thing as bras in China. Most people only wore bellybands or cloth wraps.

There are masks for sale in cities now, but not in Qing'an, so this thing has not yet become fully popular.

After Yang Shuhua put on her clothes, she hurried to the outer room in her slippers, pulled the light cord to turn on the light, walked to the door, pulled the wooden board out of the handle, and then pushed the door open.

Under the eaves, Li Fuqiang was about to lean over the west room window when he saw the light on in the outer room. He muttered, "Why isn't this woman asleep?"

The door was open, Yang Shuhua stepped aside and said, "Come in! Why are you back at this time... Oh my god, is that the leopard on Lei Zi's back?"

Guan Lei grinned: "This is leopard skin!"

Li Fuqiang and Wang Hu carried the leopard's front and back legs and walked into the outer room, saying, "Wife, the leopard is here! Take a look...it must weigh more than 100 kilograms, haha..."

Xu Ning stepped into the east room and turned around to say, "Brother, please be quiet. The child is sleeping. Come in and talk."

"Okay! Leizi, you go in first... Wife, you go to the kang and cover yourself with the quilt. We need to get some sleep."

Yang Shuhua stared at the skinless leopard and nodded: "Well, what killed it the other day? I see there are no bullet holes on its body."

Li Fuqiang said, "There was no sound at all! The old leopard got into the nylon net and was hung up. Lei Zi jumped on it and pinned it down. Then my brother strangled it to death with a rope! There is no external injury on its body. Look at its soft skin. The old leopard is fine now!"

Yang Shuhua touched the leopard skin and nodded: "Yeah, it's quite soft! The hair is so smooth, really fine..."

After Guan Lei threw the leopard skin on the countertop on the floor, he went to the outer room to get the kang table, and then placed the kang table on the floor of the east room. Only then did Li Fuqiang and Wang Hu put the leopard on the kang table.

"Wife, hurry up and get on the kang and cover yourself with a blanket. My brother has sprained his arm and it won't heal for a while."

Yang Shuhua paused, turned around and asked in surprise: "What? How did it happen? How could you let your brother get hurt when you followed him?"

Xu Ning said, "Sister-in-law, don't blame my brother. I just used too much strength and got stretched. It's really nothing. I will be fine in a few days... I just don't know how to tell my mother."

Yang Shuhua frowned and said, "You can't hide this even if you want to. I'll tell Auntie tomorrow. Go to Taiping to get some plasters from Lao Deng during the day. His plasters are very effective..."

Li Fuqiang waved his hand and said, "No need, Brother Huang will bring it over tomorrow."

Xu Ning said, "Sister-in-law, when Da Laba's family of three comes to visit during the day, I think we should treat them to several meals a day, which is a big favor. We should invite them to have a meal anyway."

"Oh! That's fine. My aunt was still complaining about it the other day. She was thinking of calling them over when she had time. She said that they were a very kind couple..."

Li Fuqiang said with a smile: "What else can I say? My aunt is also very open-minded!"

"That's right. Otherwise, how could they have cultivated someone as outstanding as me?" Xu Ning grinned.

"Hahaha……"

Everyone covered their mouths to hold back their laughter.

After laughing, Li Fuqiang turned around and went to the outer room to light a fire to heat the kang. Although the kang had been burned last night, Yang Shuhua didn't know that they would be back tonight, so she didn't burn too much.

Besides, even if the kang is heated to a very high temperature, it will become cold after a night of heat dissipation.

Wang Hu and Guan Lei were in the outer room, carrying a thermos and pouring two basins of water for washing feet. Xu Ning sat on the edge of the kang and kicked off his shoes and socks. Then he looked at Yang Shuhua who was covered in quilt and said, "Sister-in-law, when Jin Yu Mantang wakes up, you can take them to my house for dinner. It's a good opportunity to tell my mother."

"Okay, how long do you guys have to sleep? What if the loud speaker comes over? I'll come over and call you guys."

"I told him to come over around ten, and I guess we'll all be awake by then."

"Ah, okay."

After covering herself with the quilt, Yang Shuhua went to the outer room and urged Li Fuqiang to go into the room and soak his feet before going to bed. Xu Ning had already washed his feet. His arms could not make big movements, and he had difficulty taking off his cotton jacket.

So Guan Lei and Wang Hu helped him take off his cotton jacket and trousers, and he got into bed and closed his eyes. After only two or three minutes, he started snoring.

Xu Ning was really exhausted these days. Hunting is not only physically tiring, but also mentally exhausting. But fortunately, the result was very good and he got a complete leopard skin.

Based on the current purchase price in Qing'an, this leopard skin could be worth more than 5,000 yuan. If it were sent to the provincial capital and sold again, Xu Ning estimated that it could be sold for 500 to 600 yuan more...

Is this price expensive or cheap? Xu Ning thinks it is a bit cheap. Why? Because two years later, a complete leopard skin can be sold for less than 10,000 yuan if it is transported to the south! If it can be sent across the sea to Hong Kong, the value will increase several times!
Just like sunglasses, jeans, shirts and other clothing items in the south, after being shipped to the north, the price will increase several times. Sunglasses with a wholesale price of 1 yuan in the south can be sold for 2 yuan when shipped to the Northeast, and such people are called middlemen in the Northeast.

As for how to sell this leopard skin, Xu Ning has not figured it out yet. In his opinion, the higher the price, the better. Who doesn't want to earn more?

You know, Xu Ning was under a lot of pressure. Building a house and getting married was not the first thing he wanted to do. He also wanted to rent two yards. To rent a yard, he had to buy a car. How could he transport wood without a car? Everything cost money!
After Jin Yumantang woke up, he was dragged by Yang Shuhua to Old Xu's house. The two children only found out halfway there that their biological father and second uncle had returned. This was enough to show that the two children were very innocent and did not have so many ulterior motives in their minds.

Walking into the gate of Old Xu's house, Liu Lizhen was just getting some bean buns from the lower room. When she saw the mother and her two daughters coming, she was obviously stunned and asked in surprise, "They are back?"

Yang Shuhua walked in quickly and nodded: "Yeah, I just got home a little after five o'clock and I'm sleeping now."

Xu Laonian came out of the toilet and heard this. He asked, "Did they kill that old leopard?"

"Well, uncle, the skin has been peeled off and is spread out on the counter. I think the leopard skin is very good and feels very smooth."

Xu Laonian said happily: "How could it not be slippery? How did it die?"

"My four brothers were strangled to death."

"What are you doing?"

Hearing this, Xu Laonian, Liu Lizhen and Wang Shujuan all became upset.

"What? Were those four of them strangled to death? Oh my god, how can he be so awesome..." Xu Laonian sighed and shook his head.

It’s not that the father didn’t believe it, but he couldn’t accept it for the time being. People who know the matter know that strangling a leopard and strangling a roe deer are two different animals.

Liu Lizhen asked, "Are they injured?"

"No, my arm was stretched when I was pulling the rope."

Xu Laonian asked: "Whose arm is stretched?"

"My brother……"

"It's what he deserves!" Xu Laonian gritted his teeth and said, "It's what he deserves! This guy is so arrogant that he didn't even need to fire a gun to kill a leopard. He just used a rope to kill it." Liu Lizhen gritted her teeth and said, "It's what he deserves! He's already showing off after a few days of good life. Why didn't he use the gun? Fortunately, the leopard didn't bite him. What would we do if it bit us?!"

Wang Shujuan advised: "Mom, Erning and the others are back, nothing happened, don't worry."

"I won't get angry. I'm making money. He's a hero. I'll treat him well when he comes back..."

When Xu Laonian heard this, he felt that his wife had hit the nail on the head, and continued, "That's not good. If we don't serve them well, how can they support us in the future?"

Liu Lizhen turned her head and said, "You didn't want Dalong to support you? Why did you change your mind now?"

"Oh, I'm not afraid to let him support me..."

Xu Laonian pouted and went into the east room. Liu Lizhen said, "Juan'er, go to the lower room and get some more bean buns."

"Eh!"

Yang Shuhua casually put some firewood into the stove and said, "Aunt, Da Laba's family is coming to visit us this afternoon."

"Oh, that's perfect. Let's chop up the bear meat, make some dumplings, and steam some rice..."

Xu Laonian held a cigarette in his mouth, lifted the door curtain and said, "There are those old pheasant jumping cats hanging in the lower room. Clean them up quickly. If you put them up later, it will be spring."

"I know. Hurry up and call Xu Feng. Jin Yu is here. Why is she so lazy?"

Xu Laonian said, "Well, I finally have a day off, what's wrong with sleeping in?"

"Are you going to shout or not?"

Hearing Liu Lizhen's stiff tone, Xu Laonian turned around and went into the house. Then Xu Feng's voice came: "Mom! I'm getting dressed..."

As long as Xu Laonian has nothing to do with Xu Ning, he rarely does stupid things. He is a relatively open-minded person and is quick to accept new things. However, he has a love-hate feeling towards Xu Ning.

After the Xu family finished their breakfast, the two brothers went to work at the forest farm, while Xu Feng and others called Wang Biao and Liu Tianen to go find Jiang Qiuer and Huang Xiaomei to jump rope.

In the outer room, Liu Lizhen and a group of old ladies were chopping dumpling fillings and preparing ingredients for lunch.

It was not until after ten o'clock that Xu Ning naturally opened his eyes and kicked Wang Hu next to him with his feet.

"Huzi, go outside and take a look. I think I heard Brother Huang's voice."

"Ah? Ah! Okay."

Wang Hu stood up, perhaps because he stood up too quickly, his head felt dizzy for a moment, and it took him two or three seconds to recover. He quickly put on his cotton jacket and trousers, and without even having time to button them, he ran out of the house in his cotton shoes.

At this time, Li Fuqiang and Guan Lei also woke up. They hurriedly put on their clothes and asked, "Brother, did you hear the noise?"

“I think I heard it…”

Wang Hu ran to the gate and looked around, but didn't see the loudspeaker at all, so he walked into the house: "Second brother, I didn't see him!"

"Ah, maybe I heard it wrong. Well, hurry up and get a basin of water to wash your face. It's already past ten o'clock."

"Okay, second brother, I'll help you put on your clothes?"

Guan Lei waved his hand and said with a smile: "No, it's just something I can do easily."

Xu Ning's prediction was correct. After sleeping, his arms hurt even more. It hurt every time he moved. Even though Guan Lei was very careful when dressing him, he still grimaced in pain.

He slipped on his shoes and said, "Brother, find a sack to put the leopard in..."

"I found it! Should we pack up the leopard skin as well?"

"Pretend! It's not good to let others see you."

Although the news that Xu Ning and his three companions hunted a leopard at the old Fang family in Taiping would spread throughout Qing'an in a short time, Xu Ning did not want his relatives in the village to take a look at the leopard skin. This matter was complicated, and the most important thing was that he was afraid of others becoming jealous.

After Li Fuqiang, Wang Hu and Guan Lei put the leopard and its skin into sacks, they rubbed their faces, then carried their guns and cloth bags and went out pulling the sled.

The four of them had just turned around and walked a few steps when they heard the sound of a loud speaker behind them.

Turning around, I saw Da Laba, Zhang Guifang and Huang Lin walking towards me quickly. They were carrying two cloth bags, two fish and two cans of food...

"Oh my god, I said it was just right!"

Zhang Guifang said with a smile: "Brother, you just got up?"

"Yeah, I just woke up..."

After the few people met, they walked towards Old Xu's house while chatting.

Xu Ning saw what he and Zhang Guifang were carrying, but did not say anything polite, because one has to take things when entering someone's home for the first time. For example, when Li Fuqiang's family entered Old Xu's home for the first time, even if Li Fuqiang had no money in his pocket and went to the store on credit, he had to buy two cans of food, otherwise it would not be the right thing to do.

This is the most basic social etiquette.

Walk to the door of Lao Xu’s house.

Xu Ning entered the courtyard and called out, "Mom! My brother Huang and sister-in-law are here!"

Liu Lizhen and others who were making dumplings in the outer room turned around when they heard the words. After seeing Da Laba, Zhang Guifang and Huang Lin walking into the courtyard, they put down their work and ran towards the courtyard.

Dahuang, Qinglang and other dogs only barked twice before being glared at and scolded by Xu Ning.

Then, Xu Ning introduced them to each other. Although Da Laba had been here before, it was not very formal, so he introduced them again today and decided on the titles and seniority.

Zhang Guifang smiled and said, "Aunt, we didn't prepare anything when we came here, so we just took some sticky bean curd and eggs from home."

"Oh my god, Guifang! My family really likes the sticky rice dumplings you make. They are really delicious when they are fried in a big pot! Come in quickly... It feels like home here."

"OK."

Everyone entered the house. Without Liu Lizhen's instructions, Wang Shujuan went to make tea. Xu Ning walked around the house and asked, "Why haven't Biao and Tian'en come back yet?"

Wang Shujuan said, "They were skipping rubber ropes in Tunbu Hutong."

"These two little idiots are just playing tricks..."

Xu Ning came into the room and greeted Huang Lin, "Huang'er, do you know where Wang Biao is playing? If you want to know, go find them to play. It's not fun to stay in this room."

Huang Lin stood up: "I know, then I'll go find them?"

"Go ahead, play until dinner time and come back."

"Eh!"

(End of this chapter)