Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 417: The Origin of the Old Man's Golden Claw
In the outer room, Liu Lizhen held her waist and gritted her teeth as she listened to Xu Laonian's boasting. She pointed at the door curtain angrily and said to Han Fengjiao beside her: "Look! He's showing off again! He's getting more useless as he gets older!"

Han Fengjiao smiled and said, "Er Ning made him proud, sister-in-law, my elder brother is also proud of himself."

Wu Qiuxia pursed her lips and smiled: "Not bad, sister, I've been married to Qing'an for so many years, but this is the first time I've heard my brother-in-law praise Erning in front of so many old people."

Liu Lizhen felt a little uneasy when she heard her sister say this, and she understood a lot about Xu Laonian's arrogance.

Inside the house, Xu Laonian waved his big hand and said, "What is a golden claw? Let's say I hit this hunting handle, what do you think? Is it hard?"

Old Li, Xiao Liu, Da Zhuang and the others all nodded in agreement. Xu Laonian smiled with a red face, "Hard, right? I can do whatever I want in the mountains! Yesterday his mother said there was no pork at home, so he went into the mountains today and brought back six wild boars! His mother said there was no vegetables at home, so he went into the mountains and brought them back... Old man, what vegetables did you get today?"

Xu Ning looked at his father with a stiff smile. He was a little uncomfortable with Xu Laonian praising himself in public. Before he could react, Li Fuqiang smiled and said, "Uncle, I got a sack of mountain celery, two bags of prickly ash and Acanthopanax senticosus, and half a basket of garlic cloves and basil leaves from the mountains today."

"Listen! If we say wild vegetables, then we should use wild vegetables. If this isn't the golden claw, then what is it? Besides, my name is also very powerful. There is a golden spear general Xu Ning in Water Margin. My name also plays with a spear. One is a cold weapon, and the other is a firearm..."

I don't know whether Xu Laonian was really drunk or just taking advantage of the situation, but he praised Xu Ning to the skies, making Xu Ning feel a little embarrassed. After saying hello to the two rooms, he went to the outer room.

Listening to the people in the room agreeing one after another, saying that Xu Laonian had these two sons and should wait to enjoy the good life! After hearing this, Xu Laonian grinned at the wine table, and was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth.

Liu Lizhen saw Xu Ning's blushing face and said with a smile: "My dear, your father praised you a few words, why are you blushing?"

Xu Ning rubbed his face and said, "I'm a little uncomfortable. I'm so embarrassed!"

“Hahahaha…” the old women in the outer room laughed heartily.

Liu Lizhen patted his shoulder and said, "You guys go eat quickly, the food is ready."

"Eh."

Afterwards, several people walked towards the east wing, and Li Fuqiang said with a smile: "Brother, my uncle is very happy today."

Xu Ning knew Xu Laonian very well and said, "He will regret it tomorrow morning when he wakes up. Just wait and see if you don't believe me."

At this time, Xu Feng, Wang Biao, Liu Tianen and others climbed over the wall and said, "Second brother! Wait for a moment, I have something to ask..."

Xu Ning stood at the door of the east wing, turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

Several children looked at each other, and finally Wang Biao spoke up, "Second brother, this is what happened. Didn't Li Xiaopang trample on my brother Yinhe last time? We blocked Li Xiaopang in the alley a few days ago, but we didn't fight with him. We just scared him into taking off his clothes and throwing them on the ground. Then we trampled on him hard and scared Li Xiaopang to tears. Today, when my uncle and the others were working, we happened to be playing at Brother Qiang's house and saw our class teacher..."

Xu Ning walked into the house while listening. Wang Biao chattered about what happened. When their head teacher came in from the west entrance of the village on a bicycle, he was stopped by Wang Biao and others. Then they persuaded the head teacher away with a lot of persuasion. But the head teacher meant for the parents to go to the school because Li Xiaopang's father would not give in. He went to the school again yesterday, Saturday, and insisted that the school give an explanation.

It wasn't a big deal, the class teacher and the principal didn't think of intervening. After all, Fatty Li was one of the naughty kids in school. Besides, they didn't fight, so it wasn't necessary to call the parents of both sides. Besides, who would call the parents to school these days? Unless there was a fight, the school would handle it fairly, such as making the students sweep the floor or clean up the toilet...

After entering the room, Xu Ning sat down and asked Sun Liansheng and others to start eating. After listening, he frowned and asked, "Did your teacher say anything?"

"Nothing was said! It's not a big deal. My class teacher didn't want to intervene, but Fatty Li's father was not happy and insisted on going to school to make a scene, saying that his son's new clothes were stained..."

Liu Tianen said: "I saw that his tattered clothes have four or five patches on them. What new clothes? He just wants to blackmail me."

Xu Ning looked up at the people in the room and asked, "Where's Yinhe?"

Wang Biao said: "He went to the north end to look at something..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Yinhe entered the courtyard, saw someone in the east wing, and walked in and said, "Second brother! Did Biao tell you?"

"I told you, nothing's wrong. You guys go to school as usual tomorrow. I'll go to school around eight o'clock."

"Okay, I didn't tell my parents about this."

"It's up to you whether you want to tell me or not. Who came up with this stupid idea? Why step on other people's clothes?" Xu Ning asked.

Wang Biao grinned, "Second brother, I learned this from you. There's a saying, give others what you would like them to give you!"

Liu Tianen said: "He is always mean!"

Xu Feng raised his hand to stop her, "Don't you dare say that my second brother is mean!"

“Hahahaha…” Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Xu Ning almost choked while chewing his food, and waved his hand, "Who put it at the north end?"

"Now Huang Lin is the only one left, so should I go back?"

Xu Ning instructed, "All of you go over there and light the stove. My uncle will be over soon. Come back when he's done."

"Okay! Brother Sheng, Sister Fang, take your time eating."

Sun Lianfang said: "Feng'er! Are you going to jump rubber band later?"

"Okay……"

Guan Lei said: "Why are you so energetic? Aren't you tired after running all day?"

"Why are you so tired? This is just the beginning. Sometimes I run sixty or seventy miles a day..."

Then, the four boys went to the north end to find Huang Lin, while the two girls sat on the edge of the kang waiting for Sun Lianfang. After she finished her meal, the three of them climbed over the wall with rubber bands and went to the next room. It must be said that Sun Lianfang is still young and is still full of energy after running for a day. In fact, Guan Lei, Xu Ning and Wang Hu were fine, but Sun Liansheng and Li Fuqiang looked a little tired.

It was past seven o'clock. The table in the west room had been cleared. Xu Long, Da Laba and others were drinking tea to digest their food. Li Feng said, "There's a letter from Nantun saying that there are two roe deer for sale, but we have to go over to get them."

Dababa said, "Then you can go pick it up tomorrow. We won't sell it when we're done. Just send it directly to my uncle."

Xu Long waved his hand and said, "Brother Huang, you guys should sell it now. We don't lack meat at home. Er Ning just brought back six pigs. If we don't eat them quickly, they will go bad in a few days!"

Fresh meat is difficult to preserve, but it can be stored in a cellar for at least three or four days. If it is marinated with salt, it can be stored for even longer. That’s what Xu Long said.

At this time, Xu Ning lifted the door curtain and came into the house, saying with a smile: "Brother, you should just do your work and don't delay making money. There are many people helping at home now, so come over after you finish your work."

Loudspeaker waved his hand and said, "How can that work? I don't need these two days to make more money."

Xu Ning advised, "Can't you two share the money you earn with my uncle and Uncle Jiang? Brother, you can't just think about yourself. My brother Feng's two children are also waiting for money." Li Feng lowered his head and said nothing. Just as Xu Ning said, he was indeed short of money these days, because his wife didn't have much milk, and he could only feed her rice porridge usually. But Li Feng was a father, and he felt uncomfortable watching the child eating rice porridge, so he bought two cans of malted milk and two boxes of calcium milk biscuits. Li Tong also needed money for schooling, and the burden of the family fell on him.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have two roe deer for sale in Tinantun today. What Da Laba meant was that the four of them spent money to buy the roe deer and directly threw them to Lao Xu's family to entertain guests. Not only would they not make any money, they would also lose money.

Liu Daming and Dalabao have enough money to go with them, but how much money do Lao Jiang and Li Feng have?
Loudspeaker looked at Xu Ning and nodded slowly: "That's true, all right! Li Feng and I will go get the meat tomorrow."

Li Feng suddenly raised his head and said, "Brother Huang, we must leave some for uncle and aunt to entertain the guests. I have become fat because of the delicious food uncle and aunt have treated me to these days."

"Haha, of course!" Daba was very happy to hear what Li Feng said, which showed that Li Feng was not the kind of person who would repay kindness with enmity or who did not know how to be grateful.

"Brother, are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Well, it's been delayed for several days. Let's go early and come back early. Don't let them wait anxiously."

At around 7:30, Da Laba, Li Feng, Li Baoquan and others went back home. Xu Laonian in the east room had calmed down. The colleagues from the forest farm also went out together and got on two old Liberation trucks and left.

The old women were busy washing dishes in the outer room. Liu Lizhen looked at Xu Laonian who was sleeping soundly on the end of the kang and shook her head and sighed. Xu Laonian was very proud today and drank until he was intoxicated. He really drank to a climax.

When Xu Ning was seeing off the brothers, uncles and grandpas in the forest farm, they all gave Xu Ning the thumbs up, praising him for his ability and calling him by his nickname, Xu Er - the Golden Claw!
When Xu Ning heard this nickname, he almost hit his head on the door frame. His painstakingly cultivated Xiao Xu Pao was forgotten by everyone, and the golden claws occupied the high ground. In a few days, this nickname will spread throughout Qing'an, and then Xu Ning's lifelong reputation will be ruined by Xu Laonian's mouth!

When only his family was left in the house, Xu Ning pouted with obvious unhappiness, put his arm around his mother's shoulders and said, "When did my dad give me this nickname? Why is it still the Golden Claw Xu Er? Oh, I finally managed to change the opinions of the villagers, and this... what do you think? Oh, this is really annoying!"

Liu Lizhen said with a smile: "What's wrong with the golden claws? I think it's pretty good. Besides, you are the golden claws, and I can get whatever I want from the mountains."

"Come on, Mom, why are you... you didn't give me the golden claws, did you?"

Liu Lizhen pursed her lips and said nothing. Xu Ning's heart skipped a beat when he saw her expression. He clapped his hands and said, "Oh my god! Xiao Xu Pao is so nice. You said you had to give me this nickname. What the hell is this!"

Liu Lizhen curled her lips and said, "What's the big deal? Isn't this good enough? Besides, Xiao Xu Pao's name is too famous, so Golden Claws is better..."

"You two really ruined me."

At this time, Xu Laonian's dream talk could be heard in the house: "Zhen! The rooster will be slaughtered tomorrow. I want to gnaw on the chicken claws to make some money!"

"Oh my god..." Xu Ning covered his forehead and walked into the west room.

The old women in the outer room looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

No wonder Xu Laonian could suddenly come up with such a nickname. The old couple must have been chatting in bed. After Liu Lizhen said it inadvertently, Xu Laonian remembered it. When Xu Ning entered the west room, Xu Long leaned on the kang and piano cabinet to smoke, and said with a smile: "Golden Claws sounds pretty good."

"Get lost!" Xu Ning said with his eyes squinting, "Has your file been transferred to the city?"

"Well, I just completed the procedures two days ago. I am now a driver assigned to the Forestry Bureau by the Municipal Court's driver class."

"When will the houses be divided?"

Xu Long frowned and said, "I guess we have to wait until next spring. This year's allocation is full. The top leader talked to Uncle San privately about this."

"Didn't you say before that we'll get a house once the files are transferred over? Didn't Third Uncle's words work?"

Xu Long sat up and shook his head: "It's not that it didn't work. Now that Third Uncle and Sun Jishan have teamed up, the top leader has a sense of crisis..."

"Ah, now I understand. If I were to ask you, this boss's heart is only as big as the tip of a finger. You are just a small shrimp, so why would you bother Uncle San with the matter of allocating a house to you?"

"Who says it isn't?"

"You should go back to the house quickly. It's time for Jun and I to go to bed."

Xu Long said shyly, "I'll stay a little longer."

"Let's go! My sister-in-law has already prepared the water for washing feet, it will be cold soon."

"Oh! I've been doing this all day..." Xu Long gritted his teeth and put out the cigarette butt, then rushed into the east wing with a breath of anger.

After Wang Yuanjun came back from the east wing, he said with a smile, "Why does my brother-in-law look so pale?"

"I just drank a little and got confused."

Wang Yuanjun was clear in his mind and laughed: "Hahaha..."

After laughing, he changed the subject and asked, "Hey, Erning, you are very knowledgeable. Let me ask you something?"

"You say, Jun brother."

Wang Yuanjun organized his words and said, "This is what happened. The logistics department of the Municipal Grain Bureau is now recruiting warehouse managers. Do you know what a warehouse manager does?"

"Warehouse manager? My uncle said he would give you a job in the whole city? That's fine! A warehouse manager is a warehouse manager, who is mainly responsible for the goods in the warehouse. All incoming and outgoing goods need to be recorded, and the other thing is security..."

"Ah! But a warehouse manager only makes 43 yuan a month."

Xu Ning said: "You can't think like that. You have to take a long-term view. You can see what the grain station looks like now. In the past, the grain station was indeed a good job, but it didn't have a good reputation. Since it stopped accepting grain, has the reputation of the grain station improved?

But if the grain station does not collect grain, then there is no point in its existence. It is only a matter of time before it is abolished. Besides, now that the country has opened up the personal economy, individuals will be able to open grain and oil stores and sell grain cheaper than at the grain station. How can the grain station survive then?

The city's grain bureau is different, it is a state-run unit and has a different nature from the grain station..."

Wang Yuanjun nodded and said, "I understand. I'll tell my dad tomorrow and ask him to do his best. I was thinking that it's too far to go to the city, and I'm a little worried about my parents being alone at home. When I came back from the army this time, I saw that their hair was all white, and I started to think...

My sister is right to call me an ungrateful person. I didn’t want to bother with it, but after talking to her just now, she didn’t agree or object, she just told me to come over and ask you.”

Xu Ning laughed and said, "What do you mean by ungrateful or wicked? Jun, what do you think I look like? Haha... This is about your future, so my sister-in-law must not interfere. Besides, my brother has settled down in the city. If you settle down there, you can bring my uncle and aunt to the city. The medical conditions in the city are so good, a hundred times better than this broken mountain valley!"

"That's right! There's nothing wrong with that."

(End of this chapter)