Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 526: Ma Liu almost got angry and couldn't let the child down
Xu Ning turned around and walked into the house with his head down. He stood in front of the doghouse, frowned and thought: Although with the help of Li Tielin, Lao Wei and Yu Kaihe, the Lengchang has recruited nearly 80 people, these people are not enough to be dispersed among the three Lengchangs, because Xu Ning, Hu Zhibin and Yong jointly set up the Lengchang, and he is also responsible for recruiting workers. Even if Hu Zhiyong can find a few workers, there are not many. According to the configuration of 40 long-term workers in each Lengchang, there is still a gap of 40 people.

He suddenly thought of the night watchman that Lao Deng introduced to him some time ago. Originally, Xu Ning wanted to go and take a look with Hu Zhibin when they were free, and recruit him to No. 25-2 Lengchang if he was suitable. However, he was delayed by various things, so he decided to go and take a look in the afternoon and quickly reserve the person to avoid being caught off guard at the last minute.

Inside the house, Zhang Jinbao and Xu Long were chatting. Xu Ning had told them about the Xishan Street incident when he came back last night. The two were deciding when to go to the city. When Xu Ning came in, they had finished their discussion.

"Erning, Dalong and I are leaving the day after tomorrow. Is there any good place in Xishan Street?"

Xu Ning first asked Wang Hu to put the cloth bag and wine pot on the donkey cart, then turned around and said, "Brother Bao, good places are more expensive, but we can't be afraid of high prices when doing business. You should look for houses near the main road. The houses have spacious backyards. I didn't get off the car to take a look yesterday, but that place is newly developed, so there must be discounts!"

Xu Long said, "Grandpa Sun knows the person in charge of Xishan Street, right? Will it help if I mention him?"

"It will definitely work. Don't go empty-handed. Bring something with you. Treat them to a meal at noon or something."

"I know. I'll let Xiao He and Xiao Du accompany you then..."

Xu Ning nodded: "Okay, you two can study it. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he turned and went to the outer room. He saw Liu Lizhen pouring leftovers into the dog bowl. He put his arm around his mother's shoulders and said, "Mom, we may not be back by noon."

Liu Lizhen said casually: "If you don't want to come back, forget it. Have a good chat with your uncle Ma and don't let him live alone in Dongshan."

"Well, I'll try my best to persuade him this time!"

Immediately, Li Fuqiang, Guan Lei, Wang Hu, and Xu Ning carried three guns and went out of the house. Then Li Fuqiang rode on a donkey and pulled the three of them towards Dongshan.

The donkey was parked at the side of the mountain. The things inside were taken out first, and then the donkey was pushed into the haystack and covered with branches. There were not many people walking around here, so it could not be seen at all without careful observation.

They carried guns on their backs and held tobacco leaves, a pot of wine, clothes, eggs, rice, flour, oil and other things in their hands, and walked towards the cellar on the east mountain.

Previously, Xu Ning had removed the roe deer and rabbit traps at the foot of Dongshan Mountain. It was not because there were fewer small animals in Dongshan Mountain, but because the traps needed maintenance.

This was the rainy season, and the wire sleeves would easily rust and rot if exposed to rain for a long time, so Liu Daming took them home, soaked them in oil, and waited until autumn to continue making the sleeves.

The shady side of Dongshan Mountain is almost impenetrable, because trees grow upwards and need sunlight, so the trees in the ravines and shady sides are taller. If they don’t grow upwards, they can’t survive…

There were still many wild vegetables on the ground, including a patch of monkey leg vegetables and some elm yellow mushrooms growing on a fallen tree. However, the elm yellow mushrooms were only the size of a fingertip and needed to wait three or four days before they could be eaten. The four of them did not waste any time and walked straight to Ma Liu's cellar.

"Uncle!" Not seeing anyone, Xu Ning shouted in a loud voice.

Ma Liu was sitting in front of the stove outside, holding a wooden stick in his hand with skinned greyhounds skewered on the branches, apparently roasting them.

He heard the noise and quickly turned around and said, "Hey!"

At the same time, he stood up and looked towards the source of the sound. When he saw Xu Ning, he grinned and said, "You are finally here. I told you that the honey was down and asked you to take some home for your parents to drink. But you didn't say anything for such a long time!"

Although he was complaining, his tone was gentle, and one could hear his anticipation for Xu Ning's arrival.

"Hey, uncle, please stop talking about it. I've been thinking about this before. Isn't this just a problem?"

"What's the matter?" Ma Liu asked with concern.

"I'll tell you later. These are cigarettes and alcohol for you. My mother brought you some eggs, rice, flour, oil, etc. This is the autumn clothes and leather shoes I bought for you. My wife made a set of clothes for you. Try them on to see if they fit you. If not, I'll ask her to make some alterations."

Xu Ning pointed at the bags in the hands of several people and was about to put them on the ground. Ma Liu was more and more surprised as he listened, but after seeing their actions, he hurriedly stopped them and said, "Hey! Don't put it on the ground, it's dirty! Put it on the table."

They put all the things on the table, which was not big to begin with, and it was almost full. Ma Liu looked at the leather shoes and said, "Why did you buy me leather shoes?"

"Don't you have to go to my wedding? Besides, these are new clothes, so don't you have to go with new shoes?"

Ma Liu said woodenly, "Ah, all of you sit down. I'm still roasting the greyhound."

"Huzi, go watch the fire and let me try on the clothes."

Ma Liu stood there a little bit at a loss. If he had just bought him some cigarettes, alcohol, seasonings and the like, that would have been fine. But now he was buying him clothes and leather shoes too. How much would that cost?

They really get along well with each other. In less than a year, they have developed a deep relationship. But it's not right to do this! How can a man who is almost 70 years old do this?

But Ma Liu felt a warm heat flowing in his heart, throughout his body, and he felt comfortable.

He was touched, extremely touched, but Ma Liu didn't know how to express it.

"Hey, uncle, what are you thinking about? Go inside and change! My leather shoes are size 39, they should fit..."

Xu Ning picked up his leather shoes and clothes bag, pushed Ma Liu with one hand, and pushed him into the cellar.

Ma Liu nodded and whispered, "I'll change, change, change..."

"Well, let me see if it fits after you change it. Oh, why is this room so damp!"

Xu Ning put his things on the kang, raised his hand and pinched the quilt, saying: "This quilt is wet! Uncle, do you sleep like this?"

"Go out quickly, we'll talk later." Ma Liu didn't explain, he just pushed him out of the house.

Xu Ning turned around helplessly, sat on the wooden stool outside, and started chatting with Li Fuqiang and the other two.

In fact, it is normal for the cellar to be damp. The rain has increased, the cellar is not waterproof, and the weather is hot. We dare not heat the kang too much, so the bedding will definitely be damp!
Ma Liu sat on the kang and looked at the new clothes and leather shoes. He got up to wash his hands first, then came back to pick up the clothes. He glanced at the autumn clothes and the coat made by Meng Ziyan. He smiled from the bottom of his heart, then glanced at the cupboard, and lowered his head to undress...

After he put on new socks, leather shoes, long underwear, and a coat, he looked down and muttered, "This kid is quite good at shopping, and my daughter-in-law's craftsmanship is not bad either..."

He smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes and walked out the door.

Xu Ning turned around and saw him, then smiled and said, "Oh, you look so energetic!"

Li Fuqiang laughed and said, "Not really. He doesn't look like a man in his 60s at all."

Ma Liu laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Hahaha, what a joke! It fits me well, really nice..."

"Are the sleeves long?" Xu Ning stood up and came over to ask.

"It's not long, everything is fine, and the shoes fit. Then I'll go back and change them. I'll fix the dirty clothes later."

"Okay, the remaining suit is thicker, I'll ask Yan to sew a few more pockets for you."

Ma Liu waved his hand and said, "Just one set will do."

"Oh, it's almost done. You should change it quickly. It's quite hot today." Ma Liu turned and went into the cellar without saying anything. Li Fuqiang stood up and pointed at the trees that blocked the sunlight and said, "Brother, if it doesn't work, just knock down those trees. This way, we can get some sunlight and wind in. It won't be so stuffy like it is now."

"Let's not do it blindly. We need to ask the master, otherwise the bee nest will be destroyed."

After a while, Ma Liu came out in thin clothes and said, "It's okay to leave those trees alone, but I'm afraid they will hit the beehives. Erning, the beehives you planted are all very good. Plant more next year."

"Okay, how's the honey production?"

"It's much better than last year. This year, there are more linden flowers in bloom, and the bee colonies are quite active..."

Li Fuqiang, Guan Lei and Wang Hu stood up and said, "Then let's go and put the tree down first."

"Why are you in such a hurry? Sit down and chat for a while. How about we eat it here at noon? I still have two pieces of roe deer meat left. Can we stew it and drink some wine at noon?"

"Okay! I can drink now."

Ma Liu laughed and said, "You have to drink sooner or later, it's better if you can drink!"

He was not particularly surprised that Xu Ning picked up drinking again. He just felt it was common. If he thought about it carefully, he could understand that Xu Ning was only in his twenties. There were no entertainment activities these days, so he must love one of smoking and drinking, otherwise what was the meaning of living.

"Uncle, did you know that Li San was pushed away by a wild boar weighing more than 700 kilograms a few days ago?"

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Ma Liu was stunned when he heard this, then he clapped his legs and laughed: "Oh my god, when did this happen? Tell me in detail."

"That's what happened..."

Ma Liu clapped his hands while listening, and cursed Li San, saying that he deserved it, and asked why the big pig didn't push him to death.

The grudge between him and Li San was not that big, but Ma Liu only looked down on idiots who stole things and dared not admit it. He beat Li San last time to vent his anger, but now he heard that Li San's ancestral grave was dug up by a wild boar and he was paralyzed, he felt even more relieved.

"It would be best if he was pushed to death. Now that he is paralyzed, his little son must be suffering."

"Yeah, that's what everyone in our village says. Li San is not welcomed in our village."

At this time, Li Fuqiang stood up and said, "Uncle, you can talk to my brothers, the three of us will go cut down the trees."

"Be careful, don't smash my beehive." Ma Liu was not so gentle when speaking to the three of them, and seemed a little unkind.

"Do not worry."

Xu Ning said with a smile: "I went to Sandaohe to hunt black bears before, and it was that night that I broke my vow and drank alcohol."

"Sandaohe, what's going on? Why are you going into the mountains to hunt black bears at night? How can you see in the dark?"

"Yes! My eyesight is very good. At that time..."

While the two were chatting, Li Fuqiang and his two companions had already cut down two trees. Guan Lei used an axe to clear the branches, while Wang Hu and Li Fuqiang went to cut down the old elm tree next to them.

Xu Ning glanced at it and continued, "It is indeed dangerous. The river is flooded. If I hadn't had some experience, we would have been washed away by the flood."

"You have a pretty good brain. Next time you go into the mountains at night, you'd better mark the way. Even if we know the way, we still have to be careful of the Madar Mountains."

"clear."

Ma Liu stood up and said, "You sit down first, I'll go get the meat."

"Where is the water? Don't you have to wash the pot?"

"Oh, there's no water in the tap. Wait a minute, I'll go get some water."

"Come on, let me fetch some water. Where do you get it from?"

Ma Liu didn't argue with him. He pointed to the southeast and said, "There is a small puddle about a mile away. I built a pond in the puddle..."

"This is too inconvenient, uncle, you really have to come down the mountain with me. I'll talk to you when I come back."

After saying that, Xu Ning carried a shoulder pole and two water poles and went to a small puddle about a mile away.

Ma Liu looked at his back, smiled, and shook his head slightly. His expression seemed to show some unspeakable hardship. In fact, he didn't have any hardship, he was just afraid of being a burden to Xu Ning, and he was not good at dealing with people and hated dealing with interpersonal relationships.

Although he gained some family affection from Xu Ning, he was still a little reluctant to go down the mountain, especially to deal with the villagers at the foot of the mountain.

When Xu Ning came back with the water, Li Fuqiang, Wang Hu and Guan Lei had already finished felling the trees and were gathering the branches and trunks. Ma Liu was cleaning the big pot. In the aluminum basin were two pieces of roe deer meat, one was a roe deer steak and the other was a roe deer leg, with some mushrooms and vegetables grown by Ma Liu himself next to them.

Xu Ning went into the house and took out Ma Liu's bedding, hanging it on a tree branch to dry. Turning back, he saw Ma Liu pouring wine into the pot and said, "Master, you have to come with me to the cold field this winter. I'll build you a small hut. It will definitely be warmer than the cellar. Is that okay?"

Ma Liu didn't turn his head, but responded: "Okay!"

"Okay? Oh my god, I want to have a little argument with you. How about you come down from the mountain before I get married?"

"That won't work. I have to serve Feng at that time, otherwise they will all die in the spring of next year. I will go down the mountain on the day of your wedding. That's it."

Seeing his blunt words, Xu Ning had no choice but to nod: "That's fine. There will be a lot of people there at that time. If you find it too noisy, you can go to my eldest brother's house."

"No, you have to adapt sooner or later. Besides, can I hide from you when you get married?"

"That's right..."

At noon, Xu Ning accompanied Ma Liu to drink two glasses of wine, Wang Hu and Guan Lei also drank a glass, and Ma Liu drank about 8 taels by himself. The dishes were scrambled eggs with cucumbers, some pickled vegetables, roe deer ribs, and roe deer leg meat torn into strips and dipped in garlic sauce.

While drinking, Xu Ning could clearly feel that Ma Liu was in high spirits. His eyes were slightly red. Although he did not say anything from his heart to Xu Ning, it could be seen from his eyes that he was very happy today.

At around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Ning and others left the cellar. Before leaving, Ma Liu gave him four aluminum lunch boxes of beeswax and six cans of honey, and asked Xu Ning to take his new clothes home. It was not that he did not want to wear them, but there were many mosquitoes and rats in the mountains, and it was humid. The new clothes would easily be damaged by insects and become moldy if placed in the cellar.

When Xu Ning is about to get married, he or Li Fuqiang or someone else who is free can bring them over, and they can also wear clean clothes without any odor.

They went down to the edge of the mountain in the east, found the donkey hidden in the haystack, and rode it directly to Mangliutun.

As mentioned before, this Mangliutun was the former Shengxing Village. After the villagers were dispersed to 12 family villages, Shengxing Village became deserted and became a gathering place for hooligans.

The houses in Mangliu Village are all dilapidated. They have no land, so they grow vegetables in their own backyards. After the autumn harvest, they will go to the fields of Qing'an, Taiping and other villages to pick up grains. Their lives are really poor. Some families didn't even have clothes to get through the winter. Fathers and sons or brothers and sisters shared the same clothes and shoes, and the quilts in their homes were stuffed with wild cotton.

(End of this chapter)