My 1995 Small Farm

   Chapter 142

   Today is the weekend, and these little boys can finally let go of playing.

  Eating two bites of food in the morning, I wandered around the village, and I didn’t walk very well. I either beat the grass along the road with a stick, or kicked stones while walking.

   also read a few jingles from time to time.

   I don't know which idler in the village had nothing to do with the arrangement, and said it to these leather monkeys.

  Chen Ling followed it silently twice, and it was quite smooth.

   Afterwards, he didn't meet the little boys, and went home with two dogs from the threshing floor.

   When he got home, he put down the cabbage, added grass to the rabbit, and went to Wang Laishun's house to tell him about the traces of the wild boar in the corn field.

   It is not a small problem to find that there are wild boars in the corn field. After listening to it, Wang Laishun immediately became cautious.

   He was just wandering in the field yesterday, and he really didn't pay much attention.

   Now listening to Chen Ling talking, I know that this is not a small matter, it is related to the harvest of the autumn harvest in the village and cannot be delayed.

   hurried to the brigade and turned on the loudspeaker to shout.

   So there are a few more people patrolling at night every day, and we must also look at the blue while guarding against wolves.

  The main thing to look at is the fear of wild boars spoiling immature crops, which is more important than preventing wolves.

  Chen Ling's family didn't grow food this year, and if he found out, he could come over and notify him in time.

   Let Wang Laishun praise him greatly.

   was about to pull him and stuff him with two pots of sorghum wine that his daughter had brought.

   Let Liang Guizhen see, her mouth pouted.

  ...In the end, Chen Ling brought the wine home. At this time, Liu Nier came over with the little boys, holding a raccoon cat in her arms.

   When he entered the door, he shouted to Wang Zhenzhen, "Come on little auntie, we have found the female cat. It has been less than half a month since she gave birth, and there is milk."

   Good guy.

   Chen Ling was stunned when he heard this.

  Dare this group of skin monkeys wandering around just now, are they looking for milk for the little piglets?

result…

   Just found a female cat and came back?

   This guy, how much milk does a cat have.

   It is also good for you to find a kennel dog.

   Not only Chen Ling felt speechless, Wang Susu was also amused, but just told them to be careful not to let the cat scratch.

  The two of them will not care about them, and take care of their own porridge for breakfast.

   Not much time after the meal, Zhang Qiaoling came to look for Wang Susu with her big head in her arms.

   Wang Susu's temperament is kind and his mind is righteous. After he gets married, he is very popular with the big girls and little wives in the village.

   Often just go back and forth with each other once or twice, and people think of her about everything.

   Today, Zhang Qiaoling is here to teach her how to pickle pickles and make chili sauce and bean paste.

  The season is changing, and many vegetables in the field are old, and some leek flowers and cucumbers can be pickled.

  Cucumbers are the second crop, Chen Ling didn't care about them, they looked good or not.

  I don’t eat much at home. It’s a waste to rot in the ground. It’s better to pickle it into pickles.

   Wait for a while, and then dig some mustard greens, and the mustard leaves can also be pickled and eaten.

  Wang Susu discussed with him that he wanted to pickle more so that he could eat it all winter.

   Another one, those dishes cooked by Chen Ling, many times, doubanjiang is indispensable.

   has to do some more.

  The two mothers-in-law were tinkering together. Chen Ling played with the big head for a while, and then handed it over to the eldest girl from Wang Jusheng's family. He and Liu Ni'er gathered around to watch the wild boar cubs, making a lot of noise.

   However, these piglets were very afraid of life. Not only did they make the raccoon cat jump over the wall and escape, but they also bit several little dolls.

  Fortunately, they are small, baby teeth, and they don't hurt, and the children don't care if they are bitten.

   After arguing with the wild boars for a while, he giggled around Heiwa and Xiaojin, tickling them, and wanted them to catch a few more wild boars back.

  Chen Ling is now basically sure that these two small wild boars are in one litter.

   Don't say anything else, the body shape is similar, put together, can't tell the difference at all.

  …Wild boars reproduce very fast, they can be produced twice a year, a litter of as little as five or six, or more than ten, or even twenty.

  It doesn’t matter if the number of cubs is large, and the adaptability is still strong. Except for being eaten by natural enemies such as hawks and wolves when the wild boar cubs, they hardly get sick.

   If nothing, just a herd of wild boars, the number can double every year.

   Fortunately, the enthusiasm of the villagers to hunt wild boars is very high this year.

   The reason is also very simple, everything is expensive in the second half of this year.

   After the big wild boar was pulled to the slaughterhouse, he sold it for some money.

   came back and scored points, which is enough to make people jealous.

  Many villagers couldn’t sit still…

   Maybe seeing an opportunity to make money, for the next two days, men from door to door scrambled to go on patrol at night, and those who had been there before also clamored to go.

  Wang Laishun didn't say much, and everyone who cooperated very well fired their guns.

   As a result, someone hit the head the next night.

   There were many people who went there this time, so they were easily captured.

   It's just strange that this pig is not too fierce, not very aggressive, and it can even be said to be a little timid.

   When he was escorted to the threshing farm, he held up a torch and took a look, only to find out that his mother was not a wild boar, but a black soil pig raised by ordinary people.

  How did the black soil pig run into the wild boar group?

  Many people can't figure it out.

   But soon someone recognized it, it seems to be the one that Wang Lishan's family raised before.

   I went to Wang Lishan’s house to wake him up and recognized him, and it turned out to be true.

   His pigs have gaps in their ears, which were made when they were young.

Marks like    can be found in every family in the village, especially chickens and ducks, all of which are similar in appearance. If you don't mark them, you can't tell who belongs to them.

  The marks on this pig are known to those who are familiar with Wang Lishan's family.

   Speaking of Wang Lishan’s pig, it was lost during the flood.

   At that time, the villagers were in a hurry to escape the disaster, and they didn’t have time to manage.

  The cattle, donkeys, and other animals can drive away, but the pigs are not easy to deal with, and they are simply thrown into the pigsty.

   Later, when he came back from the disaster, where can he find it?

   Now it seems that he ran up the mountain.

   But what the villagers have been wondering is, how did this pig survive? How can you mix with wild boars?

   They are all kind of weird.

   Later, Wang Lishan thought about it and said that it was probably because his own pigs were sows.

  The wild boar family is a male with many females, and it is generally difficult to accept foreign unfamiliar boars.

   This statement, the villagers also think it makes sense.

   Then he helped Wang Lishan drive the pig back home.

  This pig has been on the mountain for two months, and lost a lot of weight. The fat is almost gone, and it is estimated that the pound is almost half of the weight.

  Wang Lishan has been raising pigs at home every year and has a lot of experience. Not only did he get the nickname of an old pig, but his baby was also called a pig baby since he was a child.

   simply treated the wound to the pig.

   Then he told everyone that after the pigs were fattened at the end of the year, they would kill each family to share a little meat.

   Although it is a pig that was thrown by oneself, after all, the situation is special, and it has been lost for too long. Now that it is hit by others, it is the prey hit by others.

   When they sent him back, he was thinking of the affection he had with the villagers in the village.

  Pork is so expensive this year, even the skinny pigs can sell for a lot of money.

   After he said these words, some people said no, and others kept silent...

   Everyone’s thinking is different.

  Wang Lishan discussed it with his daughter-in-law, and said that if the piglets are not waiting, each of them should come and hold one.

   This method is not bad, and everyone can live well in terms of face, so it will not be a waste of time.

   agreed.

   But unfortunately, since then, although the night patrol team has grown.

   did not hunt another wild boar.

  This wild boar is not stupid. At the beginning, he fought guerrillas with the villagers. When guns were fired here, they ran there. People were in the south of the village, but they went to the north of the village and couldn’t catch them at all.

   Later, individual families wanted to join in the fun, each and everyone was gearing up to fight devils.

   It took only three or five days for wild boars to come down the mountain.

The advantage of    is that the corn in the village has not been harmed much.

   Chen Ling didn't participate in the events of the past few days, but when he was free, he led Wang Zhenzhen to see the pig in Wang Lishan's house to see how rare it was.

   Chen Yuqiang and Chen Ze also came to call him, saying that people are not afraid of hunting wild boars now, and he didn't go to join in the fun in the end.

  …August 24th, every fair in the county town.

   Chen Ling went to deliver the sister-in-law this day, and went to the market to buy some seasonings.

   is used to make bean paste.

   Red peppers, peppers and other spices, before the flood, Chen Ling planted a lot in his own fields.

  Although it is not fully cooked yet, Chen Ling can use Dongtian water to ripen it.

  These things are common, and there are many wild ones on the mountain.

   Today, I mainly buy broad beans, soy sauce and salt, especially soy sauce and salt. No matter whether it is making sauce or pickling pickles, it will not be less, so I have to buy more.

   After buying it, I went around on the set, and by coincidence I met two oil mill owners one after another.

   stopped him one after another, begging him to send some more peanuts.

  The price has been given to two yuan.

   Zhao Dahai also said last time that the price of spring peanuts in the city has also risen to two yuan six or seven.

   The price of two yuan and two from the county town is really not cheap.

  This year, there is a flood, and I am afraid that there will be insufficient food. In autumn, the farmland in various parts of the city is basically dominated by rice and corn. There are very few autumn peanuts, so that it is difficult for the small county oil mill to do business.

   But Chen Ling doesn't have the heart to do this now.

   Only said that the autumn peanuts at home have not yet come down, and we have to wait a little longer. When the peanuts and soybeans are cooked, they will be pulled over for them.

   The two of them sighed helplessly.

  No way, this year is like that.

  Especially grain, oil and vegetables, the one that has the goods is the Lord.

   After coming out of the market, Chen Ling did not rush to go home, but turned a direction and went to the small courtyard in the south of the city.

   I haven’t been here often lately.

  Today, he came to the city alone to send Wang Zhenzhen off. He just wanted to finish shopping and come over to clean up.

  There are not many things in the small courtyard.

   But the small pool in the yard was filled with some water from the cave because there were a few fish at that time. Later, heavy rain came out, and the yard was covered with grass.

  The last time he drove Wang Zhenzhen to the city, it was already like this.

   At that time, the family was busy building a house and didn't care.

  This time, the grass in the yard is more dense.

   He just opened the door when he heard a flutter in the grass, and a flock of birds flew into the sky.

  There is a lot of grass in the yard, and grass seeds and insects are food for birds.

   Coupled with the fact that few people come, it is simply a paradise for wild animals.

  There are birds, there are snakes…

  Chen Ling took out the **** from the cave and didn't plan it a few times. There were also toads jumping out. They were not big, but the size of an adult's fingernail cover, but there were a lot of them.

  I think the toad gave birth to tadpoles in the pool, and they grew up and ran out.

   So Chen Ling gave up the idea of ​​weeding, pushed aside the half-person-high weeds, and walked twice in the dense grass to see what else was left.

   This is a surprise.

   is not a wild animal either.

   But he found two winter gourds in the corner. They were robbed of fat by weeds. They were not very big, only the size of melon seeds on the head of a baby. They had five or six knots, but they were all old.

   The melon vines are dying too.

  Chen Ling saw that the hunter was happy, so he plucked them all off, and prepared to take out the winter melon seeds later, and spawned two plants by himself.

   Winter melon, although its name has the word "winter", is actually a heat-loving crop that cannot be grown in autumn and winter, nor can it be bought now.

   You can only grow your own.

  It is delicious when you come home or cook or stew.

   He hasn't eaten winter melon in more than half a year.

   In addition, there was a cluster of mint at the mouth of the waterway, which was very common, and he ignored it.

   Just seeing that there were a lot of little toads in the grass, he was not in a hurry to weed, so he released all the golden pheasants in the cave and let them peck all over the yard.

   Now, about two months old, they are not as beautiful as the adult golden pheasants, and they are not very able to fly.

   But with wild pigeons ahead, when Chen Ling feeds his chickens and ducks every day, he also goes to the cave to feed them, so he is closer than pigeons.

   So don't be afraid of them running around when you put them out.

   just closed the door and let them go around to catch little toads to eat.

  Otherwise, such ready-made food would be too wasteful to jump around in the yard.

   After they finished eating, Chen Ling hoeed the weeds in the yard by himself, almost two hours had passed.

  Chen Ling glanced at the time, it was really late.

   He broke open a winter melon, took out the seeds, buried it in the soil and poured water from the stream in the cave.

   stood by, watching the wax gourd seedlings burst out, and then there was a burst of crazy growth, rapid growth of vines, flowering and fruiting.

   No need to climb vines, let alone topping, picking cores, and pressing vines.

  The water in the cave is the panacea, so unreasonable.

   But recently, he hadn't used Dongtian water to produce crops.

   As soon as I come, I have enough money at home, so I don’t want to bother.

  Secondly, there are a lot of people who know him in the county town. Even if they want to grow and sell for money, the source of the stuff is hard to explain.

   So this time, it was just for the sake of appetite.

   I thought about it before I came, and came to grow some sweet potatoes in the small courtyard.

   As soon as you close the door, no one can see what you do.

   Now the winter melon is just by the way.

   But compared to winter melon, sweet potatoes need more variety.

   The season is neither too early nor too late.

   Dig a vegetable cellar before frosting, and put it in for better storage, so the family can eat it for a long time.

   The vegetable cellar of the family before was built when the foundation was laid, because the courtyard dam had to be repaired, so it was filled in along the way, so a new one had to be dug.

   Before noon, Chen Ling rushed home and packed two large bags of sweet potatoes in urea bags and loaded them in the car.

   In addition to these, there are also many caves.

   After digging the vegetable cellar, take it out.

  Wang Susu was also very happy to see that he brought back so many sweet potatoes.

   She hasn't eaten sweet potatoes seriously since last fall.

   Only Xiuying's sister-in-law gave two bags of dried sweet potatoes.

  The sweet potato porridge I made that night, stuffed a few into the hearth and baked it.

  Dong Tianshui urges it to taste good, and the whole family enjoyed it.

   There are many ways to eat sweet potatoes, in addition to the common steamed, boiled, and roasted sweet potatoes, fried, made into paste soup, baked into buns, and rolled into noodles.

  Wang Susu is also preparing to make some sweet potato noodles the next day, mixed with vegetable leaves, very sweet.

   Just didn’t have time to get it.

   let Da Nier call away.

  Wang Lixian's family, Sannier, told her husband's family, and asked her, who was an aunt, to take a look.

   This kind of thing is not something that a gentleman can mix.

  Chen Ling was alone at home, released the little rabbits and let them move around. He searched for places in and out of his yard and prepared to dig a vegetable cellar.

   Harvest in autumn and store in winter, and dig a vegetable cellar in autumn to spend the winter.

   It is not too early or too late to dig a vegetable cellar. In autumn, the groundwater level is not high. Dig a meter more than 2 meters deep without water seepage, and then smoke and roast it, and it can be used for many years.

   To dig a vegetable cellar, you need to choose a good place.

  It is generally located in the front and rear of the house where it is easy to access and ventilate to the sun.

The size of the    cellar depends on the number of dishes. Most of the vegetable cellars in the countryside are three meters long, two meters wide, and two meters deep.

Some people dig the vegetable cellar outside the house, across the alley, or behind the house. Chen Ling didn't want to bother, so he dug it at a distance between the house and the wall on the west side of the yard. Easy to access without affecting the foundation.

   Actually, they don’t actually put sweet potatoes in the vegetable cellar here, but have a special sweet potato well.

   At that time, food production was low, and sweet potatoes were the staple food on the table.

  Every house has a sweet potato well and a vegetable cellar, which are separate.

   Later, the staple food was wheat and corn, so we stopped digging.

   Because digging a sweet potato well is much more laborious than digging a vegetable cellar.

  Sweet potato wells are narrower than water wells, straight down, narrow and deep.

  People can't turn around in it, can't stretch their hands and feet, it's very awkward.

  Especially after the well wall was dug, it was even more uncomfortable when digging the kiln in all directions. Half squatting at the bottom of the well, I couldn't straighten my waist, and I couldn't use my strength. I accidentally knocked my head on the well wall.

  Other crop work can be done without arms, but digging a sweet potato well is not enough, it is a useless job.

   Those who have good things in the countryside have also arranged four kinds of fools: digging potato wells, squatting on a trumpet, wearing a cuckold, and writing materials.

   Prioritize digging a sweet potato well.

   You can see how uncomfortable it is.

   In contrast, digging a vegetable cellar is much simpler.

  Chen Ling's style is not strong, but he has the strength to dig up quickly.

   took steps back and forth, roughly measured the distance, and then digged straight down.

   By the time Wang Susu came back at noon, he had almost finished digging.

   With Wang Zhenzhen and a large group of dolls behind him, they rushed into the house one after another, and then ran to see the wild boar cubs.

   Recently, they ran here after school, picked up the piglets, and tossed and tossed. Every time it was time to eat, their parents would come and grab their ears and go back.

  Chen Ling asked them to take it away, but they refused to take it back.

  Otherwise, they were afraid that they would not be able to feed themselves without Chen Ling.

   Today is the weekend again. In the morning, they went outside the village to pluck some grass and help him feed the cows and rabbits to please him, which made people laugh and cry.

   But this time, he didn't go directly to the wild boar cub, but was attracted by Chen Ling's work.

   They know about digging vegetable cellars and have heard of them, but they have not seen them before.

   gathered around to attack Chen Ling.

   Generally, after the vegetable cellar is dug, a few thick logs are placed horizontally at the entrance of the cellar, and then some sticks are placed vertically.

   Then, put sorghum stalks or corn stalks in bundles, leaving the pit and ventilation openings, and then cover with a thick layer of soil.

   This vegetable cellar was dug.

   Now there is no sorghum stalk and corn stalk, just use reed stalks.

  The little dolls were beaten on the head by Wang Zhenzhen, and they were carrying wood and holding reeds. It was too lively.

  Wang Susu wanted to help Chen Ling, but seeing this, she had to go to the kitchen to cook the rice.

   When it was noon, Xiaowazi refused to stay for dinner, so Chen Ling stuffed two steamed sweet potatoes into each of them. In this way, everyone ate happily.

  …

  After the vegetable cellar is dug, open the cellar door and vent to let out the moisture inside.

  Before winter, when you put vegetables in it, you can smoke and grill it again.

   Dig the vegetable cellar, and take care of the vegetables in the ground.

  The weeds that should be weeded, the watering that should be watered.

   In the afternoon, the young couple went down to the ground carrying hoes and shovels.

   This is done until the sun is about to set.

  The vegetable field is ready, so do the peanuts and soybeans.

   But we have to wait until tomorrow.

   "Uncle Fugui, we dug some wild yam, do you want it?"

  When the young couple sat on the ridge to rest and drink water, several people came down from the mountain with baskets on their backs.

Upon closer inspection, it was Chen Guoxing and Chen Guowang's family. They were probably going into the mountains to collect herbs. Recently, the wild boars stopped running down the mountain at night. The wolves just circled the village and didn't show up very much. Only gradually increased.

   "No, the sun is setting, go home quickly."

  Chen Ling smiled and waved his hand.

   These people are close to him in age. They helped out when the family was building a new house. After a few drinks, they became very familiar with him.

   "And yam egg mile, boil it in porridge, it's delicious, I'll give you some."

   Several people came to the ground, stopped and shouted again.

   "And yam eggs?"

  Chen Ling stood up, a little moved.

  Yam egg is grown on wild yam.

   Wild yam is similar to hemp yam and iron stick yam, and it is not bad to eat.

   Plants grow Nagano yam tubers under the ground, and yam beans grow on the branches and leaves.

   But here they call the big yam bean yam egg.

  It tastes good when steamed. Compared with sweet potatoes, it has a different taste.

   "Yes, many miles, come and get it."

   "Haha, then I'm welcome."

   "You're welcome, uncle, what's there to see with us?"

   While talking, everyone grabbed a lot from the basket. Chen Ling said it a few times before he stopped.

   "Good guy, I gave you so much."

   and others all walked away, Chen Ling scratched the back of his head, a little worried.

  I didn't take the basket and bag, so I had to take off my shirt and wrap it up.

   "Come on Susu, pack up, we're going home too."

"coming."

  Wang Susu picked up the kettle, carried the shovel, and walked here.

   He just didn't take a few steps when he suddenly let out an 'ah' scream, the kettle and the shovel could not be held steady, and fell to the ground with a bang.

"What's wrong?"

  Chen Ling saw that something was wrong, so he was in a hurry and ran over.

   "Scorpion, there are scorpions in the clothes..."

   The little daughter-in-law screamed, stomping her feet and slapping her trouser legs.

   She just sat on the ridge and didn't pay attention when a scorpion got into her trouser legs. She jumped up and stinged her hard.

   She is not afraid of snakes, but she is afraid of scorpions since she was a child.

   It's not much better now.

   It hurts to tears.

  Chen Ling was so distressed when he saw this: "Where did the sting go, Susu, let me see, there is no poisonous hook."

   Getting stung by a scorpion is not a big deal.

   But when my daughter-in-law was stung, it was a different feeling.

   "Don't, don't be here, go back, go home and see..."

  Wang Susu shook her head with tears in her eyes.

   was stunned for a while, but Chen Ling realized that the sting was probably in the wrong place.

  The scorpion is not very poisonous, mainly because of the pain. He was stung when he was a child, and he rolled all over the ground in pain. He knew what it was like.

   Not much to say, let Wang Susu lie on her back and run home with her on her back.

   Hoes, shovels, and yam eggs were all thrown on the ground, and they couldn’t care less.

   At this time, the sun has not completely set.

  The dirt roads in the fields are full of people who have finished farm work.

   They didn't know what was going on, but when they saw Chen Ling running home with his wife on his back, they thought the young couple was making a fuss, so they started joking when they were far away.

   Said how long the couple had been married, and why did they still play with their daughter-in-law? You love me, so just carry your daughter-in-law back to their parents’ home.

  Some are even more extreme.

   Said that Chen Ling was not dark yet, why was he in such a hurry to carry his daughter-in-law into the bridal chamber?

  Wang Susu heard this, her face was so hot that she was too ashamed to raise her head.

   A large group of little dolls running wild outside the village were also overjoyed to see this scene. They sang loudly there along with the adults: "You little couple bite your ears, sneak a kiss on the mouth..."

  Wang Susu was about to die of shame, so she quickly raised her hand to cover her face, but she couldn't help feeling sweet in her heart.

   Even the stung spot doesn't seem to hurt so much anymore.

   (end of this chapter)