Chapter 603 Zhou Dahu comes to visit

The charcoal in the coal stove burned red, softening Zhou Yimin's canvas gloves.

He lazily added a spoonful of hot water to the enamel pot. The tea leaves stretched on the boiling water, and the rising hot air blurred the ice flowers on the glass window.

The house was filled with a faint aroma of charcoal, mixed with the smell of bacon pickled by grandma, which formed a sharp contrast with the howling cold wind outside.

Such warmth is rare in other families - after all, coal briquettes supplied with tickets are very expensive, and most families only dare to light a small stove when cooking, and would never be willing to keep the fire burning all day and all night like the Zhou family.

Just as he was dozing off with his eyes half closed, a sharp shout penetrated the tightly closed wooden door: "Uncle Sixteen! Is Uncle Sixteen home?"

Zhou Yimin shuddered all over, and the tea in the enamel pot made ripples.

He looked at the flying snow outside the window, put on his cotton shoes hastily, and without even having time to button up his thick cotton coat, he lifted the heavy cotton door curtain and rushed out.

The cold wind blew in with snow particles in its wake, instantly penetrating his collar and making him shiver.

Pushing open the mottled wooden door, Zhou Dahu was stamping his feet and breathing hard, his eyebrows and hat brim covered with white frost, and the shoulders of his navy blue cotton-padded jacket were covered with snow, making him look like a snowman.

He put his hands in his sleeves, his nose tip was red from the cold, and when he saw Zhou Yimin coming out, he hurried forward and said, "Finally I found you!"

Zhou Yimin looked at the other party's anxious expression, and his heart suddenly lifted up: "Da Hu, what's the matter? Is there a problem in the village?"

If the village hadn't discovered any problems, Zhou Dahu wouldn't have come here in such a hurry.

Zhou Dahu waved his red, frozen hands in the air in panic, and the pompom on his cotton hat shook violently: "Uncle Sixteen, it's not that something happened in the village, it's that I need your help with something."

These words made Zhou Yimin's heart, which had been hanging in his throat, fall heavily. The cold sweat on his back was slowly dried by the residual heat from the coal stove.

He stomped his numb feet, and the icicles hanging from the eaves suddenly broke, making a crisp sound on the snow.

"Da Hu, what's the matter? Can I see if I can help you?" Zhou Yimin shrank his neck into his cotton-padded jacket. The metal door knocker made a slight buzzing sound in the cold wind.

He glanced at Zhou Dahu's lips that were frozen purple, and suddenly remembered that when they were little, he always followed him to rob bird nests. At this moment, the nervousness in the boy's eyes was as unfamiliar as a layer of fog.

Zhou Dahu looked around vigilantly, and the soles of his shoes made a harsh sound as they rubbed against the icy stone road.

The dog in the next yard suddenly barked wildly, startling him so much that he trembled all over.

After making sure that there was no one around, he shivered and unbuttoned the innermost cloth buttons of his cotton jacket, and took out an oilcloth bag from his chest - the edges of the cloth were damp from his body temperature and were covered with fresh dirt.

"Uncle Sixteen, this is the ginseng I just found. I wonder if you would like to take it?" Zhou Dahu's voice was very low, and the white breath he exhaled was trembling.

The moment the oilcloth was unfolded layer by layer, Zhou Yimin's pupils suddenly contracted: the dark red ginseng roots curled like corals, the dense stem marks at the reed head were clearly visible, the main root was plump and full, and the epidermis was covered with fine spiral patterns.

In the cold wind of two or three degrees, he felt a thin layer of sweat oozing out of his palms, and the warmth in his cotton jacket suddenly became hot.

Zhou Yimin's heart was beating violently in his chest, as if it was about to break through the constraints of his ribs.

He stared at the ginseng, his throat tightened and his Adam's apple rolled up and down several times.

This is a rare and valuable thing. In the era of material scarcity, ginseng is not only a precious medicinal material, but also a "hard currency" that can be exchanged for a large sum of money.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind instantly: This ginseng is of excellent quality. If he sells it, how much urgently needed supplies can he get in exchange?

But then, worry and vigilance also surged in my heart.

Will privately buying and selling ginseng cause trouble in the current policy environment?

How did Zhou Dahu dig up this ginseng? Did he steal the treasure from the collective forest?

If discovered, not only would the ginseng be lost, but Zhou Dahu and himself would also be in trouble.

He looked up at Zhou Dahu. The boy's face was full of anticipation and anxiety, and his eyes showed his trust in himself.

This made Zhou Yimin feel even more conflicted. He didn't want to betray this trust, but he was also afraid of getting into trouble because of his greed.

His fingers unconsciously stroked the corner of his clothes as he struggled to weigh the benefits and risks. Every thought was like a heavy hammer, hitting his tense nerves.

Zhou Yimin squatted down, and the white mist he exhaled condensed into tiny ice crystals above the ginseng. His fingertips hovered above the ginseng roots but he did not dare to touch them, for fear of destroying this God-given treasure.

"Da Hu, where did you dig this ginseng?" He lowered his voice unconsciously when asking the question, and his eyes swept across the empty alley vigilantly. The dead branches of the old locust tree above his head whimpered, as if waiting for his answer for him.

Zhou Dahu's lips were trembling with purple from the cold, and his cotton shoes left messy footprints on the snow. "I found this by accident in the back mountain, and there are two more there. If you want it, Uncle Sixteen, I'll go dig those two too!"

The excitement flashing in his eyes made Zhou Yimin feel relieved. The mountain behind was an undeveloped wasteland. Digging up treasures there at least would not involve the issue of collective property.

The residual heat from the coal stove still lingered on the inside of his cotton-padded jacket. Zhou Yimin rubbed his frozen fingers and said, "Da Hu, do you want to exchange money? Or something else?"

Zhou Dahu's eyes suddenly dodged, his toes drew crooked circles in the snow, and his Adam's apple rolled between his faded collar: "I, I."

The stammering words were torn into pieces by the north wind.

Zhou Yimin looked at the other party's embarrassed look, and became impatient. He suddenly stood up and pretended to leave: "Da Hu, do you want to tell me or not? If not, I will leave."

When she turned around, she deliberately swung the cotton door curtain, making it crackle, revealing the warm yellow light in the house.

"Uncle Sixteen!"

Zhou Dahu's anxious shout made him stop in his tracks, his face flushed like a ripe persimmon: "I want to exchange some meat, is that ok?"

These words were spoken with the courage to burn one's boats, but the last syllable was as weak as a mosquito.

Only then did Zhou Yimin notice the patch on the cuff of Zhou Dahu's cotton-padded jacket, and suddenly remembered that the bacon he had asked someone to bring from the city was still hanging on the beam.

Han Yi suddenly became amiable. He patted Zhou Dahu's shoulder. The thin touch from his palm made his eyes hot. "It's a small matter! How much do you want?"

The fire from the coal stove shone through the crack in the door onto the snow, stretching the shadows of the two people very long, as if they were extending deep into the dense forest on the back mountain where treasures were hidden.

This question stumped Zhou Dahu. He didn't know the value of ginseng. Although he knew that ginseng was a treasure, food was more precious now.

Now that we can’t even get enough food to eat, how can we care about things like medicinal herbs?

Zhou Dahu said cautiously: "Can you exchange it for two kilograms of meat or a little less?"

After saying this, they all looked at Zhou Yimin a little embarrassedly.

Fearing that he was asking for too much, Zhou Yimin refused to agree to the deal.

When Zhou Yimin saw Zhou Dahu's expression, if people in later generations knew that such precious wild ginseng was only exchanged for two kilograms of meat, what would they think?

"Two pounds of meat is still a bit too little! Then I'll exchange one ginseng for four pounds of meat. You can have any meat you want!"

Based on this price, Zhou Yimin would definitely make a profit. If it was a ginseng of good quality, he could at least sell it for a lot of money.

Zhou Dahu didn't expect that Zhou Yimin would be so generous that he could exchange one ginseng for four kilograms of meat, and he could choose any type of meat.

I thought that three ginseng plants could be exchanged for two kilograms of meat, but who knew that the price increased sixfold. Now three ginseng plants can be exchanged for twelve kilograms of meat.

Zhou Dahu said cautiously, "Uncle Sixteen, I want twelve pounds of fatty pork. Is that ok?"

He also knew that this request was a bit excessive, as fatty pork was very popular nowadays. He then changed his words: "Uncle Sixteen, or we don't need fatty pork, as long as it's meat!"

Zhou Yimin waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, just fatty pork!"

You know, there is no idea how much fatty pork there is in the store space, and I don’t like eating fatty food, so all of it is stored in the store space, and there is no chance to take it out!

"Go and dig up the other two plants now, but be sure to pay attention to their appearance and not damage the ginseng's whiskers."

Zhou Dahu nodded to show that he understood, then left without looking back.

Seeing this, Zhou Yimin shook his head helplessly, then turned back to the living room and continued to warm himself by the fire.

At this time, the old man asked: "Yimin, who was that just now? What was in your hand?"

Zhou Yimin explained one by one: "Just now it was a big tiger, and this one is ginseng."

When the old man heard this, his eyes lit up. You know, ginseng is a good thing, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Zhou Dahu trudged towards the back mountain of Liangjiazhuang, taking one step deep and one step shallow, against the howling north wind.

My cotton shoes were stuck in the half-foot-thick snow. It took a lot of effort to pull out each step. My trouser legs had already been soaked by the snow and formed a hard layer of ice.

His ears and cheeks were sore from the cold wind, but he had no time to rub them. He was only thinking about the two ginsengs hidden beside the old tree roots.

The deeper we went into the mountains and forests, the stronger the wind became, making the dead branches whimper miserably.

Zhou Dahu clenched the shiny little hoe in his hand, which he brought from home specially.

His eyes were fixed on the ground, searching for the crooked old pine tree in his memory - that was the mark of ginseng growth.

Finally, next to a bush, he saw the familiar twisted branches, and his heart was immediately filled with joy.

Covered by snow, the stems and leaves of ginseng had long withered, but Zhou Dahu, with his years of experience in the mountains, recognized the unique shape of the ginseng stalk at a glance.

He squatted down and carefully used a hoe to dig away the surface snow and frozen soil.

The cold wind blew into his collar, making him shiver and his fingers gradually lost feeling, but he did not dare to slack off.

Every time he dug, it was like carving a rare treasure, for fear of damaging the ginseng body underneath.

The frozen soil was as hard as iron, and every time the hoe fell, his palms felt numb.

Zhou Dahu was breathing heavily, and the white breath he exhaled condensed into rime in front of his eyes.

As the soil was dug deeper and deeper, the dark red ginseng roots finally emerged faintly.

His heart beat faster with excitement. He quickly put down the hoe and used his fingers to dig into the soil bit by bit.

The gaps between his nails were filled with frozen soil and dead leaves, which was extremely painful, but his eyes were always focused on the ginseng, and his movements were gentle but firm.

After nearly an hour of hard work, the first ginseng was finally unearthed intact. The plump ginseng body was glowing with a warm luster, and the ginseng roots were as stretched as coral.

Zhou Dahu carefully wrapped it in the old cloth he carried with him, put it in his arms, and felt the warmth with the scent of earth.

After a short rest, he pulled himself together and walked towards another mark not far away.

When the second ginseng was successfully obtained, the sky had gradually darkened.

Zhou Dahu looked at the baby in his arms with a satisfied smile on his face.

The return journey was still difficult, but his steps were much lighter, as if he had seen his wife's happy face when she ate the delicious braised pork.

The cold wind was still howling, but it could not blow away the warmth in his heart. In the forest, only a series of deep and shallow footprints were left, which were gradually covered by the newly fallen snow.

Zhou Dahu put the two ginsengs in his arms and walked towards Zhou Yimin's house.

As the dusk wrapped in cold air seeped through the crack of the door, Zhou Dahu's cotton shoes stopped hesitantly outside Zhou Yimin's gate.

The aroma of meat mixed with the smell of firewood wafting from the house was like an invisible hook that made his stomach cramp - ever since his wife became pregnant, food rations at home had become increasingly tight, and he couldn't remember how long it had been since he had tasted meat.

He held the ginseng hidden in the inner pocket of his cotton-padded jacket in his fingers. The fabric was warmed by his body temperature. He took a deep breath and knocked on the wooden door, muttering to himself, "I'm sorry."

"Da Hu? Come in quickly!" Zhou Yimin's voice wrapped in steaming hot air rushed out of the door crack.

The moment the door hinge turned, the rich aroma of stewed meat rushed over. Zhou Dahu's Adam's apple rolled violently. Seeing the braised spare ribs, shiny stir-fried vegetables, and white rice on the dining table in the house, his feet seemed to be nailed down and he couldn't move.

"No, no." He refused, but his body moved inside uncontrollably. When his patched trouser legs swept over the threshold, the snow particles stuck to them fell off.

"Put everything aside and eat first!" Zhou Yimin had seen through Zhou Dahu's embarrassment. When he turned and entered the kitchen, he deliberately stepped heavily to give the other party a buffer.

Amid the crisp sound of porcelain bowls colliding, Zhou Dahu stared at the mountain of rice in the bowl and his eyes suddenly felt hot.

He heard the sound of his teeth chattering, but he couldn't tell whether it was from the cold or hunger.

The moment you take your first bite of the ribs, the aroma of the fat explodes on your tongue.

Zhou Dahu felt as if every pore in his body was cheering, and suppressed sobs came from his throat.

He tried hard to resist the urge to wolf down the food, but his shaking hands couldn't stop him from shoveling rice into his mouth. He didn't even notice the sauce flowing from the corners of his mouth into his collar.

Zhou Yimin silently put food into his bowl and watched Zhou Dahu's tense shoulders gradually relax.

When the last grain of rice was licked clean, Zhou Dahu realized his mistake.

He hurriedly wiped his mouth with his sleeve, but froze when he touched the hot towel handed to him by Zhou Yimin.

In order to relieve his nervous mood, Zhou Dahu quickly took out two ginsengs from his arms.

"Uncle Sixteen, take a look at the appearance!"

Zhou Yimin nodded and opened the cloth, revealing two ginsengs of good quality to everyone.

(End of this chapter)