The next morning, Sheng Liancheng went to the farm leaders to inquire about taking over the houses.

Nowadays, many families are taking over or building houses.

Although there are policies from above, these are all old acquaintances from the same place, and they have a good relationship. Can the leaders of the place just say no?

They just turned a blind eye and brushed it off.

This year, the forest farm has been building public housing and a club, leaving behind a lot of bricks, tiles, cement, lime, and other materials.

After Sheng Liancheng consulted with his superiors, he paid some money from the venue, which was enough for his own use.

So, for the next few mornings, Sheng Liancheng would take his three sons to the lower reaches of the river to dig sand, push it back in a tricycle, and pile it in front of the new house.

Once they had collected enough sand, they went to the large alkali field, loaded up a truck, and transported all the stones and billets back.

While the materials were being prepared, a carpenter was hired to make the beams, rafters, doors, and windows. Once all the materials were ready, the beams, rafters, door frames, and window frames would be almost finished.

Just then, Sheng Xiping and his men finished their work on the afforestation plot.

Once the forest farm sends an inspector to inspect and approve the work, the wages will be paid out in a while.

By early August, the crops in the fields had grown quite tall, and there was no need to hoe or till the land anymore.

The autumn vegetables have all been planted and harvested, so they don't need any tending for the time being.

In the forest farm, afforestation operations have basically ended, but winter production has not yet begun.

Only a small portion of the land that will be reforested next year requires the excavation of earthen platforms, which doesn't require many people; the forest farm workers can handle it.

Sheng Xiping took the opportunity to ask for leave and stay home to build the house.

On August 3rd, the 16th day of the sixth lunar month, the Sheng family broke ground on their new house.

Sheng Liancheng found people from the housing team to come and measure and mark the lines.

Sheng Xiping's buddies all came over with pickaxes, shovels, and other tools to help.

With only one and a half rooms and a large number of people, this small foundation is hardly a problem.

In just one morning, the foundation trench was dug. In the afternoon, stones, sand, and other materials were poured in. If we stayed a little longer, it would be almost finished by nightfall.

Nowadays, it's not common to build houses with ring beams, mainly because there's nowhere to put the steel bars.

So, the Sheng family's house was built according to Sheng Liancheng's instructions, with stones and bricks laid up to below the windows, brickwork stacked, and large unfinished walls.

Sheng Liancheng led his three sons, along with Wang Jianshe, Qi Changzhu, Liu Yujiang, and others, and whoever had time would come over to lend a hand.

With a room and a half, how could it not be quick? In just three or four days, the walls would be leveled.

Once the wall is built, let it rest for a few days until the mortar has set and solidified before installing the beams.

Raising the roof beam when building a house is a big event, and most relatives and friends will come to help.

If someone is helping out, then meals should definitely be prepared to entertain them.

So, while the wall was still being built and not yet fully formed, Sheng Xiping quickly prepared the food for the guests on the day of the roof-raising ceremony.

Fish roe is a must; catching some river fish can make several dishes.

Besides that, we also need to have some meat.

Sheng Xiping was very familiar with the area within a hundred miles around Qianchuan Forest Farm.

He knew exactly which animal to catch in which season and where.

Although it wasn't the proper hunting season, there was nothing we could do, since we didn't have much meat at home.

How can we entertain our relatives and friends who come to help us if we don't have any meat? We can only go into the mountains to find some game, what else can we do?

So, Sheng Xiping carried his gun, along with various ropes, wires, and steel cables, and went into the mountains.

Sheng Xiping went into the mountains just to get some meat to add a few dishes to his family's meals.

It's not about having a big feast. Just some pheasants or rabbits will do. There's no need to go to great lengths to hunt wild boars or bears.

So he planned to go into the mountains, set some snares, and catch whatever he could find.

To set a trap, you first need to find the places where your prey frequently appears.

If you want to find traces of animals in the mountains, the snowy winter landscape is the most convenient and easiest place.

The snow was so white that every animal would leave its footprints on the ground.

Experienced hunters can tell at a glance what kind of animal left it and how long ago it was left.

It will be more difficult in the summer.

Most of the time, you look at the grass and shrubs, as well as the feces on the ground, the teeth marks on the grass and trees, and so on.

Generally speaking, where the grass is creeping or spread out, it usually means that animals have passed by.

Most wild animals have a habit of always taking the safest route.

Because the grass on the ground is repeatedly trampled, it becomes different from other places, forming a path three or four inches wide.

Having lived two lives, Sheng Xiping was very experienced in hunting. He quickly found a rabbit trail by following the clues on the ground.

Rabbits are easy to snare; thin wire is all you need.

Make a pig's trotter-shaped loop with wire, and then place it upright in the middle of the rabbit path.

Ideally, the wire should be tied to a small tree branch by the roadside. If there are no branches, find a thin stone or a stick.

Most importantly, you need to determine the rabbit's size based on its footprints and droppings to determine the height of the snare and the size of the snare opening.

If the opening of the glove is too big, it will easily cover the stomach; if the glove is too small, the head won't be able to fit through, and it won't be effective.

Pheasants are known as "horse-riding grass," but once you find a place where pheasants frequently appear, you can place two wooden sticks across the road, leaving an opening in the middle, and then set a snare over the opening.

When pheasants pass by here, they will slip between the two sticks and get caught in the snare.

Sheng Xiping spent the entire morning wandering around the mountains, and besides the rabbit trail and the pheasant trail, he also found the roe deer trail.

So, they made several hanging loops using ropes and suitable branches.

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