Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Breeding
A few days later, around noon, Fan Jing came back from outside, holding a black rabbit in his hand, which looked surprisingly healthy.
Kang He dropped the work in his hands and hurried to take it over.
When he saw it, he was so happy. It was a good rabbit that was not injured.
Fan Jing said it was a stupid rabbit that jumped into the bushes to avoid his arrow, but was entangled by the vines.
Kang He didn't care whether the rabbit was stupid or smart, as long as it was a good rabbit that was not injured.
He quickly picked up the rabbit and took a look at it, then sighed again: "It's a female rabbit."
He locked the rabbit in the rabbit shed. The white rabbit was napping in the thick hay, and it looked fatter than when he came.
When it first came, it still had the temperament of a wild rabbit, full of energy, running around and hitting the cage in the shed all day long. As time went by, fresh grass and leaves were delivered to its mouth every day, and now it has absolutely no intention of running away.
It either eats or sleeps all day long, so it can be fattened up in winter.
Kang He always hoped to get a male rabbit so that he could breed rabbits and keep the female rabbit busy.
Who knew that after so much effort, I would get another good rabbit, and it was a female.
"Well, regardless of whether they are male or female, keeping them together will keep them warmer and not be so cold in winter."
Fan Jing saw Kang He squatting beside the rabbit shed, sweeping up the rabbits' poop and changing the hay that was soaked with urine.
Every now and then I have to cut fresh grass and dry it before feeding it to the rabbits. What meticulous and thoughtful care is required.
He originally thought that Kang He would get tired of taking care of the baby after two days, but unexpectedly, he became more and more enthusiastic about it.
Judging from his appearance, he is really determined to raise and breed rabbits.
Fan Jing said nothing. The next day, he brought back a rabbit that had been stabbed by an arrow and gave it to Kang He.
"It's a male rabbit. Take it for breeding."
Kang He looked at the rabbit with swirling eyes and said, "It's already like this, how can it still be okay?"
"If you can't catch a male right away, try the one you hunted. If that doesn't work, try a new one next time."
Kang He thought that he still had more ways to do things.
So he took the rabbit to the rabbit shed. The male rabbit was also very smart. When he entered the cage and saw the female rabbit, his eyes immediately brightened up.
Kang He and Fan Jing stood guard outside the rabbit shed for a long time, but they only saw the male rabbit lying on the ground, not moving.
Fan Jing shook his head, seeing that it was useless.
Kang He did not give up. He found a rope, caught a female rabbit, tied the rope to the rabbit's tail, wrapped it around the rabbit's body to lift the tail high, and then carried the rabbit into the shed with its butt sticking up.
Fan Jing watched from one end and thought that it would be strange if a male rabbit would come to mate with him holding the female rabbit like this, with such a big man standing there.
Who would have thought that before he could calm down, Kang He shouted: "Da Jing, look, it can be done!"
The male rabbit actually climbed up and rode on the female rabbit.
Fan Jing frowned. He had never seen artificial insemination. Seeing the two rabbits stacked together, with Kang He holding one, he felt a little embarrassed and went back to the house in silence.
"Hey, don't go, it will be fine soon."
"Go, go, why aren't you getting off yet? Dajing, come and help me. This male rabbit won't get off, and there's still one that hasn't been mated yet."
Kang He kept yelling, and Fan Jing couldn't sit still in the room, so he had to go out again.
"Be gentle, don't squeeze too hard."
"You do it yourself, I can't do it well."
"My hands are numb and I can't hold it. Please help me."
At noon, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, bringing a rare touch of warmth to the forest.
Zhang Shili, who was standing outside the courtyard gate, raised his hand several times to knock on the door, but when he heard the voice from inside, he withdrew his hand.
He looked at the bright sky and thought that youth is full of energy.
After a moment of silence, I decided to come back another day.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard a voice from inside: "Finally, it's all right. I'm sure she'll get pregnant this time."
Zhang Shili touched his nose and squatted outside for a while. After all, he had come here from far away and was too lazy to run for nothing.
Before he could knock on the door, it opened by itself.
"Brother Zhang, what are you doing squatting outside? Why don't you come in?!"
Zhang Shili looked at Kang He, whose face was blushing, and felt even more embarrassed to speak.
Kang He said, "Come in and sit down! I haven't seen you for a while."
Zhang Shili scratched the back of his head and walked into the house. He saw Fan Jing sitting by the stove, making a fire.
His expression was normal, as usual, and he still looked like he didn't want to talk to anyone. When he saw him come in, he nodded to him for the first time.
Zhang Shili has always been straightforward, and he didn't know how to speak here.
Kang He noticed that Zhang Shili was a little strange and asked him, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Zhang Shili quickly waved his hand: "No, it's nothing. I was just passing through here and wanted to chat with you."
Kang He smiled and said, "Brother Zhang had come earlier so that we could breed the rabbits. This male rabbit is quite strong, but it's injured. I want to bandage it up and heal it so that it can be used as a breeding rabbit."
He took out the male rabbit and showed it to Zhang Shili.
Zhang Shili coughed dryly, realizing that he had just wanted to go to the wheat field, and felt a little dizzy.
"Breeding, you two are the ones who should be breeding."
Kang He felt something was not right when he heard this, so he put the rabbit into Fan Jing's arms and let him hold it, while he poured a bowl of hot tea for Zhang Shili.
He corrected her, "To breed rabbits, what kind of breed should we breed?"
"I just want you two to help match it."
"We couldn't catch a healthy male rabbit, so Dajing hunted this one and had to make do with it."
Kang He said: "The injured rabbit can't catch up with the female rabbit, so it can't mate without help."
Zhang Shili took a sip of his tea and said, "You two are surprisingly free."
It was very cold on this day even though the sky was clear.
When he was at home, he was never allowed to put out the fire on the stove.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of firewood in the mountains, otherwise I really don’t know how I would survive the winter.
He took a sip of hot tea and felt his icy throat feel much better.
Kang He said, "I don't know how to hunt. How can a strong man like me just sit idle in the mountains all day? I have to find something to do."
"Fan Jing's archery skills are well-known. You can ask him to teach you."
Fan Jing, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up at this point, "He can't even draw the bow."
Zhang Shili was surprised that Fan Jing actually responded to his question and couldn't help but joke with him, "If you think he's stupid and you're too lazy to teach him, I'll teach him."
Fan Jing held the rabbit with one hand and threw a piece of firewood into the stove with the other: "He won't learn."
Zhang Shili burst into laughter. "Third brother Kang, look at how overbearing Fan Jing is. Not only does he refuse to teach you archery, but he also forbids you from learning from others."
Kang He found the medicine box at one end. He listened to the two people talking and said, "You two are just trying to make me laugh. You are bullying an outsider."
As he said this, he sat down and treated the rabbit's wound.
The gray-haired male rabbit's front leg was injured by Fan Jing's arrow, and the fur around the wound was stained with blood.
He carefully shaved off the hair at the wound, revealing an arrow hole, and then covered it with the mildest hemostatic and coagulant plaster.
"You also know this?"
Zhang Shili watched Kang He treating the wound. His technique of bandaging and applying medicine was surprisingly skillful, which was a bit strange.
"I don't know how to treat these wild birds. For external injuries, I can only use it to reduce inflammation and stop bleeding."
It would be great if it could be cured, and you can keep it for yourself. If not, then you will have no choice but to send it to the county to be sold.
"So you can heal people?"
"I only know the basics."
Kang He said, "He can take a look at minor illnesses and pains."
After hearing this, Zhang Shili admired Kang He even more. "If you get injured or sick in the mountains, it's very difficult to find a doctor. If the illness is not serious, you can still hold on and go to the county for treatment. But if the injury is serious and there is no one to help you find a doctor, there are people who have lost their lives."
"Next time I'm unhappy, I'll come looking for you."
Kang He said, "I'm only a half-baked kung fu master. If you trust me, just come find me if you're unhappy. If I can identify the symptom and get you some medicine, I can help you get better soon. If not, I'll quickly go to the county to find a doctor for you."
Zhang Shili happily agreed. Coming to Kanghe is much faster than going to the city.
Seeing that it was almost noon, Kang He packed up the rabbit and sent it to the rabbit shed.
He left Zhang Shili here to eat.
Zhang Shi pushed it hard for a while, but Kang He insisted on staying, so he agreed.
Kang He took the big pig's trotter that Zhang Shili gave him last time, burned it with fire, and then scrubbed it clean.
He thought it looked like charcoal and was smoked by Zhang Shili, but he didn't expect it to be a black pig. The meat was not as white as that of domestic pigs.
Chop the bones into big pieces and peel the winter bamboo shoots dug from the mountains to stew them.
The cured pig's trotters gave off a salty and fragrant aroma within two quarters of an hour of simmering.
Zhang Shili had no idea that the pork he pickled in fermented rice could be so delicious.
The warm fragrance filled the room, making it seem warmer and bringing people closer together.
Zhang Shili took advantage of this opportunity to say, "Kang He, tell me, why don't you go to Ge Youquan to get mountain products?"
Kang He, who was chopping vegetables on the stove with her skirt tied up, paused when she heard this, then smiled and said, "I didn't go when I was almost done. I should have told my elder brother. It was just raining a few days ago, so I didn't go. I was just being lazy."
"You are not honest. Don't tell me the truth."
Zhang Shili didn't believe what Kang He said. He said, "It's those two who are causing trouble. You are not allowed to go."
When Fan Jing heard this, his brows tightened and he couldn't help but look at Kang He.
Seeing this, Kang He felt a little embarrassed and repeated to Zhang Shili the same words he had said to Fan Jing before.
"If I hadn't run into that couple yesterday when I went to the city to sell live animals, I would have believed what you said."
Around noon yesterday, Zhang Shili went to the county and earned some money from selling live animals. His pocket was so full that he felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. He went to a small restaurant and ordered a bowl of mutton and two side dishes.
Ever since Kang He went to Ge Youquan's territory to buy mountain products, he hasn't had good food to eat for a long time, and the laborers are even more greedy.
It’s not easy to come down the mountain, so I have to have a good meal.
While waiting for the food in the restaurant, I saw Ge Youquan and his wife. I wanted to invite them to come and have a meal together, and have a drink with Ge Youquan, but I didn't expect them to leave so quickly.
He chased out and saw the two men hurriedly going into the dry goods store. They didn't buy anything, but went to sell fern powder.
The shopkeeper heard that the roots were made powdery by the mountain people, so he said he would check it out. After opening the bundle, he found that the color was a bit gray and not very clean.
Grind it into powder and dissolve it in water to taste. It may contain some tiny residue and turbidity, but the taste is not right.
"If you want to sell arrowroot powder, then sell arrowroot powder. If you want to sell fern powder, then sell fern powder. Each has its own price. Why do you want to sell the two powders together based on which one you want to sell?"
There were people in the shop, and the owner was quite polite. Seeing someone trying to cheat like this, he was very unhappy, but he didn't scold him. He just said, "I can't do business like you here."
Cui Cuilan didn't expect that the people in the store were so sharp-eyed and checked so strictly, and she had no idea that there were so many tricks.
She said in a gentle voice, "We mountain folk don't understand these things. We thought the flours all looked the same, so we accidentally mixed them together. Good shopkeeper, please charge me the price of kudzu flour."
The shopkeeper said, "I can't accept mixed flour like this, even at the lower price of kudzu flour. Even if it were pure and without any other mixtures, your flour is not clean and is mostly dregs. No one would buy it in my shop."
No matter what Cui Cuilan said or how she begged for mercy, the shopkeeper remained unmoved.
Later, I got annoyed and told her to pack up her things and leave by herself so as not to delay other people's business.
Zhang Shili watched outside for a long time, but no one showed up.
Before this, he often went to Ge Youquan's place. On rainy days, instead of going out to circumambulate the mountain, they would stay in the house and drink together.
Zhang Shili, who frequented the area, knew all about his family's business and knew they had never made any noodles before. It was a bit strange that Kang He, a noodle maker from their area, had suddenly started doing this.
For a moment, he had some bad guesses in his mind, and it was no wonder that he was like that, because he knew that Ge Youquan's wife was a bit cunning.
Not to mention behind his back, even in front of him, this young lady would sometimes say a few strange things about him.
He knew in his heart that Cui Cuilan disliked him, but he didn't blame her.
Firstly, most people in the village were like this; secondly, he felt that Cui Cuilan cared about her husband.
Because of the foolish things that happened in the first half of his life, he was extra kind to those who cared about his husband, wife, or other relatives. For this reason, he never held a grudge against Cui Cuilan and continued to interact with her as usual.
In order to find out what was going on, he went back to look for Ge Youquan alone, but found that Kang He did not go to their side.
Ge Youquan said hesitantly that he had finished the roots and had already said goodbye and couldn't speak anymore.
Zhang Shili roughly understood what was going on. He didn't say much, pretending to believe it, and came to Kanghe today.
"Tell me clearly how they drove you away!"
Kang He was actually a little surprised at first. Why did they suddenly change their attitude and stop asking people to buy mountain products? It turned out that they also had their eyes on this business.
He smiled and said, "Just tell me directly, it's not a big deal. We are just poor people making a living in the mountains. Don't be angry, Brother Zhang."
"If we really talk it out, Ge Youquan won't be so unclear. I've been friends with him for years, and I still don't know him! If you don't tell me, I'll go find them and ask them for the truth!"
Kang He sighed and told the story.
Not only Zhang Shili was angry, Fan Jing also threw the firewood in his hand to the ground, stood up suddenly, took the bow and walked outside.
Seeing this, Kang He quickly went to grab the man and said, "Don't get angry!"
Fan Jing looked serious: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
"I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would do that."
Zhang Shili chased after him, "Brother Fan, don't be angry! I was the one who lured the three Kang brothers over here. These two couldn't get any fans, yet they were jealous and stole their livelihoods. They did some inhumane things and made the three Kang brothers angry for no reason. I'm going to deal with them!"
Seeing that one side tried to persuade another, Kang He was really confused.
"You two, please stop causing trouble!
"It's all over now. What should I say to them, Brother Zhang? We've been friends for so many years, and if I ruined it, I'd feel so bad. I went to their house to vent my anger, but I'm afraid the Ge family will hold a grudge against me for gossiping and complaining to you later."
Zhang Shili said with a thick tongue, "It's clearly their fault! What's the matter? They dared to do it but are afraid of being found out?"
Kang He shook his head. "No matter what, the Ge family allowed me to go get mountain products, and I owe them a favor. Even though we had a disagreement later, I've let it go. I'll just not visit you often from now on. If Brother Zhang continues to cause trouble, I won't dare tell you the truth anymore."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shili angrily paced around in the yard, but Kang He firmly stopped him from making a fuss. He had no choice but to agree not to cause trouble for the Ge family, but he still felt bad.
In fact, he knew in his heart that it was because he did not have enough face and favors that allowed the couple to bully Kang He like this.
After having a full meal at Fan's house, Zhang Shili felt more and more unhappy. He thought about letting the couple get by as if nothing had happened, but it just didn't make him feel comfortable.
He thought about it for a while at home, and then went to Ge Youquan with a cold face.
Zhang Shili followed Kang He's instructions and did not talk about his own affairs. Instead, he placed a promissory note in front of the couple.
"What's going on?"
Cui Cuilan became anxious when she saw the IOU, and asked Zhang Shili in a panic if something happened at home and he needed money urgently.
"It's the end of the year, and expenses are high. I've been spending lavishly before and have no savings left. I need some money to spend."
Cui Cuilan glanced at her husband and wondered why this man came to ask for money out of the blue.
Seeing that her husband didn't say anything, she had no choice but to cry and say that the family was in financial difficulty and she had no money to pay back, and asked Zhang Shili to give her more time.
Zhang Shili sneered, "I originally thought it would be difficult for Youquan to support his parents and children by himself, so I didn't want to ask for money. But my sister-in-law has also found a job. I saw her selling noodles in the shop the other day, and it seems her income has increased. I think the money she owed me over the years is not a big deal anymore."
Cui Cuilan fell silent after hearing what Zhang Shili said.
Maybe he felt guilty and didn't know how to argue.
"Brother Shili..."
Ge Youquan wanted to plead for mercy, but Zhang Shili stopped him with one sentence.
"Brother, I think I've treated you well these years. Please think about me. My husband is gone, and I've been single for years. It's time to find someone to start my life over. Now you have a wife and children, but you're holding on to my money and won't pay it back. I don't even have money to find a new wife. Who's the one who's pitiful?"
After hearing such words, Ge Youquan was unable to speak no matter how reasonable his argument was.
Seeing that the man was determined to get the money back, for the sake of their friendship over the years, he scraped together the money and had no choice but to grit his teeth and return the money to Zhang Shili.
After getting the money, Zhang Shili felt relieved and went there with big strides.
As soon as the person left, Cui Cuilan buried her head in the stool and burst into tears.
"What a rude man! You gave him all the money for the family expenses. How will my parents get money for medicine? We are so miserable this year."
Ge Youquan sat down on the stool and said, "What we did with Kang He earlier was really bad. I'm afraid Brother Shili felt that I didn't give him face and is angry with me."
Cui Cuilan cried even harder: "I am doing this for myself, not just for my family."
The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I got the powder but didn't sell it, and I'm even trying to cause trouble.
Cui Cuilan was so angry about this that she stayed up for two days and even got sick.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
