Chapter 12 Chapter 12 (Minor Revision) Chen Ying and others…
Chen Ying waited until Wang Jiangang went out to brush his teeth, then got straight to the point and said, "Brother Jiangang, I have something to tell you."
Wang Jiangang spit out the mouthwash and put the toothbrush back into the enamel cup. His habit of brushing teeth was forced upon him by his ex-wife in the city. He didn't like to use toothpaste, and just rubbed the toothbrush on his teeth and considered it brushed.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Chen Ying turned her head away because of the sour smell. She took a small step back in disgust and said, "I know you, Jiangang, are going to hunt wild boars. Can you take me with you?"
Wang Jiangang stared at her with a scrutinizing look: "If I don't take you with me, you are not going to tell on me, are you?"
Chen Ying said hurriedly: "No, I won't tell on you, just let me follow you."
Wang Jiangang finally let down his guard and said, "Why are you following us? Go and catch rabbits with the members. If you catch any, you can get a share of the profits."
Chen Ying's mind was full of bamboo fungus. According to the information she overheard, a pound of dried bamboo fungus weighs three ounces and can be sold for five yuan. She didn't care about the dividend of a few cents.
She tried her best to prove her role: "I know where the wild boar will appear, and I promise I won't hold you back!"
Wang Jiangang was skeptical: "Is this true? Have you ever seen a wild boar?"
Chen Ying made up an excuse: "My grandfather hunted wild boars, and he told me how to find wild boar dens most easily."
Wang Jiangang considered going up the mountain to make a quick decision: "Well, if you dare to tell others about our catching of wild boars..."
Chen Ying assured him solemnly: "No, I just want you to take me into the mountains. No matter what happens, I won't tell anyone. Anyway, we are going up the mountain secretly, so let's just pretend we have never met each other."
Wang Jiangang admired her tact and said, "You are a good girl. Go home and clean up. After dinner, hold a meeting and organize people to go up the mountain."
Chen Ying woke up the half-dead system and forced it to provide her with photos of various types of mushrooms on the mountain. Several types of mushrooms looked exactly the same, which gave her a headache.
When Xu Fengxia saw her coming back from outside, she called her, "Yingying, I've left breakfast for you in the pot, remember to eat it."
Chen Ying looked around the yard and said, "Aunt, can I borrow the backpack at home? I just heard that the brigade is organizing people to go hunting in the mountains. I want to follow Aunt Wang and the others to pick mushrooms and wild fruits."
Xu Fengxia was surprised for a moment, then agreed: "Take it and use it. Remember not to go up the mountain alone, and don't run around when you go up the mountain."
Chen Ying found a large backpack and took some dead leaves from the kitchen to use as a base. She swung her two braids back and forth. "Yeah, I understand, auntie. I'll just pick up some mushrooms that others don't want. The mushrooms we made at home yesterday were really delicious."
Chen Ying found the largest backpack in the house and was determined to get the mushrooms.
Xu Fengxia carried a hoe and went to the field. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. She hurried home to find her husband halfway.
The team leader held a gong and banged it while shouting: "All members, come to the meeting after dinner! One person from each family must come! All members, come to the meeting after dinner..."
The rusty loudspeaker hanging on the electric pole at the intersection was making a crackling sound, but I couldn't make out what it was broadcasting. It was competing with the captain's hoarse voice.
After mowing the grass, Cheng Lei came to his sister, with grass clippings all over his body, begging with his eyes wide open.
"Sister, I've been mowing the grass for the rabbits for a few days. Isn't it time for you to reward me with chocolate?"
Cheng Xin pushed his sweaty forehead away and said, "You wish. With your wasteful eating habits, you can finish it in two days. Do you know how expensive chocolate is?"
Cheng Lei muttered to his index finger: "I feel embarrassed to eat alone. Besides, my cousin is not an outsider."
Cheng Xin wanted to roll her eyes at him: "Okay, I'm a stingy person. Comrade Geng felt that I didn't bring you a gift during the first visit, so he bought you some chocolates. One pound of chocolate can buy three pounds of pork."
She poked her brother's red face in dismay and said, "You're so good, you ate half a pound of chocolate in two days. Did you think you were eating sweet potatoes? Fortunately, I found out early."
"My cousin is staring at me..." Cheng Lei shrank his neck, "I can't just not give it to her, so I gave her a few pieces."
"I've become a bad person." Cheng Xin threw the sickle into the backpack with a clang. "I kept it for you to replenish your body. I didn't even want to eat a second piece."
Cheng Lei was scolded by his sister and admitted that he was in the wrong: "Sister, you can eat as much as you want and eat until you are satisfied! When can I eat?" He still did not give up.
"Let's see if we can cut enough grass this week to make 20 kilograms." Cheng Xin picked up the backpack and walked home.
Cheng Xin and her brother entered the yard and found that the atmosphere at home was not right.
The mother's face was full of anger and the father's face was full of sorrow.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Everything was fine at home before she left.
Xu Fengxia told her what the meeting had said: "The brigade mobilized all members to go into the mountains to open up wasteland and collect mountain products. The men hunted pheasants and caught rabbits, and the women went up the mountains to collect mushrooms. Every day, they were all sent to the brigade for registration, and the money was shared among the sales."
"Wang Jiangang, that beast who put down his bowl and cursed his mother, not only ate a meal for free at our house, but also cut off our source of income!"
Father Cheng apologized: "It's my fault that I'm holding you back. There's no young man of the right age in our family to go up the mountain with us. People said Xiaolei is too young and won't let him sign up." He himself would cough after walking a few steps, so there was no chance that he would be selected.
Cheng Lei shouted angrily: "Why? Why can't I do this?"
The whole family was in low spirits, but Cheng Xin calmed down: "Dad, Mom, it may not be a bad thing for us not to go."
As soon as he finished speaking, his aunt came.
Before the aunt entered the yard, her loud voice rang out from outside the fence: "Fengxia, who are you sending into the mountains?"
She stepped into the courtyard and saw everyone's faces. The second brother's family looked unhappy. She put away her smile.
"What's going on?"
"Xiao Lei was not old enough, and my father was not physically able to handle it, so my family was not selected."
Cheng Xin told her about her family's situation, and her aunt sighed, "Your uncle and I were assigned to the mushroom picking group. We wrote a letter to your brother, asking him to come back and go up the mountain with us. He will help you pick two baskets when the time comes."
My aunt has two sons. The eldest is an apprentice, and the second is studying in high school in the county town.
The eldest cousin is two years older than Cheng Xin, and has not yet found a marriage. Apart from the larger share of private plots, the only source of income for the eldest uncle's family is the eldest cousin. The eldest cousin's apprentice salary is only 15 yuan per month, and the family has to support a high school student.
The two families each had their own difficulties. The aunt and mother got together and scolded the captain's family for half an hour before leaving satisfied.
Cheng Xin was not optimistic about this collective reclamation of wasteland in the mountains. She knew exactly how many mushrooms there were to pick on the mountain.
"It's better not to go." Cheng Xin scooped a ladle of sweet well water to moisten her throat. "The wild boars have been causing trouble recently. Comrade Geng asked me to go up the mountain less often."
The sound of the gong was the order to go into the mountains. When the gong sounded, the team leader gathered the members to the grain drying ground. Wang Jiangang took advantage of the small crowd to get a hunting rifle with a permit. His friends were already at the agreed place with their weapons, and Chen Ying followed with a large backpack on her back.
The old bachelor stared at Chen Ying's pigtails and asked, "Jiangang, is this girl your girlfriend?"
Chen Ying shrank closer to Wang Jiangang. The old man's eyes made her uncomfortable. Why would Wang Jiangang bring three ruffian-like men with him?
Wang Jiangang was very satisfied with Chen Ying's dependence on him. He felt a surge of protective desire and scolded her harshly: "This is my sister, don't think about it."
Chen Ying followed Wang Jiangang, and the other three men reluctantly withdrew their obscene glances.
After entering the mountain, Chen Ying made sure she would not be left behind, so she tugged at Wang Jiangang's sleeve.
"Brother Jiangang, let me tell you something."
She had to do the whole act. Since these men were led by Wang Jiangang, she would do him a favor and let Wang Jiangang protect her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
