Driving on the road, Zhang Guoqing was thinking about what his father-in-law needed. In addition to wine, he also had to ask Mr. Wang. He was a warrior and should know something about keeping fit.
The car sped all the way to the door of Grandpa Wang's house. After stopping, Zhang Guoqing walked in and shouted, "Grandpa Wang, are you home? I'm Xiaowu. If you are, let me know."
"You little rascal, why are you here again? Come in quickly. Why didn't you go up the mountain today?" Old Man Wang's loud voice came from inside.
Zhang Guoqing entered the main room and climbed onto the kang as if he was familiar with the place. "I can't go to the village today. I have to wait a few days. I just miss you. These things are for your honor."
Old Master Wang smiled and pointed at him. "Tell me, you gave me such a valuable gift, so you must be asking for something very important. Tell me everything besides the tiger skin."
"I'm not here to steal your skin. I just want to discuss something with you. You know my father-in-law, Zhou Xiaozheng? He's been working away from home for the past few decades. I think his health must be poor. He's going back tomorrow. What should you prepare for him?"
Grandpa Wang patted his shoulder vigorously and said, "Good boy, Grandpa Wang was right about you. You are very filial. I will give you some more of the tiger bone wine I gave you last time. There are some good furs at home. You can take them back and have someone make a small armor to wear inside to keep warm. You don't need to wear anything on the lower body. Soldiers wear too much and it is not easy to move." After saying that, the old man went into the inner room.
Zhang Guoqing's eyes lit up as he drank the hot tea. This tea must have been obtained by the old man in the mountains.
After a while, Old Man Wang came out with a bundle of furs, a large bottle of badger oil, and a jar of wine, placing them on the kang. "Take them all home and see how to use them. There's not much wine left, and it'll be gone after this drink. Next time you hear someone has killed a big cat, remember to ask for a bone. I'll make it into tiger bone wine for you."
Zhang Guoqing was too embarrassed to take it all. "Grandpa Wang, just give me a few of these furs. I can't use so many. I'll take all the wine and badger oil, and give me some of your tea as well."
"Don't be so polite. Why were you so shameless last time? If I take them back and put them together, there might not be two left. Take them all. You won't like the remaining inferior ones at home."
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a smile. After looking for a long time but not seeing his eldest son, he asked curiously, "Where's Uncle? Has he gone up the mountain already? Has he gone deep into the mountains this year?"
"I'm worried about him going into the mountains alone, so just walk around the periphery. Wait a few days and make an appointment with some people from Laohugou to go into the mountains. Why are you still planning to go into the mountains? Or just walk around the periphery. If you really want to go into the mountains, you need at least ten good men. Don't do anything rash." Old Master Wang stared at him worriedly and warned him.
Zhang Guoqing nodded quickly. "I know. I don't dare go up the mountain alone. Those wolf cubs have blocked the way deep in the mountains. I haven't been deep in the mountains in the past two years. Grandpa Wang, do you think there is any way to drive the wolves into the mountains? I see wolves howling halfway up the mountain, and sometimes there are footprints. If it snows heavily, it will be quite dangerous to go to the village below."
Old Master Wang sighed. "When I was a kid, there was a wolf plague. A Taoist priest halfway up the mountain led hundreds of people with homemade rifles and chased them away. They couldn't kill the wolves, as they would retaliate if they did. Nowadays, if a wolf plague really happens, you have to report it to the army. That time, I killed the wolf, but to hide my scent and avoid retaliation, I took a two-day detour before I dared to return home. It's best to avoid it if you see it next time. We hunters are most afraid of encountering wolves."
"Grandpa Wang, do you still take the old route up the mountain? Besides the old route, are there any shortcuts?"
Old Man Wang shook his head. "The old road is still safe. Just exploring the roads elsewhere is full of dangers. I estimate there are at least a hundred wolves in Daqing Mountain. Even my dog Dahuang doesn't dare to go forward. Where are you running to now? If you really want to go up the mountain, run to Lin County. There aren't many big animals there except wild boars."
"I haven't really been to the mountains since my son was born. At most, I've hunted pheasants and rabbits on the outskirts. It used to be safe halfway up the mountain, but now it's too risky. I have to check the terrain and find a good spot. If I don't go up the mountain again, my hunting skills will be useless and rusty. If my grandfather knows, he will come to me in my dreams and scold me."
Old Master Wang laughed heartily. "When you have time, follow the veterans up the mountain. They're planning to find some ginseng pickers to go with you. There's safety in numbers. Okay, go back and serve your father-in-law. Remember to tell him not to drink too much tiger bone wine all at once, but just a small cup with dinner every day. Scrambled eggs with badger oil can treat stomach problems."
Zhang Guoqing stood up and watched him take out the jar and fill the waste paper with tea leaves. His eyes twitched. What a waste of good tea leaves. Seeing that the tea leaves were almost half a pound, he hurriedly stopped him, "Grandpa Wang, please take it easy. This is good tea and can even be eaten as a meal. Please use it sparingly."
"It's okay. I'll go up the mountain again during Qingming Festival next year to pick some tea and stir-fry it to make new tea. It's just that I don't have the skills. If I meet someone who knows how, the tea I stir-fry will be even better. That tea tree grew wild, with its crooked neck and looks ugly, but I didn't expect the tea leaves to be very fragrant, almost as good as the good tea Wang Baiwan's family used to make. Every Qingming Festival, I can pick more than 20 kilograms of tea, stir-fry it and drink it for a year. You must have seen that tea tree before, but you didn't notice it. It's not far from my back mountain."
"Your craftsmanship is quite good. Can we find a tea roasting master here? Where did you learn this skill? Tea roasting is popular in the south, but it's really hard to find in the north."
Old Master Wang wrapped up the tea leaves and handed them to him. "I learned this when I was young and wandering around the world. Now that I'm old and have nothing to do, I just brew some tea and drink it myself. Take it home and drink it. If you like, come back after Qingming Festival next year."
Zhang Guoqing took the tea, picked up the fur and the wine jar, held the things, said goodbye to Mr. Wang with a smile, returned to the car, and drove towards the county town.
I drove all the way to a tailor in a street or alley. Seeing that there were not many customers, I went to his door with furs.
When the tailor saw Zhang Guoqing coming, he quickly put down his work and said, "Why are you here so early? Your clothes will take two days to make."
Zhang Guoqing smiled apologetically. "Master, please don't misunderstand me. I came to you today to ask for your help. Can you see if these furs can help me finish the work? I need them tomorrow. I want two inner jackets."
The tailor thought for a moment and shook his head. "I really can't finish it tomorrow. Do you think the day after tomorrow will be okay? Someone's getting married tomorrow, and they just came this morning with the fabric to make the groom's suit. Does your wife know how to sew? This is simple, just a matter of piecing it together. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can just come over and sew it on. It's going to be worn underneath anyway."
Zhang Guoqing shook his head regretfully. "We're leaving Northeast China tomorrow. I'll think of a solution."
"Then see if there's anyone at home who can stitch it together. Bring it to me once it's done and I'll sew it up. You'll also need to buy some fabric to take back with you. Go back and take a look. If there's really nothing I can do, bring it over tonight and I'll make one for you and take it away tomorrow."
Hearing this, Zhang Guoqing patted his head and picked up the fur. "Okay, then I'll go back and see if there's any fabric at home. If not, I'll just use one piece at a time."
Zhang Guoqing went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought a pack of needles and a ball of black thread, then drove home in a hurry. He decided to ask his wife for help. Jiaojiao's craftsmanship made something very exquisite, and if he wasn't afraid of tiring her out, he wouldn't have asked a tailor for him.
After parking the car, Zhang Guoqing's thing was tied up into a ball. There didn't seem to be anything unusual about it. The small wine jar was also wrapped inside. He walked quickly to the main room.
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