But that's not all.
Breaking the ice is only the first step; you also have to dig out the frozen, hard mud underneath.
This task is even more troublesome; you can't use brute force to smash it. If you accidentally kill the hibernating turtles underneath, all your efforts will be wasted.
Everyone took turns using small hoes, shovels, and iron bars, carefully digging downwards.
It took another two hours of effort to dig a small pit, about ten centimeters deep, into the frozen mud.
"Wow! This guy's been hiding it pretty well!"
Zhang Jianhao shook his sore and numb arms, exhaling white breath, but his eyes gleamed with excitement, a stubborn streak of defiance rising within him.
"I refuse to believe this! I'm going to dig it out today!"
Zhang Cheng looked at the seven or eight young people, their noses red from the cold, yet all staring expectantly at the small pit, and couldn't help but feel speechless.
Seven or eight people, with tremendous effort, spent most of the day working, just for a possible turtle?
This deal doesn't seem like a good deal at all.
But...on second thought, there's not much else to do in this freezing weather.
Since everyone's idle anyway, finding something to do is better than staying cooped up at home. Having something to look forward to is always a good thing.
"I'll give it a try!"
Thinking this to himself, Zhang Cheng reached out and took the small pickaxe from Zhang Jianhao's hand, bent down, and carefully began scraping the frozen mud from the stream.
Creak...creak...
The small hoe scraped the frozen mud, making the same sound as scraping ice shards, a sound that made one's teeth ache.
Whoosh! Zhang Cheng stopped, his eyes fixed on the area beneath the hoe, where a piece of carapace was protruding from the frozen mud!
"Hahaha! Brother Dog, how about it? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Zhang Jianhao squeezed in, his voice booming, "Look at the intricacies on this shell, it's no small matter!"
"Brother Gou, leave the rest to me!" Zhang Jianhao grinned, taking the hoe. "Digging this out of the mud is delicate work; you can easily get hurt if you're not careful..."
Zhang Cheng took out a Pegasus cigarette, gave one to each person, lit a match, and lit his own, enjoying a satisfying smoke.
Li Qiming thought to himself: He really is the most capable young man in the village; even his cigarettes are Pegasus brand.
After dawdling for almost half an hour, Zhang Jianhao finally managed to pry the turtle out of the frozen mud.
This turtle is quite heavy; it looks to weigh three or four pounds.
Seeing Zhang Jianhao toss the frozen turtle aside and then look for something else, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but speak up:
"Hey guys, it's so cold, can't we call it a day? If you really want to make money off this stuff, wait until spring when the water thaws, okay? Even if it grew legs, it wouldn't go far."
"Listen to Brother Dog!"
"Er Gouzi, take this home and stew it, it's very nourishing!" Zhang Da Nao stuffed a turtle into Zhang Cheng's arms without saying a word.
Zhang Cheng didn't refuse; tomorrow is the Little New Year, so he had to prepare some substantial dishes.
"Alright, guys, thanks." Zhang Cheng happily accepted the money without much formality, as long as he understood the situation.
"Ouch, it's really cold if I don't move." Zhang Jianhao shrank his neck.
"Let's go back to the village!"
"Brother Dog!"
On the way, Zhang Jianhao quietly approached Zhang Cheng and asked in a low voice, "I heard Big Head Brother say that next year, all the village's harvest will be delivered to the county supply and marketing cooperative by you?"
"Hmm." Zhang Cheng responded. He hadn't discussed this matter with the village chief yet, but Zhang Jianhao's mention of it made him realize he should make a trip to the village chief's house.
"Bro, Big Head Bro also said you need to hire two people to help you? Fifty cents a day? Bro, do you think I can handle it?"
Zhang Jianhao stared at him expectantly, and Zhang Cheng smiled: "Sure."
Hearing Zhang Cheng agree so readily, Zhang Jianhao was stunned for a moment, then stiffened his neck, his gratitude rising: "Brother, don't worry! From now on, whatever you ask me to do, I'll do it! It's just..." He gritted his teeth, that fierce determination coming through him.
"Shut up!" Zhang Cheng snapped.
People from the mountains have an innate wildness that can't be suppressed even after years of schooling.
Zhang Cheng and his generation grew up listening to storytelling and opera. The principles of repaying a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude and repaying a debt of gratitude with one's life are ingrained in their bones!
Zhang Cheng gave Zhang Jianhao hope; this guy was truly willing to risk his life for him.
Zhang Da Nao was the same; though he didn't say it, Zhang Cheng understood that if anything happened, he would definitely be the first to rush forward.
Not only do they think this way, but their parents also teach them this way.
In the past two days, Zhang Da Nao's parents have been nagging him every day: "Er Gouzi values you, so you have to live up to him and not let anyone bully Er Gouzi, understand?"
"Take this turtle home for me, I'm going to the village chief's house!" Zhang Cheng handed the turtle to Zhang Jianhao.
"Okay!"
Zhang Jianhao took the turtle and ran off with light, quick steps.
"Er Gouzi, what are you going to the village chief's house for?" Zhang Da Nao asked curiously.
"Tell me about transporting the fruit."
"oh oh!"
"Er Gouzi, we're all free, why don't we come with you?"
"It's very cold outside, you should go home quickly and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed)!" Zhang Cheng waved with a smile and strode towards the village chief's house.
After walking a few steps, Zhang Cheng entered the village chief's courtyard.
"Village chief! Are you home?" Zhang Cheng shouted towards the main house.
"It's Er Gouzi! What brings you here at this hour?" The door opened, and the old village chief was quite surprised to see him. He quickly greeted him, "It's cold outside, come in and sit down!"
"Alright!" Zhang Cheng rushed into the house.
The village chief's wife was still busy with Li Houcheng's funeral arrangements at the ancestral hall. His two daughters were quite accomplished; they were the only two in the village to have gone to high school, and they were about to take the college entrance exam—their senior year. The village chief had arranged for them to stay with their aunt in the county. Anyway, Zhang Cheng had barely seen his twin daughters since he was little.
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