Mai Zi laughed heartily, "That's wonderful!"
Just then, she and Zhang Guihe's daughter, Xiaoya'er, came running over and hugged Maizi's leg, looking up at her with her little face and asking, "Mommy, Mommy, what's so great?"
Mai Zi gently tapped her daughter's forehead with her finger, "You little rascal, you have to ask about everything!"
Outside, the mother and daughter were enjoying each other's company. But as Li Xiangdong turned his head, he inadvertently saw a pair of eyes staring intently at the two of them through the window.
Those eyes held resentment and hatred.
However, after meeting Li Xiangdong's gaze, he immediately transformed into an honest and harmless person.
If Li Xiangdong hadn't had such good eyesight, he would have thought he was seeing things.
His heart sank suddenly. It seemed that the honest man Scarface and Wheat had described might not actually be that honest!
...
After several busy days, Li Xiangdong collected a total of 1,800 jin of dried bracken, which was all sent to Huichuan County by train.
Li Xiangdong, He Chaochao, and Li Guoqing also decided to take the train back to Huichuan the next day.
Scarface was busy making arrangements to send off Li Xiangdong and his group, and had Maizi buy good wine and food to cook a sumptuous dinner at his home.
At the dinner table, watching Mai Zi busy with chores, Li Xiangdong couldn't help but remind Dao Ba of a few things.
“Scarface, if Sister Mai isn’t planning on getting a divorce, you two had better watch yourselves in front of Zhang Guihe.”
Men are just as jealous as women, especially when it comes to being cuckolded, which is considered a great disgrace by men!
Scarface had drunk too much tonight. He nodded repeatedly after hearing Li Xiangdong's words, but it was clear that he hadn't really taken it all in.
However, although Zhou Hongsong had drunk more than a pound of loose liquor, his eyes were still bright. As soon as he heard Li Xiangdong's words, his big eyes immediately widened.
"Xiang Dong, do you know something?"
Li Xiangdong told Zhou Hongsong about the look he saw Zhang Guihe giving Mai Zi and her daughter through the window yesterday.
After saying that, he sighed, "Fifth Brother, we're all men. To be honest, who can wear this green hat every year without going crazy?"
Ironically, he couldn't refuse to wear the green hat; on the contrary, he had to thank the man who cuckolded him, because the man was supporting his family!
Zhou Hongsong nodded emphatically, "Okay! I understand what you mean."
"Yeah, maybe I'm overthinking it. But some things are too late to pay attention to once they happen,"
Li Xiangdong finally felt relieved. With Zhou Hongsong watching over him, Scarface would at least be able to keep an eye on things.
After finishing this matter, Li Xiangdong asked Zhou Hongsong to stay in Huapiling first, and work with Scarface to build the deer farm.
"Fifth Brother, I'll wire you the money as soon as I get home. You can start by buying deer with Scarface, sika deer or red deer, it's all fine. Ideally, by this summer, our deer farm should have a hundred head!"
Zhou Hongsong nodded, "Collecting deer is no problem. There are hunters in every village within a ten-mile radius. It shouldn't be difficult for them to set traps and catch some deer alive."
As he spoke, he clicked his tongue and said, "We have absolutely no experience raising deer!"
That's really true!
The group had prepared the land and funds for the deer farm, and Li Xiangdong had even figured out the sales channels. However, the most important technology for the deer farm—how to raise them—was not prepared.
Li Xiangdong's mind raced. "Should we ask if there are any experienced deer farmers nearby and hire them with a high salary?"
Zhou Hongsong nodded, "Okay, Scarface and I will go out and make a visit tomorrow."
Just then, Mai Zi lifted the curtain and came in. She said a little shyly, "Well, big brother, Xiang Dong, I know someone who raises deer. He used to work at the state-owned deer farm in the forest."
This is like a perfect match – what a coincidence!
Li Xiangdong quickly asked, "Sister Mai, who is this person?"
"He is my second aunt's husband's fourth uncle."
"They're still relatives, Sister Mai, don't worry. As long as he can raise the deer in the deer farm well, I definitely won't treat him unfairly."
Mai Zi nodded, then hesitated for a moment, "Well, my fourth uncle is good at everything else, but he's a bit stubborn."
Li Xiangdong said nonchalantly, "What's wrong with being stubborn? Capable people all have tempers!"
...
Li Xiangdong now really wants to take back what he said last night.
This old man's stubbornness is something most people can't handle!
In order to find a reliable experienced worker for the deer farm, Li Xiangdong sent He Chaochao and Li Guoqing home first, while he decided to leave two days later.
Who knew that when Mai Zi led Li Xiangdong and others, who were carrying two boxes of pastries and two bottles of sorghum liquor, to visit the old man, they didn't even get to see half of the old man's face!
Fourth Aunt apologized to Mai Zi, "Granddaughter, your fourth uncle has developed this stubborn habit ever since he suffered some grievances at the deer farm. Don't take it to heart!"
Sigh, you know, she came all this way, carrying her things, and waited for ages, but that old man just wouldn't see her. How is she supposed to meet her brother's son, Erzhuzi, now?
Mai Zi's second aunt's husband, Er Zhu Zi, also looked embarrassed. "Fourth Uncle, really! Isn't this slapping his own nephew in the face?"
There was an awkward moment for everyone, but Li Xiangdong didn't seem unhappy at all.
He remained smiling and unmoved, then placed the pastries and liquor on the kang (heated brick bed) in his fourth uncle's house. "Please keep these for yourself. I'll come back when you have time, Fourth Uncle!"
Fourth Aunt couldn't possibly leave anything behind; the old man had already been kicked out, which was embarrassing enough.
After a long struggle, Li Xiangdong insisted on leaving his things behind. His aunt couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she went to the storeroom and filled half a basket with peanuts for Li Xiangdong to take back.
Peanuts can be pressed for oil and stir-fried, making them a valuable food for rural families.
After Li Xiangdong and his group left, Fourth Uncle strolled back from outside with his hands behind his back. Upon seeing the liquor and snacks on the kang (a heated brick bed), he immediately bristled and glared, "Who told you to leave these?"
Fourth Aunt said irritably, "You ran away to find some peace and quiet, and now you're coming back to ask me questions! I want to stay, what's it to you?"
Fourth Uncle swallowed back many of his words, and snorted heavily, "He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him. If you're willing to accept it, then accept it! But I'm afraid you won't be able to pay it back later!"
"If I can't pay it back, I can't pay it back. I'll just have to pay off these few pounds of my old bones!"
The fourth uncle and fourth aunt were like oil and water, neither willing to concede.
Li Xiangdong never expected that his arrival would lead to a fight between the elderly couple.
On the way back, Mai Zi's second aunt's husband said embarrassedly, "My fourth uncle was alright when he was young, he wasn't so stubborn, but now he's getting more and more stubborn every year."
"Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle used to be a full-time employee of the forest farm?"
"right!"
"Then why is Fourth Uncle at home?"
According to Mai Zi's second aunt's husband, Fourth Uncle is 55 years old this year, but male forestry workers can only retire at the age of 60. Fourth Uncle has been staying at home for four or five years, which is obviously not normal.
My second aunt's husband hesitated for a moment, then finally told Li Xiangdong what he knew, picking and choosing what to say.
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