"Okay!" Zhou Huaian agreed and took the opportunity to say, "Uncle Zhang, when I went to the agency store just now, I suddenly remembered that I had some things to do at home. We plan to go back tomorrow morning."
Secretary Zhang nodded and said, "Business is more important. You can come anytime you want to hunt."
"Come back in the spring." Seeing that he had already taken out all the badger offal, Zhou Huaian took out the machete from his backpack and said, "Uncle Zhang, chop off half of it and stew it for Auntie. We'll have a couple of drinks with you tonight."
Secretary Zhang nodded happily, "Okay, let's have a couple of drinks tonight."
Seeing that they had meat to eat today, the kids happily followed him to the kitchen, shouting, "Oh, there's meat to eat!"
After Zhang Laoer peeled off all the badger skins and cleaned out the internal organs, Zhou Huaian grabbed some salt and lightly rubbed some on the meat. He put the badger oil in a backpack with some green vegetable leaves and took it home to refine the oil.
I asked Zhang Laoer to process the badger skin and will take it back tomorrow to ask Lao Xiazi to help with the nitration.
The children ate until their mouths were full of grease, including stewed badger with radish, stir-fried tripe with kimchi, and stir-fried badger meat with winter bamboo shoots.
Zhou Huaian drank a few cups and was a little tipsy. He talked with Zhang's uncle and others for a while. Zhang Laoer couldn't stand it anymore and went home to sleep. He also pulled Zhou Yiding to the toilet.
"It's only eight o'clock. We're all planning to go to bed. The family is still busy right now!"
"Yes, they collected so much today, I'm afraid they will be busy until after eleven o'clock."
"I'm just afraid that your sister-in-law will force herself to work until after eleven o'clock."
When he thought of Yang Chunyan's personality, he felt a little worried and a little regretful. He thought he shouldn't have wanted to go out and play when she was not feeling well.
Zhou Yiding tucked in his pants and turned to look at him. "If you're really worried, I'll ride back with you in the dark?"
Zhou Huaian thought about the way down the mountain. He had driven the tractor so many times that he could ride down the mountain with his eyes closed.
Zhou Yiding was not familiar with the road conditions. It was pitch black. It would be troublesome if he fell into the ditch.
"Forget it. I didn't bring a flashlight when I came here. If we had one, we would have gone back."
"When I was buying salt, I saw some at the salt distributor. Let's just buy two and tie them to the handlebars!"
"Okay, then let's go buy a flashlight first, and then tell Uncle Zhang about going back!" Zhou Huaian said as he walked towards the gate.
"It's over!" Zhou Yiding sighed, "Married men are really different!"
Zhou Huaian also felt that things were different from before, and now he had concerns in his heart!
The two found an excuse to go out, went to the agency store, knocked on the door to wake up the salesperson, bought two flashlights and four pairs of batteries, returned to Zhang's house, and told Secretary Zhang about their return home.
"Ah! It's already this late, why are you going back again? Is it because of..." He thought that his family had not entertained them well enough and made the two of them unhappy.
"Uncle Zhang, don't worry!" Zhou Huaian explained embarrassedly, "It's my fault. My family is not feeling well. I've been thinking about it and I'm a little worried..."
Secretary Zhang saw that his face was red, and patted his shoulder with a smile, "Your mother and the others are here, don't worry, it's so late, just stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning."
"Uncle Zhang, we've already bought the flashlights and batteries. We've walked this route so many times before, so we'll be fine."
Seeing that they were determined to leave, Secretary Zhang had no choice but to nod, help pack up the badger meat, give the two men two pots of water, find two backpacks to carry the dogs, and then send them out.
"Be careful on the road."
Zhou Huaian carried the dog into the backpack and said, "Okay, Uncle Zhang, please go back soon. We will be careful."
Secretary Zhang waved his hand, turned around, smiled and shook his head, "It's good to be young..."
"Let's go!" Zhou Yiding fastened his snow helmet, got on his bicycle and pedaled hard up the slope.
Zhou Huaian followed closely behind, and when they climbed halfway up the slope, the handlebars of the bicycle twisted and turned and finally climbed up the first steep slope. The two of them held the handlebars of the bicycle tightly, spread their legs, and sped down from the top of the slope against the cold wind.
The cold wind blew through the wind and snow hat, and when it passed across the exposed face, it felt like straw being cut, causing a burning pain.
Even the dog in the basket closed its eyes, letting the cold wind blow on its face.
After going down the slope, Zhou Yiding looked back at Zhou Huaian and said, "You know, He Dakuan is engaged."
"Yes, I heard from my mom the day before yesterday. Someone even asked him why he didn't invite us to his engagement party, and he said he was too high up to be with us!"
"That's too sour. I think he is just jealous of us." Zhou Yiding still felt uncomfortable when he thought about the incident at the forest farm. "To be honest, even if he invited me, I didn't want to go. I saw through him clearly the last time I was at the forest farm."
Zhou Huaian nodded, "Me too, from now on just treat him as an ordinary fellow villager."
At this point, he remembered what Dr. Xiao Wang said: not every friend wants you to get better and better, because you are working hard and changing, while he is still standing still.
Jealousy is human nature. Everyone is the same. They don’t want to work hard to change themselves, nor do they want to see you become better.
"Um!"
The two men sped up and climbed up a steep slope. They bent their bodies and pedaled hard, panting heavily.
A gust of wind blew in his face, and Zhou Yiding narrowed his eyes. "Fuck! It's been blowing all the way home, and my face is chapped. When we go to Ning'an tomorrow, you must buy me two bottles of good face cream to take care of it."
"Okay, I'll take you to choose tomorrow. Buy whatever you want. Apply more and take good care of your face that looks like old tree bark. Then you can be a white and tender bridegroom in the spring!"
"Get lost! I'm still a serious young man, with skin as white and tender as a peeled egg. You are already half an old man, and you are the old tree bark!"
"You're just bragging. If I stand next to you, everyone will say that I look younger than you!"
Zhou Yiding climbed up the slope in one go, turned his head and looked at Zhou Huaian behind him, "A man who has let off steam is really going to die, go back and make up for it!"
"I was afraid that you were not familiar with the road conditions, so I didn't use my full strength, you know that!"
"Tsk~ I don't understand!" Zhou Yiding sat astride the bicycle, "Come on, let's compare and see which one is faster!"
“Let’s race!” Zhou Huaian took two deep breaths and parked the car side by side with him. “1, 2, 3, go!”
The two of them ran down the slope in a flash, their legs pushing hard on the pedals, the bicycle wheels spinning like hot wheels, and they reached the asphalt road in one breath. Zhou Yiding was half the front of the bike in the lead, sitting astride the bike, leaning over the handlebars and panting heavily.
"Oh my! I'm so tired." Zhou Huaian stopped panting, took out the kettle and gulped down two mouthfuls, "Finally I'm on the road."
Zhou Yiding raised his head and glanced at him, "You lose!"
Zhou Huaian nodded honestly, "Yes! I know I lost, if you win, continue to lead the way!"
Only then did Zhou Yiding realize that he had not told him what the reward for the winner would be before the competition.
"Fuck, how could I be as dumb as you! We haven't even discussed the prizes yet, and we're already starting."
"Haha, this day has come for you too! Let's go!"
Zhou Yiding rolled his eyes at him and said, "Buy two more bottles of Ya Shuang tomorrow!"
"Okay! Don't just say two bottles, four bottles will do!"
…
At this moment, Yang Chunyan and the old man were busy pouring the drained truffles into bamboo flats, which were then sent to the baking room by Zhou Huaishan and Zhou Huaijun.
More than 2,000 kilograms of truffles were harvested in the morning, and in the afternoon Zhou Huaishan brought back several thousand kilograms. Together with those sent home to sell, there were more than 10,000 kilograms in total.
Even Zhou Yumei and Jiaming came to help and did not go back until dinner. The rest of the people were so busy that they had only washed half of the clothes now.
Zhou Huaijun picked up the bamboo stick and asked, "I wonder what kind of wild animals Laoyao and Yiding can hunt when they go up the mountain?"
Zhou Huaishan: "The youngest brother has good luck in the mountains. It would be great if he could hunt a wild deer. I heard that venison is very delicious!"
After hearing this, Zhou's father, who was guarding the oven, said angrily, "They have only had two full meals. I don't know what they are thinking about! Venison is so expensive. Even if they get it, let them send it to Ning'an to sell for money."
Being criticized in front of so many people, Zhou Huaishan was a little embarrassed and said unhappily: "Old man, you are really something. We were just talking and you made a big deal out of it. Besides, the youngest brother didn't really kill a wild deer and brought it back."
Father Zhou wanted to say something, but the old man gave him a sidelong look and said, "Third brother, I just said it casually. I don't know where you got so angry!"
Zhou's father also felt wronged. "Old man, I didn't say anything to them. I just thought it was hard to make money, and I was afraid that they would learn to spend lavishly if they didn't make enough money."
After hearing this, the old man looked at Zhou Huaishan and said, "You are right, old man, it is not good to be extravagant!"
"I understand!" Zhou Huaishan walked towards the baking room holding the bamboo basket.
Yang Chunyan bent over to fill the dustpan, picked it up and poured it into the bamboo basket. The baby in her belly kicked her, and she gasped in pain. She stood up quickly and said, "Grandpa, I feel a little uncomfortable. Go sit over there for a while."
The old man hurriedly said, "You can't finish it today, so don't sit down, go lie down quickly."
Zhao Huifang heard it and came over to take over the work in her hands, "Chunyan, where do you feel uncomfortable? Do you want to go to the clinic? Is your body hunched over? Does your child feel uncomfortable?"
"It should be. The child kicked me. I'll be fine after I rest for a while."
"Go and rest quickly. The youngest one was worried when we left and reminded us several times!"
"Okay, I'll go check on the dog then."
Zhou Huaian took the dog away, and Zhou Daqing went down the mountain and brought Dahei and Dahuang down with him. She left Dahuang behind so that she would know when the dog was there at the slightest noise.
She held her waist and walked towards the backyard door, gently touching her belly, "Mom is bending over to pick truffles, the baby is not feeling well, and I have some suggestions..."
Thinking of how Zhou Huaian always called the baby in his belly a son, I asked him if he would dislike having a daughter. He said no, and that he would like a daughter too.
When asked why, he said he knew the baby in her belly was a son!
Thinking of this, Yang Chunyan smiled and shook her head. She didn't know where his confidence came from, but she just believed that the baby in her belly was a son!
When Dahuang saw her coming, he wagged his tail affectionately.
Yang Chunyan smoothed its fur and said, "Why don't you sleep in the doghouse? It's the same if you sleep in your apprentice's doghouse!"
"Woof woof" Da Huang licked her palm. (End of this chapter)
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