Chapter 224 223: Courting Death
Zhou Huaian nodded happily, "Yes!"
Yang Chunyan hurriedly said, "Huaian, we still need to buy a tractor. We already have a 28-inch bicycle at home, and we will buy a women's bicycle later."
Zhou Huaian hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, please buy us two watches and a sewing machine. We can buy the bicycles next year."
Wang Zhen smiled and said, "Okay, just tell me when you need it."
After they paid the bill and said goodbye to Wang Zhen, they pushed the bicycle out of the alley. They saw Yang Xiaoxue and Fang Zhiqiang pushing their bicycles towards them. Thinking that they were going to the market to buy some pork, they stood there waiting for them to come over.
The four of them went to the vegetable market to buy pork. Seeing this, Yang Xiaoxue also bought two pounds of ribs. On the way back, they took a tractor to Baima Town at the bridgehead and got off at the fork in the road.
Fang Zhiqiang said to Zhou Huaian, "I heard that the Fang family in our brigade earned enough money to buy a tractor in just half a year. I want to sell the herbs and ask my brother-in-law to help me buy a tractor to run transportation and earn money."
Yang Xiaoxue also agreed and said to Yang Chunyan: "Chunyan, it would be a good idea to buy a tractor for transportation. It can also help take care of the family during the busy farming season."
Yang Chunyan thought for a moment and said, "Sister, we have contracted the mountain land behind the new house. Huai'an also plans to scrape together some money to buy a tractor to open up the wasteland and plow the land. After that, we can also do some transportation to make some money."
Yang Xiaoxue: "No wonder I heard someone say last time that someone was reclaiming wasteland in Guanyin Mountain! How many acres has your family contracted?"
Yang Chunyan: "That piece of land is 380 mu in total. Our family contracted all of it, and it was divided equally among the four brothers. The country now encourages everyone to contract barren hills, and we have all been issued certificates of ownership for the barren hills we contracted."
Yang Xiaoxue was a little moved after hearing this, "Zhiqiang, how about asking your old man to ask the brigade secretary to rent the barren hill behind our house?"
Fang Zhiqiang laughed and said, “The barren hill behind the house is at least one or two hundred acres. We can open up seven or eight acres for planting, but even if we contract all of it, no one will do the work!”
After hearing this, Yang Xiaoxue said to Yang Chunyan, "In our family, only Zhiqiang, my father-in-law and I work in the fields. His mother has a bad back and can't do heavy work."
Yang Chunyan: "I don't have to pay the contract fee for the first six years. I think it's worth a try!"
Fang Zhiqiang said: "Our team is different from yours, I'll go ask first."
Seeing that the two had not made up their minds, Yang Chunyan stopped talking about growing herbs.
The four of them arrived at the foot of Guanyin Mountain, said goodbye and went home.
Zhou Huaian pushed the chicken bus into the yard, and Wangcai and Lai Fu greeted them by wagging their tails.
"Yan'er, look how smart they are!"
Yang Chunyan squatted down and touched the dog's head, "Be good, you have a bone to eat today."
Zhou's mother came out of the kitchen and pointed at the dog with a smile, "It's so fierce even though it's just a little kid. When your aunt brought eggs over, it rushed over and bit her!"
Zhou Huaian put down the chicken bus and patted the dog's head, "Mom, after we move, you should also get a dog to guard the house."
"We'll talk about it when the time comes!" Zhou's mother took the chicken comb oil and rib meat handed to her by Yang Chunyan and hung them in the kitchen.
Yang Chunyan put the meat she brought up the mountain into a basket and asked, "Mom, how many days until the kiln is opened?"
Zhou's mother said cheerfully, "In two days, the second kiln will be ready soon. Your husband went to hire a mason and carpenter today, and we will start work after the grain is harvested next month."
Yang Chunyan: "You haven't found all the stones for the foundation yet, right?"
Mother Zhou: "I have discussed it with your husband and asked your sister-in-law and the others to go dig herbs as well. It would be more cost-effective to hire a few people to help with the work of pulling stones."
Yang Chunyan nodded, "Okay, let's go up the mountain after dinner."
Mother Zhou looked at the sky and said, "There is some leftover rice in the steamer. Heat it up and eat it. Then leave early. I'm worried that it might rain if we're late."
Yang Chunyan looked at the mountain in the southeast and saw dark clouds on the top of the mountain. "Then I'll go heat up the rice."
Zhou Huaian gave the money from selling vegetables and the menu that Huang Yongcai had asked for to Zhou's mother, "Take the list, these are the vegetables that will be sent to Ning An tomorrow morning."
Mother Zhou took it cheerfully and said, "Tell me what you want!"
Zhou Huaian took it and read it out: "Twenty catties of cowpeas, ten catties of taro, five catties of green beans and rice..."
After hearing this, Zhou's mother said, "I'll ask your third aunt to prepare the taro. We have green beans and cowpeas at home. I'll let your sister-in-law and her family get them when they come back from digging herbs. As for the rest, we'll have to buy them in the village."
"It's up to you where to buy it." Zhou Huaian thought about it and reminded, "If it rains, let the third brother go early, so as not to delay Huang's purchase."
"Yes!" Zhou's mother took out five yuan and handed it to Zhou Huaian, "I can't always let you pay for the meat and cockscomb oil."
"Hey!" Zhou Huaian stuffed it back into her pocket. "Big brother and his friends dig mud and break rocks every day. What's the big deal if I buy some meat and vegetables?"
Mother Zhou glared at him in reproach and said, "If you don't want me to keep it first, I'll give it to you when the family is divided."
Yang Chunyan picked some tofu vegetables and cooked egg soup, heated up the leftover rice, and gave Zhou's mother the list of herbs she sold today and the money she was supposed to share:
"Mom, we sold it for a total of more than three hundred and ninety yuan. I'll keep our half, and you can divide the rest among my sisters-in-law."
"Yes!" Zhou's mother took over and reminded, "Remember to bring a raincoat before going up the mountain."
"Yeah!" After dinner, the two put on raincoats and boots, put the dog in the backpack, put on straw hats and set off.
We didn't even dare to take a break for too long along the way, and when we were almost at the forest farm, it suddenly got dark.
Suddenly, there were bursts of thunder and strong winds. Dead leaves and branches were flying everywhere in the forest. Small trees were blown to and fro, and tree forks were creaking.
Yang Chunyan felt that it was no different from the scene in the movie when the Black Mountain Demon appeared.
Zhou Huaian held Yang Chunyan's hand, "Yan'er, I'll hold your hand, let's walk faster."
"Yes!" Yang Chunyan took his hand, and the two of them walked towards the forest farm with difficulty against the wind. They finally arrived at the gate of the forest farm before the rain fell.
Zhou Yiding looked at the two of them in surprise, "I thought you weren't coming today!"
Zhou Huaian wiped his sweat and put down his backpack. "We agreed. What if I don't come and you cry here?"
Before he could finish his words, heavy rain came pouring down. In an instant, the sky was covered with rain. The branches and leaves of the trees were shaking wildly in the raging rain. Water soon accumulated in the yard, and the puddles connected into one.
Yang Chunyan looked at the strong wind and heavy rain, and thought of the millet that had already begun to fill with grain. "With such strong winds, it will be troublesome if the millet is blown down."
Zhou Huaian: "If it collapses, we have no choice but to help it. Production cuts are inevitable."
"Come into the house first. The rain has fallen onto the eaves." Zhou Yiding picked up Dahei and walked towards the kitchen, and Dahuang followed him in.
The three of them entered the kitchen, and Zhou Huaian carried the dog out. Suddenly, he thought of Cai Ermei and the others, "Oh no! They went up the mountain today. I wonder where they are now?"
"Who went up the mountain?" Zhou Yiding looked at him, "Could it be Cai Ermei and the others?"
Zhou Huaian nodded, "That's them. Dakuan came to me last night to borrow bullets, saying that the price of cliff honey has increased again, so we should go into the mountains to look for cliff honey while the weather is good these few days."
"They set out so early in the morning, and now they've probably already reached Heishangou." Zhou Yiding said, shaking his head, "It's a death wish. Even if you make money, it's useless if you don't have a life to spend it!"
(End of this chapter)
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