Near the brick kiln, there is a simple shed with dried mud bricks piled underneath. Next to the mud bricks is a small mountain of firewood.
The firewood includes dead trees picked up from the mountains and wood cut from the hilltop allocated to his home. Because making bricks requires a large amount of firewood, it is far from enough to rely solely on people to collect firewood from the mountains. Therefore, in order to make bricks, Gao Yuanjian cut down almost all the trees on his own hilltop last fall.
The good wood is naturally kept for building houses, but the branches and tree trunks can be used for burning.
Gao Mingcheng came with an axe. His task was to split the thick tree trunks and tree tops. As for Gao Yuanjian and Gao Mingpeng, they came with machetes to cut the longer firewood.
Normally, when burning firewood in one's own stove, the firewood has to be chopped into small pieces, otherwise it will not fit into the stove and will be difficult to burn. But if you want to burn bricks, you can use slightly larger pieces.
After they arrived at the place, they stopped talking and got down to work.
The work that Gao Mingcheng had to do required a lot of effort, but fortunately he was very strong, and he could easily split the firewood with the axe.
After working for a while, Gao Yuanjian and Gao Mingpeng looked a little tired, so they put down their machetes and took out matches and cigarettes from their trouser pockets.
This time they were quite frugal and used one match to light two cigarettes.
"Mingcheng, take a break and have a cigarette?" Gao Mingpeng greeted him and handed Gao Mingcheng a cigarette.
Gao Mingcheng glanced at the cigarettes they were smoking. They were the cheapest cigarettes in their area. They tasted bad and would cause bad breath. Gao Mingcheng didn't want to smoke them.
Of course, he hasn't smoked since his rebirth.
Fortunately, he was reborn at the age of nineteen, and this body did not have a smoking addiction yet. He just had to overcome the addiction in his heart.
Gao Mingcheng shook his head and said, "I don't smoke."
Since his father and brother were resting, he couldn't keep working, so Gao Mingcheng put down the axe and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood.
Since moving to Niuweiling, he has come here less often.
The back mountain was originally lush and green, and most of the hilltops allocated to the villagers were also here. However, as Gao Fuqiang's family began to build a brick kiln and burn bricks, the back mountain has become much balder, and the hilltops belonging to Gao Fuqiang's family are now all bare.
Well, it can’t be said to be completely bare. In fact, there are still some saplings planted in the mountains. It’s just that those saplings are too small, so they are not noticeable at first glance.
The hilltop belonging to Gao Yuanjian's family is now bare. Gao Yuanjian started cutting down trees in late autumn last year, but in March this year, he also bought saplings to plant. He planted some fir, pine, sassafras, paulownia and birch.
These trees are common in their area. Fir and pine are excellent timber, while birch is a fast-growing forest with strong adaptability, making it very suitable for afforestation.
Some of these trees grow fast, while others grow slowly. As long as the seedlings survive, this place will be covered with greenery again in a few years.
Gao Mingcheng looked over one by one and suddenly found that the hilltop that belonged to him was also bald!
Gao Mingcheng continued walking forward, and after walking for a while, he saw many beautiful hills.
When the land was distributed to each household, the villagers bullied Xiumei because she had no parents or brothers, and therefore were unwilling to give Xiumei any land. But in the end they gave Xiumei a share of the mountain.
Today, many beautiful hilltops are still lush and green.
Only after seeing this scene did Gao Mingcheng breathe a sigh of relief.
His hilltop was next to Gao Yuanjian's. Ever since he moved to Niuweiling, he had never come here to collect firewood.
But when he went to build a house and make bricks for his family, he cut down all the firewood on the hill.
In fact, it's not just his. The hills of Gaomingwan and Gaomingli are also bald now.
Gao Mingcheng looked at the many beautiful hills, thought about it, and decided to forget it. Even if he said it, it would be meaningless. The trees had been cut down, so what else could he do? He could just ask his father to plant new saplings for him!
Fortunately, his father really planted trees. Gao Mingcheng took a quick look and saw that most of them were pine trees and birch trees.
He didn't have any requirements for this, so he strolled back to the brick kiln.
Gao Yuanjian and Gao Mingpeng had finished smoking a cigarette and were working. When they saw Gao Mingcheng coming back, they immediately greeted him.
Gao Yuanjian knew that Gao Mingcheng had gone to see the hilltop, so he said, "Our family's hilltops are all connected. When we cut down trees, we cut them down together, but now we have planted saplings."
Gao Mingcheng nodded, indicating that he already knew.
He had spent a lot of money to build the house, so he didn't care about this little piece of wood. Besides, all the hills near his home had been cut down to make bricks, so there was no question of favoritism.
Since it takes four days and four nights to make bricks, a large amount of firewood is needed. What is piled here is only a part of it. The rest is still in the mountains, and it will take time to carry the firewood down the mountain.
"Mingcheng, why don't you stay in the village for a few days? You can help here." Suddenly, Gao Yuanjian called out to Gao Mingcheng to stay in the village.
Gao Mingcheng refused subconsciously: "No, I came back this time to take eggs and clothes to sell in the county. I will come back in a few days after my eldest brother asks someone to find out the news about the prefabricated board owner."
Gao Mingcheng refused to agree, and Gao Yuanjian had no choice but to continue chopping trees in silence.
He was chopping down trees that were as thick as his wrist. With two or three cuts, he could basically cut them off. Then he stacked the chopped trees neatly so that they could be used as firewood when burning the kiln.
Gao Mingcheng put one foot on the wood to hold it in place, then chopped it down with the axe in his hand, leaving deep cuts on the wood.
After chopping the wood a few more times and cutting it, Gao Mingcheng said, "Dad, did you hire a potter to make bricks?"
A potter is someone who can help others make bricks. Although the method of making bricks has been passed down from the ancestors of Gaojia Village, not everyone can make good bricks.
Therefore, when firing bricks, if you cannot control yourself, it is best to ask someone who knows how to do it. This person is the kiln maker. He will teach you how to step on the mud, how to make molds, how to make bricks, where to stack the bricks, how many days to dry in the shade, and what to pay attention to when firing the kiln.
There are certain rules for when to seal the kiln roof, when to seal the kiln door, when to let water seep in, and when to open the kiln.
In addition to hiring a potter, if there are not enough people at home, you will have to hire someone to watch the fire.
After the brick kiln starts burning, it has to burn continuously for four days and four nights, and the fire cannot be stopped day and night. Therefore, more people are needed to take turns. Otherwise, one or two people cannot burn out any bricks at all.
Of course, in the village, when making bricks, it is basically relatives who come to help, or they help each other.
Seeing Gao Mingcheng asking the question, Gao Yuanjian said, "I didn't call the kiln maker, but I called Gao Fuqiang to help guide him. This brick kiln is his. He fired seven or eight kilns of bricks last year. He knows everything."
Gao Mingpeng also said: "Originally it only costs 30 yuan to rent a brick kiln, but Gao Fuqiang said that if he needs guidance, it will cost 35 yuan."
There was some dissatisfaction in Gao Mingpeng's tone.
But Gao Yuanjian was open-minded. He said to his two sons, "If we hire a potter, it will cost more, and we have to provide meals!"
So Gao Mingpeng kept silent.
Gao Mingcheng asked again who would come to help with the fire. Gao Yuanjian mentioned the names of several relatives. If they took turns together, the bricks in the kiln would be able to be burned.
There was a lot of firewood piled up near the brick kiln. Gao Mingcheng came here to help with the work and worked until five in the afternoon.
The work was not yet completely done, but Gao Mingcheng could no longer stay.
He put down his axe and said, "It's getting late. I have to go back to the county."
If you don't go back, it will be unsafe to drive when it gets dark.
Gao Yuanjian was also wearing a watch. After looking at the time, he did not keep Gao Mingcheng.
Gao Mingcheng hurried back to Gao Mingpeng's home, first took the eggs and brown sugar to bring to Wang Xiuxiu, and then returned to Niuweiling.
Chen Dasong was serious about his work. He had already piled the eggs and steamed meat in the bed of his car. When others came back, he would just drive them away.
It was May and the vegetables in the fields had just been planted and were not yet edible, so there was nothing else except a few hundred eggs.
As for the honey, I won’t take it this time because I need to bring a bag of clothes back later.
He said hello to Chen Dasong, then drove his tractor towards the county in a hurry. When passing by Xing'an Mountains, he was about to pack his clothes and leave, but found that Gao Shouwang's family was cooking and getting ready to eat.
When he saw Gao Mingcheng, Gao Shouwang asked him to stay for dinner at his home.
But Gao Mingcheng did not agree. After loading the goods into the car, he continued driving away.
When the sound of the tractor became farther and farther away and could no longer be heard, Dong Feixia had finished cooking the dishes, so she called Gao Shouwang to come and eat.
Since the garment workshop opened, the couple mostly ate here. Sometimes after dinner, they would slowly walk back to their house in the old village to sleep.
Sometimes when I am too busy, I just stay here and don’t go back to the village.
Days like this are simple and busy, yet also peace of mind.
Gao Shouwang and Dong Feixia had already eaten the hot meals, but Gao Mingcheng was still hungry and walked towards the county against the wind.
Fortunately, the wind in May is not cold. Although the evening breeze is slightly cool, it is also comfortable.
When he returned to the clothing store, it was gradually getting dark. When he looked at the time, it was already past six o'clock.
When he returned, he happened to meet Xuanyuemei and the others who were having dinner. Seeing him coming back at this time, Xuanyuemei couldn't help but said, "Why are you back so late? I thought you were not coming back!"
There was a lot of work to do in the village in the first half of the year, so it was normal for Gao Mingcheng to stay in the village for a few days. However, according to Gao Mingcheng's habit, he would tell her in advance. Even if it was a sudden decision, he would borrow Gao Shouwang's phone to call her.
So even though Gao Mingcheng hadn't come back yet, his family still left some food for him.
As soon as Gao Mingcheng entered the yard, he went to the faucet to wash his hands, and then sat down at the table.
By the time he sat down, Gao Shufang had already brought out the meal she had reserved for him. Since they had just finished eating, the meal was still hot.
Smelling the aroma of the food, Gao Mingcheng felt extremely hungry, so he took a big bite of the rice first, and then sighed and said, "I was conscripted!"
He spent the entire afternoon helping to chop firewood in the back mountain!
It’s thanks to his good physical fitness, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to lift his wrist right now.
Hearing about his experience, everyone laughed, and Gao Mingli said, "Brother, what you said made me afraid to go back during the holiday this week!"
In the past, during holidays, Gao Mingli would drive a tractor back to the village. He had to help Gao Mingcheng bring eggs to the county to sell, and occasionally he had to get some goods from Gao Shouwang to sell.
In order to avoid working, Gao Mingli decided not to go back to the village during the holiday this week, but he never expected that someone wanted to show off!
Lou Xinyu said: "I can make bricks! My grandfather can make bricks, and he took me to make bricks for others a few times when I was a child!"
"Shufang, how about I go home with you on the weekend? I'll meet your parents and help them with some work."
His tone sounded quite eager to try!
Lou Xinyu wanted to get married as soon as possible, and his relationship with Gao Shufang had been agreed upon by Gao Shufang's brothers. However, he had not yet met Gao Shufang's parents!
If you want to marry Gao Shufang smoothly, you have to get over the hurdle of your father-in-law and mother-in-law!
Therefore, Lou Xinyu really wanted to show himself.
He has one arm that is weak, so he probably can't do tasks like chopping wood, but he can make a fire!
He also knew how to bake bricks, what kind of fire was needed in the brick kiln, and when to seal the kiln roof. Knowing these things could reduce the problem of his arm weakness.
Lou Xinyu looked at Gao Shufang with excitement, but Gao Shufang became a little nervous.
She looked at Gao Mingcheng for help and asked, "Second brother, have you told our parents that Xinyu and I are dating?"
Gao Mingcheng swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "No. Haven't you said anything yet?"
When he returned to the village, he actually forgot to tell his parents about this matter, and thought that Gao Shufang had already told his family about it.
Gao Shufang blushed and said, "Xinyu and I have only been dating for less than half a month..."
What I mean is that I haven’t told my family yet.
Hearing this, Lou Xinyu became even more anxious and felt that he should go home with Gao Shufang as soon as possible!
So Lou Xinyu looked at Gao Shufang and said, "Shufang, take me back and we can tell your parents in person."
Gao Shufang's eyes flickered for a moment before she finally nodded.
Okay, just take it back. This will happen again sooner or later anyway!
After his wish was fulfilled, Lou Xinyu began to think about buying some gifts to send to the guest's home.
After dinner, Lou Xinyu did not stay long and went back to the family compound to have a rest. By the way, he asked his colleagues what gifts to buy since it was his first visit.
After he left, Gao Mingli exaggeratedly teased Gao Shufang: "Little sister, you have a good boyfriend! I really hope he will be as hardworking as you in the future!"
Every time he went back to the village, his family would ask him to do some work. Gao Mingli really felt that working was tiring, and farm work was even more tiring!
He didn't want to do the job at all, but now someone is rushing to do it! (End of this chapter)
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