Chapter Sixteen: Let's Watch the Show
"Mother, I heard that Baozhu is here? I just hunted a wild boar today, so let Baozhu stay at our house for lunch!"
Lin Baozhu knew in her heart that the speaker was Yang Aiguo, the third son of the Yang family, who was about the same age as her. Because of the original owner's sister-in-law, Yang Aiguo had helped the Lin family renovate the pigsty, build the courtyard wall, and harvest the autumn crops. He stayed for three months and was indeed familiar with the original owner.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Yang Aiguo dragged a wild boar into the yard. The boar looked like a calf and weighed at least four hundred pounds.
"Ha! This wild boar is really big! Brother Yang is really capable now!" Lin Baozhu praised with a smile.
Yang Aiguo chuckled at the praise, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Lin Baozhu and said, "There's no shortage of food in the mountains now, so the wild boars are naturally plump. When you go back later, take plenty of meat with you—we hunters may not have much else, but we have plenty of meat!"
Lin Baozhu looked at the man, who was tall and had a strong, muscular build, comparable to her third brother. With that physique, he was no wonder he was a hunter!
"Brother Yang, do you need to hand over the wild animals you hunt?"
“If you have a hunting license, you have to pay 60% of the price to the government for large animals like these; if you hunt small animals like pheasants or rabbits, you don’t have to pay if you don’t hunt more than ten at a time. If you don’t have a license, you have to pay 70% to 80% for large animals, and you can’t hunt more than five pheasants or rabbits,” Yang Aiguo explained.
Lin Baozhu's eyes lit up: That's true, but there are plenty of loopholes to exploit. Especially since she has her "treasure," her spatial dimension. If she could get a hunting license, wouldn't she be able to legitimately provide meat for her family? Even if she had to give away 60%, so what? The spatial dimension is huge, and wild boars are known for having offspring. Before long, the spatial dimension would become a wild boar's den. At that point, she could eat meat whenever she wanted, and the key is that no one could say anything about it.
Thinking of this, she quickly asked, "Brother Yang, is it easy to get a hunting license?"
Seeing her interest, and knowing it was something he knew well, Yang Aiguo perked up immediately, his dark skin flushing slightly. He started talking, saying, "Well, first you have to submit an application to the commune's forestry group, writing down your name, gender, age, how much you know about hunting, what tools you use, how you hunt, what kind of wild animals you want to hunt, how many you want to hunt, when you want to hunt, and where you want to hunt. Especially the permit for hunting with a gun, it's very strict now. The country is gradually regulating firearms, so it's much harder for us mountain folk to get a gun permit."
"Moreover, after submitting the application, you have to go to the county to take an in-person test. Only after passing the test can you get a certificate. You have to be strong enough, and you also have to know how to deal with those fierce guys. If you really encounter someone who is going to kill you, you have to know how to save your life and run away. You have to take the test."
Lin Baozhu nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself: I'll write an application when I get back. As for the test he mentioned, she wasn't afraid of it—with this kind of strength, even a bear would run away with its tail between its legs.
Seeing her eager expression, Yang Aiguo chuckled: "If you really want to get a certificate, there's someone in our village who works at the county forestry station. But then again, lesbians..."
Those who can obtain hunting licenses are extremely rare.
Just considering strength alone, most girls would be outmatched. Women's strength can't compare to men's. He could drag this 400-pound wild boar down the mountain with a bit of grit, but a woman, even if she caught it with a trap, might not be able to drag it back. The mountains are teeming with blood; they might attract wolves or tigers. If they encountered these beasts, let alone women, even strong men would have a hard time surviving.
Listening from the side, Yang's mother reached out and elbowed Yang Aiguo hard: "What nonsense are you spouting, you brat? Baozhu looks so thin and weak, how could she possibly hunt? Don't you dare teach her anything! If your brother-in-law finds out, he'll skin you alive!"
He then pulled Lin Baozhu into the house, saying, "Come in quickly, I drew some mung bean water from the well this morning, and it's just the right time to drink it."
"well."
Lin Baozhu originally intended to stay for a short while and then leave, but she couldn't resist the enthusiasm of the Yang family and was invited to stay for a meal.
The Yang family had three sons and three daughters. All three daughters were married, and the two sons had also found wives and started their own families. Only Aiguo was left, still unmarried, living with his parents.
However, at lunchtime, the Yang family elder...
Yang Zhiguo's wife arrived heavily pregnant, and there was no one else in the house besides the three of them.
Later, they learned that the commune had assigned them a task, and most of the men from Wanghuzhai had responded to the call to go hunting in the deep mountains, and wouldn't be back for three or four days. Yang's father, along with his eldest son and eldest son...
Both went, but Yang Aiguo was not eligible to participate in such a group activity because he obtained his hunting license late.
"Second sister-in-law, looking at your belly, you must be about to give birth, right?" Lin Baozhu asked.
"Yes, it'll be time to unload this burden in a month."
"It's almost done? Have you prepared all the baby blankets, diapers, and stuff?"
"It's already been prepared."
Ge Chunni glanced at Yang Aiguo, who was all smiles, and teased, "Baozhu, how are things going with your boyfriend?"
Lin Baozhu paused, her hand still holding the food in her hand: "I just returned it yesterday."
"Clang!"
Lin Baozhu glanced at the chopsticks lying on the ground and smiled at Yang Aiguo, "Third Brother Yang, you must be exhausted from dragging this wild boar back. Look how tired you are, you can't even hold the chopsticks properly."
Ge Chunni lowered her eyelids, a faint smile playing on her lips—this kid is probably going to be too happy to sleep tonight.
"You bet I'm exhausted, hahaha..." Yang Aiguo hurriedly picked up his chopsticks, his ears turning bright red.
After lunch, Lin Baozhu wanted to take her two children and leave, but Yang's mother stopped her: "I'll have the third son ride his bike to take you. The midday sun is scorching, and I'm worried about you, a delicate young woman, walking with two children."
Lin Baozhu agreed – she had walked here this morning with her two young children, and it was already dark by the time she got home.
Before leaving, Yang's mother took most of the dried meat hanging on the rope under the eaves and stuffed it into her basket. She also filled the basket halfway with dried mushrooms drying in the yard: "These are common in the mountains. I'll make soup for the children when we get back to help them get some nutrition."
Lin Baozhu didn't refuse; they were all in-laws, and being too formal would only make them seem distant.
Yang Aiguo borrowed a bicycle. Hu Zi sat on the crossbar, while Lin Baozhu held Tian Tian on the back seat. The bicycle bumped along the uneven dirt road, the summer wind hot and stinging their faces. The two little ones chattered excitedly about their adventures in Wanghu Village, making Lin Baozhu chuckle softly from time to time. Yang Aiguo pedaled, unable to suppress the smile on his face.
As we approached Dageba Village, we saw several women gathered at the village entrance, spitting as they talked to three men in police uniforms.
Yang Aiguo asked curiously, "What's going on in your village? Why are even the police involved?"
"Zhi Du is here?"
"We'll know once we go and see." Lin Baozhu had no intention of covering for Old Lady You—that old woman had driven the original owner to her death, and she had only made her lose face, which was a light punishment.
"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up!"
After saying that, wait
It's human nature to join in the fun, especially in the 1970s when entertainment was scarce. Even a quarrel on the street could draw a crowd, let alone the excitement of having the police present.
Why was Yang Aiguo so familiar with "himself"? The two of them had a revolutionary friendship built on smashing latrines together.
Yang Aiguo slowly pushed the cart closer, and the closer he got, the clearer he could hear. His expression gradually turned to shock.
Goodness, it's only been a short time since I came down the mountain, and the people down there have already gone this crazy?
This woman, over fifty years old, is still so promiscuous! Her husband is even more ruthless; he castrated her lover!
Seeing his utterly shocked expression, Lin Baozhu coughed lightly and said, "Every village has its share of bad apples."
“I remember Bi Yuntao’s mother’s surname was You…” Yang Aiguo murmured.
Lin Baozhu was a little surprised: "Yes, it's her. Brother Yang, it's awfully hot outside, let's hurry home."
Actually, she was thinking about what would happen to the Bi family—this drama was probably not over yet.
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