Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The Dog That Repays Gratitude, the Wolf That Descends the Mountain
Lin Xinghuo carefully checked the small bundle. The fox cub opened the handkerchief and it was obvious that the small wooden sign was hidden inside. He didn't know when the master had secretly put it in?
There was nothing to be seen from the wooden plaque, so Lin Xinghuo put it into a small pouch and tucked it under his pillow.
After sorting her huge fortune of more than 90 yuan according to denominations, Lin Xinghuo stuffed her wallet deep into the kang cabinet. She thought she probably wouldn't need much money: things in the village were similar to those in the mountains, and they also bartered.
Just as he was thinking this, Lin Xinghuo suddenly realized that there was no clock in the room to check the time. He looked around in confusion, and only the bright moon in the sky outside the window told him that it was getting late.
I still have to find a way to buy a watch that can tell the time! Lin Xinghuo suddenly realized: she can't afford it! She couldn't help but sigh in frustration, how poor!
The fox cubs didn't understand the pain of being pricked by someone's heart, so they crowded around and rubbed against him to act cute. Lin Xinghuo picked up the eldest of the three foxes, the one with white fur around its eyes, and said with a stern face, "If you make trouble again, I'll sell you for a watch!"
The eldest wasn't afraid at all. He stretched his neck and rubbed his cheek, revealing a copper bell hidden in his neck hair. Lin Xinghuo put it down and plucked the bell, still puzzled. He could clearly see the copper ball inside, but no matter how he plucked it, there was no sound. Could it be that it had rusted from age?
Each of the little foxes had a bell dangling from its neck. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary copper bell, the size of a fingertip, its patterns and craftsmanship even inferior to the ones on the village's large blue mule. The master had mysteriously said that this was a legacy left by the great master, waiting for the right person—at that time, the master expounded on the importance of inheritance while neatly draping the "legacy" around the fox cubs' furry necks with a leather cord.
Fine, let it be passed down. It must have been worn by the ancestor's cat. When the fox cubs grow up and return to the wild, she'll take the bell off, ensuring it's passed down to the next furry creature.
Before falling asleep, Lin Xinghuo inexplicably took out the purse containing the small wooden sign and hung it around his neck, reaching an agreement with the cubs.
*** ***
"Cluck! Cluck! Cluck—" Before daybreak, the roosters in the village were crowing loudly.
Lin Xinghuo pinched his brows, put on his clothes and stood up, thinking that the rooster in Grandma Wei's house suddenly became silent. Could it be that a wild animal like a weasel sneaked in?
After lighting the kerosene lamp and opening the door to the main room, Lin Xinghuo saw a large dog half a man's height squatting at the door with a rabbit in its mouth.
——Is this the big yellow dog that the master and the old branch secretary talked about as "grateful and repaying kindness"?
At this moment, Lin Xinghuo suddenly felt something. He walked around the big dog and walked to the middle of the yard. He looked towards the southwest: the setting moonlight intertwined with the morning light, and the distant mountains were hazy, like thick ink. And where the peaks were surrounded, there was white mist, as if a piece of ink painting had been abruptly wiped out.
Buxian Temple has disappeared.
Standing quietly in the courtyard, Lin Xinghuo felt inexplicably dazed, as if he were floating on a duckweed, drifting aimlessly, not knowing where to go.
In just ten days, she had come to regard Buxian Temple as her anchor in this strange era. Now that the anchor had disappeared, Lin Xinghuo lost her composure for a moment, her heart surging with emotions that were difficult to discern.
…
"Xiao Lin! My girl! Why are you silent? Did a yellow fox sneak in?" Grandma Wei asked repeatedly as she buttoned her collar and hurried out on her feet: "Don't be afraid, go into the house first, I'll scare it away!"
The old lady froze as she stepped out of the door. After a moment, her voice suddenly became soft and slow: "Girl, back away slowly. Don't turn around, don't run, don't be afraid! Back off to the woodshed and bolt the door!"
Lin Xinghuo didn't understand what was going on, so she took two steps back. The big yellow dog was watching her, and when he saw her leaving, he turned around, picked up the rabbit, and followed.
Grandma Wei was very anxious. She turned around, picked up the oil lamp in the main hall and threw it at the dog. Then she grabbed the gong hanging on the wall by the door and started beating it. "Kill the wolf! Kill the wolf! There's a wolf in the village!"
Da Huang bared his teeth at Grandma Wei and made a low warning sound of "woohoo" in his throat.
Grandma Wei was incredibly agile. She pressed her body against the door, leaving a thigh-wide gap to attract the wolf's attention. "Girl! Run!"
The open courtyards of each household in Bushan Village were unwalled, their low fences forming a single, fenced wall. A gong rang out, and soon a number of disheveled members of the commune came running out, some holding pitchforks, shovels, and hatchets... "It's Grandma Wei's house! It's a wolf!"
"The wolves are coming down the mountain! Can you see how many there are?"
"Every old woman, hold the door and keep an eye on your children! There's a wolf coming down the mountain!"
Dahuang turned his head and roared at the villagers who were rushing towards him with a ferocious look, and the echoing sounds of "Ao Wu" and "Ao Wu" could be heard in the distance.
Everyone felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. The worst thing had happened. A pack of wolves had really entered the village!
"Three people form a group and lead the wolf out of Grandma Wei's house first!" Huang Dazhuang, the production team leader and militia captain, rushed to the front and stared into the wolf's eyes.
Da Huang turned around and protected Lin Xinghuo behind him, crouching on the ground with his back arched even more, baring his fangs.
The conflict was about to break out. Lin Xinghuo could no longer care about anything else and shouted in a deep voice: "Da Huang!"
"rhubarb!"
Dahuang's roar became three degrees lower, but his green wolf eyes never left the hostile people.
God knows how the grateful yellow dog turned into a wolf! In his previous life, Lin Xinghuo had never seen a living wolf.
"Da Huang, get down!" Lin Xinghuo had no choice but to imitate the way her adopted brother scolded his Doberman in her memory, "Get down!" The brother-in-law had once let the dog threaten her, but Lin Xinghuo had already "cultivated the sense of qi" at that time, and easily relied on her skills to drive the Doberman away.
But the little nun now just walked a little more on the mountain road yesterday, and today she feels sore and uncomfortable in her legs.
Fortunately, the master's reputation was not ruined, and the wolf named Dahuang really hesitated and lay down.
The old Party secretary who lived at the village entrance and rode a donkey hurriedly came over and was dumbfounded: "Da Huang?"
In the dim light of day, everyone took a closer look at the lying Da Huang. The team leader Huang Dazhuang, who was carrying a hammer, said with a sigh: "Good fellow, with such a big body, it must be the alpha wolf, right?" As expected of an old fairy, in front of her, even the alpha wolf had to be as obedient as a dog! It seemed that the little fairy had inherited the true teachings.
The old Party Secretary glared at him and waved to everyone: "Go away, go away."
What man doesn't love big dogs? Especially seeing that this wolf is quite obedient, is the rabbit in its mouth going to be given to the little fairy? Everyone joined in the fun and was very happy.
Grandma Wei slapped her thigh and said, "Oh, it's all my fault! This is Da Huang, the old fairy's seat. How impressive!"
The old Party Secretary's face drooped even further. Was this the time to talk about this? He yelled angrily, "You guys have no idea what you're talking about! Aren't you cold? Go home! And tell your wives to go home too!"
Only then did the men see the old women behind them with disheveled hair, coming up with torches.
"Let's go! Let's go home!" Wang Huzi called his wife and looked at the burning branch in her hand. He said angrily: "Oh my God! It's just a small branch. What can it do to scare people away? What are you doing out here?" The torches in the hands of other sisters-in-law were not very good, but they were more reliable than his own. "It's better for you to stay at home and look after your daughter. I hope our Caiduan is not scared..."
"My daughter, you only care about your daughter! Why don't you see that I am risking my life to help you? You think that the thick stick can be lit in a short time?"
Someone nearby laughed: "Second sister-in-law is lucky to have a tree branch, but mine wrapped around the door curtain to use as a torch... Oh my, how much kerosene did you use? You old spendthrift woman!"
Here, the startled fox cubs finally climbed over the threshold, scrambling their short legs as quickly as possible to slip under the soft belly of the iron-gray wolf. Da Huang didn't chase them away, letting the little foxes keep warm.
It was late autumn and the morning breeze was cold. Lin Xinghuo sneezed and was no longer afraid of this "Da Huang".
"We've caused a disaster! We've ruined the whole village!" Lin Xinghuo tentatively stroked the wolf's head and pointed at Nanshan: "Hurry up and take the other wolves back to the mountain. Don't come back here again!"
Dahuang used his snout to push the rabbit towards Lin Xinghuo's feet, but the rabbit refused to get up.
It refused to leave, so Lin Xinghuo had no choice but to temporarily chase it into the woodshed and let the three fox cubs watch over it. She washed her hands and quickly helped Grandma Wei make breakfast.
The little foxes were already hungry, so Lin Xinghuo poured out a bowl of rabbit porridge before adding the salt. The little ones devoured it ravenously. After a moment's hesitation, Lin Xinghuo gave half a bowl of porridge to Da Huang as well. Fortunately, the rabbit was fat enough to cook a full pot of porridge, enough for each of the villagers who had come to help.
After finishing his porridge, Dahuang stretched his neck and howled "Awoo awoo", then walked leisurely towards the wolf pack where he had responded, wagging his thick tail.
After breakfast, the old branch secretary arrived with two young men in a mule cart. The cart was loaded with four sacks, one small and one large. "Two sacks of sweet potatoes, one sack of coarse grains, and a small bag of fine grains. The old nun had agreed with the village authorities earlier: this time, when we change the medicine, she'll give us 60%, and the remaining 40% will be yours." Actually, 40% was much more than that, but it was too conspicuous to carry it all at once. The old branch secretary was a man of great insight. This public delivery simply showed that Xiao Lin had enough food on his own!
At this time, there were many aunts and ladies in Grandma Wei's yard, and some educated youth were also here to join in the fun.
This was because after daybreak, some members discovered that Lotus Peak was covered by fog, and with the help of the old fairy's magical powers, more people came to see Lin Xinghuo.
"The old fairy lady is truly capable and courageous! She closed the mountain half a month earlier than usual. Those people in Jinjiayao will regret it!" "Jinjiayao Commune and the villages below it still haven't gotten their medicine—never mind the nonsense about a hospital in the county. In their area, once the tenth month of the lunar calendar arrives, there's no telling when the heavy snow will fall. By then, it's thick enough to bury a person. Going to the county? That's not treating a disease; it's courting death."
Everyone gathered around Grandma Wei and Lin Xinghuo to talk. Several elderly people caressed Lin Xinghuo lovingly and shared their experiences: "It's not enough to just have food. We have to stock up on vegetables and fruits to keep ourselves comfortable during the winter." "I'm afraid your Grandma Wei doesn't have many dried vegetables. I have plenty at home. I'll ask my naughty boy to bring two baskets over." "The persimmons in the west valley are covered with frost. Your Uncle Zhuzi is the best at picking them!" "..."
Lin Xinghuo was not too embarrassed at the moment. She found that as long as she listened carefully, the old people could talk happily with each other.
Outside the crowd, Chang Qing stared intently at the food. She dreamed of eating a white steamed bun. But she wasn't good at work, and the few work points she earned were only enough to buy sweet potatoes and corn, and she couldn't rely on her family.
After thinking for a moment, Chang Qing asked Yang Weibao, "This sack must be 200 kilograms, right? Can Comrade Lin eat so much food?"
Yang Weibao glanced at her and said nothing.
Cui Xia pulled Yang Weibao away and rolled her eyes. "Everyone has their own rations to eat. Why do you care whether others can finish them or not? You are so enthusiastic, why don't you ask Xiao Lanqin if the rations she got are enough? Why don't you give her some of your leftovers so that her family doesn't have to send food coupons all the way here!"
Yang Weibo held Cui Xia's hand and said, "Let's go."
Cui Xia was still dissatisfied: "She's the only one who's clever! Are all the others stupid? She stirs up trouble, stands on the sidelines, and instigates others to take away other people's food for her to fill her own warehouse. And in the end, she wants to be a good person with a clean record!"
Chang Qing was stunned. He caught a glimpse of the two people walking away hand in hand, and cursed in his heart: "Shameless! Slut!"
Unfortunately, Wei Bu Shun and Xiao Lan Qin were not at home at the moment. Xiao Lan Qin was lazing around in the house because of her capitalist lady syndrome again; while Wei Bu Shun had an infected pimple from picking at it, and his whole face was swollen and red like scabies, and he was trying to find a way to remedy it.
Chang Qing had no choice but to step forward and asked Lin Xinghuo with a smile, "Has Comrade Lin decided to stay in Buxiantun? The commune approved it so quickly. I heard that Comrade Lin is from Beijing. If he stays here, he should be considered an educated youth, right?"
"Our Youth League House is quite spacious. There are only five of us female Youth League members living in the east room. We are all activists, warm-hearted and friendly. You can come and live with us. It will be a great opportunity for us to make progress together." The Youth League Captain was very kind and welcomed Lin Xinghuo to join the ranks of progressive youth.
Chang Qing stroked her hair, her eyes reddened with emotion, and she said to Lin Xinghuo sincerely: "I heard that Comrade Lin has no other relatives. I can understand your feelings. In fact, like us educated youth, we are all away from our relatives to receive re-education from our fellow villagers. Don't be sad. What I mean is that we educated youth are your close comrades-in-arms, and we are your proletarian family members who are closer than your sisters!"
Lin Xinghuo was stunned for a moment, then looked straight into her eyes until the redness faded away before pointing to the west room where they were currently living: "I have a lot of luggage, and the Youth League House can't hold it all."
Chang Qing didn't believe it. She had clearly seen Lin Xinghuo with those things yesterday! What was she pretending to be? She was just a vain and superficial person. If you just use big principles to frame her and say some nice things, you won't be afraid of not being able to win her over.
Changqing's confidence soared.
In fact, if it weren't for the food, for the old branch secretary and the team leader's special look, and for the longer-term benefits, Chang Qing wouldn't bother to win over such backward elements! In Chang Qing's view, Lin Xinghuo was a monster who should be overthrown and criticized, even more despicable than Xiao Lanqin's capitalist style.
When she was a child, Chang Qing's grandmother was a bully in the tube-shaped building, with a lot of insults. In her grandmother's words, the nuns and Taoist priestesses who returned to secular life in the old society were no different from prostitutes who turned good: all lowly people! Although she no longer dared to say this, the idea was ingrained in her bones.
Chang Qing looked down on Lin Xinghuo from the bottom of his heart.
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