第26章 第二十六章 所以林星火到底是不是那個……
老支書回去的時候, 人都木了。
被他使喚人從別的公社大集上叫回來的大隊長黃大壯着急道：“老書記，咋回事？紅農公社大集上有種子，我正跟人搶呢, 晚了就換不成了！”紅農公社是本縣有名的産糧大戶, 黃大壯昨天下午就趕到了，幸虧他有個大隊長的頭銜，不然人家民兵隊指定不讓他半夜就去集上蹲着。
Huang Dazhuang was anxious. Rural markets were strictly controlled these days. This was the only big market in Hongnong Commune before the spring planting season. Even though it only lasted two days, there might be nothing left tomorrow! Besides, Buxian Village was far away. Even a human could handle the back and forth trip, but a mule couldn't.
The old Party Secretary jumped off the donkey cart and waved his hand, "Unload the cart first. You'll see after you unload it."
Huang Dazhuang had no choice but to lead the donkey. He took a look at the neatly stacked sacks on the donkey cart and said, "Aren't these corn seeds distributed by the seed station?" This damn seed station is so dishonest that it specifically blocks their corn seeds. Experienced farmers all know that they can use self-saved seeds for rice and wheat, but not for corn. If they force themselves to plant self-saved seeds, the yield per mu may not reach half of last year's.
"Wow, why are they so heavy!" A sack of seeds weighed fifty kilograms, and Huang Dazhuang nearly strained his back trying to carry two. He lifted a sack and shook it; it must have weighed more than half as much. He opened the sack and scooped up a handful, revealing that the once small, dark kernels seemed to have a glossy sheen and seemed plumper.
The old secretary's shoe-horn-like face finally broke into a smile, which made the accountant who came over after hearing the news shudder. He said, "Old idiot, don't try to imitate the young man's way of smiling with eight big white teeth, showing off your black holes? Don't you think it's shameful?"
Accountant Wang stuffed a fist-sized stone into Huang Dazhuang's arms and said, "I dug it from the southern slope. I'll bury it right in the middle of your yard."
Huang Dazhuang protected the stone with one hand and reluctantly planted corn seeds with the other. He asked naively, "There are five-colored stones like this on Nanshan Mountain. They're really beautiful."
Giving Huang Dazhuang a pipe, the old Party Secretary said unhappily, "They were dug from the yard on the slope! Do you understand? These seeds were also left to dry in the yard all day. The sun on the South Mountain is simply better than elsewhere."
The captain was straightforward but not stupid, so he understood what was said. He put the stone into his clothes, put his hands into the seed bag and rummaged through it, and was so happy that his teeth were dripping with joy: "So, one of our seeds can be worth two?" If that's the case, not only will there be no shortage, but they can also plant more wasteland!
The old Party Secretary stood with his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "Anyway, the gourds and sweet potato vines in the yard up the slope, and the peach trees outside the yard are all thriving. I reckon even if they can't be worth two, they're pretty close."
The weather got warm early this year, and the Agricultural Technology Station suggested that corn could be planted in the next two days. However, the seed station played tricks at the last minute and gave away a quarter of the corn seeds, which made the three leaders of the team very worried. Even Accountant Wang, who went to bed and got up early and loved to stay healthy, lost a lot of hair.
"The quality of the seeds from the commune seed station is just so-so. In the past, we had to sow in rows to ensure the germination rate. This time, let's try row sowing. In half of the field, we should plant three or four seeds in one row according to the old method, and in the other half, we should plant two seeds in one row. Let's see how it goes." Accountant Wang suggested happily.
"The spring planting mobilization meeting will begin soon! Let's plant tomorrow!" the old Party branch secretary made the final decision. We'll know how it turns out once the crops are planted.
Lin Xinghuo did not attend the village's spring sowing meeting. She was currently entertaining a special guest: the sable that had previously been raised by Dirty Beard.
The caracal that Lin Xinghuo had summoned the sable over stared at the scheming sable that had rubbed against it without blinking, its thick paw pads extending and retracting its sharp claws from time to time.
Lin Xinghuo made the remaining demon pork and the pine berries that the sable loved to eat into a local-flavor pine nut sweet and sour pork. Even a cautious little animal like the sable was so pleased with it that it was paralyzed, holding the remaining half bowl in its little paws and was reluctant to let it go.
The big tail swept irritably, and Lin Xinghuo remembered that this sable was the fault of the caracal: who told it to mention to Lin Xinghuo when talking about weasels, "Most of the talents of weasels like the yellow-skinned one are their scent glands." Lin Xinghuo remembered that sables are also weasels.
This sable could assist Dirty Beard, and it had also developed a certain spirituality and attained some spiritual power. Lin Xinghuo had originally only wanted to test whether his newly learned defensive formation could block scent attacks, but he hadn't expected the sable to become even more spiritual, actually communicating with him through gestures.
The sable said that it was willing to go to Fangmaji Commune to inquire about the situation for Lin Xinghuo.
The caracal said coldly, "Just let it go. How will you know if you don't try?"
Lin Xinghuo was a little worried that if she tried it, she would die, and the yellow-skinned pig would eat the sable as a snack. After proving that the defensive array could block out odors, Lin Xinghuo planned to shrink the defensive array and carve it on the demon pig's skin. She went to the commune to investigate.
After all, he had just learned how to set up the defense formation. Even if Lin Xinghuo tried his best, the defense formation could only be reduced to half the size of a pigskin - a thin strip of sable, and this pigskin was too big, and it would affect his movements if he wrapped it around his body.
The sable suddenly rolled over and rubbed against the wall, dispelling the remaining stench from its previous powerful attack. The sable clucked triumphantly, implying that its current level of skill could also conceal its own scent. Then, a whistling sound emanated from its throat, and a moment later, Lin Xinghuo saw a dozen squirrels, voles, mice, and other small rodents pouring in from the back door.
Among them, four or five fat rats huddled together, dazed and rushing straight into the sable's mouth. Even someone as calm as Lin Xinghuo couldn't help but take a step back. This was a bit dirty.
The sable stopped whistling, and the confused little animals woke up, but none dared to escape. They trembled and waited for the mink to come and eat. After eating the spiritual food prepared by Lin Xinghuo, the mink no longer cared about the meat. With a few hissing sounds of its small beak, it drove away the squirrels and other animals, and unexpectedly started to communicate with the house mice.
The caracal sneered, saying to Lin Xinghuo, "The stinking marten's main food is rats. Since it's advanced enough, dispatching a few of its rations isn't much of a skill. Rats are naturally intelligent, and in some places they're even considered household gods, known as the five great sects of fox, yellow, white, willow, and gray."
The more Lin Xinghuo watched the interaction between the sable and the mouse, the more familiar it seemed to her. It seemed that the caracal had treated the fox cubs in the same way in the past. Every time the little foxes were played with by the caracal like this, they would always be very quiet. Even Fox Three, who loved to act coquettishly the most, would not come near her.
Unwilling to pull its injured tail, Lin Xinghuo grabbed the carulli by the ears and asked sinisterly, "Can you understand the cries of sables or fox cubs?" And yet he dared to tell him that the angry cubs' cries were meaningless! That they were stupid? He was afraid the cubs would be complaining about the carulli.
The caracal's body stiffened, as if its feet were frozen by a stone table, and it involuntarily tucked its big tail under its furry paws to cushion it.
Lin Xinghuo understood everything about this guilty look. He twisted the hand that was pinching Yuan'er's ear half a circle. This guy must have bullied the little foxes a lot because he didn't know their background.
The rest of the story was much easier. With the help of the cat-like translator, the caracal, who had redeemed himself for his crimes, Lin Xinghuo and the sable had no communication barriers. However, the task of sending mice to spy on them still depended on the sable. Animals like sables, foxes, and weasels, whose natural instincts were scent, possessed a natural ability to confuse people, and their control over food far surpassed that of other species. While the sable could fully understand what the mice were saying, the caracal could only understand the calls of animals with a certain spiritual nature.
The cat-eater didn't feel ashamed about this. He argued confidently: "You humans can understand the barking of cats and dogs at home, but you don't care what the chirping of insects and birds means." The cat-eater, like humans, would not bother to pay attention to the irrelevant and insignificant ants.
Lin Xinghuo gave Heiwan two amulets. Since digesting her insights that night, she'd made significant progress. According to the caracal, the stages of Qi cultivation are divided into three distinct levels: early, middle, and late. She had broken through from the initial first to the third level. The first three levels, all in the early stages of Qi training, were relatively easy to advance, while the early and middle stages presented obstacles, requiring at least some clarity of spiritual energy to achieve a breakthrough. Lin Xinghuo continued to practice daily exercises and herbal baths to cleanse her tendons and marrow.
The Qi Sea at the third level of Qi Refining could contain several times more spiritual energy than before. Lin Xinghuo could not only draw more talismans, but also mastered two low-level techniques taught in the cultivation method: Wood Release and Vine Entanglement. The former made her attacks faster and more difficult to detect, while the latter could be used to trap enemies and set traps. Lin Xinghuo had only recently learned these techniques, but she would surely gain a deeper understanding and more flexible application in the future.
On the one hand, they made careful arrangements in Buxiantun in order to protect the village, and on the other hand, they did everything possible to improve their combat capabilities. The days passed quickly and tensely.
Every two days, Lin Xinghuo would put on the demon pig skin engraved with the formation and sneak into the commune, personally inquiring about Huang Xian's movements while also exchanging information with Hei Sable.
Seeing that the Yellow Immortal was extremely cunning, after it fled back to Fei Xinli's house, it did not hide in the God of Wealth Building to recuperate, but directly possessed Fei Xinli's wife's body, directly absorbed half of her Yin Essence, and then hid in Fei Xinli's mother's body.
Fei Xinli saw that his wife looked like she had lost her life. She was even weaker than before when possessed by the family spirit, and could barely even get out of bed. He was already worried to the point of having blisters all over his mouth. Then the Yellow Spirit possessed his mother again. The usually reclusive Fei's mother had been out and about these past two days, acting strangely and joining in the fun. The strange looks from the neighbors made Fei Xinli uneasy.
Risking the risk of being discovered, Fei Xinli offered three incense sticks, kowtowed, and begged the Yellow Immortal to spare his old mother.
Old Lady Fei winked and giggled, "Your mother and I have a connection, so I descended upon her. For the sake of our previous favor, don't worry, I will borrow her body to recuperate her, and on the fifteenth day of the full moon, there will naturally be a result. On that day, you have to light three sticks of incense and lead the whole family to pray to me. Not only will I release your mother, I will also fulfill your wish - not a trivial matter of marrying a daughter-in-law, but using my cultivation to help your family's fortune, so that you can leave this country and become a decent official in the city." The fat meat is right in front of him, and Huang Xian has been lingering for many years. He can't wait to make his plan slowly. On the fifteenth of this month, when Huangmen's cultivation is the highest, he will go to enjoy it!
Fei Xinli didn't dare to retort, saying that there were no masters anymore. But the idea of being an official really tempted him.
Huang Xian wanted to borrow Fei Lao Niang's body to go out again, but Fei Xinli knelt down and stopped him: "God of Wealth, please understand! God of Wealth, please understand! My mother has always been a person who doesn't like to go out. If you say this... it might arouse suspicion. If you want to know something, just send me and I will find out for you!"
Her five fingers hooked and scratched her neck. Fei Lao Niang's weird smile immediately turned gloomy, and she slapped Fei Xinli twice with her backhand: "Don't mind my business!"
Huang Xian's borrowing of a body was a last resort: after absorbing the vital energy of a young man from Buxiantun and stealing the yin essence of Fei Xinli's wife, Huang Pi Zi felt a tense feeling of being watched from all directions. Huang Xian no longer dared to absorb anyone's vital energy at will, instead confining himself to crowded areas, stealing the energy released by those engaged in a fight out of anger. Even when inciting arguments and fights, Huang Pi Zi didn't dare to do it himself, instead relying on a third party to fan the flames.
This has led to a recent spate of fights within the commune. Once the two sides have finally calmed down, they discover that the spark that sparked the fight was often a third person. This is a remarkable discovery, as the locals are known for their fiery tempers, and in the end, a fight often ends up with three families becoming enemies.
Smoothing out the wrinkles on his sleeves from the effort of sewing, Huang Xian ordered, "Make me some new clothes, both inside and out." He thought of how he had been so particular in the Jin family, yet now he didn't even have a decent set of clothes. Huang Pizi grimaced in anger when he remembered the caracal mocking him for not being able to afford a bath.
Fei Xinli's face was covered with tears, and he cried and begged for mercy: "God of Wealth! Now we need cloth coupons, and our family really can't afford it."
Huang Xian took a half step back in disgust. "Your mother was once the most famous prostitute in the provincial capital. After being kept by the old master of the Jin family, her food, clothing and other expenses were no worse than those of the Jin family's main wife. Now she has fallen into this situation - by the way, the man she later married must have been very ugly. How did she give birth to you and your son with such cleft eyes? Only your sister and daughter have some human appearance."
"If you can't afford it, go borrow it!" The yellow-skinned man pointed out a clear way for Fei Xinli: "Your brother-in-law, who is an official, his biological mother is one of the Jin family's adopted daughters. In the past, he kowtowed and flattered your mother many times, and would call your mother Grandma whenever he saw her. Who would have thought that your two families would become relatives? Don't blame me for not reminding you, your brother-in-law is willing to enter into this marriage because he knows your family's background. Just be tough with him. He is eager to find out about the Jin family's past from you, and he will definitely comply!"
"What! Aunt Qu is the adopted daughter of the Jin family!" Fei Xin was so shocked that he could not kneel anymore and fell to the ground.
The Jin family in the provincial capital were the wealthiest family in Snow Province over thirty years ago. Today, Fangmaji Commune, along with the surrounding villages, is the Jin family's livestock base. The neighboring Jinjiayao Commune is home to the Jinjia Kiln Factory... The Jin family's ancestral home is in this city, and it's safe to say that nearly half of the city is owned by the Jin family. But this doesn't even account for the bulk of the Jin family's wealth; the various factories and gardens in the provincial capital are the real highlight, earning them the nickname "Gold Covered Snow."
Fei Xinli's mother was both beautiful and talented. She was listed as a courtesan at the age of thirteen and became the most popular courtesan within two years. After gaining fame, she was kept by the seventy-year-old grandfather of the Jin family. The grandfather was old and had difficulty traveling, so the Jin family specially allocated a courtyard for the courtesan to live in, saying that if she pleased the old man, she would be allowed to marry into the family as his concubine.
Old Lady Fei enjoyed a truly glorious two years, and soon after, the Jin family finally redeemed her. Although they didn't grant her a legitimate status, they gave her some leniency for the sake of the old man. At the time, the Jin family adopted many girls from their extended family as foster daughters, using them for future marriages and to expand their influence. With so many adopted daughters, the status of the families they would marry into varied widely. Each of these girls had their own agenda, and some were particularly fond of flattering Old Lady Fei.
Fei Xinli's lips were trembling, he was embarrassed and angry. He was embarrassed that his family's deepest ugly secret had long been known to his in-laws, but he was even more angry that his brother-in-law had kept everything secret. He didn't know how much information his sister had been tricked into revealing.
The adopted daughter, who had to rely on flattering the old man's family to make a living, probably had no foundation. Fei Xinli maliciously speculated that the always arrogant Aunt Qu was probably not much better than his own mother. Otherwise, she wouldn't have remarried with the child. Didn't her brother-in-law rely on the influence of his stepfather to sit on the position of deputy director of the commune?
The yellow fox was in no hurry to leave this time. In the past, it had loved watching operas. Nowadays, the only operas performed outside were the same few model operas, which were much more boring than Fei Xinli's current expression.
"That's a good attitude! Since the old man is happy, I'll tell you another secret." The yellow-skinned man said with a smile: "When the Jin family fled, half of their wealth disappeared, and no one found it when they were liquidated later. But when the old man of the Jin family died, only your mother was by his side. I don't need to tell you what your brother-in-law and his mother are planning." This idiot also gave two of her mother's private belongings to the Qu family, which confirmed people's guess.
"What do you mean half of the family wealth is missing? We didn't know!" Fei Xinli said in surprise.
The yellow-skinned man smiled and thought to himself, "Of course you don't know, that's the reward I get for protecting the Jin family for so many years, and it's still hidden well in my old nest."
"Also! The girl you want as your daughter-in-law also has some connection to the Jin family. I don't know what your brother-in-law has found out. I only found out about it by chance, and I don't have the patience to listen carefully."
After saying this, the yellow fox went out in a strange manner.
Fei Xinli was struck by lightning, and immediately thought of his sister's words that her brother-in-law had been in frequent contact with the capital for more than a month, both by telegram and phone. He had thought that he was contacting his deceased wife's family.
Without bothering to go to work at the health center, Fei Xinli wiped his face and went straight into the city to find his sister.
The two or three mice that had been lingering outside the Fei residence immediately followed. The four great immortals were known for their cleanliness, and the two larger ones that had infiltrated Fei Xinli's home were killed by a single blow from the Yellow Immortal's claws. The Black Sable sent his minions again, but they avoided the Yellow Sable.
At the same time, Lin Xinghuo was also following Deputy Director Qu.
Deputy Director Qu had taken a few days off, neither at the commune nor at home. The yellow-skinned demon possessing someone couldn't be moved rashly, so he had a chance to separate his forces and deal with these accomplices. Deputy Director Qu's home was truly filthy, with a considerable amount of antiques and gold hidden beneath the floor tiles. Lin Xinghuo was planning to use the power of the rats to dig it out, and then the authorities would handle it.
Lin Xinghuo wrapped himself in pigskin and used a concealing talisman to ensure that the yellow-skinned man could not smell any clues from these people. He whispered to the caracal in his arms about Chang Qing whom he had just seen outside the County Revolutionary Committee: "She wants to report the Fei family in her real name?" She had good eyesight and the report letter was not thick, so she understood it after seeing the first sentence.
The caracal snorted and laughed: "You want to achieve merit but you don't have the courage." Nothing will happen.
"The Fei family is easy to deal with." But first, he had to get rid of Huang Xian. Just like he hadn't dared to push Huang Xian to his death in Buxian Village, Lin Xinghuo couldn't just anonymously report the demolition of Huang Pizi's God of Wealth Building out of concern for Fei Xinli's neighbors. Destroying the God of Wealth Building, where Huang Xian's tablet was enshrined, would certainly damage his cultivation, but it would also easily force him to disregard it, and the consequences would inevitably fall on him.
The fact that Huangpizi possessed Old Lady Fei had recently become increasingly difficult to provoke into fights was the work of these two. With spies trained by Black Sable spread throughout the commune, Huangpizi's schemes were easily thwarted. Rumors were already circulating within the commune that Old Lady Fei was acting strangely, and everyone was avoiding her.
As one side gained strength, the other side receded. Lin Xinghuo and the caracal prepared talismans and traps, awaiting the yellow-skinned beast's arrival on the fifteenth day of the month to battle the southern slopes. The Buxian Village formation was complete, and even if the yellow-skinned beast unleashed its ultimate attack, it wouldn't be able to harm the villagers. They also communicated with the old village chief, and everyone in the village stayed put for the next few days, focusing on spring plowing.
Chang Qing wandered around for a while, holding the anonymous letter of denunciation. She had even spread it out to show everyone in the public courtyard, but then she remembered the black wind she had seen that night and felt her legs weaken with fear. She was used to assessing the situation, and she didn't even dare to offend the old fairy lady on Bushian Mountain. So she was even more afraid of this fairy who was truly not human.
After much hesitation, Chang Qing finally tore up the letter of denunciation, and secretly struck a match to burn the shredded paper to ashes. He leaned over a puddle of melted snow and rake his hair, then turned and headed for the No. 2 Cotton Mill.
Just when he was about to pretend to be a rat and take advantage of the noontime bustle in the courtyard to cause trouble for Director Qu's family, Lin Xinghuo encountered the real rats under Hei Sable's command, and Fei Xinli was being stalked by the rats.
Fei Xinli knocked on the door anxiously. When his sister opened the door, he immediately asked, "Is my brother-in-law home?"
Aunt Fei shook her head and asked curiously, "He's not here. He's been staying at his mother's house for the past two days because of his daughter's wedding. Brother, why are you here at this time? Is there something you want to see him about?" Aunt Fei took off her apron and said, "He's in the compound next door. Can I call him for you?"
Fei Xinli closed the doors and windows, and was furious: "I heard you say earlier that he contacted the capital. Is it Dani's in-laws?"
"Oh, where is it? Old Qu wants to marry his daughter to her biological mother's adoptive mother's family. Otherwise, he has been going to his stepfather's family these days to flatter his biological mother. Don't forget that his stepfather's family has a brother from the same mother. He is afraid that the marriage will be arranged with his younger brother's family."
"Aunt Qu's adoptive mother!" Fei Xinli rubbed his face and said, "That's right! The God of Wealth didn't lie to me!"
Aunt Fei was so frightened that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She quickly pushed her eldest brother and said, "Don't worry about your life! The courtyards here are all next to each other. What if someone hears..."
Fei Xinli brushed his sister's hand away, gritting his teeth in anger. He endured it and whispered the whole story to Aunt Fei, "In the past, we thought we were smart and had fooled the Qu family. Who could have imagined that his family was the 'oriole' behind the scenes!"
Aunt Fei was stunned for a moment. "Didn't the Jin family fall into decline a long time ago? Besides, the family in Beijing is surnamed Lin, not Jin?"
"Lin! Lin?" Fei Xinli chewed on the surname twice and pounded his thigh. "I thought the girl I gave to Daping was named Lin! The immortal also said that this girl is related to the Jin family. Is that true?"
It also seems a bit wrong. If she was really a member of the Jin family, why would her brother-in-law help force Lin Xinghuo to marry his own Daping in order to please the people in the capital?
Little Aunt Fei had been able to take charge of her brother's family since she was young, and seeing Fei Xinli's openness, she knew everything. Especially since there were some past events that Old Mother Fei was too embarrassed to share with her son, so she could only tell her daughter. Little Aunt Fei muttered a few words, then suddenly said, "'Jin Zi Lin'! Our mother once told me that Old Master Jin said our family's original surname was You, but our ancestor's lifelong ambition was to become a Jin Zi Guang Lu official. He never achieved it, and when the Ming and Qing dynasties came, they scattered and changed their surnames to reflect the aspirations written in the family tree: one branch changed to Jin, the other to Lu. The family that fled to the capital didn't change back to You because many locals knew of the Jin family's roots. And that old master always envied the 'Jin Zi Lin' family in the south, whose lineage was truly descended from Jin Zi Guang Lu officials..." Ever since he heard about the Lin family in the south, whose lineage was "brilliant and honorable to their ancestors," he's been obsessed with it. He said the Lin family had been passed down from the Tang Dynasty and flourished far and wide.
So is Lin Xinghuo a member of the Jin family?
Lin Xinghuo herself had not expected that her life experience could be connected to the Jin family of Snow Province - some of the things in her hands were indeed from the Jin family, such as the bags of small yellow croakers, and the box containing the spiritual lotus seeds had the seal character "Jin" on it!
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The author has something to say: Lin Xinghuo: Getting angry will leak your vital energy, so everyone should not get angry. I don't get angry when others get angry, because if anger makes you sick, no one can help you.
Today is the beginning of winter, I want to replenish my body and be pampered by messages／(／·／ω／·／)／
Note: Corn is a cross-pollinated crop and a hybrid variety, requiring seeds specifically bred from hybrids. Wheat and rice are inbred varieties, inheriting their original superior genes and allowing for self-saved seeds to be used.
Drill sowing consumes more seeds than snow sowing.
Jin Zilin, from Baidu, is very powerful.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2023-11-06 21:30:00 and 2023-11-08 19:30:15~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: Gudong is coming!, I will not be tempted, 1 in the old days;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: lele (106 bottles); yingxuejue (22 bottles); Lujiu and Yu Jici (20 bottles); YY9059, Xuezhizi, Nannan, 25210740, Nori Killer, and Chen Yue (10 bottles); 30183122 (7 bottles); Fox Ah Fox, Shelling Bing Dwen Dwen, and Smileless Cat (5 bottles); Mushroom Riding a White Horse (4 bottles); Unknown Extension (3 bottles); Lin Huahua, Smile Everyday, Emily, and Fence Man (2 bottles); Yue Beibei, Gu Ci, Day Day Up, Ye Jiaye, CY_Ting, Qingwu Feiyang, D, Fruit Can, Henry, Manman the Excrement Collector, Xiaoxia, Audrey, and Deep and Shallow (1 bottle);
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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