Chapter 122 Li's Blacksmith Shop, the Cultivation of a Fisherman
Lin Heng led Caiyun out and met the village chief Zhao Xiancheng's clothes Tang Qing as soon as he went out.
"Lin Heng, where are you going?" Tang Qing felt like speaking first and greeted them.
In the past, she always waited for others to speak first, and she didn't even notice this slight change.
"Auntie Tang, I'm sending my sister to middle school." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Caiyun goes to school?" Tang Qing was a little caught off guard. She had been thinking about going to her son Zhao Hu's house to propose marriage these days.
Caiyun was already very pretty, and many people in the village had noticed her for a long time, and wanted to find a wife for their sons.
Lin Heng has made a lot of money recently, and Caiyun's fortunes have risen even more. In the past few days, many people have frequently gone to Lin's father's house to chat and try to test the waters.
Tang Qing was also planning to talk to Lin's mother these two days, but she had to go to school.
"Yes, it's good for her to read more books. No more words, Aunt Tang, we are in a hurry." Lin Heng said with a smile and left with his sister.
Tang Qing watched Lin Heng and Caiyun leave, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"What's the point of a girl going to school? She has already dropped out of school for a year." Tang Qing didn't quite understand. She felt that Caiyun wouldn't be able to go to school for long.
"Aunt Tang is so weird today." Caiyun said in surprise as they walked.
"You should be thankful that school has just started. Otherwise, it wouldn't be long before our door would be knocked down by people proposing marriage." Lin Heng said, looking at Caiyun.
In her previous life, Caiyun was engaged in August of the next year, but she married the wrong person and her life became miserable afterwards. She suffered for the rest of her life.
Fortunately, he finally changed all that in this life.
"Ah! Could it be that Aunt Tang also wants to arrange a marriage for her son? That's so scary." Caiyun widened her eyes and felt a little scared.
"Thank you so much, second brother. If it weren't for you, I really don't know what I would do." Caiyun grabbed Lin Heng's clothes and burst into tears of gratitude.
If it weren't for her second brother, she really didn't know what she would do in the future. Even if she wanted to study, she wouldn't have the opportunity, and she would probably have to marry according to her parents' arrangements like most rural girls.
"So just study hard and don't worry about other things. I'm here for you." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Okay." Caiyun nodded. It felt good to have someone to rely on.
Lin Heng looked at Caiyun and said, "By the way, you probably only need to go to school for a few days and you'll have a place to stay in Huangtan Town."
The middle school in the town cannot provide accommodation for students, so everyone has to commuter to school. After Caiyun goes to school, she has to get up early every day to go to school in town and come back after school in the afternoon.
People usually take some dry food for lunch, and very few people eat in the school cafeteria.
"What do you mean?" Caiyun turned her head, looking confused.
"I won't tell you for now. Let's tell you when the time comes." Lin Heng laughed and kept it a secret.
"You tell me, second brother." Caiyun begged.
But Lin Heng didn't say anything, so she could only give up and make random guesses.
It was a little after seven when the two of them arrived at Huangtan Town, and school registration had not yet started.
Lin Heng first brought Xiulan to his teacher Guo Xu.
"Teacher Guo, didn't you ask for a fishing rod? I brought it to you."
Lin Heng walked to the office door and saw Guo Xu writing something.
"This is just a casual remark. You're so polite." Guo Xu put down his pen, feeling a little flattered.
"Teacher Guo, we are friends. This is not worth much money. Why are you being so polite to me?" Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Haha, then I'll accept it without hesitation. Thank you." Guo Xu took the fishing rod and looked at it. He was very satisfied.
"The person next to you must be your sister Lin Caiyun. You two look so alike." Guo Xu said with a smile.
Lin Heng told him about Caiyun, and he was a little shocked at the time.
Lin Heng, who dropped out of school on his own initiative, actually sent his younger sister to study here, and paid for it himself.
"Yes." Lin Heng nodded with a smile, "I'll trouble you to take care of me at school."
"Hello, Teacher Guo!" Caiyun nodded respectfully.
"Don't worry, I will protect you well at school." Guo Xu said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, the time came and Lin Heng took Caiyun to register.
In this day and age, schools are very short of students. Even if you have dropped out of school for a year, there is no problem in enrolling you, and you don’t need any connections.
Giving the fishing rod to Guo Xu was purely out of gratitude.
"Brother Lin Heng!"
When I arrived at the registration office for junior high school students, Liu Ciwen was also there. He smiled and greeted me from a distance.
"You come and sign up too, then it's just right for you and Caiyun to go back together." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Yes." Liu Ciwen nodded. He knew yesterday that Caiyun was going to school.
Lin Heng and Liu Ciwen chatted for a while, and soon it was Caiyun's turn to sign up.
The number of new junior high school students registered in the entire Huangtan Town is less than 30.
Most people just want to go to elementary school and learn to read, and hardly consider junior high school.
After all, there is no job assigned after graduating from junior high school, so at least you have to get into a technical secondary school to be useful.
Many people think it would be better to go home and farm.
Caiyun's homeroom teacher was a female teacher in her twenties, whom Lin Heng did not know. She glanced at Lin Heng, seeming surprised that he could send a girl to school.
"Just fill in the information." The female teacher looked at Caiyun and said.
"Okay, teacher." Caiyun took the pen and began to fill in the information carefully. After filling in the information, the female teacher looked at Lin Heng and said, "The tuition fee is six yuan, the textbook fee is eight yuan, and you have to pay for lunch if you eat at school. Nine yuan a month's meal is white flour and rice, and six yuan is mixed grain rice."
"Then pay for one month's worth of flour and rice first. That's 23 bucks in total, right?"
Before Lin Heng finished speaking, Caiyun hurriedly shook her head: "Second brother, I can bring food from home, so you don't have to pay for it."
"I don't need this little money." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"That won't work either. Please take it back." Caiyun insisted. She was very grateful to be able to go to school and really didn't want to spend more of her second brother's money.
"Okay, then just pay the tuition." Lin Heng nodded helplessly and handed over 14 yuan.
The teacher collected the money, wrote out a receipt and handed it to Lin Heng: "The class will start at ten o'clock, and no students are allowed to leave today."
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded.
After signing up, Lin Heng took out two more dollars and handed them to Caiyun: "Use this to buy stationery and food."
"You are not allowed to refuse. If you continue to be stubborn, I will give you a blow on the head." Lin Heng said sternly.
"Okay, thank you, second brother." Caiyun had no choice but to take it.
"Don't feel so psychologically burdened. My second brother will need your knowledge to help him when he starts a big company in the future." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"I will definitely help your second brother." Caiyun nodded vigorously, and had another goal to work towards in her mind.
"Okay, go have fun by yourself, and maybe meet some new classmates.
Don’t feel wronged at school. If you have anything, you can tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
After patting Caiyun on the shoulder and giving her some instructions, Lin Heng left.
There is no need to worry too much, Caiyun has already learned to protect herself.
"Goodbye, second brother!" Caiyun accompanied Lin Heng to the school gate before turning back.
Lin Heng walked out of the school and went straight to the blacksmith shop in the town.
The blacksmith shop is quite remote and not on the main street of Huangtan Town.
After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Heng arrived at the blacksmith shop and heard the clanging sound of iron hammering from afar.
When you get closer, you can see a lot of scrap iron scattered in the yard, and a sign that says "Li's Blacksmith Shop" is hung next to the gate of the yard.
This blacksmith shop has been in existence for five or six years. I heard that the family's ancestors were blacksmiths, and they returned to their old business after the reform and opening up.
Lin Heng walked into the yard and saw two young men forging iron. One of them was hitting with a sledgehammer, and the other was holding the red-hot iron and moving it continuously. They cooperated very well.
A middle-aged man in his forties next to them was sharpening a knife and teaching the two men.
From their appearance, you can tell that they are a father and two sons.
"Excuse me, what do you want to hit?"
Seeing Lin Heng come in, the middle-aged man stopped sharpening the knife and asked with a simple and honest smile.
"I want to make a kitchen knife and a dagger for hunting, and I want them to be forged with hundred-fold tempered steel." Lin Heng looked around and spoke.
"Kitchen knives and daggers made of hundred-fold tempered steel are not cheap. In fact, kitchen knives and daggers made of ordinary steel are sufficient." This middle-aged man is too honest.
"It's just hundred-fold tempered steel, how much is a piece?" Lin Heng waved his hand and said indifferently.
"A kitchen knife made of 100-forged steel costs five dollars, and a dagger costs four dollars. We guarantee that they are all made of top-quality 100-forged steel that we have forged hundreds of times by hand.
You can take it back and use it. If it is cut or broken, you can bring it back and we will replace it for free." The middle-aged man said with a smile that the main thing he does in business is integrity.
Lin Heng nodded, not doubting this. The blacksmith shop relied on honesty to make a living. He asked again, "How long will it take to get the knife?"
"We have ready-made hundred-refined steel. Take a look at the shape of the knife and you can come and pick it up tomorrow at noon." The middle-aged man said with a smile.
Lin Heng nodded and went into the house with him. This family was quite professional. They even had a knife pattern chart made of kraft paper with many different knives engraved on it. No wonder this family was the most famous in the area.
"This is an old item, passed down from our ancestors, uncle." Lin Heng flipped through the brown paper and asked with a smile.
The uncle surnamed Li grinned and said, "It is indeed passed down from my ancestors."
"Then I want my dagger to be of this shape, and this more normal shape will be fine for the kitchen knife." Lin Heng flipped it over and confirmed the shape of the knife.
He also wanted to have a hunting knife as handsome as Bear Grylls', which would make it much more convenient for him to go hunting in the mountains. The previous knife was not very effective.
After that, he took out a dollar and gave it to the uncle surnamed Li: "This is the deposit. I will come to pick it up in two days. Please make sure it is ready."
Uncle Li was flattered when he received the money. Usually he would just come over and say something and leave without giving any deposit.
Lin Heng's behavior made him feel a great trust, and he quickly smiled and said, "Okay, take your time, I promise you will be satisfied by then."
The business, which adds up to nine dollars, may be his biggest business this month. Usually, he only makes a little more than one dollar from hoeing or something like that.
After all, steel production capacity had already increased at this time, and the prices of industrially mass-produced knives and hoes were also very cheap.
After leaving the blacksmith shop, Lin Heng did not rush home. Instead, he came to a blue brick house covering an area of 500 square meters. The house was located not far from the purchasing station opened by Liu Qicheng.
The location is very good. If you want to go to Liu Qichen Purchasing Station to sell things, you will definitely pass by this store.
The brown wooden door was closed and it looked like no one was home.
However, Lin Heng knew roughly where the owner's house was. After looking around, he turned and went to the bank of the Huangtan River.
After searching around the Huangtan River, I saw an old man in his sixties wearing brown clothes and a straw hat.
The old man was fishing in a bay with a bamboo fishing rod in his hand.
"Uncle, did you catch anything?" Lin Heng walked over and asked with a smile, handing over a cigarette.
"I caught a small crucian carp. I don't smoke, thank you." The old man pointed to the plastic barrel next to him and said.
"It's not small, it's a big crucian carp." Lin Heng took a look and praised, saying that this was a big crucian carp weighing half a pound, which was indeed not considered big in this era.
"It's okay, it's okay." Hearing Lin Heng's praise, the old man immediately smiled happily.
"Actually, I go fishing too, but I didn't bring a rod today," Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Oh, you and the young kids also like fishing." The old man was a little surprised when he heard it. It is rare for young people to like fishing.
"Yes." Lin Heng said with a smile.
I started chatting with the old man about this topic. Although he might come up empty-handed when fishing, the old man has a wealth of theoretical knowledge.
It can analyze and judge from many aspects such as water temperature, wind direction, air pressure, fishing position, and even how to fish.
He also understands the fisherman's inner thoughts, is very empathetic, and says the right words at the right time.
At first, the old man thought Lin Heng was a novice who came here to learn from others.
But as they chatted, he was shocked by Lin Heng's extensive knowledge of fishing, and felt a sense of familiarity as if they had known each other for a long time.
"What's your surname and name?" The old man asked Lin Heng's name curiously.
"No need to mention your surname Lin, my name is Lin Heng." Lin Heng responded with a smile.
"Come on, try fishing with two rods." The old man handed the bamboo fishing rod to Lin Heng.
Lin Heng picked it up and took a look. His fishing rod was too rough. It was obvious that the old man didn't know how to make a fishing rod by himself.
Moreover, he used the most traditional long-pole, short-line, dull-rod fishing method, which was too slow to catch crucian carp and carp.
"Then let me try." Lin Heng said with a smile and hung up a new earthworm.
This time he used the teasing fishing method. He gently teased the fishhook twice when it reached the bottom. He thought that the old man must have a lot of fish since he had laid a nest, and he couldn't catch any fish because the rod was too insensitive.
After teasing it for a few seconds, he suddenly felt a pulling force. Lin Heng raised the rod and stabbed the fish, controlling it.
The old man's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands and praised: "Not bad, young man, you are really good at it."
"It's you, sir, who made the nest rich. I'm just benefiting from you." Lin Heng said with a smile.
The fish was quickly pulled out of the water, and a large golden crucian carp emerged from the water.
When it was pulled ashore, it was bigger than the one the old man had just caught and weighed one kilogram.
"I'm so lucky." Lin Heng said with a smile, there are so many fish in this era, and the big crucian carp are over half a catty in weight.
"Xiao Lin, your technique is pretty good. Let's go fishing together some other time." The old man said with a smile.
Lin Heng returned the fishing rod to the old man and nodded, "Okay, I'll take the rod down some other day and we'll do it together."
The fishing rod was returned to the old man, and Lin Heng sat next to him and chatted with him. When the old man caught a fish, he went to help catch the fish.
With Lin Heng's technical guidance and good resources, the old man caught more than ten big crucian carp in two hours.
"Okay, I won't fish anymore. I had a lot of fun fishing today, all thanks to you, Xiaolin."
The weather was getting hot after ten o'clock. The old man put away his fishing rod, looked at Lin Heng and said with a smile.
"No, no, it's all your own ability." Lin Heng shook his head.
"Don't be so modest." The old man shook his head.
After packing up his things, he looked at Lin Heng and said, "Xiao Lin, I'm afraid you didn't come to me specifically to go fishing."
"It was a coincidence. I saw someone fishing like me. I was happy." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"If you don't tell me, I'll leave." The old man looked at him.
"Haha, there is indeed something, but I really feel like I have known you for a long time, Grandpa Gao, and I also love fishing." Lin Heng laughed.
"Then tell me, I'm just an ordinary old man and there's nothing I can do to help you." Grandpa Gao looked at him and said.
"It's like this, I want to rent your house to do some business." Lin Heng stated his purpose with a smile.
This Mr. Gao is no ordinary person. Not only is he a retired veteran who participated in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, his son is still serving in the army, and his nephew is an official in Nanping County.
This old man could have gone to the city to enjoy his old age, but he was a man of noble character and did not want to waste national resources, so he insisted on living alone in the town.
He doesn't show off his achievements and just lives his own life.
Lin Heng knew about this matter in his previous life when the old man passed away.
The reason for renting his house is that we respect this old man who serves the country and want him to have an income so that he can live a better life.
Another reason is for safety. He opened a purchasing station here. If someone uses tricks like arson, he will be dead. This guy has a background.
Moreover, this old man has a good character and will not argue over money. If it were someone else, it would be hard to say whether the rent would increase every year.
"What business are you doing?" Grandpa Gao looked at Lin Heng and asked.
"I'm planning to open a purchasing station." Lin Heng said truthfully.
Grandpa Gao thought for a moment and said, "Of course you can, but there is a condition."
"You say." Lin Heng said quickly.
"That is, you have to accompany me, an old man, to go fishing twice a month." Grandpa Gao said with a smile.
"That's not a problem. Even if you don't tell me, I will take the initiative to find you to go fishing." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Let's go, let's go back first." Grandpa Gao looked at Lin Heng and said.
During the conversation just now, he already knew about Lin Heng's situation, that he was just an ordinary farmer boy.
He thought that renting his house was a normal small business, not an attempt to gain benefits by leveraging his influence.
But what he didn't expect was that Lin Heng really knew it.
But even if he knew his identity, Lin Heng had no such thoughts. He just wanted to build his career slowly and didn't want to take any shortcuts. Shortcuts often lead to abysses . The main reason for renting his house was the good location and knowing his background was worry-free.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded and helped hold the fishing rod, and naturally let him hold the catch himself.
On the way back, Mr. Gao inevitably showed off his catch with a happy smile on his face.
When he returned to his grandfather's house, Lin Heng discovered that not only was the house big, but there was also an even bigger yard at the back, with many flowers, plants and trees planted in it.
Grandpa Gao invited him to have lunch, and then the two of them talked about the rent. In the end, Lin Heng bought the house for one hundred yuan a year.
It’s not that Lin Heng is stingy. Uncle Gao mentioned the price before he even opened his mouth. He couldn’t bargain for a higher price.
After drafting the contract and signing it, Lin Heng felt relieved.
The next step is to sell Coriolus versicolor and open a purchasing station.
Please vote (end of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
