Chapter 68: Xiulan was beaten and cried? [5,000 words]
"You want to make a flower pot. It's very simple. A square one will do, right?"
Carpenter Liang said with a smile.
Lin Heng nodded: "Of course, a diameter of 40 centimeters will do."
Isn't this easy for a carpenter? Just saw a few pieces of wood, make two mortise and tenon joints, and it's done in half an hour.
Holding the finished square wooden basin, Lin Heng came to the back of his old house.
It is dark and humid here, with direct sunlight for no more than two hours a day, making it a good place for seedlings to grow.
After putting the flowerpot in place, he dug some humus from the forest, trimmed the roots of the black pine tree slightly, made a shape, and planted it.
Because the tree was originally shaped near water, Lin Heng did not modify it. He just made a root lift, which means exposing a part of the roots outside the soil. This would make the whole tree look more grippy and more vigorous.
After finishing, trim and adjust the branches slightly, and then water them thoroughly.
Once it sprouts new leaves, you can move it with the pot to his backyard.
When he got home, Lin Heng could already smell the aroma of meat, and his mother had already started frying the meat.
Father Lin and his elder brother had already divided the deer suede meat, and the suede skin was stretched out and placed in the sun to dry.
"Lin Heng, I've thought about it. This deer meat is all lean meat. I think it will go bad if smoked. Let's just cut it into small pieces and make it into jerky. This way it can be preserved longer."
When he saw Lin Heng, Lin's father told him about the decision he had made.
"That's totally fine, add more spices." Lin Heng nodded in agreement. This was a good idea.
Muntjac belongs to the deer family. Its characteristics are less fat and more lean meat. To make bacon, you need pork belly with alternating fat and lean meat. Pure lean meat is too easy to spoil.
After getting Lin Heng's consent, Lin's father immediately started cutting the meat. Except for the two pieces of meat for his uncle-in-law and third father, he only kept enough meat for three meals, and chopped the rest into jerky.
"It's already done. I have a lot of spices at home, such as chili peppers, alfalfa, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and patchouli powder. It will taste absolutely delicious when mixed together."
Sister-in-law Liu Juan smiled and said that she and Xiulan were processing the spices and crushing them after drying them on the kang.
"How much suede oil do you have?" Lin Heng walked over and asked.
"Not much. There's not much oil in this season. Just about four or five pounds." Father Lin pointed at the white lard hanging on the wall.
"Deer suede oil is delicious and nutritious, so just keep it. I'll use some of the lard at home." Lin Heng looked at his mother, Lu Hongmei.
"What are you going to do now?" Lin's mother was reluctant.
"You'll know when the time comes. Just think of it as me exchanging chamois oil with you."
Lin Heng didn't say that he wanted to make soap, and he wasn't sure if he could make it.
Mother Lin looked at him: "Now?"
If Lin Heng had dared to waste the oil in the past, she would have beaten him to death, but now that her son is capable, it is understandable that he uses some of it.
"No need, I'll tell you when I need it." Lin Heng shook his head. The other materials have not been prepared yet.
Besides, he was too tired today and had no time to do these things.
"All right then."
Mother Lin shook her head.
Lin Heng found a bench and sat under the eaves. He held his daughter in his arms and dozed off while looking at the sunshine.
"dad!!"
Xiaoxia couldn't sit still, and moved around in Lin Heng's arms, turning over and over, pulling Lin Heng's hair and pinching his face.
"Come, let me teach you how to speak. Table, chair..."
Lin Heng sat up helplessly, holding Xiaoxia and teaching her how to speak and recognize objects.
He still speaks Mandarin because he doesn't want his daughter to have to learn Mandarin when she goes to school.
"Decision... one by one..."
The little girl's words were not true, she opened her mouth and made a barely recognizable sound with difficulty.
"That's progress. Come, read it again, table, chair."
Lin Heng became interested and continued teaching.
While Lin Heng was teaching his daughter to speak, Lin's father and older brother Lin Yue cut the deer meat into two centimeters wide and five centimeters long, and cut it into two large basins, weighing twenty-eight pounds.
After the meat is cooked, sprinkle salt, pour wine, add the prepared spices, stir well and let it sit for an hour. You can dry the meat after dinner.
Watching his father and elder brother working, Lin Heng missed the refrigerator more and more. Why would it be so complicated to have a refrigerator? He could just throw the refrigerator away.
Unfortunately, there is no electricity now.
"It's time to eat."
Mother Lin said something and went out to call Carpenter Liang.
Uncle Lin Heng made three chairs in the morning, the very classic rural backrest chairs.
It is made of yellow willow (Cotinus coggygria), does not need to be dyed, and is naturally golden yellow, very beautiful.
His uncle is actually quite capable. Although his carpentry work is not as good as that of a professional carpenter, he is not bad either. He can make tables, chairs and benches by himself.
He could also hunt, and his family was fairly well-off, but he had a bad temper and would easily get into trouble when drinking.
There was a woman before, but he beat her away.
"Lin Heng, are you going to sell your old turtle?" The uncle tidied up his clothes and asked him.
"Not necessarily. It depends on the price. If it's too cheap, I won't sell it. Anyway, it's still alive and won't die if I keep it."
Lin Heng spread his hands and said that the turtle was over 30 years old and very rare, so he was not in a hurry to sell it.
"That's my advice, too. Ask around. It's a good thing, and some people will pay a lot for it. Don't be in a hurry."
Lu Honghai nodded, and was quite satisfied with Lin Heng's approach.
Today's lunch was very sumptuous, with a large pot of fried deer meat and half a pot of deer offal, mainly the heart, liver and kidneys, all of which were fried but only half were served.
The deer belly, large and small intestines, and eggs have also been processed, fried, and left there to be eaten tomorrow.
The deer guns are hung up to dry and prepared to be used to make wine. They are good things.
Muntjac meat has no fat and is similar to beef, but more delicate. It is very fragrant when fried with lard and tastes very chewy.
"This male muntjac doesn't have a strong smell and is quite delicious."
Lin Heng took two bites and commented.
"Deer antlers are okay. They don't smell very smelly. Your mother handled them well, so they are naturally delicious." Father Lin said with a smile.
"This is a good thing. The whole body of the muntjac is a treasure. The ancients said that it can replenish the body, increase energy and strength, and strengthen the five internal organs." Carpenter Liang said with a smile.
"Yes, you should eat more so that you have the strength to work." Mother Lin picked up a big piece of food with chopsticks for each person.
Lin Heng really buried his head in his food and ate a lot of deer kidneys. He felt that he needed to nourish himself well and make his body strong enough.
After dinner, Lin Heng cooked all the skinned weasel meat and fed it to Xiongba. It had been eating meat almost every meal these days and it had difficulty finding any food.
Also because it ate meat every meal, its body grew much faster, its hair became shiny, and its skeleton became bigger and bigger.
“Bang bang!!”
The bones made crackling sounds as it bit them.
On the other side, Xiulan and the others also put the pickled venison on the bamboo fence to dry.
The sun is so strong today that it will be almost dry in one day.
The mushrooms that I dried when I came back this morning are now almost dry.
Even though the sun was so hot, Father Lin had already moved the wood to the main room and continued making benches.
Lin's mother and sister-in-law went to the river to wash clothes, while Lin Heng and Xiulan stayed at home to rest and did not go out.
He checked his fish pond and found that the fish were all alive and well, so he sprinkled a little wheat bran for pigs on the fish.
This fish pond is actually a bit small, but after all, it is in the yard, so it is not suitable to be built too big.
When Hongfeng Mountain is developed, he plans to build a super large villa and raise a lot of fish.
"for you."
When Lin Heng returned home, Xiulan handed him a cup of herbal tea, which was made of houttuynia cordata and honeysuckle.
The root of Houttuynia cordata is the Houttuynia cordata, which is loved by many people but also hated by many people.
This herbal tea is available in almost every household in the countryside. It is refreshing and a must-have in summer.
After drinking tea, Lin Heng returned to the room and held his daughter Xiaoxia in his arms to teach her how to speak and recognize things.
Not long after, Xiaoxia fell asleep, and Lin Heng also fell asleep on the bed.
When he woke up, it was already four or five in the afternoon. Lin Heng was woken up by Xiaoxia, whose diaper was wet.
“Wow…Wow…”
"Don't call me little ancestor. I'll change it for you."
Lin Heng reluctantly found a new diaper to change for her, and only then did the little girl stop crying.
After changing his daughter's diaper, Lin Heng came out of the main room and saw only his uncle and father doing carpentry work.
There is no need to ask, Xiulan and the others must have gone out to work, as they are people who cannot sit still.
After saying something to his father, Lin Heng took his daughter out for a walk.
"This is a pig, this is a yam, and this is a dogtail grass..."
Lin Heng took his daughter and pointed at every object that passed by and identified them. This was both teaching her to speak and helping her identify things.
"This is bamboo, this is the mountainside, and this is dogtail grass..."
Xiaoxia was very curious. When she saw Zhuzhu hiding behind Lin Heng in fear, she didn't dare to look.
When Lin Heng was teaching her to recognize flowers, plants and trees, she excitedly ran to grab them, brought them back and "filially" fed them to her father.
"You are such a filial daughter!" Lin Heng looked at her helplessly.
The little girl giggled and pointed at Lin Heng: "You are such a laughing stock..."
After recognizing the flowers and plants for a while, she didn't want to recognize them anymore and started to run around happily, staggering forward. Every step made Lin Heng nervous, afraid that she would fall.
But she was able to continue with each step miraculously, on the verge of falling.
Only Lin Heng was frightened by her and kept paying attention to her all the time.
"Daddy, hug me~"
When she was tired of running, she would snuggle into Lin Heng's arms again. Even in his arms, she would not sleep. She had the energy to flirt with other girls and continued to talk to Lin Heng.
An afternoon passed just like that. After teaching for an afternoon, the little guy didn't seem to learn anything. He just played with a smile on his face.
When he returned to the yard, Xiongba was caught again and his tail was pulled.
"No! The dog will feel pain." Lin Heng glared at her sternly.
Xiaoxia opened her mouth and wanted to cry, but Lin Heng ignored her. After crying for a few times, she seemed to remember that crying before was useless, so she ran over and punched Lin Heng with her little fists.
There was another big meal in the evening, and the aroma of oil and chili spread hundreds of meters away.
The people who were returning home nearby were drooling with envy and looked at the Lin family in silence for a long time.
The worst off was Li Caifeng's family. Her courtyard was closest to Lin Heng's kitchen. She had to sit in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air while eating dinner and smell the aroma of meat.
The corn paste in the bowl feels satisfying to swallow.
After taking a shower and going to bed to rest, Lin Heng felt hot all over, not knowing whether it was because of eating venison or for some other reason.
Fortunately, my daughter fell asleep on her own.
As soon as his wife Xiulan got into bed, he hugged her.
"Be gentle, or you might wake up your daughter."
Xiulan spoke in a low voice, but cooperated with Lin Heng.
One of them is 20 and the other is 21, which is the age when they are full of energy.
After a half-hour fight, both of them were still a little unsatisfied. They hugged each other, whispered in each other's ears for a long time, and made small intimate movements.
There was no way, his daughter's movements were too big, which made Lin Heng miss moving to the new house even more.
When the time comes, I'll make a cradle for my daughter and put it aside so he can do whatever he wants.
Early in the morning on the 17th, when Lin Heng got up, his father and elder brother had already gone to the town to get gypsum powder.
He took care of his daughter and also helped his uncle and carpenter Liang.
Carpenter Liang had already made the nine doors and three windows of his house, and he painted them with tung oil and installed them directly.
Lin Heng took his daughter for a walk around the village, found some straw from last year, and taught his daughter to continue speaking and identifying objects.
She had already forgotten all the knowledge from yesterday. When Lin Heng taught her again, she was full of curiosity and enthusiasm, and followed his babbling.
In the afternoon, Lin Heng was walking on the road, talking to his daughter while she was identifying objects, and Xiongba was following behind happily.
From time to time, a lizard would run by the roadside, which would scare her so much that she would hug Lin Heng's thigh, and when she saw an ant, she would playfully step on it with her feet.
"What's the point of teaching these things to a one-year-old? It's exhausting, and there's no effect. She'll learn it naturally when she's a little older."
Liu Lan, who was working in the fields outside the road, was somewhat confused when she saw Lin Heng's actions.
Lin Heng smiled and said, "Nothing, I'm just bored."
He would never explain that this was to enlighten his daughter. It would definitely be better to teach her from a young age than to learn on his own. His daughter's words were obviously much more truthful.
"Would you like some water?"
Liu Lan pointed to the kettle on the ground and said that she took off her coat because she was hot, revealing a V-neck floral short-sleeved shirt underneath, exposing her plump figure.
"No."
Lin Heng shook his head.
"I don't think so. With this hunting skill, I have money to drink good tea."
Liu Lan smiled, not knowing whether intentionally or unintentionally, but when she bent down to pull weeds at Lin Heng, most of the scenery was exposed.
"I'm leaving."
Lin Heng saw it but didn't look at it. He just turned around and left with his daughter. Whether she did it intentionally or not, he would not care and would not let Xiulan down.
Liu Lan felt a little strange. In the past, if she did this, a group of men would be reluctant to leave after seeing her.
Although she has many pockmarks on her face, her body is very fair and white, one of the best in the village.
She was a little confused by Lin Heng's actions.
After walking back and forth on the road with his daughter twice and chatting with the villagers, Lin Heng went back.
When I got home, my eldest brother and father were both back. The sun had been shining brightly for the past two days, and the road was not slippery, so pulling the plaster was much easier than before.
He didn't go hunting today, and in the evening he inevitably had another round of close contact with his wife at a negative distance.
The next day, the 18th, Lin's father began to help paint the house, applying the plaster on the earthen walls with a scraper.
Lin Heng’s skills are not good enough, so he can only help with the plaster.
…
Caiyun goes to collect grass for the cows every morning. This morning when she went to the river, she met Liu Lan and several women from the village. They all got up early to wash clothes.
Inevitably, a few people started chatting by the river. Rural people would chat with each other when they met, unless they were mortal enemies.
"Caiyun, did you put something on your lips? They look rosy and smooth."
As they chatted, Liu Lan asked what was really in her mind.
In the hot summer, everyone's lips are dry and hot, and it is normal for them to peel and crack, but Caiyun's lips are rosy and smooth.
"Yes, my second brother made lipstick."
Caiyun smiled and said that she was simple-minded. She took out the lipstick package from her pocket and demonstrated it.
The women washing clothes by the river immediately showed envy. They had seen this lipstick before, but they couldn't afford it. "You mean the second brother made it? How did he make it?" Liu Lan didn't understand. Lin Heng could make this thing? Caiyun shook her head: "I don't know either. He fiddled with beeswax, camellia oil, and flower petals for a long time, and then he made it.
I am still taking advantage of my second sister-in-law Xiulan, my second brother made this especially for her."
"So this is what you, Lin Heng, bought tea oil and rotten honeycomb for that day. You are really capable."
Liu Lan said with some envy. She felt uncomfortable because Lin Heng was too good to Xiulan.
She thought Lin Heng was squandering the money, but it turned out he was making something for his wife.
She felt very bitter when she thought that her husband didn't even send her flowers.
The women nearby were also a little envious. Although Lin Heng was a second-rate guy who was idle, it seemed that they had never heard of him beating his wife.
Now that the prodigal son has returned, he is still so good to his wife, which makes them a little jealous.
Many men in the village beat their wives. Even if they don't beat them, it is common for them to quarrel every day over trivial matters.
However, they were unwilling to believe that Lin Heng and Xiulan were so loving and thought that the news had just not been spread.
"Ask your brother if he has any more, and I can exchange something with him for one, or I can buy it from him." said a woman named Li Yan next to her.
Li Yan is very beautiful, with a good figure and a fair face, but her mouth is a little big, which makes her look much less pretty.
If her mouth was a little smaller, she would be as pretty as Xiulan Caiyun.
Fengshu Village has a total of more than 200 households and a population of about 1,200. There are about a dozen wealthy families, and their income is worth 1,000 yuan.
It may be difficult for the village head or the village party secretary to have an annual income of 10,000 yuan. In this era, the purchasing power of 10,000 yuan is too strong.
The Li family that Li Yan married into is a wealthy family. When she and her husband Li Changfu got married last year, the Li family built a two-and-a-half-story red brick house directly at the east end of the village.
"I'll take note. I'll go back and ask my brother. If he wants to sell it, I'll deliver it to your door."
Caiyun nodded and said with a smile.
"Okay." Li Yan nodded, thinking that it would definitely not be a problem.
It was already past ten o'clock when Caiyun finished cutting grass for the cows and returned home. After feeding the grass to the big yellow cow at home, she went straight to Lin Heng's new house.
In the new house, Lin Heng, his elder brother and his father were applying plaster. The main room had been finished, and they were now applying plaster to the bedroom walls.
Although the plaster was not dry yet and was grayish white, it obviously made the whole room much brighter. Caiyun felt proud and happy seeing it.
"Second brother, Li Yan from the village wants to buy the lipstick you made, will you sell it to her?"
Xiulan asked as she walked into the room.
"I'm not selling it for now. This is made for your sister-in-law." Lin Heng refused without even thinking.
How much money can you make by selling one or two?
He was too lazy to even do it. He would rather spend his time hunting in the mountains to see if there were any rabbits or grouse or something.
"Okay, I understand." Caiyun nodded. She also guessed that her second brother would refuse.
After all, my second brother is a capable man now, so it is normal for him to not care about a few cents.
After Caiyun left, the Lin family's father and son continued to apply plaster.
After one day, all the walls of the rooms on the first floor were plastered, and the whole house became much brighter.
As for the second floor, let’s not paint it for now. The first floor is enough for Lin Heng and Xiulan to live in.
"Brother, go and have a look. Sister Xiulan was beaten and is crying. Mom is arguing with someone because of this."
As soon as Lin Heng and his two sons left the bridal chamber, Caiyun hurried over to report the news.
Hearing this, Lin Heng was suddenly stunned, and his voice suddenly became angry: "Where is it? What's going on?"
(End of this chapter)
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