Chapter 134: Building a wooden house and breeding the ewe
"Brother, is Schisandra old?"
When he came back in the afternoon, Lin Heng asked.
"No, it will take several days." Lin Yue shook his head, then said excitedly: "I heard that you guys went to cut down trees with chainsaws, I will go there tomorrow too."
"Of course, three people will be faster." Lin Heng nodded with a smile.
After chatting for a few words, the daughter started clamoring to go for a walk, so Lin Heng had no choice but to take her out for a run.
When he walked to the ginkgo tree, the rooster that he had chased away before took advantage of his inattention and hit him on the butt, then flapped its wings and ran away.
"Oh shit!"
Lin Heng picked up stones and threw them along the way, but the thing ran so fast that he couldn't catch up.
Mainly because he was afraid that his daughter might be walking alone, he did not dare to chase her far.
"Whose rooster is this?" Lin Heng asked.
"It's from Liu Lan's family. It often pecks people." Someone nearby answered.
Lin Heng looked at the rooster from a distance and took this grudge to heart.
I continued strolling with my daughter and played the object identification and talking game.
"Dad, what is this?"
On the side of the road, Xiaoxia pointed at a plant with black fruits and asked curiously.
"This is Nightshade. The black fruit is edible." Lin Heng picked one, waved it in front of his daughter's mouth, and then ate it himself.
It’s sweet and sour and delicious. I ate a lot of it when I was a child.
Xiaoxia stamped her feet angrily, picked one and put it in her mouth, then picked the second and the third...
Lin Heng also ate a few, then took her away and told her not to eat anything else while he was around.
Every time his precious daughter ate wild fruits, Lin Heng would remind her, fearing that she would eat them carelessly.
On the way back, Lin Heng saw the big rooster that pecked people again, but it ran away and didn't dare to come over.
The next morning, Xiulan, Lin's mother Liu Juan and others went to Hongfeng Mountain. They dug peanuts at the foot of the mountain and grazed cattle and sheep.
Lin Heng and his two companions went up the mountain to continue sawing wood. Every time they sawed off a tree, Lin Heng would plant two trees of other species.
I sawed another thirty logs in the morning, and that number was about the same.
"How do we move this?" Lin Yue looked at these six-meter-long logs, each weighing several hundred kilograms.
"No need to move. Just use diesel to saw it into boards on the spot and then transport it." Lin Heng had already thought of a solution.
"I'm afraid this is not easy." Lin Yue shook his head.
"Take your time, we have plenty of time." Lin Heng said with a smile.
Although he had no experience, he had seen others do this in videos. That person was a Russian boy in the Far East who was probably only one or two years old at the time.
One afternoon, the father and his two sons were studying how to cut wooden boards with an oil saw.
First, I learned how to fix the wood, and then how to saw it. I sawed three pieces of wood in one afternoon, but I still didn't get the hang of it.
The next morning, Lin's father called Lin Heng and the other man away early in the morning to continue the fight.
After another day and five pieces of wood, the three of them finally mastered the method of sawing wood.
However, the wooden boards they were cutting were four or five centimeters thick. If they were thinner, the three men would not be able to do it with their skills.
Cutting the boards took much more work than cutting down trees. It took the three of them a week to cut more than half of the boards.
During this period, Lin Heng went to the town twice. Liu Qichen had not yet settled the matter of renting a house, so it posed no threat to him.
Lin Heng's business is just average, far from being as good as the second time he opened the store.
On the afternoon of the fourth day of the New Year, Lin Heng took his daughter out for a walk again. Just as they walked not far from the ginkgo tree, the big rooster came again and approached quietly from behind.
Just as it was about to jump, Lin Heng turned around and grabbed its neck.
"quack!!"
The guy let out a shrill scream, flapped his wings, and even shit flew out of his body in fear.
"You still know how to be afraid?" Lin Heng sneered. He had disliked this guy for a long time.
This time he was finally caught. Holding the bird's wings and pinching its head, Lin Heng came to Liu Lan's door.
"Liu Lan, I want to buy your big rooster. How much is it?" Lin Heng asked.
Tomorrow they will officially start building the cabin. Although the wooden boards have not been laid yet, they have decided to start construction first.
Because I have a lot of things to do recently, I want to go up the mountain to pick mountain products such as Schisandra chinensis, and I also want to go down to the river to catch soft-shelled turtles at night.
After discussion, the three of them decided to start building one floor tomorrow, and build the others slowly later when they have time.
Tomorrow is the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, which is an auspicious day. It is a perfect time to kill the rooster that has offended me time and again as a sacrifice.
Liu Lan was picking vegetables at the doorstep. She smiled when she heard this and said, "Of course, one yuan per pound. I'll go back and get a scale for you."
Liu Lan took a beam scale and a rope, tied up the kilometer and weighed it, then said with a smile, "Eight pounds and two ounces, just give me eight yuan."
"Then come to my house to get the money." Lin Heng nodded.
Liu Lan was holding a rooster and flirting and telling some provocative dirty jokes on the way, but Lin Heng held his daughter and pretended not to hear anything.
When they got home, Lin Heng said something to his wife, and Xiulan turned around to get the money.
Liu Lan was so envious that she wondered how happy Xiulan must be to manage so much money.
After Liu Lan left, Lin Heng looked at Xiu Lan and said, "Wife, prepare the seasoning for the barbecue. I will get up early tomorrow to kill the chicken, and then we will go to Hongfeng Mountain for a barbecue."
"Okay." Xiulan nodded.
Lin Heng threw the tied rooster into the corner under the eaves. It let out a shrill cry, as if it had anticipated its own miserable end.
Lin Heng helped to harvest the dried peanuts, and dinner was a simple cornmeal fish.
In the evening, Lin Heng and his wife whispered to each other to enhance the affection between husband and wife and discuss art and techniques.
“Gugugugu!!!”
The next morning, the tied rooster crowed hysterically.
"You really don't want to live."
Lin Heng got up, shook his head and sneered. He was very tired and wanted to sleep a little longer, but this guy kept barking and forced him to get up early to kill it.
He took out his tempered steel dagger and cut its neck with one stroke, then collected the chicken blood in a small bowl.
The feathers of this big rooster are really beautiful, dark blue and deep red. Lin Heng cut off some of them.
Boil the chicken in water and cut open its intestines in one go.
"Woof woof~" Xiongba wagged his tail back and forth, showing a Samoyed-like smile like a dog licking its lips.
"Come, lick my hand." Lin Heng stretched out his hand and it licked it immediately.
Jinbao, standing under the eaves, had a proud look on his face, as if he was looking down on Xiongba.
When it saw Xiongba having some cooked chicken innards to eat, it licked its lips again, feeling a little envious.
Fortunately, Xiaoxia woke up, touched it, and asked Lin Heng for two small fish to feed it.
Lin Heng's original intention was to invite everyone in the family to go to Hongfeng Mountain for a camping trip.
But Lin's mother and sister-in-law refused him. Lin's mother said, "You guys can eat. Your sister-in-law and I are going to the mountains to pick Schisandra chinensis and dig medicinal herbs."
"Yes, we'll need Xiulan's help in taking care of the child today." Liu Juan also said with a smile.
In the past they would definitely stay and eat a few bites, but now that they are not short of meat, they don't mind.
"Okay." Lin Heng could only agree.
After breakfast, Lin Heng and his group set off, taking the children with them as well as the cattle and sheep.
The little goat that Lin Heng and Xiulan bought together now weighs more than 30 kilograms, with snow-white fur. It has recently started bleating, and seems to be in heat.
Lin Heng was thinking about whether he should find a ram for it. If he did, he wouldn't be able to kill it during the New Year.
"Let's find one so we can buy some mutton for the New Year." Xiulan said.
"Okay, then let's find a family with a big ram to breed it at noon." Lin Heng nodded and said.
After going up the mountain, Lin Heng tied the big yellow cow and sheep to the hillside to graze, and found a place full of pebbles by the stream to make a fire and burn charcoal.
The water wheel was the same one used for roasting the pig last time. After tying the chicken, the rest was left to my wife Xiulan.
The second nephew Lin Tao and his two-year-old brother were watching nearby as Xiaoxia played with Xiongba.
When Lin Heng and his group arrived at the place, Lin's father smiled and said, "Let's dig nine holes first and bury the tree stumps first."
Naturally, the wooden house cannot be built directly on the ground. It has to be suspended in the air and supported by piles.
The tree stumps they chose were two large fallen pine trees that were dead and semi-dry.
The tree stumps have been sawn, one meter and two meters long, sixty centimeters buried in the ground and sixty centimeters above the ground.
Lin Heng and his eldest brother worked together to dig the hole, one digging while the other shoveled the soil, taking turns.
Father Lin painted the wooden stakes with asphalt, which he had asked someone to buy for him at the building materials store in town. It seemed to be more effective than tung oil when used to paint the wooden stakes.
Lin Yue exclaimed as he dug a hole: "This is the fulfillment of my childhood dream."
When they were young, they wanted to build a cabin by themselves, but they lacked the tools and could only make a weird looking cabin that didn't even look like a pigsty.
"Indeed." Lin Heng smiled. If possible, he would like to build a small tree house. When he was a child, he wanted to have a small house on a tree.
It was not difficult to dig the pit to a depth of only 50 centimeters. After digging, Lin's father brought the wood coated with asphalt and buried it in the pit.
Lin Heng planned to build a 36-square-meter wooden house, which is exactly a square.
It is done after burying nine wooden stakes. After burying, the next step is to make it level so that all the wooden stakes are on the same horizontal line.
This was not difficult for the three of them. With the tools, they could do the horizontal work. They spent a lot of effort to move three six-meter-long acorn tree squares, brushed asphalt on the bottom and tung oil on the top.
Lin Heng and his colleagues were too lazy to work on the mortise and tenon structure. It wasn't that it was bad, but it was too troublesome.
Just use big steel nails to nail it in, and then use steel bars to hold it from the outside, there won't be any problems.
For a cabin with only one floor, this is as sturdy as it can be.
By the time the three square timbers were ordered, it was already noon and the three men's stomachs were rumbling.
"Let's go over and have dinner." Lin Heng said to his father and elder brother.
In the afternoon, they laid the wooden boards and then erected the pillars. They planned to make a mortise and tenon structure for the pillars, which was relatively simple.
"The meal is ready." said Xiulan.
Lin Heng and the other two came over. The chicken had turned golden brown after being roasted for a whole morning.
Lin Tao had been drooling for quite a while.
In addition to the golden crispy roast chicken, there are also white flour steamed buns for lunch today. These were made yesterday. Eating them in the mountains saves me the trouble of going home.
"This big rooster's meat is delicious and chewy."
Lin Heng tore off a piece of meat, dipped it in the barbecue sauce, and took a bite, and couldn't help but praise it.
Right next to this mountain stream, under the shade of the trees, the chicken skin is crispy and the meat is tender. It is worthy of being a big rooster that exercises regularly. The meat is fragrant and chewy.
"People say that chicken that has been eaten with centipedes and bees can nourish the body. I don't know if it's true or not, but everyone should eat more." Father Lin said with a smile. He shared the food with his grandchildren first before taking a bite himself.
"As long as it tastes good," Lin Yue said with a smile.
Everyone sat on the stone man. From time to time, a cool breeze blew, and the sunlight shone through the leaves, casting mottled shadows. There was an indescribable feeling when eating in this place.
Ever since Lin Heng opened the purchasing station, everyone in the family has become visibly more relaxed, especially Lin's father.
In the past, he would never do these idle things. He was either busy planting crops or digging medicinal herbs. Now he chooses to come out and play occasionally.
"Dad, do you want to drink?" Lin Heng took out a bag of rice wine and handed it to his father.
"Give me some." Father Lin took it and took a sip with a smile.
After taking a bite of chicken and a sip of wine, Father Lin leaned against the stone happily.
Xiongba was lying nearby waiting for the bones to eat, but he was not in a hurry because they would all be his in the end anyway.
After dinner, Lin Heng leaned against the rock and felt the mountain breeze blowing in, which was really comfortable.
Whether it's lazy or casual, it just feels comfortable.
Xiaoxia was pulling grass leaves for fun nearby, while Xiongba was eating bones frantically, making crunching sounds.
No one was too lazy to talk. It was so comfortable to lie down like this, listening to the creek, the mountain breeze, and the innocent laughter of the children.
The reason why the maple tree is called maple tree is because its leaves make a rustling sound when the wind blows, just like the sound of the wind.
"Let's go on." After resting for an hour, Father Lin said, and the three of them got up and continued working.
The three of them first moved some wooden boards. Although these thick wooden boards were still very heavy, they could be lifted by manpower.
These boards are not polished and are roughly cut by the chainsaw.
This is it for now. When electricity is available, I can buy an electric polishing machine to polish it. Manual polishing is really a pain.
The side of the wooden board facing the ground is painted with asphalt, and the other parts are painted with tung oil. The black color doesn't look good.
In one afternoon, the three of them completed the foundation of the 36-square-meter house.
Then I used a planer to flatten the columns and make the mortise and tenon structure.
After thinking it over carefully, I decided to get all the columns and beams ready and install them all at once.
Just build a one-story cabin, four meters high will be enough, and the roof will be made entirely of wood. Finally, a layer of waterproof cloth will be nailed on it so there is no need to worry about leaks.
Lin Heng also planned to lay some wooden boards around the wooden house to build a camping site, which would be very convenient for his family to come and play without having to step on the mud.
But all these have to be done slowly. Today, it was already dusk when I finished planing a few pillars and taking out the mortise and tenon joints.
Tomorrow is the sixth day of the eighth lunar month. Lin Heng is going to the town to check on the business, and his father and others are preparing to go into the mountains to explore.
"Let's go back."
Taking their tools, the father and his two sons went down the mountain together.
On the other side, Xiulan had already gone down the mountain with Xiaoxia and others. While waiting for Lin Heng, she also collected a basket of pig grass.
On the way back, we happened to meet someone driving cattle and sheep up the mountain.
"They are Liu Ciwen's cattle and sheep. They are just right for breeding with our sheep."
Lin Heng saw a big ram in the flock and hurriedly pulled his own ewe over.
"What's wrong?"
The one herding sheep today was Liu Ciwen's sister Liu Cihua. She came over and asked curiously.
"Brood my sheep." Lin Heng said with a smile.
He remembered that Liu Cihua should be about eighteen or nineteen years old now, three years older than Liu Ciwen.
Her mute mother gave birth to three children. The eldest was Liu Cihua, the second was said to have been abducted by human traffickers, and the third was Liu Ciwen. "Then just drive it over there." Liu Cihua nodded and said.
Lin Heng brought his own sheep rope and drove over. The big ram soon came over following the sound and smelling the scent.
Lin Heng glanced at Liu Cihua, making the shy girl feel embarrassed.
In fact, Lin Heng was not looking at her but was daydreaming. Liu Cihua was average looking, far inferior to Xiulan in both figure and appearance.
Moreover, her family was in such a situation that no one in the village proposed marriage to her because they were afraid of being involved with such a family.
Lin Heng was thinking about whether he should introduce Liu Cihua to Wang Zhou. In his previous life, he had the impression that she was very capable. She married a man in the village who couldn't find a wife. She was very hardworking and endured hardships.
"The sheep are ready for breeding." Liu Cihua said.
"Thank you." Lin Heng came to his senses, walked over and led the little lamb away.
On the way home, Lin Heng thought about this matter again and decided to tell Wang Zhou about it and ask him to come up and see him when he has time.
"Xiu Lan, what do you think would be a good idea to bring something to your parents on August 15th?"
After returning home, Lin Heng asked again.
"A pound of sugar is enough." Xiulan said after thinking for a while.
"No, you can go to town with me tomorrow and buy a set of clothes and shoes for our parents. Things in town are not expensive."
Lin Heng looked at his wife and said, since they were going back, he must make sure his wife looked glorious and proud to prove to her parents and siblings that she had not followed the wrong person.
He didn't want his wife to suffer any more grievances. He felt guilty when he thought about her going back to ask others for money in her previous life.
Xiulan wanted to say something else, but Lin Heng covered her mouth and said, "Stop talking. It's settled."
"It's so salty!" Xiulan glared at him and said with disgust.
"It's useless for you to dislike me. You still have to live with me for the rest of your life." Lin Heng chuckled.
"Okay then, that's fine if you want." Xiulan looked at her husband and understood what he was thinking, and felt warm in her heart.
In the evening, Lin Heng washed Xiulan's hair using the shampoo he bought in the city. It was much faster than using soap, and her hair still smelled good after washing.
After washing Xiulan, I gave Xiaoxia a bath and applied baby cream.
The next morning, Lin Heng took Xiulan and Xiaoxia to the town on foot.
"Dad, why are you picking flowers?"
Xiaoxia looked at Lin Heng picking wild chrysanthemums on the roadside and asked curiously.
"A gift for my wife." Lin Heng said with a smile.
Xiaoxia tilted her head: "Who is your wife?"
"My wife is your mother." Lin Heng said again.
Xiaoxia was confused and thought for a long time, blinking her big eyes.
"Here, this is for you!" Lin Heng arranged the flowers and handed them to his wife.
Xiulan took it and smelled it with a smile. This ordinary wild chrysanthemum seemed to have become of extraordinary significance.
She didn't say anything, but her eyes and brows showed her love for Lin Heng.
"It turns out that my father's nagging wife is my mother!" Xiaoxia finally figured it out.
She let go of her mother's hand and plucked a few chrysanthemums and handed them to her: "Mom, I'll give you flowers too."
Although she was often spanked by Xiulan, she still loved her mother very much.
"Thank you, Xiaoxia." Xiulan took it and kissed her.
"Why don't I have it?" Lin Heng was dissatisfied.
Xiulan raised her chin and snorted, "You should give it as a gift, there is no reward."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
