Chapter 116: Long-term planning
After the autumn harvest, it started to rain heavily. The team members, who had been busy for a long time, took this opportunity to rest at home. The rain was too heavy, so Xu Hexiao didn't have to go to herd cattle, and he had some free time during the day.
"Before the team distributes food, the team members don't have peanuts, and there is no one at the oil press, let's go and press peanut oil today." Xu Hexiao said.
Lin Qi looked puzzled, "Oil pressing?"
"Yes, oil pressing, also known as oil pressing. Last year we had no shortage of oil, and the peanuts we were given were not many, so I didn't remind you to press the oil. But this year is different, we have harvested a lot of peanuts, and it would be a pity not to press the oil." Xu Hexiao explained.
Lin Qi raised her eyebrows. "You decided from the beginning to make peanut oil, so this year you asked me not to grow vegetables in the yard, but to grow peanuts instead."
And they secretly harvested peanuts twice, and now there are a total of twenty-one sacks of shelled peanuts in her warehouse.
Xu Hexiao nodded. "Pork is delicious, but peanut oil is also very fragrant. The combination of meat and vegetables is healthier."
Xu Hexiao, wearing a raincoat, went to borrow the key to the oil room from the team leader.
"Your raincoat is nice." The captain looked at Xu Hexiao with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Lin Qi's elder brother and sister-in-law mailed two items to her, and she gave one to me." Xu Hexiao said calmly.
"These plastic bucket shoes are also good." The captain said again.
"It was also sent by Lin Qi's eldest brother and sister-in-law." Because he is now Lin Qi's boyfriend, the Lin family always sends two copies when they mail things to Lin Qi.
The captain was thoughtful, thinking that Xu Hexiao probably had a clear path through Lin Qi's family. He didn't know if Lin Qi's family knew about Xu Hexiao's identity as a member of the "five black categories".
But this was someone else's business, so the captain didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he changed the subject and said, "I heard that you planted peanuts in the yard in February. Have you harvested them twice so far?"
Xu Hexiao hummed. Although Lin Qi's home was far away from other families in the team, there were still many people paying attention to Lin Qi's yard. Whatever was in her yard, it would be hard to hide it from the team's eyes.
"Captain, Lin Qi's ability is limited. She can't increase the grain production of the entire brigade." Xu Hexiao said.
The captain was startled. "You mean—"
"That's what the captain guessed. Otherwise, the captain really thinks that the increase in grain production is because her hands are blessed?" Xu Hexiao laughed sarcastically, "She has done her best to let everyone eat rice. Captain, please don't make things difficult for her anymore."
The large area of paddy fields in Anliang Brigade is larger than the planting area. He doesn't know how much effort she has put in to increase the yield of rice, but it is not easy.
The team leader was silent. He asked about the peanut production in Lin Qi's yard. He was indeed aiming to increase the production of peanuts like rice. However, Xu Hexiao's words made sense. No matter how powerful Lin Qi was, she couldn't manage all the food crops in the entire team.
"How about this, don't rush to squeeze oil from Lin Qi's peanuts, and save them all for the brigade as next year's grain seeds. Not only peanuts, but also corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes, taro and other crops. As long as they are planted by Lin Qi, our brigade will take them all and save them all for next year's use as seeds. The brigade will supply Lin Qi with the same amount as it took from her."
"Okay, I'll tell her about this. I don't think she will have any objections."
Xu Hexiao returned with nothing in his hands.
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, "Captain, won't you lend it to me?"
"He said that in the future, all the peanuts, corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes, taro and other things you grow should be handed over to the brigade, and the brigade will use them as seeds for next year. The brigade will return as much as it takes away." Xu Hexiao said slowly as he took off his raincoat and plastic waders.
"Today, you didn't really think about borrowing the key, right?" Lin Qi was speechless. This guy actually lied to her!
"Yeah." Xu Hexiao admitted frankly.
"So you asked me to plant peanuts because you anticipated the current situation?" Did he start planning this so long ago?
"At first, I just wanted to press peanut oil openly. Later, when you were going to breed seeds, I became interested in these peanuts in the yard. Now it's only October, you can plant corn in the yard, and I will be responsible for turning the soil and watering." Xu Hexiao said.
Lin Qi: “….”
The grain crops in the planting area were continuously taken away by Brother Tan in his truck, because Brother Tan always came around 11 o'clock in the evening. At this time, everyone was asleep and no one came to the mountains.
However, there are always exceptions.
On this day, Lin Qi, Xu Hexiao and Brother Tan were loading food into the truck.
"Someone is coming." Lin Qi said suddenly.
Xu Hexiao and Brother Tan's expressions changed.
"I don't want the things anymore. I'll drive away and you guys should leave quickly." Brother Tan was still calm and made a judgment and decision immediately.
"Don't worry, I know the people coming. I'll lead them away. Don't move for now." Lin Qi said, picking up the backpack on the ground, casually throwing a few chickens and rabbits into the basket, and then walked in one direction with the basket on her back.
Xu Hexiao and Brother Tan watched her leave. Xu Hexiao remained calm, but Brother Tan was nervous.
Brother Tan pricked up his ears, "Did you hear the sound just now?"
"I didn't hear it just now, but I hear it now." Xu Hexiao was still looking in the direction where Lin Qi left.
"It's strange, it's strange, why can't I hear anything?" Brother Tan picked his ears, but still heard no sound.
Less than two hundred meters away, two men were talking in low voices.
"I dug three traps and put five clamps. Unfortunately, they are wooden. If they were made of iron, there would be no way for the wolf to escape even if he came!"
"This year, everyone went to the mountains to pick wild fruits and chestnuts, and I didn't hear of any wolves."
"Lin Qi hunted a lot of wolves last year, so the wolves should have fled this area. It's good that there are no wolves. Everyone can feel more at ease when entering the mountains."
"That's right. When the wolves were rampant, the children didn't even dare to go to the mountains... Who was there?"
In the darkness, a slender figure walked slowly towards us carrying a backpack.
"It's me." Lin Qi said.
Hearing this voice, both men breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lin Qi, it's you. Are you out hunting at night too?" Xiao Ba's father took the initiative to greet Lin Qi.
Aliang's father also asked, "Are you alone?"
"Yes, I'm alone." Lin Qi looked at the two people's backpacks, which were empty.
Xiao Ba's father and A Liang's father noticed her gaze, their faces turned red, and they immediately felt a little unnatural.
"We're going to dig traps and set traps. We'll have the harvest tomorrow morning," Xiao Ba's father explained.
Of course, maybe not.
Lin Qi nodded, "So that's how it is. Have you set the trap? Where are you going now?"
"We were planning to go to the mountain over there to check it out, but since you came from there, we don't have to go over there." Xiao Ba's father said with a smile.
"No need to go over there." Lin Qi said, throwing a pheasant into each of their backpacks. "It's getting late, you should go back."
A pheasant weighing more than ten kilograms was quite heavy when it fell into the backpack. Xiao Ba's father and A Liang's father could not see clearly what Lin Qi had thrown in, but they both felt the weight. They panicked and said hurriedly, "This is the prey you hunted, how can you give it to us?"
"It's okay. I don't mind one or two." Lin Qi said indifferently. She turned around and said, "I still need to go over there to take a look. You guys go now."
Lin Qi left. Xiao Ba's father and A Liang's father stayed where they were and watched her back disappear into the night.
"Why do I feel like Lin Qi doesn't want us to go there?" Xiao Ba's father said.
Aliang's father nodded, "I feel that too. If she doesn't want us to go, then we won't go."
Xiao Ba's father nodded, "I thought so too. Let's see what she put in our backpack."
"Wow, what a big pheasant!"
"I have pheasants here, too. They must weigh at least ten kilograms!"
Aliang's father and Xiaoba's father were very excited. No matter if there was prey tomorrow, their trip tonight would not be in vain.
The two men smiled at each other. This time, they didn't have to face the disappointed eyes of their children when they returned home.
Lin Qi returned to the car. The three of them didn't say anything, but just sped up the loading process and soon loaded all the food into the car.
"Two chickens are missing." Brother Tan said to Lin Qi while sitting in the driver's seat.
You have to consider two chickens too.
Lin Qi rolled her eyes speechlessly, "Come over the night after tomorrow, and I'll give you a cart of fish."
"Okay, I'll come the day after tomorrow!" Brother Tan's resentment disappeared, he started the car, and the car rumbled away into the distance.
"Do you want to learn how to drive?" Lin Qi asked Xu Hexiao.
Xu Hexiao shook his head, "No rush." Even if he learned it now, he wouldn't have the chance to drive, so it would be better to wait until later.
"I really want to learn it." Lin Qi said.
Xu Hexiao was a little surprised, but after thinking about it, he felt it was normal. She was different from other women. Her curiosity and adventurous spirit were no less than that of men.
"Next time Brother Tan comes over, ask him to teach you." Xu Hexiao said. With her intelligence, she should be able to learn it quickly.
Lin Qi nodded, eager to try.
She has never learned to drive in her two lifetimes, so she would naturally try it if she had the chance.
"When I learn it, I will teach you."
Lin Qi had just said that she would give Brother Tan a cart of fish, and the next day the brigade’s pond said it would release water to catch fish.
"It's already the end of October and the weather is cold. If we don't catch fish now, November and December will be even colder and the fish will freeze to death."
"I've raised this fish for two years. It should weigh seven or eight kilograms, right?"
"Two-year-old fish should weigh 15-20 pounds. The little guys put a lot of grass into the pond to eat the big fish."
"Who among you wants to sign up to go fishing?"
"One person from each household can sign up. In my family, it's my eldest brother this year, and it will be my turn next year."
"I'll go to my house. But I want to watch Lin Qi catch fish more."
"I want to, too. There's no one in the whole brigade who doesn't want to see her catch fish. Is she here?"
As they talked, they looked around the crowd, but there was no sign of Lin Qi.
"Does she know that the team is going to release water to catch fish today? Did anyone go to inform her?"
"Yes, the captain went there early in the morning."
"Luo Wei, why don't you go to Lin Qi's house again?"
"Okay, I'll go now."
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