They stayed on the mountain for more than five days. During those five days, they climbed up and down the mountain, kept an eye on the prey, and dared not sleep at night. They all looked haggard like wild men who had come out of the mountains.
An'an saw those people sitting by the fire, carrying wine with great fanfare. Their clothes were black, their faces were black, and their beards were tangled. She quickly hid behind her mother's legs.
When Uncle Liu saw her like this, he deliberately lowered his voice and called her name.
An'an tilted her head, peeking out with curious eyes as she stared at him, a hint of fear flashing in them. Who was this person? Why did he know her name? Uncle Liu called out again, and Aunt Tian, unable to bear it any longer, slapped him on the arm.
"Alright, alright, look at you, what are you trying to scare her for?"
"Great-uncle?"
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, filled with disbelief. How could her great-uncle have become like this? Liu Jianqiu, sitting next to Uncle Liu, quickly called out.
"An'an, don't you recognize us?"
Only then did she realize that the people in front of her were indeed her uncle and great-uncle. She called out timidly, but still didn't dare to approach them.
The winter hunting team members were not only dirty, but also reeked of blood, so the children didn't dare to go near them. The village chief and the party secretary came out and coughed a few times, and everyone quickly looked over.
"Our village's winter hunt was a complete success this year."
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from below. In a few days, there would be a winter hunt organized by the commune, and they would be going to more than just the mountains of their village. However, the commune's winter hunting team didn't get much loot because there were too many people.
"First of all, I want to thank the members of the winter hunting team. It is because of them that we have so much prey. Let's give them a round of applause!"
The entire brigade headquarters was bustling with activity. The team members sitting by the stove held hot drinks and had smiles on their faces.
As is customary, an extra portion is given to each team member, and the rest are distributed per person.
Because there were two team members at home, plus the number of people, Aunt Tian carried back about 100 jin (50 catties) of meat.
The team members received a large share; each of them received forty kilograms.
This amount of meat will be enough to last through the year, and we won't have to worry about it next spring.
Aunt Tian took out 15 jin of meat and put it in her basket. This was for Song Qing to take away later. Song Qing knew that Aunt Tian would never accept money, so she gave her two pieces of flawed cloth.
After working for so long, Aunt Tian finally got some flawed fabric. She couldn't stop smiling when she received the material, praising her for finding such a good job.
Song Qing came to the village to buy more meat and had already set his sights on several people. These people were characterized by having few family members, but they received more meat from the team members who went up the mountain.
Countless people in the vicinity have their eyes on the meat from Yanghe Village, but they probably haven't received the news yet. As soon as Song Qing returned, he went to look for them.
Because of Aunt Tian, those people were very willing to help. If they had enough at home, they wanted to exchange it for some money. So they collected 20 jin (10 catties) of the mixture and spent 20 yuan.
Pork requiring meat coupons costs eight or nine cents a pound, while these are only one dollar, which is incredibly cheap. Unfortunately, most people want to keep them.
Chen Junliang also carried a basket. His mother had given him a lot of money before he came. With Liu Jiandong around, he was sure to find someone. Even if the family didn't plan to sell, Liu Jiandong approached them with a grin.
In the end, people could only laugh and scold him as they cut off a pound or two, and that's how he managed to gather 8 pounds of meat.
The meat was heavy in the basket, and Chen Junliang, whose face was usually cold and expressionless, now had a smile on his face.
"Take your things home first. We're sure to have something delicious to cook today. My mom has been asking you for so many days, and she's going to get angry if you don't come soon."
One of them was extremely talkative, and the other was taciturn, barely exchanging a few words a day. But strangely, they got along very well. Liu Jiandong even took him up the mountain to set traps and catch one or two rabbits.
Aunt Tian found out that her son had made a new friend. She heard that the young man lived in the textile factory and was Guan Lian, the same girl she had picked walnuts with last time.
They insisted on inviting him to dinner at their home, but Chen Junliang refused to keep declining.
"I……"
"Our village had a bumper harvest this year. My dad and brother got a lot of meat. My mom must be very happy today. Aren't you going over?"
Chen Junliang also felt that it wasn't good to keep making excuses, so he thought he would take the things back first and then bring some things over.
"My mom should be getting off work soon, I'll go home and tell her first."
"Okay, okay, hurry up. Don't bring anything. I feel embarrassed to stay with you if you keep being so polite."
The two parted ways, and Liu Jiandong ran home. The house was filled with warmth, and his mother was waving a shovel, laughing so hard that her eyes could hardly see.
"Mom, I'm inviting Chen Junliang over for dinner."
"Come, come, this kid is too polite. I've called him so many times but he hasn't paid any attention to me."
An'an was just watching them break down their prey. After they finished, Aunt Tian boiled a pot of water for the father and son to take a bath. Now she was sitting alone on the kang (a heated brick bed). When she saw Liu Jiandong come back, she deliberately turned her face away.
Liu Jiandong pinched a piece of crispy pork and stuffed it into his mouth, then pinched another piece and tried to stuff it into An'an's mouth, but finally noticed her action and suppressed a laugh.
"Want some or not?"
The crispy pork was fried until it was fragrant and crispy, coated with a layer of powder and sprinkled with chili powder. An'an sniffed and finally couldn't resist turning her head. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Liu Jiandong stuffed the crispy pork directly into his own mouth.
An An: "..."
Aunt Tian: "There's a whole bunch in the pot, and you just like teasing her. An'an, come down and get it yourself, don't pay any attention to her!"
An'an was now even more determined to ignore this wicked uncle. Liu Jiandong reached out to lift her off the kang (a heated brick bed), but she refused to open her arms. Liu Jiandong had no choice but to grab her around the waist and lift her down.
Song Qing went home and called Xiao Hui and Lu Yang. They were carrying a bunch of things and were laughing as they headed to the village.
I saw a shadowy figure lurking around the entrance of the textile factory. The factory had already closed for the day, and the gate was the only thing blocking the way. Otherwise, the guards at the entrance of the residential compound would have definitely come over to question him.
"Who are you looking for, comrade?"
"I……"
The man stammered for a moment, then peered into the factory. The security guards noticed him and, with dark faces, were about to come out. Startled, the man took a few steps back.
Lu Yang lowered his eyebrows and looked at the person, whose legs were almost trembling.
Song Qing noticed a package at his feet. "Comrade, are you here to look for someone?"
After giving the meat and the remaining money to his mother and obtaining her permission, Chen Junliang also brought half a pound of dried fish from home. Just as he was about to go to Liu Jiandong's house, he saw several people standing at the entrance of the textile factory. They were Aunt Song and her family.
Guessing they were also going to Jiandong's house, I was about to run up and walk with them when the man in black turned around.
He stopped in his tracks, feeling as if the blood in his body had suddenly rushed back, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
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