Chapter 93 It’s over, I am surrounded by my wife’s tenderness
After a morning of boiling, the second pot of lard was ready. Xiulan took out the fried lard and threw the wild boar lean meat into it and fried it thoroughly.
After it was fried thoroughly, it could be taken out to make pot meat. I found a large clay pot, poured the lean meat into it first, and then poured the boiled lard into it.
After the lard cooled, the lean meat was wrapped in the lard, isolating it from air and bacteria, and it could be stored for one or two years without deterioration.
There was a lot of wild boar meat, but there was not much after it was refined into lard. It was only a pot, a jar and a small bucket, a total of about 70 kilograms.
"Let's go, let's go and help thresh the wheat."
There was nothing to do at home, Xiulan suggested.
"Okay."
Lin Heng was a little nostalgic. The way of harvesting wheat was so ancient in his memory that he almost forgot how to do it.
After locking the door, the family of three came to the yard of the old house. They could hear the clapping sound before they got close.
Walking into the house, Lin's father and eldest brother were wearing straw hats and threshing wheat with flails.
The flail consists of a handle and a flail. The handle is usually made of three or four meters of bamboo, and the flail is connected to it by a wooden connecting rod.
The flail is made of bamboo and a very dense and heavy wooden stick. It is rectangular, more than one meter or two meters long, and thirty or forty centimeters wide.
When the handle is swung, the flail on the connecting rod will rotate and hit the wheat ears on the ground through human control. This requires certain skills.
"Dad, let me hit it." Lin Heng took the flail and tried to operate it himself. He couldn't play it for the first few times. He couldn't make the flail fit the ground completely, so he couldn't hit the wheat.
"It's embarrassing that you can't even use the flail." Lin's mother laughed.
"Why don't you give it to me." Lin's father said.
Lin Heng: "It's just that I haven't used it for a long time."
After practicing again, he quickly mastered the trick and hit the wheat with a crackling sound.
Threshing wheat is a very tiring job, but it is much better than harvesting wheat.
"Tian Baishun gave you a gift, did you accept it?"
Father Lin drank a sip of water and asked while sitting under the eaves.
"Yes, what else can I do." Lin Heng shrugged. Many gifts cannot be refused, but they cannot be taken directly. You must be polite.
Fortunately, his mind is not young, and he knows all these things very well.
"Just accept it. I just asked. If you don't accept it when someone comes to your door, you will offend him." Father Lin nodded.
Lin Heng didn't want to talk more about this topic, so he changed the subject: "I am going to sell goods in the city recently. Is there anyone to join me?"
"I don't have time, go by yourself." Father Lin shook his head.
Lin Heng looked at other people again, and even his wife Xiulan said she didn't want to go.
"Aren't you afraid that I will hang out in the city and not come back?" Lin Heng was speechless.
Lin's mother glanced at him and said, "If you are willing to give up Xiulan, you won't come back."
Lin's father also said lightly, "It's no big deal. You will always come back. I will break your legs when you come back next time."
Lin Heng: "..."
Xiulan couldn't help laughing beside him. Lin Heng glared at her fiercely, thinking that he would teach his wife a lesson tonight. She was too bold to laugh at him.
The wheat was almost threshed. Lin's mother came over and forked out the wheat stalks with a fork, then took a large sieve and sieved the wheat and piled it aside.
Part of the wheat at home had been threshed the day before yesterday and yesterday. There was not much today. In one afternoon, the family took turns to thresh and finished it quickly.
After threshing and passing the sieve twice, the windmill had to be used. Lin Heng and his eldest brother carried out the wooden windmill at home.
"I'll shake the windmill." Lin Heng took over this fun job.
The eldest brother Lin Yue gave the wheat, and Lin's mother took the wheat next to him.
The principle of the windmill is simpler. It uses the wind to blow away the light wheat husks and tiny leaves. This thing has existed in ancient China.
After two windmills, clean wheat without impurities is obtained.
"Come, weigh it and see how many kilograms we harvested this year."
When the setting sun was shining, Lin's father took out the beam scale, his face was filled with joy.
"Come!"
Lin Heng and his elder brother carried the scale, Lin's father weighed it, and Caiyun took paper to record it.
"How many kilograms in total, Caiyun?" After weighing it, Lin's father couldn't wait to ask.
"885 kilograms the day before yesterday, 1,542 kilograms yesterday, 732 kilograms today, a total of 2,959 kilograms." Caiyun said.
"Not bad, it's a good harvest. After paying the public grain and other messes, we can still have about 2,100 kilograms left." Lin's father grinned and was in a good mood.
In the 1980s, there were various agricultural taxes and public grain in rural areas. They added them together, which was 100 kilograms of grain per mu of land.
Those who have money can also pay.
Grain can only be sold to grain stations or purchased from grain stations. Individuals are not allowed to buy and sell grain.
Although the Lin family has 30 acres of land, after paying, it is only enough for themselves.
Not only agricultural taxes, there is still a huge gap between rural and urban household registration in this era.
That's why Lin Heng said he wanted to start a business and engage in breeding. These are much better than farming, and the policy is more relaxed.
"Help to carry the grain into the house first, dry it in the next two days, and then take it to the town to pay."
Lin's father looked at everyone and said that he didn't think there was any problem with paying grain, because farmers have had to pay since ancient times.
If you tell him that he doesn't have to pay in the future, he may still find it strange.
After moving things into the house, Sister Xiulan also prepared the meal.
The whole family ate happily and shared the joy of harvest.
"When the public food is paid in two days, we will go to the village together and separate the household registration and other things. From now on, we will live our own lives."
Father Lin said with a smile.
"It's not urgent. It doesn't matter whether they are separated or not." Lin Heng shook his head and said that it would not have any impact on his family.
"It's better to separate." Lin's father insisted. He felt that since the family was going to be separated, it should be done thoroughly.
"Then let's divide it." Lin Heng spread his hands and didn't care.
After dinner, the sky was already cloudy, and Lin Heng took his wife and daughter home quickly to collect their things.
After simply adding a roof to the pig-badger pen and feeding Xiongba, Lin Heng went to make some fish ponds. He was afraid that heavy rain would wash away the fry.
"Roar!!"
While washing his feet, Lin Heng noticed that he hadn't fed the little wild cat yet today.
"What are you feeding?" Xiulan glanced at the closed little wild cat.
"Make some batter and feed it. It doesn't deserve good food. It has a bad temper. It would have died on the slope if I hadn't rescued it."
Lin Heng glanced at the little wild cat. He had no interest in raising the cat as his ancestor.
If you are good and make people lovable, give them something delicious to eat. If you are cruel, just give them something to keep them hungry.
If you really make him angry, just throw him out to die.
"Okay, it just so happens that there is still a little bit of the soup left today." Xiulan nodded and went to the kitchen to put the remaining soup into a bowl.
At night, just as Lin Heng and Xiulan fell asleep, there was thunder and heavy rain outside.
It seems that God thinks it is not easy for farmers to grow crops, so they wait until the wheat harvest is finished before planting crops.
Early the next morning, it was still raining, so Lin Heng and Xiulan didn't get up in a hurry and just lay in bed chatting, which was rare and leisurely.
After getting up, having a simple breakfast and feeding the chickens and ducks, Xiulan began to knit straw hats.
Lin Hengze is working on his purple bamboo fishing rod. It was not finished yesterday because Tian Baishun came to the door, so he will continue today.
Xiaoxia stayed close to Xiulan and was not helpful from time to time. Anyway, she couldn't take any time off.
"How much have I harvested during the past few days of hunting?"
Lin Heng asked while straightening the purple bamboo.
"I collected about ten kilograms. Not many people came to sell. They are all kept in the cabinet." Xiulan said casually.
Lin Heng had already expected this result and knew that he would not be able to collect much from Murakami. This was mainly because Gang Lin's father, Lin's mother and others got used to it, making small moves at first, and then gradually increasing the effort.
After chatting for a few words, the room became quiet, with only the sound of daughter Xiaoxia's babbling and playing.
Occasionally, when they remembered something, they chatted for a few more words, and then fell into silence again. The sound of rain outside the house continued, and the sound of their daughter's play could be heard from time to time in the house.
It was noon, Xiulan cooked, and Lin Heng helped take care of her daughter. After the meal, the rain subsided, and the two went out to collect some fodder to feed the sheep and pigs and badgers.
The small days are dull and happy.
It was already night before they knew it. The two energetic people discussed the philosophical issues of human creation and improved their understanding of each other.
The love is deep, so they cherish each other especially. Xiulan has a gentle and delicate personality and treats Lin Heng in every possible way. Lin Heng carries a lifetime of guilt in his heart. He also loves his wife in his heart and loves above actions.
Love that is intense and deep at night relies on actions, while love that is delicate and warm during the day relies on the heart.
It rained continuously for five days, until the 13th day of May in the lunar calendar and the 1st day of July in the Gregorian calendar.
In the morning, the rain stopped, and heavy fog spread from the mountains to the river. Lin Heng's yard was covered in white.
"It's over, I'm surrounded by your tenderness."
Lin Heng stood in front of the gate, stretched and said with a smile.
Xiulan glanced at him: "You say such things again in broad daylight."
Lin Heng grinned: "I'm telling the truth, how would you know if I didn't tell you."
"Then next time, whisper it in my ear." Xiulan looked at him.
"Okay." Lin Heng leaned over and said again.
Xiulan's face suddenly turned red and she glared at Lin Heng: "It's so bad."
Lin Heng not only said shameful words, but also bit her ear.
"Okay, let's go up the mountain quickly. There will definitely be a lot of honeysuckle in this rain." Xiulan said again, carrying the basket on her back and going up the mountain.
Lin Heng held his daughter and took Xiong Ba up the mountain together. The two of them got up early today. It was only half past five. The road was covered with fog and the visibility was less than three meters.
But even so, there were still many people going to Shibadanggou. Especially when he saw Father Lin and Mother Lin, Lin Heng was even more shocked: "Dad, Mom, you guys got up before dawn?"
"What do you think? I've never heard that the early bird catches the worm." Mother Lin disliked him.
"That's crazy." Lin Heng shook his head and turned around to help his wife cut honeysuckle vines. This time it wasn't as much as the first time, but it was still a lot.
"Dad, there is one here!" Xiaoxia imitated the two of them and called him by pulling on the flower vine.
Lin Heng led Xiaoxia while cutting, while Xiulan searched everywhere at a very fast speed.
"There's a lot of space there, but it's too high."
Xiulan pointed to a high hill and said, there is no way, she can't go up.
"I'll do it." Lin Heng handed his daughter's hand to Xiulan, grabbed the stone ridge and climbed up at once. This was too easy for him.
"Be careful." Xiulan said worriedly.
While she was talking, Lin Heng had already climbed up and cut down the flower vine in just a few strokes.
"It's amazing, but it's not necessary. It's not good if people get hurt." Xiulan said while looking at Huateng.
"Don't worry." Lin Heng said with a smile. He came just for his wife's compliment.
In two hours, I cut two baskets, all full of honeysuckle.
On this foggy day, it is quite refreshing without rain. Being in the mountains is simply a kind of enjoyment. Xiaoxia runs around with flower vines.
Seeing that the backpack was full, Xiulan said, "Let's go, it's almost gone. Let's go home and make breakfast, and then go to other places to collect mushrooms."
As the fog dissipated, more people came, but luckily they had done enough.
"Okay." Lin Heng picked up his daughter, whose shoes were already covered with mud, and followed Xiulan home through another forest path.
"Dad, what is this?" Xiaoxia asked, pointing to a tree.
"That's a chestnut tree. The chestnuts it bears are edible."
"What about this?"
"This is also a chestnut tree."
"and this!"
"This is a medicinal tree, poisonous!"
Xiaoxia was very curious, and the voices of father and daughter asking and answering echoed in the quiet forest in the early morning. Xiulan walked in front, listening to the conversation between father and daughter, the corners of her mouth raised slightly.
"Dad, what is that?"
Xiaoxia pointed to a tree.
"The chestnut tree." Lin Heng replied helplessly. He couldn't remember how many times he had answered.
"No, it's that one! Chong Chong!" Xiaoxia shook her head and pointed upward with her little finger.
Lin Heng raised his head and looked in the direction pointed by Xiaoxia's little finger.
"Oh my God, it's a bee!"
It doesn't matter if you don't look at it, but you will be shocked when you look at it. On the branch of a chestnut tree above your head, countless bees gathered there to form a bee ball with a diameter of more than ten centimeters.
Obviously, this is a bee that has just separated and has not yet found a new nest.
"Bee?" Xiulan turned her head curiously.
"Xiaoxia is really my lucky baby." Lin Heng couldn't help but kiss his daughter twice. If it weren't for Xiaoxia, he wouldn't have discovered this nest of bees.
Bees make almost no sound after the rain. They huddle up in a high place and are invisible to ordinary people.
"Bee, bee!" Xiaoxia couldn't connect bees with honey, so she waved her hands and thought it was fun.
"What a bee." Xiulan couldn't help but look surprised.
Lin Heng looked at the bees and made an immediate decision: "Xiulan, take your daughter and wait here to avoid being robbed by others. I will go back and find someone who knows how to collect bees to help collect the bees."
Xiulan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you here."
Lin Heng nodded and hurried back home, with Xiong Ba following behind him to have fun.
Lin Heng was carrying honeysuckle and passed by Wang Jin's house at the end of the village. Wang Jin's house was also one of the thousand-yuan households in the village. His house kept more than 20 buckets of bees.
Wang Jin happened to be at the door when he came over. Lin Heng quickly smiled and said, "Uncle Wang, could you please do me a favor?"
Wang Jin is a middle-aged man in his forties, the same generation as Lin Heng's father. He has a pair of mung bean eyes and a small mouth. His face is very fat. He has gained weight from eating well.
"What's the matter?" Wang Jin turned to look at Lin Heng and took a good look at this young man, who had recently become famous in the village.
Taking a closer look, he felt a little jealous. The Lin family were all good-looking, so how could they still have money?
"It's like this. I found a nest of newly separated bees on the wild slope. Uncle Wang, can you collect it for me?" Lin Heng said with a smile, and his attitude of asking for help was very low.
When Wang Jin heard this, he quickly asked: "Where are the bees? Could they be separated from my bee bucket?"
Lin Heng frowned and thought to himself that the bees in the wild have been discovered by someone since ancient times. Why does this person still want to recognize them as his own?
But he still didn't say it, but said with a smile: "Uncle Wang, if you help me, your work will not be in vain. I will give you thirty cents as travel expenses."
Wang Jin waved his hand and refused: "I won't do it. Tell me the location and I'll give you thirty cents and I'll collect it. You don't know how to keep bees and it's a waste to collect them. Besides, they might have escaped from my house." "
Not only did he refuse, he also wanted to take advantage.
Lin Heng was stunned for a second, not expecting Wang Jin to be so shameless.
"Forget it, I'll figure it out myself, no more trouble." Lin Heng said, turned around and left.
"To be honest, you still don't listen. Hunting and collecting bees are different. If you get stung, don't blame me for not warning you." Seeing Lin Heng leave, Wang Jin felt dissatisfied.
Lin Heng shook his head. He could see that this person didn't want other people to have bees, for fear that each family would have its own honey and not be able to sell it.
The layout is too small.
"If they don't help, I'll take it myself." Lin Heng shook his head, too lazy to look for anyone else.
Fortunately, his uncle had talked to him about how to collect bees before, so if he followed it, there should be no problem.
When he returned home, he first sawed wooden boards and nailed a beehive. When raising bees in rural areas, they usually use buckets or boxes.
It's not like modern times where you have to put in a nest or something like that. The bees are self-sufficient. In the winter, you may need to take a little care of them to prevent them from starving to death.
The farming method is more inclined to the ancient method of beekeeping.
After half an hour of nailing, Lin Heng finally nailed a tight rectangular beehive, fifty centimeters long, thirty centimeters wide and high. There were also some small holes on it for the bees to enter and exit, which are currently blocked. state.
After finishing it, Lin Heng found another bamboo pole, took out the honey at home, tore off a piece of cloth, a rope, and brought a bamboo basket to control water, as well as a handful of dried pine needles.
There were only so many tools, and they were all put into the backpack. Lin Heng went up the mountain to find Xiulan.
Xiulan held her daughter and sat on the basket to look at the flowers and trees. When she saw Lin Heng coming alone, she asked in confusion: "Why did you come alone?"
"If we can't find anyone, then Wang Jin won't help because he's afraid that if we collect the bees, he won't be able to sell the honey." Lin Heng shook his head and said.
"So you're going to take it yourself? It's better not to, it's very risky." Xiulan said worriedly. She didn't expect Wang Jin to be so cautious.
"It's okay. You take your daughter and stay away. I'll give it a try and forget it if it doesn't work." Lin Heng said.
Xiulan knew she couldn't persuade her, so she could only nod: "Then be careful. If it doesn't work, forget it."
"Got it." Lin Heng said and started to operate.
He tied the bamboo basket to the bamboo pole, tied the cloth strip to the bamboo basket, and then smeared honey on the bamboo basket, the cloth strip, and the bee bucket.
There should be less on the bamboo baskets and cloth strips, and more on the bee buckets.
After applying it, Lin Heng piled dry pine needles on the rocks. If the bees accidentally provoked a riot, this thing could be lit to protect himself.
"I'm starting. You and your daughter should go further."
Lin Heng said something and held the bamboo pole and handed the bamboo basket tied to it to the pile of bees on the trunk.