My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 175

"Candied hawthorn, sweet and crispy candied hawthorn."

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Ling arrived at the county primary school and waited for Wang Zhenzhen to get out of school.

Across from the school, there was a row of vendors selling candied hawthorns, snacks, and toys such as large stickers and picture cards hanging from wooden frames, all lined up along the wall.

They started shouting even before school was over.

The students were no longer paying attention in class; their minds were already wandering outside.

At 5:10, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the school term.

One by one, they slung their schoolbags over their shoulders and ran wildly out of the school gate.

The stall was immediately surrounded by a huge crowd.

Wang Zhenzhen was in third grade and left the school gate a couple of minutes later.

He was carrying a floral schoolbag and walking and chatting with several little girls.

Upon seeing Chen Ling waiting outside, he waved to his classmates, skipped over, and nimbly climbed into the back seat.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, there's a temple fair in town the day after tomorrow. I'd like to go to my classmate's house to play, is that okay?"

"Huh? The temple fair the day after tomorrow?"

Chen Ling paused for a moment, then did some quick calculations: "That's right, the day after tomorrow is September 21st, time really flies."

Lingyun holds three temple fairs every year.

These dates are the 16th day of the first lunar month, the 5th day of the fifth lunar month, and the 21st day of the ninth lunar month, and each time they are incredibly lively.

"Does your school give students a holiday for the temple fair?"

"Of course we'll put them out. After all, the principal and teachers will be coming over for the temple fair."

"Ok."

So, are you going to let me go to my classmate's house to play or not?

"Go if you want, but remember to bring something for Aunt Hongyu's family and your eldest sister Qiumei's family when you come. Your sister and I can't leave, so they can look after you a bit..."

Chen Ling gave instructions.

The temple fair is a chaotic place with all sorts of people, and it's not uncommon for people to be abducted there.

When young children come to the temple fair, it's best to have an adult keep an eye on them to ensure their safety.

"You still have to hold the funeral in the village, can't you come here?"

Wang Zhenzhen asked.

“Yes, the old lady who passed away was our Chen family’s fourth grandmother. Your sister and I are both in mourning, so we can’t visit relatives these days.”

As Chen Ling spoke, he saw Liu Nier and the others get onto Wang Lihui's donkey cart, so he went over and asked them to take Wang Zhenzhen with them when they came to the temple fair the day after tomorrow.

Liu Ni'er's aunt is from the county town.

Every year on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month and the twenty-first day of the ninth lunar month, when there's not much farm work to do, people come to the county town to visit relatives.

"Don't worry, Uncle Fugui, I'll go with my aunt."

"Me too. Except for my grandpa and grandma, almost everyone in my family came..."

"That's right, a lot of people from our village will be coming. Auntie will be taken care of, so don't worry, Uncle."

"Okay, remember to stay close to your parents and don't run around."

After giving the instructions again, Chen Ling glanced at what the children were holding and couldn't help but laugh: "Goodness, they're rich! Each of them has a big sheet of foreign cards."

"What? You lost all the ones I gave you last time? Why are you buying new ones now?"

When the house was being built, half a box of these things was found in the old house. They were all saved up by Chen Ling when he was in school, and they were all distributed to them.

"No."

Liu Ni'er immediately shook her head, "We not only didn't lose, we even won a whole bag!"

"Haha, you're just being stubborn. Who would buy more after winning? I think you didn't just win a big bag, you just have a big bag in your hand."

Wang Lihui cracked the donkey whip and laughed.

"Oh my, Uncle, you guessed perfectly..."

Upon hearing this, Piglet's eyes lit up, and he patted the car board, shouting, "During class, Liu Ni'er was playing with some picture cards in the back of the classroom while the teacher wasn't there. She won a lot, but before she could even be happy, the teacher caught her and made her stand for two periods. They also beat her hands until they were swollen and had huge bumps."

"That's right, the teacher was so angry that she even searched and confiscated all the picture cards in our class."

"Hmm, it can fill a whole sack, there's so much of it, I wish I could have it all."

"You, how could you tell everyone about this..."

Liu Ni'er's face immediately turned bright red: "Didn't I already give it all to you as compensation?"

"What do you mean you paid for it? This was bought by my third uncle."

Piggy immediately retorted, "You even had the teacher take away what Uncle Fugui gave us. Uncle Fugui had saved it up for many years and he couldn't bear to throw it away. You made it all go."

The little kids started arguing, one after another.

Chen Ling and Wang Lihui didn't try to dissuade them; they just watched with amusement, finding it quite amusing.

"The temple fair is still two days away, and there will be a lot more people selling things then."

"That's right, just like when we were kids. The vendors are really cunning; they put their wares out early to tempt us. Otherwise, how can they get the little ones to want to save up money and buy things at the temple fair?"

Wang Lihui smiled.

The two chatted and laughed all the way, and encountered many villagers along the way.

"Brother Donkey, what are you standing there staring at? Hurry up and go home!"

"Ha, you two are picking up the kids, huh? I just came over to fluff some cotton."

Soon, they reached the mountain road. Since the donkey cart was slower, they let Chen Ling go first.

After all, Chen Ling still needs to go back to Fourth Grandmother's place.

In the village, dinner is served early after a funeral. If you take your time to go back, you might miss the meal.

Moreover, there are many things to do after the meal.

As for Wang Lihui and his family, who weren't close to him, they didn't need to be tied to the Chen family every day like they were. They could just attend the funeral and give their gifts.

……

"came back?"

When they got home, Wang Susu took her younger sister's schoolbag and then told the little girl to wash her hands.

Then, he added, "There's a big pot of leftover food from lunch in the kitchen. I just heated it up. You can take it out and eat it yourself. Your brother-in-law and I are going over there."

"Hmm, sister, have you fed the sheep?"

"We haven't fed them yet. Go ahead and feed them if you want. It's getting dark soon. After you finish eating, close the door. I'll be back in a bit."

"I know, Heiwa and Xiaojin are here, I'm not afraid."

After that, the young couple went out together to have dinner at their fourth grandmother's house.

"The trumpet maker arrived pretty quickly."

"Of course, we have to be quick, we have to get there early. They arrived not long after you left in the morning."

Before Chen Ling and his companion even arrived, they heard the sounds of music and drums, followed by the blasts of cannons that shot into the sky and exploded. It was clear that someone had come to offer condolences.

Sure enough, when they reached the door, a middle-aged man with reddened eyes came out, stopped at the door, and took out two bills as a gift.

There was an eight-immortal table set up at the entrance of the courtyard, with a small notebook made of white paper on it and a bottle of ink next to it. Wang Laishun collected the money, put it in the box and pressed it down neatly. Then, wearing his reading glasses, he picked up a pen and wrote down the name and the amount of the gift. After he finished writing, he picked it up and pointed it out to the man to check. There was nothing wrong with it, and that was the end of it.

The man came out and met Chen Ling.

After a slight pause, he nodded in acknowledgment, pushed the cart, and drove away.

This is Fourth Grandmother's eldest nephew; I met him this morning.

“Fugui, you’ve come at the right time. It’s getting dark, and if no one comes to the door soon, you should take the trumpet maker to let them have dinner first.”

Before he had even fully entered the courtyard, Chen Sangui assigned him tasks.

"Okay, should we go to Uncle Yongsheng's house or Uncle Yonggang's house?"

“Yongsheng, your fourth grandmother passed away when it was Yongsheng’s turn to take care of her. After that, she will be taken to Yongsheng’s house.”

"Okay, got it."

After Chen Ling agreed, he went to call the trumpet maker and his men, packed their things, and headed to Chen Yongsheng's house.

There were six trumpet makers, all men, young and old, each in charge of a different instrument: the suona, cymbals, sheng (a type of mouth organ), gong, small drum, and clapper. Their roles were clearly defined, with each person responsible for one instrument.

After a day of playing music and fanfare, they looked tired.

After dinner, we'll stay at Chen Yongsheng's house to rest.

They weren't from the same village; they were a group that came together. Once they were invited, they were to stay until the very last day, when Fourth Grandmother was buried.

These days, the troupe of loudspeaker makers isn't very large.

There are generally fewer people, making them easier to manage.

A few years later, starting from 1998, a large number of young people from rural areas went out to work.

The elderly people who stayed behind were too weak.

The funeral couldn't be held.

This led to the rise of all-inclusive funeral services.

Compared to back then, it's much easier to manage now.

Tonight, we've prepared meatball soup, steamed buns, and various meat and vegetable dishes for the trumpet makers.

It's slightly better than communal cooking.

After eating with them, Chen Ling gradually learned a bit about it.

For example, what does Wang Susu mean when she says that this work needs to be done early?

In the business of trumpet makers, the morning before a funeral, they have to come over and play the suona to "straighten" it.

Blowing a straight sound means blowing a straight tone, and a straight tone is used to ward off evil spirits by tying red ribbons to the person.

It is said that when a person passes away, there is a kind of evil spirit, a drifting "qi" that will quietly hide away when it sees "green" or "red" and will not attach itself to the person. This is a kind of protection for everyone involved in the funeral.

Therefore, when the "straight" note is played, the host family still needs to prepare red cloth and reward money. Once the "straight" note is played, the family will start to follow the ancient customs.

"So that's what playing a straight note is like, I know."

The straight tone was a deep, rough sound that vibrated and gave a sense of oppression. Chen Ling's father had a very deep impression of it when he passed away.

This is a melody that amplifies sadness in people's hearts and is extremely infectious.

"I'm going over there. You guys get some rest. If you need anything, just call me. There are always people on duty at night."

"Okay, we'll eat and drink our fill and then go to sleep. You can go ahead and do your work."

The young trumpet maker smiled and nodded, then saw Chen Ling out. It gets dark early on the mountain in autumn and winter.

After six o'clock, the sky begins to darken, and by then it is already pitch black.

The old family had finished eating, and Chen Ze and the others set off firecrackers outside the door to signal people to come and gather, as they were to wear mourning clothes and go to the village to place paper offerings.

They are much more tired than Chen Ling today, staying at home.

But for young guys, this is the place to do odd jobs.

No one can escape it.

"Shuiwa, Shuiwa, we haven't found a painter yet. Let's go to another village tomorrow and ask around."

"understood."

The artist is one who paints coffins; they're not easy to find.

Like paper craftsmen, this kind of work requires skill, and there aren't many people who can do it.

They do have paper-making craftsmen in their village, but they can't find a single paper painter.

The most common type of ritual is sending off the soul; it happens in every village, including several in Chenwangzhuang.

It mainly consists of elderly bachelors and widowers.

"Fugui, the burial date has been chosen today. Tomorrow night at three o'clock, you and Dazhi will go to dig the grave."

"it is good."

"Baoliang, tomorrow you'll go with your brothers Guoxing and Guowang to make the monument."

"Baocang, you and the others will keep vigil tonight."

"..."

After finishing pressing the paper, Chen Sangui started assigning tasks again.

Because Fourth Grandmother passed away after midnight that night, her body could not be placed in the coffin until the third day, so this time the body will be kept in the mortuary for five days.

It takes a long time and involves many things, so it's important to plan ahead to avoid chaos.

The next morning, nothing happened at Chen Ling's house.

The young couple didn't eat there; they walked around for a bit and then went home to cook for themselves.

After breakfast, he and his wife drove the oxcart to the fields to harvest vegetables.

Before applying frost.

In just over ten days, the vegetable garden changed its appearance every day.

The Chinese cabbages, like inflated balloons, shot upwards rapidly, with some weighing as much as three to five pounds each.

After the first frost, quite a few days passed, and the vegetables stopped growing much, but the taste became good enough.

It's time to bring the vegetables home.

After being exposed to wind and frost, the cabbage doesn't look very delicate or pretty.

The dark green, thick, and large leaves were already wrinkled, the tender yellow heart of the cabbage, and the outermost leaves were curled up, yellowish-brown, with rough texture and some small holes from insect bites.

But it's precisely because of this that cabbage tastes the best.

They stood close together, clustered together in a tight embrace.

The dewdrops, still glistening in the sunlight, are the ones that haven't yet disappeared.

As the two walked into the vegetable garden, it slowly shook off the tree and fell into the soil.

Harvesting the crops has begun.

Lay the cabbages down one by one, remove the roots and yellow leaves, and pile them on the oxcart.

Don't pile it up too full, just enough is fine.

They hauled the truckloads home and stored them in the cellar.

Of course, there's an abundance of cabbage this year, so there's no need to store it all.

The rest also need to be pickled in two large vats.

Pickling vegetables to prevent spring famine is a tradition. Every household in the village pickles vegetables at this time, and many families can eat them until the following summer.

However, cabbages that have just been harvested from the field are not in a hurry to be pickled.

It will taste better if you let it air dry for two or three days before pickling.

So the two of them put some cabbages into the cellar and others dried them in the sun.

Then we rested for a little while...

Then they took out the remaining goat milk to make yogurt.

We have more goat milk produced at home than we can drink every day.

Making some yogurt, and then some simple desserts like cheese, is also a good idea.

Not only does it keep for a little longer, but it also offers a change of pace.

Just a few days ago, Liang Hongyu and her family brought some yogurt for us.

It was the old-fashioned kind of yogurt in a big-bellied porcelain bottle, sealed with wax and bound with a yellow rubber band, and the quantity was extremely generous.

With these yogurts as a starter, there's no need to buy any starter culture.

After the goat milk is cooked, just stir it and add some in; it's very simple.

Otherwise, it's not easy to find yogurt starter locally.

Chen Ling had originally bought some rice wine.

I want to use rice wine as a starter.

However, this method produces a wine-like taste.

My wife and sister-in-law weren't very willing to drink.

I'll just prepare some for myself to drink.

Boil the squeezed goat milk and let it cool to a simmer.

While you're at it, scald the milk jars with boiling water to sterilize them.

Due to the large temperature fluctuations on the mountain during the day in autumn and winter.

To ensure proper temperature for fermentation, heat the stove and boil water in a pot.

Once the goat milk has cooled down, add yogurt and rice wine and stir thoroughly. Then seal it completely and place it on the stove to ferment at this temperature.

It should be ready to drink around tonight.

After everything is done.

Chen Ling then carried the large basin of water from the yard outside to pour it out.

You can add or remove water from the pot on the stove, as long as the temperature is high enough.

My wife needs to do laundry today, so this won't be a waste.

"Drip."

Just as Chen Ling poured out the water and was about to go herd the sheep, a pickup truck drove up with its horn blaring.

I glanced at the license plate number.

Chen Ling smiled, placed the large basin at the doorway, and walked over.

Zhao Dahai arrived, and this time he brought not only himself, but also his wife and daughter.

“I found out about my sister-in-law’s baby last month and wanted to come over a long time ago. My sister kept urging me, and Jusheng kept calling to urge me. I’ve almost memorized all the phone numbers in your village.”

"Who knew there would be so many trivial matters, one after another, holding me back from all sides..."

Zhao Dahai sighed with a mournful face.

"Haha, you go ahead with your work, come back when you're done."

Chen Ling smiled and said to the woman holding the child beside him, "Sister-in-law, this is your first time here. Don't stand outside, come inside quickly."

Zhao Dahai's wife was a petite woman, less than 1.6 meters tall, with a slender figure. She was holding a baby girl who was almost as big as Zhao Dahai's head. Both mother and daughter were very shy. They carried gifts, and after greeting Chen Ling with slightly flushed faces, they followed him into the house.

"This must be Brother Dahai's sister-in-law, come in and have a seat."

Wang Susu had just taken the sheets and blankets off the bed and was about to wash them when she saw Chen Ling enter the yard with his men. She put down what she was carrying and hurried over to greet them.

After chatting for a while inside and getting to know each other, Zhao Dahai couldn't sit still any longer.

"You and your sister-in-law stay home, I'm going out for a walk with Fugui."

Zhao Dahai said something to his wife, then pulled Chen Ling outside, walked to the car, and grinned mischievously, "I'll show you something good."

Chen Ling thought he had brought something again, but when he opened the car door, a dog jumped out.

It was a grey-gray greyhound with an exquisite leather leash around its neck.

Looking at Zhao Dahai and then at Chen Ling, it turned its ears back and slowly wagged its tail.

"Good grief, you've brought the dog with you."

Chen Ling looked it over and said, "Let it go, let it poop and pee first. Look how shaky its legs are, it's been holding it in all the way."

"Oh, yes, yes."

Zhao Dahai hurriedly took the dog aside, and returned a moment later, saying to Chen Ling, "Where's your dog? I can't see it. Hurry up and call it over, let's go practice our legs together."

This fat guy had been saying for a long time that he wanted to bring his dog to chase the mountain, but he never had the chance.

"They're sleeping soundly in their kennels; we haven't let them out to run around much these past few days."

As he spoke, he called out the two dogs.

Upon seeing the two dogs run out, before the dogs Zhao Dahai brought could even react, Zhao Dahai himself shouted, "Oh my god, Heiwa, what's wrong with you?"

All you could see on Heiwa's body was that his once satin-black and shiny fur was now pitted and uneven, as if it had been chewed up by a dog, with patches of baldness, making him look quite pitiful.

But Heiwa seemed completely unconcerned, still standing tall and proud, just like before, with his chest out and head held high, looking every bit the part.

At this moment, it wagged its tail and went forward to sniff the rear end of the greyhound next to Zhao Dahai.

The greyhound was so frightened that it whimpered and lay prostrate on the ground, cautiously turning its belly up and sticking out its tongue to lick the black dog with pleading eyes.

This angered Little Gold, who bristled and growled. The greyhound was terrified and looked around, completely bewildered, looking at this and that innocently.

"What can you do? You got beaten up."

Chen Ling kicked Heiwa, called the two of them over, and said with a smile.

"Get beaten up? No way, I heard Jusheng say that Heiwa is really fierce. He dares to fight wolves head-on and can kill a wolf with one bite."

Zhao Dahai looked incredulous: "Besides, there's also Xiao Jin. Who would dare to mess with those two?"

"Of course it is! Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. I'll take you to see it right now."

(End of this chapter)