My 1995 Small Farm.

“Fugui, you don’t need to learn how to make a sled. Just come to my house. My family has just made a big sled.”

Chen Ling was carrying three children southwards when Chen Baoshuan caught up with him and called out after they had passed the threshing ground a few meters away.

"Oh? You have a new sled? Did you know it would snow this year? You prepared a new sled so early?"

Chen Ling found this rather strange.

"Oh, no, my son and I aren't fortune tellers who can predict the future."

Chen Baoshuan smiled and waved his hand.

"You asked me to make furniture before, right? All the wood in your house is good quality, and you didn't want a lot of it left over. So I had nothing else to do, so I made some small trinkets."

I bought this sled because I really didn't know what else to do with it at the time. I was thinking of playing with it when it snows...

Hehe, as you know, I've made quite a bit of money from these kinds of things over the past two years.

When those city people came again, I thought it would snow in winter.

Use this thing to take them out for a ride.

It costs 50 cents per person per ride, and a large sled can squeeze ten people onto it.

That's five yuan per trip, that's a lot of money!

"Good lad, you've got some ideas. You'd better get the livestock working over the next two years, otherwise the big sled won't be able to pull without animals."

Chen Ling didn't care about Chen Baoshuan's ways of making money, and just said, "Let's go, I want to see how big your sled is."

"Hehe, it's normal size, normal size, just over ten feet."

Seeing Chen Ling's curiosity, Chen Baoshuan felt quite proud, thinking that he finally had something that could startle Fugui.

"Goodness, over ten feet long! You're quite something, kid. Using a wooden pole over ten feet long as a sled means you can carry more than ten people."

Chen Ling said in surprise.

We arrived at Chen Baoshuan's old house, which is also the old house where Chen Sangui lived.

Chen Ling saw the large sled.

Simply put, it uses two wooden poles, each over ten feet long, with one end heated over a fire to make them stick up high, and is used as a shaft.

A crossbar is nailed to the flat part that touches the ground at the other end, and a support pillar is added to make a carriage that can be used for passengers or cargo.

It has shafts and a bottom, but no wheels or hubs; it slides on the icy and snowy ground using two smooth wooden poles.

This is a sled that can easily glide on ice and snow.

However, the larger the sled, the larger the animal needed to pull it.

There is also a type of sled pulled by people.

You can simply drag it while walking in the snow.

It only requires a wooden pole about 80 centimeters long to make.

It is very lightweight and compact.

Of course.

They use very large sleds in the mountains here.

This is to prevent people from being unable to get out when heavy snow blocks the mountain during the coldest months of winter.

It can be used for purposes such as using a sled to go to the county to prepare New Year's goods.

This kind of large sled is similar to the one Wang Jukun owns.

Even if it's someone younger than Chen Baoshuan, many families wouldn't do this.

First, they lack the skills and expertise.

Secondly, they ran out of money.

Yes, these days people in the countryside don't even have the money to make this kind of sled.

The Wang family, which used to own a white horse and a sled, were already considered very well-off.

In winter, when ordinary people needed a sled, they would borrow one from Wang Jukun's house and then borrow livestock from other people's houses.

After borrowing from one neighbor, they would borrow from another, piecing together the money to get things done.

“Fugui, you want to use a sled? This one was made at Baoshuan’s request. It’s big and heavy. Others can’t move it without three to five people. Only you can use it.”

Hearing the commotion, Chen Sangui came out, wrapped in a tattered, yellowed sheepskin coat.

After the New Year.

Chen Sangui, who was once neatly dressed and composed, suddenly looked much older.

Before, although my daughter-in-law was immature, my son had changed his ways.

I'm making more money now.

Things were looking up.

The daughter-in-law actually ran away. Inevitably, the villagers will gossip about it.

People care a lot about their reputation, especially those who live in the countryside their whole lives.

With too many thoughts and constant worries, a person's condition will inevitably lead to uncontrollable aging and a haggard appearance.

"Uncle, don't worry or fret. I'll take care of Baoshuan finding a new job."

Chen Ling doesn't usually make promises to others casually, but nowadays, he allows honest families in the village to come and ask for wives or husbands in his name, if they have a good relationship with him or are related to him.

Not to mention Chen Sangui's family.

"Oh, this won't do, we'll have to trouble you, Fugui..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Sangui first felt embarrassed, knowing full well what kind of person his son was.

He couldn't even lift him up.

Asking Chen Ling for help? He felt he wasn't that presumptuous.

"Alright, Uncle, don't say any more. Just be cheerful every day, take good care of your health, and you can wait to hold your grandson."

Chen Ling waved his hand, saying nothing more.

One person picked up a sled and headed out.

"Daddy, piggy."

Rui Rui stood on the stone stool outside the door with the two older girls and pointed to the dilapidated courtyard not far away.

"Alright, let's not go see the pigs today. Let's go ride the sled. Look, this sled is so big."

Chen Ling knew that his son was referring to Chen Yongsheng's pigsty, where an old wild boar with yellowed tusks had sneaked in to mate.

In the end, Afu and Ashou were sent to drive them away.

Rui Rui remembers this place very clearly because he often hears others talk about it.

"Alright, let's ride the big horse, giddy up!"

"That's right, let the big horse take us out to play!"

Chen Ling praised her son's intelligence.

"Should we call the eagle to come along? And the dogs should all go out together, Uncle!"

Little Chestnut likes to take all her friends out to play.

"Alright, alright, this sled is so big, I'll take you guys on a great ride."

Chen Ling laughed heartily and smacked his lips, letting out a loud whistle.

A little while later, Little Green Horse arrived from the village primary school, followed by Blackie and Little Gold. Baldy also arrived with two followers, circling in the sky.

"Wow, Daddy is so good."

Rui Rui jumped and danced with joy. He had learned a lot of interjections from Xiao Lizi during this time.

"Alright, stop shouting. Let's go around to the east side of the village. Otherwise, your mother will definitely scold us if she sees us going out with such a big entourage."

Chen Ling warned with a serious expression.

"Okay, let's not bring Mom, hehe."

Rui Rui lowered his voice furtively and winked at Xiao Li Zi and Ya Ya with a mischievous grin.

"Yes, my mom and the others are also a lot of trouble, I don't let them play."

Little Chestnut raised his hand in agreement.

“Fugui, when you come back from Tenghe Township, remember to bring some pork back. Everyone says that the weather is warm this year, so there is less slaughtering. I heard that pork is very cheap now, only about four yuan per jin.”

Even beef is cheap; it costs 6.5 yuan in the city, and it should be even cheaper in the countryside.

Chen Baoshuan said, "Xizi and my father have been carrying some burdens on their minds lately and aren't feeling well. Let's get them some meat to nourish them properly."

"it is good."

Chen Ling patted his arm, tied the sled to the little green horse, and then led the children onto the sled, heading towards Tenghe Township.

It's 1998, this year is a bit strange.

Not to mention the floods that have occurred in many places.

There are quite a few things to do at the beginning and end of the year.

At the beginning of the year, just as Chen Baoshuan said, many prices were unstable and fluctuated greatly.

For example, vegetables are very expensive, but meat prices keep falling, which is a strange thing.

After the floods in the middle of the year, various events such as layoffs and unemployment occurred in state-owned enterprises at the end of the year. However, just as the year was ending, prices rose rapidly again.

Prices there already resembled those after the turn of the millennium. (End of Chapter)