svetikya Chapter 79 The Villa Plan
Chapter 79 The Villa Plan
After a hearty lunch, Fatty Qian and his friends took the remaining small crucian carp, saying they'd eat them slowly at home. When they returned from seeing them off, Haiyong was still lying in bed. "This tastes delicious," he smacked his lips occasionally. This guy eats like a pro. He drank with several bosses at noon. He was in good spirits even taking on four at once; looks like being a hostess wouldn't be bad.
"Haiyong, look at how much you drank at noon. Is it just a matter of you drinking a little and me drinking a little, like this?" Xiaohua asked, preening her black and white feathers while holding the cat.
Haiyong chuckled, "Then you don't understand. It's no fun if you can't hold your liquor and someone can't." He recalled Huahua's cooking at noon, almost thinking a master chef had arrived. "Seriously, Huahua, your cooking is even better than before!"
"Really?" Hearing that she cooked well, he couldn't help but feel a little proud. That was a skill he'd learned over several years; it was no small feat. He was already grateful to be able to cook for them. The lunch meal allowed Xiaohua to fully indulge her passion for cooking.
"What are you talking about that makes you so happy?" Zhang Niu, who had just returned, asked when he saw Xiao Hua laughing and joking.
"No, those people left?" Haiyong stood up and stretched his limbs. "Lying down after drinking is quite comfortable."
"Chou Niu came over early this morning because he had something to tell you. Hai Yong and I are going back tomorrow." He said this slowly.
"Ah, we're going back already? Didn't you say you were going to rest in the village for a while?" Zhang Niu was surprised. It was normal for Hai Yong to say he was going back, but Xiao Hua had only been back for two weeks, so this was too rushed!
Xiaohua chuckled softly, "I knew you'd ask that. This time when I went home, Dad helped me find a lot of traditional remedies from the village. Look at me now, my complexion is getting rosier and rosier. The medicine is a bit bitter, but the effect is quite good."
These past few days, Xiaohua's return has made Zhang Niu realize how quickly time has flown. He remembers just a while ago she went up the mountain to pick "hats" (a type of wild animal). The thought of her leaving again makes him a little sad. That's just Zhang Niu's personality; he doesn't like partings, especially with people he knows well.
"It seems like Haiyong is going to pass through your area!" she asked Haiyong.
"Niu, it's alright. I'll take her back tomorrow. Let's see which fools come up here. My fists aren't so easy to take." Shaking his big fists, Zhang Niu felt at ease with Hai Yong around.
"Look what you're worried about. Don't worry, everything's fine." Hearing this, Hua Hua was very excited. It's so good that her friends from the village came.
Hearing Xiaohua say this, Zhang Niu knew that even if a girl from the village was studying away from home, there would still be quite a few people who would have bad intentions. It seemed he would have to talk to Haiyong, that big guy, later; it seemed that the guy had learned quite a bit of hand-to-hand combat skills at the sports school these past few years.
After Xiaohua went home, Zhang Niu went to Haiyong's house that night to drink together. The two whispered to each other for a long time. Haiyong kept clenching his fists as he listened, nodding occasionally when he heard something nice.
The two talked until around 11 p.m., and Zhang Niu sauntered off before heading back.
Xiaohua waited for Zhang Niu at the village entrance for a long time in the morning, but he didn't come. She then boarded Er Gou's tractor and went to town, feeling dejected. Haiyong, who was nearby, knew last night that Zhang Niu wouldn't be coming this morning, saying he was sad, but he didn't tell Xiaohua.
Zhang Niu had drunk a bit too much last night and didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky. The cat on the bed pounced on it, pecking at the little one with its sharp snout. The sleeping little one slapped at it with a small paw, sending it crashing to the floor. The cat purred softly.
The little one by the pillow stretched out its tiny paws to pat it, then huddled back inside the blanket.
Seeing this, Zhang Niu didn't know what to say. That's just how this little cat is. It won't learn anything unless it gets a few slaps every day. But once it's on the bed, it's all about begging for food.
Seeing the sun high in the sky, Xiaohua and the others should have gone back by now! I hope Haiyong will do as he said yesterday. Anyway, in another two months or so, they'll be on vacation again and we can see each other again.
The early plum trees are already laden with green fruit. Many peach trees nearby have sprouted tender green leaves. "Flowers bloom, green leaves emerge" perfectly describes the peach trees. They don't have many fruits yet; it will probably take some more time!
The dozens of bayberry trees next to the thorny bushes have also started to form flower buds. They're ready to bloom at any moment. The bayberries will be ready to eat by the Dragon Boat Festival, when they're fully ripe. Right now, they haven't even opened yet.
The flowers are in full bloom here, and the bees are busy every day. Flying in and out of those hundreds of beehives, they must produce a lot of honey! Thinking of honey, Zhang Niu thought of the beehive inside. It was huge, hanging from the tree, and the bees were gradually growing bigger, each one as thick as a thumb. Thankfully, they stopped growing then. Otherwise, if they had become so big, even Zhang Niu would have been frightened by them.
Meanwhile, at a long table in a photography competition organization in the provincial capital, a sprightly elderly man in his sixties walked around, occasionally picking out a few photos to look at. He was followed by several other people, including Old Wang and Old Li, whom Zhang Niu recognized.
"Not bad. The photography has improved a lot this year, much better than in previous years. Thank you for your hard work as team leaders who led the teams to the countryside." He said this while looking at the photos.
A middle-aged man with an oval face in the crowd behind said, "It wasn't hard work. Without some hardship, how could we get these photos?"
Old Wang below was clearly looking down on this oval face. "You're working so hard? You're probably just enjoying yourself over there." I bet a lot of people inside were also looking down on this oval face!
The old man didn't react much to the man's words. He merely nodded in response. Although the old man didn't come often, he could tell with just a glance that this guy had gotten his position through flattery. He wondered how those people managed to get someone like that into the top.
As he walked around the corner of the table, a photograph of three wild boar piglets playing caught the old man's eye. He reached out and pulled it out. "Not bad. Not bad. Purebred wild boar piglets." A rare smile appeared on his old face.
Although the people behind couldn't see the photo, they knew from the sound that one of the photos must have caught their eye—a rare find, especially in the old man's discerning eyes. Anything that did catch their eye was a masterpiece. Everyone hoped the photo was taken by one of their team members. Getting some feedback would be wonderful. Everyone was eagerly anticipating it.
After looking at this one, he saw another picture of blooming peach blossoms underneath. A photo with the silhouette of a bamboo house also caught his attention. "There are quite a few good photos this time. Hmm. Isn't this a bamboo house that's only found in Yunnan? Do we see this here too?" He frowned slightly, clearly deep in thought.
He handed the photos to his assistant, saying, "Take a look at these photos. The group that was brought out will come to my room later." He then left the room, leaving the people who looked completely clueless.
The girl with the oval face also thought of that photo from earlier. When it reached her, she thought the angle was quite nice, especially the corner of the bamboo house. Hidden among the peach blossoms, it was no wonder it was so eye-catching; it was a pity it wasn't taken by one of her team members.
Old Wang was also delighted when he saw the photo. "I knew this photo would be pleasing to the eye," I said, my expression remaining unchanged, though a hint of a smile could still be detected.
After everyone left, Lao Wang and Lao Li pushed open the door and went inside.
Chairman Zhang, who was sitting at the table drinking tea, also noticed Lao Wang and his group coming in. "Come on in. Come and sit down. I didn't expect it to be your group. Not bad. I really like those photos."
After Lao Wang and the others were seated, they were both very pleased to hear Chairman Zhang's praise. Lao Wang chuckled and said, "That's because the team members have good judgment; we were just providing guidance."
"Don't be modest. Do you think I don't know your personality? Otherwise, I wouldn't be the chairman of this association." He took a sip of tea, looking at Old Wang and the others. "Tell me, where was this photo taken?"
"This was taken in a small mountain village outside the county seat."
"A small mountain village? You've really come all this way, but it's worth it." I was a little curious about Chairman Zhang. I've led tours to small mountain villages a few times before, but I've never encountered a place like this. Old Wang is really lucky. Although I haven't been to the countryside much these past few years since becoming chairman, I still keep an eye out for good places. But I haven't seen any news or newspapers about a place with bamboo houses. I'll have to ask around.
"A small mountain village. How come I've never heard of such a place?" Chairman Zhang asked with some doubt.
"Chairman Zhang, this place only changed this year. Don't tell me you didn't know; even I only saw it this year, and I was quite frightened by those few blue wolves there." Old Wang blurted it out without waiting for any warning.
"Ah! There are wolves too! You weren't bitten, were you?" The first thing Chairman Zhang thought of after hearing this was whether they had been bitten. Wolves are no ordinary creatures; he himself had seen them several times in the north.
"Thank you for your concern, Chairman. If I had been bitten, I would be in the hospital right now, how could I be sitting in front of you?" Old Wang hurriedly replied.
He slapped his forehead. "Yes. People forget things like that when they're in a hurry. Now, let's continue with this interesting matter." Chairman Zhang was intrigued by the story.
"Please don't laugh at me, Chairman. At first, it scared away a few wild boars. Who knew those piglets would bring three wolves? You could say it was frustrating!" Old Wang was still a little scared when he thought about it.
"And there's that one that got robbed by wild boar cubs," Old Li, who was standing nearby, also mentioned the strange story.
Listening to everything unfolding before him, Chairman Zhang felt he was laughing even more than usual today. "Haha. You guys got robbed by pigs?"
"Yes. But there was nothing we could do. There were wolves outside. Their glare was so cold that my legs were trembling." Old Wang still feels scared when he thinks about that time.
"Oh, I see. That makes sense. Taming blue wolves is relatively rare, especially in small mountain villages. Extraordinary people and events tend to occur more often in mountain villages."
After Lao Wang and the others left, Chairman Zhang stood by the window, looking at the bustling traffic below. He thought that if the place Lao Wang described was really like that, he could go and take a look. He also needed to rest his old body.
He walked to the front of the stage and pressed the dedicated phone line. "Have my assistant come in."
Zhang Niu knew nothing about this. He was currently chasing wild boar piglets in front of the bamboo house. Good heavens, they'd uprooted quite a few sugarcane stalks by the pond overnight. It seems he'd been too lenient with them. If King Kong were here, they wouldn't be so mischievous. It's strange they haven't returned for several days. These guys are really rebelling.
Zhang Niu, panting heavily as he chased after the piglets with a bamboo stick, still couldn't catch them. "Run! If you run any further, you won't get any dinner tonight!" Unable to catch them, Zhang Niu could only shout out the warning that his own food would be withheld.
That clearly worked. The two piglets that were still running ahead immediately stopped upon hearing that, grunting and squealing. "Even if we can't catch them, you can't take away our feed!" they grunted, clearly dissatisfied. Several other piglets nearby rolled on the ground after hearing this, obviously knowing that taking away their food would mean they'd get more. What a clever bunch!
After being scolded by Zhang Niu, the two piglets lowered their heads and grunted a few times, as if they knew they were wrong.
Since Zhang Niu admitted his mistake, that's the end of it. One scolding is enough; he won't try to steal the sugarcane again. It's also my fault for forgetting to say something that day. I used to always say something about it being my fault; I need to make up for it.
Wild boar piglets are naturally inclined to root around. In the mountains and forests, they often root around piles of weeds or other things. Although they've been brought back, they still retain their wild instincts. Near the duck farm, you can often see small holes dug out of tall grass.
The wild boar piglets are already quite formidable, with their short tusks setting them apart from domestic piglets. They're also the fiercest at grabbing food. We have to feed them separately each time.
The sugarcane buds by the soil were still intact, though the earlier ones had been nibbled away. As long as the buds were there, they could sprout. Looking at the soil by the pit, and then at the noisy creatures in the distance, I shook my head.
The wild boars had dug out quite a bit of sugarcane from both ponds. Zhang Niu, who had been busy for a long time, finally managed to fill them all back in and put the fallen bamboo strips back in.
After lunch, Zhang Niu sat atop the slope of Maotou Mountain, basking in the warm sunshine. He felt incredibly comfortable, as if every pore of his body was breathing freely.
The area opposite was also mostly finished. It was estimated to be completed in a week or two, but Zhang Niu still didn't know who was building it. He didn't really believe the rumors circulating in the village. However, the rumors about his own village being responsible for the construction seemed somewhat plausible. Later, Zhang Niu pondered this in bed. The village chief and his parents had been acting mysterious those few days, their conversations contradictory. He had considered asking them several times.
There are only so many families in the village. It's easy to tell who's wealthy. The women in the village love to talk about this. Could it be that some of the old families have returned? I heard that before Zhang Niu was born, many went out to do business; could they have made their fortunes and come back? If so, there's no reason for them to hide it.
Sitting on the ground, Zhang Niu shook his head, trying to clear his mind. The more he thought about it, the more problems arose. He stood up and looked down at the chicken coop and the bamboo houses. The scenery looked beautiful from here. Was it really time to open a mountain resort? Now that the road was better, it would be much more convenient to come up. There were hundreds of acres of orchards and that pond.
As I walked down, I looked at the empty space between the fruit trees. It seemed a bit wasteful to leave so much land empty. Perhaps I should grow some watermelon, cantaloupe, and white melon seedlings. With plenty of duck and chicken manure, I could even water the space when no one was around.
These are the types of watermelons that the village likes to grow. Watermelons grown on the mountain are called mountain watermelons and they harvest later than those grown in fields. Mountain watermelons only make their grand entrance when the field watermelons are almost finished, and they fetch a good price. Soaking a few in the cold water left over from the mountain every day is quite nice.
As I passed by that boulder, I couldn't help but glance at the fish bones. The fish bones, which had been lying in the weeds, had been given medicine by my third uncle, and miraculously, no foul odor appeared around them. I'll need to find someone to come up and polish the fish head in a while.
Not long after I started riding, I saw my dad waving a grass knife in the weeds.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Zhang Niu asked as soon as he got out of the car.
"Hehe. I'm just out here to cut some hemp to take home." Bundles of hemp were already laid out behind him.
Oh. I see. So he was cutting lawn. Just a few days ago, Zhang Niu was saying he never expected his dad to be cutting lawn today.
Walking into the weeds, you see rows of green grass stalks standing straight up, about half a meter tall. They don't branch out, just straight to the top. Each stalk has a few green leaves and a cluster of small yellow flowers. A few black longhorn beetles, about the size of a little finger, are also crawling on the stalks. A favorite toy for children.
Grass hemp is the most common thing in Caoma Village. It's usually braided into rope for its usefulness and strength. Now, it's rare to do that anymore; most people just buy rope for convenience. There are huge bunches of grass hemp growing by the roadside now, but nobody's cutting it. My dad, as is customary every year, goes out to cut grass hemp.
"Come help me move it into your car." I heard my dad's voice while I was still looking at the grass.
The hemp has a smell, which is why longhorn beetles like to climb on it. The smell isn't too unpleasant, and Zhang Niu can tolerate it to some extent.
There didn't seem to be much straw tied to the back seat. After the last bit was tied on, Dad came out with a straw knife and a few longhorn beetles in his hand. "Dad, what are you doing with those?" I asked curiously.
"It's for my little sister. I heard she was going to cut hemp this morning. She wanted me to bring some back," he said with a smile. In Dad's heart, his little sister was his precious treasure, even though they weren't a wealthy family. She would do anything to satisfy him. Although he wasn't usually very talkative, he loved his children dearly.
When I got home, my mom seemed to have gone to pick up fertilizer to spread it and hadn't come back yet.
Bundles of hemp were brought down and laid out in the front yard. Zhang Niu naturally went up to peel the hemp as well. Hemp is only easy to peel when it's freshly cut; it shrinks tightly overnight.
The inside of the hemp is hollow. It has a thin green outer layer, and peeling off the outer layer only removes that thin layer. After the hemp flowers, it slowly withers and dies, while new hemp sprouts from the side. The hemp can only be cut when it is flowering.
My fingernails scratched at the edges of the turf, and with a forceful tear, the green shoots were revealed. The process was simple from the beginning. After peeling, the strips had to be laid out straight, end to end, as they would be tied together and soaked in a water tank later. Only then could the turf be used to its full potential.
"Dad, I'm planning to open a mountain resort. What do you think? Is it feasible?" He told his father, who was still peeling hemp, his idea.
"Why did you think of that?"
"Yes, many friends have told me this. I've also thought about it and wanted to hear your opinion."
"Your father was born and raised in the village, he didn't have much education or knowledge. Now that you're in a better place, your father is often greeted by villagers who say, 'I have a good son.'" He paused, then continued, "If you're going to do something, you have to do it well. The mountain estate isn't as simple as just leasing out some land. You'll have to rely on yourself for everything."
Zhang Niu was pleased with his father's words. "Yes, I know that myself, but I'm not sure. After all, it's a big deal."
"It's alright. You can lease wasteland; there's even less to worry about. Everyone does it for the first time."
"I'll do my best," Zhang Niu said after thinking it over.
After hearing this, Zhang Niu also hoped that he could achieve something, and his father's words were a pep talk.
After peeling several bundles of hemp, Mom came back carrying buckets of water. Seeing the hemp peeling in front of the yard, she remarked, "The hemp is quite long this year, isn't it?" She put down the buckets and picked up the hemp.
The father, still tidying up the straw rope, said, "Yes. There's not much rain. This hemp rope is sturdy."
In the afternoon, my little sister came skipping home. As soon as she entered the house, she saw her dad soaking hemp seeds and immediately ran to him, stretching out her little hand, "Daddy, where's my longhorn beetle?" It seems she still misses her longhorn beetle.
He took out a glass bottle from the corner containing three longhorn beetles. "Here, Dad caught three for you, and they're the biggest ones."
She gently took the glass bottle. "Dad is still the best."
Dad chuckled. "Go play!" Dad didn't even need to guess to know that he was going to run off and race the village kids against the longhorn beetles.
Watching the figure run away, I turned back to continue with the task I had just been working on.
Lying in bed that night, Zhang Niu thought about opening a small mountain resort. It would have buildings and water; although the place wouldn't be big, it would be quite fun. Wild boar piglets would be a good show too. But then he thought, "I'll grow the melon seedlings tomorrow, go home, and then I'll forget about it again."
You can only buy melon seedlings in town, so Zhang Niu rode his bike straight to town early in the morning.
The townspeople had just opened their shops. After searching through several storefronts, I finally found a small agricultural technology station. As soon as I went inside, I saw the waiter come out carrying a small bag.
"Wow, what a coincidence to run into you here."
I was a little surprised to run into Zhang Niu, the waiter. "Yes, what are you doing here today?"
"The factory's on holiday. I just happened to be preparing seedlings at home, so I came out. Oh, you bought a motorcycle." I spotted the new car behind me at a glance.
"Yeah. I bought it a while ago just for convenience."
"Now that you're rich, your brother here is still riding a beat-up bicycle. Looks like I'll have to work hard and get one this year."
"You two, stop blocking the doorway!" someone behind shouted.
Zhang Niu only then noticed that he and Xiao Er were standing at the door chatting when a lot of people came in behind them.
"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention just now," Zhang Niu quickly explained.
"Next time, let's walk a little further away while we chat. We're both in a hurry to buy melon seedlings."
Zhang Niu Xiao Er chuckled.
He went into the store and bought a big bag of watermelon seedlings, then came out immediately, not knowing if they were good or bad. The shopkeeper said they were all high-altitude watermelons, and that they would be absolutely authentic if grown there. He spoke with such confidence that Zhang Niu chuckled. This guy was really good with words.
"You're not planning to plant all these melon seedlings on the mountain, are you?" the waiter shouted as he sat on the motorcycle.
"Just buying some random things. I don't know if they're good or bad. Come to my place when the melons are in season and I'll feed you as much as you want."
"Yes, I've always wanted to visit your place. But I'm too busy at the factory to find the time."
"It's nothing. You often come to my village too. It's no big deal. I'm usually up there."
Updated. I apologize for the lack of inspiration I've been writing these past few days, as many of you have pointed it out. Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions. Things will return to normal from now on. Just a heads-up: something's going to happen to King Kong tomorrow. You can all guess what it is.