Return to the small mountain village in 1981

Chapter 12 12 bitten to death and refused to admit it

Zhou's mother and Zhou's father were in the room. They put the wrapped bezoar into the pocket of their coat, then took out a rusty pin to seal the mouth of the bag, and told him to be alert and not to be seen out.

Zhou's father put on his coat, feeling very nervous. He held his right hand tightly, nodded repeatedly, and walked out with the same feet and hands.

Zhao Huifang packed some boiled potatoes and red potatoes in her back, and put rice soup in a bamboo tube for several people to take with them on the road.

Zhou Huairong was carrying a wooden stick as thick as a child's arm in his hand. Zhou Huaian and Yang Chunyan were carrying white-washed military green satchels on their backs and followed Zhou's father to the entrance of the courtyard.

Yang Chunyan found that from the main room to the entrance of the courtyard, Zhou's father kept his right hand tightly clamped, and his walking posture was particularly stiff. He thought they might have sewn a hidden bag and put the bezoar inside.

She reminded in a low voice: "Old man, you have to walk a little more naturally. A thief like you who is restrained can tell at a glance that you have something valuable on you."

Zhou Huaian also noticed, "Yes, old man, you can tell at a glance with your three hands like this."

Father Zhou said angrily: "I want you to teach me."

Zhou's mother pulled her husband and said, "Chunyan and the youngest said it right. You are too stubborn to think that others can tell at a glance that you have good things in your bag."

After hearing this, Zhou's father tugged on his clothes and said uncomfortably: "Don't worry, it will be fine in a moment."

Zhou's mother looked at him and became more and more worried, so she had to warn: "Be careful on the road. If you can't sell it, come back quickly."

Father Zhou glanced at his wife and nodded, "Don't worry, I know what's going on. Please close the door quickly when we go out."

Zhou Huairong unbolted the door, and the four of them went out and turned right towards the main road.

It was pitch dark outside. Zhou Huaian looked back at Yang Chunyan, stretched out his hand and held her hand: "Can you see?"

Suddenly held by his warm big hand, Yang Chunyan was stunned for a moment and whispered: "You can see it."

After following him for several steps, I could clearly see the path under my feet.

The four of them walked through the field at the door of their house and reached a slightly wider dirt road. Yang Chunyan took out her hand and walked side by side with Zhou Huaian towards the road down the mountain.

After Zhou's father went out, he tried his best not to touch the bezoar on his waist. After walking for more than half an hour, he felt a little normal, but he still touched his pocket with his elbow from time to time to feel at ease.

From the Funiu Brigade to the county town, we have to go around a shallow mountain, and it takes more than three hours to walk at a fast pace.

As we walked down the mountain road, we could hear insects chirping and frogs chirping in the rice fields at the foot of the mountain. After the Dragon Boat Festival, the temperature began to rise.

After crossing a small stone bridge and walking for more than half an hour, the four of them arrived at the foot of the mountain. It was already dawn.

The edge of the small pond past the stone bridge is covered with half-flowered flowers, and there are two tall panzhihua trees standing like guards on the mountain.

There are also several rake fruit trees (wild guava) growing at the foot of the mountain, as well as many medicinal herbs, including cocklebur, cyperus...

Yang Chunyan thought that when she came back from selling the bezoars, she would dig herbs in the mountains and send them to the county in exchange for money.

Turning around the hill was the Fangtian Brigade. Zhou Huaian glanced at her and took out the bamboo tube from the backpack carried by Zhou Huairong, "Are you thirsty? Do you want some rice soup?"

"Yeah!" Yang Chunyan took a sip, wiped her sweat, and walked forward with the bamboo tube.

Maybe it was because the road between enemies was narrow. As soon as they turned around, they saw Ma Changgui, who they least expected to see, staggering towards them on a large [-]-bar.

Zhou Huairong hurriedly grabbed Zhou's father, "Old man, what should we do?"

Father Zhou took the wooden stick in his hand and whispered: "Leave us alone and ignore him."

Ma Changgui quickly arrived in front of a few people. He got out of the station with his short legs raised, and looked at them with a smile, "Hey~ Brother Zhou, are you going to the county town this early in the morning?"

Father Zhou leaned on the wooden stick and took a breath, "Boss Ma, did you go buy cows so early?"

Zhou Huaian stepped forward to support Zhou's father, "Old man, don't delay, everyone will be off work when we get to the health center."

"It's not your fault, you're a prodigal!" Father Zhou scolded Zhou Huaian, nodded to Ma Changgui, and helped the Zhou Huaian brothers away. "Let's go slowly." Ma Changgui said and glanced at Yang Chunyan who was following him. "Sister, who is Yang Quanqing of Hengshan Brigade?"

Yang Chunyan glanced at him lightly, "It's my old man." After that, she walked over.

Ma Changgui looked at the four people walking away, touched his chin, and pedaled away on the broken car.

The four of them walked for a while. Zhou Huairong turned around and saw that Ma Changgui could no longer be seen. He whispered to Zhou's father in a low voice: "Old man, do you think he will tell Old Xiong about that thing?"

Father Zhou said solemnly: "He has a mouth, and we can't control it."

Yang Chunyan took a few steps forward and said to the three of them: "Brother, old man, and Ma Changgui are not sure that there is really something in the cow's belly. As long as we bite it to death and refuse to admit it, they can't do anything to us."

Zhou Huaian felt that what his daughter-in-law said made sense, "That's right, it was Xiong Dahai who relied on us. He sold plague cattle for the price of healthy cattle. We are not afraid of going to the county seat to reason."

Zhou Huairong nodded: "Old man, there are four brothers in his family and we have four brothers in our family. We are not afraid of them in battle."

Father Zhou said solemnly: "I know it. If you refuse to admit it, he will be unable to do anything to us."

That's what they say, but it's better to do less than to do more. Who wants to find some lice crawling on their head.

Father Zhou didn't notice that since meeting Ma Changgui, he walked more naturally and no longer touched the bezoar in his pocket.

After passing through Fangtian Brigade and going down the mountain to the roadside, the four of them sat down and rested for a while, then walked forward along the asphalt road for more than an hour, heading east, crossing the bridge and arriving at Anning County.

Anning County is built along the river, with a curved arch bridge connecting the east and west of the river.

The county seat is located in a valley and plain area, and the entire county seat is surrounded by mountains and valleys. It is a geomantic treasure land where "roots can sprout even if a pole is inserted".

Spring and autumn run together here, and the summer is very long. There is almost no winter in the county. The abundant sunlight makes the air here smell like sunshine.

Father Zhou asked: "Chunyan, do you know where the medicine store is?"

Yang Chunyan nodded, "I know, come with me."

Several people entered the county town and found that the weather in the county town was much hotter than in the mountains, as if it had entered the dog days.

Zhou Huaian looked at the people riding bicycles so fast with envy, thinking that he could buy one someday.

Yang Chunyan feels that the county town these days is much smaller than it was a few decades ago, and the streets are dusty.

The group of people walked up about 200 meters and reached the intersection. They turned left and walked straight to the second intersection. A refreshing fragrance of yellow horned orchids wafted in the wind.

Both sides of the street are planted with orchid trees. When you walk through the intersection, you will see Xinhua Bookstore on the right and the Supply and Marketing Cooperative on the left.

Yang Chunyan found that the supply and marketing cooperative was really busy with people coming and going, so she led the three of them towards the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital on North Street.

The Wang family has been practicing medicine for generations, and their home is opposite the traditional Chinese medicine hospital. After the opening, they used their own shop to open a traditional Chinese medicine clinic called Desheng Tang, which also collected herbal medicines.

Dr. Wang can be regarded as half of her father Yang Quanqing's teacher.

During those years when he was catching Little Tail, Doctor Wang was sent to the Hengshan Brigade. Father Yang took good care of him, so Doctor Wang took him and taught him for several years.

Later, an important figure in the county town fell ill, so Dr. Wang was taken back to the county town.

Later, Yang's father became a barefoot doctor in the Hengshan Brigade.

Zhou Huaian looked at Yang Chunyan walking in front, and the feeling that his little daughter-in-law had changed came out again.

Thinking that the place where my father-in-law lived was even more remote than Fu Niu Brigade, and seeing how familiar my daughter-in-law was with the county town, I thought to myself: Could it be that my father-in-law often brought her to the county town before?

(End of this chapter)