sjar Chapter 357 Barley Field Captain
Chapter 357 Barley Field Captain
Li Ju'an is now searching for traces of blue sheep in the forest below the Gobi Desert.
Beneath the vast, boundless Gobi Desert, a lush forest was hidden, and Li Ju'an moved through it. Every precisely 250 meters, he would select a spot, and together with Chen Xiangqian, they would work hard, using chisels and shovels to widen the area.
Each deer den is two meters deep and wide, and three meters long, resembling a giant, open mouth of the earth, waiting for prey to stumble in. The nine deer dens are arranged in a staggered, straight line, spanning a distance of about five miles, forming an invisible hunting net.
These deer dens were specifically designed for the giants of the forest: agile red deer, ferocious wild boar, and nimble blue sheep—all were on their hunting list. The digging process was exceptionally arduous; each shovel stroke was a test of physical endurance. Once completed, the deer den became a multi-purpose hunting tool, silently waiting year after year.
Even when snowflakes are falling in winter, they can turn into natural snow nests, occasionally bringing unexpected surprises to hunters, who can sometimes find large prey that have fallen into the snow nests.
Grandpa Zhao leisurely lit his pipe, a smile playing on his lips. As he slowly inhaled, his gaze gently fell on two strong young men who were diligently digging a pit for hunting deer.
He knew perfectly well that the two young men's hard work was actually an expression of their gratitude towards him. He gently exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke slowly dissipating in the air, carrying a sense of ease and satisfaction.
"Li Pao, you child, why are you being so polite with me?" Grandpa Zhao's voice was full of kindness and ease. "If we really wanted to hunt, taming a few eagles would be a piece of cake."
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an straightened his back and temporarily put the shovel aside.
He laughed and said, "Master Zhao, don't worry about those prejudices. The idea that setting traps is undignified is nonsense. Set traps when you need to, as long as you can catch fish, it's a good method."
He knew that Grandpa Zhao was too embarrassed to admit it.
The hunters' hierarchy of contempt has always existed. Grandpa Zhao, who is a falconer, stands at the top of the hierarchy and looks down on those who carry guns and those who set traps.
Therefore, the foreign-made cannon in Grandpa Zhao's hand is outdated and too backward. It's an old firearm from decades ago. Even Song Desheng's old-fashioned pump-action shotgun is much better than this firearm, and it's not as good as the old-fashioned sledgehammer in Old Zhang's hand.
Foreign cannons are too outdated; their accuracy and range are both insufficient, and they should be phased out.
Grandpa Zhao, still stubborn, said, "We really don't do that kind of thing. If we can't catch them, we can't catch them. We'll just eat some wild vegetables with porridge, that's all."
Li Ju'an laughed and said, "Once we've dug it up, it's up to Zhao Bashi whether he needs it or not. Let's catch a mountain sheep first and have mutton hot pot tonight."
He knew that's how old people are—they say one thing and think another. He couldn't find a way to back down.
What if the older generation can't find a way to back down? No problem. When they're enjoying their venison hot pot, their mouths greasy with oil, they'll naturally find a way to get down on their own.
He and Chen Xiangqian exchanged a glance, then continued digging with smiles on their faces.
Digging these deer pits is indeed physically demanding, but setting up the traps is crucial for hunting.
Fortunately, it's autumn now, and the soil in the forests of the Gobi Desert is still relatively soft, making digging not too difficult. If it were the dead of winter, with temperatures dropping to minus thirty degrees Celsius, the soil would likely be completely frozen solid, making it difficult to even dig with a shovel, let alone the muddy ground. Without the ice and snow, even the soil would be frozen solid—how could it possibly be dug up?
Li Ju'an, panting heavily, continued digging a trap without stopping, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Master Zhao, don't be so polite with me. If these traps are used cleverly, we'll have enough food for winter!"
In the village of Qingkedi, most of the residents are elderly. The young people are unwilling to stay in the village; those with some skills and abilities have been sent by their fathers to work in factories in town. Most of the women work in the towel factory and live in the bustling towel factory staff quarters in town.
In this barley field, there are only about twenty elderly households still holding on. Even the land allocated to individual households after the land was distributed to individual households appears somewhat desolate due to the lack of young labor.
According to Grandpa Zhao, "What do we grow in these fields? At most, we grow corn."
There were no production brigades nearby; forest farms and pastures were located several hilltops away.
This barley field seems to have been gently forgotten by time; the hearts of the young people seem to have already flown to a more bustling world, unwilling to linger here.
The lively noise attracted the attention of the surrounding villagers. They all turned to look, their feet involuntarily moving towards the source of the sound.
Old Zhang's wife, with her hands tucked into her clothes, strolled over slowly, her eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry. Looking at Li Ju'an, who was busy at work, she raised her voice and said, "Hey, Old Zhao, is this your nephew? He's quite handsome!"
Qin's sister-in-law had just finished making dumplings. She wiped her fair fingers lightly on her flour-covered apron and, unable to contain her curiosity, stepped closer and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle Zhao, your nephew has grown into quite a young man. Did he come all this way to see you?"
Grandpa Zhao sat to one side, the embers in his pipe flickering, illuminating his wrinkled yet smiling face. He leisurely puffed on his pipe, neither denying nor confirming the two women's questions, but simply smiling and remaining silent, his eyes filled with tender gazes for the two young people, as if everything was understood without words.
He watched as the two young men busily dug traps, shovel by shovel. The numerous deer pits lined up in a row made the surrounding villagers extremely envious.
"Grandma Zhang, is the brigade leader sitting in his office today?"
"The brigade leader left early, saying he was going to a meeting at the town's Women's Federation."
"What could possibly be wrong?"
"Hey, it's all just gossip and trivial matters. Whose husband beat his wife again, whose son fought with his mother again."
The villagers chatted idly, and then gathered around to watch Li Ju'an dig a deer cellar.
Old Mrs. Zhang had just finished sitting in the brigade leader's office, chatting with him about the matters the Women's Federation needed to report. Her son was arguing with her, refusing to go to work at the towel factory, and insisted on going to the market to take the train south with some merchants.
The mother and daughter didn't stop fighting because of this.
The brigade leader was at a loss; these were all family matters, difficult even for an upright official to resolve. The most difficult case was last year when an elderly couple in the village fought so violently that they smashed their pots and pans and even their outhouse. He advised the old man to just bear with it. But the old woman, Mrs. Zhang, advised her mother-in-law not to endure it and to simply move in with her son.
The son and daughter-in-law also need help, so they can get rid of this village.
As a result, the elderly couple spent the night together, and their affection became as strong as that of newlyweds. The old woman got up in the morning and gave Old Mrs. Zhang a severe scolding, accusing her of trying to sabotage their marriage. This left Old Mrs. Zhang feeling humiliated, and she angrily went to the brigade leader's office to complain.
"What kind of person are we? We're just busybodies who get nothing but trouble and end up doing thankless tasks. From now on, whenever anyone gets into a fight, we'll advise them to make peace, not break up."