Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 70

A pot of rice was simmering, and the three of them ate voraciously, each one trying to outdo the other. Shang Lin shook his head, thinking, "No wonder there's an old saying, 'A half-grown boy can be as good as a pig.' I don't usually think so, but today, with only a few of them eating, I feel like all three of them are gluttons. They ate the pot clean with just a few simple dishes."

Changsheng was still not satisfied, but there was no food left on his plate. He held the half-bowl of rice that was left and looked at Shanglin expectantly.

The other two were also touching their bellies.

She sighed helplessly, but luckily the kitchen had made some tomato and egg soup. She quickly brought it over in a bowl, and the three of them devoured it all in one go. By the end, the bowls and plates were completely clean, not even a single scallion was left.

Xia Lin clutched his stomach and leaned against the sofa, complaining that he was too full to walk. Gu Zhiyuan felt he had never eaten so much in his life, as if his stomach was about to burst. But eating with Chang Sheng and the others was so enjoyable that he forgot all the table manners he had learned since childhood and ate heartily, even eating an extra bowl of rice.

After resting for a while, Changsheng conscientiously cleared the dishes and went to wash them, while Xia Lin, holding his stomach in one hand and wiping the table with a rag in the other, did the same. Gu Zhiyuan felt it wasn't right to eat and drink for free and wanted to help him, but seeing Shang Lin shake his head, he gave up.

Xia Lin didn't find him annoying at all at this moment. He was a guest, after all, and besides, this was how housework was always divided, and she was already used to it.

After taking a short nap, she looked at the half-eaten watermelon and frowned.

The three boys were already stuffed; how could they possibly eat any more watermelon? And with the hot weather, it wouldn't taste good if left out all afternoon until evening.

Unexpectedly, Changsheng went to the kitchen, grabbed a fruit knife, and swiftly sliced the melon in a few quick cuts. He then shouted, and the other two people who were playing in the study came over, each taking a piece and devouring it.

She fell silent... If my family goes bankrupt, it's because you've eaten us out of poverty...

Don't think she's exaggerating. Just after finishing the watermelon, Xia Lin was already thinking about dinner. She wandered around the kitchen to see what dishes were available, and the three of them huddled together whispering. Gu Zhiyuan cleared his throat, a little embarrassed, and looked back. Xia Lin and Chang Sheng were both looking forward to it, so he had to muster his courage:

"How about we go for a walk in the mountains? I heard there are daylilies there, and I've never seen daylilies before..."

The two boys behind him nodded vigorously.

She laughed, "Going up the mountain is just a pretext; they're using it as an excuse not to study!"

They'd been detained for many days, and they'd already learned most of the first-year curriculum. Thinking it over, they decided to extend their holiday today. Nodding, they heard Lin and Changsheng cheer with joy.

Xia Lin: "Bring some matches, let's roast grasshoppers and eat them!"

Changsheng: "Go get some salt and five-spice powder. Oh, and get the slingshot; we might be able to shoot some birds!"

Xia Lin: "Hehe, I know there's a grafted jujube tree on the back hill. It's sweet and crisp. I'll go steal some."

Changsheng: "Isn't that your aunt's land?"

Xia Lin: "Stolen food tastes better—besides, my aunt is incredibly stingy. She's always reluctant to give us any vegetables, so my sister just refuses them. Now that I finally have a chance, I'm going to make the jujube tree bleed a lot!"

As Shanglin watched the three of them excitedly searching for their pockets and baskets, he couldn't stop smiling.

Qiu Xialin said he was going to steal his aunt's jujubes, but it was just a casual remark. There was plenty of food on the mountain; why would he care about her jujube tree?

This time, they went even further and higher up the mountain than before. The back mountain was rarely visited by people and was covered with bushes. Occasionally, a mountain rabbit would slip by, startling the three boys so much that they would scream and run wildly after it, returning dejectedly.

Gu Zhiyuan had never seen such mountain scenery before. It was incredibly novel to him, and he had long forgotten the lessons he had been taught since childhood about being calm and composed, chasing after Xia Lin and Chang Sheng like crazy.

They said they were going to pick daylilies on the mountain, but once they got there, they forgot all about it and were only interested in chasing rabbits. Shanglin had no choice but to carry a cloth bag and pick them one by one.

This thing is easy to find. Its long stems are much taller than wild grasses, and the yellow flowers sway in the wind at the top, looking delicate and fragile. Yet, its stems are sturdy and strong, making it difficult to pick. Shanglin, being experienced, doesn't pull hard. Instead, he pinches the top with his fingers, twists it slightly, and then turns it in the opposite direction, easily getting it.

Following their screams and laughter, I picked quite a lot along the way.

In the past, when food was scarce, people relied on wild vegetables as a lifeline. Now, every household has stored grain, and few people come to the mountains to gather wild vegetables. In Zhang Hongwei's words, the smell of wild vegetables makes his stomach churn!

Now, unlike in later years, wild vegetables are considered treasures and sold at exorbitant prices in cities.

Wild vegetables grew all over the mountains and fields, untouched and unattended. This benefited Qiu Shanglin, who quickly gathered half a bagful. Occasionally, he would also pick some newly sprouted wild chive blossoms, take them home, pound them in a mortar and pestle, mix them with tofu, and enjoy the fragrant, spicy flavor. The combination with the soft tofu was Qiu Jianguo's favorite snack to accompany his drinks.

Unfortunately, the wild jujubes are not ripe yet. They hang on the branches, green and white, and when I picked a few to taste, most of them were sour and astringent and hard to eat. Shanglin plans to come back in the fall, when the jujubes are ripe and the branches are full of red dates that are both sour and sweet, making my mouth water...

Wisps of smoke rose from the mountain hollow, and Shanglin smiled knowingly.

The three boys are making a fire to roast grasshoppers!

Although smoking is strictly prohibited on the mountain, that spot is fine. There are flat, large rocks, and nothing grows around them. They specially built a simple stone stove that anyone can use.

By the time she arrived, Changsheng and Xialin had already skewered the grasshoppers they had caught and were grilling them over the fire, sprinkling them with salt and five-spice powder from time to time—they really had the air of barbecue masters. Gu Zhiyuan watched from the side, drooling with envy.

Along the way, Changsheng collected a lot of dry branches and withered grass, and also picked up many withered pine cones. He buried the sweet potatoes and potatoes they brought with them in the fire and burned them together.

The grasshoppers were the first to be grilled, and he handed a skewer to Gu Zhiyuan.

Gu Zhiyuan kept stuffing food into his mouth while yelling that it was hot. He could only stick out his tongue because it was so hot, but he couldn't bear to spit it out. The weather was also hot, and he was sweating profusely. He sat on the rock with his legs spread apart, eating greedily without any regard for his image.

Xia Lin found him more and more pleasing to the eye—natural and unrestrained, that was the true nature of a man.

Being coy, clean, and tidy—that's just how this young lady behaves. Apparently, he thinks all men in the world should be like him and Li Changsheng, rough and unrestrained.

As usual, Shang Lin didn't eat them; he just tended the fire on the side while waiting for the sweet potatoes to roast.

The afternoon sun was scorching, but the three boys weren't afraid of the sun; she was quite terrified. She was dressed warmly in long sleeves and trousers, and wore a wide-brimmed sun hat, completely covering herself. She watched with a smile as the three boys fought over grasshoppers.

Oil grasshoppers are different from the common varieties; they are large, strong, and meaty, and so powerful that they can flick a person's finger with their legs until it bleeds. But these grasshoppers are also delicious, and they are the ingredient used in fried grasshoppers in restaurants in later generations.

After finishing the fragrant sweet potatoes and potatoes, they brought fresh soil to bury the embers of the fire completely, and carefully checked to make sure nothing was missed. The four of them then returned home laden with their spoils.

The daylilies picked were blanched in water and could be used in cold dishes or stir-fries. Zhang Hongwei showed off his skills at home, making braised pork that was fatty but not greasy. Qiu Jianguo was not to be outdone, so he bought a grass carp, added plenty of chili peppers, and made a spicy fish dish. Gu Zhiyuan was so spicy that he drank water like crazy, but he couldn't bear to put down his chopsticks. He held chopsticks in one hand and a water glass in the other, which made everyone laugh.

That evening, Xia Lin and Chang Sheng dragged him into the woods to look for cicada nymphs. Gu Zhiyuan, with his delicate skin, was covered in mosquito bites all over his head and face. He soaked in bathwater mixed with floral water for half a day and still hissed and groaned from the itch.

Gu Zhiyuan stayed in Zifang Town for a full week before reluctantly returning home on the eve of the start of the school term.

When Qian Xin got home, she saw him and was shocked. He was as black as a lump of coal and had gained a lot of weight. She almost didn't recognize her son.

Ask him if he was doing well in the countryside? Did he study literature with Shanglin?

Gu Zhiyuan simply nodded and buried his head in his food without making a sound.

He felt guilty... and he called it literature... He climbed trees to steal fruit and went down to the river to catch fish, eating and drinking all the time. He wasn't going there to study literature; he was just there to eat. He spent a whole week being a glutton...

literature?

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot about you for a while...

junior high school

Huaiqiao No. 5 Middle School welcomed its first-year junior high students and first-year senior high students today.

Fifth Middle School was a school with both junior and senior high sections, and was formerly known as a "grocery store"—but starting from this year, in order to shed this reputation and fully develop its senior high school education, 1992 marked the last time the junior high section of Fifth Middle School enrolled students. In other words, three years later, Fifth Middle School no longer had a junior high section.

They were lucky to catch the last train.

Zhang Xuebing, the head of the first grade's teaching department, stood on the large platform in the playground and waved his hand, indicating: "Those who are admitted to our No. 5 Middle School are the best of the best. Look—" His short, thick arm pointed to the opposite side.

"The senior students have also enrolled. I hope that you will take them as role models, study hard and strive for excellence during these three years, and successfully enter the senior high school after completing your three years of junior high school. There, you can realize your university dreams!"

After his rousing speech, he earnestly encouraged them: "Students, you are all lucky. Being the last batch of junior high students at No. 5 Middle School is truly memorable. When you go on to university and enter the workforce, you can proudly tell your classmates and colleagues, 'I come from Huaiqiao No. 5 Middle School, and I was among the last batch of students to enter the senior high school!' Just imagine how glorious, how honorable, how proud you will be..."

Qiu Shanglin stood at the front of the line and rolled his eyes when no one was around.

Teacher, I would be even more proud if your Mandarin were a little more standard.

Zhang Xuebing grew up in the mountains and worked hard to get into a teaching position at the Fifth Middle School. He had the honest and simple nature of a farmer, but he realized that honesty was useless after leaving the mountains. City people called them "big simpletons" and didn't think honesty was a virtue; instead, they mocked them.

Farmers have their shrewd side, and Zhang Xuebing inherited this trait without hesitation. However, shrewdness taken to extremes becomes cunning. He taught at the Fifth Middle School for six years, painstakingly using strict management methods to motivate students to study hard, yet he consistently achieved the worst grades, finally becoming the head of the grade level with great difficulty.

When he returned home, the villagers were incredibly envious, thinking he had become a high-ranking official. Zhang Xuebing knew himself that he was still far from that level.

He's nominally called the grade-level director, but in reality, he's just a gofer. The principal, vice-principal, and junior high school director all have higher positions and more power than him.

Like today, when I held a meeting for the first-year junior high students, nobody wanted to come. So I pushed the meeting onto him, and there was no one else to push it onto, so he had to obediently accept it.

Moving chairs and equipment, setting up the venue—everything had to be done by hand.

The grade-level director is a pushover. The higher-ups are dissatisfied, and the teachers are full of complaints. Teachers are all precious; how can we expect them to do the heavy lifting of equipment? The students are still very young and difficult to manage either.

Poor college graduate, all that moving equipment and chairs. Now that he finally doesn't have to lift a finger, shouldn't he take this opportunity to teach the students a lesson and vent his frustrations?

He rambled on for about an hour, until the students standing on the playground were swaying and could barely stand, before he finally announced his end.

The class assignments were already known. Shang Lin was in Class 1, Xia Lin in Class 9, and Li Changsheng, being a relative, was placed in Class 1 despite Shang Lin's strong insistence, continuing his miserable fate. Qiu Xia Lin was overjoyed, finally free from her sister's clutches, finally able to play games and make friends freely. Class 1 and Class 9 were eight classes apart; even if she got the news and rushed over to beat someone up, she could run away at the first sign of trouble, right?

He's got his little scheme figured out. Qiu Shanglin won't call him out on it, just watching him gloat. Let's put it off for a semester. Once the midterm results come out, hehe, he'll be itching for a fight. Qiu Shanglin, you're asking for it again... I won't be the bad guy, I'll just stand by and pass the buck to Mom.