Chapter 97: The Dog is Gone

Time flew by, and several more days passed. Xiulan stayed home due to her foot pain and didn’t go out running around.

If she wasn’t making soap, she was weaving straw hats, keeping herself busy.

Lin Heng hadn’t gone hunting. Occasionally, he fished and took Xiongba for walks nearby every day, hoping to catch a wild rabbit or pheasant.

But each day, he came back with only a couple of frogs and a few green-headed finches. Since he was too lazy to eat them himself, he fed them to Xiongba.

Maybe he had hunted too many green-headed finches this year because there were noticeably fewer of them now.

With no choice but to give up, he also stopped catching frogs since they were beneficial to farmland.

Poor Xiongba had no meat to eat lately and had to make do with corn porridge and leftovers.

Fortunately, they still had a wild boar’s head at home. Initially, it was meant for people to eat, but the boar’s hair was too difficult to clean off completely.

In the end, they only kept the ears and tongue for themselves and boiled the rest into mush to feed Xiongba.

The wild boar’s tusks, however, were quite long. After sawing them off and sanding them down, they turned into beautiful, snow-white ornaments.

Lin Heng originally wanted to make a hairpin for his wife, but the tusks were too curved, so he made two pendants instead.

He also cut a few bamboo stalks and tied them together with the boar tusks to make a wind chime, which he hung in the backyard.

Whenever a breeze blew, the crisp knocking sounds blended harmoniously with the buzzing of bees, forming a natural melody.

The black pine tree placed near the water behind the old house had also taken root. Lin Heng and his eldest brother moved it into the backyard.

Now, the backyard was rich with plant life—over a dozen orchid plants, the black pine, a small firethorn tree dug up from the mountains, gardenias, roses, lilies…

Lin Heng arranged the plants according to his vision, adding some unique stones. Even without a lawn, the small garden was already perfect.

Though the house was made of earth, the place did not feel rustic at all.

That afternoon, Lin Heng was dozing off in the pavilion, holding his daughter in his arms. He listened to the sounds of flowing water, buzzing bees, and the occasional chime of the wind bell, feeling so comfortable that he didn’t want to move.

Xiulan was sitting nearby, picking honeysuckle flowers without speaking much. The three of them were simply enjoying the slow passage of time together.

“Xiulan, open the door!”

Suddenly, someone knocked on the backyard gate.

“I’m coming,” Xiulan responded, getting up to open the door. Her ankle sprain had healed, and though the scrapes on her foot weren’t fully recovered, they were no longer a big issue.

“Caiyun, what brings you here?” Xiulan asked with a smile after opening the door.

“I just knew you guys would be in the backyard,” Caiyun grinned as she walked in, looking around. “My second brother really knows how to enjoy life. This backyard is beautifully arranged.”

Lin Heng: “…If you can’t say anything nice, you can leave.”

Caiyun giggled. “My sister-in-law and niece won’t kick me out, right, Xiaoxia?”

“Auntie!!” Xiaoxia climbed down from her chair and ran into Caiyun’s arms.

After giving Xiaoxia a kiss, Caiyun finally got to the reason for her visit. “Sister-in-law, I actually came to share some interesting news from the past few days.”

By “interesting news,” she meant gossip.

“What is it?” Xiulan wasn’t too familiar with village gossip and only occasionally listened when it came up.

“I’ve been going to Teacher Tian for tutoring recently, and we’ve become good friends. She loves reading just like me, but her knowledge is far greater.”

Caiyun spoke excitedly, clearly delighted.

“Over the past two days, I noticed that Teacher Tian has been setting up a chessboard by herself for long stretches of time. At first, I didn’t know why.

Until today, when I uncovered a shocking secret.” She paused dramatically.

“What secret?” Xiulan’s curiosity was piqued.

Before Caiyun could answer, Lin Heng spoke first. “I’m guessing it’s because she keeps losing to someone, so she’s studying the game on her own.”

Caiyun’s eyes widened. “Second Brother, how did you know?!”

“I guessed,” Lin Heng said with a shrug and a smile.

“Well, you guessed right!”

Caiyun didn’t dwell on it and eagerly revealed the answer. “The big secret is that every afternoon after school, Teacher Tian plays chess with someone in the classroom.

And she loses every single time, which is why she’s so frustrated that she’s practicing on her own.”

“Also, the person playing against her is a man. Can you guess who it is?” Caiyun teased.

Lin Heng shook his head. “I don’t feel like guessing.”

“Come on, just tell us, Caiyun. I have no clue either,” Xiulan said, shaking Caiyun’s arm in anticipation.

“Well, this person is actually closely related to us. His last name is also Lin,” Caiyun said with a smile.

Xiulan had a sudden realization and blurted out, “Could it be Lin Hai?”

“How did you know, Sister-in-law?” Caiyun was stunned. How did Xiulan guess so accurately?

“Because Lin Hai is good at chess. Even your second brother isn’t his match,” Xiulan replied with a laugh.

“Oh, that makes sense then! No wonder! Cousin Lin Hai is ridiculously skilled at chess.

I secretly watched them play, and every time, he completely crushed Teacher Tian. She even wrote about it in her diary out of frustration.

I think Cousin Lin Hai is trying to court Teacher Tian, but he’s too straightforward and doesn’t know how to go easy on her,” Caiyun speculated.

She was bursting with gossip but didn’t dare to spread it everywhere, so she came to share it with Xiulan, knowing that she wouldn’t blab to others.

“By the way, Brother, don’t go telling anyone. I trust Sister-in-law, but I don’t trust you,” Caiyun added.

“Got it,” Lin Heng replied lazily, closing his eyes to rest.

Beside him, Caiyun continued chatting with Xiulan.

Neither of them realized that the culprit responsible for all of this was sitting right in front of them.

Hearing Caiyun’s words, Lin Heng felt reassured. Lin Hai was reliable and had followed his advice to the letter. A promising talent, indeed.

They chatted for a while. Lin Heng sat up, looked at Xiulan, and asked, “Are you really not going with me to town tomorrow?”

Xiulan shook her head. “No, I’m not going. You go and come back quickly. I’ll wait for you at home.”

Lin Heng sighed helplessly. “Alright then. Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll bring some back for you.”

“No, and don’t buy me clothes or anything. If you waste money, I won’t let you into the house when you get back,” Xiulan warned.

Caiyun laughed from the side, only to get flicked on the forehead by Lin Heng.

Caiyun huffed. “Second Brother, if you make me dumb, I’ll just stay at your house and never leave.”

Lin Heng let out a cold laugh. “If you don’t leave, I’ll tie you up with the pigs and feed you pig slop.”

“So mean! I’m leaving! I won’t even help you herd the sheep anymore.”

Caiyun put Xiaoxia down and turned to leave.

Halfway out, she turned back, grinned, and said, “Second Brother, don’t forget to buy a few old books tomorrow. I’ll pay you back when I make money.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

Lin Heng stretched lazily, stood up, and began packing the things he would take to town to sell.

Everything was packed in opaque woven plastic sacks. These days, it wasn’t safe—one couldn’t let their wealth show.

The next morning, it was July 7th on the solar calendar and the 20th of the 5th lunar month, which happened to be Minor Heat.

Since Lin Heng was going to town, Xiulan cooked rice for him. The dish was stir-fried pork with pickled radish shreds—perfect for eating with rice. Lin Heng ate two big bowls.

Before he left, Xiulan helped tidy his clothes and looked into his eyes as she said,

“Be careful. Don’t go buying random things for the house. We don’t lack anything. Otherwise, I really won’t let you in.”

Lin Heng grinned. “Would you really have the heart to keep me out?”

Xiulan shot him a glare. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t buy anything.” Lin Heng squeezed his wife’s hand, picked up his things, and left.

At the old house, his father and eldest brother were loading wheat onto a newly built wooden cart—it was the day to deliver grain to the government.

Not only did they have to submit public grain, but they also needed to grind flour. The town had a large milling machine, which was much better than using a stone mill at home.

“Dad, Big Brother, I’m heading out now,” Lin Heng said as he looked at them.

“Do you want us to wait for you in Huangtan Town?” Father Lin asked.

“No need. I’ll make my own way back,” Lin Heng shook his head.

“Alright then. Stay safe.” Father Lin nodded.

“Don’t worry.”

Lin Heng waved and set off with his belongings.

Today was the village’s wheat submission day, so the road was full of wooden carts loaded with grain.

Up ahead, Lin Heng saw the village party secretary, Tian Dongfu, directing people. He wasn’t delivering grain himself—he was probably handling the payments.

“Uncle Tian.”

Lin Heng greeted him with a smile. Tian Dongfu was a man worthy of respect—he had dedicated his life to leading the villagers toward prosperity.

In a couple of years, when his son graduated and was assigned a job as a government official in the county, he could have easily moved to Nanping County to enjoy life. But instead, he chose to stay and continue working for the village.

“Lin Heng! You’re not with your dad?” Tian Dongfu asked with a smile.

His attitude toward this young man had changed recently—he appreciated hardworking, grounded people.

Lin Heng had a middle school education, and as long as he stayed diligent, his future seemed promising.

“No, my brother and father went together. I’m heading to town to sell some medicinal herbs,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“Oh, I see. Go ahead. Work hard and stay down-to-earth.”

Tian Dongfu smiled kindly.

“Will do.”

Lin Heng nodded, then hesitated before saying, “Uncle Tian, there have been a lot of snakes and insects around lately. Be careful when you walk.”

He had just remembered something—last time around, Tian Dongfu had been bitten by a venomous snake around this time.

Though the venom wasn’t too strong and he had been rescued in time, his health had never fully recovered afterward.

“Alright.” Tian Dongfu found it odd that Lin Heng was warning him about this, but he still kept the advice in mind.

After giving the warning, Lin Heng quickly walked away. He wasn’t sure of the exact time the bite had happened, so this was the best he could do—at least he had done his part.

Since today wasn’t a market day, the town was rather quiet.

Lin Heng looked around but couldn’t find a ride heading in his direction, so he decided to take the small road past the school to reach the city.

“Lin Heng, where are you heading?”

As he neared the school, someone suddenly called out to him.

Turning his head, he saw a young man around twenty-five or twenty-six with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a black leather jacket.

“Mr. Guo! I’m walking to the city to sell some herbs,” Lin Heng answered with a smile.

The man was Guo Xu, a teacher who had been transferred in during Lin Heng’s last semester before he dropped out of middle school. Back then, Guo Xu had tried to persuade him to stay in school several times.

“You’re heading to the city? Then wait a bit. It’s Friday, and I only have one class this morning. After that, I’m heading to the city too—I can take you with me.”

Guo Xu said casually. His family was well-off, and at a young age, he already owned his own motorcycle.

“Mr. Guo, isn’t your home in Nanping County? Why are you going to the city?”

Lin Heng asked curiously.

Although Huangtan Town belonged to Nanping County, the county seat was actually farther away than Taibai City, and the roads were worse. That was why he chose to sell his herbs in the city instead.

“I’m visiting an elder in the city. Stop being so fussy and just come to the school with me. I’ll take you down to the city around nine.”

Guo Xu’s tone left no room for refusal—he figured Lin Heng was just being hesitant.

Besides, he was also curious about what had happened to this student he hadn’t been able to convince to stay in school.

“Alright then, thank you, Teacher.” Lin Heng walked over and took out a cigarette from his pocket, handing it to Guo Xu.

“Did you have breakfast? If not, I can grab you something from the school cafeteria.”

Guo Xu accepted the cigarette and asked. It was only seven in the morning—he had just finished eating and was out for a walk when he happened to see Lin Heng.

“I already ate.”

Lin Heng nodded and followed his teacher into the school.

“Are you farming at home for a living now? Is it tough?” Guo Xu asked.

He felt that Lin Heng must regret it now. If he had continued studying back then and gotten into a vocational school, he would have been assigned a job, which would surely be much better than farming.

“Sort of. I’ve also learned to hunt, so life is going quite well,” Lin Heng nodded, not talking about any grand ambitions.

“Hunting?” Guo Xu was a little curious. Lin Heng had this skill too?

When they arrived at Guo Xu’s office, Lin Heng sat down and briefly explained his daily hunting routine.

Guo Xu couldn’t help but be a little shocked. “You can hunt pigs, badgers, and muntjacs with a bow and arrow? Tell me more about it.”

“Yes,” Lin Heng even showed him some muntjac skin.

He wasn’t worried that Guo Xu had any bad intentions—Guo Xu wouldn’t even care about the little money he made.

After hearing Lin Heng’s experiences, Guo Xu felt a little envious. Hunting sounded like a lot of fun.

“I didn’t expect you to find another path for yourself. If you have time, make me a fishing rod. I’d like to try fishing. I’ll pay for it,” Guo Xu patted Lin Heng’s shoulder as he spoke. However, he still thought it was a pity—hunting couldn’t be a long-term livelihood.

Lin Heng smiled and said, “Bamboo isn’t worth much, it’s everywhere. I’ll bring you one when I get the chance.”

As they continued chatting, Guo Xu increasingly felt that Lin Heng had changed a lot. He didn’t seem like a twenty-year-old anymore—he was no longer impulsive like before, and he even seemed more knowledgeable.

“I have to go teach now. You can rest here for a while. Once class is over, we’ll head out,” Guo Xu said with a smile.

“Alright,” Lin Heng nodded and picked up a book to read.

After reading for a while, he got up and went to the back of the school to check on the remaining dogs.

He searched around but couldn’t find any traces of them. He didn’t know if they had run off somewhere else or had been captured again.

He asked around the school, but everyone said they hadn’t seen the dogs for a long time.

“Sigh,” Lin Heng sighed as he walked back with his hands behind his back.

Looking at the worn-out school buildings and listening to the sound of students reading aloud, he felt a bit sentimental. Sometimes, fate was just like those dogs—once you missed the opportunity, you might never find it again.

Back in the teachers’ office, he casually flipped through Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji).

An hour passed quickly, and Lin Heng had already skimmed through over a thousand years of Chinese history.

Guo Xu returned to the office with his textbook and, seeing Lin Heng reading, smiled and said, “So you enjoy reading now?”

“Haha, I read occasionally,” Lin Heng smiled slightly.

“That’s great. Reading is a good habit,” Guo Xu said with a smile, thinking that Lin Heng was reminiscing about his school days.

Since Lin Heng was one of his first students, Guo Xu had a certain fondness for him and thought it was a shame how things had turned out.

Setting his book down, Guo Xu started packing his things while casually chatting with Lin Heng.

“You mentioned catching a thirty-year-old softshell turtle. Do you still have it?” Guo Xu asked with a smile.

Lin Heng nodded. “Yeah, I’m keeping it at home.”

“How much do you usually sell them for?” Guo Xu asked again.

“At least thirty yuan, but it depends on whether someone needs it,” Lin Heng replied.

“Then sell it to me. I’ll buy it for fifty yuan—I want to make turtle soup for my grandfather to help nourish his health,” Guo Xu said with a smile.

Lin Heng was a little surprised. He wasn’t sure if his teacher was buying it to help him out financially or if he genuinely wanted it as a gift.

Seeing Lin Heng remain silent, Guo Xu asked, “What’s wrong? Do you think the price is too low?”

“No, if you’re buying it, teacher, thirty yuan is enough. I won’t sell it for more,” Lin Heng shook his head. He had no intention of profiting off his teacher.

Guo Xu frowned. “What, do you think I’m giving you charity? I said fifty, so fifty it is. This is for my grandfather, I can’t let you take a loss.”

Before Lin Heng could say anything, Guo Xu added, “I’m done packing. Your turtle is at home, right? I’ll take my bike, and we’ll go get it.”

Lin Heng had no choice. He couldn’t refuse to sell it now, so he nodded and followed him outside.

Guo Xu’s motorcycle was a classic Honda CG125, priced at around 1,500 yuan. Even in the 21st century, many people still rode this model.

With its red paint job, it looked quite stylish and was definitely a sign of wealth in this era.

Lin Heng didn’t know what business Guo Xu’s family was in, but he knew he was well-off.

“Hold on tight,” Guo Xu said.

With the roar of the engine and a puff of blue smoke, the motorcycle sped away.

It was already over thirty degrees, but riding a motorcycle with the wind blowing felt incredibly refreshing.

Following Lin Heng’s directions, they arrived at Hongfeng Village in just over ten minutes.

“Teacher, this is my home. Just built it recently,” Lin Heng pointed at a mud-brick house along the road and smiled.

“Looks good,” Guo Xu nodded, parking his motorcycle before following Lin Heng inside.

Many villagers had heard the sound of the motorcycle and came out, watching from a distance with curiosity and envy.

“I don’t think my wife is home. Let’s go straight in,” Lin Heng noticed the door was locked, so he opened it and invited his teacher inside.

Guo Xu nodded and stepped into the courtyard with curiosity.

“Is this the badger cub you were talking about?” Guo Xu looked at the badger in the enclosure with great interest. It was his first time seeing a live one.

“Yes, I caught it with a trap,” Lin Heng said as he opened the door and went to fetch a cup to pour some water for his teacher.

“You’ve really matured a lot,” Guo Xu said with a smile as he took the water.

Glancing around, he was a bit surprised to see that Lin Heng had plastered the walls and even paved the floor with stones.

“Where’s the turtle? Let me see it,” Guo Xu said after looking around.

“In the backyard,” Lin Heng led him there.

They passed through a somewhat dim hallway, and the backyard came into view. Guo Xu was stunned when he saw it.

“You arranged all this yourself?”

He was shocked by how beautiful the backyard was.

(End of Chapter)