Chapter 99: A Father and Son Without Trust, and a Dog That Taught Itself to Backflip

Lin Heng didn’t respond. He stood next to the tractor, walked inside to watch the workers load the Sanghuang, monitored the weighing process, and recorded everything himself.

“Aiya, don’t worry, I wouldn’t mess around with the weight,” Liu Qicheng waved his hand dismissively when he saw Lin Heng acting this way.

“It’s better to keep an eye on things.” Lin Heng didn’t trust him at all. The last thing in this world one should trust is a businessman’s integrity.

Who knew if the moment he turned his back, something else would get mixed in?

“Suit yourself, then.” Liu Qicheng wasn’t pleased, thinking, What’s the point of staring at the Sanghuang? Even if I don’t play tricks, you still won’t make money.

The moment Lin Heng bought this batch of Sanghuang, he was already doomed to lose money. Liu Qicheng chuckled inwardly, looking forward to seeing Lin Heng come back later with losses. It would be a good show to watch.

Losing money himself was painful, but if some fool took over his losses, it suddenly felt much better.

After two hours of weighing, the total came to 1,020 jin of Sanghuang. Since they had signed the contract the day before, Lin Heng took exactly 1,000 jin.

The driver uncle cranked the handle forcefully, and with a loud rumble, accompanied by rolling smoke, the tractor roared to life.

“Let’s go, hop on.”

The driver uncle climbed into the driver’s seat, while Lin Heng and Liu Qicheng stood on either side.

With the tractor’s engine roaring, the three of them headed for Hongfeng Village.

Even though the tractor was slow, it was still faster than walking. In less than twenty minutes, they reached the main road outside the Lin family home.

Inside the house, Lin Heng’s parents had not gone up the mountain to farm today. The reason was that Lin Heng had gone to town yesterday and hadn’t returned. They were debating how to find him.

In the courtyard, Father Lin held a thick ironwood club, as thick as a rolling pin, with sharp protrusions on its surface. He swung it in the air and turned to Mother Lin. “Hongmei, what do you think of this club? Can it break that brat’s legs?”

“It should be able to,” Mother Lin nodded.

“Alright then. If he doesn’t come back today, I’ll go find him and break his legs on the spot with this stick,” Father Lin said seriously.

Xiulan was speechless at the sight and quickly explained, “Dad, I don’t think Lin Heng ran off with his friends. They probably just went to sell the softshell turtles yesterday.”

“Who knows? I heard that the people who came this time had motorcycles. That’s no small temptation for that brat.” Father Lin wasn’t convinced of Lin Heng’s self-control, given his past behavior.

Maybe he just got delayed this time, but compared to this dusty rural village, the city was far too dazzling.

Father Lin had seen it for himself last time and finally understood why young people were desperate to move to the city. The difference was like two completely different worlds.

“Listen, that rumbling sound outside… could it be Lin Heng coming back?” Suddenly, Mother Lin pointed outside.

Everyone fell silent and indeed heard the rumbling noise.

“It really is! Let’s go check.” Father Lin was slightly delighted and took the lead in heading out.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Lin Heng carrying large sacks, already at the entrance. Not far away, a tractor was parked on the roadside.

“Dad, no need to come out. Help me carry this inside,” Lin Heng called out immediately.

Then he noticed the club in Father Lin’s hand and looked puzzled. “You didn’t think I wasn’t coming back, did you?”

“Haha, of course not.” Father Lin casually tossed the club into the corner.

Lin Heng: “…Dad, I’m really disappointed in you. Do we not even have this much trust between us as father and son?”

Father Lin snorted and pointed at the sack on Lin Heng’s shoulder. “What’s in there?”

Lin Heng answered casually, “Sanghuang, what else? I bought a thousand jin in one go.”

Father Lin’s face instantly darkened. “You don’t know the price has dropped to 20 cents recently?”

Lin Heng nodded. “I know. That’s exactly why I bought it—55 cents per jin. Big profit!”

Father Lin’s face turned from dark to red in an instant. He turned around, grabbed the club, and raised it to strike. “Return it immediately, or I swear I’ll beat you today!”

Lin Heng spread his hands. “Too late, I already signed the contract. It’s in black and white. If I break it, I’ll have to pay a 5,000 yuan penalty.”

Father Lin froze, stared deeply at Lin Heng, then shook his head, dropped the club, and walked away.

“If you’re so capable and rich, do whatever you want. I won’t bother anymore.”

Bang! The old house’s door slammed shut.

Mother Lin looked at Lin Heng, sighed, and said, “Do you really think making money is that easy? You’ve been lucky lately, but do you think your luck will always hold?”

With that, she shook her head and left, full of worries.

She had doubted it from the start, and now that the price had crashed, he was still buying more? How was that supposed to make money?

Lin Heng simply shrugged, too lazy to explain. He understood his parents’ concerns but wouldn’t follow their thinking.

They worked hard, but their knowledge and perspective were too outdated. That was the result of a difficult life, and he didn’t blame them for it.

Xiulan stood nearby, watching. When Lin Heng looked at her, she finally spoke. “Put the goods in the room to the left of the main hall. It’s the driest spot.”

“Alright.” Lin Heng nodded. He wasn’t surprised that Xiulan didn’t publicly question him.

“Daddy, hug!” Xiaoxia stretched out her small hands, wanting Lin Heng to hold her.

“Just a minute, sweetheart.” Lin Heng freed one hand to gently touch her face.

Then he turned to Liu Qicheng and the tractor driver. “Follow me.”

Liu Qicheng glanced at Xiulan and thought to himself, Lin Heng is really lucky to have such a pretty wife. Too bad… it won’t be long before she has to suffer with him.

With that thought, he sighed inwardly and followed Lin Heng into the courtyard.

Lin Heng placed the items in the bedroom on the left side of the main hall and said, “Just move them in and put them here.”

After setting them down, he went to find some wooden boards and tree stumps to elevate the Sanghuang mushrooms. The ground wasn’t hardened, and placing them directly on it would make them prone to moisture damage.

Once that was done, he continued helping with moving the Sanghuang mushrooms.

By then, the villagers had already been drawn over and were standing along the road, watching from afar and whispering among themselves.

“A thousand jin— even if the price has dropped, that’s still a lot of money. Lin Heng really has guts.”

“If you have money, you can afford to take risks. We can’t compare.”

“Heh, it’d be interesting if he ends up losing everything.”

“Hmph, that Chen Xiulan is really useless. If I were her, Lin Heng wouldn’t even be able to step through the door today—I’d break his legs.”

…

There were plenty of people mocking, ridiculing, or gloating over the situation. They all thought Lin Heng was crazy.

Before, they could still understand why he was collecting Sanghuang mushrooms, but now that the price had plummeted and he was still buying, they thought he had lost his mind, obsessed with money to the point of madness.

The village party secretary, Tian Dongfu, watched from his doorstep. When he heard that Lin Heng had bought a thousand jin of Sanghuang mushrooms, he shook his head. “That kid is still too young. Making money isn’t that easy. Hopefully, he’ll learn a lesson from this.”

His daughter, Tian Yan, was fiddling with a chessboard beside him and said, “It’s normal. That’s how it is when you want to make big money. You only realize after suffering losses. The market isn’t something just anyone can predict.”

Many people were worried about Lin Heng as well. Lin Yue and Liu Juan came straight back from the fields.

“Little brother, this is a bit reckless of you.” Lin Yue sighed and walked over to help move the mushrooms.

Since what was done was done, the only thing he could do now was lend a hand.

He regretted not going to town with his younger brother. Maybe if he had been there to persuade him, this wouldn’t have happened.

“It’s fine, Brother, I know what I’m doing,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Let’s hope so,” Lin Yue shook his head.

Meanwhile, Liu Juan went to the old house to comfort Father and Mother Lin. She also didn’t think much of what Lin Heng was doing.

Half an hour later, the Sanghuang mushrooms were all moved. Liu Qicheng looked at Lin Heng and said, “Now it’s time to settle the payment, right?”

Lin Heng had already prepared the money in advance, along with a pen and paper. “Count the money first, then write me a receipt.”

Liu Qicheng checked the money carefully, even verifying its authenticity. Once he confirmed everything was in order, he picked up the pen and paper and wrote the receipt.

“Alright, I wish you great fortune,” Liu Qicheng handed the receipt to Lin Heng. As soon as Lin Heng took it, he couldn’t wait to turn and leave.

Lin Heng walked him out and, seeing that there were still villagers gathered outside, he smiled and said, “Help spread the word for me—I’m still collecting Sanghuang mushrooms! The town’s price is twenty cents per jin, but I’m offering thirty cents.”

“Really?” someone asked curiously.

“You’ve already bought so much, and you still want more?” The villagers couldn’t understand what Lin Heng was thinking.

Lin Heng smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m still collecting, just like before. Payment is settled on the spot, so you don’t have to worry about IOUs.”

With that, he turned and went back inside.

“Looks like he’s dead set on collecting Sanghuang mushrooms,” someone sighed.

“Whatever, as long as his price is good, I’ll sell to him. It’s closer too.”

“Yeah, whether he makes a profit or takes a loss isn’t my concern. If I can get an extra dime per jin, I’ll take it.”

…

“Have some water,” Xiulan poured Lin Heng a glass when he came in.

“I’ll go take a shower first, I’m covered in sweat,” Lin Heng said with a smile, sensing that Xiulan seemed a little upset.

After taking a cold shower, he walked into the main hall. Xiulan was still sitting there, holding their daughter.

Lin Heng handed her the remaining 280 yuan. “Here, this is what’s left.”

Xiulan didn’t take it. She gazed at their daughter’s face and slowly said, “Since you don’t consult me about anything anyway, you might as well manage the money yourself.”

She wasn’t mad that Lin Heng had bought so many Sanghuang mushrooms at once; she was upset that he hadn’t told her in advance, leaving her to worry for nothing.

Lin Heng pulled a stool over, sat down in front of her, and held her hand, not letting her pull away. “I only just found out about the Sanghuang price drop and thought it was a great opportunity.

If I didn’t buy them quickly, Liu Qicheng would’ve taken them to the city, and I wouldn’t have been able to get them. That’s why I didn’t have time to tell you.”

Xiulan looked at him. “Really?”

“You can put your hand on my heart—I’m not lying.” As he spoke, Lin Heng guided her hand toward his chest.

“Move away, you’re all wet. You didn’t even dry off properly after showering,” Xiulan glared at him and pulled her hand back in disgust.

She handed him a towel from the chair. “Are you really sure these Sanghuang mushrooms will make money? You’ve already bought a thousand jin, and you still want more?”

Lin Heng didn’t bother drying himself. Xiao Xia, their daughter, took the towel and enthusiastically wiped him down a couple of times.

“Of course! I trust my judgment. If I’m wrong, I won’t touch the medicinal herb trade again,” Lin Heng nodded firmly.

Seeing his serious expression, Xiulan’s face softened. “You said it yourself—I didn’t force you.”

“I said it, and I won’t go back on my word,” Lin Heng nodded solemnly.

If the information about Sanghuang turned out to be wrong, it would mean that the knowledge he had gained from his rebirth wasn’t entirely reliable. In that case, he wouldn’t engage in a business that required precise market insights.

“Drink some water. I’ll go make dinner,” Xiulan took the money and left their daughter in his care.

“Daddy, hug me!”

Xiao Xia snuggled into Lin Heng’s arms.

“Wait a second, let me put my clothes on first,” Lin Heng quickly dressed before picking her up.

In the summer heat, he didn’t really want to hold her, but she was determined to snuggle into his arms, acting spoiled and giving him kisses. He couldn’t refuse her.

Luckily, after a while, Xiao Xia also felt hot and climbed down. She ran over to watch the little wildcat in the cage.

The wildcat seemed to have gotten used to the situation. It no longer growled but remained alert as it watched Xiao Xia.

“Xiongba, come here!”

Lin Heng called out.

“Woof woof~”

Xiongba, who had been lying in the courtyard, immediately got up, tongue hanging out, and trotted over happily, rubbing his big head against Lin Heng’s leg.

Lin Heng played with Xiongba’s head for a while, checking his teeth and ears before squatting down to give his head a vigorous rub.

Although Xiongba was still growing and going through an awkward, ugly phase, his fur felt incredibly soft and pleasant to the touch.

“In a couple of days, we’ll go up the mountain again.” Lin Heng rubbed Xiongba’s head as he spoke.

“Woof woof!!”

Xiongba happily performed a backflip for Lin Heng.

Lin Heng: “?”

“How did you learn that?” He was a bit stunned. Xiongba actually knew how to do a backflip? He had never taught him that.

“Woof woof!”

Xiongba immediately did another one on the spot, his dog eyes gleaming with a hint of pride.

“Damn, that’s awesome.” Lin Heng gave him a strong head rub. That backflip was seriously impressive.

“Xiulan, how did Xiongba learn to do backflips?” Lin Heng walked into the kitchen to ask.

“Oh, he just figured it out on his own. Last time I saw him, he was showing it off to Xiaoxia.” Xiulan thought for a moment before answering.

“Alright then, I guess Xiongba really is smart.” Lin Heng still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. How exactly had Xiongba learned it?

Could he have rolled down a hill and accidentally picked it up?
No way.

“Perfect timing, help me pour the batter into the slotted spoon. We’re having mianyu for lunch.” Xiulan called out to Lin Heng, who was spacing out.

Mianyu was different from liangyu. Mianyu was made from cornmeal or flour, while liangyu was made from starch.

Their preparation methods were also opposite. To make mianyu, you first mix cornmeal with cold water into a batter, then pour it into boiling water to cook.

“Okay.”

Lin Heng picked up the prepared batter and poured it into the slotted spoon that Xiulan was holding.

He poured a little at a time while Xiulan shook the spoon. The cornmeal batter dropped into the boiling water, quickly solidifying into yellow strips of mianyu.

Once the mianyu had taken shape and cooked through, they were scooped out and rinsed in cold water twice. Then, a bowl of vinegar broth was poured over them, along with some stir-fried potato shreds, and the mianyu was ready.

“Time to eat.”

After setting the bowl on the table, Lin Heng ate two large bowls—not because it was particularly delicious, but because he was hungry.

It wasn’t that Xiulan’s cooking was bad, but he was simply tired of cornmeal. Ever since coming back, he’d been eating cornmeal almost every single day for the past month.

No matter how good something tastes, eating it nonstop gets old—especially coarse cornmeal.

Luckily, there was still meat to eat. If he had to survive on just cornmeal and vegetables every meal, he might actually develop depression.

Having lived through an era of culinary abundance, going back to this was really hard to adjust to.

After finishing his meal, Lin Heng took a nap at home. The midday sun was too harsh, so it was better to just stay inside.

The earthen house had decent insulation, so it wasn’t unbearably hot inside. Unlike concrete buildings—without proper insulation, they turned into steamers under the sun.

When he woke up, he checked the time—it was already past two.

He walked to the backyard and splashed his face with cold water at the fish pond. Looking at the small fish swimming upstream in the stream, he saw they were all very lively.

The fish fry had grown quite a bit lately. They no longer looked like tiny triangles with just eyes and tails; they now actually had fish-like shapes, about two centimeters long.

Of course, they were eating a lot more too. Every day, they’d devour two to three catties of wheat bran without leaving a single scrap behind.

“Huh? Why are there only two creek groupers left?”

After feeding the grass carp fry, Lin Heng walked over to check on the creek groupers and found that only five or six remained.

He went into the main room, about to confront Xiongba, when he saw Xiaoxia feeding a cat. She watched intently as the kitten ate a fish, her big eyes wide with fascination.

“So that’s why your sleeves were wet that day. You’ve been feeding the cat fish all along, huh?”

Lin Heng shook his head helplessly.

“Xiaoxia, have you been catching fish to feed the cat?” He asked his daughter.

“The fish jumped out, so I picked them up.” Xiaoxia waved her little hands, her clear eyes shining.

“Alright, just be careful not to let the cat scratch you.” Lin Heng sighed. It did seem likely—Xiaoxia probably didn’t have the skill to catch fish herself.

“It won’t bite.” Xiaoxia shook her head, even defending the cat.

Lin Heng still felt it was a bit dangerous. He needed to keep an eye on her next time—this was a stray cat, and getting scratched or bitten could be serious.

While he was talking with Xiaoxia, Xiulan and Caiyun entered through the front gate. Xiulan was carrying pigweed, having clearly gone out earlier to cut grass for the hog badger.

Caiyun, on the other hand, ran straight up to Lin Heng, grabbed his arm, and grinned excitedly. “Second Brother, I heard from Sister-in-law Xiulan that you brought back a bunch of books! Are they all for me?”

Lin Heng looked at her with a straight face. “No.”

“Second Brother, you’re all talk. I don’t believe you.” Caiyun giggled.

“Alright, I was just joking.”

Lin Heng laughed, rubbing her head before saying, “Aside from Records of the Grand Historian and The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, you can read the rest. I brought back over forty books this time.”

“Thank you, Second Brother! Before school starts, I’ll take care of your sheep for you!” Caiyun was overjoyed, her big eyes shining with excitement.

Lin Heng went to the next room, gathered up the books, and then asked, “By the way, do you know Liu Ciwen?”

Caiyun was flipping through the books as she nodded. “Yeah, he was a year below me in school. I saw him recently while herding cattle.”

“Great. Tomorrow, when you go herding, take two books to him. I promised to lend him a couple.”

“He likes reading too?” Caiyun was a little surprised.

“Of course. Why else would he ask to borrow books? He might even be more studious than you.” Lin Heng shrugged.

“I don’t believe it.” Caiyun shook her head but still said, “Alright, I’ll remember to bring him the books tomorrow.”

With that, she sat down and started flipping through them one by one.

Seeing that they were done talking, Xiulan finally spoke up. “Dad and the others are plowing the fields this afternoon. Let’s go help. Now that we’ve harvested the wheat, the two mu of land at the foot of Hongfeng Mountain are free again.”

(End of Chapter)