Chapter 113: Naming the Gold Treasure, the More the Better

The village party secretary, Tian Dongfu, lived in the eastern part of the village, in a valley near the large ginkgo tree at the center of the village.

The village committee office was not far to the south of the ginkgo tree, and it was said that there used to be a Taoist temple on the mountainside behind the village committee.

According to the village elders, the temple was called Xuantian Palace and it worshipped the Emperor Zhenwu, the same one that is worshipped at Mount Wudang.

The temple had been demolished years ago, and the bricks from the old building were reused to construct the village committee office, which now proudly displayed a red flag.

The ginkgo tree at the village center, which could barely be embraced by a person, had been planted over 80 years ago by Taoists during the reign of Emperor Guangxu when they built the Taoist temple.

Today, the tree is just under 20 meters tall, but its branches are especially dense with many side branches, as the top had been deliberately cut off in earlier years to encourage the tree to grow wider and provide more shade.

When Lin Heng walked by with Xiaoxia in his arms, several elderly men from the village, including Liu Sanye, were sitting in the shade of the tree, chatting and playing cards with lively voices.

“Xiaoxia, what kind of tree is this?” Liu Sanye smiled and asked upon seeing Lin Heng and Xiaoxia.

Xiaoxia looked up, pointed at the ginkgo tree, and cheerfully said, “Daddy says this is a ginkgo tree.”

“Such a smart little girl!” Liu Sanye gave a thumbs-up in praise.

Xiaoxia leaned on Lin Heng’s shoulder, glanced at Liu Sanye, but didn’t say anything, just rolled her eyes.

“Lin Heng, what did you get during the hunt this time?” asked the elderly man Yang from the nearby tree shade. He was Yang Xiaotao’s grandfather.

Lin Heng shook his head. “Not much, just two piglets and a female muntjac.”

Liu Sanye shook his head. “You’re not being honest. Someone saw the wild boar meat; you must have hunted a big wild boar.”

Lin Heng laughed heartily. “Not really, it was just a bit over 100 pounds.”

He had intended to keep it a secret, but it had already been discovered.

“Did you sell it since you didn’t bring much back?” Yang’s old man asked again.

“Sold some, and ate some myself on the mountain,” Lin Heng replied with a smile. “But I’m not talking about this right now. I need to go to the village committee for some business.”

“If you need to see the village party secretary or the village head, they’re both at home now, just got back,” Liu Sanye said.

“Thanks.”

Lin Heng nodded and thanked him, then headed toward the village party secretary’s house.

“Thanks!” Xiaoxia followed Lin Heng’s example and waved her hand with a smile.

“Hey, this little girl really knows how to be polite,” Liu Sanye chuckled.

Soon, Lin Heng arrived at Tian Dongfu’s house, which was easy to find because there was a large bamboo forest on the northwest side of the house.

The house and courtyard were built with old-style green bricks and tiles, using lime as the binder instead of cement.

It was a two-story building with a small courtyard, and outside the courtyard, there was another large courtyard connected to the bamboo forest.

The small courtyard was paved with green bricks, and the large courtyard was paved with stone slabs.

When Lin Heng walked over with Xiaoxia in his arms, Tian Dongfu’s wife, Wang Qin, was washing clothes in the shade of the bamboo grove.

“Aunt Wang, have you had lunch?” Lin Heng smiled and greeted her.

“Just finished eating, and now I’m washing clothes. Lin Heng, have you eaten?” Wang Qin glanced at Lin Heng and asked with a smile.

“I’ve eaten already. Aunt Wang, you can try using this to wash clothes.” Lin Heng smiled and handed her the osmanthus soap.

“This is soap? I can’t take it, take it back.” Wang Qin looked at it and handed it back. Although she wanted to accept it, her husband had strictly forbidden her and had scolded her many times about it.

“It’s homemade by Xiulan. She wants to trade for a shoe sample, not a gift. She lost her shoe sample,” Lin Heng placed the soap on the ground and smiled.

“Is that so? Well, I suppose that’s okay.” Wang Qin hesitated.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s like buying it,” Lin Heng shrugged and said with a smile.

Wang Qin was a rural woman who liked to take advantage of small opportunities, and Lin Heng knew how to get her to accept it.

“Alright, I’ll bring out all my treasured shoe samples for you to choose from,” Wang Qin said with a smile on her face.

“Let’s talk later. I need to find Uncle Tian. I have something to discuss with him,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“He’s upstairs listening to the radio. He listens to it every day. You can go up yourself; there’s no one else at home,” Wang Qin said with a smile.

“Alright.”

Lin Heng entered the small courtyard, which had some flowers and plants, along with a stone table that had a chessboard carved on it.

Upon entering the main room, the first thing that caught his eye was a large portrait of a founding hero.

The room was simply decorated and kept tidy, much like his own house, except that their house was a bit better built.

There was a wooden staircase around the corner, and the sound of news broadcasts could be heard coming from upstairs.

Lin Heng carried Xiaoxia upstairs, where the staircase directly led to Tian Dongfu’s study.

Tian Dongfu had already noticed Lin Heng’s arrival through the gauze window.

He immediately turned off the radio, stood up, opened the door, and greeted warmly, “Lin Heng, what brings you here? I was about to go look for you; you’ve been gone for days.”

Lin Heng was taken aback by the warm reception. Tian Dongfu was being overly polite. He quickly replied, “Uncle Tian, you’re too kind. Just let me know if you need anything.”

“You don’t know, I nearly lost my life recently. Luckily, I remembered your reminder that day, and when I went to pick vegetables on the 28th, I wore a pair of rain boots.

At that time, a cobra bit onto my rain boot. If I hadn’t worn it, it would have been terrible. Your reminder really saved my life.”

Tian Dongfu poured Lin Heng a cup of tea while speaking excitedly.

“The cobra is a type of snake, though I’m not sure of its exact name. It has a yellowish body that blends in, but its venom isn’t too strong.”

“Haha, Uncle Tian, you’re exaggerating. I was just casually reminding you. It can’t be considered a life-saving favor,” Lin Heng waved his hand and said.

He was a bit surprised; Tian Dongfu really had been bitten by a snake. What bad luck.

“Don’t say that. Without your reminder, I probably wouldn’t have thought to wear the rain boots,” Tian Dongfu shook his head.

After a brief pause, Tian Dongfu continued, “Since you’re back, why don’t you come over to my house for dinner this afternoon? Bring your wife Xiulan and your daughter. I want to thank you properly.”

“Really no need, Uncle Tian. You’re too kind,” Lin Heng said helplessly.

“This is settled then. If you don’t come, you’ll be disrespecting me,” Tian Dongfu waved his hand, not giving Lin Heng a chance to refuse.

“I definitely don’t mean that. Since Uncle Tian insists, I’ll bring my family over this afternoon to disturb you,” Lin Heng quickly replied.

“That’s more like it. It’s just a meal, nothing more,” Tian Dongfu smiled.

Lin Heng nodded, looked at his daughter, and then said, “Uncle Tian, I actually came for another matter.”

“Oh? What is it?” Tian Dongfu asked while sipping his tea, now speaking with a more relaxed tone.

Lin Heng took a deep breath and spoke, “I’m planning to dig a fish pond to raise fish. The land I’m using is from my own wheat field at the foot of Hongfeng Mountain. I came to report it and see if I need to go through any formalities.”

“Such matters are no problem,” Tian Dongfu exhaled, smiling, “For now, just pay the taxes as if it were agricultural land.”

After a sip of tea, he asked, “Raising fish isn’t easy. Do you have any experience?”

“I’ve read some books and seen some people raise fish in the city. I’m just going to give it a try. After all, we can’t always grow crops. And nowadays, if you can raise fish, making money shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lin Heng smiled.

“I like your thinking. If money is an issue, I can help you get a loan from the village bank,” Tian Dongfu praised Lin Heng, noting that not many people had this foresight.

He had also been thinking about leading the village in planting economic crops or starting some sort of livestock business, but he lacked experience and hadn’t figured out the best approach. He hadn’t made up his mind yet.

Now that someone else was taking the lead, he could offer help and learn from it.

If Lin Heng succeeded, he could use him as an example and promote the project throughout the village.

If Lin Heng failed, he could learn from the mistakes and try something else.

Tian Dongfu quickly came to these conclusions.

“Not yet. If I need anything, I’ll ask you for help, Uncle Tian,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Tian Dongfu nodded and asked, “Have you ever thought about planting fruit trees instead of raising fish?”

“I have, but it depends on the situation. Right now, I don’t have enough money for that,” Lin Heng replied. Actually, the growth cycle for fruit trees was too long, so he wasn’t that interested.

They chatted for a while longer before Lin Heng left.

He understood Tian Dongfu’s desire to help the village prosper, but he chose not to offer advice.

He didn’t have the broad vision that Tian Dongfu had. He wanted to wait until he had more capital before leading the village to prosperity and expanding the industry.

Right now, he was still in the phase of accumulating original capital and didn’t want to reveal his path just yet.

“Lin Heng, here are the shoe samples you asked for.” When Lin Heng reached the bottom of the stairs, Wang Qin handed him a book with shoe samples tucked inside.

These are the shoe patterns used by rural women to make cloth shoes. As long as you cut according to the patterns, it won’t go wrong.

“Thank you, Aunt Wang,” Lin Heng said, taking two patterns and leaving.

The shoe patterns aren’t worth anything, but by making Aunt Wang happy, she will speak up for you in the future and pass on any important news.

On his way back, Lin Heng greeted a group of people. Some exchanged pleasantries, while others inquired about his harvest from yesterday.

Even if there was jealousy or resentment, no one would openly show it.

Lin Heng, holding his daughter, arrived at his father’s house. His father was eating inside. For lunch, they had cornmeal fish, which rural people love in the summer.

“Do you want some? It’s sour cabbage cornmeal fish, very good,” Lin Heng’s father said, smiling.

“I want some!” Xiaoxia stretched out her hand and said crisply.

“Here, let your aunt feed you,” Caiyun said as she walked over with a bowl.

Lin Heng put his daughter down and let Caiyun feed her. He shook his head and said, “I’m not eating. I came here for you to find someone to pick a date. I’m planning to dig a fish pond.”

His father glanced at him and, knowing he couldn’t stop him, simply shrugged and said, “Alright then, I’ll ask Li Shifang from the village to pick a date for you this afternoon.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Lin Heng nodded, then asked, “Has anyone come to buy the wild boar piglets today?”

“No, the people in the village aren’t interested. I’ll keep raising them for now. Let’s see if anyone from outside the village is interested. It doesn’t cost much, just feeding them some grass instead of grain,” his father replied, shaking his head.

Lin Heng had guessed as much and also guessed that his father wouldn’t want to eat them, but would raise them.

His mother looked at him, “What about your wild boar piglet?”

“The one I have got an infection in the wound, it probably won’t survive. I’m planning to slaughter it in a couple of days and invite everyone to eat roasted suckling pig,” Lin Heng said with a smile. He wanted his family to taste real delicacies—golden crispy roasted suckling pig.

“That’s too bad. If it can’t be saved, better slaughter it quickly before it gets too thin,” his mother said with some regret.

After chatting for a while, when Xiaoxia had finished eating, Lin Heng took her back home.

“Did everything go well?” Xiu Lan asked when she saw Lin Heng return.

She had already prepared lunch on the table.

“It went well. No issues. And Party Secretary Tian insisted we go to his house for dinner tonight,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Xiu Lan looked puzzled, “Why?”

Lin Heng explained what had happened, and Xiu Lan immediately understood, laughing, “You’re really lucky to have this happen.”

“But we can’t go empty-handed. I saved some pork belly for tonight’s dinner. Let’s bring that over.”

“Sure,” Lin Heng nodded, took a sip of water, and sat down.

“Hurry up and eat. It’s cold noodles for lunch, with shredded cucumber salad and your pickled bamboo shoots.”

Xiu Lan continued. She was waiting for Lin Heng to come home to eat.

“Alright,” Lin Heng nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began eating. Although he had just had rice, he was a bit hungry.

The shredded cucumber and pickled bamboo shoots were very appetizing, and after two bites, he wanted to eat the noodles.

“I’ll eat the cucumber,” Xiaoxia said crisply, opening her little mouth, waiting to be fed.

Lin Heng and Xiu Lan each took turns feeding her.

“Xiu Lan, this cucumber salad you made, you added sugar for seasoning? You’re really good at this.”

Lin Heng commented. With that little bit of sugar, the flavor and texture of the cucumber completely changed.

It wasn’t as sour and spicy as it used to be. It became just right, with a slight sweetness that balanced the sour and spicy flavors, making it crispy and refreshing.

“I actually accidentally poured in some sugar water, but it turned out really good,” Xiu Lan said with a smile. She didn’t expect it to turn out like this. It was purely by chance.

“It’s so good! Let’s make it like this from now on,” Lin Heng praised. He was wondering how his wife suddenly became so skillful.

After lunch, Lin Heng lay down on the bed for a nap for half an hour. It felt wonderful to sleep after being well-fed.

After waking up, Lin Heng stretched and sat up.

He walked out of the bedroom. Xiaoxia was playing with a cat under the eaves in the backyard.

The wind made the wind chimes ring. The little golden cat was lazily lying on the ground, and Xiaoxia was gently stroking its belly. The cat didn’t resist and seemed to enjoy it.

When it noticed Lin Heng coming out, it immediately flipped over, its eyes alert, looking at Lin Heng. But since Xiaoxia was nearby, it didn’t hiss.

“Dad, pet the kitty!” Xiaoxia said happily when she saw Lin Heng, inviting him to pet the cat.

“Xiaoxia, why don’t you give it a name?” Lin Heng smiled and said.

“A name?” Xiaoxia tilted her head, not quite understanding.

She was still too young to name the cat, it was a bit of a challenge for her.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Heng said, “How about calling it Jinbao? It suits it.”

The “gold” in the name matches its red fur, and Jinbao sounds like “Jinbao,” which implies prosperity and wealth.

“Jinbao!” Xiaoxia blinked, reaching out to pet the cat.

“Meow!” The little golden cat meowed, as if responding to Xiaoxia.

However, this Qinling golden cat didn’t meow very well. Its voice was rough and a bit frightening, but Xiaoxia seemed to have already gotten used to it.

Looking at his daughter, Lin Heng turned and went into the living room. Xiu Lan was weaving a straw hat. She didn’t like taking naps, because if she slept in the afternoon, she couldn’t sleep at night.

Lin Heng, on the other hand, had been accustomed to napping since his elders had done it.

“Is the daughter still playing with the cat?” Xiu Lan asked when she saw him.

“Yes, still playing with the cat,” Lin Heng said with a smile. He planned to take the little golden cat and Xiong Ba to the city to get them vaccinated for pets when he had time.

In this era, cities already had vaccines for cats and dogs.

After vaccination, they wouldn’t get sick, and Lin Heng wouldn’t have to worry about them biting people.

Or, he could wait until the New Year and take the family to get rabies shots together. Rabies is still a terrifying disease, and there are many wild dogs in the countryside.

While talking, Lin Heng took out the sandpaper that the carpenter had left over and began polishing the wooden bowls he had made on the mountain.

The Paulownia wood doesn’t crack when it gets wet, and once polished, these wooden bowls and basins could last for generations. Even after people are gone, they would still be there.

Manual polishing takes a lot of effort, but without electric tools, he had to do it slowly.

Before he knew it, it was already past three o’clock. Xiu Lan finished weaving the straw hat and went out to pick some vegetables. The pretty ones were for eating, and the ugly ones were given to the wild boar piglets.

Xiong Ba, following Xiu Lan, also got a cucumber. Lin Heng thought it would nibble a bit and spit it out, but to his surprise, it ate the entire cucumber, and then asked for another.

Around four o’clock, Lin Heng finally finished polishing five wooden basins. They were much smoother than before, without the rough wood fibers.

He cleaned the basins and put them down. Then he looked at the caged Chinese forest musk deer and wild boar piglets.

Both were quite timid. When they saw people coming, they shrank to the side. However, they had clearly eaten the food that was thrown in.

“Knock knock knock!!”

Just as Lin Heng was about to discuss making roasted suckling pig with his wife, someone knocked on the big gate.

“Who is it?”

Lin Heng walked over and opened the gate. Two men were standing outside, holding large bags. They both looked to be in their fifties, but Lin Heng didn’t recognize them.

“I heard you’re buying mulberry mushrooms. The price is a dime more than in the town?” said one of the taller, thinner men.

“Yes, uncle. I buy mulberry mushrooms for 30 cents a jin,” Lin Heng smiled and opened the gate for them.

“Alright then. We’re selling two bags of mulberry mushrooms, about a hundred and something jins in total.”

The two men walked into the yard, talking while carrying the bags.

They had been storing these mulberry mushrooms for a long time, but the price had suddenly dropped. They hadn’t wanted to sell, but hearing that the price might drop further, they decided to bring them to Lin Heng.

“I’ll buy as much as you have,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

He turned around, took out the scale, and weighed the mushrooms—one bag was 53 jins, and the other was 52 jins.

After weighing, he dumped the mushrooms on the ground to inspect them.

As expected, there were a lot of other tree mushrooms mixed in, and some of them were wet.

Lin Heng carefully picked them out, and there were ten jins of other tree mushrooms, plus ten jins of wet mulberry mushrooms.

“This won’t work,” Lin Heng said to the two men.

“We didn’t notice, sorry,” they feigned innocence.

Lin Heng wasn’t a philanthropist, so he paid them according to the adjusted prices. In the end, he gave them 27.5 cents.

The two men didn’t say anything and just took the money and left. They were lucky to sell them for 30 cents.

Lin Heng looked at the mulberry mushrooms in the room with satisfaction. He now had 1,400 jins of mulberry mushrooms. Once the price went up, he could sell them for at least 4-5 thousand.

Lately, more and more people had been coming to sell mulberry mushrooms, which was great. It was already early August, and the price increase was very near.

The more he collected now, the more he would earn later.

(End of chapter)

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