Chapter 183: Want to Buy a Motorcycle

Lin Heng grinned and said, “Just bought it not long ago. Uncle, are you heading to town to sell something?”

“Yeah, picked some wild hawthorn up in the mountains, bringing it down to sell.”

The old man nodded, then glanced at Hongzao, the horse Lin Heng was riding. “That horse of yours doesn’t look cheap. Struck it rich recently, huh?”

He clearly didn’t know that Lin Heng had already become a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household.

“It’s alright, not too expensive,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

They chatted casually as they made their way into town. Lin Heng dismounted and took a look at the old man’s hawthorn.

The quality was average. The size of the fruit varied, and some even had wormholes.

“How much are you selling these for?” Lin Heng asked.

The old man looked at him and said, “If you’re buying, I’ll give you a deal—twenty cents per jin.”

Lin Heng pointed at the sack. “I’ll take all of it. How many jin do you have in total?”

“All of it?” The old man was stunned, then added, “I’ve got twenty-two jin here. Don’t try to pull a fast one on me.”

Lin Heng chuckled and handed him four yuan and fifty cents. “Four yuan and forty cents, right? I’ll give you four-fifty. I’ll take the sack too.”

“You’re really buying it?” The old man was taken aback. This young man suddenly seemed flush with cash.

“Yep, really buying.”

Lin Heng picked up the hawthorn and walked off.

Someone nearby who recognized Lin Heng laughed and explained to the old man, “Of course he’s really buying. He was even honored at the town’s commendation ceremony. He’s the youngest Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household in all of Huangtan Town.”

The old man’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Lin Heng. “I heard someone from Red Maple Village became a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household. That’s you?!”

Lin Heng turned back with a smile and waved as he walked away.

The old man stood there dazed for a long while, unable to wrap his head around how Lin Heng had changed so much in just a few short months.

Though the weather was cold, the streets were still bustling on market day, full of stalls and people.

When Lin Heng reached the bridge, he spotted a meat vendor selling lamb and quickly made his way over.

“How much is the lamb?” Lin Heng asked the man behind the stall.

Seeing someone interested, the vendor grinned and said, “One yuan fifty per jin. Want some? Buy more and I’ll cut you a deal. This is from one of our own sheep—it broke its leg, so we had to butcher it.”

“What about the stomach? How much is that?” Lin Heng pointed to the hanging lamb stomach. That was the good stuff.

“Offal’s two yuan per jin, but if you buy, I’ll give it to you for one-eighty,” the vendor replied.

Lin Heng nodded. “Alright, I’ll take ten jin of lamb. I’ll also take the stomach, intestines, and kidneys.”

“That much?” The vendor was stunned. It wasn’t every day someone bought in bulk like this. He even started to wonder if Lin Heng actually had the money.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you right here. It’s not like I’m gonna run off.” Lin Heng spread his hands and smiled, trying to reassure him.

Even a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household wouldn’t normally splurge like this. Buying so much meat at once was hard to believe.

“Alright then.”

The vendor nodded, cut the meat, and weighed it. Ten jin of lamb came to 15 yuan, and twelve jin of offal came to 21.6 yuan.

Altogether, it was 36.6 yuan—more than most people’s monthly salary. No wonder the vendor was skeptical.

Most customers only bought half a jin or one jin at a time. Many couldn’t even afford meat regularly.

The vendor glanced at Lin Heng, then pointed to a lamb head. “How about this—add three yuan forty and I’ll throw in the rest of the head for free?”

“Sounds good. Come with me to the Procurement Station to get the money. I don’t have that much on me.” Lin Heng nodded. Four yuan for a lamb head seemed like a good deal to him.

The vendor blinked and asked, “Procurement Station? Wait… are you Boss Lin from the Procurement Station?”

Lin Heng laughed. “Unless something’s changed, that should be me.”

The vendor slapped his thigh and said, “I really didn’t recognize greatness when I saw it! I’ll throw in some extra lamb for you.”

He turned to get more meat. Though he hadn’t met Lin Heng before, he’d definitely heard of him. The newspapers had written about him—he was the pride of Huangtan Town.

“No need for that,” Lin Heng said, pulling him back and leading him to the Procurement Station to get the money.

“Thanks,” the vendor said with a smile, pocketing the cash and heading off.

Lin Heng went inside and found Old Man Gao. He cut off two jin of lamb and brought it over for him.

“Xiao Lin, you always bring something when you visit. This old man really can’t accept it,” Old Man Gao said with a smile and a shake of his head.

Lin Heng grinned. “It’s nothing valuable. Just some lamb to warm you up in the winter. If you really feel bad, just teach me a few more hunting tricks next time we go out.”

Old Man Gao chuckled and shook his head. “Can’t argue with you. Let’s eat together then. I haven’t had lunch yet.”

“Then I’ll make some old-school Beijing-style hotpot,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Sounds great,” Old Man Gao replied, nodding cheerfully.

Lin Heng went off to make sesame sauce first. Old Man Gao had sesame seeds at home, so he roasted them, then ground them in a stone mortar. In ten minutes, he had a bowl of sesame sauce ready.

The broth for Beijing-style hotpot was even simpler—two stalks of green onion, three red dates, a few slices of ginger, and a bit of dried shrimp.

He made two dipping sauces with the sesame paste, sliced the lamb, and they were ready to eat.

The lamb was fresh—just a quick dip in the broth and it was good to go.

Dipped in the sauce and popped into the mouth, the flavor of the lamb and the dipping sauce exploded together. Lin Heng’s sauce was spicy and tangy, with plenty of garlic. It was absolutely delicious.

Old Man Gao took a bite and praised it repeatedly. “Delicious! Xiao Lin, your sauce is amazing. It’s almost as good as the hotpot I had in Beijing.”

“You’ve been to Beijing, Old Man Gao?” Lin Heng asked, surprised and a little envious.

Old Man Gao looked at him, took another bite of lamb, and reminisced, “Of course. Went there after the war with some buddies.”

He’d always assumed Lin Heng knew his background, but now it seemed the kid had no clue.

“The war? You were in the military? Then I’ve got to toast you, sir. You defended our country.”

As he spoke, Lin Heng raised his glass in a toast. He truly admired those who had fought on the battlefield—they were the real heroes.

“Hahaha, it’s not as noble as you make it sound…”

Old Man Gao clinked glasses with Lin Heng, then started digging into the hot pot lamb while recounting his experience of crossing the Yalu River to fight the Americans.

Lin Heng listened with awe and admiration. “You’re incredible—truly a hero. Just hearing your story gets my blood pumping!”

Old Man Gao really was a man of honor. He could’ve easily revealed his identity and received a comfortable government arrangement for his retirement, but instead, he quietly chose to return home and live out his days without burdening the state.

What’s more, Lin Heng knew he wasn’t some lonely old man. His son held a high-ranking position in the military, and his nephew was a county official. If he wanted special treatment, it would take no time at all. That only made his humility even more admirable.

“Just keep this between us, alright? Don’t go blabbing about it. I don’t want to be disturbed,” Old Man Gao said, patting Lin Heng on the shoulder after they’d eaten their fill.

He truly liked Lin Heng, treating him like a grandson. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shared so much.

Lin Heng grinned. “Don’t worry, Old Man Gao. I won’t let a single word slip—not even to my wife.”

Old Man Gao nodded with a smile. “Good. Now let’s keep eating. Go get me some more sesame sauce.”

“On it!” Lin Heng laughed and got up, feeling like the old man had finally accepted him.

After their meal, both of them were stuffed. Lin Heng brought out some hawthorn and played a few rounds of Chinese chess with the old man.

Once Old Man Gao had his fill of fun, Lin Heng headed out for a stroll through the market.

By then, the market was winding down, and vendors were starting to pack up. Lin Heng wandered around, bought two kilos of pears and six kilos of tangerines, then stopped by to get new horseshoes for Hongzao. After that, he rode back home with his purchases.

“This weather—snow that won’t fall but won’t stop either. So annoying,” he muttered, pulling his scarf up over his face and adjusting his cotton hat. Thankfully, his wife had knitted him a scarf and gloves, which helped shield him from the biting wind.

Back home, Xiulan looked at all the things he brought back, curiosity written all over her face. “Weren’t you just checking the traps? You went into town too?”

“Yeah, I picked up some lamb while I was at it. Let’s have hot pot tonight. You handle these first—I need to warm up, it’s freezing out there,” Lin Heng said as he dashed inside.

“Then take our daughter inside with you. I’ll take care of the rest,” Xiulan nodded.

She thought he might’ve gone a little overboard with the shopping, but she didn’t blame him. It was all for their family—nothing wrong with that.

“Daddy, let me warm your hands,” said Xiao Xia, having picked up on his complaint about the cold. She wrapped her tiny hands around his big ones.

“You’re my little sweetheart,” Lin Heng laughed heartily. He added a couple of logs to the fireplace and scooped her into his arms.

After warming his hands for a bit, Xiao Xia tilted her head and cooed, “Daddy, candy~”

“Of course, here you go,” Lin Heng chuckled, handing her a piece.

He glanced at Xiong Ba, who was sprawled on the floor refusing to go outside, then stepped out of the bedroom. Xiao Xia followed him like a little shadow.

“The lamb head needs to be singed. I can’t do that part,” Xiulan said as she washed the lamb tripe and intestines.

“I got it,” Lin Heng nodded.

Preparing a lamb head meant charring it over fire until the skin was nearly blackened. He gathered some dry bamboo slats and built a fire. In no time, the lamb head was perfectly scorched and ready.

He handed it to Xiulan for further prep, then took a thin bamboo tube, shaved one end down to a fine edge, and used it to core the hawthorn fruit—just one push through the center and it was done.

Watching him work, Xiulan asked curiously, “What are you planning to make with all this hawthorn?”

“Some of it’s for hawthorn syrup, and the rest for hawthorn cakes,” Lin Heng replied as he worked.

He liked hawthorn cakes himself, but the syrup was mostly for Xiao Xia—it helped with digestion after meals.

“You really do spoil your daughter,” Xiulan said with a smile. She’d never seen a father dote on his child like this.

“Of course,” Lin Heng grinned.

He set aside eight kilos of hawthorn for syrup, and sliced the remaining twelve kilos to dry and grind into powder for the cakes.

By the time he finished slicing, the sky was already dark.

“Do we need the tripe for hot pot tonight? I’ve already cleaned it,” Xiulan asked.

“No need. Let’s save it for when we invite my parents over next time,” Lin Heng replied.

“Alright,” Xiulan nodded and went to slice the lamb.

Lin Heng lit the charcoal in the small clay stove on the table, placed a little iron pot on top, and added scallions, ginger, goji berries, red dates, and dried shrimp. Then he poured in cold water and brought it to a boil.

Xiulan prepared dipping sauces and lamb slices, along with cilantro, pea shoots, and baby greens.

Lin Heng took a bite and sighed, “I could eat this forever.”

Especially in winter, a mouthful of hot pot lamb warmed you from the inside out. Xiulan agreed wholeheartedly. “This is such a treat.”

To her, life couldn’t get any better than this.

“So yummy~” Xiao Xia nodded enthusiastically, even though they didn’t let her eat much meat—mostly vegetables for her.

“Try it with cilantro—it tastes even better,” Lin Heng said to his wife.

The lamb, paired with cilantro and dipped in a tangy sesame sauce, delivered a burst of flavors that danced on the tongue—rich, aromatic, and utterly addictive.

“This is amazing,” Xiulan said after trying it, instantly hooked.

The meal was full of flavor and satisfaction. Between the two of them, they polished off a kilo of lamb and plenty of vegetables.

After dinner, the three of them nibbled on some hawthorn, then spent an hour and a half in the bedroom playing and digesting before heading to bed.

The next morning, Lin Heng went to check on the lamb he’d hung outside the night before. As expected, it had frozen solid—perfect for slicing thin.

After his usual morning workout, he got back to making the hawthorn syrup.

It wasn’t complicated—just like making loquat syrup. He washed the hawthorn and dried tangerine peel, tossed them into a pot, and boiled them until the hawthorn turned mushy. By then, most of the nutrients had infused into the liquid.

Then he added rock sugar and simmered the mixture down until it thickened into a honey-like consistency. He poured it into sterilized blue-and-white porcelain jars with round bellies.

“Is it done? Let me try,” Xiulan said, walking over and scooping a spoonful to taste.

“How is it?” Lin Heng asked. “Eight kilos of hawthorn only made four kilos of syrup.”

“It’s sweet and tangy—really tasty. I bet Xiao Xia will love it,” Xiulan said with a wink, feeding their daughter a little bit.

Xiao Xia tasted it, and her eyes lit up. Like a little glutton, she clung to the edge of the table and said, “Yummy! Daddy, more!”

The sweet-and-sour flavor was an instant hit.

“Alright, I’ll mix some up for you.”

Lin Heng added a bit of water to the pot to get out the last of the contents and poured it into a bowl for Xiao Xia. He then stirred in some kudzu root powder. Xiao Xia sat happily on a small bench, spoon in hand, eating with delight.

For the first time in a while, the midday sun had come out. Lin Heng stepped into the courtyard to check on the hawthorn slices drying in the sun and glanced at the cured meat hanging nearby.

“What are Mom and Dad up to today?” he asked his wife.

“Dad and big brother are digging up lotus roots. Mom’s inside, hasn’t gone out,” Xiulan replied.

Lin Heng looked at her and suggested, “How about letting Mom watch Xiao Xia for a bit? You and I can go check the fish traps.”

“Sure,” Xiulan nodded.

“Great.”

After Xiao Xia finished eating, Lin Heng brought her to his mother and asked her to look after the child. Then he went to the back hill to fetch the horse, while Xiulan went home to grab a bag and took Xiong Ba along for a walk.

Out on the road, Lin Heng grinned and said, “Hop on.”

“Okay.”

Xiulan blinked playfully as Lin Heng helped her onto the horse first. Then he mounted behind her, reaching around her waist to take the reins.

“Giddy-up!”

With a shout, Hongzao started trotting. The ride was bumpy and not exactly comfortable, but it felt wonderful—especially when their bodies bumped together.

Lin Heng started thinking maybe he should buy a motorcycle. Riding one with Xiulan hugging him from behind would definitely be more thrilling than this. Plus, it’d be super convenient for trips into town. With a bike, they could go whenever they wanted, unlike relying on others.

“Ahh…”

Lin Heng rested his head on Xiulan’s shoulder and let out a sigh, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Xiulan squeezed his hand and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Heng smiled and said, “Nothing. Just thinking how good you smell.”

Life at home was comfortable, but he was planning to head deep into the mountains in a few days to hunt. Hopefully, he’d catch something worthwhile—enough to afford a motorcycle and save up a bit for next year’s shrimp farming. No need to tell Xiulan though; she’d just worry.

Xiulan pouted. “Sweet talker. You’re definitely hiding something.”

“Hyah!!”

Suddenly, Lin Heng urged the horse into a gallop. Xiulan shrieked and dove into his arms.

“Slow down, slow down!, slow down!”

She clung to him, frightened by the sudden speed.

“We’re here, my dear.”

Lin Heng pulled the reins and dismounted first, then helped Xiulan down.

Once on the ground, Xiulan shot him a glare. “Next time you go that fast, I’m not coming with you. My butt’s sore!”

“Alright,” Lin Heng said with a chuckle, nodding.

They walked to the river, leading the horse along. The river was wide here. They left the horse grazing by the fields and waded into the water to check the fish traps.

Lin Heng found the rope and started pulling. Soon, the trap surfaced, fish thrashing inside.

“There’s something in it!” Xiulan exclaimed with delight.

Lin Heng took a look and broke into a wide grin. “So many yellow catfish! This trap alone made the trip worth it.”

The trap was packed with yellow catfish of various sizes, a few of them golden in color and especially eye-catching.

Xiulan nodded. “These taste better than crucian carp and don’t have those annoying bones.”

Not only did Xiao Xia love them, she did too.

Lin Heng dumped the trap out on the riverbank. The yellow catfish were tricky to handle with their three sharp spines, often getting stuck in the trap. It took some effort to free them. He tossed the smaller ones back into the river and kept the bigger ones.

He counted—twenty yellow catfish, each weighing about two taels.

Then Lin Heng went to pull up the second trap. This one was a bit of a letdown—maybe the location was off. Only five or six yellow catfish, plus a few stream bass.

Xiulan didn’t mind. “We’re already ahead. That first trap alone gave us three or four jin.”

Lin Heng nodded and moved on to the third trap, which was set near a patch of water plants, farther from the other two.

At first, nothing seemed unusual. But just as the last two sections broke the surface—splash! A huge burst of water erupted.

“Whoa! A big catfish!”

Lin Heng froze, then lit up with excitement.

“How big?” Xiulan called out, jogging over.

Grinning, Lin Heng lifted the trap to show her. “Look! Three catfish in this one. The biggest is at least six or seven jin—thick as my forearm.”

“Nice! You really know where to set these traps,” Xiulan said, giving him a big thumbs-up.

“Let’s keep them all. We’ll toss them in our fish pond and eat them slowly,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Sounds good,” Xiulan agreed.

They dumped the fish into a bag—no need for water. Both catfish and yellow catfish can breathe air through their gills, so they wouldn’t die anytime soon.

They thought about resetting the traps, but an old man herding cattle appeared on the opposite bank, watching from afar. Lin Heng didn’t want to test the man’s honesty with traps that had taken them two days to make. He decided to pack up.

He carried the traps in his right hand, while Xiulan held the bag of fish in her left, her right hand clasped in Lin Heng’s as they walked uphill.

Back on the horse, they rode home at a leisurely pace, chatting along the way. The sun was still shining, and its warmth felt good on their backs.

Once home, they kept one catfish and five yellow catfish in a basin to stay fresh and tossed the rest into their fish pond.

The pond already had black fish, red carp, stream bass, a small turtle, and a hibernating giant salamander. The black fish were particularly aggressive, often attacking the stream bass, causing splashes and commotion in the water.

The catfish were also dominant but stayed at the bottom, so they didn’t clash with the black fish.

The poor stream bass had it the worst. Life in that pond was only going to get harder—they couldn’t stand up to any of the others.

“Come on, let’s go back inside,” Xiulan said once everything was settled.

They returned to the bedroom to warm up their hands and feet. Xiong Ba lay sprawled on the floor, too tired to move—he’d definitely had his fill of exercise today.

Once they were warm, they headed to the old house to pick up Xiao Xia.

It was just past one in the afternoon. Father Lin had already come back from digging lotus roots and was eating lunch. In the courtyard, there were forty to fifty jin of freshly dug lotus roots.

“Since you’re here, eat with us. I made enough for you too,” Mother Lin said.

Lin Heng nodded, then added, “Why don’t you come over to our place tonight for lamb hot pot? I bought a bunch of lamb yesterday.”

Mother Lin looked at him and asked, “Must’ve cost a lot. No need to eat fancy all the time.”

“Didn’t cost much,” Lin Heng shook his head. His mom was always like this—tight with money. Good thing they lived separately now and he didn’t have to listen to her “sermons” every day.

“Oh, just eat. If he runs out of money, he’ll stop,” Father Lin was more easygoing and agreed right away.

That afternoon, Xiulan boiled the lamb head, picked the meat off the bones, and used the bones to make a rich broth. In the evening, they invited the whole family over for a copper pot hot pot feast.

Lin Heng brought the lamb, while his older brother and parents brought a bunch of fresh vegetables. The whole family gathered around, happily enjoying the meal together.

“This lamb hotpot is amazing.”

“The lamb tripe’s delicious too…”

Laughter and warmth filled the room as they ate from five all the way past seven, polishing off every last dish.

Just as everyone was getting ready to wrap things up, snow began to fall outside without warning. It started as small pellets, but quickly turned into large, fluffy flakes.

“What a heavy snow,” Father Lin remarked. “At this rate, everything will be white by morning.”

Hearing that, Lin Heng stepped outside too. Watching the snow pour down from the sky, he couldn’t hide his excitement—snowfall meant it was finally time to head into the mountains.

(End of Chapter)