Chapter 157: Spending Money Like Water, the Season of Colorful Forests Has Arrived

“Lin, come with me. Someone sent you something,” Wang Zhou said, leading Lin Heng toward the backyard.

Lin Heng paused, curious. “Who is it? What did they send?”

“It’s the uncle who sold you your horse, Hongzao. He came to the market last time and said his old father didn’t make it through that difficult time and passed away. He wanted to thank you and sent you this,” Wang Zhou said as they reached the backyard, pointing to the basin.

“Chinese giant salamander!” Lin Heng was surprised. Inside the wooden tub was a salamander weighing two or three jin (around one to one and a half kilograms). It flicked its tail nervously upon seeing people.

“Yeah, if you didn’t come down, I was thinking of delivering it to you myself. I was worried it might die and I wouldn’t be able to explain it,” Wang Zhou said with a helpless shrug.

“Don’t worry, this thing isn’t that easy to kill,” Lin Heng smiled.

He looked at the salamander in the basin with some emotion. “Didn’t expect that guy to be so grateful.”

In this era, these salamanders were all wild and quite expensive. Receiving one as a gift was really thoughtful.

Back then, he had paid the uncle an extra fifty yuan just for the sake of reputation and making business easier—he never cared if it would be returned.

This was a pleasant surprise.

A few years ago, these creatures were still common in the mountain streams, but in the past two years, they’ve become rare. He hadn’t even seen one this year.

Starting in ’88, they’ll be protected by law, and catching wild ones will be illegal.

Raising giant salamanders was also a lucrative business. In his previous life, he had researched the related technology but had started too late to make money, so he gave up.

In a few years, once he has capital, he can set up the first salamander farm and sell juveniles to others, making a fortune off the dividends.

“True, most people would have sold it right away. That uncle really is a good man,” Wang Zhou nodded.

“That’s it?” Lin Heng asked, thinking something serious had happened.

“Yeah, just that,” Wang Zhou smiled.

“Next time be more careful. Even if it dies, I won’t make you pay. Don’t scare me like that,” Lin Heng said, patting his shoulder with a smile.

“Okay, Lin,” Wang Zhou nodded.

After talking with him, Lin Heng checked the storage room, which was stacked with many shelves of mulberry yellow fungus and turmeric—goods he purposely kept instead of selling.

Because next year the prices for these two items will still rise, though only by about one yuan, it’s enough for a small profit.

Of course, he wasn’t holding out entirely; he sold about one-tenth each time, keeping nine-tenths.

This was also to avoid suspicion from the city side—his way of covering tracks.

After a glance, he reviewed the accounts, then packed the salamander into a bag and left.

Next, he went to the town’s only sand and stone supplier. Unlike the local cement dealers, the sand pit was state-owned.

Prices were fixed: seven yuan per cubic meter of sand, five yuan for gravel. If delivered to Hongfeng Village, an extra three yuan per cubic meter for transport.

Actually, Lin Heng could have had someone secretly dig sand from the Shiban River like many others, but then he’d have to pay and manage labor, so he bought ten cubic meters each of sand and gravel directly.

But they couldn’t load the materials immediately—he had to wait until early next morning.

He signed the contract, paid the deposit, and headed to the cement seller, then drove the tractor back.

By the time he reached Red Maple Mountain, it was past eleven. The workers leveling the site paused, curious about the tractor’s rumble.

“What’s he buying?” someone asked.

“Cement, to build the factory and stone embankments,” Lin’s father answered; Lin Heng had told him about it.

“Building a brick house?”

The workers were surprised.

“You all live in mud houses, but now you’re building a brick one for the fish pond?”

“That’s too expensive, not worth it.”

They didn’t understand and wondered what was going on. If you have money, why not just build yourself a brick house?

“It’s all the same when you live in it,” Lin’s father smiled.

Anyway, a brick house won’t break down, so it’s never a loss.

“Everyone keep working. I’ll go help,” Lin’s father said, walking to the roadside.

The road from the highway to Red Maple Mountain was originally narrow, but last time when digging the fish pond, Lin Heng had widened it with extra earth, making it accessible to the tractor.

Lin Heng rode his horse, leading the tractor down to the site.

“Here it is,” Lin Heng said.

“Okay,” nodded the two men on the tractor—they were to unload the materials here.

“Dad, go get some wood. We need to prop up the cement so rainwater won’t ruin it,” Lin Heng told his father.

“Okay,” Lin’s father turned to find someone to bring wood.

After the wood was brought and set up, the cement carriers laid down a large waterproof tarp and began unloading.

The tarp was originally supposed to be purchased, but because Lin Heng bought so much cement, the supplier gave it for free.

Lin’s father and older brother wanted to help, but Lin Heng stopped them, saying carrying cement was bad for their health.

“When will the bricks arrive? And what about the sand and gravel?” Lin’s father asked.

“Tomorrow morning. They’re delivering sand to other places today,” Lin Heng shrugged.

“No rush anyway, not much work can be done today,” Lin Yue smiled.

“Right, not much work. You guys keep an eye on things. I’m taking the salamander home to raise it—don’t want it dying on me,” Lin Heng said, holding the bag.

“A giant salamander! Did you buy it or catch it?”

Lin’s father was surprised and came over to see the salamander, followed by Lin Yue.

“No, it was a gift,” Lin Heng explained the whole story.

Both were a bit amazed; people so grateful and thoughtful were rare.

“Planning to eat it?” Lin Yue asked.

“For now, I’ll raise it. Not planning to eat it,” Lin Heng shook his head. If he wanted to eat it, he wouldn’t have packed it carefully in water to bring back.

“These things are highly nourishing. Better to raise it first. The Ban River population is almost extinct these past two years,” Lin’s father nodded.

Lin Heng rode his horse home. Xiulan was at home taking care of the child, and when she saw him come back holding the giant salamander, she was curious.

Xiaoxia, however, was terrified and hid behind Xiulan, too scared to look.

Lin Heng looked at his wife and asked, “Do you want to eat it? If you do, I’ll kill it and stew it for you right away.”

Xiulan shook her head. “There’s plenty of meat at home lately. Let’s just raise it for now. We can eat it when we run out of meat.”

“Alright, then we’ll keep it.”

Lin Heng nodded and went to the backyard, tossing the salamander into the fish pond so it could live with the grass turtles and grass carp fry and the stream’s rock bass.

He also built it a hiding spot out of stones near the stream channel. Both the fish pond and the stream area were surrounded by large rocks over half a meter high, so there was no way the salamander could escape.

Even if it got out, it wouldn’t be able to get out of the yard.

“Here’s some water for you, drink up.”

Lin Heng went inside, and Xiulan brought him a cup of cooled black tea.

“Didn’t you drink the brown sugar water?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

“No, but I made brown sugar lotus seed and Hongzao porridge. Xiaoxia and I ate some, and I saved a bit for you,” Xiulan smiled.

“I also bought some pears from town. Want me to make you brown sugar snow pear?” Lin Heng asked again.

“Daddy, I want candy~” Xiaoxia perked up as soon as she heard the word “candy” and ran over to hug him, acting cute.

“Just one piece,” Lin Heng said, handing her a Big White Rabbit milk candy.

“Then cook me some at noon,” Xiulan said thoughtfully—she quite wanted it.

“Okay,” Lin Heng nodded, took a sip of tea, chatted briefly with Xiulan, then rode off to Red Maple Mountain.

This time, he came to call the workers off; none of them wore watches and had no idea what time it was.

Lin’s father had wanted to call Lin Heng’s third uncle and Lin Hai home for lunch, but they didn’t come.

In the end, only Li Baiquan and Li Shiwei returned to the old house, where Lin’s mother had prepared a meal.

Lin Heng brought Xiulan and Xiaoxia directly to eat there, not bothering with formalities. After the meal, he went home and made Xiulan a stew of rock sugar and snow pear.

“Try some,” Xiulan said after taking a bite, offering Lin Heng a piece of pear from her bowl.

Lin Heng shook his head. “You eat it. If I want some, I’ll just grab a pear and bite into it.”

Xiulan blinked, puffed out her cheeks, and stared at him: “What’s wrong? Don’t you want it because I already ate some?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll eat,” Lin Heng said helplessly as she fed him a bite. It was mainly because it was a bit too sweet.

Satisfied, Xiulan nodded and fed some to their daughter as well.

After eating, Lin Heng read them a story for a while, then left for the construction site around 1:30 p.m.

The afternoon work went on much the same—four more trips delivering cement, with the rest scheduled for the next day.

“Do you all know how to mix cement?” Lin Heng asked the six men building the stone embankments.

“Not really,” they smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Cement one part, sand two parts, gravel three parts, then add water and mix,” Lin Heng explained, then took them to the creek to dig some sand and gravel and taught them how to mix it with cement.

They found the cement quality was poor, so Lin Heng told them to increase the cement proportion to ensure effectiveness.

Once mixed, they carried it in small buckets to build the embankments. Lin Heng also showed them how to use cement to build stone embankments.

The three fish ponds running down the mountain varied in height, so they needed stone embankments to hold back the soil. But embankments made only from piled stones wouldn’t be strong enough—they had to be made from concrete for sufficient strength.

They dug foundations about 50 centimeters deep and carefully stacked large stones—heavy enough to require two people to lift—using cement as mortar.

The work was tough, but luckily they only needed to build embankments two or three meters high.

The next day, the gravel and sand began arriving gradually, which made the work much easier.

By the fourth day, all the materials had been delivered, and Lin Heng went to town to settle the payment: 1,350 yuan for cement, 180 yuan for sand and gravel, totaling 1,530 yuan.

After paying this, Lin Heng’s cash on hand dropped to just 7,500 yuan. Building fish ponds really was like throwing money away.

On top of that, red bricks and tiles were still being transported here, and when they all arrived, he’d owe the brick factory owner nearly 1,000 yuan.

“Still gotta keep working hard to make money from the mountain,” Lin Heng sighed.

Early on October 29, Lin Heng arrived at the site. The first row—the grass carp pond on the west side—was completely leveled, and the stone embankments were nearly finished.

“Lin Heng, our work speed isn’t bad, right?” his third uncle Lin Xutao asked with a smile.

“Yeah, definitely,” Lin Heng smiled and nodded. The speed was much faster than he expected.

Farmers were like that—as long as the money was there, they’d get the job done.

“But your cost is really high, right? Just these materials must have cost a lot,” Li Shiwei asked curiously.

Lin Heng grinned broadly. “Not just high, it’s huge. When the red bricks and tiles arrive, I’ll have spent almost 5,000 yuan.”

“God!!”

“Five thousand!!”

The workers all gasped. That amount was unimaginable to them, let alone spending it like Lin Heng.

Lin Hai sighed. “Investing so much just to dig a fish pond—and you haven’t even started raising fish or shrimp yet.”

Lin Heng shook his head with a smile. “If you were just digging a pond, it wouldn’t cost this much. My scale is bigger, and I have to build several houses. It’s definitely different.”

But now that all the materials were gathered, the major expenses were done. The biggest remaining cost was paying the workers.

“If we had that much money, we definitely wouldn’t dare spend it so recklessly,” Li Baiquan shook his head. Lin Heng’s spending was shocking to farmers who earned only one or two hundred a year.

“Everyone keep working. Help dig the foundation and build the stone embankments for the second pond,” Lin Heng said with a smile, ending the discussion.

After organizing the work, he slipped away again.

This time, he didn’t go to the city but took money to Liu Ciwen’s house. He heard Liu’s family had lost a calf, so he went to buy some beef to help them out.

Before he even reached the house, he saw Liu Cihua grazing cattle on the hillside and walked over with a smile.

“I’m here to buy beef. Is your dad home?” Lin Heng called out.

Liu Cihua glanced at Lin Heng and nodded. “He’s at home, probably in the vegetable garden behind the house.”

“I got it.”

Lin Heng nodded and then asked, “By the way, can I ask you something? Do you have someone you like right now?”

“Ah!” Liu Cihua was startled and immediately lowered her head, shy.

“Do you or don’t you?” Lin Heng smiled.

She looked down at her feet and shook her head. “Why… why do you want to know?”

“To set you up. Looks like you don’t have anyone, so next time I’ll bring someone over to meet you.”

Lin Heng smiled as he said this and walked toward her house, while Liu Cihua stood there frozen, unsure if she was scared or daydreaming.

Her father, Liu Haizhou, though a bit senile and hard of hearing, was still sensible. When Lin Heng told him he wanted to buy beef, he quickly understood and led Lin Heng inside.

Inside, dozens of beef cuts hung from hooks. The fallen calf must have been quite large, probably weighing over a hundred kilograms.

“I’ll take this beef hind leg,” Lin Heng said, pointing to the whole, uncut hind leg.

They weighed the meat—it was just over 35 jin (about 17.5 kg).

“How much?” Lin Heng asked loudly, lowering his voice to make sure Liu Haizhou could hear.

“How much do you think is fair?” Liu Haizhou smiled honestly, not quite sure about prices.

“One yuan per jin, that’s the standard,” Lin Heng said, pulling out 35 yuan and handing it over.

Liu Haizhou counted it and carefully put the money in the pocket over his heart, smiling warmly. “Thanks, come inside and have some water.”

“No, thanks. I’ve got work to do. I’ll be going now,” Lin Heng waved and left.

On the way back, Lin Heng said to Liu Cihua, “I bought 35 jin of beef, paid your dad one yuan per jin. Tell Liu Ciwen for me.”

“Okay,” Liu Cihua nodded quietly.

Carrying the beef, Lin Heng returned home. Xiulan, seeing how much meat he brought, couldn’t help but sigh. “I told you to buy less. This must be thirty or forty jin.”

“Not much. The day after tomorrow we’re going to Red Maple Mountain for a barbecue. This probably won’t be enough,” Lin Heng laughed.

He planned to give everyone a couple of days off soon, then come back after a rest. Even his own family needed some time to relax.

At this time, the leaves were all turning yellow and red. Looking up, the banks of the river in Hongfeng Village were ablaze with red and yellow trees, especially maples—that’s how the village got its name. The maples were numerous, making autumn there stunningly beautiful.

The most dazzling tree had to be the ginkgo in the village center. Its golden, fan-shaped leaves were incomparable.

If you asked where the best scenery was, it was undoubtedly Red Maple Mountain—a kaleidoscope of reds and yellows, like a fairyland untouched by the world.

“Is everyone going?” Xiulan asked, curious.

Lin Heng shook his head with a smile. “No, I told my parents. They’ll stay home to host third uncle, my aunt’s husband, and the others. The younger generation—our age—will go to Red Maple Mountain for the barbecue.

It’s not fun when both generations hang out together, better to split up. We’ll all get together again in a few days, just our family.”

Since the barbecue definitely needed other people too, it made sense to have a young people’s gathering first.

Luckily, the next two days were Sundays, and Caiyun didn’t have school, so she could come join the meal.

“That works. I’ll get some things ready today, and tomorrow morning we’ll bring them over,” Xiulan nodded.

“You prepare first. We’ll do the barbecue the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll go fish frying,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll start preparing,” Xiulan agreed.

“I’m off then,” Lin Heng nodded and turned toward Red Maple Mountain.

Xiulan watched Lin Heng’s figure disappear, exhaled, puckered her lips, and turned to process the beef.

Lin Heng walked on, wearing a double-layered jacket that fit just right. This was northern land with high elevation, so it got cold quickly.

At the village center’s ginkgo tree, he looked up. The golden leaves hung thick on the branches, shimmering in the autumn breeze. Occasionally, a few leaves drifted down like a gentle rain of time.

Lin Heng bent down to gather ginkgo leaves, just like some nearby children.

“What are you collecting those leaves for?” Old Liu San asked curiously.

Lin Heng smiled faintly. “Nothing much, just playing around.”

“You young folks are always strange,” Liu San shook his head and went back inside. With the seasonal change, his old arthritis was acting up again; he needed to warm himself by the fire.

After collecting a pile of ginkgo leaves, Lin Heng headed to Red Maple Mountain. Along the mountain path, red and yellow leaves carpeted both sides, like stepping into a magical realm.

Crossing a creek, he reached the cabin. The ground was already covered with red maple leaves, soft underfoot.

Walking among the maples, leaves drifted gently from all directions. The cabin blended harmoniously into the autumn scenery.

Lin Heng opened the door. They had already moved many supplies inside—pots, pans, charcoal, and such—all things they brought each time they came. The cooking stove was ready, and to prevent fires, the area around it was shielded from the wind.

After working for a bit and soaking in the beautiful autumn forest, Lin Heng called everyone down for lunch and told them to disperse and eat at home.

On the way back, Lin Heng smiled at his aunt’s husband and Li Shiwei. “I’m planning to take the next two days off. We’ll go fish frying at Huangtan River.”

Li Shiwei laughed. “Great, I was wondering when we’d get to go.”

“Yeah, it can’t be too late,” Li Baiquan nodded in agreement.

“Dad, big brother, you should come too. I’ll take you fishing,” Lin Heng asked.

Lin’s father shook his head. “I won’t go. I have other work to do. Let your brother go.”

“Then we’ll go. Next time we’ll go fishing with Dad,” Lin Yue said with a smile.

Lin Heng shrugged helplessly. That was how it was.

Back home, the Lin family ate lunch together, with green peppers stir-fried with beef. The taste was undeniable—any dish with beef this good would be delicious no matter how it was cooked.

“This calf’s meat tastes even better than the old cow’s,” Lin’s father said with appreciation.

“Of course! I bought plenty—everyone, eat up!” Lin Heng said with a smile.

After a brief pause, he continued, “Tomorrow we’ll fry a few big fish, and the day after, we’ll grill fish, beef, and pork together.”

“We’ll need a big grass carp for that. Tomorrow morning we’ll get up early and find two good spots to set big fish traps. Then in the afternoon, we’ll fry them all at once,” Li Shiwei said, laughing.

“Heh, as long as the traps are set right, catching a fifty- or sixty-jin fish isn’t impossible,” Li Baiquan chuckled.

The group laughed and chatted as they finished lunch, rested for over an hour, then headed back to Red Maple Mountain in the afternoon to work.

Lin Heng didn’t leave. After his wife packed everything into the basket, Lin Heng took his daughter, grabbed the supplies, and headed toward Red Maple Mountain.

“Didn’t you say we’d bring this stuff over the day after tomorrow? Why start today?” Xiulan looked at him helplessly.

Lin Heng smiled, “Today or the day after, it’s the same. I changed my mind.”

Xiulan shook her head. “I really can’t do anything with you!”

Reluctantly carrying her things, she went with Lin Heng into the forest at Red Maple Mountain. Xiulan stared around, stunned by the beautiful scenery.

It was breathtaking!

She never had time to appreciate it before, but now life was better, and noticing the scenery made her realize how stunning Red Maple Mountain truly was—especially with the slow, drifting rain of red maple leaves, which was utterly enchanting.

Xiaoxia was mesmerized too, stretching out her hand to catch the falling maple leaves. Her big eyes were full of curiosity; she still couldn’t quite understand why the leaves turned red and yellow at this time.

“Daddy, what’s this?” her little head full of questions.

“These are leaves turning yellow. In autumn, leaves turn red and yellow,” Lin Heng explained with a smile.

“What’s autumn?” Xiaoxia asked, curious.

…

After explaining all the way, they finally arrived at the cabin. Lin Heng set his daughter down and let her play picking up fallen maple leaves.

Then he took out the key, opened the door, and went inside with Xiulan to unpack.

“What’s in here?” Xiulan asked as she looked at a wooden basin covered on the table, removing the wooden lid.

“Heavens…!”

The moment she lifted the lid, Xiulan was stunned, unable to believe her eyes.

(End of chapter)