Chapter 75: Empty-handed? Not a chance!

“Look at these chicks’ rear ends. The rooster has a small genital protrusion, like a tiny fleshy bump, while the hen doesn’t have it. This method is most accurate when checking on the day they hatch. For chicks this size, you need to combine it with other characteristics for identification, because roosters might have underdeveloped reproductive organs, making it hard to tell.

The second method is to look at their physique. Roosters are heavier, with pointed and long beaks, thick legs, and round eyes. The most important distinguishing feature is that the rooster’s second and fourth toes are of different lengths, while the hen’s are the same length.

Usually, by this point, you can clearly distinguish between roosters and hens without needing a third method.”

Lin Heng’s words were calm and authoritative, delivered with strategic confidence.

The uncle, who had initially been reclining in his chair, sat up straight halfway through Lin Heng’s explanation, listening and observing attentively.

Xiulan’s face gradually showed admiration, and the two uncles who had been watching nearby also came over, picking up chicks to examine them closely.

“You know, if you hadn’t pointed it out, I would never have noticed it’s exactly as you said.” The uncle picked up a chick to verify, and his gaze toward Lin Heng changed—this was definitely an expert. No one could fabricate so many precise details, and every single one matched up perfectly.

“What about the third point?” Xiulan asked curiously.

“Yeah, what’s the third point?” The chick-selling uncle also grew curious, looking at Lin Heng with eager anticipation.

“That’s a trade secret.” Lin Heng smiled faintly and glanced at the uncle. “You can verify this method when you get back. Is it worth a chick to you?”

“Absolutely worth it! With this skill, I’ll have much more confidence buying chicks in the future. I’ll give you one big and one small chick. Could you tell me the third point too?”

The uncle nodded repeatedly, beaming at Lin Heng with delight.

“Alright, lean in close.” Lin Heng pulled him aside and quietly explained the third point.

When they returned, the uncle’s face was flushed with excitement, and he looked at Lin Heng in disbelief. “How do you know all this?”

“It’s in books.” Lin Heng smiled mysteriously. The truth was, in his previous life, he had worked at a large chicken farm to pay off debts.

Lin Heng picked the chicks one by one, explaining to his wife as he went: “First, look for the ones that are lively and have clear, crisp chirps. Then check their body temperature—normal chicks should feel warm, with smooth bodies and no lumps.”

“Husband, you’re amazing!” Xiulan was captivated by Lin Heng’s extensive knowledge. Who would have thought there were so many intricacies involved in selecting chicks?

“Young man, you’re impressive. I’ve learned my lesson. Do you smoke?”

Another uncle nearby offered Lin Heng a cigarette, looking thoroughly educated.

“Thanks.” Lin Heng accepted it and tucked it behind his ear. He didn’t smoke, but he could take it home for his father.

They selected the chicks according to Xiulan’s request—eight hens and four roosters.

Once they were done picking, the couple left with their chicks to look at other young animals.

“Husband, look! That uncle is copying you and asking for chicks from other sellers.” Xiulan tugged at Lin Heng’s sleeve, pointing at the uncle who had just given him the cigarette.

“Showing off is one of life’s little pleasures.” Lin Heng shook his head with a smile, but he thought the uncle had clearly chosen the wrong target. The chicken seller was an older woman who definitely wouldn’t entertain his antics.

Sure enough, the uncle soon stomped away in frustration.

“Would you like to buy two ducks?”

The duck-selling woman looked at the couple and asked.

“Should we buy them?” Lin Heng turned to Xiulan.

“How much are they?” Xiulan looked at the ducks on the ground, estimating they were about two months old.

“Fifty cents each. They’re two months old and very easy to raise.” The woman smiled warmly.

“Then let’s buy four.” Xiulan thought for a moment before turning to Lin Heng. “Are the methods for ducks the same?”

“Pretty much.” Lin Heng nodded.

“Then I’ll pick them.” Xiulan crouched down and began selecting.

In the end, they chose two drakes and two hens, while the duck seller watched curiously, wondering what she was looking for.

“Should we buy a piglet?” Xiulan asked, gazing at the little piglets by the riverbank.

“No, the game I hunt provides enough meat. If we want pork, we can buy some for the New Year. There’s no need to raise one now—we can consider it next year.”

Lin Heng shook his head. He didn’t want his wife to overwork herself. Chickens and ducks were manageable, but pigs ate a lot and required frequent foraging for feed.

“That makes sense.” Xiulan nodded after thinking it over.

“Then how about a lamb? We can tether it by the field, and it’ll graze on its own.” Xiulan pointed at the bleating lamb, extending her finger toward it.

“Let’s buy one then. Go ask how much it costs.” Lin Heng nodded, acquiescing to his wife’s wish.

“How much for this lamb?” Xiulan walked over and asked.

“Two-month-old lambs are ten yuan each; three-month-old ones are fifteen.” The lamb seller replied.

Piglets and lambs were relatively expensive, with prices ranging from ten to twenty yuan being normal, while calves could cost fifty to sixty yuan.

“Then we’ll take this two-month-old one.” Lin Heng pointed to the slightly larger one.

It was a ewe, white in color, of a local goat breed.

Crouching down for a closer look, Lin Heng immediately shook his head. “Let’s go. We’ll try another stall.”

The lamb seemed fine on the surface, but its conjunctiva was reddish, its eyelids pale, and it had excessive secretions—definitely not healthy.

“This lamb is perfectly fine! I can give you a discount if you buy it.” Seeing Lin Heng and his wife about to leave, the seller quickly tried to stop them.

But Lin Heng didn’t look back, nor did he expose the issue. He couldn’t be certain, and he had no desire to argue.

They moved to another stall, where an older woman was selling lambs. Her three-month-old ones were also fifteen yuan.

Lin Heng inspected the lamb, made it run a few laps, and noted its loud bleats. Finding no issues, he decisively took it. “Wife, please pay.”

Including the pots, pans, bowls, quilts, bedsheets, and other items they had bought earlier, they had spent a total of thirty-two yuan.

As he was leaving, Lin Heng noticed there were fish and shrimp by the riverside, so he quickly walked over.

“Uncle, are these freshwater shrimp caught from the river?” Lin Heng inquired.

He glanced at the two fish baskets—one contained shrimp about five to six centimeters long, while the other held several carp.

“Yes, I caught them just yesterday in the Huangtan River. Are you interested in buying?” the older man asked.

Lin Heng picked up a few shrimp to examine them and noticed they were all carrying eggs. This season was precisely when shrimp laid their eggs.

“How much are they?” Lin Heng asked.

“Two yuan per jin. These are quite difficult to catch, and everyone sells them at this price. I heard they sell for two and a half yuan in the city,” the man explained.

“Too expensive for me,” Lin Heng shook his head and walked away. In truth, he was surveying the shrimp situation in the Huangtan River.

He planned to dig a pond this winter and start shrimp farming next year. Shrimp could mature within a year, fetched a good price, and were an excellent short-term project for accumulating wealth.

The hardest part of shrimp farming was the high technical difficulty. Although profitable, ninety-nine percent of beginners ended up losing everything.

Shrimp had extremely high requirements for water quality and dissolved oxygen levels, not to mention the various diseases and natural predators. A single mistake could wipe out an entire pond of shrimp.

In his previous life, when Lin Heng first started farming, he nearly went bankrupt and almost gave up on the industry altogether. Fortunately, he eventually mastered the secrets of shrimp farming and managed to turn his fortunes around.

Lin Heng’s current plan was to earn several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan this year, then dig a fish and shrimp pond after the New Year. He would start with shrimp farming while also raising fish and planting fruit trees on the side.

Then, relying on the income from shrimp farming, he would develop other industries. In this lifetime, he also wanted to raise the Qinling Mountains’ most precious fish—the Qinling fine-scaled salmon, a type of cold-water salmonid that was extremely rare and held significant commercial value.

The older man wasn’t surprised by Lin Heng’s look-but-don’t-buy behavior. Typically, only wealthy people could afford such purchases—those without money could barely afford meat, let alone shrimp.

Xiulan led the goat while Lin Heng carried the chickens and ducks. He also bought some candy for his daughter and picked up a roll of wire to make his own wire mesh. Only then did they begin their journey back.

“Oh, we forgot to buy a clock. We need to get one,” Xiulan mentioned when they were halfway home.

“Let’s buy one then. We can’t be without a way to tell time,” Lin Heng nodded in agreement.

A wristwatch was beyond their means, but a clock was affordable. Wristwatches were too precise and cost at least over a hundred yuan.

However, clocks were larger, less intricate, and a decent one only cost about a dozen yuan.

The two turned back and bought a fifteen-yuan wooden clock.

After confirming they hadn’t forgotten anything else, they finally headed home.

“We’ve finished our shopping and can go home now,” Lin Heng said to his elder brother and sister-in-law.

“You didn’t buy a pig but chose a young female goat instead?” Sister-in-law Liu Juan seemed somewhat puzzled.

“Because I can hunt, so we don’t lack pork. Mutton is even better,” Lin Heng explained with a smile.

Sister-in-law: “…”

She had nothing more to say. In these times, claiming not to lack meat was quite a blow to others.

“Let’s load everything up and head out,” Elder Brother Lin Yue nodded.

They had bought so many things that after loading them onto the ox cart, there was no room left for the kid goat, so they had to lead it by hand.

“By the way, Lin Heng, I asked around earlier, and the Golden Jade Restaurant is willing to pay thirty yuan for your thirty-year-old softshell turtle,” Lin Yue told Lin Heng.

Lin Heng hadn’t brought anything to sell, but he had quite a few items with him.

“The price is reasonable, but I don’t want to sell it for now,” Lin Heng shook his head.

After packing everything, Elder Brother Lin Yue led the ox and walked ahead with Sister-in-law Liu Juan, while Lin Heng led the goat and walked behind with Xiulan.

By the time they reached home, it was already 4:13 in the afternoon.

Father Lin, Mother Lin, and Caiyun all came out to help carry the items.

Lin Heng had to explain once more why they hadn’t bought a pig and had only purchased a goat.

Except for the live chicks and kid goat, which were placed directly into the pens at the new house, everything else was stored in the old house. They would move them over on the day of the housewarming.

“Once we’ve unloaded, let’s eat. Your stomachs must be growling by now,” Mother Lin had already boiled water, and as soon as everyone arrived, she started cooking the noodles.

“Let me get a bowl first,” Lin Heng didn’t even bother washing his hands and went straight to serve himself a bowl of pickled vegetable noodles. He was absolutely starving, having only eaten a bowl of mixed soup before leaving in the morning.

All four of them did the same—they took their bowls and squatted on the stone step under the eaves, finishing their noodles in one go. They were simply too hungry, but on the street, they couldn’t bring themselves to spend money on food.

After the meal, Lin Heng and his elder brother went to repair the pigsty and the chicken and duck pens. They cut bamboo to make two bamboo cages to temporarily house the rabbits.

They planned to later cut some supplejack wood to make a cage, wrap it with wire mesh, and use that for raising rabbits.

Over at Carpenter Liang’s place, they had started assembling cabinets and furniture yesterday afternoon, with Father Lin assisting.

Lin Heng went to check on his small pavilion in the backyard and felt it still wasn’t quite right. “We need to install a wooden floor and raise the pavilion a bit higher, otherwise it’ll easily flood when it rains.”

After some thought, he asked Elder Brother Lin Yue for help. They went up the mountain and cut down several pine trees.

They sawed the logs into three-meter lengths, split them into pine boards, lit a fire to char the wood slightly, and then coated them with tung oil.

After resting overnight, the next day they installed a wooden floor thirty centimeters above the ground inside the pavilion, built wooden steps around it, and added a wooden railing to the floor.

With that, the pavilion was complete. They placed a small square table and a few rustic wooden stools inside, creating a unique atmosphere perfect for either meals or tea.

Lin Heng placed the rocking chair under the grape arbor instead, feeling it was too large and not quite suitable for the pavilion.

While setting up the chairs, he took the opportunity to assemble the grape trellis as well, even though there were no grapevines planted yet.

By now, the entire backyard was nearly perfect except for the lack of a lawn. A small bridge over flowing water, a pond with a pavilion, and decorative plants like calamus and orchids combined to create a farmyard backyard reminiscent of a peach blossom paradise.

It would be even more perfect once he added some other plants for decoration later.

Sitting in the small pavilion, Lin Heng admired the view for a while before going to feed the grassfish fry with two handfuls of wheat bran. Then he turned and headed to the main hall.

At the innermost part of the main hall stood a newly completed wooden grain cabinet measuring three meters long, one and a half meters high, and one and a half meters wide.

Alongside the main hall, there was also a two-and-a-half-meter-tall wardrobe, a writing desk with drawers, a dressing table, a cupboard, three small chests, two tables, and a small rice and flour cabinet—all already finished.

“Lin Heng, what do you think?” Seeing Lin Heng, Carpenter Liang pointed at the furniture with a smile.

“Uncle Liang, you truly live up to your reputation as an experienced carpenter. Your craftsmanship is beyond reproach,” Lin Heng nodded with satisfaction.

Although Carpenter Liang was somewhat proud by nature, his work was truly impeccable. He had meticulously crafted everything, even carefully rounding the edges of tables and cabinets to prevent children from bumping into sharp corners.

At a glance, there were almost no visible flaws like splinters or rough spots.

Receiving Lin Heng’s approval, Carpenter Liang chuckled and said, “Once the wood has completely dried in a while, we can apply the paint.”

“You’ve worked hard these past few days, Carpenter Liang. I must toast you with two glasses at lunch,” Lin Heng replied with a slight smile.

Today was the 30th day of the fourth lunar month. Carpenter Liang would leave after the afternoon meal.

Back at the old house, Father Lin found him and said, “Carpenter Liang is leaving today. Why don’t you go out and see if you can find any pheasants or grouse around to hunt one for the afternoon meal?”

“Alright, the weather is nice today anyway. I’ll go take a look,” Lin Heng nodded. He knew his father was a very hospitable man—the kind who always made sure guests were well entertained.

After fetching his bow and arrows from the house, he took Xiong Ba with him and headed to the back mountain to see if there were any grouse around.

However, prey wasn’t something you could just summon at will. After circling the back mountain, he hadn’t even spotted a single pheasant feather. As for mushrooms, he only found three chanterelles, one of which was rotten.

“Let’s go, Xiong Ba. We’ll try the upper river,” Lin Heng rubbed Xiong Ba’s head.

“Woof! Woof!!” Xiong Ba bounded ahead excitedly.

Lin Heng didn’t go to Shibadang Gully because too many people had been picking honeysuckle there lately. Instead, he walked along the edge of the fields, hoping to spot some watercocks. Shooting a couple of those would make for a tasty meal too.

“Ribbit! Ribbit!!” Large green frogs croaked happily in the water, hiding among the duckweed as if they thought no one could see them.

“Dammit, am I going to come up empty-handed again today?” Lin Heng set his sights on the frogs in the fields.

“If I can’t find watercocks, frogs will do just fine.”

Finding a stick, he struck down with a sharp smack. Instantly, a large frog turned belly-up, legs stiffening as it lost its life.

In just ten minutes, Lin Heng had collected twelve large frogs, weighing over two pounds combined.

Splash!

Just then, a pheasant suddenly flew out from the opposite hillside and landed in the woods above the fields.

Lin Heng glanced at the frogs in his hand. “My apologies, I misjudged you. So there are pheasants after all.”

Carrying his bow and arrows, Lin Heng stealthily approached the woods. But today, the pheasant seemed unusually cautious. While still over a hundred meters away, it immediately flew off—straight to the mountaintop.

Smack!

Smack! Smack! Smack!!

With a series of splashes, several more green frogs turned belly-up.

“What mistake? I didn’t make any mistake at all.”

Carrying the frogs, Lin Heng made his way down to Shiban River, where he shot ten green-tailed shrikes from the bushes along the riverbank.

After all, birds were birds. Bagging some green-tailed shrikes meant he wasn’t going home empty-handed.

“Ah, another day of bountiful harvests. Don’t you agree, Xiong Ba?” Lin Heng chuckled and patted Xiong Ba’s head.

“Woof! Woof!!” Xiong Ba flashed a Samoyed-like smile, as if agreeing with Lin Heng.

“Good dog. Here’s a frog for you,” Lin Heng fed one to him since he had plenty to spare.

When he returned home, Father Lin wasn’t around. Mother Lin was cooking in the kitchen and asked when she saw him, “Did you get anything? If not, we can use cured meat instead.”

“Of course I got something. When have I ever come back empty-handed?” Lin Heng held up the green-tailed shrikes and the large green frogs.

Mother Lin: “…”

“You call this a successful hunt?” Mother Lin’s face darkened.

“What’s wrong with it? Green-tailed shrikes and frogs are just as good as pheasant meat,” Lin Heng said with a straight face.

Mother Lin was so annoyed she felt like hitting him. The sight of the frogs made her shudder. “I can handle the green-tailed shrikes, but as for the frogs—either cook them yourself or feed them to the dog.”

“Woof! Woof!” Xiong Ba opened his mouth wide and jumped joyfully, as if saying feeding them to the dog was a great idea—feed me now!

“Then I’ll cook them myself,” Lin Heng said, completely unrepentant. What was so scary about frogs? Just because they somewhat resembled humans?

Grabbing a knife and a cutting board, he processed them himself. He cut the skin on the head, pulled hard, and the entire frogskin came off, revealing snow-white flesh.

Then he chopped off the heads, removed the four legs, and cleaned out the innards. Done.

All nineteen frogs filled a small basin after processing.

“Cook them yourself!” Mother Lin snorted coldly, looking like she might hit him at any moment.

“Darling, could you stir-fry them for me?” Lin Heng went to find his wife.

Xiulan was also a bit scared because some of the frogs were still twitching even after being chopped into pieces.

But since Lin Heng asked, she went ahead and prepared the ingredients to stir-fry them.

“Lin Heng, you’re getting wilder by the day,” Father Lin also sighed helplessly. He had only heard of people eating these things but had never tried them himself.

“Don’t worry, I guarantee you’ll want to eat it again after trying it once.” Lin Heng chuckled.

“I’ll dare to eat it!” Lin Wei was the first to support his Second Uncle. He’d been complaining for ages about missing out on the fried cicadas last time.

“Well said.” Lin Heng patted his nephew’s shoulder, feeling proud of having taught him how to use a slingshot.

The dishes were soon served – an extravagant spread of nine dishes, including three meat dishes. It was practically luxurious.

“Master Liang, here’s your payment – twenty-two coins total. Please count it.”

Before the meal began, Father Lin settled the payment first.

The carpenter counted the money and broke into a bright smile. “The amount is correct. Honestly, I’m the one benefiting from this job – getting meat every day has made me put on some weight.”

“When I get back, I’ll have someone bring you some gifts as housewarming presents.”

“You’re too kind. The meals were only proper.” Father Lin replied courteously.

“Anyway, I consider you a friend now. If you need anything in the future, just come find me. I’ll do the work regardless of the price.”

Carpenter Liang said this as he raised his wine cup.

Father Lin, Elder Brother, and the others all raised their cups as well. Everyone in the family understood that Carpenter Liang had been won over by Lin Heng’s hunting skills.

“Uncle Liang, let me propose a toast to you.” Lin Heng smiled as he raised his cup.

“Good, good, good.” Carpenter Liang quickly raised his cup in response.

“Lin Heng, I have to say, this frog meat is absolutely delicious. I’m going to get some to eat when I go back too. It’s really fragrant and tender.”

After trying a couple bites of frog meat, Carpenter Liang couldn’t stop praising it.

“This stuff really is quite good.” Father Lin had also changed his opinion and was eating with relish.

Lin Heng tried to serve his mother a piece, but she directly moved her bowl away. “I won’t eat it. It looks scary to me.”

No matter what anyone said, she refused to eat it.

“Alright then, Xiulan, you have some.” Lin Heng shrugged. It was normal for his mother to have her reservations.

Xiulan was quite open-minded though. After eating two bites herself, she even fed a small piece to Xiao Xia.

After the meal, Carpenter Liang shouldered his tools and said with a smile, “With such good food and drink finished, I’ll be on my way now. If you ever pass by my house in the future, you must come in – even if it’s just for a bowl of water.”

“Don’t say such things. Of course, of course.”

Father Lin replied with a smile, and together with Lin Heng and the others, they accompanied him all the way to the main road.

(End of Chapter)