Chapter 255 The chicken farm can’t be run
But the second uncle couldn’t bear to spend the past few months, so he ran to the district and found a technician who raised chickens, and entertained him with good wine and food. I really helped hatch the chicks using the incubator.
The village accepted the reality and started breeding, but before the chicks reached one month old, there was a heavy snowfall, and all the enclosed areas on the mountain were covered with snow. I couldn't find anything to eat.
Fortunately, according to the new plan last year, there were still some results. There were a lot more grains and vegetables. There was more autumn corn than the year before. The village had a little surplus grain, so we couldn't let the chickens starve to death. I gritted my teeth and managed to process a little feed, and endured the most difficult days, but the result was another heavy snowfall.
At this time, the harvest in the village has been calculated. With good luck, it can barely survive until the spring corn harvest. Let alone making feed, the village does not have a grain of rich grain. If you want to make feed, you have to make it before the harvest. I was hungry, and the little money I had in my account was shared for the New Year, which was a lot more than the previous year.
The village has no choice but to ask everyone to take back five chickens from each family and raise them until spring. When the snow melts and the mountains become green, they will be raised together.
The problem now is, let it go out, because it is used to being free-range in the mountains, and it will definitely not return to its current nest. It will probably be lost, so just keep it locked up. No one has any feed or food to feed it.
Now half of the people in the village are complaining about the second uncle, who has nothing to do and is worried about what chicks will be hatched in November. This matter has made the second uncle lose his temper at all.
When I came back this time, I really prepared a bag of feed. I got it from the street office. I wanted my second uncle to try whether it could be used to raise fish.
If you feed chickens, it won’t help much. It’s less than a hundred pounds, and it will be gone in a few days. There are more than a hundred chickens.
The temperature in the mountains is much lower than in the city, and the slopes are still covered with thick snow. It will probably take more than ten or twenty days for the snow to melt away, and it will probably take more than ten days for the chickens to be able to forage in the mountains. , now the chick is less than two months old.
Zhu Xuefeng was a little speechless. People in the village kept chickens free-range, and they were used to throwing them out and leaving them alone. This was not a big deal. It was just a matter of finding more people to clean up the chicken farm.
Chickens looking for food on the white snow for a long time will indeed have some adverse effects on their eyes. Just sweep the snow away. If the insulation effect of the chicken coop is better, there will be no problem.
Pheasants will never starve to death, and the same goes for chickens. Food is hard to find, but it will only take longer to find food.
Zhu Xuefeng didn't take it seriously and comforted his second aunt.
"Second Aunt, this is a simple matter. There is nothing difficult to do. Don't worry. Besides, if every household raises chickens, the feed I bring is enough to feed five chickens."
"Auntie, I don't have a headache because of these five chickens. It's because someone in the village is gossiping."
Looking at Zhu Xuefeng, he hesitated to speak. He didn't see Zhu Xuefeng lowering his head to drink water.
"Second Aunt, you have to pack your things first, especially the seafood. There is a little meat in two bags. The dumplings for you must be frozen, so as not to spoil in the house. "
The second aunt quickly stood up. Her thoughts were on the breeding farm just now, but she forgot that her eldest nephew had brought a lot of things and didn't care about it.
"Tell me, you have to pay a ticket to buy some meat in the city. It's not easy. Why did you bring it back? There is also a lot of this seafood. I gave you a lot last time. You can just keep it for yourself."< br>
"There are no adults in the family, yet they are always worrying about us and telling us what is good for us. The village also shares some meat during the New Year, so there will be no shortage during the New Year."
The second aunt chattered, Zhu Xuefeng knew that the village could share some meat, and the pigs that were left to share the meat would definitely be eliminated if they did not meet the purchasing standards. After removing the internal organs, skin and bones, one pound per family would be a big deal.
"Second Aunt, this seafood is also distributed by the steel rolling mill. If you have a little more, this meat is a reward. I have left a lot at home. Don't say anything. Go and clean it up first. I'll go see my brother. Sister, why haven’t you come back for so long?”
I didn’t want to be polite with my second aunt anymore, so I went outside the yard and lit a cigarette, feeling a little irritated for no reason.
Several children were still looking up and down around the jeep. The brave ones leaned directly over the car window and looked in.
Outside the yard, the second uncle’s house has erected a fence and surrounded a vegetable garden, but now there are no vegetables in it. This is also the implementation of the spirit of last November, which is very implemented in the capital. Come on, now every household has a vegetable garden again.
A small breeze blew by, and it was really a bit cold. The temperature was indeed several degrees lower than in the city. Several children came out of the distant ravine. In addition to the five from the Zhu family, there were three little boys. , noisy along the way.
Zhu Xuefeng put out the cigarette and walked towards him. From a distance, he heard his little sister holding the kitten and shouting.
"Why, it makes sense to steal other people's fish. My brothers and sisters worked hard to catch the fish and kept them, but you stole them without saying a word, and you are still not convinced after being caught."
Several people walked in, and it was obvious that the three little boys had been beaten, but they were not injured at all. They were just a little embarrassed, and there were a lot of grass clippings in their hair and cotton clothes. Looking at the two boys at the second uncle's house, The boy was also beaten.
"What's going on? The folks from the village have taken action."
"Brother, they stole the fish raised by the Fourth Brother and the others. They were caught and were still unconvinced. They made the first move. , I just..."
The second child shook his head and said that he didn't do anything.
This incident was so serious that I beat him up as soon as I got out of the car.
"Who said you raised the fish? I just saw a lot of fish and wanted to catch a few. What's wrong? Who said the fish in this ditch belong to you..."
Yes The little kid was still unconvinced, his neck was stunned, and he didn't care.
“If you’re not convinced, come on, if you can beat me, we won’t even want this fish, come or not.”
The little girl is quite angry and confident, and her peers don’t Maybe it was because her opponent had not practiced in vain for more than half a year. Besides, he had taken the elixir and was eating well.
“If a good man doesn’t fight with a woman, who will want your stinky fish.”
The three little brats couldn't lose the battle, so they patted their butts and left. Even if they didn't eat well, the children in the mountains were still strong-skinned. They were beaten, and it was no big deal. This will be put down for future generations, and they have to cry. In tears, the two parents finally took action directly.
It turned out that the two brothers had caught fish for several months, and asked their second uncle to raise them one by one in the ravine. The second uncle dug a big pit beside the ravine, diverted water from the ditch, and returned the fish to the ravine. A water inlet and outlet are designed.
It turned into a small pond with more than a hundred willow fish. On weekdays, everyone knows that it was Zhu Laoer who made it, and no one has any idea.
Now the children are bored at home during the holidays. They are playing in the ravine and discover that there is such a treasure place. They are about to catch fish, but they meet the two brothers from the Zhu family who come to inspect.
Taking advantage of the large number of people, the three of them did not take the two brothers seriously and even had a fight. As a result, the little girl who rushed behind was beaten by one of them. The children were all about the same age. Zhu Xuesong was obviously several years older, so he didn't take action when he saw that his younger sister could take it down alone.
"Third Sister, you were so powerful just now. These three bad boys are always bullying people in the village, and no one wants to play with them."
Xiao Wu touched Xiao Hei carefully. , Xiao Hei raised his head and warned, so scared that Xiao Wu quickly stopped his hand and stood aside to watch the third sister playing with the cat with envy.
"Xiao Hei!"
Zhu Xuefeng stopped him sternly, picked up Xiao Hei, and put him in Xiao Wu's arms. Xiao Hei was honest and continued to be gently touched by Xiao Wu. smiled.
"Big Brother"
The two younger brothers came up to say hello, and Xuemei generously took out several candies.
"Fourth and Sixth, let's go home. I've brought you some good things this time. I'll take you to see them."
I know it's time to show off the toys and toys I brought. Little book. Zhu Xuesong and Zhu Xuemei have actually not been here a few times. The most recent time was in March last year. Maybe it was a blood relationship, but they became familiar with the three little ones in a while and were very affectionate.
This is to show off the villain's book, just because of this love of showing off.
When I got home, my second uncle hadn't come back yet. It seemed that the meeting was quite lively. I guess there were a lot of differences. I didn't raise chickens intensively. These little troubles would be inevitable in the future.
"Second Aunt, are you starting to put away the pots now?"
When I got home, I couldn't help but put the two pots on the table.
The stove has not been used for several years. It is quite dilapidated and has pieces missing. It has collapsed in some places. There seems to be something wrong with the chimney outside.
But having meetings and cooking in one’s own home is an expectation that has been buried in the bones of farmers for thousands of years. This is a symbol of family separation. Now someone has a fire and no one cares about it, so the second aunt just doesn’t care. No pot.
Forced the second uncle to repair the stove and chimney, and now he also has a pot. The eldest nephew was so considerate that he even got two pieces of pig skin from the pot, so he could still bear it.
After packing up the seafood and meat, she hurried to start the pot. The greedy flames in the earthen stove were licking the bottom of the pot. The second aunt used pig skin to wipe the iron pot in circles, leaving circles of oil stains and a hint of green. cigarette.
"It smells so good. Is this cooking meat?"
There was a smell of roasted meat skin in the air. It was very fragrant. The three younger brothers and sisters threw away the little book at once. I ran to the kitchen, leaned against the door and stared at the two empty large iron pots. "Xuefeng, help me remove some firewood, the fire is too big."
Zhu Xuefeng squatted in front of the stove, scattered the firewood, pulled it out to the stove mouth, and lit it, the fire became smaller. ….
"Mom, are you going to make some meat later?"
The two brothers are almost drooling. In fact, they ate wild boar meat twice this year and they are much better than before. However, The taste is really fragrant, better than wild boar meat.
"Let's go, let's worship our ancestors tomorrow. There are no meat dishes today, so we have to eat vegetarian food. Every time we celebrate the New Year, we always say, why don't we have a long memory? We can eat it tomorrow."
"Wait one more day, you see, your eldest brother has brought you all the pots, why are you in a hurry? Mom will prepare delicious food for you tomorrow."
The emphasis here is that the day before ancestor worship is Must be vegetarian.
Zhu Xuefeng fiddled with the firewood in the stove from time to time to prevent the ashes from resurrecting, and only occasionally filled in a firewood.
"Second Aunt, please give me some directions later. Shall we deliver the pot to my sister-in-law's house today?"
Second Aunt blushed for a while, but fortunately her nephew was immersed in stirring the fire. Didn't look up.
“That’s right, your sister-in-law’s house doesn’t have a pot, and I don’t know how well it’s prepared for the Chinese New Year. Let’s go as soon as we start the pot.”
My sister-in-law’s house is far away. It’s not too far, only six or seven kilometers. After loading the car, the second aunt pointed to the road. Now it’s good. Xiao Wu was held in his mother’s arms. There were four people squeezed in the back seat, plus a black cat. .
My uncle was not good at words and was very honest. When he saw his nephew driving over in a car, he was so nervous that he had nowhere to put his hands and subconsciously rubbed them on his cotton-padded clothes.
The conditions in my sister-in-law's village are not as good as those in Zhujiazhuang, and their living conditions are even worse. The cotton-padded clothes of my cousins are a bit shabby, and they may not be willing to wear new clothes until tomorrow.
A group of little kids hugged the jeep, listening to Xiao Wu’s constant reminders.
"You are only allowed to look, you are only allowed to look. If you touch it, you will have to pay for it. This is public property and no one can afford to pay for it..."
Zhu Xuefeng smiled and called his brother. younger sister.
"Let them play, just don't smash them. Let's unload the things first."
I originally planned to talk about it tomorrow, but they were all unloaded at the second uncle's house. When I saw the second aunt cooking, I thought it would be better to bring it here today. It's appropriate, just messing around.
Seeing several nephews and nieces moving into the main room with their bags, all of which were in short supply at home, my sister-in-law felt sour, why did she let her eldest nephew help her? It was embarrassing, she looked at her face The dull man pinched her secretly and cursed in a low voice.
“You wooden man, my eldest nephew has sent you so many things, even the iron pot is prepared for you. You can’t beat a fart with three poles, right? You can’t even express your gratitude. My nephew owes you...".
The villagers gathered in a circle outside were pointing and pointing. Cars have not been in the village for many years. The brigade cadres only rode bicycles when they came. This family has high branches.
I didn’t stay at my sister-in-law’s house for too long. Seven relatives came this time, which was quite troublesome. My sister-in-law ignored the second aunt’s advice and insisted on saying that she would also come to worship ancestors tomorrow. Everyone sat there for a while. Withdrawn.
"Brother, I saw that my uncle's face turned red after being criticized by my sister, and he didn't say anything. If we leave, will he..."
The second aunt touched the little sister's head. said with a smile.
“Sanya, your little uncle is just that kind of person. He is hot-hearted and stupid. Not to mention fighting with your sister-in-law, he doesn’t even say a harsh word. This is the kind of person he is. It’s not good to be too honest. , I am obviously good at carpentry, but my family is living like this."
Normally, if there is a good carpenter in the family, life should be more prosperous than that of ordinary people. It was also because of this that my sister-in-law got married.
But the actual situation is that when the village, small teams, or large teams have something to fight, they first think of my uncle. Not only does he have no income, but he also has to often provide materials. From time to time, he misses the farm work in the village and loses work points. That’s why my sister-in-law’s family is living a normal life.
Yes, my uncle's carpentry and masonry skills are very good, and he is very famous in the nearby villages. He looks clumsy and dull, but he is a master of ingenuity. Let's see if there is a chance to help. .
There is no chance of working as a carpenter in the city. Food is tight now. Without household registration and food, it is impossible to stay in the city. The street office will also persuade people to return. Besides, after leaving the village, the family has no backbone, which is also a big problem. .
The second uncle came back, dejected, and only quickened his pace when he saw the jeep at the entrance of the yard from a distance.
"Second uncle, you have finished the meeting."
Zhu Xuefeng simply refused to open any pot. Second uncle choked and did not answer.
"The three of them are back. Just in time, I have prepared the ancestor worship. Let's go together tomorrow afternoon and spend this year here."
"Second uncle, this is New Year, we still have to go back. Please make some arrangements for the ancestor worship. It has to be done tomorrow morning. After that, we have to rush back. My sister-in-law will also come tomorrow morning. We went there just now and we agreed. "
The second uncle frowned, so my sister also wants to come.
"What is she doing here? She won't follow his man. What a mess."
Zhu Xuefeng knew that his sister-in-law just wanted to show her closeness. Her eldest nephew had given her so many things, which meant that she was taking advantage of her parents' family. It was not appropriate to pay homage to her ancestors without showing her face.
"My uncle and the others have arranged to make the trip in the afternoon, so they can make the trip."
The second uncle nodded and entered the main room. He looked at the pile of things piled on the gable wall and felt a little upset. I was a little excited, this nephew seemed really capable.
With so many things sent back, it seems that I don’t have to worry about it. I sent several letters in the second half of the year, but every time I brought back twenty or thirty yuan, which made my second uncle embarrassed to send any more letters. .
"Xue Feng, you don’t have to carry things home anymore. This year has been a lot better. Now that you can live well, you should just take care of your younger brothers and sisters. We don’t have to worry about you, your second uncle. Although the second aunt has not studied much, it is still possible to support your brothers and sisters by digging in the fields."
The second uncle took out his pipe again, added some cigarette leaves and lit it.
"Second uncle, didn't I bring you a lot of cigarettes? Why are you still smoking this?"
Second uncle smiled awkwardly and was too embarrassed to speak, just as the second aunt came out of the kitchen , answered angrily.
“Your second uncle, he has a high style and high spirit. In order to hatch chicks, he gave it away to others. He also took a few packets here and there, and threw the other packets into the small office in the village. ”.
Zhu Xuefeng frowned. The cigarettes he sent were basically mid-range cigarettes, which cost a few yuan each. They cost more than 20 yuan. The second uncle was still such a waste of money, so he gave them all away. .
The second uncle blew his smoke pot irritably and said impatiently.
"If you don't know how to speak, don't say anything. Hatching chickens and setting up a chicken farm is a serious matter in the village. What's wrong with using it? Besides, it's the same if I smoke this pot."
< br>The second aunt had been in a good mood since she came back from beating up the three brothers and sisters. Now she was scolded by the old man in front of her nephew, and she couldn't hold it anymore. The look in the second uncle's eyes was wrong. , only the second uncle still buried his head, smoking a pot of cigarettes.
Zhu Xuefeng quickly stood up and took his second aunt's hand.
"Second Aunt, you see it's getting late. Let's keep it simple at night. Let's cook some porridge and make some cornbread to deal with it. You have to work hard for this."
Second Aunt Seeing that the eldest nephew said that it was the New Year and it would be embarrassing to start a quarrel, he turned around bitterly and entered the kitchen.
Zhu Xuefeng ignored his uncle's surprise, took away his pipe, took out a box of peonies, handed one over, and lit it.
"Second uncle, let's smoke this. In fact, smoking is not good for your health. If you can, smoke less. If you really can't hold it in, smoke some of this."
Second uncle didn't. Say something. I didn't keep my mouth shut just now, and I insulted my second aunt. I also regretted it. I held a meeting in the village for an afternoon, and I was very angry. I couldn't help but vent my anger on my family just now.
Look at the fifth, sixth, and younger sisters who are huddled together reading a little book. The second oldest and the fourth went to see fish just now. This place is a bit close to several younger brothers and sisters. There are some words. It’s inconvenient to say.
"Second uncle, let's go for a walk. I'll leave it up to you to arrange tomorrow's affairs. We don't understand the specific details..."
After the draft "Sixty Articles on Agriculture" was passed in March 1961, Canteens in rural areas are cancelled.
In November 1960, it was made clear that a small amount of private land and family side jobs could be restored. See "Twelve Articles of Agriculture"
(End of this chapter)