The township guest house is a large courtyard with a mountain village atmosphere. The walls are made of mountain stones, and the large iron gate is covered with faded red paper with the words "Celebrate the Spring Festival". When hearing the strange footsteps outside, the dog in the guest house immediately barks alertly.
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Mayor Gao led everyone into the gate and saw the skinny barking dog. He stepped forward and kicked the dog in the belly. The dog recognized the mayor and immediately tucked its tail and whimpered twice and hid away.
Usually there is no one in the guest house. When I heard that guests were arriving, several prominent figures from the village hurried over. They were all wearing cotton-padded jackets and holding cigarettes in their mouths. They smoked whenever they saw people. They were extremely polite. Liu Ziguang and others followed the guests
After that, Mayor Gao walked into the main room, lit the brazier, and turned on the TV. Once there were more people, the atmosphere became lively.
Mayor Gao said: "I have been keeping a stove for you. We don't have much to entertain in the countryside, just local vegetables, local chickens that eat grasshoppers and worms, local eggs, wild boar heads, wild mushrooms, pheasants,
Wild rabbits are something you can't eat in the city. It's just a novelty, so the leaders must not dislike it."
After a few polite words, a middle-aged man hurriedly arrived outside. Mayor Gao introduced him: "This is our township's accountant Xie Guangcai. He holds financial power. I have to listen to him."
Xie Guangcai greeted everyone and winked at Mayor Gao. Mayor Gao understood, excused himself to go out to see the food, and went out with Accountant Xie.
When they got outside, Accountant Xie said: "Old Gao, it's so late, why are you entertaining these people? You don't know that wild boars are so easy to hunt. Now there is only one pig's hind leg left in the countryside. You can figure it out."
Bar."
Township Chief Gao said: "I don't care about that. Director Zhou has just taken office. I have to give him face. I don't care what method you use. Get me two fans of wild boar meat within an hour."
Accountant Xie said: "If it's still easy to do during the day, call and ask Lao Chengtou from Yezhuyu to carry it over. It's already so dark and the wind is strong. What if something happens?"
Mayor Gao said: "That won't work. This is a serious matter. Go and do it right away. If anything happens, it's my fault!"
Xie Guangcai had no choice but nodded and went away. Mayor Gao continued to go back to the house to entertain the guests. The master chefs prepared a few cold dishes to go with wine, and took out the ready-made wild pheasants, wild rabbits, and the pig hind legs.
There was frying and frying in the pot house, and the sound of knives chopping on the chopping board was fast. In a short time, game meats were presented one after another, and a box of Huaijiang special songs was served, and everyone opened their bellies and ate in large quantities.
The mayor Gao had an amazing capacity for drinking. According to the rules of the village, he drank three drinks with everyone first. He took out his cigarette case, stood it up next to the tall glass, poured a glass according to this height, tilted his neck to drink it, and then
Then he put the cigarette case on its side, poured half a cup and drank it. Finally, he put the cigarette case flat on half a cup and drank it in one gulp. Everyone followed the Romans and drank three drinks in this way. The banquet officially started.
The rules of the country, the rules of the city, the rules of the county. After drinking so hard, a box of Huaijiang special songs was quickly empty.
The drinking was going on in darkness until about one o'clock in the night. Several township cadres were wandering home wearing cotton-padded jackets and smoking cigarettes. However, the wild boar meat has not been delivered until now. Fortunately, the guests drank it.
I'm very happy and don't care about it.
Accountant Xie hurried over, grabbed the drunk Mayor Gao and said, "Old Gao, I called him, but he hasn't come over yet. What do you think he should do? You can't blame me for this."
Mayor Gao could no longer speak fluently and said vaguely: "Let's talk about it tomorrow." After that, he supported the wall and walked forward.
"Lao Gao, why are you going north? Your home is in the south." Xie Guangcai shouted from behind.
"Shh..." Gao Yishui raised his index finger to his mouth and whispered: "I'm going to the radio station to find Xiao Cui'er. Don't talk nonsense."
Xie Guangcai shook his head helplessly, shook the cotton-padded jacket on his shoulders, and left helplessly.
…
The distinguished guests in the city were arranged to sleep on the earthen kang in the guest house. The mountain wind was biting. The temperature here was obviously much colder than in the city, but the fire kang made it much more comfortable. It felt warm underneath the body, it was from the guest house.
The large printed quilt is so disappointing and smells musty.
After a tiring day and drinking so much wine, everyone no longer cared about the quality of the conditions, so they fell asleep and soon the sound of snoring stopped.
Early the next morning, after someone's rooster crowed for the first time, roosters from far and near began to crow, but the sound was still thunderous in the guest house. These people were not elite soldiers of the Red Star Company.
They have all developed the good habit of getting up early. People like Zhuo Li, Xuanzi, Bei Xiaoshuai, etc., all of them don't get up after three o'clock in the morning.
Instead, Liu Ziguang got up early, put on his clothes and walked out of the door. He took a deep breath of the fresh air in the mountains. It was so refreshing. He opened his arms and stretched a few times. Suddenly he noticed that there seemed to be a figure in the haystacks on the roadside opposite the guest house.
When I walked over, I saw a skinny old man squatting on the ground eating. He was wearing a bare old sheepskin jacket and crotchless trousers. He had a white towel wrapped around his head. He was holding a steamed bun in his hand and bringing it to his mouth, chewing it with his mouth.
, the rough crumbs fell down, and the old man caught them with his palm below, not daring to waste any. Seeing Liu Ziguang's gaze, the old man greeted with a simple smile: "Have you eaten? I still have some more.
.”
Liu Ziguang said politely: "You're welcome."
The old man said: "Brother, can you help me find some water to drink?"
Liu Ziguang returned to the house, found a large enamel teapot, picked up the kettle on the stove, filled a cup, walked out and handed it to the old man, knelt down to watch him drink and eat, and asked casually: "How old is this old man?"
The old man said: "Eighty-five."
Liu Ziguang was shocked and looked at the old man up and down again. He saw that his face was red and he was energetic. Although his arms and legs were very thin, he was full of strength and did not look like an old man in his eighties at all.
"Old man, why are you squatting here? Are you not from this country?" Liu Ziguang watched the old man finish drinking the hot water, took out a cigarette and handed it to him.
The old man took it and put it under his nose to smell it. He was reluctant to smoke, put it on his ear, and took out a cigarette pot from his arms. The copper pot was exquisite and small, the agate cigarette holder was crystal clear, and there was a device hanging underneath.
The small bag of tobacco leaves, the mandarin ducks embroidered on it have faded, and it can be seen that it is quite old.
The old man packed a bag of cigarettes and handed it to Liu Ziguang: "Young man, try this."
Liu Ziguang took it, took a few sips, and handed it back: "It's so choked, I can't help it, so you should just keep it to yourself."
The old man smiled heartily and answered the question he just asked: "I am from Yezhuyu. I came to the countryside to do some business. I arrived at night. I was afraid of disturbing the leaders, so I stayed here for a while."
Liu Ziguang nodded, rolled his eyes, pointed at a steel fork in the grass nest and said, "Is this your old one?"
The old man took out the steel fork and said: "It is usually used for hunting. Take it with you for protection when walking at night. There are wolves in the mountains."
While they were talking, Accountant Xie came over from afar with a cigarette in his mouth. When he saw the old man squatting here, he scolded: "Old Chengtou, why did you come here? Where is the wild boar?"
The old man pulled out half a wild boar from behind the haystack, weighing over a hundred kilograms, and said, "Accountant Xie, do you think this is a winner?"
Accountant Xie looked at it for a few times and said: "This is a wild boar cub, it's so small. Okay, okay, I'll carry it back to the pot house. Come back quickly."
Old Chengtou said: "What about the primary school in my village..."
Accountant Xie waved his hand impatiently: "One code is the same, you go back first and then talk about it."
He carried half a fan of wild boar on his head and walked into the pot house of the guest house with a steel fork. He put half of the fan of pig next to the firewood pile and was about to leave. Suddenly the boy came out of the house and saw the old man shouting: "Grandpa,
Why are you here?"
Old Chengtou was also puzzled: "Mao Boy, why are you back?"
Now Liu Ziguang understood. This old man turned out to be Mao Hai's great-grandfather. No wonder his surname was Cheng. If he looked carefully, he also had some similarities in appearance.
"Old man, I brought the furry child. My name is Liu Ziguang, and I am Li Jianguo's buddy." Liu Ziguang said with a smile.
The old man was stunned for a moment, then suddenly took a step back and was about to kneel down to Liu Ziguang. Liu Ziguang quickly stepped forward to support him and said hurriedly: "Old man, you are shortening my life. You can't do this."
Old Chengtou said: "You saved my grandson's wife's life, and you saved my great-grandson's life. You are the benefactor of our Cheng family."
Liu Ziguang said: "Jianguo and I are brothers. Even Maozi calls me uncle. According to seniority, I have to call you grandpa. If you keep being polite, there will be no room for my face."
The old man was not a pretentious person, so he immediately laughed and said: "Good boy, who did I think went to the mountain to investigate? It turns out to be you. Let's go home and have a drink. I'll take care of the home-brewed grain wine!"
Liu Ziguang took the old man's hand and said, "Okay!"
Xie Guangcai didn't expect this scene to happen. He said to the side: "Yezhuyu is a good place. We should go. I'll go find Mayor Gao." After saying that, he ran away very fast. The most surprising thing was
No matter how I moved, the cotton-padded jacket draped over my shoulders would not fall off.
When Mayor Gao arrived, Old Chengtou was surrounded by everyone like stars holding the moon in his arms, with several cigarettes hanging on his ears. The old man was holding a cigarette in his mouth, his arms on the small table, and he was sitting opposite
Bei Xiaoshuai struggled with his arms. Poor Bei Xiaoshuai had a reputation all his life and was considered a ruthless character in Jiangbei City, but even though he suppressed his blush, he could not move the old man even an inch.
Everyone was making noises and cheering, and they were all trying to harass Bei Xiaoshuai. Bei Xiaoshuai withdrew his arms and said angrily: "You guys are strong, come on."
"I'll do it." Zhuo Li rolled up his sleeves and sat over. Muscles suddenly appeared on his thick arms. However, after working hard for a long time, Old Chengtou's arms were as motionless as if they were made of iron. Zhuo Li shook his head and stepped back, saying a few words.
One word: "I'm convinced!"
Township Chief Gao found Zhou Wen from the crowd, pulled his sleeve out of the house, and asked in a low voice: "I heard that you are planning to go to Yezhu Valley for inspection?"
Zhou Wen nodded and said yes.
Mayor Gao frowned and said, "There are no roads in that place, and there is a dangerous bridge in the middle. It takes three hours to walk over the mountains. It is really inconvenient to get there."
Zhou Wen was surprised: "Is it such an exaggeration? How did that old man carry half a pig here by himself?"