Reborn in 1977

Chapter 45: Not Kill, Keep for the New Year?

Accompanying Chen Fan were Zhang Wenliang and those few guard dogs.

The dogs had followed from outside the woods, running a few steps and then stopping, looking at Chen Fan as if he were a monster.

When they entered the path in front of the earthen-walled house, many dog friends smelled the scent and ran out.

The big yellow dog immediately became excited and rushed over, barking wildly, "Woof woof woof... (This person can speak dog language!)"

The other dogs behind it also barked, "Really, really, I heard it too."

In an instant, all the dogs ran over, barking incessantly.

"Really?"

"Why doesn't he speak?"

"Let him say a few words so we can hear."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. Were dogs this gossipy too?

Zhang Wenliang was a little surprised to see so many dogs rushing over. Usually, even when strangers entered the village, the dogs wouldn't be this noisy, would they?

He tilted his head to look at Chen Fan, then looked at the dogs, feeling even more puzzled.

If the dogs were hostile to Chen Fan, it didn't seem like it. When he used to bring dogs to catch thieves, the dogs were ferocious, their back teeth bared, eager to pounce and tear the person to pieces.

But the scene before him was more like the dogs encountering something curious, each one crowding around, tilting their heads to look.

Feeling dizzy, Zhang Wenliang waved his hand to drive the dogs away, "Go, go, go, all of you go away."

Then he looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm here, they won't bite."

At the same time, he secretly admired him. This young man looked fair and frail, but he didn't expect him to be so brave. If it were an ordinary person surrounded by so many dogs, even if they didn't cry, their expression would change drastically. Chen Fan, however, still had a smile on his face. Just for this courage, Zhang Wenliang felt a great liking for him.

Of course, Chen Fan wasn't afraid. The dogs were all looking at him, hoping he would talk to them.

So he first replied to Zhang Wenliang, "It's okay, it's okay, these dogs are all very well-behaved and cute."

Then he barked at the dogs a few times, "Woof woof woof... (Everyone be quiet, whoever is the best-behaved will get bones to eat tonight!)"

Instantly, the dogs stopped barking, their eyes fixed on him with unusual fervor.

Zhang Wenliang was startled again, "Wow, you're good at training dogs!"

Chen Fan chuckled, "No, no, I'm just playing around."

Then he changed the subject and asked, "Brother Sanhu, it must take a lot of food to raise so many dogs in the village, right?"

Zhang Wenliang laughed, "What food does it take? Just give them some leftovers and they can survive. There's a lot of stuff in the countryside, and the dogs can find a lot to eat outside on their own. If they're lucky, they can even catch rabbits. Of course, it's not good to have too many. One or two is very easy."

After a pause, he added, "I can tell from your accent that you're also a local. Haven't you ever been to the countryside before?"

Chen Fan said "Ah" and replied naturally, "I don't know if I've been to the countryside before, I forgot."

Only then did Zhang Wenliang remember what the captain had said, that this person was rescued from the river by Captain Yang of the 6th team, and his brain had problems, so he couldn't remember many things. He couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

If his brain wasn't damaged and his background wasn't a problem, with his looks and his skill in making soft-shelled turtle dishes, wouldn't he be a perfect match for his youngest sister?

What a pity.

At this moment, a group of children ran over, sizing up Chen Fan from a distance.

Zhang Wenliang waved his hand, not knowing who he was calling, "Zhang Xuejun, go tell them that Master Chen is here."

No one responded, and the group of children immediately ran back, laughing and making noise. Chen Fan still didn't know who Zhang Xuejun was.

Zhang Wenliang said as he walked, "If you've been to the countryside, you'll know that this place is a land of fish and rice. Farming in the countryside is really hard work, but as long as there are no floods, we can have two harvests a year, and basically have enough grain to eat.

Even during the three years of severe drought, our grain production wasn't affected much. It's just that the higher authorities requisitioned too much grain, requiring us to hand over seventy to eighty percent, and we also ate in the communal dining hall a few years earlier, which used up all our stored grain, so we went hungry for three years. It can be said that we shared the joys and sorrows with the people of the whole country, but no one starved to death."

He pointed to the earthen-walled houses by the roadside, "This row of houses was all built in those years, so raising two dogs is nothing."

He turned to look at Chen Fan and smiled, "You don't know, we ate soft-shelled turtle every few days during those three years, and we also ate loach, eel, and crab. The others were okay, although there was no oil, we could still swallow them. But this soft-shelled turtle really gave people a headache from the smoke. If it weren't for the fact that soft-shelled turtle had a lot of meat, and eating one meal could keep you full for a day, no one would really eat this stuff.

I didn't expect that this soft-shelled turtle would still be a good dish. If you had come 18 years earlier, not only our Lujiawan, but the entire county would have worshiped you. Guifeng County is full of gullies and ponds, and there are many rivers and ponds. You can find a pile of soft-shelled turtles by casually digging around. We wouldn't be hungry."

Chen Fan smiled silently.

Couldn't finish eating them?

Ever since the Majia Army endorsed soft-shelled turtles in the 1990s, and news came from the laboratories of the small country that soft-shelled turtles could fight cancer, this thing swept across the north and south of the Yangtze River overnight. An ordinary home banquet, as long as you add a soft-shelled turtle pot, will immediately double in price.

As a result, wild soft-shelled turtles became extinct within a few short years. Occasionally, when someone caught one, they could often sell it for thousands of yuan, and the price remained strong, hardly falling for almost twenty years.

As long as they are targeted by foodies, there is no possibility of not being able to finish them!

While the two were talking, they were almost at the pond.

Only then did Chen Fan realize that almost everyone in the village was concentrated here washing soft-shelled turtles. Baskets full of soft-shelled turtles were placed by the pond, and men, women, old, and young were all holding rice straw to scrub them.

Seeing Chen Fan's gaze, Zhang Wenliang smiled and said, "After your Captain Yang came yesterday afternoon, we organized people to dig them up. We dug up another batch this morning, and they're all here. They just started washing them. Many hands make light work, so it should be done soon and won't delay things."

After he finished speaking, he shouted to the crowd who were looking over here, "This is Master Chen who is here to teach us how to cook soft-shelled turtle. Everyone, welcome him."

Those who didn't have soft-shelled turtles in their hands clapped, and those who had soft-shelled turtles shouted loudly, "Welcome, welcome."

Without delaying the work at hand.

Chen Fan grinned and raised his hand to wave to everyone, "Hello, hello."

This welcoming method was quite unique.

After greeting them, he quickly grabbed Zhang Wenliang's clothes and said in a low voice, "Brother Sanhu, are we killing them all?"

Zhang Wenliang was stunned, looked at the soft-shelled turtles over there, then turned back to look at him, "If we don't kill them, are we keeping them for the New Year?"

Chen Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Yesterday we only made seven or eight big ones, which was enough for the whole village to eat for one meal. You've caught hundreds of soft-shelled turtles, can you finish eating them all if you cook them all?"

Zhang Wenliang was immediately stunned, "Seven or eight big ones are enough for the whole village to eat for one meal?"

Chen Fan patiently explained, "The meat yield of soft-shelled turtles is about 60%. As long as these big soft-shelled turtles are cleaned, almost all of them can be eaten. One big soft-shelled turtle weighs 15 or 16 pounds, and ten of them are equal to a pig. How many pigs can you eat in one meal?"

Still eating several pigs?

With a little more side dishes, half a pig would be enough for the whole village to have a good meal. Now almost half of the soft-shelled turtles have been washed, are you really planning to eat meat until you're full?!

Zhang Wenliang quickly shouted loudly, "Everyone stop, stop, Master Chen said that's enough, keep the rest for later."

Seeing that Zhang Wenliang had spoken, everyone stopped, tidied up a little, and then most of them followed the two of them up the slope to the brigade headquarters.