The whole mountain is my hunting ground

It is said that since the Song Dynasty, there has been a mysterious profession called the credit knife person.

They traveled all over the country and gave all kinds of knives and scissors to people in need on credit.

Giving on credit is not giving away, it is selling without charging money for the time being.

When will you collect the money?

When the prophecy in the person who borrowed the knife comes true, that is, when the prophecy comes true, the person who borrowed the knife will come back to collect the money.

From ancient times to the present, there are many kinds of prophecies about people who lend money to knives. But since the 1960s and 1970s, the first two sentences of the prophecies of knife creditors are: pigs exceed a thousand, and oxen (horses) exceed ten thousand.

Some of the following are "farm house with mud house replaced by brick house", others are "marrying a wife worth hundreds of thousands", "clothes are not mended, just shoes are replaced".

The prophecy that Wang Meilan heard at the beginning was: there will be more than a thousand pigs, more than ten thousand cattle, and a pound and a half of corn.

At that time, the people who borrowed money said this prophecy, which meant that when a pig could be sold for 1,000 yuan, a cow could be sold for 10,000 yuan, and dried corn grains could be sold for 1.5 yuan, he would come back to collect the money.

In this case, not to mention in the 1960s and 1970s, even now in 1987, few people believed it.

These days, the price of the best parts of domestic pork increases during the holidays, and it only costs about one yuan per pound.

A 200-pound pig can produce 50% meat, or 60%, and the meat can be sold for more than 100 yuan at most.

As for the cow, the Zhao Jun family has the most say. After all, they had to pay for the cow just the day before yesterday. Moreover, the compensation was based on the price of live cattle, so the compensation was only one thousand yuan.

But these are not the key. The key is food prices.

This is what farmers care about most.

Yong'an Tun is a forest area, but the people cultivate their own wasteland and produce food for their own consumption or for sale to grain depots.

The dual-track system was implemented in 1985. In 1987, which is this year, grain prices rose slightly. The highest purchase price for dry corn kernels was 1.35 cents.

Therefore, for farmers, one and a half pounds of corn is unimaginable.

Zhao Jun didn't care about the prophecies or whether Wang Meilan borrowed the knife or not, he only cared about the person who borrowed the knife from back then.

So, Zhao Jun asked Wang Meilan: "Mom, is the person who borrowed the knife still not allowed?"

"I don't know." Wang Meilan shook her head slightly and said, "It's probably gone. I saw the old man that year, and I had the impression that he was in his sixties or seventies."

Zhao Jun was right when he thought about it. His grandma called the person who borrowed the knife Uncle Liu. How old was the old man?

"Mom, where is his home?" Zhao Jun asked. Wang Meilan clicked her eyes twice and said, "I can't remember."

Speaking of this, Wang Meilan paused for a moment, and then said: "He is not a real relative of our family, but he is also from these ten miles and eight villages."

After saying that, Wang Meilan asked Zhao Jun: "Son, why do you ask?"

Zhao Jun leaned close to Wang Meilan's ear and whispered: "I suspect that our treasures are still on the mountain."

"Baby..." Wang Meilan's eyes suddenly lit up, and she said: "That year, the credit card man came to our house. He drank too much and muttered that our family had a treasure that was going up the mountain. Back then... life was not easy, your little grandma I thought he was talking nonsense, so I stopped letting the old man talk."

Suddenly, Wang Meilan seemed to remember something. She raised her hand and pointed, and said: "I remember, he is not a relative of our old Wang family, he is a relative of your grandma's family."

"A relative of my grandma's family?" Zhao Jun said, "Then his surname should be Song?"

Zhao Jun's grandmother, Wang Meilan's mother, was named Song.

"Yeah." Wang Meilan knew that it was about money, and her brain was thinking quickly, providing clues to Zhao Jun, and said: "He and my eldest grandmother are brothers who came out of the fifth server. The old Song family was the first to come to Guandong. The family was divided, and they even brought their family tree with them when they left Guanqian.

My eldest grandma and her family used the word "an" in their generation, like my eldest grandma's name, Song Anmin. "

"Ah..." Zhao Jun said, "Then why should the old man call him Song An?"

"Yes!" Wang Meilan nodded in agreement.

"Mom!" Zhao Jun remembered something again and asked Wang Meilan: "My old uncle said that when the old man came that day, he had several knives in the basket on his back. Did he come to borrow the knives on credit?"

"Hiss..." Wang Meilan frowned and recalled, murmuring: "It should be so, but few dare to lend his sword on credit."

"Then why?" Zhao Jun didn't understand. Taking the knife on credit was almost equivalent to getting it for free. Although the folk customs of that era were simple and simple, there were always those who took advantage of others.

"What did they say?" Wang Meilan whispered: "They said there is no charge for the knife on credit. They are here to borrow money."

"What?" Zhao Jun's eyes widened and he said in surprise: "Borrowing pregnancy?"

Wang Meilan didn't know that her son was confused, so she explained to herself: "Well, it's said that they are here to borrow money. Whoever leaves the knife will have their wealth borrowed on credit." "

"Ah..." Upon hearing what was going on, Zhao Jun blinked and said nothing.

"Huh?" Wang Meilan suddenly pulled Zhao Jun down and said, "Go and ask old Xu Pao, he can't help but know that old man."

"Ouch!" It was this sentence that reminded the man in the dream. Zhao Jun remembered that after the battle between Zhen Bajie and Xiao Bajie, when Xu Changlin took out the knife to disembowel the wild boar, he once said about the knife in his hand. It's on credit.

"I remember that year when I was pregnant with your sister." Wang Meilan said: "Those two days were not too bad, she just wanted to eat berries. Your little grandma went out to the countryside to ask for me, and she just happened to catch up with Mrs. Xu's first two days. I went up the mountain and carried the basket on my back. I should have said nothing, but when the old lady heard that I wanted to eat, she asked your little grandma to carry it back for me.

When they were finished chatting, they seemed to mention it, saying that Lao Xu Pao had gone up the mountain for the first two days and was not very good at scraping tree slivers, so he lost it with his knife. Just when the old man who wanted to lend the knife on credit came, Old Xu Pao wanted to lend the knife, but Mrs. Xu refused and said it was a loan or something.

Old Xu Pao said that the family is so poor, who can borrow anything? When he was done, he left a knife behind. They offered me two yuan on credit and said I would pay in full later. At that time, Mrs. Xu seemed to be asking your grandma if the old man was a relative of theirs. "

Having said this, Wang Meilan pointed her finger at Zhao Jun and said, "So I think it's inevitable that they will get to know each other."

"Yeah." Zhao Jun nodded slightly and said, "Then I'll go see the old lady today. I heard Doctor Han say that Mrs. Xu urinated blood that day, so I thought about it and went to see her. I've been busy these days and forgot about it. "

"Tsk!" Hearing what Zhao Jun said, Wang Meilan clicked her lips, turned around and glanced at the big basin in front of the bowl rack, and then said to Zhao Jun: "Son, go ahead and get a few pieces of the black blind man's meat. When you're done, Get two cans for the old lady."

"Okay." Zhao Jun responded, "Mom, I'll go after dinner later."

After saying that, Zhao Jun smiled and said, "I'm still a little anxious."

"Mom is anxious too." Wang Meilan said with a smile: "Look for it quickly. If you find it, mom will buy you a car immediately."

When it comes to buying a car, Wang Meilan waved her hand out the window and said, "Let's buy a Jiefang and then a Jeep."

Seeing that Wang Meilan was very happy, Zhao Jun did not pour cold water on her.

…

The beef stuffed buns come out steaming hot.

Bite one side of the bun skin, fill it with beef, radish and eggs, and dip it in soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil. Not to mention how fragrant it is.

Since it is a big bun, it is as big as Zhao Jun's fist.

As for such buns, Zhao Jun ate seven, Zhao Youcai ate eight, and Zhao Weipeng ate twelve.

When he burped after eating, Zhao Weipeng took a sip of the cold porridge, feeling a sense of satisfaction lingering in his heart.

"Uncle." Zhao Jun put down his chopsticks and said to Zhao Weipeng: "After you finish eating, lie down on the kang and rest for a while. I'll go out."

Zhao Weipeng heard this and asked: "What are you doing?"

"An old lady in our village is sick." Zhao Jun said, "I'll take something to check on her, and I'll be back after a while."

After talking to Zhao Weipeng, Zhao Jun turned to Zhao Youcai and asked, "Dad, can't you go?"

"I'm not going." Zhao Youcai didn't even raise his head and just responded lightly.

Zhao Jun got off the kang and when he arrived at the outhouse, Wang Meilan had already prepared everything.

The three dead roe deer left at Li's house yesterday had all melted. Wang Meilan went over in the morning and chopped off the thigh of one roe deer.

Zhao Youcai was ill a few days ago. Everyone who came to see him brought canned peaches. They couldn't eat those cans, so Wang Meilan gave two bottles to Zhao Jun.

Together with a pile of bear leg meat tied with wire, it just made up four boxes of gifts.

Wang Meilan handed something and Zhao Jun picked it up.

After Zhao Jun took all the things, the mother and son looked at each other and nodded tacitly, Zhao Jun took the things out of the house and went straight to Lao Xu's house.

When Zhao Jun arrived at Lao Xu's house, the old couple had just given up their jobs.

The old couple's food is the same as that of Zhao Jun's family, which is muddy porridge. However, Lao Xu's family does not have big buns, only steamed cakes and pickles.

There is no way, old Mrs. Xu is sick, quite seriously. She couldn't cook, so she taught Xu Changlin how to make noodles.

The corn noodles are fermented, and Mr. Xu can neither knead the steamed buns nor make large pancakes.

But God will never starve to death (qiǎo), so he lays a drawer cloth on the curtain drawer, then pours the fermented corn noodles on the drawer cloth, and steams it to make a cake.

When Zhao Jun came in, Mrs. Xu was lying on the bed. She was really not in good health.

"Oh, man!" Seeing Zhao Jun, Xu Changlin couldn't believe his eyes, and just asked, "Why are you here?"

"Come and see my grandma Xu." Zhao Jun said as he raised the things in his hands. Xu Changlin turned his face and said, "You can come as soon as you see fit. What are you doing with these things?"

"I didn't bring anything." Zhao Jun put the bear meat and roe deer legs on the stove, and took the can into the back room. Seeing Mrs. Xu getting up with difficulty, Zhao Jun hurriedly stopped her and said, "Mrs. Xu, just lie down quickly. , I’ll take a look at you and leave.”

With that said, Zhao Jun put the can on the kang table.

"Child." Old Mrs. Xu asked Zhao Jun feebly, "Have you eaten yet?"

"It's finished. I left it at home to finish it." After Zhao Jun answered, he asked old Mrs. Xu: "Mrs. Xu, are you okay with seeing me?"

"Oh." Mrs. Xu sighed softly and said, "I stopped bleeding after the injection and medicine, but I still feel bad."

"Shaanhu is not good" is a dialect in certain areas of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, which means poor health.

"How about we go to the city and have a look?" Zhao Jun looked at Xu Changlin and said, "Go to the Forestry Hospital, and I'll find someone for Xu Nai."

"No need, kid." Xu Changlin was moved and said with a wry smile: "She is still getting injections, and she is taking Chinese medicine. We will wait and see after two days."

Xu Changlin's words were said by his son. That day, Xu Changlin was very frightened when he heard from his wife that he had blood in his urine. He tried hard to call his son, but his son asked the old lady to treat him at home first.

After these few days of injections and medicine, Mrs. Xu stopped urinating blood, but she still felt uncomfortable.

Zhao Jun knew that the old lady became seriously ill and developed uremia, but this term was not heard in the valley these days, and Zhao Jun could not interfere in other people's affairs.

"Master Xu." Zhao Jun had to go up the mountain today, so he didn't waste time and asked Xu Changlin directly, "I want to ask you something."

"Just tell me." Xu Changlin rolled a leaf cigarette and said, "If Master Xu wants to know, I will definitely tell you."

"Master Xu, I remember you said." Zhao Jun said, "The knife you brought up the mountain was bought on credit."

"Ah!" Xu Changlin nodded and said, "That's how many years."

As he said that, Old Xu looked at Old Mrs. Xu and said, "Xiao Liuer has been twenty years, right?"

"That's a lot." Old Mrs. Xu tilted her head and said, "More than twenty years!"

Indeed, when Wang Meilan was pregnant with Zhao Chun, the man who bought the knife on credit came to this village. Zhao Chun is already twenty-two years old this year.

"Yeah." Xu Changlin nodded to show his approval of his wife's words, then looked at Zhao Jun and asked, "What's the matter, man, why are you asking this?"

"Hehe." Zhao Jun smiled faintly, and he certainly couldn't tell the truth, so he just said, "My mother said that the old man who sells knives on credit is her relative, and I haven't seen him for many years..."

Zhao Jun stopped talking.

But Mrs. Xu didn't let Zhao Jun's words fall on the ground, and continued, "He is a relative from your grandmother's side."

"Grandma Xu, do you know him?" Zhao Jun asked, and Mrs. Xu replied, "Yes, he used to be Wei Guang, but later moved away."

"Why did he move away?" Zhao Jun asked, "Where did he move to?"

Moving is not a trivial matter these days, and no one moves easily.

"Then I don't know..." Mrs. Xu shook her head and looked at Xu Changlin and said, "Old man, where was he the day before you saw him?"

"When did I see him the day before?" Xu Changlin looked confused, but heard Mrs. Xu say, "What a bad memory you have. You forgot that you once went up the mountain and came back to tell me that you ran into him. You even asked him if he wanted money for the knife."

"Oh!" After being reminded by his wife, Xu Changlin remembered it and slapped his thigh immediately, saying, "That's not great, it's been so many years!"

As he said that, Xu Changlin pointed at Zhao Jun and said, "Boy, go ask Xing Lao San, he is familiar with that old man."

"Ah?" Zhao Jun was startled and subconsciously Zhao Jun asked, "My uncle?"

"Yeah! I went up the mountain to look for Xing Lao San that year, and I bumped into that old man at the corner of his shack." Xu Changlin nodded and said, "They are from the same alley. Xing Lao San is a knives and guns, and that old man used to be a beard..."

"Beard?" Zhao Jun suddenly widened his eyes, interrupted Xu Changlin, and asked, "Where is he from?"

"Where else?" Xu Changlin glanced at Zhao Jun and smiled, "He is from here."

"Ah..." In fact, Zhao Jun wanted to ask, wanted to ask if the old man who sold knives on credit was in the same group as Widow Wang, but he thought about it and swallowed the words that were on his lips.

Zhao Jun felt that instead of asking Xu Changlin, it would be better to go up the mountain to ask Xing San.