Chapter 53

Li Dong's head ached a bit in the 21st century. "You little rascal, last time you brought me a swan, I refrained from using my cleaver. You should know that compared to roast goose, Swan Lake is nothing."

Now, just as I was about to enjoy some venison with my pots and pans, and I even brought the seasonings, you bring me a baby sika deer. How am I supposed to sharpen my cleaver?

Li Dong wanted to slap this troublemaking little rascal away.

If you had caught a bigger one, I could have just closed my eyes and eaten a few meals of venison. But this little one, my soft heart starts to feel compassionate.

"Uncle, will you take it?"

"If I don't take it, I'll let it go."

Han Xiaohao felt a bit scared under Li Dong's gaze. What's wrong with Uncle? He's so scary.

Li Dong gritted his teeth and said, "I'll take it, for thirty-five cents a pound."

Now, live pigs are at least thirty-seven and a half cents a pound, and this baby sika deer doesn't have much meat. Thirty-five cents is more for its beautiful fur.

Thirty-five cents, Han Xiaohao was delighted. This little deer weighs at least ten pounds, that's a few dollars.

"Uncle, how about you just give me three dollars? No need to weigh it, I don't need to weigh it."

"Hehe, just don't tell my grandma."

"Get lost."

Li Dong thought, do you think you're your father? Joking, Han Weijun and Han Weiguo, these adults, if they help me hide it, it's fine, but you, a little kid, joking, an extra dollar might make you run away from home.

Besides, you always give me trouble, bringing me something that looks good but can't be eaten and costs money. "Go get your parents."

"Huh?"

Han Xiaohao was about to cry. Uncle, you're too harsh. If my parents were here, I wouldn't get a cent.

"Do you want me to go myself?"

Li Dong glared, and Han Xiaohao pouted. "Uncle, how about thirty cents a pound?"

"Get lost."

Li Dong took out fifty cents and threw it to the kid. He couldn't give more. "Hurry up."

"Ah, okay."

Fifty cents wasn't bad. In Han Village, fifty cents was a lot for a minor. Even his third uncle didn't have much in his pocket.

Although Han Xiaohao was a bit disappointed, not getting a lot of money, fifty cents was still good.

He ran home happily, and his parents, Han Weijun and Zhang Qiujun, were surprised to find out their son had caught a baby deer.

"Dad, Mom, Uncle said thirty-five cents a pound, I just caught a spotted deer, at least ten pounds."

"Ten pounds?"

Han Weijun and Zhang Qiujun immediately got up. Ten pounds, that's over three dollars, enough to buy half a shirt for eight dollars. "Did you tell your grandma?"

"Not yet?"

The couple exchanged glances. What should they do? Zhang Qiujun bit her lip. "Our son caught a spotted deer to buy clothes for his grandma. Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Li Dong."

"I'll go."

Han Xiaohao blinked, confused. Why not tell Grandpa and Grandma? His little brain was a bit confused.

Seeing Han Weijun come alone, Li Dong thought, they're not planning to tell the old folks. Am I corrupting Weijun? Li Dong felt a bit guilty but quickly shook off the thought. Your kid is giving me trouble, so be it. No psychological burden.

"Han Weijun, I just weighed it, fifteen pounds."

Li Dong looked around, but didn't see Grandma Wu coming out to pick up manure. "So, I won't give you money. I had someone deliver the clothes last night, check if they fit."

"Clothes?"

So fast, Han Weijun was surprised. But when Li Dong took out the clothes, Han Weijun was amazed. The small waist, the floral cuffs, the floral shirt was really beautiful. His wife would look like a city person in it.

Back in Zhang Village, a group of women and girls would gather around to admire it. "Good, good, I'll pay you back later."

"No rush."

Li Dong calculated that Han Weijun only had one dollar and fifty-five cents left. It wasn't much, just a wild chicken and two pounds of mushrooms.

"About the spotted deer..." Han Weijun still felt a bit embarrassed, hiding it from his parents, something he hadn't done in years.

"Don't worry."

Li Dong thought, I'm planning to get your wife a set of long johns. What, you two are so capable, next time you might bring me a baby wild boar. Trick me, no, such a good customer needs to be maintained.

Han Weijun put the clothes in his arms, pulled Han Xiaohao, and didn't know how to explain. Han Xiaohao nodded, Uncle gave him fifty cents, Dad promised ten cents, that's sixty cents. Plus the previous fifty cents, he had thirty-five cents left.

Hehe, he could buy a stationery box. Han Xiaohao thought about what color and pattern to choose.

Han Weijun got home and secretly pulled Zhang Qiujun into the room. "How's it going?"

"Hehe, look what I brought back."

Han Weijun took out the shirt, and Zhang Qiujun couldn't take her eyes off it. It was beautiful, the most beautiful clothes she had ever seen. "Where did you get it?" Zhang Qiujun's voice trembled, it was beautiful, and it felt so smooth.

"Li Dong had someone bring it from the city."

Han Weijun boasted, "He said, now Shanghai officials all wear this."

"Shanghai officials wear it?"

Zhang Qiujun was even more excited. When had she ever worn clothes that Shanghai officials wore? "Try it on?"

"Good, good."

Zhang Qiujun wouldn't let go. Han Weijun felt this was the right thing to do. When had his wife been so happy? He was a failure, just a shirt.

Just as Han Weijun was about to go off track, Li Dong was staring at the baby deer. It wasn't big but wasn't small, over ten pounds, with smooth fur, just a bit timid.

"Sigh, what should I do with you?"

"Forget it, forget it. Who makes me so kind? Let's leave your fate to Xiaojuan." Li Dong thought, I'm too kind. Xiaojuan must like baby sika deer.

Xiaojuan was indeed delighted when she saw the baby deer, running over to hug it. "Dad, did you catch it?"

"Sort of."

Li Dong thought, as expected, Xiaojuan still has a girl's heart.

"Great, Dad, later you can sell the spotted deer and we can buy a piglet."

Pfft, Li Dong spat out a mouthful of foam. Did he hear that right? "Xiaojuan, isn't the baby deer cute? Why a piglet? Piglets are dirty and ugly."

"Baby deer grow slowly and are picky eaters. I've seen the accountant's family raise them."

Xiaojuan said matter-of-factly, "Piglets eat anything, grow fast, and sell for more money."

Well, Li Dong thought, she's my daughter, what she said makes sense. In this era, the price of venison in the countryside is really not as good as pork. No fat, grows slowly, and is picky about grass. Raising pigs is better, they grow fast, eat well, and produce a lot of manure.

Xiaojuan liked the baby deer because it was free, and could be exchanged for a piglet. Li Dong realized he was overthinking it. Next time he talks to Xiaojuan, he shouldn't brush his teeth, or he might choke.

"About the piglet, let's talk later."

Li Dong didn't want to raise pigs. They were too smelly and tiring. In the village, the elderly and children would be busy collecting pig feed as soon as they finished work or school. Li Dong didn't want to work after a day of labor.

He had to dissuade Xiaojuan from this terrible idea. Buying a piglet was impossible, but buying pork was fine.

Deciding, Li Dong thought he should secretly release the baby deer, or put it on the mountain he contracted. Let it do what it wants, but don't keep it here. If Xiaojuan sees it, she'll think of the piglet.

Li Dong watched Xiaojuan petting and playing with the baby deer, a harmonious scene. But as he watched, the baby deer turned into Second Brother. Li Dong shivered, shook his head, no, absolutely not. The house was already a mess, and rats occasionally attacked.

If two more piglets came, Li Dong felt he would want to die. No one could make him raise pigs. It was impossible, not in this life, not in the next. If Xiaohei dared to bring a wild boar, he would roast him too.

Thinking of Han Xiaohao, this lucky little brat, he might really bring a baby wild boar one day. Li Dong resolved that if he dared to bring it, he would bleed the wild boar to death.

He and pigs were enemies. One or the other, not both. No pigs, period.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Li Dong gritted his teeth, his expression scary. Xiaojuan thought he was sick. Grandma Wu said Dad's head might be filled with water. "Dad, do you have a headache?"

"Headache."

Li Dong was very worried. No piglets in the yard.

"Ah."

Finished, Dad's head really is filled with water. Is he okay? Should we find the team leader? "Dad, do you need medicine?"

"What medicine?"

Li Dong muttered, "It's not early, I'll make breakfast."

"Ah, if we had a bicycle, we wouldn't have to get up so early."

Li Dong thought, he would get a bicycle, a Forever brand.

After breakfast, he packed Xiaojuan's lunch and watched her and Han Xiaohao and a group of kids leave with the third son of the Han Guofu family. Li Dong wandered to the big tree at the village entrance.

"Li Dong, follow Weijun, repair the warehouse roof in the morning."

Repairing the roof, Li Dong didn't know how, but he didn't have to go up. He was assigned to mix mud, taking off his shoes and getting his feet dirty. The mud had wheat bran, the outer layer of wheat and wheat awns, which pricked his feet. Li Feng jumped when he first stepped in.

Oh no, his delicate feet were hurting, but Han Weijun and the others seemed fine. "Doesn't your feet hurt?"

"What hurt? Hurry up and step on it."

"Add water."

You guys are tough, Li Dong endured the pain and itching, stepping on the mud. When the mud was mixed, it was lifted to the roof with a soil hoist, a wooden frame with a long pole and a hook.

The mud bucket was hung, and the pole was operated manually to lift it to the roof. Li Dong found it easy after a few tries and eagerly operated the pole, while Han Weijun and the others laughed.

This job wasn't easy. After a while, Li Dong's arms were sore.

By noon, Li Dong felt his arms weren't his own. This was really tiring.

"I can't, I can't. In the afternoon, I'll mix mud, I can't do this."

"That won't do. In the afternoon, you'll learn on the roof. Who doesn't need to repair their roof? You'll learn with me on the roof." Han Weijun patted Li Dong's shoulder, encouraging him to learn.

"No, I'm afraid of heights."

"Fear of heights? Confucius' statue was smashed, what's there to fear about heights?"