The Big Landlord

The New Year is getting closer and closer, and there are less than ten days left in 1993 on the lunar calendar. The villagers in Xiushuiwan take turns killing New Year pigs and inviting relatives and friends to come home for the New Year. The lively scene and the friendly atmosphere of drinking and talking can be seen.

Since the first piece of meat was brought back by Mother Ma Yunxiu’s family on Tuesday, the villagers have never stopped sending a knife of meat to Wang Ben. In the past 20 days of the twelfth lunar month, more than 40 pieces of meat have been received. It is estimated that there are One hundred pounds! Every time I received a piece, I rubbed some salt and threw it in the earthenware jar. It wouldn't break in this big winter, but I couldn't eat so much meat for a while, so I could only use it to smoke bacon.

It wasn't enough to smoke bacon. Wang Ben went to town to buy dozens of pounds of fresh pork. He found a professional sausage-filled place to pound it, and brought it back to the ready-made smoke.

Four tree branches are nailed in the bamboo forest, two bamboo poles are placed, fresh meat and sausages are hung on the bamboo poles, and then a piece of plastic sheeting is covered, and a bacon shed is set up; then go anywhere on the hillside. A few green cypress branches were shaved in the family’s firewood hills, and someone asked for half a basket of sawdust ashes, and the materials for smoking were also prepared.

A fire was lit, sawdust sprinkled, and sparks scorched fresh cypress branches, and the smoke began to rise, and the air began to smell of cypress, burrowing into the meat and sausages.

After three full days of smoking, all the meat and sausages have become golden, and the smell is even more fragrant, making people want to take a bite at first sight.

Such sausages and bacon are not completely dry yet, and they need to be dried and blown to be done. You can keep them for as long as you want, and you can just cut a piece when you want to eat them. It is really convenient, affordable and delicious.

Two bamboo poles full of sausage and bacon, enough to eat for half a year, Wang Ben nodded with satisfaction, and the gluttonous Xiao Linglong bit his fingers and laughed, um, next year's life will be more interesting and hopeful.

After smoking the bacon, Wang Ben leisurely went to Xiaoxing Town, it was time to buy New Year's goods. A few bright red lanterns, a pair of couplets with gold characters on a red background for each door, a few Chinese knots are also bought, and a pair of door gods with Cheng Yaojin and Shan Xiongxin painted, happy! Chicken, duck, fish and beef cannot be lacking. Cold dishes, stewed vegetables, stewed vegetables, stir-fried vegetables, meat dishes, and vegetarian dishes are indispensable. Take away two bottles of Wuliangye. Chocolates, candies, melon seeds, peanuts, fruits, and red envelopes have been bought a lot. If anyone comes to play, I’m sure he won’t be able to finish eating and walk around, it’s fun! Forget the fireworks, the fireworks these days are really bad.

After visiting the two major circles, almost everything has been bought, and there are several large pockets. There is a feeling of returning home full of rewards. Blessed is the Linglong little girl now, the snacks are piled up at home to eat casually. When Feicui taught her to read, there was something in her mouth, and she couldn't read it well.

Putting down his things and resting for a while, Wang Ben turned around and walked towards the foot of Daqing Mountain, and stopped in front of a small earthen house that was very far away from all other dwellings.

In the low and sealed small earthen hut, paper tubes wrapped with books and newspapers were piled up everywhere, and the air was filled with the strong smell of gunpowder and saltpeter. In front of a wooden board in the center of the hut, a thin and short young man held a small iron in one hand. The hammer, the small iron cone in the other hand was aimed at the small paper tube below, the hammer swung, and a crisp sound sounded, the soil in the small paper tube was tightly pressed, and a firecracker was completed.

"Xiaohui!" Wang Ben called in a low voice as he walked forward slowly.

"The book is here!" Xiaohui raised his head and smiled, but he didn't stop in his hand, and still beat the firecrackers skillfully.

Xiaohui, whose full name is Zheng Xiaohui, is a few months younger than Wang Ben. He is honest and honest, and he doesn't speak much. When he was young, he was the follower of Wang Ben and Zhan Wu, and he was often the target of envoys.

He is always the one who goes to the ground to steal cucumbers, climbs trees to pick peaches, and Wang Ben is always on guard every time.

Xiaohui's father, Zheng Kehuo, makes firecrackers for a living. The business is not bad. During Chinese New Year and festivals, or when someone gets married or has a birthday party, people in the surrounding team come here to order firecrackers. Xiaohui didn't even finish junior high school, so he After returning home and inheriting this craft, he was bored in this remote little earthen house all the year round.

"Help me make firecrackers," Wang Ben directly stated his intention. It's New Year's Eve, Xiaohui is very busy now, and he doesn't have much greetings.

"There are ready-made ones, you can just pick one up," Xiaohui said, pointing to the pile of firecrackers in the corner. These were prepared to be sold in the town on the market day.

Walking over to take a look, Wang Ben shook his head and said, "These are too small, give me a bigger handle."

"The maximum is 1,200, and the bigger it is, it won't be bundled," Xiaohui explained.

"You don't need to tie it. Then I'll pack it with a back basket and make it three thousand rings. How about putting it on for ten minutes during Chinese New Year," Wang Ben laughed.

"It's really a hot year!" Xiaohui exclaimed and smiled slightly, "Okay, no problem, it will be done tomorrow afternoon."

"How much?"

"According to the number of rings, the ones that are made are usually sold at 300, 500, 800, and 1200. For each ring, you can give 20 cents," Xiaohui said politely.

"Don't, it's not easy for you," Wang Ben insisted on handing over thirty dollars, then turned and left without further interruption.

The next day, I visited the small earth house again. Xiaohui was busy with the final process. After a while, a string of 3,000 firecrackers was successfully completed. It was really spectacular.

He proudly carried it on his back, shook it and went home, um, put it away for a while.

"Yo, book!"

Not long after walking out, he met Li Erwa, the son of Old Man Li, who was staggering over with a cigarette in his mouth. Seeing Wang Ben warmly greeted him, he took out a Double Happiness cigarette before he arrived, and pulled out a hand Come here, Li Erwa is working in Dongguan. She came back to celebrate the New Year. She only returned to Xiushuiwan yesterday.

"I'm sorry, no," Wang Ben hurriedly waved his hand to refuse, and asked politely, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to buy firecrackers to set off during the New Year," Li Erwa pointed in the direction of the small earthen house and walked away quickly.

Continuing to walk slowly, Wang Ben frowned and thought while walking, always feeling that something was wrong.

not good! Throwing down the basket, he ran to the small earthen house, turned the last corner, and happened to see Li Erwa walking into the house with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Boom!"

After a muffled sound, countless firecrackers sounded, and the crackling continued until they reached the house. The power of the explosion was not large, and there should not be too much gunpowder exposed.

Li Erwa fell down outside the house and was completely frightened. It didn't seem like the problem was a big deal. Wang Ben didn't care about this idiot now, all he was thinking about was Xiaohui. He was very anxious, but he didn't dare to get close. , and dare not enter the house.

A few minutes later, there was finally no sound in the room, Wang Ben slowly approached the door, and after feeling safe, he got in like a trot.