sbdcsierra Chapter 1767: Bad Drinking
Chapter 1767: Bad Drinking
Chapter 1767: Bad Drinking
As the sun sets, men, women, and children carry hoes and dig up roots, chatting and laughing as they walk along the village paths.
"My dear daughter, are you tired?" Wang Meilan said to Ma Ling with a hint of apology. "There's still one more pool? Tomorrow, Mom will bring two people to help you with it."
"No need, Mom." Ma Ling knew there was a lot of work to be done in the dry fields, and her mother-in-law was also working very hard, so she immediately smiled and said, "You should finish it by tomorrow..."
"Sister-in-law!" Before Ma Ling could speak, Zhao Hong rushed over and pounced on her.
"This child!" Seeing this, Wang Meilan quickly pulled Zhao Hong aside and said, "Your sister-in-law has been working hard all day!"
"Sister-in-law, here's some meat for you." Zhao Hong said, taking out a yellow paper package from her pocket. This yellow paper was actually for wrapping rice cakes.
At this moment, Zhao Hong opened it and saw two roasted thighs inside.
I don't know what kind of meat this is. The leg is even smaller than a wild rabbit's leg, but it's roasted well, a deep, reddish-brown color.
Zhao Hong picked up a thigh, stretched out her arms and stood on tiptoe to stuff it into Ma Ling's mouth.
"You eat it, Hong, what's this..." Ma Ling took a bite, and her big eyes lit up instantly. She looked at Zhao Hong with surprise and said, "Big-eyed thief?"
The big-eyed thief, also known as the bean pestle, is basically a weasel.
It usually lives in farmland and feeds mainly on grains, so this kind of mouse is very clean and has very good meat.
In those years, to protect the grain, people would flood the holes in the fields to force out the big-eyed thieves, and then kill them.
Therefore, there is a term called "blind thief".
Kids especially loved cooking braised crickets. The meat was exceptionally good; it sizzled and juicy when roasted. In those years when oil was scarce, it was an absolute delicacy.
City girls in their twenties and thirties would either scream or run away at the sight of a mouse. But Ma Ling recognized the meat as that of the big-eyed thief, so she casually took the thigh and began to eat it as she walked.
While eating, Ma Ling glanced at Liu Mei and Yang Yufeng, only to see that Li Xiaoqiao and Xiao Lingdang had also served them roasted big-eyed thief legs.
In one afternoon, led by Li Tongyun, the group of children went through more than a dozen big-eyed thief holes.
Zhao Hong and the other children were responsible for pouring water into the cave, while Li Tongyun was responsible for killing...weasels. She killed them one by one with her stick, regardless of size, gender, or whether they were big or small.
After killing it, skin it and roast it until it sizzles and oozes oil, turning reddish-brown on both sides.
The kids were gnawing away, their mouths dripping with oil, but they all saved the meatiest and tastiest thighs for their families.
When Wang Meilan entered the yard carrying a hoe, Zhao Youcai's nose had just stopped bleeding.
When Wang Meilan entered the room, she saw Zhao Youcai sitting in the outer room, with Zhao Jun, Zhao Weipeng, and Xing Sanwei around him.
After learning the details, Wang Meilan couldn't help but frown.
First of all, Wang Meilan knew that Zhao Youcai would be fine. When she was a child, she had heard Wang Dabazhang tell the story of Wang Yong gnawing on a stick and then not sleeping for seven or eight days. She knew that sticks replenish qi and blood, and although they overflow, they do not harm the body.
Wang Meilan frowned because she was exhausted from working in the fields all day. She was unhappy to find Zhao Youcai causing trouble at home.
However, Wang Meilan couldn't say anything in front of her relatives and friends. She just glanced at Zhao Youcai and went inside to change her clothes.
Ma Ling, who had just entered the house, listened patiently to Zhao Youcai's situation and then said to Zhao Jun, "Quickly pick a couple of small radishes, and I'll boil some water for Dad to drink."
"Does the small radish greens work?" Zhao Jun knew that Ma Ling knew many folk remedies. Small radish greens are a type of vegetable served with dipping sauce in Northeast China in early spring. To put it simply, it's just an unripe radish. Small radishes can range in size from the size of a melon seed to the size of a quail egg, and they can be eaten raw with the leaves dipped in sauce.
“It’s somewhat effective,” Ma Ling said. “It makes a difference, otherwise Dad would have to work several nights in a row.”
Ma Ling meant that she was worried Zhao Youcai wouldn't sleep for several days. This wild ginseng is so potent in replenishing qi and blood that not sleeping won't harm him, but it's incredibly taxing!
"Uncle," Ma Yang asked Zhao Youcai, "My dad and mom didn't come?"
"He didn't come." Zhao Youcai, afraid that his daughter-in-law would overthink things, quickly explained, "I specially rode my motorcycle to invite my in-laws over. After that, Erchengzi and the others helped your family with the work. In the evening, my in-laws arranged for them to have drinks, so they didn't come."
"Ah, well..." Ma Yang said hurriedly, "Uncle, I'll go back now."
"What are you going back for?" Zhao Youcai said, "I already told your dad that you're eating here tonight."
As soon as Zhao Youcai finished speaking, Wang Meilan, who came out from the inner room, also invited Ma Yang to stay for hot pot, saying, "Xiao Yang, you have to stay! You're a hero today!"
Mountain runners love to talk big and boast, and Ma Yang, despite having only run for a day, had already picked up all the mountain runners' habits. As soon as he arrived in the South, he told Wang Meilan about how he had accidentally stepped on a stick while climbing the mountain.
Ma Ling, who had been working in the paddy fields, was unaware of Ma Yang's extraordinary encounter and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, Mom? What's Xiao Yang doing?"
"Sister!" Before Wang Meilan could speak, Ma Yang said to Ma Ling, "Your little brother just got to the mountain today and stepped on a corn cob. Then my brother-in-law quickly and efficiently removed the corn cob. And guess what happened?"
"What happened?" Ma Ling cooperated, and then Ma Yang raised his hand to gesture, saying, "After that, another seedling came out, and my brother-in-law carried this club out again. After carrying it out, my brother-in-law said, 'This club must sell for ten or eight thousand.'"
As soon as Ma Yang spoke, Ma Ling lightly retorted, "Is that how your brother-in-law talks?!"
"Hahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter, with Li Ruhai's laughter being the loudest.
"Huh?" Ma Yang suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked Zhao Youcai, "Uncle, are you not going to give that expensive stick any more food?"
"No." Zhao Youcai didn't mention the honey-soaked wild ginseng slices he ate, trying his best to keep the Wang family's treasure a secret.
Just then, Zhao Jun came in carrying two handfuls of small radishes. Ma Ling didn't even have time to rest before she started making soup for Zhao Youcai.
Wang Meilan led a group of people out to help Zhao Weipeng clean up the sheep. As the saying goes, many hands make light work, and soon the sheep was reduced to bones, offal, and hand-cut mutton.
At six o'clock, the outer room of the Zhao family's house was filled with the steam of a heated floor, with a clay brazier and a small copper pot for hot pot mutton.
"Big brother, aren't you coming to the table?" Zhao Weipeng called out to Zhao Youcai. Zhao Youcai glanced at the meat and vegetables on the table, pursed his lips, and walked over to the table to sit down.
Just as Zhao Jun was about to say something, Zhao Youcai said, "I'm not eating anything, but I have to sit with my nephew for a while."
The nephew Zhao Youcai mentioned was none other than Ma Yang.
In the past, when Ma Yang came to the Zhao family for dinner, it was always on a very formal occasion with Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua present. Zhao Youcai didn't pay much attention to Ma Yang; he just had Zhao Jun take care of the boy.
But today is different. Today is the first time Ma Yang has come to our house for a casual meal. Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua are not here. Whether the Zhao family considers him a relative or out of respect for Ma Ling, they have to treat this child as a guest.
After Zhao Youcai sat down, he immediately beckoned to Ma Yang and said, "Kid, come on, sit down quickly."
Ma Yang was a little embarrassed, so Zhao Jun gently nudged him from behind and made him sit down next to Zhao Youcai.
"Hey kid, want some beer?" Zhao Youcai asked politely, not expecting Ma Yang to be able to drink.
But just like when Zhao Jun went to eat with Zhou Jianjun, even though she knew he didn't drink, Hu Sanmei would still ask him every time, and sometimes she would even put the wine bottle aside.
To Zhao Youcai and the others' surprise, Ma Yang immediately said, "Uncle, I don't drink beer, I drink baijiu."
"What?" Zhao Youcai was stunned, and Zhao Jun and the others were also surprised. Then they heard Ma Yang say, "My uncle came a couple of days ago, and I even had a drink with him."
Ma Yang wasn't lying. Last week, Zhu Dashan and his two sons visited the Ma family. Zhu Dashan said that Ma Yang was a grown man now and should know how to do everything he was supposed to, so he made Ma Yang drink two ounces of baijiu (Chinese liquor).
The kid didn't think alcohol tasted better than soda, but he felt that drinking alcohol made him an adult.
"Can you drink it?" Zhao Youcai asked tentatively, but as he asked, he was already in a dilemma.
Guests are welcome, and no feast is complete without wine. If a child says they can drink, can you stop them? But if you let them drink, what if they drink too much? That's not the child being unreasonable, but you, the adult, being unreasonable.
"Uncle, give me one less jar first," Ma Yang said with a smile. Zhao Youcai replied with a smile, "Okay, give me two ounces first."
As he spoke, Zhao Youcai opened the bottle cap of Xifeng liquor.
Looking at the Xifeng liquor that Zhao Youcai had poured into the glass, and then at the people at the table—the forestry farm manager, the motorcade captain, the deputy dispatcher, the deputy security leader, and the wealthy boss—Ma Yang was already tipsy before he had even tasted the liquor.
At this moment, Zhao Jun frowned and craned his neck to look at Ma Ling at the next table. He repeatedly winked at Ma Ling, but Ma Ling did not understand what Zhao Jun meant and just stared at Zhao Jun with her big eyes.
At this point, Zhao Jun was also helpless. His brother-in-law could drink, just like Ma Yang, whom he knew in his previous life, who could drink every day. However, his brother-in-law's behavior when drunk was... quite terrible.
Today was only the second time Ma Yang had been drinking. The first time he only drank two liang (100ml), which was not excessive and did not involve any bad drinking behavior.
Zhao Youcai, whose blood and energy are too strong, can only eat radish soup these days. He can't eat meat or drink alcohol, but he takes a pair of unused chopsticks and keeps adding meat to Ma Yang's plate.
The sheep was slaughtered less than two hours ago. The fresh mutton was dipped in the milky white mutton bone broth, then taken out and served hot. It was then dipped in a sauce made of sesame paste, fermented bean curd, chive blossoms, and chili oil, and stuffed into the mouth. After chewing a couple of times, a clove of garlic was added. Even a god wouldn't trade it for this!
Then, take another sip of sorghum liquor, and your whole body will feel warm and cozy, and you'll break out in a light sweat—it's incredibly refreshing.
A bite of meat, a clove of garlic, and a sip of wine allowed Ma Yang to rediscover the joy of drinking.
Seeing that Ma Yang had downed two cups of wine, Zhao Jun couldn't help but advise, "Little brother, eat more meat and drink less wine."
"It's alright, brother-in-law," Ma Yang said with a smile. "I didn't drink too much."
As soon as Ma Yang finished speaking, Wang Qiang laughed and said, "This kid really hasn't had too much to drink. Look at his face, it's neither red nor white."
Although Wang Qiang hasn't made much progress in his career over the years, the second young master of the Wang family has been a prominent figure in Yong'an since birth.
After being praised by Wang Qiang, Ma Yang laughed heartily, raised his cup and called to Li Baoyu, "Brother Li, pour me another jar."
Looking at the cup Ma Yang was holding up, and then at Zhao Jun who was winking at him, Li Baoyu was instantly caught in a dilemma.
At this moment, Zhao Youcai took the wine bottle from in front of Zhao Weipeng's bowl and poured wine for Ma Yang, saying, "Kid, your brother-in-law is right. Eat more meat. The meat is good today."
After saying that, Zhao Youcai looked up at Zhao Jun and urged, "Put the meat in, put the meat in the pot."
……
At 8 p.m., Ma Yang, who had drunk 100ml of baijiu and two bottles of beer, was helped out of the gate by Zhao Jun, followed by Zhao Youcai, Wang Meilan, and Ma Ling.
"Uncle, Aunt, Sister, no need to see me off, no need to see me off." Ma Yang said, pushing away Zhao Jun's hand, "Brother-in-law, I haven't had too much to drink."
“My little brother is really fine.” These were the words of Ma Ling. Although her little brother said that she didn’t know how to avoid getting wet in the rain, in Ma Ling’s eyes at this moment, Ma Yang was really fine. Even without Zhao Jun’s help, he walked very steadily, and when he came out of the house, Ma Yang’s face was not red at all.
Zhao Jun glanced at Ma Ling, leaving Ma Ling completely bewildered.
"Children, this is bear meat, some fatty, some lean, and a paw. Take it home and eat it." Wang Meilan handed over a burlap sack, tied with a rope. Inside were twenty pounds of bear meat and a bear paw.
"Thank you, thank you, Auntie." Ma Yang didn't stand on ceremony and took the sack directly. At that moment, under the light of the large lantern, no one could see that Ma Yang's face, which had been normal just a second ago, had instantly turned red.
"Give my regards to your parents," Zhao Youcai said. "I didn't get to drink with my in-laws today, when will we have another chance?"
“Okay, Uncle.” Ma Yang replied to Zhao Youcai like an adult, “Let’s drink again another day.”
"Huh?" Zhao Youcai was taken aback, and then he heard Zhao Jun say to Ma Yang, "Let's go, Xiao Yang, your brother-in-law will take you home."
"No need, no need." Ma Yang raised his hand and pushed Zhao Jun away, saying, "It's just a short walk, why would I need to see you off? I'm not drunk!"
"I'll just take a stroll," Zhao Jun said, making an excuse. "I'll also check on Dad and Mom; it's been a while since I've been there."
"You don't need to look," Ma Yang said, then picked up the sack and ran off.
This scene stunned Zhao Youcai, Wang Meilan, and Ma Ling, and Zhao Jun hurriedly chased after them.
To this day, Zhao Jun is the only person in the world who knows what Ma Yang looks like when he's drunk.
Once caught up with by Zhao Jun, Ma Yang seemed like a completely different person, constantly berating Zhao Jun for following him.
Zhao Jun ignored him and followed Ma Yang toward the Ma family's house.
Just as they turned the corner, Zhao Jun and Ma Yang encountered Liang Jiacheng from a village.
Liang Jiacheng was Ma Dafu's apprentice, the second son in his family, and those who knew him called him Erchengzi. Today, he and someone nicknamed Liu Baobao helped Ma Dafu and Wang Cuihua dredge the weeds from the rice paddy.
They were all acquaintances, so they had to greet each other when they met. But before Zhao Jun and Liang Jiacheng could speak, Ma Yang called out, "Erchengzi."
“This child…” Liang Jiacheng paused, then asked, “Is he a tiger?”
It's true that Liang Jiacheng has that nickname, but it's acceptable for elders and peers to call him that, but not for those much younger than him.
It's even more unacceptable if the two families have a good relationship, just like Zhao Jun can't call Lin Xiangshun "Shunzi".
"Second Brother!" Zhao Jun quickly explained, "This kid has had too much to drink, don't pay him any attention."
"Who's drunk?" Ma Yang shoved Zhao Jun aside and said in a harsh tone, "Don't...don't...don't lie."
Seeing this, Liang Jiacheng smiled and said to Zhao Jun, "Drinking at your house?"
"Yeah, right." Zhao Jun laughed, "This kid... he drinks it all by himself."
"Hehe, I also had drinks with my master today..."
Zhao Jun and Liang Jiacheng had just exchanged a few words when they realized that Ma Yang, who was standing next to them, was gone.
Zhao Jun hurriedly chased after him, and under the moonlight, he saw Ma Yang run into the Ma family's courtyard.
Seeing that Ma Yang had returned, Zhao Jun was relieved.
When Ma Yang pulled the door open and entered the house, Wang Cuihua was washing dishes in front of the stove.
"Your youngest son is back?" Wang Cuihua asked, but Ma Yang didn't answer. He carried a sack full of bear meat and bear paws into the house.
"What are you carrying?" Wang Cuihua asked. Ma Yang didn't answer. He went into the east room and saw Ma Dafu sitting on the kang drinking tea. Ma Yang went to the edge of the kang, threw the greasy burlap sack on the kang, and then reached for the Shilin cigarettes on the kang table.
This stone forest was given to Ma Dafu by Zhao Youcai. Today, when guests came, Ma Dafu opened a box.
"Huh?" Ma Dafu quickly snatched the cigarette pack, and before he could say anything, he heard his son say, "Stingy."
"Damn it..." Ma Dafu glared, and then heard Ma Yang shout to the outer room, "Mom, make me some tea too."
"Why would a child like you drink tea?" Wang Cuihua was too busy washing dishes to ask, so she just said, "Will you sleep tonight after drinking this?"
At this moment, Ma Dafu noticed that his youngest son's face was flushed and realized something was wrong. He immediately asked, "Were you drinking at your brother-in-law's house?"
"Ah." Ma Yang glanced at Ma Dafu and said, "Do you know who I'm drinking with today?"
Ma Dafu curled his lip, thinking that the way he said it made it seem like he didn't know the people in Old Zhao's family.
At this moment, Ma Yang counted on his fingers to Ma Dafu: "There's Director Li, Team Leader Li, Captain Lin, Deputy Team Leader Zhao..."
"Deputy Team Leader Zhao?" Ma Dafu was taken aback. When others mentioned Zhao Jun to him, they all said things like "your son-in-law" or "this," and no one ever referred to Zhao Jun by his official title.
"Well..." The drunk man rambled on, and at that moment Ma Yang asked Ma Dafu, "Dad, where's our family's household registration booklet?"
"What are you doing?" Ma Dafu asked. Ma Yang replied, "Go get it for me."
"What are you going to do?" Ma Dafu's voice changed. In this day and age, every family in the countryside has a head of the household who controls the household registration book and valuables.
Nowadays, Wang Cuihua is actually in charge of the Ma family, but Ma Dafu is the head of the household.
“From now on, I’ll be in charge.” Ma Yang waved his hand at Ma Dafu and said, “You can stay with my mother and take care of her in her old age.”
Knowing his youngest son was drunk, Ma Dafu didn't say anything, only saying, "Get out! Get out! Get out! Go to your room and go to sleep!"
“I said I’m in charge, so what? You don’t agree?” Ma Yang glanced at Ma Dafu and said, “Look at the state you two have set for this family, there’s not even a TV. How many families in the village have TVs?”
"I'm so pretty!" Ma Dafu cursed. "If it weren't for you, wouldn't I have bought a TV long ago? If I hadn't saved money for your wedding, would you have been able to get married yourself?"
"Hey!" Ma Yang chuckled, then pouted and said, "Dad, do you know how much money I made today?"
"Pretty girl!" Ma Dafu cursed, "You do some work for your brother-in-law, and you still want money from him?"
"What is it?" Ma Yang raised his hand, held up three fingers, and gestured to Ma Dafu, saying, "I found a club on the mountain today, and my brother-in-law said he'd give me at least three thousand yuan."
At this point, Ma Yang held up his three fingers and waved them in front of Ma Dafu, saying, "Three thousand? That's not enough for you to earn for several years!"
"Slap!" Ma Yang was greeted with a loud slap across the face!
(End of this chapter)