Return to the small mountain village in 1981

461-470

461
Zhou Huaian put away the account books and returned to the backyard. Yi Ding and the old man had already finished unloading the coal, and Yang Chunyan was sweeping the floor.

He told the three of them what Secretary Xu said, "Next year we must let the eldest brother choose the captain, and only those who have been in charge know the ropes."

Zhou Yiding smiled and said: "If the eldest brother goes to elect, I will vote for him first."

Yang Chunyan remembered that no one collected taxes on local specialties in her previous life, but these days taxes are high, and since Secretary Xu said it, it might be true.

"I remember the last time we went back, my mother said that fish farmers in the village's ponds also had to pay fisheries tax."

The old man said: "In the past, when you killed a pig in the village, you had to pay a slaughter tax. It seems that you have to pay a lot of money for a pig."

Only now does he feel that the 10% the youngest gave Secretary Xu was not in vain.

Otherwise, they would not know what local property tax they would have to pay, and they would never have heard of it for a long time.

Zhou Huaian remembered that the family had never killed New Year pigs before, "Mom said, I will leave two big fat pigs to kill New Year pigs this year."

Zhou Yiding smiled and said: "I have already told my second mother to leave a thinner one for my family."

Zhou Huaian looked at the old man and said, "Grandpa, if you buy one Tintin cat, if there is one left, just kill them all."

The old man rolled his eyes at him, "It's strange that your mother is willing to give up!"

Yang Chunyan thought that the bacon and sausages made from smoked pork these days were just right, "Grandpa, actually, three pigs killed five families for one cent, and one family didn't have much."

Zhang Xiuxiang took over and said, "This year, we will prepare sausages, bacon, and oil-based meats. Next year, we will buy less pork and eat less pork."

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "Yes, your family has nothing to worry about now. The house has been repaired and the family still has ways to make money. It's okay to kill two more."

Yang Chunyan said: "Aunt Jiang, you don't know, the business of harvesting truffles is for the boss of the pharmaceutical factory in the provincial capital. Our family earns some wages and rents two baking rooms for ten or twenty yuan a month. To be honest , it seems that people who are not lucky enough to dig truffles can still afford it."

Jiang Yu said with envy: "I can catch up with the salary of the school's substitute teacher."

Zhao Huifang came over with a basket, "My youngest, the baking room is full of truffles washed last night. You can dry these truffles at your third brother's house and upstairs."

She and others came over early in the morning and started scrubbing the truffles. Finally, they cleaned up all the remaining ones from last night and those collected this morning.

"I want it!" Zhou Huaian and Zhou Ding picked up the truffles on their poles and walked towards Zhou Huaishan's house.

Yang Chunyan took a bamboo rake and went with her to help. After the roof and front yard were full, she went home and picked two baskets to dry on the roof of her house.

She used a bamboo rake to rake away the piled truffles. "Huai'an, the wall of Xiangwuqian's baking room should be completed, right?"

"Yes!" Zhou Huaian stacked the bamboo baskets together, took the bamboo rake in her hand, and spread the truffles as much as possible. "The sun is strong today, and it will dry faster in the afternoon."