Chapter 267: Chapter 246: Contracting a Hill

The next day, when Xiao Man and the other two girls returned to their rented apartment at noon after school, they found six dishes ordered from a restaurant on the dining table, along with a note. Bai Junfan had left it. He was gone.

Upon learning that Bai Junfan had aggressively confessed his feelings to Xiao Man, Guan Ailan pouted. "Then what was the point of being so nice to us? A scarf for each of us, all those sweet words... And here I thought he was a decent guy. Hmph! He’s just a liar, a total womanizer!"

Mo Linghui said as she carried the dishes into the kitchen, "The guy’s already gone, what’s the use of daydreaming? Hurry up and start a fire to heat up the food. I’m starving! Considering he bought us all these meat dishes, I’d say we can let him get away with a little trickery. It’s not like we’re losing out!"

Xiao Man had been annoyed that Bai Junfan hadn’t given her a chance to explain her rejection, but hearing Guan Ailan’s complaints and Mo Linghui’s warped logic, she couldn’t help but laugh. ’That’s right. I’ll just assume Bai Junfan is a womanizer. There are three of us girls here. The other two didn’t hear you confess to me, so what if you said something to them that I didn’t hear? Sorry, but I’m not taking you seriously!’

The weather grew colder. After final exams, winter break began, and the year turned to 1980.

By this time, Gongdao Village had completed its household land-contracting process. Xiao Man’s family of three was allocated five mu of prime paddy fields and 3.6 mu of dry land. They also secured the small hill she and her grandpa had their eyes on under a twenty-year contract. A survey showed that once the scrub and woods on the hillside were cleared, it would yield over seventy mu of land that could be used to grow herbs or other crops.

Grandpa wasn’t one to sit idle. As soon as the contract was signed, he took Wu Chengfu and began clearing the small hill. Relatives from Secretary Mo’s and Liang ManCang’s families also came to help for a few days, and they sent over their boys, who were home on break, to lend a hand. By the time Xiao Man got home, the hill was completely transformed, with only the woods on its back slope yet to be cleared.

Xiao Man saw the two-to-three-mu patch of mixed woods. Besides two tall Japanese raisin trees, it was mostly maple, forsythia, and Mongolian oak, with over a dozen tea oil camellias mixed in. These tea oil camellias were definitely not wild; they must have been from an aerial seeding and then transplanted from the mountains by someone. Xiao Man discussed it with Grandpa, and they both agreed to keep this patch of woods. It might be useful later, as some herbs prefer to grow in mixed forests. Even the fruit from the Japanese raisin trees were considered herbs.

The entire hillside was contracted, and they were planning to plant relatively valuable herbs, so it wasn’t possible to have someone patrolling it at all times. The simplest solution was to build a surrounding wall. But despite it being just a small hill, building a rammed earth wall would be a significant project, requiring a lot of manpower and time.

Secretary Mo and Grandpa discussed it and decided to plant a "Bird-Can’t-Land" thorny hedge around the hill. The so-called "Bird-Can’t-Land" meant that even birds wouldn’t dare to perch on these thorns, which showed just how dense and sharp the spikes on their branches were. This type of thorny bush was commonly planted by rural families around their gardens as a fence.

Xiao Man thought this was feasible. It wouldn’t require much labor, just transplanting the thorn bushes from the mountains, planting them neatly, and watering them with the Spiritual Spring. She was sure that in less than a year, they would grow into a dense, sturdy, natural wall. Never mind people being unable to cross, even chickens, ducks, dogs, and other farm animals wouldn’t dare try to get through.

The news that Grandpa had contracted a hill to plant herbs spread. The more forward-thinking people in the production team and the village came to observe and, while they were at it, help with the work. Grandpa knew what they were thinking and didn’t hide anything. He had already openly shared his plans and ideas with Secretary Mo, who then explained and promoted them to the villagers. After all, herbs could cure illnesses and save lives; they would always be in demand. Anyone who wanted to get into it could do it together. As long as they were diligent and willing to work hard, their efforts wouldn’t be in vain.

More than half of the villagers had their interest piqued. They all started eyeing the surrounding small hills and other dry lands, but they were a step too late. The hills closer to the village were almost all contracted out for a wide variety of projects. Some planned to grow fruit, others trees. Those who wanted to plant herbs could only go further out to reclaim wasteland. There were also some who were willing to use a few fen of their dry land to try planting a small amount and see how it went.

On the third day of her winter break, Xiao Man saw Liang Xiaoju.

After being forcibly escorted home by Grandpa that time, Liang Xiaoju had visited a few more times. She didn’t cry and make a scene insisting on staying, because Grandpa had promised her parents he would fund the education of one or two of their children. Getting such a benefit for free, her parents were naturally reluctant to let her leave home. A big girl like her could do so much work around the house! They weren’t about to listen to that old woman and let her go live idly at her grand-uncle’s house!

So, Liang Xiaoju usually came just before the school semester started. She would arrive carrying half a sack of dried vegetables or sweet potatoes and taro, and when she left, she’d be carrying two sacks on a shoulder pole, filled with grain and other things. Grandma would also prepare two lengths of fabric for her to make a set of clothes, and of course, there would be twenty or thirty yuan for school fees.

Although they had both grown up a bit, their relationship hadn’t improved. Liang Xiaoju always believed it was Xiao Man’s fault she couldn’t stay at her grand-uncle’s house, and that the good life Xiao Man was now living had been stolen from her. This strange logic was exactly the same as her cousin, Mo Xiaosu’s.

Xiao Man didn’t even know who she was supposed to feel guilty towards. ’You say it’s yours, she says it’s hers, but I’m the one actually living this life.’

The fifteen-year-old Liang Xiaoju was even more talkative and gossipy than before, but eight or nine out of every ten things she said were unreliable. She was definitely on the path to becoming a pot-stirring busybody. Xiao Man didn’t like hanging around her. Fortunately, Liang Xiaoju had brought along three or four of her cousins, and they formed their own group to help with the work. In the afternoon, Grandma prepared some raw meat and other food for them to take home. She didn’t have them stay over. The two villages weren’t far apart anyway; it was only a twenty-minute walk at a brisk pace.

Liang Xiaoju had wanted to stay over. She had even hung her small floral-print cloth bag under Xiao Man’s windowsill, planning to sleep with Xiao Man that night. However, Grandma had given them a large portion of meat and vegetables. Her other cousins were all happy to take it home to share with their families, and if she didn’t take her share back, she would definitely get a scolding from her parents.

With no other choice, Liang Xiaoju had to go back with the others. Before leaving, she shot Xiao Man a huge eye-roll. Xiao Man unceremoniously returned the favor with a glare of her own. ’Childish or not, with people like Liang Xiaoju, you can’t show weakness. And there’s no point in being subtle—she just wouldn’t get it!’

「Two days later.」

Zheng Shaolian arrived by car, bringing Tang Haocheng and Gu Shaoqin with him. They were there to take Xiao Man, Grandpa, and Grandma to Beijing for the New Year. Zheng Shaolian had gotten leave to visit his family this year as well, so he could head back to Beijing with them.

They had originally arranged it with Grandma Tang, but now that the time had come, Grandpa and Grandma suddenly didn’t want to go anymore. "We’ve been allocated our own fields, and we’ve even contracted a hill! There’s a lot of prep work to do before spring. If we run off to Beijing for ten days or half a month, it will set us back!"

Tang Haocheng, in a panic, hugged Grandpa and Grandma and started wheedling, "You can’t do this! It’s wrong to go back on your word! I thumped my chest and promised my grandpa and grandma that I’d complete this mission! If I can’t, my big New Year’s red envelope is gone! You have to go! Because they’ll just send a second and third wave of people over! Grandpa, Grandma, please just cooperate with Hao Hao and let Hao Hao get the credit for this!"

"Me too! I get some of the credit too!" Gu Shaoqin stepped forward and puffed out his chest. He grinned, revealing a row of gappy, uneven teeth from where his baby teeth were falling out. He looked both adorable and comical.

Grandpa and Grandma were greatly amused. Unable to resist the two young boys’ earnest persistence, they readily agreed. However, they still needed a few days to prepare and hand over the work on the hill and other household matters to Mo Chengfu.

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