Chapter 196: 1982
Before he knew it, 1981 came to an end, and 1982 arrived.
Little River Village.
At seven in the morning, Chen Dacong returned home with a cage, his face beaming with joy. Inside the cage were four wild rabbits—the biggest harvest he had ever had since learning to set traps.
When he arrived home, his daughter Chen Bangli, who was feeding the chickens at the door, saw him and exclaimed in surprise, "Dad, you caught four rabbits! Did you set the trap right at the rabbits' doorstep?"
Chen Dacong replied with a proud smile, "Pretty much! Anyway, this time we hit the jackpot, and all four rabbits are still alive!"
As the father and daughter chatted, Li Ying and her two sons, drawn by the commotion, came out of the house. They were all amazed to see that Chen Dacong had managed to catch four rabbits at once.
In later years, wild rabbits became extinct in Double Prosperity, but in this era, they were still plentiful in the rural areas of the region.
However, catching them was no easy feat. It was indeed rare for Chen Dacong to snag four wild rabbits in one go.
After showing off his catch, Chen Dacong turned to his wife and asked, "What do you think we should do with these?"
Without hesitation, Li Ying replied, "I'm not great at cooking this kind of thing. My brother-in-law is an excellent cook—he'll definitely make something delicious. Why not send them all to him?"
In the past, these four wild rabbits, weighing over ten or twenty pounds, would have been kept for the family to eat, regardless of how well they were cooked. Eating two rabbits a month would have lasted them two months!
Back then, being able to eat two rabbits a month was already an enviable lifestyle.
But now, their family's circumstances had changed. On one hand, the land had been divided among households, and the harvests were much better than during the collective farming era. On the other hand, they were frequently helped by their brother-in-law, who often provided them with work opportunities that brought in extra income.
They had also raised more pigs and significantly increased the number of chickens and ducks they kept. Every now and then, their brother-in-law would send over a piece of pork or other treats.
All in all, their family's life had improved dramatically.
Nowadays, they ate meat every few days, making their family the envy of many in the village.
In the past, it was always their brother-in-law who sent meat to their family. Now that her husband had been lucky enough to catch four wild rabbits, Li Ying felt it was only right to send them to her brother-in-law.
Hearing this, their daughter Chen Bangli agreed, "With Mom's cooking skills, it would be a waste to keep the rabbits at home. Sending them to Uncle is the best idea."
The eldest son, Chen Bangguo, volunteered, "Dad, Mom, I'll take them to Uncle!"
Chen Dacong smiled and said, "Alright, after breakfast, you can deliver them to your uncle."
Gathering around a fire was one of the favorite pastimes for people in rural southern areas during winter.
When the weather turned cold, it was delightful to light a fire in the living room and have family and neighbors sit around it, chatting and warming themselves.
While the adults chatted, the children roasted sweet potatoes, taro, potatoes, cassava, and various kinds of rice dumplings. They could eat and "play with fire" at the same time, creating some of the most unforgettable childhood memories.
At this moment, Deng Shirong's family was sitting around the fire, warming themselves and chatting, while Deng Yunzhu and the three children roasted cassava.
Among all the root vegetables, cassava roasted over a charcoal fire was absolutely delicious. Only sweet potatoes roasted until they were greasy could rival its flavor.
Soon, the cassava was ready. Deng Yunzhu, unafraid of the heat, picked up a knife and scraped off the charred skin, revealing the slightly browned flesh underneath.
After peeling all the cassava, Deng Yunzhu broke it in half, exposing the slightly yellowish interior. The unique aroma of cassava instantly filled the air.
She handed half to her father and said, "Dad, try it and see if I roasted it well."
Deng Shirong took the cassava, broke it in half, handed one piece to his eldest son, and then said to his daughter-in-law, "Ah Ping, cassava is slightly poisonous. Since you're still breastfeeding, try not to eat it."
Zhang Xiuping nodded and smiled, "I know, Dad. I've been eating cassava since I was a child, so I'm used to it. I won't be greedy. You all go ahead and enjoy it!"
Deng Shirong hummed in acknowledgment and took a bite of the cassava. The flavor was indescribable—so fragrant and satisfying.
Deng Yuntai, Deng Yunzhen, and Deng Yunzhu also ate with relish, while Deng Yunsong and the other boys couldn't resist any longer. They dug out the remaining cassava from the brazier, pinched it to check if it was ready, and then began peeling the skin with a knife...
Three minutes later, everyone except Zhang Xiuping and her daughter had their share of roasted cassava.
Just as they finished, Deng Yunzhu, with her sharp eyes, said, "Seventh cousin is here!"
Everyone looked outside and saw Chen Bangguo walking in, carrying a sack.
"Uncle, cousin, cousin's wife, cousins..."
After greeting everyone, Chen Bangguo put down the sack and said, "There are four wild rabbits in here. My father caught them this morning. They're still alive. He asked me to bring them to you, Uncle."
Hearing there were wild rabbits, everyone gathered around to take a look.
Deng Shirong asked, "Your father rarely catches wild rabbits. Why didn't he keep them for himself and instead sent them all to me?"
Chen Bangguo chuckled and said, "You know my mom's cooking skills. It would be a waste to keep them at home. It's more fitting to bring them to you, Uncle."
Deng Shirong couldn't help but smile at this and didn't refuse the kind gesture. He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll accept them. You don't have to go back today. I'll prepare a feast tonight, and we can have a few drinks together."
Chen Bangguo laughed and said, "Well, I've never tasted wild rabbit meat cooked by you, Uncle. I'll take this chance to stay and try it."
Deng Shirong said with emotion, "It's been a long time since I've had wild rabbit meat. I'll definitely show off my skills tonight."
At this time, there were still many wild animals in Bobai, such as wild boars, porcupines, yellow leopards, civets, foxes, white-nosed pigs, jackals, leopards, pangolins, hares, squirrels, otters, civet cats, and flying civets.
In fact, if we go back a hundred years or so, there were even more wild animals, including tigers, leopards, deer, black apes, monkeys, mountain horses, musk deer, dragon pigs, bell pigs, stone sheep, and raccoons.
Back then, villagers in the mountainous areas could hear the cries of tigers, leopards, and monkeys day and night. There was even an incident during the Guangxu period where a group of tigers attacked and killed people.
Unfortunately, in the early years of the Republic of China, as hunting became more prevalent, the population of these wild animals gradually declined. Species like the black ape, mountain horse, and stone sheep became extinct during that time.
Then came the early days of liberation. During the spring and summer of 1953, the government organized township and village cadres and militias to carry out large-scale hunts, killing a total of 1,109 wild animals, including 25 tigers, 131 wild boars, 231 porcupines, and 772 yellow leopards.
Additionally, the Great Steel Production Campaign in 1958 led to the deforestation of 287,500 mu of forest, severely damaging the habitats of these wild animals. The variety and numbers of wild animals decreased significantly. By the early 1960s, species like tigers, leopards, monkeys, deer, musk deer, dragon pigs, and bell pigs had become extinct. This was the price of development.
(End of this chapter)