My Mountain
Mǎn Bǎo happily took Zhōu Sìláng's hand and went out. Before they left, Qian arranged a place for them to go, "Since we're heading into the mountains, let's go to your designated field and gather some firewood."
Then she said to Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang, who wanted to sneak out to play, "You two go together." "There's not much firewood at home, so please bring back more."
Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng reluctantly agreed, and as soon as they left, they complained to Mǎn Bǎo, "Why go into the mountains on such a cold day? Look, now we have to go pick up firewood, right?
"I already made plans to go catch sparrows with someone."
Mǎn Bǎo confidently said, "I'm doing something important, and there are so many things in the mountains; it's so much fun."
"Isn't it just picking flowers and grass?" We'll make sure to do it for you next time we go into the mountains. Let's not go today, okay?
"No, I must go!" Mǎn Bǎo had just been inspired by Kēkē's blueprint, and it was a time of great ambition. How could she not go?
The Zhou brothers could only sigh as they took Man Bao out of the village and into the distance.
Mǎn Bǎo had never been to this place before.
It was Zhou Silang's allocated field.
It was called a field, but it was actually a mountain forest mixed with a barren wasteland.
Everyone had forty mu of allocated fields, and the village head and the elders had divided them fairly. The available fields were all taken from the nearby mountains. When it was Zhou Silang's turn, most of the mountains near the village had already been allocated, so he ended up with a plot further away. It was about a quarter of an hour's walk from the village, almost reaching the boundary of another village.
The allocation was rough and lacked detail. There wasn't much else in their area, just a lot of small hills. The mountains were covered with a variety of trees and grass. The area was said to be forty mu, but this measurement was only estimated by the village elders. They gestured in a circle with their hands and claimed, "This is forty mu."
So, everyone would hammer a wooden stake into the ground at that spot, and then another one at a different spot, which would designate the area.
Anyway, the mountain wasn't very valuable, and it would be reclaimed by the state after people died.
But when Zhōu Sìláng stretched out his hand and drew a circle, telling Mǎn Bǎo that the whole mountain was his, Mǎn Bǎo still envied him and widened her eyes, exclaiming, "Fourth Brother, you're so amazing! "Fourth Brother, you have so much land!"
This was something every adult male in the village had, and Zhou Silang didn't think it was anything to be proud of. However, being praised by his sister like this made him genuinely proud, and he puffed out his chest, saying, "Of course!"
Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng said, "When we grow up, we'll have it too."
Mǎn Bǎo asked, "Do I have it?"
Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng looked at Zhōu Sìláng, who scratched his head and said, "I've never heard of girls having it."
Zhōu Wǔláng and Zhōu Liùláng thought about it seriously and nodded, "It seems like Big Sister doesn't have it."
Mǎn Bǎo pouted, "Why don't girls have it?"
The Zhōu brothers shrugged. They didn't make the rules, so how would they know?
But it wasn't the time to discuss this now. Upon reaching the base of the mountain, they began searching for dry firewood.
Even though it was winter, there was still plenty of greenery in the mountains. Zhōu Sìláng casually pulled out a green blade of grass and asked Mǎn Bǎo, "Do you want this?"
Mǎn Bǎo knew he was teasing her, so she just snorted at him and went to find her own way into the woods.
Kēkē was also scanning the area carefully, making sure not to overlook any living thing that could earn them points.
This type of mountain was considered barren, with scattered trees and numerous thorny plants. They avoided the lusher areas and stuck to the sparser trees and easier paths.
When they saw dry branches on the ground, Zhōu Wǔláng and the others lazily picked them up and tied them together. Mǎn Bǎo finally found some enjoyment and started searching for firewood, dragging it over to her brothers with great joy. Mǎn Bǎo finally found some enjoyment and started searching for firewood, dragging it over to her brothers with great joy. ###
The Zhou brothers couldn't understand her happiness. As they dragged the firewood into the woods, they muttered, "Why leave the warm house and come to the mountains? There are no flowers or fruits now." "What's so fun about it?"
Kēkē had already found a plant on the brink of extinction, and Mǎn Bǎo ran over to dig it up at his direction. She looked up and said, "Fourth Brother, this is your mountain. Shouldn't you come and take a look?"
"Do I have to?" "It's right here, isn't it?" Zhou Silang said. "It's not going anywhere."
"But you should still come and take a look, think about what this mountain can be used for in the future."
Zhōu Sìláng looked disdainful and said, "This mountain is so far from home, what can it be used for?" Just leave it be. If you are planning to get married in the future, you can come to this mountain and choose a couple of good trees to bring as a dowry.
Zhōu Wǔláng looked at the twisted trees and said, "These are all mixed trees. How could they be used as a dowry for Mǎn Bǎo?" Father has already planted several valuable trees on his mountain, which can be harvested when Mǎn Bǎo gets married.
Lǎo Zhōu's mountain was right on the edge of the village, and even the mountains of Zhōu Dàláng and Zhōu Èrláng were not far away. Mǎn Bǎo was very familiar with the area as she often visited it.
Unlike Zhou Silang's allocated field, which was full of mixed grass and trees, Lao Zhou's mountain was much better managed.
He had cleared the wasteland at the foot of the mountain, planted hemp, and numerous trees were also planted on the relatively flat areas of the mountain. Last year, when the Bái family built a house, they sold a few trees and then replanted them.
This year, due to the house construction, all the mature trees were cut down, and Lǎo Zhōu was planning to buy more tree seedlings in the spring.
He felt that he still had a long time to live, at least ten or twenty years, which was ample time for the trees to grow. By then, whether his grandsons needed to build houses or his granddaughters needed dowries, he could cut down another batch of trees from his mountain.
Zhōu Dàláng's mountain was also managed in the same way, and it could be said that almost every household in the village did the same. The allocated fields were simply designated for planting trees and hemp.
Zhōu Èrláng was a bit of an exception. When the allocation was made, his mountain had many bamboo trees, so he simply planted more bamboo. The trees he planted for his son and daughter were not on his own mountain, but on Zhou Dalang's and Zhou Sanlang's mountains.
This kind of situation, where trees planted for their own children were on their brothers' mountains, was not uncommon in the village. Essentially, as long as the brothers did not have a falling out, there would be no disputes.
Zhōu Sìláng had already planned, "My mountain is too far from home." I have already decided that when my wife is pregnant, I will inform my third brother and plant trees for the child on his mountain.
Zhōu Wǔláng looked at him with disdain, "Fourth Brother, first you have to find a wife."
Zhōu Sìláng sneered at him, "Just wait, I'll find one soon." "And if I can't find one, you definitely won't be able to find a wife."