Siheyuan: Happy Life of Jia Zhang Family

Zhang Dabao rode the motorcycle northward, his destination being the mountainous area thirty kilometers away, where there were mountains, water and picturesque scenery. However, no one would go there because it was a mountain road and it was very exhausting. People nowadays could not even get enough food, and they had no habit of hiking or outings.

After two hours' journey, they arrived at their destination at around ten o'clock in the morning. There were green mountains and clear waters, and birdsong and flowers blooming everywhere. Wen Li fell in love with it at first sight and kept taking pictures with her camera.

While Wen Li was taking pictures, Zhang Dabao set up the tent, which was built against the mountain. He took out a machete and cut down a few trees. The branches were used to make a fence to surround the tent. He also made a fence door and dug an earthen stove inside the fence. He first brought a bucket of water over. Zhang Dabao boiled water in a kettle, then came to the pond with his fishing gear, made a nest first, and then caught a few fish.

"Sister Wen, eat first." Zhang Dabao had prepared the meal, but Wen Li was still walking around with great interest.

"Dabao, it's so beautiful here." Wen Li heard Zhang Dabao calling her, and then she reluctantly returned to the camp.

"How is it? Is it okay to use it as a temporary home?" Zhang Dabao asked Wen Li.

"That's absolutely perfect. It fits in with the surroundings. If you're going to live here for a long time, you can just build a wooden house," Wen Li said.

"When you want to live here, I'll build you a wooden house. Now wash your hands and eat." Zhang Dabao brought up the cooked fish and baked buns.

"How about we go up the mountain to hunt some game in the afternoon?" Zhang Dabao asked Wen Li.

"Hunting, I want to hunt too" Wen Li became even more excited.

"I've prepared the bow and arrow for you. We'll go up the mountain after dinner," said Zhang Dabao, scratching Wen Li's nose.

Wen Li quickened her eating pace and finished in a short while. She urged Zhang Dabao to eat faster so that they could go up the mountain earlier.

Zhang Dabao took a quick bite, and then the two of them picked up their bows and arrows, carried their water bottles, and set off to the top of the mountain.

The scenery on the mountain is different from that at the foot of the mountain. The flowers here are still buds and have not bloomed. The two did not find any prey along the way, but they found a lot of wild onions and wild leeks. They dug some and continued to move forward. When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, Zhang Dabao heard the call of pheasants and signaled Wen Li to speak more quietly.

Zhang Dabao drew his bow and shot an arrow, and a pheasant fell to the ground. Zhang Dabao went over and picked it up.

"Da Biao, you hit it before I even saw it?" Wen Li asked.

"I am an experienced old hunter, and you are an apprentice and you still need practice," said Zhang Dabao.

"Then how can I learn it?" Wen Li asked again.

"If you want to learn, you must sleep with the master. You must sleep comfortably with me first," said Zhang Dabao with a smile.

"You're so annoying." Wen Li blushed.

There were a lot more prey halfway up the mountain. Zhang Dabao shot two more pheasants, and Wen Li also found a pheasant, but she didn't hit it either. But after all, it was the first time she shot an arrow in her life, so she was very excited.

We have reached the top of the mountain.

I will climb to the top of the mountain and look down on all the other mountains. The ancients summed it up very well. Standing on the top of the mountain and looking into the distance, everything seems so small, and the whole person feels relaxed and happy.

"Sister Wen, how about we shout out loud? Shout out the sorrow in our hearts and welcome a better life tomorrow," Zhang Dabia suggested.

"Okay, ah..." Wen Li shouted loudly.

Zhang Dabao also shouted in agreement.

After shouting, Wen Li felt refreshed and said, "Dabao, thank you," and threw herself into Zhang Dabao's arms.

"Sister Wen, look, there is a wild boar there." Following Zhang Dabao's finger, Wen Li saw wild boars, but not just one, but a group.

"There are so many. Let me help you," Wen Li said.

"No, it's no joke when they charge at us. Let's ambush them on the tree in front of us. I'll pull you up to the tree and we'll attack from there. If we stay below we won't be able to withstand it," said Zhang Dabao.

Zhang Dabao took Wen Li's hand, and the two of them went around the top of the mountain to the front of the wild boar herd and ambushed on a tree.

In order to prevent Wen Li from falling down due to nervousness, Zhang Dabao tied her waist to the tree trunk together. Wen Li also nervously drew out her bow and arrow and prepared herself.

"Here it comes," Zhang Dabao said in a low voice.

The two men had their bows and arrows ready. A wild boar passed under the tree and they shot their arrows at the same time. Coincidentally, they both hit their targets. Zhang Dabao shot a boar weighing 160 to 170 kilograms, and Wen Li shot a boar weighing 130 to 140 kilograms.

"Da Biao, I hit it!" Wen Li jumped up excitedly. If she hadn't been tied to the tree trunk, it might have been an accident.

"Be careful, wait a little longer. Wait until they run far away and the wild boars that were shot are dead, then we can go down." Zhang Dabao pulled Wen Li.

After waiting for another five or six minutes, they could no longer hear the wild boars, so they climbed down from the tree. Zhang Dabiao made a cart out of branches, put the two wild boars on it, and pulled them to the pond below the camp.

"Let's process it. It won't taste good if it's left overnight. How about making it into smoked meat? It can be kept longer." Zhang Dabao asked Wen Li.

"I don't want to..." Wen Li wanted to refuse.

"You can't refuse it. Whoever kills it gets it. Go pick up some branches with leaves on them, more." Zhang Dabao said and started to deal with the wild boar.

A small stone shed was built for smoking meat, and the meat was smoked before dark. Thick branches were used to protect the surrounding area to prevent wild animals from stealing the meat at night.

Night finally came. In fact, the spring breeze was still a little cold at this time, but the hearts of both of them were warm.

The mountain is quiet, with the occasional sound of birds chirping, which makes the mountain even quieter. However, the noise in the tent is very loud. It’s good to be in the wild. You can shout loudly without worrying about being heard. The breath of spring is very strong.

They had so much fun that night that Zhang Dabao and Wen Li got up a little late.

"Get up, the sun is shining on your butt." Zhang Dabao patted Wen Li's butt, which was very elastic.

Wen Li opened her sleepy eyes and saw that the sun was already high in the sky. "What time is it, Dabiao?"

"It's ten o'clock. Get up and wash up. We won't go hunting today. Let's go to the hillside to see the scenery over there. When we are tired, we can build a small grass hut and read books and drink water inside, isn't that nice?" said Zhang Dabia.

"Okay," Wen Li agreed of course. Today's breakfast was very greasy, so they ate it together with lunch. They ate the pheasant they had shot last night, and Zhang Dabao made it into beggar's chicken. They each had one. After eating, they took their machetes and shovels, put on their schoolbags, and lay down on the hillside.

"When the sun came out, I climbed the hillside. When I reached the top, I wanted to sing. I wanted my sister to listen to my singing. When she heard the singing, she laughed..." When Zhang Dabao reached the hillside, he sang a song.

"Da Biao, it sounds quite nice. I have never heard it before," Wen Li said excitedly.

"Sister Wen, I am a treasure boy, you have to be good at digging," Zhang Dabao said with a smile.

"You think about that every day, so I won't talk to you anymore." Wen Li blushed and ran to the side, picking wild flowers, and occasionally shouted, "It's so nice."