Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 40

"Lost? Is it registered in town?"

"Filing the record..."

Wang Laoliu's voice grew softer and softer, "No."

When my father bought the land, the Zhou family said they couldn't find the original land deed, so they wrote a written agreement.

The two families put their fingerprints on the document, took it to the town government to get it stamped, and that was considered a deal.

There is no record of it.

Director Fang put the land deed away, tucked it back into the file folder, looked at Wang Laoliu, and sighed.

It seems we've become accustomed to the helplessness of seeing such muddled accounts.

"Wang Laoliu, I've seen your situation many times under the current policies."

You have neither a land title nor a registration, yet you claim you bought it—all based on empty words.

It's difficult for us to determine if this land belongs to you.

Wang Laoliu's legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground with a thud, his face looking as if he had been hit with a stick.

The surrounding villagers erupted in a buzz of excitement.

"So who does this land actually belong to?"

"The land deed in Chen Zheng's possession is genuine, so shouldn't the land belong to the Chen family?"

"So, Wang Laoliu planted for fifty years, and it was all for nothing?"

"What do you mean by 'white-skinned'? The Chen family has land deeds. How did Wang Laoliu's father buy the Zhou family's land?"

Who knows if it's a legitimate business...

Director Fang raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He cleared his throat: "Fellow villagers, the land administration bureau will handle the property rights issue of this land in accordance with the law."

Currently, the land deed held by Chen Zheng is the most original and complete proof of ownership.

If Wang Laoliu believes he has legal property rights, he can provide evidence, which we welcome.

However, the land use will remain unchanged until the issue is fully investigated.

"What does 'maintaining the status quo' mean? Who gets to farm this land?" someone shouted from the crowd.

"Maintaining the status quo means that Wang Laoliu is still farming the land, but the property rights are temporarily frozen."

It cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. We'll wait for the investigation results before making any decisions.

Wang Laoliu got up from the ground, patted the dirt off his buttocks, and his face turned red and white in turns.

Director Fang's words seemed to offer both sides a way out.

But it's clear to anyone with eyes that the initiative in this matter is no longer in Wang Laoliu's hands.

With the property rights frozen, unable to be bought, sold, or transferred, Wang Laoliu could only continue farming on this land.

But the land was no longer under his control.

Chen Rong stood outside the crowd and whispered:

"Brother, does Director Fang's statement about maintaining the status quo mean we can't take back this land?"

"No rush." ​​Chen Zheng pulled Chen Rong away from the crowd. "Director Fang said this for Wang Laoliu's benefit."

Today we confirmed that the land title we have is valid, which is the biggest progress.

As for when the land will be reclaimed, that depends on the investigation results.

This needs to be done step by step; we can't rush it.

"What if Wang Laoliu absolutely refuses to vacate the land?"

Chen Zheng glanced at Wang Laoliu, who was still arguing with Director Fang in the crowd.

The man's face turned as red as an eggplant, spitting everywhere, but his voice was already trembling.

Chen Zheng saw right through his reaction.

"He wouldn't dare. Wang Laoliu is a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong. The tougher you are, the more cowardly he becomes."

The more submissive you are, the more he will bully you. Today, in front of the whole village, the land deed has been finalized.

No matter how unwilling he was, he wouldn't dare to go against the Land Administration Bureau.

Sure enough, after arguing with Director Fang for a few minutes, Wang Laoliu's voice grew softer and softer until he finally fell silent.

He squatted down next to the stone mill, his hands covering his head.

Chen Laosan remained silent, squatting under the locust tree, puffing on his cigarette.

Smoke billowed from his nostrils and was blown away by the wind.

He appeared expressionless, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, a curve that was completely imperceptible to others.

Chen Zheng did not appear in front of the crowd.

He turned around and walked a few steps back, then squatted down by the old well at the corner of the village road.

Waiting for Director Fang and Xiao Lin to slip away from the crowd.

The well rim was damp and covered with a ring of moss.

He dipped his hand into the well water and felt a rush of coolness.

I've already planned out the next step in my mind.

Wang Laoliu's plot of land is not the most important; the other six plots are.

Director Fang only brought one land deed for Lutang Village today.

If we can get through Director Fang's connection, we can clarify the ownership of the other six plots of land as well.

Then he had a real foothold in Lutang Village.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Director Fang and Xiao Lin squeezed out of the crowd and walked along the village road.

Wang Laoliu was still squatting next to the stone mill, surrounded by several villagers who were all talking at once.

Chen Zheng stood up and went to greet him: "Director Fang, may I trouble you for a few minutes? There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Director Fang adjusted his glasses and looked him up and down: "Who are you?"

"My name is Chen Zheng. I am the holder of the land deed for plot No. 007 in Lutang Village."

Chen Zheng took out his household registration booklet from his pocket and handed it over.

"Director Fang, these six land deeds are together with the one from before; they are all ancestral properties of the Zhou family."

If possible, I would like to ask the Land Authority to verify the ownership of these plots of land as well.

Director Fang took the stack of land deeds, took off his glasses, and examined them closely.

He flipped through the pages, pausing when he reached one of them.

The area at the eastern end of Lijiawan Village is five and a half mu, bordered by a ditch to the north and the official road to the south.

I turned to another page and paused again.

To the west of Zhaojiadu, there is a 4-mu area, bordered by a willow grove to the east and a water channel to the west.

After reading it, he put his glasses back on and weighed the stack of land deeds in his hand.

"Comrade Chen Zheng, this land deed is very important to us."

It's not just about the property rights of these few plots of land.

More importantly, the land deeds of the Zhou family are the most complete land archives from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period discovered in our county to date.

I'll report this to the bureau and give you a reply as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Director Fang. What about Wang Laoliu's land?"

"Don't worry about that land. The land title is valid and the property rights are clear."

As for Wang Laoliu's side of the story, we will give him a chance to explain.

However, based on the materials we currently have, your chain of evidence is more solid.

We will handle this matter according to the law once the investigation is completed.

Chen Zheng carefully put away the land deed, thanked them, and watched Director Fang and Xiao Lin walk away.

Their gray uniforms gradually shrank along the tree-lined avenue, eventually disappearing around the corner.

When he got home, Zhang Cuihua had already put the food on the table.

Today we had mixed grain rice, a mixture of sorghum and millet, steamed until dry, so that each grain was distinct.

The dishes were stir-fried greens and stir-fried shredded pork with pickled vegetables, as well as a bowl of fish head tofu soup.

The soup was simmered until it turned milky white, with a layer of finely chopped scallions floating on top.

Chen Laosan has returned. He's squatting on the doorstep, slurping his soup.

He glanced at Chen Zheng, put down the bowl, took out a pipe from his pocket, and filled it with tobacco.

I lit it and took a puff.

"Third brother, eat your meal, why are you smoking?" Zhang Cuihua poked her head out of the kitchen and glared at him.

Chen Laosan ignored her, took another puff, and then spoke: "So, what are you planning to do about today's matter?"

"Father, you mean Wang Laoliu's land?"

"Um."

"Director Fang said to wait for the investigation results. I reckon the investigation results won't be out for long."

"Teacher Zhao has connections, and the Land Bureau recognizes our land title."

Chen Laosan took the pipe out of his mouth and tapped the ash on the doorstep.

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking, Wang Laoliu, what are you planning to do?"

Chen Zheng put down his chopsticks and looked at his father.

Old Chen asked how to handle it, not who the land would belong to.

He was asking about people.

"Father, what do you think we should do?"

Chen Laosan took a puff of his cigarette, the smoke billowing from his nostrils and swirling in front of his face.

I don't like Wang Laoliu.

But your grandfather once said, "One should be lenient when one can."

Wang Laoliu has been farming this land for decades; even if he hasn't achieved anything great, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work.

If you push him too far, he's capable of anything.

"Dad, I don't intend to force him. But if he tries to bully me, then don't blame me for being impolite."

Old Chen put the pipe back in his waistband, picked up the bowl and continued drinking the soup.

After finishing his meal, Chen Zheng took out the remaining land deeds and examined them one by one under the kerosene lamp.

Of the seven land deeds, one in Lutang Village has already been matched with the Land Administration Bureau.

The remaining six pieces are located in three places: Lijiawan, Zhaojiadu, and Baiyang Town.

The total area exceeds forty acres.

The five-tenths-acre plot in Lijiawan has a land deed that states it extends north to a ditch and south to an official road.

He vaguely remembered this location.

Lijiawan is located east of Lutang Village, with a paddy field and a canal separating the two villages.

The ditch mentioned on the land deed should be the irrigation canal that connects Baiyang Lake to Lijiawan.

He didn't know who was farming that land now, but he could ask Li Dashan.

Li Dashan was the old man selling fish at the trade fair. He owned a fishpond and knew everything about Lijiawan.

The land in Zhaojiadu is four mu in size, and the land deed states that it is bounded by a willow grove to the east and a water ditch to the west.

Zhao Jiadu is a large village located south of Baiyang Lake. It has a ferry crossing, which is the busiest dock on Baiyang Lake.

That plot of land is next to a willow grove, in a good location, close to a water source, making it convenient to grow anything.

There are four plots of land in Baiyang Town, the two largest of which are located on the edge of the town, right next to the main road leading to the county seat.

These four plots of land together cover more than 20 mu (approximately 3.3 hectares), making them the most valuable of the seven land deeds.

Chen Zheng went through this information in his mind and pulled out the water map that Liu Jiawang had drawn for him before.

He marked the boundaries described on the land deed one by one.

Several lines were quickly drawn around the waters of South Bay.

The plots of land on these deeds are almost all around Baiyang Lake, and when viewed together, they perfectly enclose Nanwan in the middle.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Did the Zhou family buy this land for the sake of water?

Baiyang Lake is a living lake, connected to the Danjiang River upstream and the Han River downstream.

Nanwan is also the deepest part of Baiyang Lake, with the most stable water source.

If these lands are connected, a breeding base can be built around Nanwan.

Both water intake and drainage can be carried out through the Zhou family's existing irrigation canal, saving a large sum of money on digging a new canal.

He turned the map over and wrote a few lines on the back.

"Lijiawan: Looking for Li Dashan."

"Zhao Jia Ferry: Willow grove at the ferry crossing, ask someone for directions."

"Baiyang Town: Four plots of land, close to the main road, will be given priority in negotiations."

Finished.

He folded the map, tucked it into the book "Freshwater Fish Farming Techniques" that Teacher Zhao had given him, and placed it under his pillow.

Over the next few days, Chen Zheng turned his attention away from the land deeds and focused entirely on preparing for the goods exchange meeting.

The land title issue can be handled slowly; Director Fang is pushing it forward, and Teacher Zhao is pulling strings.

It won't be possible to see results in a day or two.

But the trade fair is just around the corner, and we can't wait.

He would leave early and return late every day, taking Chen Rong and Zhang Jianguo running around Baiyang Lake.

We used turtle hooks and mandarin fish hooks for six days and caught four turtles, the largest weighing over eight pounds and the smallest just over three pounds.

We caught two mandarin fish, one weighing six jin and the other four and a half jin.

This achievement is the best in the entire Lutang Village.

Old Wang next door had been fishing all his life, and he had only ever caught a mandarin fish once.

The eel traps in the ditch on the bank have been collected several times, and the eels have filled more than half a bucket.

Some were as thick as a child's wrist, while others were as thin as a thumb. They were all coiled up in the wooden tub, twisting and turning.

Besides these, Chen Zheng also cast several nets in Dongwan and caught some crucian carp and bream, specifically choosing the ones with the best appearance.

The gills should be red, the scales should be bright, the eyes should be clear, and the size should be uniform.

He wrapped each fish individually in lotus leaves, arranged them in a bamboo basket, lined the bottom with damp aquatic plants, and covered them with burlap.

They were arranged in a row in the shady spot in the yard.

This method was taught to him by his father, and the aquatic plants were changed four or five times over the course of a few days.

The burlap lining got wet and dried repeatedly, yet not a single fish in the fish basket died.

On the evening of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Zheng checked all the things he needed to bring the next day.

Four turtles were placed in four bamboo baskets, with damp grass lining the bottom of each basket.

Two mandarin fish, wrapped in damp linen, were placed separately in a covered wooden bucket.

The bucket was about half full of eels, with the water covering half of their bodies; too much water would drown them.

There were about twenty crucian carp and bream in total. The best-looking ones were placed in a bamboo basket, with lotus leaves and aquatic plants at the bottom.

"Brother, I'll go with you tomorrow."

Chen Rong squatted down beside him, leaned the thin bamboo pole against the wall, and carried a bamboo basket out of the house.

It contained the snails and clams he had caught in the shallow waters of Nanwan over the past few days.

These snails and clams aren't for sale; they're a gift for Master Qian.

Last time, Chef Qian mentioned that Dongfeng Restaurant recently wanted to make snail dishes, but there was no local supplier.

He kept those words in mind.

Chen Feng wanted to go too.

He also brought out the newly made eel trap, which he had woven himself.

The bamboo strips were woven crookedly, and the funnel was a bit too big.

He said he was just running his stall at home, and it wasn't a big deal if he couldn't sell the eel traps.

If someone wants to buy it, he can sell the first one and then continue making more.

Zhang Cuihua laughed and told him to go out and see the world, instead of just staying at home.

Around 3 a.m. the next day, when it was still as dark as the bottom of a pot, the group got up.

Zhang Cuihua had been busy in the kitchen for most of the hour, making a thick stack of flatbreads.

Wrapped in several layers of cloth, it was stuffed into Chen Zheng's arms, and then a bamboo tube was filled with a full tube of herbal tea.

The cart was loaded last night, with several items tied tightly with ropes and covered with two layers of burlap.

Four people pushed a cart out of the village in the dark.

Chen Zheng pushed the cart, while Zhang Jianguo pulled it from the front.

Chen Rong held the basket beside him, while Chen Feng sat on the cart with his legs dangling.

The village was quiet, except for one dog that barked twice before being silenced by its owner.

The wind blowing across Baiyang Lake carries the fragrance of reeds, mixed with the fishy smell of the lake water, and feels cool and refreshing.

The dirt road from Lutang Village to the county seat is full of potholes.

The cart wheels rolled over one mud pit after another, making the wooden barrels on the cart thump and clatter.

Chen Feng was jolted awake, rubbed his eyes, and fell asleep again.

As we approached the town, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

By the time we reached the edge of the county town, the sun had already peeked out from behind the distant mountains.

This time, the goods exchange fair is not held at the farmers' market, but at the newly built goods exchange center on the east side of the county town.

Despite being called an exchange center, it's really just a leveled open space with red bricks paving the ground.

A row of tin sheds was erected, which were much more impressive than the canvas sheds from last time.

There are passageways between the sheds, wide enough for two carts to walk side by side.

Each tin shed has a numbered sign with red background and white lettering, which can be seen from a distance.

Chen Zheng found the stall that Master Qian had left for him at the entrance.

Shed number 36 is in a good location, close to the main passage, so you can see it from all the people coming and going.

A long table was already set up on the stall, and the tabletop was newly planed.

Behind the long table were two folding chairs, made of welded iron pipes with artificial leather seats.

The conditions are much better than the last trade fair.

Just as the four men carried the goods into the shed, Master Qian came over.

He changed his outfit today, wearing a white shirt with a gray vest over it.

He wore a badge from the purchasing department of Dongfeng Hotel pinned to his chest.

His hair was slicked back and shiny, and he had a cigarette between his fingers. He smiled when he saw Chen Zheng.

"You're here?"

See this spot I reserved for you? Number 36, right in the middle.

Feel this tabletop; it's freshly planed. I didn't even let them bring over those broken tables from the last trade fair.

He glanced at the bamboo basket Chen Zheng had brought down, and his eyes lit up immediately.

"Soft-shelled turtle? You got soft-shelled turtles again? Let me see."

Chen Zheng lifted the lid of the bamboo basket.

Master Qian squatted down, pressed the edge of the turtle's skirt with two fingers, then turned it over to look at its belly. After checking each one, he stood up and patted the water off his hands.

"They're all in good condition. I'll take all four, and the price will be the same as last time, three yuan per jin. You can calculate how many jin that is."