The Life of a Son-in-Law in a Courtyard House

Liu Haiyang led Yang Dalin and the others around for more than an hour, and they actually found a place.

This place is not far from the Old Summer Palace.

There are several consecutive hills on the north side, with a stream running between them, but the surface is frozen over.

There is also a large lake to the south.

It looked like there were dozens of acres of land, and the surface was frozen over.

However, the weather is cold now, and the surface is frozen solid.

I should be able to go ice fishing later, no problem.

People in Beijing often go ice skating on Houhai Lake in winter, so its sturdiness shouldn't be an issue.

A group of people rode their bikes for an hour or so. Although it was only a little past nine o'clock, they were all steaming with heat.

Looking to the west, Yang Dalin saw a grove of trees. He planned to go there to hunt some pheasants or see if there were any rabbits.

This place is nice. It used to be near a royal garden, and there weren't many villages or settlements there.

Yang Dalin first instructed everyone: "Haiyang, take some men to check out the woods over there, gather some branches and dry grass, and prepare to start a fire later."

Liu Haiyang stood at attention and gave a somewhat awkward salute: "Yes, boss."

Yang Dalin added, "Make more, just in case we don't have enough later."

Here's a handsaw. Take it. Only use dry wood, okay? Don't cut down the sapling before it's dead.

Liu Haiyang saluted again: "Yes, I understand."

Brothers from the naval compound, come with me.

After saying that, Liu Haiyang left with his seven or eight men.

Yang Dalin then instructed Zhao Yumin: "Yumin, take a few men and go check if the lake is frozen solid."

Be careful, I'm going fishing in a bit. Just make sure the ice is solid, don't make any ice holes. I'll handle it myself later.

Zhao Yumin followed Liu Haiyang's example and saluted: "Yes, boss, I'll go right away."

Yang Dalin led Ma San to see the stream between the hills.

This stream flows all the way to the lake to the south, but unfortunately the surface is frozen over.

He found a reasonably spacious spot and had Ma San take an iron rod out of the tricycle and smash it a few times.

The ice on the surface of the stream can be easily broken.

The area below is empty; no more stream water flows.

But it's okay, if it doesn't work, we can just boil water with ice.

The ice on the surface of this stream can be boiled in a kettle and the water will be drinkable.

There was less pollution in this era, and it's not like later times.

Besides, once it's boiled, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Yang Dalin smashed a lot of ice blocks and filled an aluminum kettle.

Keep it for future use.

From the lake ahead came Zhao Yumin's shout: "Boss, it's frozen solid over here."

"I have no problem ice skating."

Yang Dalin called out to them, "Okay, come back now."

Stop playing there, don't fall in.

When Yang Dalin and the others returned, he asked them to help him collect some stones.

Yang Dalin built several stone stoves.

Because there were many people, Yang Dalin built a long, rectangular stove shaped like an oven.

We'll be roasting wild rabbit and fish in a bit.

The ground was frozen solid, and Yang Dalin was preparing to make beggar's chicken, so he set up a fire not far from the long oven.

Let's warm ourselves by the fire first, and then we'll dig this hole up in a bit.

Mix the mud with water to form a paste, and wrap it around the lotus leaf.

It's good to make beggar's chicken.

After a while, the man who had gathered firewood returned.

Liu Haiyang and his group each brought back a lot of firewood, enough to burn.

As soon as Liu Haiyang returned, he exclaimed, "Boss, there are pheasants and rabbits over there, but unfortunately we can't catch them."

Yang Dalin said, "Okay, I'll go catch it in a bit, you guys just wait."

I'll give you a task first.

One of you has lit a fire; you can warm yourselves here first.

There were also more than twenty straight and sturdy wooden sticks picked out from the firewood.

Use a knife to scrape the surface clean.

Sharpen the tip, then make double the size of the wooden fork.

Do you understand?

"Understood, boss."

"Then how are you going to catch rabbits and pheasants? Why don't I go with you, boss?"

Yang Dalin shook his head and said, "No, none of you can come with me. I'll use a slingshot. If you come with me, there will be too many people, and they'll all run away. We won't be able to catch them at all."

So you don't need to go.

However, I'm worried that you might have to wait a long time.

I'll teach you a game to play.

Yang Dalin gave him a simplified version of Werewolf, also known as "Close Your Eyes When It Gets Dark".

Yang Dalin lit the fire first and led them through two rounds of games.

They all picked it up very quickly.

They started playing the game with great excitement.

This time, Yang Dalin went hunting alone without anyone accompanying him.

They were all a bunch of kids.

They're easy to coax.

Seeing that they were having fun, Yang Dalin took a burlap sack and a slingshot and headed towards the woods to the west.

This grove must be because very few people come here.

Overgrown with weeds.

Not long after we entered, we saw pheasants flying around.

Yang Dalin was quick-witted and had already loaded his slingshot with a bullet. With a snap, he took down one of them.

Yang Dalin seized the opportunity and shot a few wild birds in the trees.

In less than an hour, Yang Dalin had caught eight rabbits and more than a dozen pheasants and wild birds.

Store half of the prey in your spatial storage; taking out half is enough.

There were quite a few things I had prepared on the tricycle.

When Yang Dalin returned, this group of people had not only prepared the wooden sticks, but also picked out the tree branches.

They're having a blast playing the game.

When Liu Haiyang and the others saw Yang Dalin return carrying a half-full bag of things, they quickly stepped forward and took the bag from Yang Dalin.

"Wow, boss, your slingshot aim is amazing!"

"Boss is really amazing, he's taken down so many things in such a short time."

Yang Dalin said, "Alright, stop flattering me."

"Take these things back right away. Don't you know how to pack Liu Haiyang's things?"

Wang Xiaohai, Liu Haiyang's little follower, said, "Boss, I can do it. I can skin a rabbit and pluck a chicken."

Yang Dalin handed him the bag: "Okay, you'd be best. Boil more water, and you take two people to clean up all of this, including everything under the tricycle planks."

When Wang Xiaohai saw that his boss had assigned him a task, he said very seriously, "Yes, I guarantee I will complete the task."

"Remember, empty everything out of there."

Take out the chicken giblets, rabbit giblets, and the like and set them aside. They can't be grilled in here, so we'll see if they're suitable and skewer them separately later.

"Yes, I understand, boss."

Yang Dalin looked at these things and thought they were enough, but he had already brought his own fishing rod and strap.

I feel uneasy if I don't cast a few shots.

Yang Dalin told them to pack their things first.

He took the iron rod and fishing rod and headed towards the lake.

A few people who had nothing better to do followed Yang Dalin.

Upon reaching the lake, Yang Dalin first checked the thickness of the ice.

He even stomped his feet a few times.

Okay, no problem, it's quite sturdy.

Liu Haiyang took the iron rod prepared by Yang Dalin and asked, "Boss, are we going to smash the fishing hole? I'm strong, I'll help you."

Yang Dalin said, "Okay, help me smash a hole in the ice with a diameter of one meter."

"Small ones are slow to catch."

Liu Haiyang, unaware of the immense difficulty involved, excitedly asked, "Boss, where do you suggest we smash this?"

I guarantee I'll finish it in ten minutes.