Chapter 15: Acquiring a New Skill
Back in his room, Chen Fan continued reading, but after a while, he couldn't focus. His mind was filled with what Jiang Lili had just said.
The chickens were eaten, and they don't raise pigs.
Everyone else went home for the New Year, and they didn't leave anything good for that girl?
That's too much!
After a while, Chen Fan couldn't sit still, so he put down the book, got up and walked out.
He went to Jiang Lili's door and greeted her, "Hey, Xiao Jiang."
Jiang Lili immediately came over, "What is it?"
She paused, a strange look flashed in her eyes. She whispered, "Chen... Chen Fan, I want to ask you something."
Chen Fan was about to speak, but when he heard her say this, he smiled, "Ask away."
Jiang Lili curiously looked at him, "How old are you this year?"
Chen Fan blinked, guessing what she meant, and said, "Eighteen."
Sixteen, almost seventeen and add a year—eighteen is reasonable, right?
Besides, my real age is already 28, it's okay to call her Xiao Jiang.
Jiang Lili nodded understandingly, "Oh, then... then you're one year older than me."
Since he's older, it's okay to call me Xiao Jiang. She thought Chen Fan was only about 16 years old.
Chen Fan continued to blink, "What... what year were you born?"
Jiang Lili, "I was born in 1959."
Chen Fan, "Oh, you're a member of the 50s generation."
Calculating, she is 17 this year? She went to the countryside three years ago, so she left when she was 14?
The timing is about right. Now the starting age for elementary school is 7. After 5 years of elementary school and two years of junior high school, it's exactly 14—makes sense.
Jiang Lili was a little confused, (⊙_⊙) "Ah?"
Chen Fan, "The 50s generation means those born in the 1950s."
Jiang Lili, (⊙﹏⊙) "Oh."
Where did he learn that expression?
She was about to ask Chen Fan what was wrong when Chen Fan pointed outside and said, "I'm going to walk around the village, I wanted to let you know."
Jiang Lili nodded with a smile, "Okay, I understand. Go ahead."
Then she realized, did I just smile? She quickly lowered her head.
Chen Fan waved his hand. She couldn't see anyway, so he smiled, "I'm going now, bye-bye."
Then he turned and walked outside.
Jiang Lili looked at his back, curious, "Bye-bye?"
Although they started learning English in junior high school, in the current environment, not many people use English in daily life. At most, it's just a few words between close friends. He even speaks English in casual conversations?
Chen Fan left the courtyard. Directly in front of the courtyard gate was a cedar forest. There were countless trees. He guessed that there are only one or two hundred. Now, all the cedar leaves were withered and yellow, and there was a layer of yellow-green fallen leaves on the ground. Large patches of yellow gathered together. In a few decades, this would be a perfect spot for online influencers to take pictures.
Going west along the cedar trees for more than ten meters, there is a dirt road about five meters wide.
Chen Fan put his hands in his pockets, wrapped his loose padded jacket tightly around him, and started walking uphill.
On the left is the cedar forest, on the right is a bare earthen slope.
This village built on the slope runs north-south. The northernmost end is the educated youth dormitory. To the east is the river embankment, and to the west, north and south are farmlands.
But unlike the flat fields in the north, this is clearly a hilly area. At intervals, there are raised earthen slopes. These slopes are either used for housing or cultivated as dry fields.
So the farmland here is not standardized. Instead, it is distributed according to the rules of low-lying areas being paddy fields, and slopes and highlands being dry fields—scattered and difficult to manage intensively.
Chen Fan walked higher and higher along the small road, occasionally passing low earthen houses.
Just like the ones he saw on the embankment, these houses have a flat rice paddy in front, where crops can be spread out to dry after harvest.
As for the large, unified drying yards found in northern rural areas, there aren't any here. The reason is simple: there isn't enough flat land!
So they can only decentralize and dry the crops in front of each household.
When Chen Fan's parents were still alive, he had lived in his maternal grandmother's house in the countryside for a while. Although it wasn't in Gufeng County, but near the prefectural committee, the situation was similar.
Thinking of this, Chen Fan suddenly felt curious and expectant. I wonder if my grandmother and mother are still alive? If they are, my mother should be 7 years old?
He shook his head. He hasn't settled down yet, he has no hukou and no money. He can't go anywhere. Thinking about this is useless. After he solves his hukou problem, and saves some money, he must go there to see them.
It might be because of the cold wind in winter, the doors of every household were closed tightly, only the windows were open for ventilation.
So, all the way up, Chen Fan didn't see a single person.
This path is not a straight road, but it's built along the ridge of the hill and it's a little winding.
The houses are not aligned but staggered, so each house only had neighbors in front and behind, with empty spaces on either side.
Some houses, because they are built on a bend, have no neighbors in front, behind, or on either side. They stand alone, hidden in the trees, which is quite interesting.
But as long as you walk out the door and shout, the nearby households can hear you.
He felt that this village, which blends seamlessly with nature, is much more interesting than the neat and orderly houses of later generations.
Chen Fan walked and looked around, and in a short while, he reached the top of the hill.
There are four houses at the top of the hill, also staggered and separated.
Compared to the houses on the lower slopes, the houses at the top are clearly older. The houses at the top were likely built first, and then they were built downwards.
He suddenly remembered that Captain Yang said that his house is at the top of the hill, so he stood in the middle of the road, looking left and right, wondering which house is his.
Just then, a dog barked, startling him.
He turned around and saw a large yellow dog standing at the entrance of a house, staring at him with malice, opening its mouth and barking from time to time.
It also occasionally looked back at the house, whimpering as if calling for someone.
Most importantly, there is no courtyard wall in front of this house!
Oh no.
Chen Fan's heart leaped into his throat. This dog won't bite, will it?
The dog, seeing that he wasn't leaving and no one came out of the house, got angry and charged towards him.
Chen Fan knew he had to do something, otherwise, the dog might rush up and bite him.
He took a deep breath, spread his arms, his steps were shoulder-width apart, his body slightly crouched, and he let out a lion's Aoo at the big yellow dog, "Aoo~ Aoo~ Aoo~..."
Perhaps the dog had never seen such a person, it was scared and backed away two or three steps. When it found that the person didn't come over, it ran back to its original position, tilted its head and looked at him, decided to test again, "Woof woof."
Chen Fan saw that the dog had actually run back, so he could only continue, "Aoo~ Aoo~"
"Woof woof."
"Aoo~ Aoo~"
"Woof woof."
"Aoo~ Aoo~"
Just then, Chen Fan heard a "ding", and the voice in his head appeared again.
"Communicating with a dog, rewarded with Beast Language experience +1. Current Beast Language skill level 1."
What?
Beast Language skill?
There's such a thing? And it was gained from arguing with a dog?
Chen Fan was completely dumbfounded. Could it be that I've become Gongye Chang???
(End of Chapter)
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