Chapter 176 Smuggling Arms

It seems we must go deep into the mountains as soon as possible to find out what's going on.

While having more rabbits is good, the resulting ecological imbalance can lead to endless disasters.

"Don't worry too much," Qin Haifeng reassured him, "There are still a few months until the autumn harvest, there's still time to make amends."

"Time...I'm afraid it's running out." Lin's mother's voice carried a heavy sense of urgency.

The three men entered the brigade leader's house, where they found him sitting in a chair with a worried expression, puffing on his pipe. Seeing them enter, he sighed.

"Sister-in-law, you are doing this for the Bi family..."

"Don't mention that awful family yet!" Lin's mother interrupted him urgently, "Something terrible has happened! Something life-threatening!"

She quickly recounted the rabbit infestation and the potential landslide danger.

As she spoke, the captain's face grew paler and paler, and the pipe in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud"!

"Sister-in-law! Is that really true?!" His voice changed.

“Absolutely true!” Lin’s mother said firmly. “Baozhu and Haifeng saw it with their own eyes! You didn’t see it, the rabbits were so fat they were practically dripping with oil! There are only two months left until the autumn harvest, which is during the rainy season! Those rabbit burrows will be like powder kegs, and a heavy rain could trigger a mudslide!”

Lin Baozhu stood to the side, her gaze falling on her mother with astonishment. At this moment, Lin's mother was clear-headed and pointed out the core and urgency of the problem incisively. This... this was completely different from the rural old woman she remembered who only revolved around the stove! It seemed that she... was hiding some unknown past.

The captain was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan: "Sister-in-law, then... then what do you think we should do now?"

Lin's mother took a deep breath and calmly said:

"First, immediately send people into the mountains to find out the real reason for the rabbit overpopulation! If it's because there are fewer carnivorous beasts, see if we can find a way to lure some in... If it's some other, more troublesome situation..."

She paused, her tone heavy and decisive:

"That's beyond what our village can handle! We must report this to higher authorities immediately! The sooner the better!"

After listening to Lin's mother's analysis, the captain solemnly picked up his pipe from the ground, wiped the mouthpiece with his rough hands, and said in a deep voice, "Alright! I'll arrange for people to go into the mountains in a bit..."

“Captain!” Lin Baozhu immediately raised her hand, her eyes firm. “Let Qin Haifeng and I handle this! You know our capabilities. Investigating why the rabbits are so rampant requires not only finding out how many predators are left, but also taking precautions… in case there’s something that shouldn’t be hidden in the mountains…” She lowered her voice, “the more people involved, the more likely things will go wrong.”

Upon hearing this, Lin's mother's heart clenched. She grabbed Lin Baozhu's arm like an iron clamp and said urgently, "What are you doing, a young woman?! There are so many strong men in the village, it's not your turn to step forward! The brigade leader will handle this matter properly!" As she spoke, she tried to pull her away.

"Hey! Sister-in-law! Wait a minute!"

The captain hurriedly stood up to stop him, and said earnestly, "Baozhu's abilities are second to none in our surrounding area!"

He gave a strong thumbs-up.

"We're in a real crisis right now, so the capable should do more! That Qin kid isn't someone to be trifled with! If all else fails, bring my old homemade gun! If we can find something out of the mountains, that would be a huge achievement!"

Lin Baozhu pulled her mother into the shadows by the wall, her voice hushed: "Mother... trust me! We'll just go in and take a look. If we encounter any wild animals, I promise I'll run faster than a rabbit... but what if... what if we stumble upon some earth-shattering secret?"

She looked directly into Lin's mother's slightly worried eyes and continued, "Think about the powerful backer behind Zhao Xiaoyu! Can our family compete with her now? If our family doesn't have any notable achievements and connections, in the future... I'm afraid they'll devour us until there's nothing left but bones!"

Lin's mother struggled internally, her face drained of color only to flush again. Finally, she gritted her teeth, stomped her foot heavily, as if using all her strength to make the decision. She gripped Lin Baozhu's wrists tightly with both hands like iron clamps, her voice filled with an undeniable resolve:

“My dear daughter… if you want to go, I can’t stop you! But you must take your third brother with you!” She stared into her daughter’s eyes. “Firstly, with him there, those gossipy people in the village won’t dare to talk about you and Qin Haifeng! Secondly…” Her voice suddenly tightened, with a barely perceptible sob, “If something really happens that could be life-threatening… remember! Your life is more precious than anything else!!”

Lin Baozhu's heart trembled violently! The heavy, almost tragic, protectiveness in her mother's words brought tears to her eyes. She grabbed her mother's arm, gently pressed her face against it, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice:

"Mother, don't worry! With Third Brother and Haifeng here, the three of us will look after each other and make sure we come back safe and sound! Trust me, okay?"

If it really comes down to life and death, this space is the last resort... As for how to get them in? Simple! With a thought, just put them both into a deep sleep instantly. With this trump card in hand, there's nothing to fear.

Looking at the clear determination and unquestionable confidence in her daughter's eyes, Lin's mother, despite her thousand worries and ten thousand reluctances, could only let out a long sigh and slowly let go of her hand.

"Then you... please be careful! Please be careful!" Every word was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Yes! Don't worry!" Lin Baozhu nodded vigorously.

"Since it's settled..."

Seeing that they had reached an agreement, the captain immediately made the decision, "There's no time to lose! The three of you go and prepare immediately; we'll head into the mountains this afternoon!"

"good!"

Without further delay, the three split up and prepared the necessary equipment for their ascent into the mountains.

The Lin family's woodshed.

Lin's mother pulled Lin Baozhu in hastily and bolted the door shut. She quickly went back into the house to get an old-fashioned flashlight wrapped in cloth, and then laboriously moved the extremely heavy water vat in the corner.

A dark hole suddenly appeared beneath the water tank!

Lin Baozhu stared in astonishment at the previously unknown entrance: "Mother, this..."

"Don't ask!" Lin's mother interrupted her, her voice extremely low, carrying an unyielding tension: "Come down with me!"

Before she could finish speaking, Lin's mother had already nimbly flipped over and jumped down. Lin Baozhu's doubts deepened, but she followed without hesitation.

The dim beam of the flashlight pierced the darkness—

Before me lay a square, damp, and chilly underground space! The air was thick with the stench of dust and old rust. The space was densely packed with heavy green metal crates, each clearly marked with a number in white paint…

Lin's mother walked straight to one of the boxes, took a deep breath, and with a "whoosh," lifted the heavy lid!

"hiss--"

Lin Baozhu gasped, her pupils contracting sharply! Under the beam of the flashlight, neatly stacked inside the box were... oval-shaped cast iron shells, their surfaces covered with crisscrossing grooves—Type 97 hand grenades!

Good heavens! There were weapons hidden under her woodshed?!