Lao Yuantou slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, look at my memory! I actually forgot about this! Come on, let's go get it now!" After that, he hurried out.
"Wait, old man,"
Chen Changyuan called him, "Feed your precious little one some fodder first, don't let him starve."
The old man then remembered his old horse and chuckled, "You are really careful!"
The two men came to the backyard, and the old man skillfully added some grass to the old horse, and the old horse snorted comfortably.
Chen Changyuan looked at the skinny old horse and couldn't help but joked:
"Old Yuan, your horse is too skinny. It's not even big enough to fill your teeth."
Old Yuan glared at him and said, "What do you know? This is called lean! Don't be fooled by its skinny appearance, it runs very fast!"
Everything was ready, and the two men mounted their horses and walked leisurely towards the county town.
Along the way, Lao Yuantou kept bragging about his "hunting" skills, and Chen Changyuan responded incoherently, but in his heart he was thinking about the origins of Lao Yuantou's leather.
After arriving at the county town, the two went straight to Cuihua's blacksmith shop.
The clanging sound of blacksmithing in the shop was deafening and sparks flew everywhere.
Cuihua was swinging a sledgehammer, sweating profusely. Under her strong arms, a piece of red-hot iron gradually took shape.
"Cuihua! We're here to get the hunting rifle!" Old Yuan shouted at the top of his voice.
Cuihua stopped what she was doing, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and revealed her white teeth.
"Oh, it's you! The hunting rifle is already loaded and waiting for you to take it!"
As she spoke, Cuihua took out two brand new hunting rifles from the corner and handed them to Chen Changyuan and Lao Yuantou.
Chen Changyuan took the hunting rifle and looked at it carefully. The gun body was shiny black and heavy in his hand. The feel of metal made him feel excited.
"How about it, boy, my skills are pretty good, right?" Cuihua asked proudly.
"Not bad, not bad," Chen Changyuan exclaimed, "This gun is finely crafted, it's obviously a good product!"
Old Yuantou also echoed, "Of course! Cuihua's blacksmithing skills are well-known in our area!"
Taking the hunting rifle, Chen Changyuan weighed it for a few times. The rifling in the barrel was clearly visible, and a faint smell of engine oil mixed with the smell of gunpowder made him a little intoxicated.
Old Yuantou couldn't let it go and wanted to carry his gun and go hunting in the mountains immediately.
Cuihua picked up a coarse porcelain teapot from the low stool beside the fire and poured a bowl for each of them. "Come, have some tea and rest your feet before you go."
Chen Changyuan took a sip of tea. The hot tea slid down his throat and dispelled the coldness in his body.
"Cuihua, your tea is very good. Where did you buy it?"
Cuihua smiled brightly, "I didn't buy this, I grew it myself in the backyard. If you like it, take some back with you when you leave."
Old Yuantou waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Your tea is as bitter as horse urine. Only you can drink it."
Cuihua wasn't annoyed, instead she burst into laughter, "Old man, you just don't know how to appreciate tea! This is called the original ecology, don't you understand?"
The two were arguing when Cuihua suddenly stopped smiling and mysteriously took out a tin box from under the stove.
"Come on, come on, take a look at this."
Old Yuantou seemed to have anticipated this and winked at Cuihua, "Close the door."
Cuihua understood what he meant, walked to the door and bolted the blacksmith shop.
"Okay, can you tell me now?"
Only then did the old man open the iron box. A pungent smell of gunpowder instantly filled the air, and inside the box lay several round, black objects.
Chen Changyuan took a closer look and couldn't help but gasp. This... turned out to be a land mine!
"Old Yuantou, you..." Chen Changyuan was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Old Yuantou drank his tea proudly, looking confident.
"How about it, kid, do you know what you're talking about? I asked Cuihua to make this for me last time I came here."
Chen Changyuan finally understood. No wonder Lao Yuantou said last time that he wanted to customize some "special" things. It turned out that this was what he meant!
He couldn't help but swallow his saliva, "Cuihua, you can even make this thing?"
Cuihua curled her lips, "What's that? As long as you give me money, I can do anything!"
"Good! Good!" Old Yuan slapped his thigh. "Cuihua, I just like your straightforward personality!"
Chen Changyuan was still a little worried, "Old Yuan, is this thing... too dangerous?"
Old Yuan snorted disdainfully, "Danger? What do you know, kid? This is called efficiency! Don't underestimate the size of these mines; one can take down a bear, let alone a leopard!"
Although Chen Changyuan was skeptical about what Lao Yuantou said, he didn't say anything more.
After all, in this world, it's always good to have some weapons in your hands.
Lao Yuantou carefully put the earth mine into his saddlebag and patted it as if it were a treasure.
Old Yuan patted his saddlebag proudly and said to Chen Changyuan in a low voice:
Lao Yuantou took out an oilcloth bag from his arms and opened it carefully. Inside were several black thin threads, the ends of which were sealed with beeswax to prevent moisture.
"See? This is the fuse. Once it's lit, it will explode in about half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. So after lighting it, run as far as you can!"
As Lao Yuantou spoke, he gestured, his face full of excitement, as if he had already seen the scene of his prey being blown away.
Chen Changyuan looked at the fuse in Lao Yuantou's hand and couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
The three chatted for a while, and then Chen Changyuan and Lao Yuantou stood up and said goodbye.
Cuihua sent them to the door and warned them, "Be careful and don't cause trouble."
"Don't worry, Cuihua," the old man patted his chest, "I've been in Qingshanling for so many years, what kind of situation haven't I seen?"
Leaving the blacksmith shop, the two men rode their old horses slowly out of the city. The winter sun shone on their bodies, but they felt no warmth at all.
Chen Changyuan remained silent all the way, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.
He always felt that Lao Yuantou's "hunting" plan this time was not simple. The leathers of unknown origin, coupled with these landmines, made him increasingly uneasy.
"Old Yuantou," Chen Changyuan finally couldn't help but ask, "Tell me honestly, what are you going to do this time?"
Old Yuan glanced at him, a barely perceptible gleam in his eyes.
"What? Hunting, of course! Why are you talking so much nonsense?"
Chen Changyuan stared at Lao Yuantou's eyes, trying to see something from his expression, but Lao Yuantou avoided his gaze.
"Is it really just hunting?" Chen Changyuan asked.
Old Yuantou was getting a little impatient. "Are you itching for trouble? Can I still trick you?"
Chen Changyuan wanted to ask more, but suddenly heard a loud shouting in the distance, mixed with the sound of horse hooves and dog barking.
"What's that sound?" Chen Changyuan looked around vigilantly.
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