"My friends and I had a blast during that time. We secretly went to the bottom of the stream to dig for clams and catch small fish. Once, we even secretly went to see the refugees. However, we didn't dare get too close. We watched for a while and then returned to the village. One time, we were playing by the river, and my friends went down to the river to wade in the mud and catch clams.
I didn't want to go down, feeling the dirt, so I sat under a tree by the river, looking for ants. Then, an old man came over. His hair and beard were white, but his face was rosy, and he walked very quickly. He told me he was a refugee and that if I could give him food, he would teach me a trick of shooting. I was afraid he'd cheat, so I refused. He listened to me, didn't get angry, and even broke off a branch from a nearby tree. He used it to perform a trick of shooting.
I looked incredibly impressive, mainly because he used that thin branch to break the tree. I remember that tree was about as thick as my calf. As soon as I saw how skilled the old man was, I agreed. We agreed: he would secretly teach me marksmanship during the day, and I would bring him food from home. Dad, do you remember during that time, my mother was always worried I wasn't getting enough to eat, so she'd cook me an extra potato or a pancake with every meal so I could have a snack?
I secretly gave the food to the old man, and during that time he also taught me the "Hurry Back" move. He praised my strength and good understanding, saying that I was suitable for practicing the "Hurry Back" move. "Yun Yiyi whispered in Yun the Butcher's ear."
"Oh, kid, you are so brave. Aren't you afraid that he is a bad guy?" Yun the Butcher patted Yun Yiyi on the back and said angrily.
"Dad, Dad, my master is not a bad person, he is a very nice person." Yun Yiyi said.
"Luckily, you were lucky enough to meet a master who was truly willing to teach you how to shoot. If you had met a bad guy, we wouldn't have seen you."
"Dad, I'm not afraid even if I run into bad guys. I'm strong and I can run fast. Besides, Dad, bad guys wouldn't look down on a fat black guy like me." Yun Yiyi pinched her dark, chubby face and said depressedly. She was already dark, and now she's been exposed to the sun every day, making her even darker.
"Haha, Yiyi, it's okay. You are still young. If you stay out of the sun, you will get whiter. Besides, you are not fat. You look so cute." Yun the Butcher patted Yun Yiyi on the back and said happily.
"Dad, I learned the trick from my master, but he left with the refugees and didn't say when he would be back. I don't think I'll ever see him again."
"We'll meet again if we're destined to, Yiyi."
"Dad, when we were still in Yunjia Village, I asked my eldest brother to help me sharpen this stick, and I practiced secretly every day. That's why I'm very good now." Yun Yiyi said proudly.
"Then let me ask you, where did you hide your stick? Why didn't I find it?" asked Yun the Butcher.
"Dad, I knew you wouldn't guess. I hid the stick under the donkey cart and secured it with a rope. Tonight, I wanted to come back and ask for help. However, I saw someone trying to hit the village chief with a hoe, so I got anxious and went up with the stick. Dad, I really didn't mean to stay away from home." Yun Yiyi said anxiously.
"Well, you naughty boy, I didn't even know you hid the stick under the donkey cart. Tell me, how come you have such a smart head." Yun the butcher praised happily.
"Dad, you're not angry this time. Can you talk to my mother too and ask her not to be angry with me?"
"Don't worry, your mother won't be angry with you. She was worried that you would get hurt, so she hit you out of anger and fear. After beating you, she cried out of heartache. Yiyi, you really scared your mother this time. Your mother usually looks at you as if you were the apple of her eye. If something happens to you, your mother will be so sad." Yun the Butcher whispered to Yun Yiyi.
"Dad, I know I was wrong. I won't do this again next time." Yun Yiyi said embarrassedly.
"Okay then, I'll trust you again."
At this time, the village chief and the young men in the village also finished their work and returned.
"Yiyi, I'll carry you to find your mother. Let's go eat first. After dinner, I'll go find the village chief to discuss leaving."
"Okay, Dad, let's go back quickly. I'm starving." Yun Yiyi touched her empty stomach. She didn't feel hungry during the fight just now, but now she felt even hungrier.
Butcher Yun quickly returned to the Yun family's place of residence with Yun Yiyi in his arms. Butcher Yun put Yun Yiyi down and pulled Zhang aside. "Wife, don't be angry, I've learned everything. When Yiyi was in the village, she learned the back-to-back spear technique from an old man who passed by for a while. The old man praised Yiyi for her great strength and good understanding. After Yiyi learned it, the old man left. Yiyi didn't tell us about it because she was afraid that we would worry. Later, Yiyi asked the eldest brother to carve a stick for her and practiced diligently. According to Yiyi herself, her spear skills have been practiced very well." Butcher Yun finished speaking and observed Zhang's face.
"Boss, are you telling the truth? You're not lying to me, are you?" Zhang asked suspiciously.
"Really? I wasn't lying. Before she left, Yiyi hid the stick under the donkey cart. I didn't notice it either. Tonight, I asked her to come back and call for help. She said she saw refugees wielding hoes to beat the village chief, so she rushed to help. She didn't mean to stay away. Wife, don't be so childish. She knows she was wrong. She was even scared and cried just now. She was afraid you'd get angry and ignore her."
Butcher Yun saw Zhang's expression soften, and he felt relieved. "It's so hard for a man caught between his wife and his daughter," he thought, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Well, Yiyi scared me tonight too. This kid is so smart and so brave now. I can't control her anymore."
"No, daughter-in-law. The child knows her limits and won't do anything wrong. In the future, please pay more attention to her. She listens to you the most." Yun the Butcher continued to coax his wife.
"Okay, then I will pay more attention to her in the future. This will prevent her from being naughty every day." Zhang responded readily.
"Wife, we will have dinner soon. You and the children should go to bed quickly. It's late tonight and we have to get up to distribute the food. After distributing the food, we need to leave immediately. This place is not safe anymore." Yun the Butcher said in a low voice.
"Okay, I understand. Head of the household, then you should go back and have dinner with Yiyi." Zhang said as she walked back.
When Yun the Butcher and Zhang returned to their place, Yun Yiyi observed Zhang's expression and saw the gestures that Yun the Butcher secretly made to her. She knew that Yun the Butcher must have persuaded Zhang to come to her senses.
Yun Yiyi opened her arms and threw herself into Zhang's arms. Zhang hugged Yun Yiyi's small back, regretting that she had spanked her too hard and worried that her bottom was swollen. She thought she would secretly check on her bottom when she went to sleep. If it was swollen, she would apply ointment.
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