Both the host and the guests enjoyed the meal very much. Zhang Mingtu felt more comfortable after seeing that the old man had a different kind of life that was completely different from what he had seen before.
While chatting after dinner, Zhang Mingtu asked with a smile, "I saw that there were hunters' bows and arrows at home, as well as wild boar tusks. My father-in-law should have a son. I wonder where he went. Why didn't I see him today?"
The old man listened to Zhang Mingtu's explanation and smiled with relief.
"He went hunting in the mountains and hasn't come back yet. We have to wait for a while."
At this point, the middle-aged fisherman interrupted and said something strange.
"I should have returned long ago, but for some reason, the game seems to have disappeared from the mountains recently, so hunting is more difficult than before..."
Zhang Mingtu felt a little disappointed.
Previously, in order to make up for the shortcomings accumulated over the past ten years, and to force himself to increase his potential, he swept up all kinds of prey in the nearby mountains.
That's why hunters in the mountains have had much less harvest recently.
The middle-aged Chinese man didn't notice Zhang Mingtu's uneasiness and explained in a deep voice, "We don't have much land at home, and it was quite difficult to support our family in the past. I fish, and my brother goes hunting in the mountains. It's hard to fish in winter, but we've had very little hunting lately. We can't help it. There are several mouths to feed at home..."
Zhang Mingtu understood.
Everything started with him.
Originally, the old man's two sons should have lived a relatively stable life during this period.
It is difficult to find prey in winter, but the winter in the Jiangnan area is not too cold. In addition, there are many wild boars nearby. If you can kill one, it will be enough to eat for half a month.
Judging from the large number of wild boar hooves and tusks in the old man's home, his youngest son must be a good hunter of wild boars.
Originally, there were no problems with daily life. It was only because the old man was worried about the dam collapsing in the future and there was a problem at home that he asked his two sons to report the relevant information. Unfortunately...
Zhang Mingtu sighed secretly in his heart, looked at the woman who was busy eating on the other side, and his heart moved again.
The woman's Qi and blood weren't very strong, and there was congestion in her abdomen, where most of the Qi and blood were accumulating. If she wasn't sick, then it was...
"She must be pregnant."
Zhang Mingtu's heart moved, but in the future he did not see any woman beside the old man, nor did he see his descendants.
After careful consideration, it seemed that there was a small flood near the river not long after that. I heard someone mention it when I was investigating the relevant situation.
During the discussion, I heard that a baby seemed to have fallen into the water, and the woman rushed to chase it without hesitation, and both of them died.
There are quite a lot of such stories in Jianyi, especially in the water towns of Jiangnan where there is plenty of water, and the stories are not new at all.
It's not even on the news. It can only be discussed among relatives and friends after dinner, on the streets, and no one cares.
Zhang Mingtu thought about the relevant situation and felt a little sad.
The collapse of the riverbank is somewhat unfamiliar to people living in Jianyi City.
But for the villagers living by the river, they could feel the crisis approaching little by little, but no one dared to appeal or report the situation.
Some people have tried but failed. The reason why the old man and his two sons were so persistent in wanting to report the situation was probably because they had firm beliefs to support them.
The old man's daughter-in-law, the fisherman's wife, and the youngest son's sister-in-law died in an unknown flood after the river bank collapsed. Perhaps this is the reason why they are determined to reflect the situation and change the status quo.
They were not doing it for the villagers, perhaps just for the breath in their hearts, for the child who had not yet grown up, and for the unknown woman.
Zhang Mingtu was shocked, but remained calm.
After taking a closer look at the woman, the middle-aged fisherman looked a little dissatisfied.
Zhang Mingtu retracted his gaze and turned to congratulate the old man, saying, "I'm afraid there will be another addition to the family. Fishing will still be more tiring in the future."
"ah?"
The old man was stunned. The middle-aged man was originally angry, but suddenly he changed his mind and was overjoyed. He held the woman's hand and was so excited that he couldn't speak.
"Have you...have you been feeling unwell lately? Feeling a bit nauseous?"
"A little bit."
The old man was still calm, but he didn't know where to put his hands, and he was a little unsteady when holding the wine.
He asked in surprise, "Young man, do you know the art of medicine?"
"I've practiced a little martial arts, and medicine and martial arts are inseparable!"
Zhang Mingtu responded in a low-key manner, while the old man and the middle-aged man were quite delighted.
Zhang Mingtu is tall, well-proportioned and strong, and you can tell at a glance that he is a martial artist.
Therefore, Zhang Mingtu was quite low-key, but both of them felt that Zhang Mingtu's martial arts attainments must be extraordinary.
Moreover, there were no patches on Zhang Mingtu's clothes, so they did not look old, and the colors were quite good. In addition, his manners were well-mannered. This kind of temperament and upbringing cultivated over the years was something that ordinary people did not possess.
Therefore, the old man and the fisherman were quite surprised.
"I think he must be a powerful man at the Yijinduangu level..."
Zhang Mingtu chuckled softly, "Just some casual practice to strengthen my body and protect my safety."
The old man and the middle-aged man didn't care at all. Their faces were full of joy, and they discussed with each other what supplements they should buy.
Even when he was happy, there was a hint of worry on his face.
Pregnancy is a happy event, but the family is poor, especially since hunting has not yielded any results during this period. It is still difficult to support the family by relying solely on fishing in the river in winter.
Zhang Mingtu knew the corresponding situation at a glance, but he didn't know how to alleviate it.
He could only point to the remaining large carp and the half-eaten catfish and said, "I have been practicing martial arts for many years, and I can see that these carp and catfish have strong Qi and blood, and are no less than ordinary wild ginseng. They are first-class tonics.
"If you want to nourish yourself, stewing some fish every day is quite good. It's freezing cold right now, so dig up some ice and snow and hang them in the cellar. This way, you can keep the fish for a while longer..."
As he spoke, Zhang Mingtu took out another ingot of silver from his bosom, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "There is a wedding in my family, and I have also attended the wedding banquet. This ingot of silver can be considered as a congratulations to my sister-in-law."
Several people refused to accept it, but Zhang Mingtu refused to take it. He said with a smile, "You cooked fish and meat for me, and offered me all kinds of fruits. You respected me and treated me as a friend. Now that I treat you as friends, why do you want to reject me?"
After several refusals, the old man refused to budge.
Zhang Mingtu was completely defeated by reason, and the fisherman became so anxious that his face turned red and he could only nod but could not say a word.
I could only repeat myself: "You saved me and gave me money, how can this be justified?"
Zhang Mingtu smiled and said, "Just seeing the whole family happy and the brothers being friendly and respectful to each other makes me happy. A mere silver and money is not worth worrying about."
After saying that, he floated away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com