The courtyard fell silent after Zhang Lan left, tinged with a hint of panic. Chen Chongshan chopped the bamboo rats on the cutting board, one slice at a time, gritting his teeth and holding back tears.
The departure of his parents, his younger brother's health, and the coldness of the world made this eighteen-year-old boy begin to doubt his fate and life.
At eighteen, he should have been in the best years of his youth, but instead, he carried an unbearable mountain on his shoulders.
However, even though it was unbearable, he couldn't let go of it. He had to carry this mountain on his shoulders, otherwise, his family would collapse, and his brother's world would collapse as well.
Although the doctors at the time concluded that Chongming's legs were incurable, this was, after all, only the conclusion reached by the county hospital.
Chen Chongshan always felt that if he took Chen Chongming to the provincial capital, to the nationally renowned Yaxiang Hospital in Tanzhou City, there might still be hope. It was because of this thought that he worked hard to save money so that he could take his younger brother to Tanzhou as soon as possible.
However, just as that day was about to arrive, hope suddenly collapsed today.
If I lose my money, how can I get medical treatment?
However, Chongming's illness cannot be delayed or waited for.
Chen Chongshan was filled with thoughts, one after another flashing through his mind. He remembered his father's urgent look when he was dying, the sound of Chongming secretly crying at night, and the panic that the two brothers faced when they became orphans after losing their parents.
Finally, Chen Chongshan remembered the broods of wild boars in the vast forests of Lianshan Bay...
He was just an eighteen-year-old boy. Besides his own two hands, he only had Ah Huang as his helper, and that mountain forest was the only place where he could earn money and see hope...
As dusk fell, Ah Huang came in from outside and rubbed against Chen Chongshan's thigh, waking him up.
"Ah Huang, come here."
Chen Chongshan patted Ah Huang, tossed the bamboo rat's head, limbs, and internal organs to Ah Huang, turned around to look at the still silent room, sighed, half-squatted beside Ah Huang, and remained silent for a long time.
"Ah Huang, if one day I put you in a life-or-death situation, I hope you won't blame me."
"But don't worry, I won't desert."
…………………………………………………………
On a clear summer morning, noon, the sky was already bright. Chen Chongshan got up, prepared breakfast, cleaned the house, and spread out the millet in the yard to dry. The chili peppers from yesterday had turned white in the sun and needed to be cut open and dried thoroughly for better preservation.
After finishing some odds and ends, it was already past nine o'clock. Chongming had also gotten up. After the two brothers finished breakfast, Chen Chongshan gave his younger brother a few instructions, then called Ah Huang, packed his dagger and machete, and prepared to go out.
There's no need to go hunting too early; the wild animals haven't even started moving around yet, so you're unlikely to encounter any.
We set off in the morning, spent the entire afternoon in the mountains and forests, and came down before dark. Many hunters spend the night in the mountains.
Sometimes, to hunt down a wild boar, they would even stay in the mountains for several days, but that was done by several hunters together. For Chen Chongshan, who was alone with his dog, spending the night in the mountains was an extremely dangerous thing.
Besides the wild boar, the king of the southern forests, large carnivores such as clouded leopards and lynxes also occasionally appear in these vast forests. Under the cover of night, the threat from these wild beasts increases significantly, making it difficult for Chen Chongshan and Ah Huang to cope.
Ah Huang was quite excited as it was about to go out. Having grown up in the mountains and forests, its enthusiasm for hunting was beyond imagination.
Chen Chongshan chuckled and patted it. Just as he pushed the dilapidated motorcycle out to start it, his cell phone suddenly rang.
Chen Chongshan glanced at his phone with a puzzled look, then pressed the answer button.
"Chongshan, are you still home?"
On the other end of the phone, Lao Qin's familiar voice rang out.
“It’s still here, just about to go up the mountain. Old Qin, what’s up?” Chen Chongshan replied.
"Don't rush up the mountain, come to me first."
"Why did you come to my place? What brings you here?"
"Don't ask so many questions yet, come over. It's a good thing, I won't hurt you," Lao Qin replied, and before hanging up, he hurriedly added, "Oh, and remember to bring Ah Huang with you."
"Bring Ah Huang?"
Chen Chongshan was completely bewildered. He muttered a few words before riding his motorcycle with Ah Huang towards the county town...
Old Qin's Wild Game Manor is located near the center of the county town, next to a clear Zi River, with a rather large courtyard in front, and the environment is excellent; Chen Chongshan's home is not far from here either, it only takes about ten minutes to get there by bike.
Chen Chongshan propped up his motorcycle at the gate. Before even entering the yard, he could hear the roars of several fierce dogs coming from inside. Chen Chongshan frowned slightly, called out to Ah Huang, put a leash on it, and then walked into the gate of the manor.
Inside the gate, chaos had already broken out. Several pure white, muscular American Dogo Argentinos were tied to the backs of several young men and women, roaring at Ah Huang and Chen Chongshan at the gate. The young men and women were also looking at Chen Chongshan.
"Chongshan, here we come."
Old Qin stepped forward to greet them, then leaned close to Chen Chongshan and whispered, "These are a few rich young men from Tanzhou. They want to go hunting in the mountains and asked you to be their guide. The reward is two thousand. You can take them around the mountains as you like, and come down before dark."
"To be a guide?"
Chen Chongshan was taken aback, then nodded. There were many wild animals in Lianshan Bay, and hunting enthusiasts from other places often came to hunt. They would then find a local hunter familiar with the terrain to act as a guide and pay him a reward.
Such things happen frequently, and Chen Chongshan has encountered them before. He can easily earn a decent income by leading them around the mountains and forests a few times, which is much better than hunting on his own.
"Mr. Qin, is this the guide you found for us?"
As Chen Chongshan and the other man were talking, the group of young men and women came over. One of them, a trendy-looking man with a buzz cut, asked a question.
This group of people, three men and two women, were all dressed in imported brand-name sportswear. They were all quite young, around twenty years old. The two women were particularly attractive and had very tasteful makeup, clearly from a big city.
Chen Chongshan had never seen such a beautiful woman in Meishan County.
"Yes, Mr. Wang, this is Chen Chongshan," Old Qin replied with a smile.
The young man called Boss Wang looked somewhat displeased. After glancing at Chen Chongshan a few times, he frowned slightly and replied, "Boss Qin, isn't this a bit inappropriate? The price we offered was already quite good, and you actually sent us a student?"
"We're going into the mountains to hunt, not to go sightseeing!" Mr. Wang's voice grew colder and colder. If he weren't unfamiliar with the area, he probably would have already lost his temper.
"No, Mr. Wang, Chongshan is indeed the best hunter in our area."
Old Qin hurriedly explained, "The wild boar meat you ate last night was hunted by Chongshan alone."
"Hunting wild boar alone?"
Mr. Wang was taken aback, then his expression turned even more unpleasant: "Mr. Qin, I remember this is a nature reserve, where hunting with firearms is prohibited, right?"
"Yes," Old Qin nodded, "He is a knife hunter."
"Knife hunter?"
Mr. Wang opened his mouth wide, looking incredulous. Then he and the men and women behind him burst into laughter, as if they had heard a particularly funny joke.
"Hey kid, is what he said true?" After laughing, Boss Wang turned around and asked Chen Chongshan.
"yes."
Chen Chongshan replied expressionlessly. He had encountered some of these arrogant rich kids before and had long since learned to ignore them.
As long as I lead the way up the mountain, they'll pay me; the rest is up to them.
"How many dogs do you bring?" Mr. Wang continued to ask.
"I only brought Ah Huang."
"Is this the Central Asian?"
"Yes." Chen Chongshan nodded, telling the truth.
The group burst into laughter again, shaking their heads as they laughed. One man, one dog, and one knife to hunt a wild boar? Or was it a Central Asian Shepherd Dog?
They said it so seriously, as if it were the real thing.
Do you think these are pigs raised in your own pigsty?
Even if it's your own pig, you're a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid, you can't handle it, right?
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