The main room was quite crowded: Zhang's eldest and younger uncles, along with several cousins, were all present. The men were all chatting animatedly. Zhang's three brothers and Zhou Xiaozheng were reminiscing about their youthful recklessness, occasionally teasing each other, much to the amusement of the younger ones. The table overflowing with meat and vegetables remained largely untouched, as they drank and chatted.
Seeing Lin Lishan and Zhang's mother come in, everyone invited them to take a seat. After repeated postponements, Lin Lishan and her mother returned to the house.
Uncle Zhang had just finished talking about the grand hunting events in the village in previous years, talking about drinking flying dragon soup and roasting venison in the middle of winter, and everyone present was itching to try it.
Zhang Qingshan, the eldest son of Uncle Zhang, called out, "Dad, stop talking. Eat some food first. Second Aunt's food is more delicious than the ones you grilled in the wild."
Uncle Zhang gave him a disdainful look. "You've never had a barbecue and a drink in the snow? That's fun, don't you understand? People with good manners are happy to watch plum blossoms in the wild in the middle of winter and drink water boiled in the snow. They're having fun."
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. It was really like those ancient scholars walking in the snow, searching for poetry, brewing tea, watching the snow, reciting poems and having fun. Wasn't that the artistic conception and fun? And now, in the middle of winter, every household gathers around the stove, washing pots and enjoying themselves.
Father Zhang looked at everyone cheerfully and said to Zhou Xiaozheng, "We're going into the mountains the day after tomorrow. Do you want to go? You won't forget your hunting skills, will you?"
Zhou Xiaozheng was drinking, glanced at him sideways, and said smugly, "I couldn't compare to you before, and now you're not as good as me. Count me in the day after tomorrow, and I'll headhunt a tiger for my daughter and give her the skin to play with."
Uncle Zhang and Uncle Zhang laughed heartily and raised their glasses to him. "Whether we hit the tiger or not, let's drink this first. This year, the four of us will see if the tiger comes out. If we hit the tiger skin, you can give it to your daughter to play with."
Zhang Qingfeng, the second brother of Zhang, was the eldest son of Uncle Zhang from the third room. He loved to play, so he teased Zhang Guoqing, "Xiaowu, your father-in-law gave your wife a tiger skin to play with. What are you going to give her to play with?"
Several cousins looked at Qinghe teasing Xiaowu, without interrupting, and just watched happily.
Zhang Guoqing looked at these people and said with a smile: "I won't compete with my father-in-law for it. I plan to shoot a beautiful bird for my son to play with."
Everyone burst into laughter. Zhang Dad and the others didn't notice the younger ones, but when they heard the laughter, they asked curiously what was going on. Zhang Guofu next to them explained with a smile.
Father Zhang laughed and scolded, "You little bastard, you're such a prankster! I thought you could kill a leopard. Your wife will definitely like that leopard fur."
"Yes, just hunt leopards. Their fur can rival that of a tiger. If you hunt a bird and still go up the mountain, be careful your father-in-law might get angry and drag your young wife back to her parents' home."
Everyone around joked, "Xiaowu, give your son a sable fur diaper. The fur makes a better diaper than your white diaper. It's warm and beautiful."
"Hey, Xiaowu, I heard from your sister-in-law Chunlan that your son's diapers are whiter than towels. They are hung in the yard and the little kids are eager to see them. Can you tell me if it's true that he doesn't get a red bottom?"
"Don't ask Xiaowu, I know everything. There really isn't a rash. Look, doctors in the city use white gauze to wrap wounds. I've seen diapers, and they're thicker and more densely woven than white gauze."
Zhang Qingfeng winked at him and said, "Third brother, you are good and have studied it. Then tell me whether the cloth woven by Third Sister-in-law is thick or not?" As soon as he finished speaking, the voice fell.
Everyone burst into laughter when they heard this, and surrounded Zhang Qingfeng and beat him hard, especially Brother Zhang San, who poured wine into his mouth.
Uncle Zhang looked at Zhou Xiaozheng, bewildered and confused, and explained to him with a smile: "My third daughter-in-law can do everything except weaving. She tried weaving a piece of homespun cloth before, and it was okay at first, so she hurriedly made a pair of trousers. It just so happened that she put on her new trousers that day and didn't go to the fields. She went with the others to pay the public grain. Before we reached the village, the cart fell into a pit. He squatted down and tried to move forward, but he was not careful, and his trousers burst open. These bad boys still remember it."
Zhou Xiaozheng laughed heartily. The quality was indeed subpar. Rural women, after weaving and washing, knew how to tell if homespun cloth was good enough. The wife was probably impatient, letting him wear it right after finishing without even bothering to stretch the cloth. Even many thinner fabrics wouldn't hold up if she squatted and pushed the cart, let alone homespun cloth woven by a novice.
"Brothers, you're retaliating. Why would I tell you the truth?"
Zhang Qingshan looked at him with amusement. Seeing that he was still trying to tease the third brother, he changed the subject. "Dad, are we going to unite several villages this year, or is it just our village that's going up the mountain? If it's just our village, we can't go deep into the mountains. In the fall, those people in Laohugou went up the mountain to hunt and were injured by wolves."
Uncle Zhang paused after hearing this. "This time, the three surrounding villages will go up the mountain together. The amount they kill will belong to each village. As for how much we kill, it's up to the village to decide. We won't go deep into the mountains, but will go up near the middle of the mountain. If we go in further, we'll risk our lives. Now we're not like we were years ago when we were starving and cold, so there's no need to risk our lives."
Father Zhang nodded. He didn't want anything to go wrong, and his family wasn't short of money. His sons were promising, and with his in-laws coming, if they encountered a pack of wolves, he and Xiaowu wouldn't be able to take care of them alone.
"Wolves have been howling frequently in the winter for the past two years. There are fewer hunters, but more large wild animals. You still have to be careful. There are wild boars and deer halfway up the mountain, so there's plenty of game there. Going deep into the mountains requires at least a hundred experienced hunters with wooden barns."
Zhang Guoqing was anxious after hearing this. He had seen quite a few wild deer near the creek. If the men from the three villages all rushed into the woods the day after tomorrow, they would all be scared away. He had observed the terrain and it was very safe. He had only been up the mountain for the past few days, but now he was busy and had neglected it.
"Dad, do you remember the creek halfway up the mountain that I told you about last time? It's a great place. We should go there in advance, otherwise if we all rush there, we might scare away the wild animals."
Uncle Zhang asked with great interest, "Xiaowu, is that the stream next to the dark forest? It's close to the neighboring village, so not many people go there. What footprints did you see?"
Zhang Guoqing said proudly, "It's that Black Forest. It's right next to the neighboring village. I figured the people there wouldn't want to go that far. We're used to going west, and over time, there are more wild animals there, and it's far from the mountains. I've been there several times to explore the route, and it's safe. There are plenty of footprints of deer, roe deer, and wild boar along the stream. There are also mushrooms in the Black Forest even in winter, and there are plenty of wild fruits."
Uncle Zhang sighed and said, "You've completely mastered your grandfather's skills. You know how to find places. Good boy, there's probably no place in the mountains you're not familiar with. Tell me, you've been going to the mountains since you were five years old. Is there any place you haven't visited yet?"
Zhang Guoqing shook his head and said, "I followed Grandpa to the west and went all the way to Laohugou. I went to the narrow path in the deep mountains with Old Man Wang and the others. Now I'm heading north to explore. I've basically been to all parts of this mountain range."
Everyone gasped. Even Zhang's father hadn't realized his son hadn't run far. No wonder he only sold wild game from time to time, and his family often had dried pheasants and rabbits.
Uncle Zhang knew this. When the old man was alive, he often went into the mountains to hunt. Xiaowu learned 90% of the hunting from him when he was 10 years old. The old man would definitely take him into the mountains to build up his courage.
"Have you encountered a pack of wolves? When the old man was alive, he said that the wolf king in the deep mountains should not be beaten."
"The wolf king that Grandpa was talking about has been killed by Grandpa Wang. The old man is low-key, but he's quite skilled in martial arts, the Baguazhang (Baguazhang) inherited from his ancestors. One time, when he was drunk, he secretly told Grandpa that he had killed a male Siberian tiger with a beautiful fur that he wanted as a family heirloom. I shamelessly found the wolf king's skin last time and gave it to Grandpa Lin. Hehe, he won't sell any of his tiger skins. Grandpa said that he has the richest family in the area and the largest private collection."
Uncle Zhang nodded excitedly, "Yes, only his family has such rare furs in this area. Not only is Old Man Wang amazing, but his eldest son has also inherited the true art. I heard that Baguazhang is a secret art. When Old Man Wang was young, he could kill a tiger with one punch. Even the county magistrate Wang Baiwan personally invited him to be his bodyguard, but he declined. Xiaowu, your grandfather often takes you to his house. Have you learned a few moves?"
Zhang Guoqing shook his head, then nodded. "I didn't learn the family's Baguazhang. When I was 8, he modified a few of my grandfather's moves and taught them to me. I didn't think they were any use. The key is that I'm very strong. His eldest son's punch on a stone only knocked off some powder, but I could shatter it with one punch. The old man got angry and told my grandfather that strength can defeat skill. I can easily lift a thousand pounds. As long as you don't want to kill anyone, there's no need to learn martial arts that will harm your health."
Everyone laughed out loud. He truly possessed divine power. With one slap, anyone with martial arts skills would have to be careful. Old Man Wang was probably just mad that his son, after years of hard training, was still no match for a young kid.
Zhang Qingshan looked at Zhang Guoqing's arms and hands curiously. "How much weight can you lift now? If 10 strong men came to fight you, could you defeat them?"
Zhang Qingfeng clapped his legs and jumped up and down, laughing. "Brother, he got hit on the back of the head in a fight with six scoundrels. Have you forgotten? He just has a lot of stupid strength."
Seeing everyone burst into laughter, Zhang Guoqing raised his eyebrows helplessly, "This is the failure of my life, can you please not mention it? Who knows those cowards will launch a sneak attack. I haven't encountered anyone who dares to attack me, and I was caught by surprise."
Zhang Qingfeng glanced at him with disdain. "Before, we were all young, so you were the leader of the kids. Now, so many people are waiting to put a sack on you and beat you with clubs. They all hate you for stealing the golden doll. You are so mean. So many people are waiting for the golden doll to grow up. But now, as soon as the golden doll grows up, you rush to take it home. Who else should I attack if not you?"
Zhang Guoqiang clapped his hands and agreed, "Brother Qinghe, you don't know. This kid was really confused at the time, wondering why someone would hit him with a club. I told him he was afraid someone would put a sack over him and hit him with a club, and then he realized what was happening. He even had the nerve to say Jiaojiao was his wife. He's so shameless, and Uncle Zhou happened to be here, so he just let it go. He's still thinking about other people's girls at such a young age."
Zhang Guofu retorted, "Don't say that. Xiaowu and Jiaojiao have been hand in hand since they were little. People always say they are husband and wife. They are so affectionate. Xiaowu wiped a handful of wild fruits on his clothes and stuffed them into Jiaojiao's mouth. If a child tried to grab them, he would beat them. He said that every family wanted Jiaojiao to be their bride.
Do you guys still remember? Every time we went out, we either went up the mountain to catch pheasants and rabbits, or we went to find Jiaojiao and hold her hand. The two of them would often hold hands and whisper to each other at the village bridge. Whenever Xiaowu had something delicious, he would run out to find Jiaojiao, not treating her like his own wife.
Zhang Qingshan laughed heartily, nodding repeatedly. "I still remember that every time another child wanted Jiaojiao to be their bride, he would rush over and beat her up. He was so domineering. Back then, Grandpa even said that Xiaowu was so domineering. He stopped wearing open-crotch pants when he was three. When he was four or five, he begged Second Aunt to sew Jiaojiao's pants shut at the village entrance. The old ladies all laughed when they heard it. Jiaojiao was still held in Aunt Zhou's arms at that time, and she had just learned to walk."
Zhang Qingyan followed up, "That's not surprising. I still remember when Xiaowu was five years old and caught a pheasant. Grandpa helped him kill it, and he took the chicken leg and roasted it over the fire. It was roasted black, wrapped in leaves, and sneaked to the bridge to give it to Jiaojiao. Thinking about it now, it's quite funny. You were only five years old, and you only knew how to give gifts to a four-year-old girl. Xiaowu, did you know at that time that this was your wife?"
Zhang Guoqing was helpless in the face of everyone's teasing. This topic had strayed too far, and he didn't notice that the four old men above were also watching with smiles on their faces, their mouths wide open.
He abruptly changed the subject. "Hey guys, how about we go to the creek the day after tomorrow? There are wild deer and goats there. If we're lucky, we could kill a few and sell them, or save them for cooking during the New Year."
Zhang Qingfeng nodded excitedly after hearing this. "We really need to go there first. There are quite a few people in these three villages. If they all disperse, I guess the wild animals will be scared away into the mountains. We don't have much to do these few days. Count me in as Xiaowu."
"I'll go too. I'll go early the day after tomorrow and come back early."
"I'll go with you. We're short of meat. Bring the food with you the day after tomorrow."
"Needless to say, if you all go, I will definitely follow you. I'll also check to see if there are any good medicinal herbs."
Zhang Qingshan, as the eldest brother, saw that everyone wanted to go. He waited until they finished speaking before proposing, "We'll gather at Second Uncle's place at 6 o'clock the day after tomorrow and return near dark to avoid being conspicuous. Don't tell anyone else. Bring some extra dry food and a small pot. Xiaowu, you prepare the small pot. There are seven of us brothers here, and the rest of the brothers at home will go together the day after tomorrow. It's not good if too many people from our three families ask for leave, so you should also let them know that it's not good to have too many people go. That's settled. Anything else to add?"
Zhang Guofu thought about it and shook his head. "I think my eldest brother has made all the arrangements. There's nothing else to add. I'll just ask my mother to prepare more dry food."
Zhang Qingfeng and Zhang Qingyan both shook their heads to indicate that they had nothing to add.
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