As dusk fell, the courtyard was filled with an irresistible aroma. The large pot was opened, steam billowing into the sky, as pork, pickled cabbage, and scallions simmered in the broth. The children gathered around, their eyes shining. Zhang Qiming handed a bowl of broth to Du Jianshan: "Have a sip first, it'll calm your nerves."
Du Jianshan took the bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down two mouthfuls. The stuffiness in his chest seemed to dissipate somewhat from the hot soup. He handed the bowl to Zhang Jianjun: "You drink too. Nobody should drink tonight; we have to go into the mountains tomorrow."
Accountant Zhao, carrying a small stool, flipped through the ledger: "This time the hunt was quite successful. Tomorrow, we'll send an oxcart to the supply and marketing cooperative to hand over the hides and half a pig, in exchange for salt and matches, plus some gauze and mercurochrome. The clinic said they're also short on needles, so it would be best if we could get a few packs in return."
In the corner of the courtyard, the medic Xiao Ma came over carrying a medicine box. When he saw the bruises on Du Jianshan's arm, he gasped: "You call this a superficial injury? Take off your cotton-padded coat."
Du Jianshan retorted, "We'll talk about it after we're done."
Xiao Ma wouldn't budge: "Anyone can be busy, but you can't. If you fall, where will this team go?" He ripped off his cotton-padded coat, wiped the bruises with an alcohol swab, and Du Jianshan grimaced. Xiao Ma then took out a small bottle of mercurochrome from the medicine box, applied it all over the bruises, and finally tore off two strips of gauze to bandage them. "Sleep on the hard kang tonight, don't press on this side. I had the canteen get some egg white, I'll apply a layer later."
Around the campfire, everyone ate and chatted, bringing up the scene in the mountains again and again, each recounting it with increasing suspense. Zhang Jianjun, holding his bowl, couldn't help but ask, "Brother, how did you know where to strike when you twisted the knife? I didn't see you looking for long before you made your move."
Du Jianshan pushed the fire tongs further in: "The pig's heart isn't hard to find. The moment it lunges, its shoulder blades open and close the most. If you're not greedy, even a half-inch mistake can be fatal. But once the knife is in, it's not over. You have to twist it to make the blade cut open a blood vessel. The faster the blood flows, the less strength it has. Remember, it's not about the number of knives, but about accuracy. Also, don't be blind. Trees are both friends and enemies. When I hit the tree, I used its force to displace myself. Otherwise, I would have been knocked over long ago."
Old Zhou laughed: "Did you hear that? You've already started talking about the book. Young man, you have the strength, but you also need to keep your mind steady."
Han Ligong put the homemade gun away and chimed in, "Stability comes first. When I was circling upwind just now, I stepped on a dry branch. If I were younger, I would have definitely flinched and run away. Now I know that the wind carries away the sound, and the mountain will carry away your scent. You may be in a hurry, but the mountain is not."
Zhang Qiming lit a cigarette, squinting at the flame: "We can't break the rules. There's one more thing: when we go into the mountains tomorrow, if anyone sees a trap, they're not allowed to remove it themselves. They have to mark it first and report it when they get back. We have to catch the person so they don't move to another place and cause trouble on other trails."
Accountant Zhao looked up: "I've noted it down. Also, tomorrow we need to retrieve the metal clips that were lent out last time, so the accounts can be reconciled."
Someone chimed in, "The supply and marketing cooperative said they might come to collect mountain produce next week. Money is tight, so should we keep some meat to make preserved meat so it'll be easier to exchange for vouchers?"
Du Jianshan thought for a moment: "Keep one hind leg and two pieces of pork belly, hang them under the eaves at the back of the drying ground to be smoked. The rest can be eaten fresh according to the allocation. Tickets are good things, but if you don't have any real food in your belly, no matter how thick the ticket stack is, it's useless."
A gust of wind swept in from the alleyway, sending sparks flying. A long howl echoed from the depths of the distant mountains, and the children all ducked their necks. Zhang Jianjun's eyes lit up: "A wolf."
Old Zhou stuck the fire fork into the fire: "What are you afraid of? There are many people in the yard and the fire is big. I'm just worried that the smell of meat from the mountain will spread too far. We'll wash the bloody ditch clean tomorrow morning."
Du Jianshan stood up, stretched his shoulders, and gasped for breath from the pain in his chest, but still kept his voice steady: "Tonight we'll guard the pot in two shifts. Lao Zhou, you lead one shift, and Jianjun and I will take the other. Han Ligong, you go back to sleep. Tomorrow, before dawn, take two men and come with me to the windy spot. Captain, you send two men to the lookout tower to keep watch until midnight, and see if there are any unfamiliar footprints entering the village."
Zhang Qiming immediately called out: "Er Ya's father, Liu Xizhu, you two go to the lookout tower. Bring the new batteries for the flashlights, and use your ears if your eyes aren't enough. Change shifts three times."
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