Along the way, Qin Jianjun ran out of breath as if there was a ghost chasing him.
When he couldn't run anymore, he held onto a telephone pole, his scalp numbing.
It was already a cold winter day, and at this moment he was as cold as an ice sculpture.
The snow on the road made his face look even paler, like a dead person's face.
He didn't know how the rice turned into small stones. It was possible that there really were monsters and demons in this world.
It is also possible that someone secretly replaced the rice with small stones after he fell asleep last night.
But no matter what the reason was, he only knew that for a long time, he dared not act rashly.
Compared to not being able to gamble, he is more afraid of having money but not having the life to spend it.
He returned home in a daze. It was already two o'clock in the afternoon and he was already rumbling with hunger.
The people who were warming themselves by the fire in the hall were a little surprised to see Qin Jianjun coming back so early.
"Third brother, why is your face swollen?" Zhang Xiumei asked sharply.
Qin Jianjun touched the corner of his mouth and felt a sharp pain.
The injury was caused by a beating from the staff of the supply and marketing cooperative. They thought he was teasing them with small stones and beat him up without saying a word.
However, he didn't intend to say it, so he made up an excuse: "The road was too slippery, and I fell."
No one doubted his answer.
It's icy and snowy outside, so falling is normal.
"Mom, is there any food at home?" Qin Jianjun changed the subject.
Old Mrs. Qin was taking the thread out of an old sweater, preparing to knit a new sweater for her tenth granddaughter.
She said without even looking up: "No, didn't you say you wouldn't come back for lunch?"
"But I'm hungry!" Qin Jianjun touched his stomach, not embarrassed at all.
"Hold on even if you're hungry, and go chop the firewood in the yard." Old Mrs. Qin's hands were wrapped in a ball of fur.
There are too many children in the family and we cannot afford to buy new clothes for the New Year, so the younger ones have to pick up the older ones' clothes to wear.
All she can do is to make new clothes out of unwanted old clothes.
Even so, it is still impossible to take care of everyone.
So she could only take care of the younger one first. Han'er planned to wait until the eldest and second child came back, then go to the town to sell some rice and potatoes, and then buy Han'er a new coat.
After the child was born, good luck came to the family.
No matter what, this child cannot be treated unfairly, otherwise God will definitely be unhappy.
Qin Jianjun's scalp tingled when he thought that there might be a pair of invisible eyes staring at him at home.
He didn't dare to disobey the old lady and went to the backyard to chop firewood obediently.
Everyone thought that Qin Jianjun had changed his personality, but only Qin Han knew that he was scared.
Unexpectedly, Qin Jianjun, who looks tall and strong, is so timid.
With just a little trick, he was frightened.
It looks like the family will be able to enjoy a period of peace.
In this way, several days passed in peace.
"I don't know whether the eldest and second sons have caught any prey!" Old Mrs. Qin sat in front of the stove, warming herself by the fire and eating, but her thoughts were on her two sons.
Zhang Xiumei and Zhao Yan looked at each other. They had never agreed with their husbands' marksmanship.
I'm afraid I'll come back empty-handed this time.
However, they just wanted the two of them to be safe and sound, and did not expect to bring back any prey.
At the same time, deep in Liangshan.
Thirty-six villagers led by Captain Liu are setting traps and waiting for their prey to take the bait.
So far, their gains have been modest.
It can even be said that they have gained nothing. For some unknown reason, they have not seen any prey until now.
A group of villagers who came here with high spirits and vigor are now listless.
At this moment, they did not expect to catch any large prey, they just hoped not to get nothing.
Otherwise, it would be unpleasant to think about seeing my wife and children’s disappointed expressions on their faces when I get home.
Fortunately, they just discovered signs of wild boar activity. Hopefully, after setting the trap, they will get something!
After Qin Jiandang and Qin Jianguo set up the trap, they found a wooden stake to sit on.
Prepare to eat some steamed corn bread to fill my stomach.
After only four days, their hands were already cracked from the cold, and the exposed skin on their faces became rough, like dry bark.
His eyeballs were bloodshot and he looked exhausted.
These past few days, they couldn't eat or sleep well, and they had to remain highly vigilant at all times to prevent any large prey from attacking them.
However, in order to have a good New Year, no one complained of being tired, and no one backed down.
Qin Jiandang took out the steamed bread made by his mother from his arms and took a bite.
This thing scratches your throat and tastes bland. Without the dried radish, it's really hard to swallow.
At this moment, he missed the white rice at home and the potatoes that could be eaten as sweet potatoes.
Everyone else was quietly eating what they had brought.
Most of them are steamed corn bread, and some are steamed buns made of white flour.
But eating in this environment, all the delicacies from land and sea will taste like chewing wax, because the food will turn into popsicles as soon as you take it out.
They beat their chests and stamped their feet while eating, and when they choked, they could only grab a handful of snow beside them and put it into their mouths.
"Jiandang, it's been several days and we haven't gained anything yet. I think there's a good chance we'll return empty-handed!" Qin Jianguo ate the steamed buns without any appetite.
Although they are brothers, they are only two years apart in age and usually call each other by their names.
Qin Jiandang sighed: "There's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is try our best!"
In fact, he was more anxious than anyone else, but there was no prey and there was nothing he could do.
However, at this moment, the screams of the wild boar rang out, sounding particularly tragic in the silent forest.
The snow on the branches was shaken off, and everyone's face showed an expression of surprise.
The prey finally came out, and they stuffed the dry food in their hands into their arms, ready to attack with weapons.
However, before they could react, a wild boar weighing more than 300 pounds rushed towards them like crazy.
It ran very fast, with a green face and fangs, and rushed through the forest.
Many villagers didn't even have time to take out their weapons and were so scared that they could only flee in all directions.
Some of them raised their hunting rifles and shot at the wild boars.
However, the wild boar ran too fast and they were worried about hurting their companions.
So, the wild boar was still unharmed.
However, its front hoof was caught in a trap, and blood left footprints in the snow as it ran.
Then I knew it went crazy because it was hurt.
Qin Jiandang didn't have time to take out his weapon at first. Looking at the wild boar rushing towards him, he could only pull Lao Er beside him and roll to the side to avoid the fatal blow.
Otherwise, if the wild boars hit them, they would be disabled even if they didn't die.
While the wild boar was attacking other villagers, Qin Jiandang didn't care about the cuts on his body that had just been made by a dead branch.
He quickly picked up the hunting rifle on his back and shot at the wild boar. He did not have much hope for his marksmanship, he just wanted to attract the wild boar's attention to give the villagers a chance to escape.
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