Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

"Sister-in-law, this isn't the time to talk. Can't we talk about it tomorrow?" Niu Dazhuang thought anxiously.

"Hmph! Tomorrow? Will you come looking for me tomorrow? Anyway, I'm not afraid of death, so let's talk today."

Niu Dazhuang had witnessed firsthand how this woman could be so reckless when she went mad.

Helpless, Niu Dazhuang, holding his gun, cautiously looked towards the river, took a few steps back, leaned against the wall of her house, grabbed her again, and pulled her to the front door.

"Sister-in-law, please come into the yard first and lock the gate, then we can talk."

Having said all that, he felt a little embarrassed and reluctant to put his sword back in its sheath: "Don't worry about me, let the hungry wolves kill me."

Niu Dazhuang was at his wits' end, his eyes practically spitting fire. He roared, "Chen Xia, are you crazy? Get inside right now! I said I'd find you tomorrow, and I won't go back on my word." With that, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the yard.

He dragged her into the yard and quickly closed the gate: "Take good care of her, there are six or seven wolves in the river." As he spoke, the sound of gongs and gunshots rang out from the village.

Niu Dazhuang was worried about his wife, so he opened the door to leave, but Chen Xia grabbed him and said pitifully, "Don't go, I'm scared too."

"Wait a moment, I'll take you back with me." After saying that, Niu Dazhuang took his gun, went out the gate, fired two shots towards the river, reloaded, and turned to Chen Xia, saying, "Take the torch and come with me."

Chen Xia went out the gate, took a burning dry branch from the fire, and walked ahead.

"Come to my house."

In the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, he knocked on his own door.

"It's not safe for Sister-in-law Chen Xia to be alone at the village entrance. All of you must not go out. Make sure the doors and windows are closed. I'm going out to check on her."

"Dazhuang, be careful," Qin Xueru said nervously.

"Brother-in-law, come back quickly, we're scared!"

"We don't have many livestock here, so wolves shouldn't come." After saying that, he turned around and jogged towards the livestock shed.

When Niu Dazhuang arrived at the livestock shed, many people had already gathered. Inside the shed lay the carcasses of two wolves, and the livestock keeper, Old Zhang, had a bite wound on one arm.

"Why are you here too? How's it at the village entrance?" asked the squad leader, Niu Youcao.

"Those beasts are cunning; they only showed themselves briefly at the village entrance. How many escaped? Old Zhang, how come you still got bitten?"

"I'm fine, it's just a pity about this sleeve. Only the two ends were showing, I didn't notice that another one had crawled in from the northeast corner."

"It's good that everyone's alright. Everyone go back now. Be careful when you sleep tonight, they might come back for a surprise attack. Erhe, you'll be on duty at the cowshed tonight too." Niu Youcao dismissed everyone.

The darkness before dawn refers not only to the weather, but also to the hunting season for carnivorous beasts.

As dawn broke in the east, Niu Dazhuang and Niu Deshui, who were still on duty at the village entrance, also started to feel their eyelids drooping.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from the west end of the village, followed by the urgent sound of a gong.

Niu Dazhuang and Niu Deshui immediately perked up, grabbed their guns, and ran towards the west of the village.

No matter how fast a person runs, they can't outrun a four-legged wild animal.

"Sigh! They ran off with two ducks from home," Zhang Niangen sighed as he spoke to the people who had rushed over.

Everyone offered words of comfort: "It's good that you're alright..."

When I went back, it was already broad daylight. This had happened twice already, so I figured there wouldn't be any more wolves coming during the day.

After Niu Dazhuang came home and called for the door to open, Chen Xia went back home on her own.

I didn't even eat before lying down on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed) and falling asleep. After tossing and turning all night, how could I not be exhausted!

Qin Xueru didn't wake people up for lunch until noon.

"Dazhuang, let's not wait until the third day of the Lunar New Year to go back to my parents' house. We made such a fuss last night, I'm a little worried," Qin Xueru said anxiously.

"Okay, then I'll take you there to have a look tomorrow." After lunch, Niu Dazhuang went out.

After last night's commotion, the village is much quieter now; I didn't encounter a single person along the way. There are still people on duty at the village entrance.

Niu Dazhuang greeted them casually and then went into Chen Xia's house.

People are like this no matter what era they live in: the more secretive you are, the more curious people become, and the more gossip you get.

Niu Dazhuang's open and unassuming entry into the pretty widow's house didn't arouse any curiosity from others.

Chen Xia, who was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), saw that it was Niu Dazhuang who came in. She didn't get off the kang, but looked at him with a half-smile: "You're still a grown man, you keep your word."

Niu Dazhuang went into the inner room, casually sat on the high stool opposite Chen Xia, took out a pipe from his waist, and smoked a pipe.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, until finally Niu Dazhuang couldn't hold back any longer: "Sister-in-law, why are you always staring at me?"

"Of course I'll pick the biggest steamed bun. Other men struggle to support a family! I don't need any title or status. Why are you so stubborn?" With that, Chen Xia got off the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove).

She walked up to Niu Dazhuang and looked at him with her big, blinking eyes: "Do you think I'm shameless for being so proactive?"

"Dazhuang, I swear to you, ever since that deadbeat left, I haven't let a man onto my kang (heated brick bed)."

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to swear, I believe you on this point."

"Dazhuang, from now on, when it's just the two of us, call me by my name, or you can call me 'sister'! Sit on the kang, it's warm there."

"Sister-in-law—no, Sister Chen, you've probably heard, I'm going to Beijing in a few days. At this time... you should just find an honest man to marry!" With that, Niu Dazhuang stood up and walked out.

As he walked into the courtyard, he heard crying coming from inside the house. Niu Dazhuang walked away without turning his head.

It's not that he doesn't like beautiful women, it's just that the timing is wrong. Whether he can make it in Beijing is uncertain. Why would he create more trouble for himself?

While married women are desirable, the idea of ​​men taking responsibility immediately diminishes their appeal.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the three of them ate a bite of food early in the morning. Since they hadn't been blacksmithing the night before, Qin Xueru was able to get out of bed normally this morning.

Niu Dazhuang put five pieces of tofu, two skinned wild rabbits, and two wood-chopping knives in his basket and headed to Qinjiawa.

Niujiazhuang has been ravaged by the chaos. You don't even need to look at Niu Dazhuang to know what's going on in Qinjiawa. It's a miracle that no one has died.

"Oh my, what brings you here today? Did you run into any wolves on the way?" Qin's parents were surprised that they were coming back today.

"Xue Ru, you're so insensible! It's so dangerous! These wolves are so rampant these days. Yesterday, in broad daylight, they ran into the village, and last night they made a ruckus all night! You should go back right away!" Qin's mother was worried about their safety.

"Since we're already here, we'll head back in a bit. We're relieved to see you're all alright. Did wolves get into our house too?"

"Hey, they broke open the chicken coop, and your dad and I didn't dare go out of the house."

"That's the right way to do it! I was afraid you two old folks would risk your lives for your money!"