Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

At the same time.

The rain had just stopped in the Zhao family's spacious courtyard.

Rainwater pattered down from the neat row of red brick and tile roofs, creating puddles on the blue brick ground in the courtyard, exuding a chill unique to early spring.

The light in the main room was dim because the light cord wasn't pulled up.

Zhao Shanhe sat on a low stool, his rough thumb tracing the blued barrel of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle inch by inch.

The room was filled with the pungent smell of gun oil, mixed with the damp, earthy odor blowing in from the half-open wooden window.

He disassembled and cleaned the gun until it was spotless. He grabbed the magazine with one hand, his thumb gripping the gleaming yellow bullet, and pressed it down firmly.

"Click".

"Click".

The ten bullets were packed tightly together.

Zhao Shanhe put down the fifth and sixth moves and placed his palm on the wooden stock of the old bolt-action shotgun next to him.

The wooden base was already blackened and shiny from being soaked in sweat.

Zhao Shanhe pulled back the bolt of his hunting rifle, leaned close to the barrel for a deep look, and then picked up a gun cleaning cloth and slowly and heavily cleaned the barrel.

Several rows of shotgun shells were neatly stacked on the table.

He examined each of the brass primers one by one, making sure there were no cracks or signs of dampness, before wrapping the two guns tightly in an oil-soaked coarse cloth and placing them in his canvas backpack and his holster, respectively.

A machete, a short axe, hemp rope, matches, dry rations, and a thick white cloth for stopping bleeding.

Without a single unnecessary movement, he stuffed everything into his backpack.

Black Dragon stared intently at the canvas bag. This beast usually wagged its tail happily when it went into the mountains to hunt rabbits, but today it was unusually agitated.

Its two thick front paws dug restlessly into the mud, a low rumble rumbling in its throat, and the fur on its back bristling slightly.

It sensed the undisguised murderous intent emanating from its master.

The green dragon under the eaves was originally lying on the tattered cotton mat.

The cut on its shoulder from the gun butt that Da Lei had hit it with was still not fully healed and was wrapped in thick white cloth.

Seeing Zhao Shanhe tighten his leg bindings, it suddenly struggled, trying to get up.

As soon as its front paws touched the ground, the Azure Dragon shuddered in pain, letting out a painful groan, but still stubbornly limped forward.

Zhao Shanhe walked over, slapped its large head, and pressed it back onto the mat.

"Old buddy, you can just relax at home this time."

Zhao Shanhe squatted down, his rough palms stroking the cat's neck twice, his voice low: "Stay here and guard this door for me. Lin Xiu and Niu Niu are at home; not even a stray cat can be let in."

The Azure Dragon stared intently at him, whimpering in resentment.

Seeing this, the black dragon next to him immediately shook its big head with a spirited expression, exhaling a puff of white breath from its nostrils, looking rather smug.

The Azure Dragon suddenly turned its head, bared its white fangs, and gave it a cold, menacing glance. The Black Dragon was so frightened that it quickly tucked its tail down and immediately became docile.

Zhao Shanhe's eyes twitched very slightly.

The old wooden door of the main room creaked open.

Lin Xiu stood there holding a basin of hot water, her gaze falling on the two heavy gun holsters and the hunting clothes scattered on the ground.

She simply put down the basin of water and walked over, placing her hands on Zhao Shanhe's shoulders to straighten his turned-up sheepskin collar and then tightly pulling the thick straps of his canvas bag inside out.

The woman's fingers were slightly cool, and her movements were extremely light and meticulous.

Come back soon.

Zhao Shanhe lowered his head, looking at the woman biting her lip in front of him. After a moment, he replied with a single word.

"Um."

Lin Xiu didn't say anything more and silently took a half step back.

Zhao Shanhe picked up his heavy canvas backpack and the old hunting rifle, turned around and strode towards the door.

Black Dragon excitedly shook its big head and immediately followed close to his calves.

But just as he stepped out of the main room, he heard a series of hurried and flustered footsteps coming from the inner room.

"father!"

Niu Niu woke up at some point, not even bothering to button her floral cotton-padded jacket, and ran out of the inner room with her two bare, tender little feet stepping on the cold mud.

Lin Xiu's expression changed, and she quickly reached out to stop her: "Niu Niu, the ground is cold!"

But the little girl ran extremely fast, like a small cannonball, and pounced right next to Zhao Shanhe's legs.

She clung tightly to Zhao Shanhe's strong thighs with her two small hands, her face pressed against his trousers which were covered in the pungent smell of gun oil and leather, and looked up at him intently.

Those big eyes were red and swollen, with tears still clinging to their eyelashes, clearly indicating that they had been secretly watching from the crack in the inner room door for a long time.

"Father, are you going into the mountains again?"

Zhao Shanhe lowered his head and looked at the little fleshy ball next to his legs, which was not even as tall as his thigh.

His rough, large hand gripping the spear paused slightly, and the veins on the back of his hand throbbed twice.

Niu Niu hugged his trouser leg even tighter, her voice trembling with barely suppressed sobs: "Are you going to fight the big tiger?"

The main room fell into a deathly silence.

Lin Xiu stood to the side, her already pale lips trembling, but she couldn't say anything.

Zhao Shanhe did not answer.

He leaned the old hunting rifle he used to fight for his life against the door frame, bent down, and with his large hands, which had been used to handling wrenches and snow for years, picked up Niu Niu in one swift motion.

The little girl's body was extremely light and soft, like a ball of warm air just pulled out of a warm bed.

Zhao Shanhe supported her steadily with one strong arm, while his other hand clumsily held her open cotton-padded jacket and fastened the tiny buttons one by one.

"Dad has some errands to run."

Niu Niu's nose was red from the cold, and she whimpered, "What's wrong?"

"Go to the mountains and borrow a thick leather coat from an old friend."

"We've borrowed it. Now our factory won't go hungry anymore, and Dad can stay home with you every day. We can eat white flour and meat dumplings every meal."

Niu Niu sniffed, her little hands gripping his rough sheepskin collar tightly: "Then will you take Niu Niu with you?"

Zhao Shanhe slowly shook his head.

"No, I won't bring it."

"Shall we take Qinglong with us?"

"I won't bring it either."

Niu Niu turned her little head, glanced at the Azure Dragon lying under the eaves with a look of resentment in its eyes, and then at the Black Dragon standing guard by the door, full of vigor. Her little face immediately scrunched up: "Then where will the Black Dragon go?"

As if it understood its young master's words, the black dragon immediately puffed out its broad chest proudly and swung its tail twice in mid-air.

The Azure Dragon lay on the tattered mat, baring its gleaming white teeth, and gave it a cold, menacing glance.

The black dragon froze, quickly tucking its tail between its hind legs and obediently lying down.

Zhao Shanhe glanced at the black dragon, then looked down at Niu Niu in his arms.

"Black Dragon, come with me."

"The Azure Dragon must stay."

He gently stroked Niu Niu's smooth cheek with his calloused thumb, lowering his voice slightly: "You stay home, listen to your mother, and keep an eye on Qinglong for me."

Niu Niu's eyes were still filled with tears, but as soon as she heard the words "help me," her tear-streaked face tightened up a bit, revealing a serious and commanding demeanor.

"Does Niu Niu have something to do too?"

Zhao Shanhe nodded.

"have."

"You must keep an eye on the Azure Dragon and not let it run around while it's injured."

"You also need to stay with your mother, so she doesn't have to worry about you all the time."

"When Dad's not home, you're the little adult of the house, can you do that?"

Niu Niu sniffed hard, but her little arms, still clinging to Zhao Shanhe's neck, refused to let go.

"Yes. Then come back soon."

Looking at the small face that resembled his own, Zhao Shanhe gently wiped away the warm tears from the corner of her eye with his rough fingertips.

"Um."

"Come home soon, Dad."

Niu Niu stared intently at him, as if she couldn't believe his flimsy promise, and stubbornly extended her delicate little finger: "Pinky promise."

Zhao Shanhe remained silent for a moment, then extended a rough little finger and gently hooked it around her little finger.

Niu Niu shook it very seriously.

"Pinky promise, a hundred years from now."

Zhao Shanhe did not laugh.

He simply responded with a low voice:

"constant."

After he finished speaking, he handed Niu Niu to Lin Xiu.

The little girl nestled in Lin Xiu's arms and reached out to grab the hem of his clothes.

Zhao Shanhe did not stop.

He picked up his rifle again, slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, and strode out of the main room.

The Azure Dragon lay under the eaves, suppressing a low, unwilling groan in its throat.

Black Dragon pressed against Zhao Shanhe's leg, its nostrils flaring with excitement.

Zhao Shanhe paused for a moment as he walked to the courtyard gate.

Behind her, Niu Niu nestled on Lin Xiu's shoulder and whispered, "Daddy!"

Zhao Shanhe didn't turn around. He simply raised his hand and waved it behind him.

The early spring wind blew in from the north, carrying with it the fishy smell of melting snow and mud.

The dirt road outside the courtyard leading to the North Mountain had turned black from being soaked in the frozen soil in early spring.

Zhao Shanhe pushed open the courtyard gate.

A man and a dog, two guns, trudging through the thawed mud, headed north into the old forest without looking back.