1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

The three fat men were gone, and that was that; they didn't have much of an impact on the village.

His funeral arrangements were entirely handled by Wang Changfa, who led a group of men from the village to make them.

Two roe deer skins were used to exchange for a coffin in a neighboring village. A simple pit was dug for burial, and finally, he was laid to rest.

Within a few days, no one in the village mentioned Fatty San anymore.

After all, these days, let alone losing your life to wild animals while hunting in the mountains, even a minor bout of diarrhea can be fatal for someone who can't handle it.

The death of someone is a very common thing, and no one has the time to keep thinking about it.

After several sunny days, the weather has finally warmed up.

The first spring rain fell gently, soaking the land that had been frozen all winter. The snow on the mountains gradually melted, and the ponds in the rivers thawed.

When spring arrives, everyone in the village knows it's time to eat frogs.

This forest frog, which the locals call "Hashima," has survived a winter of hibernation. As the weather warms up, it gradually awakens and hides in the crevices of rocks in the ponds. At this time, it is too cold to move much. Once it recovers, it will be busy finding a female frog to mate and reproduce.

This is the best time to catch frogs. They don't run or jump, and you don't need to exert much effort. Just reach into the river and you can easily scoop up a bunch.

Not only Chen Gaoshan was interested in this, but everyone in the village who had nothing better to do also came out with their tools to catch frogs.

This thing is not only a rare delicacy on the table, but it can also be sold to restaurants in the city to earn some extra money to supplement the family income.

Chen Gaoshan had been itching to try it for a long time. This toad was a top-notch tonic. The oil and seeds inside the female toad's belly were good for nourishing yin and replenishing qi for women, and for promoting blood circulation and strengthening yang for men. It was a rare and precious thing.

He went up the mountain to chop firewood.

After returning home and putting down the firewood, he quickly picked up a bamboo basket, stuffed it with a cloth bag he had sewn in advance, and then picked up the fishing net his father had woven from thin wire, heading straight for the big river pond at the edge of the village.

Just as he reached the riverbank, he ran into Liu Sanzi, who was also catching frogs. Liu Sanzi looked up at him and shouted something at the top of his lungs.

"Shanzi, you're here to catch toads too?"

Chen Gaoshan responded, took off his cotton shoes, rolled up his trouser legs to expose his calves, and stepped into the river without saying a word.

Hey!

Although it was already April, the newly thawed river water was still bone-chillingly cold. As soon as he stepped in, a chill ran down his spine and into his bones, making him shiver involuntarily.

There were countless frogs in the water. The male leopard clung tightly to the female leopard and refused to let go. He could catch a pair with ease, without having to put in any effort at all.

While scooping the food, Chen Gaoshan chatted with Liu Sanzi.

"Absolutely! This female leopard is full of fat and roe. Stew it with soybean paste when we get home, and it'll be incredibly delicious—it'll make your eyebrows fall off! Sanzi, how many have you caught?"

"I just got here a little while ago, and I've only managed to grab about twenty here and there. I'm not as fast as you!"

Liu Sanzi shook the cloth bag in his hand and replied with a smile.

At this time, the frog's belly is the cleanest.

After hibernating all winter without eating or drinking, its intestines have long been emptied of waste, so it can be easily washed and stewed.

There were also quite a few teenagers running around catching frogs by the river.

Liu San's youngest son, Gou Danzi, sidled up to Chen Gaoshan, tilting his little face up and asking curiously.

"Uncle Shanzi, tell me quickly, what's a male leopard and what's a female leopard? I can't tell the difference!"

Chen Gaoshan sank the wire fishing net in his hand down and then scooped it up, instantly trapping several toads in the net.

He casually picked one up, handed it to Gou Danzi, and patiently pointed it out and explained.

"Look closely, the one clinging tightly to its arms is the male leopard. See how flat its belly is, and how small it is. Now look at this one, with its arms outstretched and its belly round and bulging—that's the female leopard. It's full of toad oil and roe. Take it home and have your mom stew it for you. One bite, and all that's left is bones. It's so delicious you'll bite your tongue off!"

Gou Danzi went empty-handed, without bringing any tools, and just reached into the cold water with his bare hands.

He was clever enough to spot the plump frogs in the water, grab them with one reach, roll up his trousers high and get them stuck on his calves, and when he had nowhere to put them, he simply stuffed them into his crotch.

Several old men nearby watched with amusement, shouting and teasing him.

"Hey, you little rascal, aren't you afraid a female leopard will bite your cunt?"

Gou Danzi is only seven years old, but he's braver than the big yellow dog in the village.

"I'm not afraid! As long as I can eat meat, I'm not afraid of anything! Besides, my bull is big, it can't bite it off!"

Upon hearing this, a group of grown men by the river burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs. Some even jokingly suggested pulling down his pants to see how big they were, while others reached out to grab them.

Standing in the water, Chen Gaoshan couldn't help but cough twice, his fist clenched, trying to suppress a laugh.

Laughter aside, the important matter of catching toads cannot be neglected.

Chen Gaoshan lowered his head again, scooping things into the net. Just as he was busy, he suddenly felt someone tugging at the cloth bag he was using to collect frogs from behind. He immediately panicked. They were all from the same village, they saw each other all the time, why would they want to steal such a small thing?

They were everywhere in the river.

But when he turned around, he found it was none other than Xiao Kouzi.

He was the young boy who helped the other fisherman remove the bait during the last fishing trip.

Without saying a word, Xiao Kouzi opened his cloth bag and dumped at least thirty or forty of them into Chen Gaoshan's pocket.

After he finished pouring, he turned to leave, with a timid little girl who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old following behind him.

"Little Button! Are you mute? Can't you even say a word?"

Chen Gaoshan quickly called out to him.

"The fish I used to keep outside my house, and that half-grown sand chicken from last month, were those the ones you sent? Why are you running away? Stand right there!"

Xiao Kouzi's real name is Zhou Shuanghe, and he is sixteen years old. The girl following behind him is his younger sister, Zhou Shuanghong. The two look quite alike, but the younger sister looks thinner and is quite shy.

The two are twins, one is bigger than the other.

He would have jumped last time if it weren't for his sister; thankfully, Brother Gaoshan took his place.

Xiao Kouzi's family was poor and they couldn't offer anything of value to repay Chen Gaoshan. So they could only save money by secretly leaving the fish they caught and the wild animals they caught in traps at Chen Gaoshan's doorstep.

Hearing Chen Gaoshan call him, Xiao Kouzi immediately stopped, slowly turned around, head drooping, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his clothes, not daring to look up at anyone.

"Brother Shanzi, I thought you were just going to ignore me all this time."

"I'll pay off my mother's coffin expenses soon. When that happens, I'll work for you. I'll do anything you ask. I'm willing to do anything."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently nudged his younger sister beside him.

"Call him Brother Shanzi."

Zhou Shuanghong was as shy as her brother, so she lowered her head even further and called out softly.

"Brother Shanzi".

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