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

Lunar New Year's Eve.

That night, the air in Kaoshantun was filled with the smell of gunpowder and stewed meat.

At the entrance of the Zhao family compound, two red lanterns the size of washbasins illuminated half the snow-covered street in a fiery red glow.

In previous years, the village would have been quiet by this time. But this year, the Zhao family compound was so crowded that there wasn't even room to put your feet down.

The room was as hot as a steamer. People were crammed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), the floor, the windowsill, and even next to the cabinets.

No one seemed to mind the crowd; everyone craned their necks, staring intently at the 14-inch Hitachi color TV on top of the cabinet.

On the screen, Jiang Kun was wearing a Zhongshan suit and performing a crosstalk routine called "Taking Pictures Like This," which made the whole room of men, young and old, laugh uproariously.

"My goodness! This color TV is something else! Look at Jiang Kun's face, so rosy, it's like he's right in front of me!"

Liu Erlengzi squeezed to the front, holding a handful of Zhao Jiasan's sunflower seeds in his hand. He cracked them open and sighed, spitting the shells all over the ground.

Zhao Shanhe sat at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the room full of the aroma of cooking, without saying a word, but just smiling as he poured tea and water for everyone.

……

The kitchen was bustling with activity.

Erga and Dazhuang were shirtless, sweating profusely as they chopped sauerkraut and sliced ​​blood sausage.

"Brother! I think Sun Dana's wife squeezed in just now!"

As Ergazi put meat into the pot, he muttered indignantly:

"She's usually the most gossipy one, always talking badly about us, but today while watching TV, she acts like she's part of the family! I wanted to grab a broom and kick her out!"

"What are you going to bomb?"

Zhao Shanhe, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, was using chopsticks to pick out the most tender piece of pork rib from the large pot.

"Let her see. Not only let her see, but when the dumplings are cooked, we'll also bring her a bowl to smell."

Zhao Shanhe took the rib out, blew on it to cool it down, but didn't eat it himself. Instead, he turned around and walked to the doghouse in the back room.

"Give."

He tossed the ribs to the Azure Dragon, who was lying in its den.

Qinglong's leg was still being spanked, but he had been eating so well these past few days that he had visibly gained weight.

It lazily picked up the rib, crunched the bone in one bite, and ate it with great relish.

The black dragon next to it was pacing around greedily, drooling, and was just about to come over and take a bite.

"roar--"

The Azure Dragon merely bared its teeth, letting out a low warning from its throat.

Black Dragon immediately cowered, tucking its tail between its legs and shrinking back into the corner. Its pitiful little face made Da Zhuang, who had just entered the house, burst into laughter.

"Brother, look at this Black Dragon. He's as fierce as a wolf outside, but he's just a doormat in front of the Azure Dragon."

Zhao Shanhe laughed, then scooped out a solid piece of lean meat and tossed it to the black dragon, reaching out to rub its shiny black forehead:

"What's the rush? Don't fight with it."

"Qinglong's leg was broken for our family. It was seriously injured, and this bone is to help it recover."

Looking into Heilong's defiant eyes, Zhao Shanhe spoke with a hint of intimacy:

"Don't feel wronged. You fought with your life on the line in that battle, I know that."

"But bear with it for the next few days, be considerate of the sick guy. After the New Year, once we get to Eagle's Beak Cliff, Qinglong won't be able to do the delicate work of drilling caves, so we'll have to rely on you. At that time, the top credit will be yours, and I'll give you extra help every day!"

The black dragon seemed to understand, let out a whimper, picked up the piece of lean meat, and lay down contentedly to one side.

……

After several rounds of drinks, it was late at night.

The villagers who had come to watch the commotion dispersed, leaving only the brothers inside the house.

Leftovers and cold food were on the kang table, and wine bottles were scattered all over the floor.

Erga Zi, drunk, clutched an empty wine bottle, his eyes red as he stared at Zhao Shanhe.

"Brother, I'm going into the mountains with you this time! I've improved my marksmanship, I can fight too!"

Lin Xiu, who was tidying up the table next to her, slowed down her movements when she heard this.

Zhao Shanhe took a sip of his wine, shook his head, and said in an unquestionable tone:

"no."

"Why?" Ergaizi asked anxiously, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"It's not that I think you're stupid, it's just that you can't get into that place."

Zhao Shanhe put down his wine bowl, his eyes turning cold:

"Eagle Beak Cliff is a dead end. No one dares to venture in except for the old leader. Besides, that 'King' is a spirit; it disappears as soon as there's a human presence."

"We'll see."

Zhao Shanhe pointed to the color TV on the cabinet, then to Lin Xiu and Niu Niu:

"Our family is attracting a lot of attention now. There are so many envious eyes on our color TV, New Year's goods, and the money I brought back."

"I'm going into the mountains, so the men at home need to keep things in order. You and Dazhuang, don't go anywhere. Just stay here and guard the village. This task is even more important than going into the mountains."

Erga and Dazhuang exchanged a glance, and their drunkenness subsided.

"Don't worry, brother," Dazhuang said in a deep voice. "As long as I'm alive, no one will lay a finger on my sister-in-law."

……

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

The New Year was over, and the lazybones in the village were still sleeping soundly on their kang (heated brick bed), but screams of agony came from the Zhao family compound.

"Woof! Woof woof!!"

In the snowy backyard, Black Dragon was being tortured to the point of questioning his very existence.

Zhao Shanhe dug more than a dozen winding snow caves, forcing the black dragon to crawl inside.

"Enter!"

The black dragon had to burrow in like an eel. This was too difficult for it, as it was used to attacking and biting directly.

Zhao Shanhe did not force it.

He simply took out the prepared red sausage and, in front of the black dragon, fed it to the green dragon who was watching the commotion.

This was too much for the black dragon to bear. That wasn't just meat! That was dignity!

It leaped up in a flash, and without Zhao Shanhe shouting, plunged headfirst into the snow cave, desperately trying to squeeze inside.

Watching the black dragon's tail wagging wildly outside the snow cave, Ergaizi squatted to the side, cracking sunflower seeds and laughing until his stomach hurt.

"Brother, that was a really underhanded move. This black dragon is just incredibly unlucky to have run into you."

Zhao Shanhe held the piece of red sausage in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"This is how you train a hawk. If you don't wear down its stubbornness, once it reaches Eagle's Beak Cliff, it'll just be the Sable King's snack."

……

On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, the spring breeze begins.

Days passed, and Ergaizi, looking at the bright sun outside the window, began to worry about Zhao Shanhe again:

"Brother, Old Li from the next village went into the mountains to trap rabbits the other day. If you don't do something soon, all the rabbits in the mountains will be gone!"

Zhao Shanhe was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), helping Qinglong remove the splints from his legs.

He didn't even look up, and replied indifferently:

"In a hurry to be reincarnated?"

"Go and bring in a basin of snow."

Zhao Shanhe grabbed a handful of snow and squeezed it hard. The snow was soft and moist; it could be formed into a ball, but it wasn't firm enough.

"Did you see that?"

Zhao Shanhe threw the snowball back into the basin:

"The snow now looks hard, but it's hollow underneath. If you step on it, half your leg will sink in, and you won't be able to pull it out."

He pointed out the window:

"Wait a little longer. Wait for a few spring breezes to melt the snow, and then wait for the night's chill to freeze it solid. When the snow becomes as hard as iron, that will be the best time to hunt."

……

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon looked up.

That morning, Zhao Shanhe pushed open the door and stepped into the snow in the yard.

crunch.

It did not fall.

The snow beneath his feet made a crisp sound, like stepping on shards of glass, steadily supporting his weight.

Sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light, as if the whole world was sealed in a crystal shell.

"Iron Shell Snow" was created.

"Black Dragon! Azure Dragon!"

Zhao Shanhe shouted.

Two dogs darted out of their den. Qinglong's leg was completely healed, while Heilong had become even leaner and more silent.

Half an hour later, at the village entrance.

Erga and Dazhuang stood by the roadside, watching Zhao Shanhe, who was fully armed.

Zhao Shanhe carried a double-barreled shotgun on his back, a brand-new steel hunting knife at his waist, and wore a pair of specially made birchwood skis.

He didn't bring any unnecessary burdens, not even a cooking pot, only a bag of dried meat and a few hard-crusted buns in his arms.

This is the setup for a top-tier hunter: fast, accurate, and ruthless.

"Brother, be careful."

Erga stopped insisting on going, his eyes filled with worry.

"Keep an eye on the house."

Zhao Shanhe only said three words.

Lin Xiu stood at the door holding Niu Niu, not saying a word, but just pursing her lips tightly and looking at him with a firm gaze.

Zhao Shanhe nodded to Lin Xiu, then slammed his staffs together.

"Let's go!"

Whoosh-!

He glided across the hard, iron-like snow crust at an astonishing speed, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly leaving the village behind.

Two hunting dogs ran excitedly on either side, kicking up clouds of snow.

One person, two dogs, entered the deep mountains.

The wind whistled in my ears.

Target: Eagle's Beak Cliff.

The legendary "Black Pearl," here I come.