sinovels Chapter 41 Catching Wild Rabbits
Chapter 41 Catching Wild Rabbits
Wang Guiying opened the door and welcomed Zhao Youcai in.
As soon as Zhao Youcai entered the house, he smelled the aroma of meat filling the room and couldn't help but swallow.
He couldn't remember whether it was a month or two ago that his family last ate meat.
"Brother Cai, is something wrong?"
Seeing Zhao Youcai standing at the door with his hands behind his back looking uneasy, Li Zhenshan asked.
Although they rarely contact each other on a regular basis, they are all from the same team and have been fellow villagers for decades, so they all know each other.
"Um... Zhenshan, are you feeling better?"
Zhao Youcai asked in a low voice.
"I'm feeling much better, much better. Thank you for your concern, Brother Youcai." At this moment, Wang Guiying brought over a stool for Zhao Youcai to sit on.
The whole family was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) eating, so it wasn't convenient to ask him to come up to the kang. But they still politely said, "By the way, have you eaten? If not, we can eat together."
"No, no...no, I ate it, I ate it." Zhao Youcai hurriedly waved his hand to refuse.
The sharp-eyed Li Xiangyang immediately noticed that Zhao Youcai was also carrying a piece of pork.
What is he trying to do?
"By the way, Zhenshan, I brought this pork over specially to help you recover." Zhao Youcai said with an embarrassed smile as he placed the pork on the kang (a heated brick bed).
This strange behavior baffled the entire Li family.
Li Xiangyang suddenly thought of something and gave Li Xiangdong a wink.
He guessed that Zhao Youcai had come to apologize on behalf of Donkey Egg for reporting the Li family's speculation and profiteering!
Thinking to himself, "This Zhao Youcai is really unlucky. He's so old and still has to clean up his son's messes everywhere."
Li Zhenshan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "No need...no need, this pork is too precious, you can keep it for your own family."
He didn't remember having any relationship with Zhao Youcai.
But you can't hit someone who's smiling.
"Brother Cai, is there something you need my help with? Or are you in some kind of difficulty? Just tell me, and I'll definitely help if I can. There's no need for this."
Hearing Li Zhenshan say this, Zhao Youcai felt even more guilty.
clap clap.
Caught off guard, Zhao Youcai reached out and slapped himself hard across the face.
Li Zhenshan was startled and shouted at Li Xiangdong, "Quick, quick, Xiangdong, stop him!"
Li Xiangdong was strong and quickly subdued Zhao Youcai.
"Sigh." Looking at Zhao Youcai like this, Li Xiangdong sighed deeply.
He ultimately softened his heart. Donkey Egg was indeed despicable, but one couldn't blame his elderly father for it.
"Uncle Cai, why are you doing this? Just tell me what's wrong..."
"Sigh," Zhao Youcai had calmed down by now, and sighed, his face contorted into a grimace.
Donkey Egg went to the brigade to report the Li family's speculation and profiteering.
It's not serious, but it's not serious either!
After all, apart from being frightened, the Li family did not suffer any specific losses.
It is heavy!
Both of Li's sons almost got arrested because of this. If it were someone with a bad temper, they would have broken Donkey Egg's legs and made a deadly enemy.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so worried.
But now that things have come to this, he's going all out.
He sighed and said:
"Zhenshan, to be honest, I really have no face to see you. It was my good-for-nothing son who reported the brigade that came to your house to crack down on speculation."
I know it's too late to say anything now, but I still want to beg you to have mercy and let Donkey Egg go this time, considering we've known each other for decades.
The night before last, I gave him a good scolding at home, and he knew he was wrong.
"You mean, it was Donkey Egg who reported my family to the brigade?"
Li Zhenshan's face immediately darkened.
If he had known that night who was behind the Li family's downfall, he would have skinned them alive. But after these past few days of reflection, his anger has subsided considerably.
But I'm still angry.
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what decision Li Zhenshan would make.
Should we turn hostility into friendship, or should we fight the Zhao family to the bitter end?
"Take the pork! You shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes Donkey Egg made."
Li Zhenshan threw the pork on the table onto the ground, remained silent for a while, and then said:
"This matter... is over and done with, but if anyone dares to think of harming our Li family again, I'll risk my old life for them."
Everyone was surprised to hear this, not expecting Li Zhenshan to let it go so easily.
But Li Xiangyang could understand, after all, he had lived to be 70 years old in his previous life.
If his identity were switched with that of his father, he might do the same.
A family with a spouse, a dutiful son, a daughter-in-law, and a lovely grandson—this kind of family would fight to the death against two frail elderly people and a family of scoundrels.
Is it really worth it?
The two families parted ways from then on, living separate lives, wouldn't that be better?
Others might not understand, but since Li Zhenshan, as the head of the household, had made the decision, they wouldn't object.
Zhao Youcai was too embarrassed to pick up the meat from the ground, so he apologized repeatedly and left.
This is the best possible outcome for him.
He dared not hope that the Li family would forgive him, pretend that nothing had happened, and invite him to stay for a drink.
After Zhao Youcai left, the Li family sat back down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and began eating dinner.
Li Xiangyang found an opportunity to recount the incident of him and his brother beating up Donkey Egg that day, which made everyone feel a little better.
......
The next day, at 5:30, the kerosene lamp in the Li family's house was lit again.
"It's good to be young. He worked up late last night and was able to get up early this morning," Li Xiangyang joked as he got off the kang (a heated brick bed).
Liu Xiulan blushed instantly. She didn't reply, but instead gripped the blanket and buried her head even deeper.
Upon entering the kitchen, Wang Guiying was heating milk tea and making cornbread in front of the earthen stove.
Li Xiangdong had already squatted down and started eating.
Today he was going to deliver fish to the state-run restaurant alone, while Li Xiangyang went to check on the traps set yesterday.
Li Xiangyang estimated that after last night, they should have caught all the rabbits they could. He needed to collect them as soon as possible, otherwise the rabbits might be eaten by other hunters.
After having a quick bite to eat, the two went their separate ways.
Li Xiangyang carried a kerosene lamp and a Type 53 rifle from his home, wading through the snow, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow.
The sky remained a cold, deep blue, and steam kept billowing from my mouth, quickly covering my eyelashes and eyebrows with icicles.
It snowed again yesterday, completely erasing his previous footprints. Fortunately, he had marked the spot yesterday, so you can find it by following the general direction.
They soon arrived at the first wire snare, but there was nothing on it. Li Xiangyang frowned and continued towards the next trap.
Upon reaching the second barbed wire, they found a row of shallow footprints on the ground, but still no prey was found, so they continued walking down.
As he parted the withered grass covered in snow, a frozen rabbit was revealed. Li Xiangyang was overjoyed and quickly untied the rabbit before heading to the next trap.
"Huh? What's that?"
Li Xiangyang was startled.
Under the dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp, there was a large pool of bright red blood. Li Xiangyang quickly gripped the gun to his chest and chambered a bullet.
Pushing aside the withered grass with the gun barrel, you can see a wild rabbit that has been mostly eaten.
"who!"
The bushes ahead suddenly moved, startling Li Xiangyang.