Volume 1 Chapter 8 On the Road Down the Mountain (Seeking Bookmarks, Thank You)

  The moon has finished its journey, and in the slowly whitening sky, the stars have disappeared. The birds' songs rang out, at first timidly from among the leaves, then growing bolder, loud and cheerful waves spread through the branches. A mass of red clouds like a mountain, half-hidden and half-revealed on the mountaintop, cast a blood-red glow over the awakening earth.

  Two men came walking on the mountain road, both dressed as hunters, with grass shoes and cloth socks, blue coarse trousers, gray leggings tied around their calves, and a narrow waistband tightly fastened over their blue jackets. Their shirts were very old and tattered, covered in patches. This was both a symbol of poverty and the result of climbing steep cliffs and crawling through thorns.

  Zhang Xiaosuo carried a pole, inside were animal hides and dried wild rabbits and pheasants, striding swiftly, Huang Li who had already recovered didn't fall behind. Although wearing Zhang Xiaosuo's clothes, his whole body felt somewhat tight, but this was also an unavoidable thing, his clothes had long since become tattered strips when he ran out of the Black Stone Valley in a daze, only the ultra-thin bulletproof vest on his body and the things in the vest pocket were intact.

  The sky was just bright, and the two people set off. There were more than 30 miles to Fengxiang Town. In order to catch up with the big fair that takes place once a month, Zhang Xiaosuo always sets off under the moonlight and returns counting the stars.

  If Zhang Lao Suo only introduced some simple local conditions, then Zhang Xiao Suo's description was much more specific and close to the truth. Because his narrative was linked to the experiences of the Zhang family and Zhen Niang, it made Huang Li's memory even more profound and sigh with emotion.

  "Bai Wenjing is the biggest local tyrant in this area, his family has a vast mountain forest that can't be seen at a glance, and a field of land that can't be run to the end by a horse. His deceased old man Bai Kongmeng's nickname was 'Bai Half County'. Zhang Xiaosuo's face turned resentful when he mentioned the Bai family, "The town head of Fengliu Town, Bai Zonglin, is Bai Wenjing's nephew, with a wicked heart and black hands, who knows how many good women have been ruined by him, how many families have been broken and destroyed, people behind his back all call him 'White Eyed Wolf'."

  "So arrogant?" Huang Li frowned and asked: "Didn't anyone go tell him?"

  "Tell him?" Zhang Xiaosuo curled his lip and shook his head, "Poor people shouldn't provoke the living, and those who are oppressed shouldn't accuse others. This is a lesson that our ordinary people have learned from generations of suffering. The landlords and officials are in cahoots with each other, and they can easily pin a crime on someone and send them to prison. If you add some money to the mix, the person will never come out of prison again. Don't you know about the 'Chaotic Corpse Pit'? Those who died from severe torture, those who were beaten to death in prison, all ended up there. The old crows that live there have green eyes, and the wild dogs have red eyes. Why? Because they eat human flesh."

  Huang Li scratched his head, half believing and half doubting in his heart. Is it really so coincidental? Or did this kid take the legend as true and told himself about it.

  "In the tenth year of the Republic, our area suffered a severe drought for three years, and not a single grain was harvested in the fields..." Zhang Xiaosuo shifted the load on his shoulder and recounted with a heavy heart.

  As Zhang Xiaosuo spoke, a scene of utter despair appeared before Huang Li's eyes.

  It was a great disaster, within the radius of 100 miles, all edible leaves and bark had been eaten, people started eating peach, apricot and pagoda tree leaves, their bodies swelled up green. When the edema subsided, they became as thin as skeletons, with only a big belly left. During the day, they lay in the shade, just like corpses. At sunset, their arms and legs began to move again. They stumbled along, without any strength to speak, as if there was nothing more to say. When people saw each other, they just exchanged glances. Many people dragged a dead body, walking and stopping, stopping and walking, until they found firewood, built a fire, and put the dead body on it to burn. They tore at the flesh, eating it half-cooked...

  Huang Li covered her mouth, and her eyebrows twisted into a knot.

  "The Bai family is truly ruthless, not only did they refuse to lend grain to save people, but they also sent their servants to collect rent and debts everywhere, demanding taxes and donations. They forced the poor to sell their children, jump into the river, and hang themselves." Zhang Xiaosuo continued: "The common people really couldn't live on, and I don't know who was leading them, hundreds of people holding hoes, carrying poles, and axes, rushed into the Bai family's mansion, looted all the grain, and burned down a row of houses in the Bai family."

  "It serves him right, this rich and heartless guy deserves his comeuppance." Huang Li let out a soft sigh.

  Zhang Xiaosuo sighed and said, "It's good that it's over, but the White family has power and influence, how can they just let it go? Within five days, the county's soldiers arrived, saying that the starving people were rioting and killing, what a bloody river! My father-in-law and my second uncle died at that time, and my third uncle escaped to the north. Not only that, but our family's property was also taken away by the White family. After this incident, the White family not only didn't fall from power, but instead took advantage of it to make a fortune, falsely accusing good people of being communists, occupying land and property, and making a big profit."

  "What's G Party? Sounds kinda familiar." Huang Li shook his head, narrowing his eyes in thought.

  Zhang Xiaosuo walked and talked, and didn't feel tired. People are like this, once they start talking, they can't stop, and saying what's on their mind makes them feel much better.

  "My father spent two years in prison, got sick and after he came out, he vowed not to work for the Bai family anymore, neither renting nor borrowing, carrying our ancestral old hunting rifle, with a pole carrying me and Zhen Niang into the mountains, making a living by hunting in the deep forest. Zhang Xiaosuo seemed to recall that extremely difficult period, his tone became even heavier, "Now, both I and Zhen Niang have grown up, life has also seen some improvement."

  Huang Li nodded and said: "It's also good this way. In the mountains, no one can control us, we are free and unrestrained."

  "Huang, you're thinking too simply." Zhang Xiaosuo pointed to the mountains and forests, saying: "Poor people go wherever they want, but there's no freedom or leisure. They can't escape the landlord's grasp either. There are taxes on households, stoves, hunting... and what about militia fees and dike donations? Not a single cent can be less paid! Even now, my family still owes the head of the village a leopard skin, that's a debt to the King of Hell!"

  Huang Li thought for a moment and said: "As for the money from selling the tiger skin, I only want half of it. You can take the rest back to support your family and pay off all your debts!"

  "That's not okay." Zhang Xiaosuo shook his head and said, "That's the travel expenses left for you, Dad said so, not a single cent can be taken."

  "It was I who gave it, but you didn't want it." Huang Li smiled and explained.

  Zhang Xiaosuo scratched his head and shook it again. "That won't work either, my dad will scold me to death."

  Although it is said so, Huang Li has already heard that Zhang Xiaosuo's tone has loosened a bit. Yes, they really need some money to improve their lives.

  "Xiao Suo, you think I'm a capable person, don't you?" Huang Li asked warmly.

  "Of course." Zhang Xiaosuo nodded without thinking, "Knowing characters and having good martial arts skills, it's just that, it's what bookworms call being well-versed in both literature and martial arts, no, being intelligent and brave."

  "You think someone as capable as me would worry about money?" Huang Li continued to persuade, laughing very happily.

  "That's right, probably, definitely won't." Zhang Xiaosuo seemed to feel that hesitation and delay were a derogation of the yellow calendar, and hurriedly expressed his confidence.

  "That's enough." Huang Li smiled and patted his shoulder, saying: "Give me half of the money from selling the tiger skin. Use the rest to buy some clothes for your family, and get a good hunting rifle. Look at Zhen Niang, such a beautiful daughter-in-law, yet she doesn't have a single decent outfit; Niu Niu, up till now she hasn't even worn new shoes? And also Old Man, his old rheumatism should be treated with some good medicine."

  Zhang Xiaosuo still wanted to refuse, but Huang Li's words really hit his sore spot. His family really needed a sum of money to ease their difficulties. The house needed repairs, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get through this winter; the towel that the whole family shared was still the old one from half a year ago; the washbasin had been broken for a long time, and the soap had run out three months ago...

  Silence means consent, Huang Li looked at Zhang Xiaosuo's face and guessed roughly, so he didn't speak anymore, and walked forward in big strides.