Chapter 6

When Mo Yutong was standing at the Yu City Railway Station facing the morning light, Yan Mingli, who was far away in Tongzi Commune, was walking barefoot on the thick fallen leaves towards the depths of the forest, carefully observing his surroundings as he walked.

First of all, he had to guard against the wild boar that might suddenly jump out. Although he was young and had endless energy, he was still not sure he could knock down the wild boar.

Secondly, he had to be careful not to be seen by other members. After all, the forest was collective property. If someone deliberately found fault with it, he would have to hand over all the money he had earned.

There is still more than an hour before work starts. He wants to use this free time to check the traps he set two days ago, hoping that some pheasants or rabbits will run in.

My younger brothers and sisters at home are in the growing stage and can no longer eat bran and wild grass every day. They need to eat some meat.

Yan Mingli approached the trap quietly, but what greeted him was not the half-dead pheasant in the trap, but Yang Goudan who was lying beside the trap and was about to catch the pheasant.

“What are you doing?” Yan Mingli jumped up, grabbed the collar of Yang Goudan’s shirt at the back of his neck, and threw him hard under a fir tree nearby.

“Who the hell did this to me? I don’t want to live anymore!” Yang Goudan was forced to turn over under the fir tree, and he grabbed a handful of weeds with his right hand to barely keep his balance.

Yan Mingli ignored his shouting, picked up an irregular branch from the pile of fallen leaves and pushed it into the trap. The half-dead pheasant was immediately stuck in his hand.

“Give me the chicken, or I will report you to the brigade.” These days, everyone is craving meat, let alone a street kid like Yang Goudan who doesn’t want to work and only knows how to suck his parents’ blood. He would be so angry that he would want to eat the pheasant alive, which was still breathing with its eyes rolled back.

“How do you want me to give it to you?” The 19-year-old boy was tall and straight. His height of 1.85 meters could easily crush most of the people in Tongzi Commune, not to mention the weakling in front of him who was half a head shorter than him.

Yan Mingli’s eyes were cold, and he twisted the chicken’s neck with his hand. The pheasant immediately lowered its head. The ferocity of the twist made Yang Goudan shrink back half a step.

I just felt a chill on my neck. It wasn’t a chicken’s neck that was twisted, it was clearly my own neck.

“Brother, let’s talk it out. Let’s talk it out.” Yang Goudan immediately turned into Yang Suidan, putting his hands in front of him for fear of being strangled.

“Remember, this is a trap I dug.” Yan Mingli spoke word by word while holding the pheasant that had already flown away in ecstasy. His arms, exposed from his old cotton vest, were strong and powerful.

“I understand.” Yang Goudan stared at the strong muscles on his arms and nodded very tactfully. He finally understood why the villagers had to go around Yan Mingli.

It’s not just because his family background is bad, but if you don’t avoid him, you’ll be covered in blood!

“Let me see it again…” Yan Mingli suddenly broke the branch in his hand, and the sharp tip of the branch pointed directly at Yang Goudan’s eyes. The meaning was self-evident, he would poke this eye out.

“There won’t be a next time, absolutely not.” Yang Goudan was so scared that his calves trembled, but he didn’t dare to tremble too hard, for fear that he would accidentally offer an eyeball.

“It’s better not to. Get out!” Yan Mingli’s eyes were still cold, like the north wind in winter, blowing people’s hearts coldly.

Yang Goudan was pardoned. He twisted his body and ran down the mountain quickly. Perhaps unwilling to accept this, he shouted from afar, “Yan, you wait for me.”

Yan Mingli didn’t take his words to heart and started picking up dry firewood nearby. Soon he had a large pile of firewood. He didn’t rush to tie it up, but put the dead pheasant in the innermost part and tied the firewood tightly with some hay.

When he could no longer see any clues even through the cracks in the dry firewood, Yan Mingli picked up the firewood and strode towards the yellow mud house at the foot of the mountain.

He still didn’t wear shoes. Unless it was necessary, he would just put something as valuable as shoes on the bedside as a lucky charm.

At the foot of the mountain, two little kids sitting at the door of a mud house were looking into the distance with anticipation, as that was where all their hopes lay.

They were wearing grey homespun clothes, which were more like pieces of cloth pieced together crookedly with poor sewing skills, hanging loosely on their bodies, making the two little men look even thinner.

The only good thing is that the two little radishes are growing up very well. If they are taken care of better, they will become two extremely cute lucky dolls.

“Second brother, do you think big brother will find food?” The five or six-year-old girl held her cheeks and looked at the little boy who was about her age sitting on the doorstep with hope. She was so hungry! If big brother didn’t come back, she felt that her chest would definitely stick to her back from hunger.

“Yes.” The little boy said with great determination. His elder brother was the person he admired most. He could write many words, do very good arithmetic, and hunt pheasants, rabbits, and wild goats.

The eldest brother is the pillar of their family. If even the eldest brother can’t find food, then they… The little boy’s eyes dimmed, and then he became firm again.

“Will my cousin come to snatch it away?” the little girl asked worriedly.

The cousin she was talking about was Li Tiezhu from her uncle’s family. He was very much loved by her grandparents and loved to call on his group of friends to bully them when their eldest brother was not around. When they were young, they couldn’t fight back and were beaten hard by punches at first.

It was only when their eldest brother discovered the bruises under their clothes while they were taking a shower that they reluctantly told him what had happened. Then, without saying a word, their eldest brother took them both to their grandmother’s house.

That day, my eldest brother beat Li Tiezhu in front of the whole family of my grandmother’s family. He made Li Tiezhu scream and scream. Before leaving, he said with a gloomy face: “If you dare to bully them when I’m not around again, I will burn this house down. No one will be able to live in peace.”

When they left their grandmother’s house, they were followed by her deafening curses: “You damned bastard, you deserve to die! You didn’t go down with your shameless mother, and your old man, didn’t you take all three of you with you when you left?”

They have always known that grandma doesn’t like mom or them, so they never go to grandma and uncle’s house, even though they live in the same village.

“If he dares, I will beat him to death.” The little boy waved his small fist which had no deterrent power. Li Tiezhu was eight years old and looked stronger than other children of the same age in the village, but he was only six years old and was still the weakest among his peers.

“You can’t beat him.” The little girl stated the fact, with even more worry in her eyes, because she knew that her elder brother could not protect them all the time. He had to work full points every day, otherwise he would not be able to support the family of three.

The little girl wanted to grow up quickly and wanted to be like Erni, having a sister-in-law who would give her boiled eggs and brown sugar water.