Er Gouzi's eyes bulged as he shouted excitedly.
Last time at the foot of the mountain, that wild boar had chased him all over the place, nearly costing him his life. Now, with the newly modified compound crossbow in hand and the cornfield as their turf, Er Gouzi felt confident.
The wild boar spotted Er Gouzi too, its eyes instantly turning bloodshot. It pawed the ground with its front hooves, let out a loud grunt, and charged straight at him.
"Gouzi, shoot its leg," Liu Tiezhu warned as he pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The bamboo arrow whistled through the air with a sharp whoosh, burying deep into the boar's right leg and sending a spurt of blood. From just five meters away, the thick-skinned, tough-fleshed boar was pierced clean through by the bamboo arrow.
The boar yelped in pain, its front leg buckling, sending its body tumbling. Er Gouzi, bold as ever, spun around and aimed at the boar's other front leg, firing again. Another scream rang out as that leg was also skewered.
With both front legs crippled, the boar couldn't run. It thrashed its tusks, rolling and screeching. Liu Tiezhu loaded another bamboo arrow and aimed for the boar's eyes—its weakest spot. Once blinded, the boar wouldn't last long.
The bamboo arrow pierced both eyes, driving the boar into a frenzy as it kicked wildly on the ground. Liu Tiezhu pulled out a short knife and said, "Gouzi, hold down its back legs. Be careful not to get kicked."
Er Gouzi didn't hesitate. He dropped the compound crossbow, lunged forward, and pinned the struggling boar down. Liu Tiezhu seized the moment, raising the short knife and stabbing it into the boar's neck. Blood gushed out in torrents, staining a large patch of soil red. The boar thrashed for a while before finally going still.
Just then, another commotion stirred nearby. A sow, about the same size as the boar, was leading several piglets in a frantic dash toward the mountain. Er Gouzi grabbed the compound crossbow and gave chase.
"Gouzi, come back!" Liu Tiezhu called out to stop him. It was already afternoon, and time was tight. If they chased them into the mountain now, they'd lose their way back.
"Brother Tiezhu, that's a whole nest of wild boars—nearly a thousand jin of meat!" Er Gouzi said, pained.
Liu Tiezhu waved him over. "We don't have time. We'll figure out a way to take that nest down another day. Come help me butcher this one."
Er Gouzi glanced at the sky, understanding Liu Tiezhu's point. He pulled out a hatchet and got to work swiftly. The boar weighed about three hundred jin, and it took them over an hour to finish breaking it down.
"Haha, didn't expect such a windfall today!" On the way back, Er Gouzi couldn't stop grinning. Wild boar was rare—its meat, packed with protein and fat, not only kept you warm but was also more nutritious than other game. Besides the boar, they had twenty pheasants. Today's haul was enough to feed both families for a month.
As they neared the village entrance, Liu Gang, the village chief's son, blocked their path with a few men. Liu Gang was notorious in Liujia Village as a tough, slippery character. He spent his days loafing around, stealing chickens and dogs, peeping at widows bathing, and bullying the simple-minded. Before Er Ershu got into trouble, Er Gouzi used to run with Liu Gang's crew.
"Gouzi, haven't seen you in days. What've you been up to?" Liu Gang asked, his eyes fixed greedily on Er Gouzi's sack.
"Nothing much, just helping my brother Tiezhu with some work," Er Gouzi replied, making an excuse, knowing Liu Gang's character.
"Brother Tiezhu?" Liu Gang frowned, shifting his gaze to Liu Tiezhu. In his memory, Liu Tiezhu was a mute—a useless lump who couldn't squeeze out a fart in half a day. From what he knew of Er Gouzi, there was no way he'd hang out with such a dullard. After a few glances at Liu Tiezhu, Liu Gang's eyes returned to Er Gouzi. "What good stuff's in the sack? Let us have a look?"
Er Gouzi stepped back. "This is my brother Tiezhu's stuff."
"It's in your hands, how's it his? You don't see me as a brother anymore?" Liu Gang snorted and reached out to grab it.
"I told you, it's my brother Tiezhu's stuff. Brother Gang, if you keep this up, I'll have to get rough," Er Gouzi said, glaring at Liu Gang, his tone turning cold.
"What the hell do you mean? Let go, or I'll slap you," Liu Gang snapped, his eyes narrowing as he raised his hand.
"Try it," Liu Tiezhu said, stepping in front of Er Gouzi and pulling out his short knife. The move startled Liu Gang, but then he figured Liu Tiezhu was too spineless to actually act. Reassured, his face darkened again. "Idiot, who're you trying to scare with that piece of junk? Drop the stuff in the sack and get lost."
As he spoke, Liu Gang slapped Liu Tiezhu across the face.
"Fuck your mother!" Er Gouzi's eyes went red at the sight. He dropped the sack, yanked the hatchet from his waist, and lunged to split Liu Gang open. Liu Tiezhu was quick, grabbing Er Gouzi and holding him back.
"Brother Tiezhu, let me go! That bastard dared to hit you—I'll cut him down!"
"Stop it. Stand still," Liu Tiezhu said, walking straight up to Liu Gang.
"What, you staring at me like that? You gonna hit me?" Liu Gang sneered, glancing sideways at Liu Tiezhu with contempt. The three men behind him laughed, not taking Liu Tiezhu seriously at all.
Just as Liu Gang was gloating, Liu Tiezhu raised his short knife and drove it deep into Liu Gang's thigh without a word. Blood spurted out, twisting Liu Gang's face in pain. Liu Tiezhu's expression stayed calm, utterly unruffled, as if he hadn't been the one to stab him. That was a real hard man—no hesitation when it came to action.
"Get those two bastards!" Liu Gang yelled in agony, but the men behind him didn't dare move. A ruthless guy like Liu Tiezhu, who'd pull a knife without warning, wasn't someone they wanted to mess with. Liu Gang cursed loudly, furious that so many of them were too scared to take on Liu Tiezhu and Er Gouzi.
"Get lost now, or I'll let your other leg taste the blade," Liu Tiezhu said coldly, raising the knife again. That sent the men's souls flying. Without a word, they grabbed Liu Gang and fled.
Watching them disappear, Er Gouzi couldn't help saying, "Brother Tiezhu, this is going to be trouble. That old bastard Liu Shan will definitely target our families." Liu Shan, the village chief of Liujia Village, abused his meager power daily, doing nothing decent. If anyone crossed him, he'd find a way to make their life miserable.
Liu Tiezhu replied, "That old bastard's been targeting us plenty of times. One more won't matter. Besides, his days as chief are numbered. Go home and prep the meat. Come by early tomorrow—we're heading to town again."
Three days from now, the first big snowstorm would hit, trapping the village under snow for over ten days. That storm had starved many elderly folks who hadn't stocked up on food. After the first blizzard, the villagers had cornered Liu Shan, forcing him to step down as chief. He'd organized a pre-winter feast, demanding meat and grain from every household, then postponed it without returning anything, leaving those who'd contributed with nothing to feed their elders.