Er Gouzi said, "Brother Tiezhu, this is actually a good thing for us. Didn't you say before that chaos makes it easier for us to get supplies?"
Liu Tiezhu replied, "Chaos is indeed good for us, but only within the limits of small-scale warfare. Once a large-scale war breaks out, it's hard for us to stand alone. For instance, in this small-scale conflict between the Zhang Family Army and the bandits of Tiangang Stockade, we could cut off the Zhang Family Army's retreat and drain their supplies. But in a large-scale war, they'd have at least a few hundred people guarding their supplies, and we'd have no way to get to them."
Er Gouzi listened, half-understanding, and then asked, "So if things go on like this, won't we be unable to get supplies from these people in the future?"
"We can, but it won't be as easy as today, and the risk will be huge," Liu Tiezhu answered.
There's a saying: if you can't beat them, join them. He was also considering whether to join a large faction later on. But that was a matter for the future. For now, the supplies they had were enough for their family to last over half a year.
The two chatted for a while, and the meat was roasted. After filling their stomachs, they continued on their way. By the time they returned to the stone cave, it was already broad daylight.
Uncle and the others had also gotten up early. Seeing the seven carts full of supplies, everyone's mouths curled into smiles. Yesterday, Uncle had been worried that with their consumption rate, the meat at home might only last until February of next year. Now, with these seven carts full of meat and dried vegetables, the family could indulge freely.
Snapping back to reality, Uncle swallowed hard and asked, "Whose place did you guys loot?"
Er Gouzi boasted, "Dad, we emptied the Zhang Family Army's camp and burned their tents to the ground."
"This..." Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
"You burned their camp—won't they come after you?" Liu Tieshan said.
"Relax, big brother. They don't know it was us."
Liu Tiezhu didn't hide anything and told them everything. Hearing that the Zhang Family Army and the Tiangang Stockade bandits were in all-out war, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Tiezhu, with things developing as you say, we should be safe for now," Uncle said.
Liu Tiezhu nodded. "We should be safe for now, but we still need to watch out for Liu Yusheng. As long as he's alive, this place is still at risk."
Er Gouzi chimed in, "I hope the Zhang Family Army steps up and takes out that bastard Liu Yusheng. Otherwise, we'll have to head out again, sneak into Liu Family Village, and find a chance to kill him."
Uncle waved his hand to cut Er Gouzi off. "Gouzi, settle down. It's almost New Year's. No one is going anywhere these next few days—we're staying home. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it after the New Year. Tiezhu, you two go rest. I'll handle these supplies with Shanzi."
Liu Tiezhu, who had been up all night, didn't stand on ceremony and went to his room to crash. When he woke up, it was already afternoon. Uncle and the others were sitting around the stove chatting, while his sister-in-law and Yulan were busy in the kitchen cooking for the men.
Liu Tiezhu went to the grass nest to check on the white-tailed eagle's injuries. After this period of recovery, the eagle's wounds had healed, and its body had grown a bit. However, it wasn't fully recovered yet and couldn't engage in strenuous activity for a while.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu approach, the white-tailed eagle stretched its neck, acting like a spoiled child. "When you're not around, this guy isn't like this. Except for Yaoyao, even I can't get close easily," Uncle said as he walked over.
Liu Tiezhu asked, "Uncle, how much longer until the white-tailed eagle can take to the sky?"
Uncle replied, "For now, it can fly at high altitudes without issue. But don't let it do any complex maneuvers, or the wound might reopen."
"And how much longer until the wound fully heals?" Liu Tiezhu pressed.
Uncle said, "It should be fully healed after the New Year. Tiezhu, be straight with me—are you planning something?"
From Liu Tiezhu's tone, Uncle could tell he was scheming something.
"Uncle, to be honest, I'm thinking of using the white-tailed eagle as a scout," Liu Tiezhu admitted, sharing his idea. In the future, they'd be heading out more often, which increased the risk of exposure. If he could have the eagle scout from above before leaving, he could avoid potential dangers in advance.
They chatted for a while, and dinner was ready. Yaoyao, who hadn't seen Liu Tiezhu in a while, immediately snuggled into his arms, insisting on sitting with her uncle. This heartwarming scene drew laughter from everyone.
After dinner, Liu Tiezhu reported the supplies they'd taken from the Zhang Family Army: nearly three thousand jin of various dried meats, over a thousand jin of rice, and over a thousand jin of dried vegetables. The tens of thousands in cash and gold were handed over to Huang Xiumei and Yang Yulan for safekeeping. The remaining guns and ammunition, uncounted, were stored in the newly built warehouse.
After hearing this, Liu Tiezhu said, "Big brother, Tian Ge, Uncle, from today on, you need to step up your shooting practice." Before, they had no guns or ammo, so there was no choice. Now that they had plenty, he needed to improve Uncle and the others' marksmanship. That way, if danger came to the stone cave while he was out, they could handle it.
Uncle and the others immediately nodded. They understood that relying solely on Liu Tiezhu couldn't ensure the family's safety. To survive better, aside from supplies, they needed to hone their skills.
Early the next morning, Liu Tiezhu mounted his horse, grabbed grenades, and took Er Gouzi to set traps a hundred meters from the stone cave. After the last ambush, Liu Tiezhu realized that a fifty-meter distance was too dangerous. If those people were lucky enough to get through the trap zone, they could quickly reach the cave. So he extended the trap zone another fifty meters forward.
Covering such a large area with traps required a huge number of grenades. But Liu Tiezhu, now practically a tycoon, didn't care about the cost. He'd gotten twenty-six from the Zhang Family Army camp, plus what they'd taken from the Liu Family Village bandits—enough to blanket the entire area.
The two arrived at the designated spot. Liu Tiezhu measured the distances while Er Gouzi handled the tripwires. Each grenade was placed five meters apart, with iron nails scattered around it. This spacing ensured the grenades' lethal radius fully covered the area. Combined with the nails in the pits, an explosion could instantly kill enemies within ten meters.
They worked until dark, finishing the placement of all the grenades they'd brought. The minefield spanned fifty meters wide and a hundred meters long, almost completely covering the path into the stone cave. Looking at the intricate tripwires hidden in the soil, Er Gouzi grinned.
"Brother Tiezhu, with this minefield we've set up, even if bandits or horse thieves come—hell, even if a god shows up, they'll still catch a few blasts."