Chapter Thirty-Seven: A New Member Joins the Mountain Hunt

Zhang Huacheng was busy stir-frying a seafood medley at home. The seafood in the iron pan hissed and sizzled, releasing an appetizing aroma. He had just returned from the seaside to gather some catches; aside from the dozen or so crabs he left in the rock pool to sell tomorrow, he had carried the rest back to eat himself.

"Should I stew the fish?" Wang Lin, who was busy wrapping dumplings, glanced at the bamboo basket containing a few pounds of fish.

"No need to stew the fish. We can take them over later and let Mom and Dad stew them for soup." They were not short on seafood at home.

Zhang Huacheng checked the soup pot, which held a wild boar tripe and pork rib stew. It smelled somewhat like chicken and pig stomach soup, and after tasting the fresh broth, he deemed it passably good.

"Let’s go, back to the old house for dinner!"

"Okay!"

Wang Lin had been waiting impatiently; she was worried that Dou Dou might trip and fall at the old house, as the little girl was still unsteady on her feet.

The whole family was waiting for them. Little Dou Dou, along with Dabao and Xiaobao, were gathered around the table, staring eagerly at the beautifully shaped dumplings.

"Mom, when can we eat the dumplings?" Xiaobao had already asked eight hundred times.

"Soon, as soon as your uncle gets here," Chen Xiuying replied, busy stitching wild boar leather on the kang. A finished pair of wild boar leather kneepads was already fitted onto Zhang Hu’s legs. Zhang Hu was happily pacing around the room; the boar leather seemed to have alleviated his leg pain. Fifth Uncle was still fast asleep.

"They’re here, they’re here! Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are here!" Hua Ling pushed the door open excitedly and ran inside, letting in a gust of cold wind.

The children cheered and ran over—they could finally eat dumplings. Wang Lin and Zhang Huacheng arrived, carrying the bowls.

"Mom, hold me!" Dou Dou stumbled over, overjoyed; this was her first time playing out in the winter. Wang Lin quickly handed the basin to Hua Ling and scooped up Dou Dou, covering her with kisses.

"What are you carrying that smells so good?" Zhang Hu reached out to take the pot from Zhang Huacheng, the rich aroma instantly lifting his spirits.

"Wild boar tripe and pork rib soup. It got cold on the way over, so heat it up in the pot before we drink it." Zhang Huacheng rubbed his hands; they had gone numb from the cold during the walk. He had wanted to make a boar tripe and chicken soup, but Wang Lin wouldn't let him kill their big rooster, so he had to substitute with ribs. It tasted pretty good, regardless.

"Guiying, Guiying, hurry and cook the dumplings for the children!" Zhang Hu called out immediately.

His mother emerged from the room, white cotton fluff clinging to her clothes; it was clear she had been working with cotton inside.

"Dumpling time!" Little Ya ran around the table happily.

The Zhang family home was lively that night, filled with constant laughter. As the sky grew dark and the moonlight outside remained dim, Wang Hu lit the two oil lamps in the house. A bottle of Erguotou, three small wine cups, and a large bowl or platter of dumplings for everyone were soon set down, along with an iron pan of stir-fried seafood placed in the center, filling the room with steam and fragrance.

"Little Ya, wake up Fifth Uncle!"

"Okay!"

Fifth Uncle was roused by Little Ya. He sat at the table, and only after being poured a drink did he realize he had fallen asleep. The old man looked at the oil lamp and then outside; he had slept until dark. Sleeping on a heated kang was incomparable to being at home; he slept soundly, whereas he couldn't even fall asleep at home without a heated bed because of the cold.

"Fifth Uncle, have a couple of cups." Zhang Huacheng poured him a drink.

"Alcohol?" Fifth Uncle couldn't help but swallow hard. He cautiously lifted the cup, took a sniff, and said with a look of pure contentment, "It’s been a long time since I’ve had this."

"These dumplings are delicious!" Little Ya said happily while eating.

"Delicious!" Dou Dou, sitting in Wang Lin’s lap, mimicked her.

"Huacheng, aren't you drinking? Have a cup." Seeing that Zhang Huacheng wasn't drinking, Zhang Hu gestured for him to have one.

"I won't. I have things to do tonight." Zhang Huacheng shook his head. He had promised Wang Lin he wouldn't drink, and besides, he had to head into the mountains later, so drinking was out of the question.

The dining table was too small, so they split into an adult table and a children's table, creating a lively, bustling scene. Zhang Hu and Fifth Uncle had a few extra drinks; it looked like Fifth Uncle would be staying the night. Zhang Huchen wanted to drink more too, but was stopped by his sister-in-law—he had to finish making the cotton-padded coat tonight and couldn't afford to be tipsy.

"Mom, the dumplings are so good!"

Dabao had finished a large bowl of dumplings but still wasn't full, so he brought his bowl over to ask for more. With so much meat in them, how could they not be delicious? Seeing Dabao staring at her bowl, Zhao Xiuying gave him a glare, then tipped two dumplings from her own bowl into his. Xiaobao saw this and immediately started yelping for more dumplings too.

"Hua Ling, go serve the children some soup! Scoop out the boar tripe and ribs from the pot for them!" Zhang Huacheng called out to Hua Ling upon hearing the commotion.

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" His mother grabbed Hua Ling, who was about to scoop the ribs. She wouldn't let this little spendthrift do it; if she did, she’d scoop out all the meat.

Everyone who drank the boar tripe and rib soup praised it, and Fifth Uncle was especially complimentary. Zhang Huacheng had him drink another bowl; it was excellent for the stomach.

After eating, Zhao Xiuying enthusiastically pulled Wang Lin into the room to take measurements. She was skeptical about the size of the cotton coat Wang Lin had claimed, and soon Wang Lin emerged with a flushed face and downcast eyes, while Zhao Xiuying looked on with envy.

Dou Dou fell asleep as soon as she was full. Not wanting to waste time, Zhang Huacheng hitched up the flatbed cart and headed home with his wife and daughter. The cold moonlight cast a glow on the snow. Wang Lin looked around and realized they were taking the wrong road.

"Huacheng, you're going the wrong way," Wang Lin reminded him.

"I'm not. I'm going to call Er Gou," Zhang Huacheng said, gesturing ahead.

"Huh?" Wang Lin was confused. Why call Er Gou in the middle of the night?

Soon, Zhang Huacheng arrived at Er Gou’s house. It was pitch black, and it was unclear if Er Gou was asleep.

"Er Gou!" *Bang, bang, bang!* "Er Gou!"

After knocking for a while, Er Gou finally came out, sluggish and slow. "Looking for me?" Er Gou was surprised to see Zhang Huacheng and looked puzzled.

"Come to my place for a bite to eat; I have something to tell you." Zhang Huacheng motioned for him to follow.

"Alright." Er Gou entered the house and soon emerged carrying a net bag containing five or six apples. Wang Lin was stunned to see Er Gou toss the apples onto the flatbed cart; apples were a rare luxury in the dead of winter—getting a frozen pear was lucky enough, let alone an apple! As for why Zhang Huacheng had come to get Er Gou, she guessed it had to do with Hua Ling.

Er Gou didn't say a word on the way, nor did he ask why Zhang Huacheng had sought him out.

After returning, Zhang Huacheng threw a few stones at Tie Zhu’s door. Soon, Tie Zhu quietly slipped out. Upon confirming it was Zhang Huacheng, he grinned and shut the door behind him.

Back in the house, Zhang Huacheng started boiling dumplings, the pot churning with movement. Er Gou remained silent. Tie Zhu sat there waiting without a word, the atmosphere tense and heavy.

"Er Gou, thank you for what you did regarding Hua Ling," Zhang Huacheng said suddenly while dishing out the dumplings.

"Huh?" Tie Zhu was bewildered. What had happened? Er Gou looked up, surprised. Wang Lin also watched with curiosity.

"I know you were the one who told the old lady of the Wang family about Chen Qiuyang and the Widow Wang. Regardless of the reason, I have to thank you for ensuring Hua Ling didn't have to marry Chen Qiuyang." Zhang Huacheng set the dumplings down and poured a small dish of aged vinegar, tossing a clove of garlic onto the table.

Er Gou didn't deny it, simply nodding.

"I called you here today to ask if you want to join us in hunting in the mountains to make some money." Zhang Huacheng didn't mince words; hunting required manpower, and Er Gou was a very suitable candidate.

"Into the mountains? The mountains are full of wolves right now," Er Gou shook his head.

Zhang Huacheng didn't speak. He turned and went into the room, quickly returning with a complete wolf pelt and a piece of wild boar hide, even bringing out the Type 38 Arisaka rifle. "We have a gun."

Zhang Huacheng showed the pelt and the rifle to Er Gou.

"What good is one gun? Even if you can hit something, you won't be able to escape if you run into a wolf pack." Er Gou remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. Even the experienced hunters and mountain guards of the brigade didn't dare enter the mountains when they were sealed by snow; encountering a pack meant certain death.

"Brother's marksmanship is amazing. No matter the distance, he can kill with one shot. Both the boar and the wolf were killed by Brother with a single shot," Tie Zhu said, looking up with pride.

"One shot?" Er Gou paused.

"Tie Zhu isn't lying. Whether it's a boar or a wolf, it’s one shot, one kill. Er Gou, there are seven or eight adult gray wolves in the mountains right now. If we kill just one, the meat alone will sell for a hundred yuan, not counting the pelt. Tie Zhu and I are asking you because we can't carry back that much meat alone. You want to make money, don't you? How will you afford to take a wife without money?" Zhang Huacheng sat down and looked at Er Gou.

Er Gou fell silent. After a long while, he said, "I can go into the mountains, but if it gets too dangerous, I will quit at any time." He didn't want to die in the mountains, but he certainly needed the money.

"Don't worry!" Zhang Huacheng agreed with a smile. He knew that once Er Gou started, he wouldn't want to quit.

"One more thing: whoever kills the prey gets the lion's share. That’s fair, right?" Zhang Huacheng added. He needed to earn more money; there were too many places where he needed it.

"Fine," Er Gou nodded.