Chapter 33: The Three Liu Brothers

"Jiancheng, it’s snowing heavily right now. Prey lack sufficient food, so they generally huddle in their dens to hibernate, avoiding activity unless they are starving," Tang Xingde said as they walked, sharing bits of hunting lore.

Tang Jiancheng listened attentively, though in reality, he was unimpressed. While Tang Xingde seemed to be speaking at length and with great detail, he was only offering superficial, common knowledge. He hadn't uttered a single word of true technique or trade secret. If someone truly ignorant about hunting were here, they would certainly be taken in by his charade and would be bowing in gratitude, convinced he was a saint.

Tang Jiancheng, however, was clearly not that person.

He scoffed inwardly at Tang Xingde. Yet, having lived to seventy in his past life, Tang Jiancheng was well-versed in the art of keeping up appearances. He maintained a humble, slightly excited smile on his face, ensuring Tang Xingde sensed nothing amiss. Internally, he was busy calculating where they should go to hunt. He remembered that in his previous life, around this time, a group of people had discovered a large sounder of wild boars in "Dachun Mountain," though he couldn't recall the exact location. He had originally borrowed the muzzleloader from Tang Xingde with the intention of going to Dachun Mountain alone, never expecting that Tang Xingde would insist on coming along.

Should he still go to Dachun Mountain?

Tang Jiancheng glanced at Tang Xingde and ultimately decided that he would. The man was profoundly unlucky; after breaking his leg, his wife had passed away, his house had collapsed, and he had five sons to feed. He was truly a pitiable man, so he would treat this as a good deed and let him tag along to make a little money. Besides, the muzzleloader belonged to him, so bringing him along to Dachun Mountain was justifiable.

"Brother Xingde, where do you usually go to hunt?" Tang Jiancheng began to nudge him.

"I roam all over the mountains; there’s no fixed spot," Tang Xingde said, still not offering a shred of honesty. "Our Sanchong Township has nothing but mountains, and of course, plenty of game!"

Tang Jiancheng didn't want to beat around the bush, so he asked directly, "I heard someone say they saw tracks of many wild boars in Dachun Mountain."

"Dachun Mountain?" Tang Xingde raised an eyebrow and waved his hand. "Don't listen to nonsense. Dachun Mountain is filled with Chinese toon trees. The smell is too pungent; wild boars don't like it at all. It’s impossible for them to go there, and even if they did, they’d only be passing through." He continued, "Jiancheng, this is your first time hunting in the mountains. Don't think about wild boars yet; just focus on catching a few rabbits or pheasants. Don't be overly ambitious."

Tang Jiancheng nodded repeatedly. "Brother Xingde, you're right. I was a bit too eager. However, I know someone in the township who said if I can bag a wild boar, he’ll buy it for twenty-five cents a jin!"

Wild boars usually fetched about twenty cents a jin at the supply and marketing cooperative; Tang Xingde was well aware of this. Upon hearing that someone was offering twenty-five cents—a full five cents more—his eyes lit up. For a hundred-jin boar, that was five yuan! If they were frugal, five yuan was enough to cover the expenses for his family of six for two or three months.

"Are you sure that person is really paying twenty-five cents a jin?" Tang Xingde asked, abandoning all that talk about "first-time hunting."

"Absolutely," Tang Jiancheng replied.

"Alright then, we'll go to Dachun Mountain. But Jiancheng, you must be careful. If you see a wild boar, don't look it in the eye, and don't stand in front of it. This muzzleloader of mine is quite loud; after I fire a shot, I have to find cover immediately, or it’ll be dangerous!" He paused, then added, "Also, pay attention when loading the gun. You must master the technique and the force, or the barrel might explode..."

Only then did Tang Xingde begin to teach him the real essentials. Tang Jiancheng curled his lip, thinking to himself, "I suppose you have a shred of conscience after all."

Dachun Mountain was over ten miles from Daping Village, and it took them more than two hours to reach it. The area was covered in thick snow; trees were bent under the weight, and some had snapped, lying across the ground. The entire mountain was silent, with almost no animal sounds to be heard beyond the whistling wind.

After walking for another half hour, they suddenly encountered three men and a dog. Tang Jiancheng’s expression shifted—had they run into rivals?

Indeed, Tang Xingde’s expression darkened as he recognized them. He whispered to Tang Jiancheng, "How damn unlucky. We actually ran into these three plagues! That’s the Liu brothers from Taomu Village. They’re quite vicious, so be careful."

"Oh? Tang Sanpao, you’ve broken a leg and you’re still out hunting in the mountains?"

The three Liu brothers had spotted them and walked over, leading their dog. "Sanpao" was Tang Xingde’s nickname. Because he loved to brag—which in the local Sanchong dialect was called "firing cannons"—this was his first "cannon." The second was that his muzzleloader was loud, sounding like a cannon blast whenever he fired. The third was his fiery temper, which could explode at any moment like a firecracker.

Of course, that was his old personality. Since he broke his leg, he had mellowed, stopped bragging, and rarely even fired his gun.

"Big brother, look, he’s taken on an apprentice!"

"Hey? So he has! But Tang Sanpao, your judgment is poor. Usually, one takes on a young lad as an apprentice. You’ve picked someone this old; it’s hilarious! Hahaha..." The three brothers jeered mockingly.

"Jiancheng, let's go," Tang Xingde said. In the past, he would have started a shouting match, but today, he didn't want to tangle with them.

"Where are you going? Tang Sanpao, you used to be so imposing. Why have you become such a coward now?"

"Brother, don't follow Tang Sanpao. Learn from us instead. What can a cripple teach you?"

"Going into the mountains to hunt on a snowy day while crippled? Be careful you don't fall to your death!"

As the Liu brothers grew increasingly insulting, Tang Xingde clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his rage. Tang Jiancheng glanced at the three of them and said coolly, "By the looks of you, you've been in the mountains for a while, haven't you? How come you haven't caught a single piece of game? Is your technique that poor?"

The three brothers reacted like cats whose tails had been stepped on. "What did you say?"

"Are you looking for a beating?"

"Kid, watch your mouth, or you might end up losing your tongue!"

Tang Jiancheng remained unfazed by their threats. He smiled faintly. "The facts are right in front of us. Am I wrong? You won't catch any game just by flapping your gums!"

With that, he turned and walked away with Tang Xingde. The Liu brothers were furious and wanted to strike, but they knew that while a verbal spat was one thing, a real fight in the mountains wouldn't end well for anyone. As for firing a "hidden shot" to leave Tang Xingde and Tang Jiancheng in the mountains for good, they didn't have the nerve for that.

"Damn it, let's see what kind of game you two can actually catch!" Liu Mazi cursed. He then led his brothers and their hunting dog, trailing right behind Tang Jiancheng and Tang Xingde.