Chapter Seventy-One - The Unrivaled Tyrant of Song Village (Part One)

The fragrant raccoon meat, the chewy wild boar, the fresh-tasting mountain fern—all these rare delicacies from the mountains were piled high on the wooden table, and I devoured them all with relish, patting my satisfied stomach and letting out a contented burp. “Old Wu, your cooking truly is unrivaled! If you were to open a restaurant in the city, I’m certain it would take the country by storm.”

Old Wu chuckled as he took a sip of his homemade liquor, shaking his head. “You’re just teasing, young one. Open a restaurant? Ha! Never mind how difficult it is to hunt these wild animals, even the mountain greens are all handpicked by me from deep within the forest. There simply aren’t enough. These days the government keeps a tight rein on things, and patrol teams regularly sweep the mountains. Hunting is strictly limited; I can only go once a month as permitted. Sometimes, when I encounter a large wild boar, I can’t even carry it back alone. How could I bring back more? Ah, the hunter’s trade—seems it will end with my generation.”

I nodded in agreement. Wild animals are growing scarcer by the day, and the hunter’s profession is bound to vanish soon. If someone really did open a wild game restaurant, it would certainly be popular, but without ingredients, there’s nothing to serve—a futile endeavor. Relaxing in the bamboo chair Old Wu had crafted himself, I took in the room. His house was a single-story adobe dwelling; when I came in, I’d noticed some faded red slogans from the wartime era painted on the wall, a testament to the house’s age.

Seeing me silent, Old Wu smiled, picked up a bite of food, and said, “You’re a good person, young one. It warms this old man’s heart to know there are still people like you in this world. Ah, if only my son can be saved, I will be forever in your debt.”

“Old Wu, you’re my elder—how could I deceive you? Rest assured, it’s over an hour’s journey from City C to here. It won’t be long before they arrive, and then you’ll have the money to pay that Wang Changshun and rescue your son. But have you considered, having such a tyrant in your village isn’t a long-term solution? Sooner or later, it’ll bring more trouble.”

“What can I do? This house was passed down from my ancestors. My son and I depend on each other, and we lack the skills to survive outside these mountains. My son wants me to leave, but where would we go?” He paused, then glanced warily at the door, leaning in to whisper, “Last time, Wang Changshun got drunk. One of his men let slip that Wang Changshun’s patron is supposedly the mayor of City C, and that he’s hiding out here in Songjia Village because of some incident. Think about it—the mayor! No wonder those town officials treat him like royalty. Officials protecting officials—it’s an age-old truth...”

“What did you say? The mayor?” I had just taken a sip of tea and nearly spat it out at his words. The mayor of City C? Isn’t he the brother of Xia Fuguai, the chairman of Xiawang Construction? Goodness, how did things get tangled up with him again? I was secretly relieved that I hadn’t let Zhang Jing summon those officials connected to Sunshine Group—otherwise, all the groundwork I’d painstakingly laid in the bureaucracy would have been exposed in an instant!

“Yes, it’s supposed to be the mayor of City C, but no one knows for sure if it’s true. Even if it isn’t, Wang Changshun’s backer must be someone powerful—I saw with my own eyes a town official lighting his cigarette for him,” Old Wu’s aged face twitched with unease. “Ah, let’s take it one step at a time. Once my son is safe, I’ll send him to the city for work. It’s a pity—he studied for over a decade, only to end up back here suffering because of his useless old father…”

“Your son just graduated?” I grew curious about Old Wu’s son. For a scholar to stand up to a bully—if nothing else, that courage is worth admiring.

“No, look at how old I am!” Old Wu laughed, always smiling when he spoke of his son. “My boy is nearly thirty. Not to boast, but he was a brilliant student, won scholarships every year in high school. But with our family’s situation, we couldn’t afford college. If not for his filial piety, he would have left long ago; he wouldn’t have gotten into this mess. Once this is over, I’ll send him out to work. You don’t know—he was born when I was thirty-eight. His mother died in childbirth, and I raised him myself. We’re very close; he’s a good, dutiful son. It’s all because of me that…”

“Bang, bang, bang!” Just as Old Wu was speaking with emotion, a sudden, frantic knocking sounded at the door. His expression changed instantly; after a brief hesitation, he hurried to open the door. His back blocked my view, so I couldn’t see who was outside.

“Oh, it’s Old Zhang! You gave me a fright; I thought it was that fellow again,” Old Wu said, clearly referring to Wang Changshun.

“Old Wu, this is terrible—something big has happened!” The visitor was breathing heavily, clearly having run all the way here. Judging from his voice, he was around fifty.

“What’s happened? Calm down, Old Zhang, what’s wrong?”

“There’s a fight at the village entrance!”

“A fight? Who’s fighting whom?” Even Old Wu’s tone grew anxious.

“Who else? It’s Er’gou’s elder brother, Qin Da—that’s Er’dan!” I couldn’t help but smile at the country nicknames—indeed, mountain folk are unique. Formal names are rarely used; instead, they go by childhood monikers like Er’gou and Er’dan, which sound like something from decades ago. I recalled Old Wu mentioning Er’gou in the mountains—wasn’t he the one Wang Changshun crippled?

“Er’dan? I thought he went to the city to work. Why is he back now? Damn, he’s not going to take on Wang Changshun, is he? That fellow has a fiery temper—he’s bound to come off worse in a fight!” Old Wu stamped his foot in agitation.

“Don’t mention it! Er’gou’s wife has a loose tongue. We told her not to tell Er’dan, but she secretly called him anyway. Now he’s back—just arrived tonight—and when he saw his brother lying in bed, he flew into a rage and went straight to confront Wang Changshun. What are we going to do? Before their father died, he entrusted both sons to me—how can I face him now?”

“Don’t panic, let’s go see what’s happening. My son is in that scoundrel’s hands too—I can’t let anything happen to Er’dan.” In his urgency, Old Wu turned, snatched up the hunting rifle by the table, and dashed for the door. I quickly set down my teacup and followed, joining the two elders as we hurried toward the commotion.

As we rushed along, Old Wu introduced me to Old Zhang. Despite his short stature, I hadn’t expected him to be a veteran—a soldier of the counterattack war years ago. I instantly felt a deep respect for him. I’ve always revered soldiers; only those who’ve seen the battlefield truly deserve such honor. My own father had fought in that war; as it turned out, he was Old Zhang’s comrade. And Er’dan and Er’gou’s father had died on the battlefield—Old Zhang had personally raised his friend’s sons to adulthood.

Songjia Village was small, and after a few winding paths and passing several houses, we could already hear the frantic barking of dogs and the jeering shouts of a crowd at the village entrance. In the dim light, I saw Old Zhang’s face darken—he must have realized the crowd’s ridicule was directed at Qin Da, his friend’s son. Old Wu’s expression was equally grim, but with his own son in Wang Changshun’s hands, he was clearly conflicted.

“Old Wu, we’ve known each other for over a decade. I know you’re in a tough spot with your son being held, so I won’t force you. Hand me the rifle—if I have to risk my life tonight, so be it. Er’gou is already crippled; if anything happens to Er’dan… Well, tonight, I’ll give it everything I have!” Old Zhang, face cold and determined, snatched the rifle from Old Wu and charged toward the gathering crowd at the village entrance.

“Old Zhang—wait! Calm yourself!” Old Wu, only now realizing the rifle was gone, hurried after him in fear. If that gun went off, there could be deadly consequences!