CH 4.2

After chopping firewood, Zhang Fangyuan carried two good logs back home. It was already past noon after the two trips. He ate a pancake and drank some water, and went up the mountain again. Now there were more branches and firewood on the hillside, as well as the small branches that he shaved from the big tree trunk before, and piled them on the other side of his firewood pile.

Seeing that the sky was turning cloudy and it was about to rain, Zhang Fangyuan planned to check the traps before returning to collect them. If there was anything, he had to take back his hunting tools. Tools couldn't stay overnight on the mountain. There were many people going up the mountain recently. It was not a big deal if you didn’t catch something. Losing the hunting tools was not worth the loss.

He first filled a large basket with chopped firewood, but there was too much firewood to fit in the basket, so he thought he had to chop some banana leaves to cover the pile of firewood, otherwise the firewood would be soaked by the rain. It was not easy to go downhill. 

When he picked up the sickle and was about to look for banana leaves, he saw Xu He, who was wearing a palm coat and holding firewood in his arms, looking at him not far away, as if hesitating to talk to him. 

Zhang Fangyuan thought that the youngest Xu was looking at the sky about to rain, and wanted him to pack the remaining dry firewood, and it was pitiful to see the little ge'er, so he said: "It's raining, you need to chop firewood and put it in a basket. Some time later, the mountain road will be soaked and it will not be easy to go down the mountain, and I will pretend that the leftover was enough for you to pick up a basket." 

Xu He was a little surprised to see that the butcher looked a little gentler than before when he was fully dressed. He gave him firewood, but he didn't go forward to ask for it. Instead, he used his blunt sickle to chop the firewood he had pulled, seemingly not caring, and asked, "Did you dig the trap over the wild chestnut tree?" 

Zhang Fangyuan heard the hoarse voice he heard at Xu's house yesterday, and raised his eyebrows: "Well, is there any stock?" 

Xu He continued to chop his firewood, but said: "I saw a man over there who seemed to be digging a trap. " 

Zhang Fangyuan paused when he heard the words, and realized that something was wrong, and hurriedly rushed into the deep mountain with his sickle. 

Xu He raised his eyebrows when he saw the person running like the wind, and decided to follow after a while. 

Just now, he went to a place deeper in the mountains to collect palm tree coats, and saw a man digging the weeds and leaves covering the trap from a long distance away. 

It was not surprising to see hunters in the mountains, and he didn't want to speak out to control others, but the man's behavior was sneaky, digging for a while and then looking around vigilantly, just like a thief, he felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't go forward and scolded others.

Those who went deep in the mountains and old forests were lucky not to be bitten back. If they met someone who had no conscience, they may have any evil intentions. He carefully retreated to the side, and seeing Zhang Fangyuan came back, he was hesitating whether to take the initiative to talk to him and asked if he set up the trap, even an ordinary man would not want to talk to anyone if he had nothing to do, let alone It was a man of Zhang Fangyuan's reputation. 

But when he was hesitating, Zhang Fangyuan opened his mouth first, meaning to give him firewood, so he enthusiastically meddled in his own business for once. 

Zhang Fangyuan was a fast runner, and when he entered the deep mountain and approached his trap, he took a light step. There was really a thief poking his butt and trying to use a tree branch to fork the iron nails in the trap. It was a coincidence. 

With a bang, Zhang Fangyuan kicked the thief, and he was immediately kicked to the ground by the sudden kick. He stared at the butcher who was tall and strong with a fierce face, and immediately hugged the kicked stomach, didn't dare to howl: "Forgive me, butcher Zhang, please forgive me!"

Zhang Fangyuan hated these unclean hands and feet the most. He was short and pulled the slightly pudgy man by his back collar and picked him up: "Knowing that it belongs to me and stealing from me! The most shameless is just you bastards, this trap mark is not made for you the thief to spot it! If the hunters are scared by you and don’t set up a mark, the villagers who go up the mountain and fall into it will blame you for your unclean hands and feet!” 

“Those with good hands and feet don’t do serious things, so I don’t think you should keep them.”

After speaking, Zhang Fangyuan threw the man on the ground, stepped on the man’s wrist, and pointed the hatchet at the man’s hand. It would be cut down. 

There was only a sharp scream resounding through the forest, and frightened the mountain birds to fly away. 

"Ah, ah, my hand, my hand!" 

Zhang Fangyuan looked at the wet crotch of the man on the ground, and stared in horror at the hatchet that was only a few centimeters away from his hand , crying and howling in fright. 

Xu He, who was hiding far behind, also raised his throat. Zhang Fangyuan's iron-blooded wrist not to mention frightened the thief, even he was so shocked that his back was covered in cold sweat. It was said that the butcher was fierce. Before, he only thought that slaughtering animals was decisive, but after thinking about it, if he slaughtered too many animals, who knew if he would kill people if he was provoked. 

He didn't finish the follow-up, and his legs weakned. 

"Next time you dare to do such a sneaky thing, you won't be lucky like this time." Zhang Fangyuan kicked the thief in disdain: "Hurry up and get out." 

The man didn't dare to show his anger. With lingering fears in his heart, he got up from the ground, dripping with cold sweat, and kowtowed to Zhang Fangyuan for mercy: "I, I dare not again, and I will never go up the mountain again!"

Quickly rolled and crawled away. 

Zhang Fangyuan spat. Some days, some hunters always said that they lost their prey and hunting tools. They thought it was a blind bear in the deep mountains. For a while, people were so panicked that they didn't dare to go up the mountain to hunt casually. It was this dog who actually was doing bad things. 

He counted his hunting tools. Fortunately, he arrived in time and didn't lose them, but he didn’t catch a thin pheasant. There were many people hunting in winter, even professional hunters, who half-heartedly want to go up the mountain to improve their food. Anyway, with less prey and greater competition, it was naturally more difficult to get things. 

Zhang Fangyuan was not disappointed, he packed up his things and went back. Seeing Xu He was still cutting firewood in the mountain, the trees were lush in the mountains, but when the trees were sparse in the mountains, it was obvious that there was a drizzle. 

The rain in winter was not heavy, but cold, the rain falling on the neck was cold, and the wind blowing was even colder. 

The broken hair between Xu He's forehead was wet and stuck to his face, and there was a layer of frost on the top of his head. 

He stopped his movements when he heard the movement behind him, and saw Zhang Fangyuan raised his eyebrows and glanced at him, as if he was a little angry, he suddenly strode towards this side. 

The slender figure brought the cold wind and cold rain, and the moment Xu He was stunned, the man stretched his arms and walked along the pannier with his feet.