It was another good snowfall, and Connor Whitlock's courtyard was covered in flying snow. It was the day of the Little New Year, and Wen's mother cooked early and waited for the two children to come home. The first one to come back was Ethan Whitlock, who walked into the house with a bag for setting off the trap and a frozen dead hare in his hand. He threw the bag and the dead hare aside, then patted the snow off his body, walked to the stove, lifted the lid, took out a pancake, blew air into it, and ate it voraciously.
Wen's mother said angrily: "It's not cooked yet!" Ethan Whitlock said without raising his head: "I'm hungry!" Wen's mother said: "Where have you been all day? If you're not hungry, you don't know if you should go home." Ethan Whitlock said impatiently: "Don't nag! Didn't I go to trap wild rabbits?"
Wen's mother said, "Ethan Whitlock, you are becoming more and more ignorant! Your father has gone out to pan for gold and there is no news until now. We don't know whether he is dead or alive. But you are not at home all day long, doing nothing and getting into trouble! Before your father left, he asked you to learn business from Mr. Xia, but you came back after only a few days of study. You just know how to hide in the mountains all day long..." Ethan Whitlock was about to argue, but he saw his mother covering her face with an apron and crying...
Ethan Whitlock whispered: "Mom..." Wen's mother said: "When your father left, he said he would be back in three to five months at most. How come there is no news until now? If anything happens to him, what should we do!" Ethan Whitlock looked at his mother for a long time, then suddenly turned around, picked up his hunting bag, and walked out without looking back. Wen's mother was stunned, stood up and shouted: "Where are you going? The mountain is closed due to heavy snow!"
There were sporadic sounds of firecrackers outside, and Caleb Whitlock and Yushu walked into the yard with snacks in their hands. Caleb Whitlock opened the door and shouted, "Mom, mom, I'm back, Yushu is here too." But no one answered.
Caleb Whitlock came to the upper room and saw his mother sitting cross-legged on the kang in the upper room, in a daze. Yushu wanted to say something, but Caleb Whitlock stopped her and asked quietly: "Mom, today is the Little New Year, you..." Wen's mother didn't move, and said softly: "Another heartless person! I just said a few more words to your second brother, and he left in a hurry. It seems that he went to find your father. I don't know where he is now or when he will be back..."
Caleb Whitlock said: "Second brother is tough, mother don't worry about him, he is not bad as long as he doesn't cause trouble for mother." Yushu sat cross-legged on the kang, looked around the house with a smile, and said: "Auntie, your house is very neat." Wen's mother laughed, got up and poured a bed of mountain products and said: "My daughter knows how to talk. Eat, all of them are picked by his second brother in the mountains." Yushu said: "Is the second brother really gone?" Wen's mother said: "This second idiot, don't worry about him, he can find something to eat wherever he goes, he won't be hungry." Yushu said: "It's all my fault. If he hadn't resigned from my second brother, he wouldn't have run away." Wen's mother said: "Don't blame Zhang Biegu when you have a stomachache, this matter should be blamed on me, if I hadn't said those angry words, he wouldn't have left."
Caleb Whitlock interrupted and said, "Mom, don't you know what kind of person your second brother is? He's a two-faced person who's always cursing and nagging, and he's a little bit aggressive when he can't get a sip of soy. It's been like this for a long time." Wen's mother said, "You still have the nerve to say that to him? Aren't you the same? If I say something that doesn't suit your mind, your little face will turn upside down and you won't talk for days. But there's one good thing about you, you don't curse people." Caleb Whitlock said, "Another good thing, you don't hit people." Wen's mother said, "Forget it, you usually have a mild temper. Well, you're dumb and ruthless when you come up."
Wen's mother said, "Last time, you caught an old rat, stuffed soybeans into its anus, sewed it up and put it back. The rat felt so suffocated that it bit everyone it saw when it returned to its nest. As a result, the rats in your house became extinct." Yushu listened and chuckled, "Caleb Whitlock, Caleb Whitlock, you are so cunning."
Wen's mother said, "Yushu, I'm not praising Caleb Whitlock. Although this child is cunning, he is kind and considerate. When he gets married in the future, he will be so noble with a wife and children. If my daughter opens her eyes, it would be a blessing to find a man like this. I don't know which girl has such vision." As she spoke, she grabbed a handful of mountain products and stuffed them into Yushu's hand.
Yushu said with a smile: "Little brat, who would want to marry him? He has to dry his clothes every day..." Caleb Whitlock came into the house holding a fire stick and frightened Yushu, saying: "Yushu, you..." Yushu hugged her head exaggeratedly and said: "Auntie, look at him, he wants to act wild!" Wen's mother laughed and said: "My daughter, don't be afraid, he will just bluff, he won't dare to touch you even if he has the courage." Caleb Whitlock deliberately changed the subject and pointed outside the window and said: "It's snowing heavily." Wen's mother looked at the flying snow outside the window, her face gloomy, and said: "With three people outside, who can be worry-free!"
In the forest area of Shanchangzi, a temporary temple of the mountain god was built. Shanchangzi was about to hold a grand ceremony to worship the mountain god. The old one-armed man personally placed the offerings and burned incense. Firecrackers were set off.
The old one-armed man knelt at the front of the carpenter's team and howled like a wolf:
The old mountain god,
No need to worry, no need to be anxious.
We come to pay homage to you today.
You will benefit from all the incense.
May the wood gang be blessed with good luck.
The wood flows down the river.
Risking my life to make wood,
When I make money, I buy a cow.
My wife and children have someone to rely on.
Come and support the elderly...
Lily Summers knelt on the ground, looking at the mountain god, with a solemn face. Red Turban knelt on the ground, but his face was full of piety. All the wood gangs followed the old one-armed man and kowtowed. The old one-armed man shouted, "The mountain god has spoken! Start trapping! Start sawing!" The shouts of the wood gangs echoed in the empty forest: "Start trapping! Start sawing!"
Under a towering tree in the distance, two carpenter gang members received an order, picked up a large saw and quickly sawed the bottom of the tree.
The old one-armed man led the other carpenters to watch the tree fall down solemnly. Two of the other carpenters swung their axes and chopped the sawed tree base with all their might. The tree made a "crackling" sound. The old one-armed man and the other carpenters shouted to the mountain: "It's falling down the hill!" The tree really fell down the hillside as if it understood what people said. The carpenters cheered and hugged each other.
The old one-armed man shouted with a smile: "Good, it's a good omen, it's a good year, let's work hard!" The guys jumped in the snow and ran to the forest to start a year of logging. Lily Summers was surprised to see such a scene for the first time. The red-headed scarf, who was already used to it, said to Lily Summers: "Sister, these wild men are fun, right?"
It's cold in the mountains, with snow and frozen ground, and the chill is overwhelming.
It was even hotter in the mountains, with everyone cutting wood in full swing.
Lily Summers had been at the mountain for half a month without realizing it. The simple life gradually helped her heal her inner pain.
On this day, she was wearing a big fur coat and walking slowly in the woods on the snow. Looking around at the snowy forest, she couldn't help singing: Ahem, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh...
Walking up one mountain after another,
The mountains continue.
Over hill and ridge,
The mountains are connected...
This loud voice passed through the forest, echoing like the clouds. The woodcutters stopped their work and listened to Lily Summers's singing with different expressions. Lily Summers was still singing, humming a tune and walked out of the forest. Suddenly, she saw a group of men stop their work and look at her intently. She was stunned.
Lily Summers was a little scared and turned to leave, but everyone came forward to surround her and started to tease her. One of them said, "Girl, you are so pretty. Why are you here?"
Another one said to everyone in a somewhat provocative way: "I fell in love with her the day we started sawing! Brothers, we will have a lot to do in the future!" The other wood gang members said in unison: "Ask her if she is for sale?" "Such a pretty girl, it would be worth it to sleep with her for a night."
Lily Summers was so frightened that he didn't know what to do. He backed away and said, "What are you doing?" "What? Brothers, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the fact that the old boss is not here, and take advantage of it first!" Several people rushed up and tried to make a move. Lily Summers screamed, "Help!" The red-headed man came running over and hit Mubang on the head with a club. Mubang screamed and scattered.
The red scarf held his waist and shouted: "Listen to me, this is my sister. If anyone dares to touch her, I will pick his eggplants and fight him to death!"
After scolding Mu Bang, she turned around and scolded Xian Er, saying, "You Sl*t, no wonder men are like flies seeing blood when they see you. Who are you showing off to when you come to the mountain field? You are so stinking! What kind of song are you singing? Are you a cat in heat? It's the coldest time of the year!"
Lily Summers was scolded so much that she couldn't raise her head. She said, "Sister Hong, I'm used to singing. If I don't sing for a while, my throat will itch." The red scarf said, "Itchy throat? Where else do you feel itchy? I saw it a long time ago. She is also a Sl*t. Sooner or later, she will be like me, a big bed seller!" Lily Summers was annoyed and said, "Who is the big bed seller? I just sang a little. Are all singers big bed sellers?"
Red Scarf said: "Are you singing? What's that noise? It's so numb! If not moaning, what is it?" Lily Summers said: "You are moaning! You sell the big kang? And you have the nerve to criticize me!" Red Scarf jumped up and said: "Okay, you dare to scold me!" A big backpack threw Lily Summers into the snow cave. Lily Summers pounced on Red Scarf like a little wolf and said: "I will fight you!" Red Scarf laughed and said: "Okay, you still have some blood!" He picked up Lily Summers and ran to the horse rack.
Ethan Whitlock was carrying a bag for hunting and was struggling to move forward in the snow. To boost his courage, he kept hitting the tree trunk with a stick and yelling at the top of his voice: "Ah---, oh---" He couldn't remember how many days he had been away from home. It had been snowing since he left the house, and the sky and the earth were all white, making it difficult to tell the direction. He asked everyone he met about the gold panning in Wudaogou and Connor Whitlock, but no one gave him a definite answer. Seeing that the weather was getting colder and the snow was about to block the road, he chose a mountain road and wanted to find a shelter in the forest.
In the distance came the voice of the wood gang shouting: "Follow the mountain, fall in front of the mountain, fall across the mountain!"
Ethan Whitlock stopped and looked in the direction of the shouting. He saw that in the forest a thousand meters away, big trees fell down and clouds of snow and fog rose up. The wood gangs shouted: "The trees are falling down the mountain, the trees are falling down the mountain, the trees are falling up the mountain!" Ethan Whitlock listened for a while and quickened his pace. He heard a "snap" sound and felt a sharp pain in his left foot. He was suddenly caught by a roe deer snare. He struggled desperately, but the snare became tighter and tighter.
Inside the house, Hongtoujin and Lily Summers were mending clothes for Mubang. Lily Summers said to Hongtoujin with some gratitude: "Sister Hong, I know you treat me like that for my own good..." Hongtoujin made a gesture to stop Lily Summers, listened to the sound outside the house and said: "It seems like there is some movement. It's ruined, it must be that the roe deer has trapped someone, I have to go and have a look."
Ethan Whitlock lay on the ground, grimacing in pain. Red Scarf ran over, looked at Ethan Whitlock with a smile, but didn't untie him. Ethan Whitlock said arrogantly: "What are you laughing at? Can't you see I'm trapped? Untie me!" Red Scarf laughed and said: "I thought you were trapped, but you're just a kid. Why are you running here instead of staying at home sucking your mother's milk?" Ethan Whitlock glared and said: "A man came out to relax, what's your business?" Red Scarf chuckled and said: "You're a big man, but you're still wearing open-crotch pants? Let me see if Xiao Que'er has woken up." Then he wanted to untie Ethan Whitlock's belt.
Ethan Whitlock covered his crotch and shouted, "What are you doing!" The red scarf smiled and said, "Hey, you are still shy! Let me see." Then he started to fight. Ethan Whitlock quickly used his other leg to knock down the red scarf who was trying to untie his belt, and clamped her head with force, then combined his legs to make the red scarf unable to move. The red scarf struggled hard, and Ethan Whitlock clamped her tightly, and the two of them were in a stalemate for a while.
The red scarf panted and said, "You are quite strong, little brat. Let me untie you. You are more useful than a mule." Ethan Whitlock said worriedly, "Are you serious?" The red scarf said, "I keep my word!" Ethan Whitlock loosened his legs, and the red scarf climbed up and untied him. Ethan Whitlock asked, "Did you set the trap?" The red scarf said, "It's my bad luck. OK, let's go."
Ethan Whitlock said: "Is there a mountain field ahead?" The red scarf said: "Who are you asking?" Ethan Whitlock said: "Who else is here besides you?" The red scarf said: "Don't I have a name or a surname?" Ethan Whitlock said: "I know your name?" The red scarf said: "What's under your nose? A hole for stuffing rice? Can't you ask?"
Ethan Whitlock asked, "What's your name?" The red scarf said, "Young master, don't you have any name to address adults?" Ethan Whitlock said, "You're so long-winded, what's your name?" The red scarf said, "Just call me Red Scarf, or call me Sister Hong." Ethan Whitlock said, "Sister Hong, is there a mountain field ahead?" The red scarf said, "Why are you asking this?"
Ethan Whitlock said, "I want to be a woodworker." Red Scarf laughed and said, "You want to be a woodworker when your hair is not dry yet? Go home." Ethan Whitlock said frustratedly, "I can't go back." Red Scarf said, "What's wrong?" Ethan Whitlock said, "I will never go back if I can't find my father!" Red Scarf said, "I didn't expect that such a small person is so brave. Let's go back, admit your fault to your mother, stick your B*tt up and let her beat you up, and that's it. You are too young, the head will not take you in." Ethan Whitlock said, "Home, I will definitely not go back now, I will earn some money to find my father."
There were two big kangs in the room, with a big stove in the middle. There was a firewood burning in the stove. Around the stove, the wood gang's boots, foot wraps, wet cotton pants and other things were roasted, and the smoke was billowing. Dozens of wood gangs were resting or playing. The old one-armed man was roasting pancakes around the stove. The red-headed scarf led Ethan Whitlock into the room and said to the old one-armed man: "Boss, here comes another mountain adventurer. I'll leave him to you." The old one-armed man saw that he was a stranger and immediately frowned: "Who told you to bring him here? Isn't he a child? Send him down the mountain. I won't accept him here."
The red-headed turban said, "Did I lead him? I set a trap on him, but he insisted on coming to our mountain place. I couldn't get rid of him, he followed me on his own." The one-armed old man said, "You always have a story to tell! How can a dog follow a B!tch if she doesn't flirt?" The red-headed turban said, "Who flirted? I think he's a good guy. Don't look down on his small size, he's got more strength than a mule, right?"
The old one-armed man laughed and scolded, "Damn, you're talking about something wrong. You can even dance with one while you're farting. Have you tried it?" The red-headed scarf chuckled and said, "He's just a B@st@ard, a raw carrot!" The old one-armed man waved his one arm and said, "Then I'll take you to your house first and give him some food. If you want to clean up, you can do it. When you're done, send him down the mountain." Ethan Whitlock begged, "Boss, please leave me here. When the two months of snow are over and the mountain is open, you don't have to chase me away. I'll go find my dad!" The red-headed scarf dragged Ethan Whitlock away and said, "Let's go. It's no use saying anything now. Follow me."
Red Scarf led Ethan Whitlock back to her room, where Lily Summers was mending clothes for the woodcutters. She looked up and was stunned. Wasn't this young man in hunting clothes Ethan Whitlock? Ethan Whitlock also recognized Lily Summers. He could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed his face again and again, walked up to her, and tried to call out, "Lily Summers, is that you?" Lily Summers jumped off the bed and also called out, "Ethan Whitlock!"
The two of them couldn't help but hold each other's hands tightly. Red Scarf was surprised and asked: "Do you know each other?" Lily Summers said with tears in her eyes: "Sister Hong, this is the younger brother of Aiden Whitlock I told you about, the second brother Ethan Whitlock." Red Scarf smiled and said: "After all the fuss, we are a family. I'm going to stew the roe deer meat. Lily Summers, why don't you ask your brothers to get on the kang to warm up!"
Red Scarf burned firewood outside the house, set up a pot, and brought a basket of snow to melt water and cook roe deer meat. In the inner room, Lily Summers was already crying like a tearful person. Ethan Whitlock also cried and said: "Sister Lily Summers, I didn't expect you to suffer so much!" Lily Summers said: "So your brother has not sent any news?" Ethan Whitlock said: "No, I don't know if he is dead or alive. Mother's eyes are almost blinded by hope. Sister Lily Summers, let's not stay in the mountain field anymore. Come home with me. I don't know how happy mother will be when we go back!"
Lily Summers shook her head and said, "Ethan Whitlock, I can't go to your house. I've been married and worked as an actress. I..." Ethan Whitlock said, "Sister, it's not your fault..." Lily Summers said, "Ethan Whitlock, don't say anything. My life is ruined. I accept my fate. You should go back. This is not a place to raise people. Why do you have to suffer this?" Ethan Whitlock said, "Sister, if you don't leave, I won't leave either. I'll be your companion. We can hang out here together. I must make a name for myself and let my mother see. I don't believe that San'er has no future." Lily Summers looked at Ethan Whitlock and said, "Can you endure hardship? Have you seen how Mubang works?" Ethan Whitlock shook his head and said, "I haven't seen it. What kind of work can't be done by humans? If others can do it, I can do it too." Lily Summers said, "After dinner, I'll take you to see if you can endure this hardship."
Groups of woodworkers were carrying huge logs, shouting and chasing each other, each step they took was majestic and powerful.
Hey guys---Ouch!
Hurry forward---Ouch!
Hold your strength---Ouch!
Don't relax---Ouch!
Made money---Ouch!
Don’t spend money recklessly---Ouch!
Don't play with money---Ouch!
Don't play with cigarettes---Ouch!
When you see a woman, you hide away---Ouch!
There are still wives and children in Shandong---Oh!
The crowd was shouting, everyone's face was red, their shoulders were slightly bent due to excessive exertion, and although it was winter, big beads of sweat hung on their foreheads.
Ethan Whitlock and Lily Summers were stunned. They had never seen such a scene before. Lily Summers said, "Ethan Whitlock, can you bear this hardship?" Ethan Whitlock said, "As long as I can accompany my sister, I can bear any hardship!" Lily Summers sighed and said, "I don't know if the old head will keep you. How about this, they live there, it's not convenient for me to go, you go and see if the old head is there?"
Ethan Whitlock went straight into the carpenter's room, looked around curiously, touched here and there, and suddenly found the wine in the wine pot. He took a sip, and then another sip...
The carpenters came back exhausted from work and crowded into the house. Some were busy burning bamboo shoots, some were roasting shoes and socks, and some were eating dry food. A skinny man named Lao Diao picked up the wine pot to drink, but found it was empty, and shouted: "Who the hell stole the wine? Big guy, did you drink it?" The big guy said: "No!" Everyone was suspicious and accusing each other. The old one-armed man came into the house and scolded: "What are you arguing about? You are making a fuss!" The big guy said: "Boss, someone stole the wine!" The old one-armed man said: "Who stole it? If you stole it, admit it. Don't be a woman and be straightforward!"
Suddenly, there was a snoring sound from the dark corner of the big kang. Ethan Whitlock was seen sleeping. The big man came over and smelled Ethan Whitlock's mouth, grabbed Ethan Whitlock and beat him, saying: "Damn it, it was this B@st@ard who stole it!" Ethan Whitlock bit the big man's arm like a mad dog and refused to let go. The big man screamed and ran away, saying: "Oh my god, this wolf cub bit me to death!" Everyone was shocked. The old one-armed man smiled and said: "Yes, it was a beast! B@st@ard, come here!" Ethan Whitlock came over. The old one-armed man said: "You want to stay, right?" Ethan Whitlock said: "I will not leave no matter what."
The one-armed old man said, "Well, as long as you agree to one condition." Ethan Whitlock said, "You say it." The one-armed old man said, "The sixteenth of this month is my birthday, I want to celebrate it well. If you bring me a wolf within three days, I will take you in." Ethan Whitlock said, "Do you mean what you say?" The one-armed old man said, "Every word I say is like a nail hammered into the wood, it can't be pulled out!"
Ethan Whitlock took out a trap from his hunting bag, chose a place in the forest to set it up, and walked around for a long time, but he didn't see a wolf. His stomach was empty, so he dragged his tired body back to the horse rack. Lily Summers blocked the door and asked, "Ethan Whitlock, did you trap it?" Ethan Whitlock shook his head. Lily Summers said, "Do you know how to trap?" Ethan Whitlock said, "I have trapped roe deer and rabbits, but I have never trapped wolves. It's the same, right?" Lily Summers said, "You ask me? Who should I ask? Have you eaten?" Ethan Whitlock said, "No one will give me anything." Lily Summers said, "Come with me."
The red scarf came in from outside, stared at Ethan Whitlock and said: "Lily Summers, you gave him food? You B!tch, what did you say? You didn't care about his meals for the past three days, letting him eat by himself, what's the point of you giving him food? Do you like him? You want to eat young chicken, right? You have a high taste!" Lily Summers said: "Sister Hong, don't say such harsh words, he is my brother!"
The red-headed scarf said to Ethan Whitlock coldly: "Do you think the old one-armed man really celebrates his birthday? He has so many birthdays a year. He celebrates his birthday whenever he wants to punish someone, and chases him out to catch a wolf. You only have two days. Don't you know that the old one-armed man is very poisonous? Even the emperor can hardly make him change his mind!"
Ethan Whitlock staggered into the forest again, and the trap he had set was still empty. He stayed for a while, and then he leaned against a tree trunk and slowly fell asleep. Lily Summers came with the snow sled. She knew the temper of the second son of the Zhu family, so she was not at ease. Sure enough, when she arrived, Ethan Whitlock was already frozen. She patted his face and said, "Ethan Whitlock, wake up, don't dare to fall asleep, or you will die!" Lily Summers calmed down, tried her best to pull Ethan Whitlock onto the sled, and ran back.
Back in the house, she put Ethan Whitlock on the kang and wiped his hands, feet and chest with snow. Ethan Whitlock was frozen and unconscious. Red Scarf, who had been watching coldly in the inner room, cursed: "You Sl*t, can't you wait?" Lily Summers said aggrievedly: "Sister Hong, he is frozen, I feel so sorry for him!" Red Scarf was very angry and said: "It's what he deserves, he asked for it!" Then he slammed the door and left.
After a long time, Ethan Whitlock was finally woken up by being rubbed, and he whispered: "Sis." Lily Summers cried and said: "Ethan Whitlock, you scared me to death, you better leave the mountain field, I beg you!" Ethan Whitlock also cried and said: "Sis, I won't leave unless you leave, I will stay with you no matter what. I will go again tomorrow, I will definitely catch the wolf, now that big brother is not here, I am your relative, I can't let you suffer here alone!" As he spoke, he fell asleep again, muttering, "Sis, I'm still cold, hold me and sleep for a while..."
Lily Summers blushed, but still hugged the sleeping Ethan Whitlock and hummed a ballad softly:
Yo ah, Yo ah,
Go to sleep quickly and stop crying.
The wolf is coming, the tiger is coming,
The blind man came carrying a drum.
The tiger mother jumped over the wall,
The tongue sticks out long.
Looking at you from the window.
Biting the pigs, biting the sheep,
Baby, please don't cry...
As Lily Summers sang, tears fell onto Ethan Whitlock's body. Seeing that Ethan Whitlock was asleep, Lily Summers covered him with a blanket and went into the wooden house. The old man with one arm was smoking and lost in thought. He glanced at her and said nothing. Lily Summers said, "Grandpa, please let Ethan Whitlock go. Don't bother him anymore. Just leave him alone!"
The old one-armed man knocked on his pipe and said, "This is a mountain place, not a troupe. I am the star here, not you. It is not your turn to speak! I have my reasons for letting him trap the wolf. If he can't trap the wolf, he can't stay here. This is not a place for people. Only animals can stay here, animals with fangs! Tell him, if he can't trap the wolf, don't come back. Tomorrow is the last day!"
Lily Summers said, "Grandpa, why are you so cold-hearted? Can't you let him work here for a few days to try it out? What if he was your grandson?" The old one-armed man said, "My grandson? If he was my grandson, I would have beaten him up and sent him away! Don't waste your breath, I want to go and see the place."
The next morning, Ethan Whitlock woke up, put on his clothes and was about to leave. Lily Summers handed him a snow sled and said, "Ethan Whitlock, drive the snow sled. This is what Hongtoujin borrowed. It would be better if you can harness it today. If you can't, come back early. The mountain field won't keep you, and I won't stay here anymore. I'm going down the mountain." Ethan Whitlock smiled and said, "Sister, will you promise to go home with me?" Lily Summers shook her head and said, "I won't go to your home. Find a man to marry."
Ethan Whitlock was anxious and said, "Sister, you can't, you won't wait for my brother?" Lily Summers said sadly, "Don't talk about him, he and I are just a dream, I have already figured it out, we have feelings but no fate, we can't be husband and wife." Ethan Whitlock said with emotion, "Sister, did you cry yesterday?" Lily Summers said, "Don't say anything, let's go!"
Ethan Whitlock drove the snow sled through the forest. After a while, he arrived at the place where the trap was set. Ethan Whitlock was stunned. He was surprised to see that there was a wolf in the harness! The wolf was dead, its body frozen stiff. Ethan Whitlock took the wolf out of the harness, put it on the snow sled, whipped it and sped away. Along the way, he laughed loudly at Lin Hai and shouted: "It's caught! It's caught! The mountain god has taken me in!"
He carried the wolf into the house, and Lily Summers followed him. Ethan Whitlock threw the wolf heavily to the ground and shouted: "Head, the wolf is on the rope!" The wood gang gathered around and talked: "Ah? It's really on the rope! What a big wolf!" "This kid is really something!" The big guy was a little unconvinced, and kicked the wolf and said: "It's not a dog, right?" The old one-armed man came over, squatted down to take a look, stood up expressionlessly, and said to Ethan Whitlock: "Okay, stay. Big guy, you take him." Lily Summers was so happy that tears came out.
The old one-armed man said nothing more, and went back to the inner room, where the red-headed man was sitting on the kang. The old one-armed man stared at the red-headed man with his eyes as hard as ink, and sneered, "You put the wolf on the trap, didn't you?" The red-headed man said, "How could it be me? Do I have the ability to do that?" The old one-armed man said coldly, "You can't hide it from me, you shot the wolf to death with a gun, and then blocked the gun hole with pine oil and put it on the trap. It seems that you really like this child!" The red-headed man said lightly, "You see? I like him! I like his wildness, like a little beast!"
Ethan Whitlock was chopping bamboo, his axe rising and falling, his youthful strength and vigor were fully revealed. Red Scarf was leaning against the door, cracking a handful of pine nuts, watching in a trance. Ethan Whitlock looked at her and said, "Sister Hong, thank you." Red Scarf asked, "Thank me for what?" Ethan Whitlock said, "I heard from the big guy that you put the wolf in a trap for me. You love me and protect me. I will repay you in the future." Red Scarf said, "No need to thank me, and I don't expect you to repay me. I will still protect you. When you don't have game on you, I will stop caring about you. In two days, you will have to go up the mountain to carry two poles. Then I will see if you are a man. Hey, I tell you, stay away from Lily Summers in the future." Ethan Whitlock was stunned and asked, "Why?"
The red scarf said, "If you stay with her, you will be nothing after a while!" Then she turned and walked away. Ethan Whitlock didn't understand what she meant and stood there in a daze.
The battle of Guileng began, and the sound of humming and coughing could be heard incessantly. Shouts from the mountains rose and fell: "The trees are falling down the mountain! The trees are falling up the mountain! The trees are falling up the mountain!" The woodcutters worked in groups of eight, carrying huge logs. The fellers worked in groups of two, using a fast saw and a big-bellied saw to cut the trees, and using a splitting axe to "cut the trees".
The man with the red headscarf was holding a piece of wood and shouting to the carpenters: "Guys, work harder. Today is a good day. Whoever surpasses me will be rewarded tonight and will share a big kang with him!" The big man said excitedly: "Really? Guys, do you still want to live? Run quickly!" The carpenters chased each other, and the forest was full of vitality. From a distance, they could only see logs leaping forward.
Lao Diao from the Wood Gang led his group to sing obscene songs at the top of their lungs, and the big guy led another group to respond briefly:
Whose B*tt is round?
Our sister!
Whose face is pretty?
Red headscarf!
Willow waist.
It’s really great!
Bigfoot movie.
There's nowhere to find it!
...
They worked until nightfall, and then everyone went back to the house to eat. The big guy came in from outside and whispered to Ethan Whitlock: "Hey, the Red Turban wants you to go." Ethan Whitlock said: "Call me? What for?" The big guy smiled and said: "Have you forgotten? Today is the day of Guileng. Our group won, and the Red Turban specifically wants to entertain you. They are waiting for you on the hot kang, go quickly!" Ethan Whitlock smiled and said: "I won't go."
The Mu Bang started to make a fuss, "Don't call him, he's a man without a handle!" "Even if he had a handle, he wouldn't be able to do anything." "What has he seen? Don't scare the child!" Ethan Whitlock was forced into a corner, and suddenly stood up and said, "What's the big deal! She's just a woman, right?" Then he walked out.
He walked to the door of the red scarf and stopped, hesitating. Lily Summers appeared out of nowhere, grabbed him, and said sternly: "Ethan Whitlock, you can't go in!" Ethan Whitlock was shocked. He didn't know where Lily Summers got so much strength, and said: "Sister, you are quite strong." Lily Summers said: "How old are you? Is this where you came from? Huh? Go back!"
The red scarf pushed the door open and said, "I was wondering who was making a fuss at the door, Lily Summers, it's you! My little brother and I are so warm, why are you trying to get in my way? You want to snatch food from a tiger's mouth, right? You wouldn't do that." Lily Summers begged, "Sister Hong, he's still a child, please let him go!" The red scarf said, "What's wrong? Am I harming him? He's a man after all. Don't be ignorant of the hunger of a hungry man when you are full. He's grown up, it's time to let him go."
Lily Summers's eyes turned red, and she said, "Red Scarf, if you seduce him today, I will fight you to death!" After saying that, she grabbed Red Scarf and started to fight. Red Scarf was furious: "Oh my, you are fighting with me? I will get him today!" The two started to fight. Red Scarf was extremely strong. She picked up Lily Summers and threw her into the snow nest. She dragged the dazed Ethan Whitlock into the house and locked the door. She pulled Ethan Whitlock, who was still in a daze, and said as she walked: "Look at you, you fool, take off your boots and get on the bed!" Ethan Whitlock was puzzled: "Get on the bed? What for?"
The red headscarf pulled Ethan Whitlock to sit on the edge of the kang and said, "You are really stupid, are you? Working in the mountains, you may be alive today but you don't know where you will be buried tomorrow. Just endure it as long as you are alive. Today I will let you taste what it feels like to be a man. Don't die as a virgin. Take off your bra quickly!" Ethan Whitlock, who was still in a daze, didn't know what to do when faced with the aggressive red headscarf.
Seeing this, Red Scarf held Ethan Whitlock's face with both hands and said tenderly and teasingly: "Don't you like me? I'm not to your liking?" Then she took off her red cotton jacket, revealing her red bellyband, with a pair of big breasts on her chest. She climbed onto the bed and smiled at Ethan Whitlock: "Come on, come up quickly." Ethan Whitlock stared at Red Scarf's chest and panted.
The red scarf stretched out a hand, grabbed one of Ethan Whitlock's hands, stroked it gently, and whispered: "Take off your clothes quickly and come up." Ethan Whitlock didn't know why, his body suddenly stiffened, and then he cried "Oh my god", covered his crotch and ran out - he ran away. The red scarf laughed, and said to himself: "This child is quite interesting, thin-skinned, and likable."
Ethan Whitlock opened the door and ran out, and suddenly saw Lily Summers standing in the snow and staring at him. Ethan Whitlock approached Lily Summers and said seriously: "Sister, I didn't do anything, I really didn't do anything." Lily Summers looked at him and cried. Ethan Whitlock asked: "Sister, what's wrong with you? I really didn't do anything. If I lied, I would die!"
Lily Summers covered Ethan Whitlock's mouth and said, "Stop talking! I believe you... Ethan Whitlock, I wanted you to stay here so that we can be companions, but now I want you to leave quickly. This is not a good place. Go!" Ethan Whitlock said, "Sis, you keep saying this is not a good place, so why don't you leave? I still say that if we want to leave, let's go together." Lily Summers burst into tears and said, "Sis can't leave. I have nowhere to go. No one wants me!"
Ethan Whitlock also cried and said, "Sister, I can't do that. My brother will want you when he comes back. You are doing this for him. He must have a conscience! If he doesn't want you, I will kill him!" Lily Summers was moved by Ethan Whitlock's words and couldn't help but hug him and cry. The red scarf stood in the doorway, staring at them in a daze.
Lao Diao was sick, rolling around on the kang in pain, groaning non-stop. The others watched helplessly. Ethan Whitlock anxiously asked the big man next to him: "Why are you all acting like nothing happened? If we don't find a way to save him, he'll be dead!" The big man said calmly: "Brother, you've just arrived and this is your first time seeing this kind of thing. You'll get used to it over time. For people in our line of work, whether you're tough or not is up to God."
The one-armed old man walked into the room holding a three-edged horseshoe needle and said, "What's wrong with Lao Diao? Let me see." The big man said, "Lao Diao has a stomachache and can't stand it anymore. You should save him!" The one-armed old man observed Lao Diao and said expressionlessly, "It looks like he is in a bad condition. Let's try to bleed him. If he survives, he's lucky. If he dies, it's his destiny. You hold him down for me." The big man and Ethan Whitlock held Lao Diao down.
The old one-armed man used a three-edged horse-hoof needle to poke Lao Diao's body to bleed him. A stream of blood splashed on the old one-armed man's face. Lao Diao struggled for a while, and gradually became silent. The big man said: "Hey, he's dying."
The old one-armed man wiped the blood off his face, flipped up Lao Diao's eyelids, waved his hand, and said coldly: "Take him out and throw him away, damn it, you want to smear blood on my face before you die, what bad luck!" Ethan Whitlock witnessed all this and cast a hateful look at the old one-armed man. The old one-armed man understood Ethan Whitlock's eyes and said viciously: "Don't look at me with a squint, if you still want to do this business, your end will not be much better than his, even if you leave the mountain, you can't escape the water field!"
In the temporary mountain temple built in the Shanchangzi forest area, chickens, ducks, fish, meat and nuts were offered as offerings to the mountain god in the forest area. Ethan Whitlock had developed a gluttonous habit at home, and he was at the age of being a naughty boy, so he had long been eyeing these offerings. He would look for something to eat every now and then. On this day, he looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he reached out for the offerings again. Suddenly, several woodcutters ran out from their hiding places, shouting, "We caught you, kid!"
Ethan Whitlock was tied up and taken back to the mountain house. The old one-armed man wiped his eyelids and said: "He stole the fruit offered by the mountain god, which violated the mountain rules. We should deal with him according to the old rules and release him to the old forest." Lily Summers knelt on the ground and begged: "Boss, please forgive him this time. He is still young and does not understand." The old one-armed man said: "It is useless for anyone to plead for mercy. The rules cannot be broken. If the rules are broken, the mountain god will punish him. If he can come back, it means that the mountain god has forgiven him. Whether he lives or dies depends on his luck."
Deep in the dense forest, several carpenters abandoned Ethan Whitlock, who was blindfolded, and drove the sled back. Ethan Whitlock struggled to remove the black cloth covering his eyes and followed the tracks of the sled. But after chasing for a while, the sky was full of fog and he could no longer find the tracks. Ethan Whitlock stumbled through the dense forest and he was lost.
At the Red Scarf's horse stand in the mountain field, Lily Summers cried so hard that she almost fainted. She said, "Sister Hong, he can't come back. He must have been eaten by wolves. I have been looking for him for so long and can't find him. What should I do? It's all my fault. If I had known this would happen, I would have listened to him and gone down the mountain. Woo..." Red Scarf said irritably, "You just like to cry, and you cry so frivolously. Oh, I'll go look for him again."
Lily Summers said, "Wait, I'll go too!" The red-headed scarf turned around and kicked Lily Summers back into the house, saying, "Just hold your body up, you'll be a burden wherever you go!"
The exhausted Ethan Whitlock finally walked out of the dense forest and came to the roadside. He could no longer hold on and slowly fell down against a tree by the roadside. The red-headed man rode over, picked up Ethan Whitlock, touched his chest, put him on the horse, and rode back.
When they reached the intersection of the mountain field, she pushed Ethan Whitlock off the horse and said, "Go back by yourself. Don't ever tell them that I saved you, otherwise you won't survive." Ethan Whitlock stood on the ground and said with gritted teeth, "Old one-armed man, I will kill you sooner or later!" Red Scarf sneered, "Come on, you are no match for him!" Ethan Whitlock said unconvinced, "Isn't he just a one-armed old man? What's the big deal!" Red Scarf said, "You, you don't know his background! Do you know what he did in his early years?" Ethan Whitlock shook his head.
The red-headed turban said, "He was a member of the Nianzi and a leader." Ethan Whitlock was shocked and asked, "Really? He killed people?" The red-headed turban said, "Want to know? Go ask him!" The red-headed turban took out a piece of cooked meat from his bosom, threw it to Ethan Whitlock and said, "Eat slowly, don't choke." Then he rode away. Ethan Whitlock looked at the cooked meat in his hand and watched the red-headed turban leave with gratitude.
The old one-armed man sat in a birch bark bucket. Ethan Whitlock scrubbed him carefully and looked at the scars all over his body in amazement. The old one-armed man squinted his eyes and said, "Kid, tell me the truth, did you find it yourself?" Ethan Whitlock said nothing. The old one-armed man said, "I knew you would come back. She would not let you die. She likes you. You are popular with women."
Ethan Whitlock inquired: "Grandpa, is your hometown Caozhou?" The one-armed old man said: "Huh? What did she say to you? That Sl*t, that broken mouth of hers will have to be sewn up sooner or later!" Ethan Whitlock stroked the scars and said: "Grandpa, are these scars left when you were a traitor?" The one-armed old man remained silent.
Ethan Whitlock said: "This is a scar, right? My father also has one." The one-armed old man said: "Is your father really a member of the Boxer Rebellion? Did he kill foreigners?" Ethan Whitlock said: "Really!"
The old one-armed man said, "You mean this scar? This is the first scar on my body. At that time, I was about the same age as you are now. My sister was R@p3d by the village bully Lao Cai, and his whole family was R@p3d. In order to avenge my sister, I joined the Nian army and led my brothers to attack the bully's enclosure. I killed six members of the bully's family in one go, leaving this scar."
Ethan Whitlock took a breath and said, "Grandpa, can you do this?" The old one-armed man said lightly, "When revenge is so severe that I must die, I kill people without hesitation. I can't bear it afterward, but I will never regret it." Ethan Whitlock said, "What about these?" The old one-armed man said, "These? A scar is the result of a fierce battle, and the lives of several officers and soldiers. There is nothing to say."
Ethan Whitlock said: "This doesn't look like a scar from a knife or a gunshot, it looks like a bite mark." The one-armed old man suddenly laughed and said: "You mean this? That year I met a Russian woman in Harbin, everyone called her a big foreign horse." Ethan Whitlock said: "Russian woman? I've never seen one before, is she pretty?"
The one-armed old man said, "She is beautiful. Her breasts are bigger than your B*tt0cks. When she walks, they shake and seduce people. This woman pestered me and insisted that I marry her. I am used to being free and don't want to be tied to a woman's belt. One night, we were hot and cold, so I said I wanted to break up with her and go to the mountain to work as a woodworker. She insisted that I take her with me, but I didn't agree. This stinky woman hugged me and bit me. I beat her B*tt0cks until it was swollen, but she still didn't let go. Is that a woman? It's a beast! Let me tell you, you dare not mess with Russian women. They are very strong. When they come, they are endless, tearing and biting. Few men can resist. Why am I telling you all this? You don't understand yet."
Ethan Whitlock asked, "Grandpa, how did you lose your arm? Did the soldiers chop it off?" The one-armed old man said, "Take a good look. Was it chopped off by a knife? That year I met a tiger in the old forest. It looked like the tiger had not eaten for many days, and its stomach was empty. Alas, no matter how good your martial arts are, you can't beat it. It didn't fight back, and it just opened its mouth and pounced on it to bite. I was so anxious that I stabbed my arm into the tiger's throat. The tiger choked and rolled its eyes. But it finally bit off my arm. I thought, damn, I can’t do such a bad business, I can’t give up my capital, so I endured the pain and stuck the stick in the tiger’s A**h0le. The tiger had never tasted such pain before, and couldn’t roar, so it ran away happily. About half a month later, I saw the tiger dead in the forest. Watching from a distance, I was surprised, how could this tiger have two tails? When I got closer, haha, one was a real tail, and the other was my stick, which was still stuck in the tiger’s A**h0le! "
At this point, the father and son burst into laughter.
After laughing enough, Ethan Whitlock asked, "Grandpa, you have been away from your hometown for nearly 40 years, right? Do you miss it?" The old one-armed man's face turned cold again, and he said, "My relatives in my hometown were killed by soldiers. I don't have a hometown anymore. The old forest is my home." Ethan Whitlock said, "Grandpa, from the accent, Sister Hong is also from Caozhou. Are you from the same hometown?" The old one-armed man said, "Yes."
Ethan Whitlock said, "Why did a woman like her come to the mountain field?" The old one-armed man said, "Well, we are all people who have come to Guandong, and who doesn't have a sad story? Don't expose other people's scars. It is taboo to ask about other people's past here. I don't know what happened to me today. I told you so much. There are some things I have never told anyone. How could I tell you all of them? You can't tell anyone, or I will kill you!"
Ethan Whitlock said, "Grandpa, don't worry. I won't tell anyone what you said, even if it's all in my stomach." The old man with one arm seemed to be thinking about something, and said to himself, "These two children, although there is a big age difference, their personalities are compatible. Well, let it be." Ethan Whitlock said, "Grandpa, what did you say?"
The old one-armed man came to his senses and said, "Nothing."
In the forest farm late at night in winter, the air was chilly in the silence. Outside the red-turbaned horse rack, the big man came humming a tune. Ethan Whitlock blocked his way. The big man said, "Ethan Whitlock? What are you doing?" Ethan Whitlock said, "I won't let you in!" The big man said, "What does it have to do with you? Get out!" Ethan Whitlock said, "I told you to get out!" The big man said, "You deserve a beating!" The two men started fighting.
The fight between the two men ended quickly with Ethan Whitlock's head broken and bleeding. In the inner room, Red Scarf wiped the blood off Ethan Whitlock's face, and Lily Summers helped from the side. Red Scarf said to Ethan Whitlock: "What are you doing? I am willing, why are you hitting me?" Ethan Whitlock said: "Sister, you have saved me time and time again, you are my real sister, I respect you, I won't let you live like this!" Red Scarf scolded: "What do you know, kid? This is life!" Ethan Whitlock said: "Sister, I know you are also the daughter of a good family, you shouldn't be like this, don't do this, I will earn money to support you."
Hongtoujin's heart was warmed, and she couldn't help hugging Ethan Whitlock in her arms and said, "Good brother, I don't need you to support me. This is how my life will be. You must live well and live like a man! What do you think, Lily Summers?" Lily Summers, who had been listening to the two people talking, said sincerely, "Sister Hong, this is the first time I hear you talk like this, it's so nice!"
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