Chapter 34: The Veteran Raises His Rifle, Hualing Calls Off the Engagement

Chen Qiuyang was kicked over. Before he could react, Zhang Huacheng rushed up and began raining kicks down on him. Enraged by the beating, Chen Qiuyang scrambled up and slapped Zhang Huacheng across the face. To his surprise, Zhang Huacheng did not dodge or parry.

"Slap!"

A bright red handprint appeared on Zhang Huacheng's face as he unleashed a flurry of punches at Chen Qiuyang. Incensed, Chen Qiuyang prepared to strike back, but Zhang Huacheng suddenly retreated a few steps and threw himself into the snow, rolling around.

"He's hitting someone!"
"Come look! Chen Qiuyang is beating people!"

Zhang Huacheng shouted the moment he got back on his feet.

"A fight!"
"Xiao Ya's mother, it's bad! Chen Qiuyang is beating up Huacheng!"

The village members who had been watching the commotion in the courtyard rushed out. Some stepped in to break up the fight, while others ran into the houses to call for help. Soon, members of both the Zhang and Chen families swarmed out.

"F*** your mother!!!" Chen Qiuyang, eyes bloodshot, couldn't get past the crowd to reach Zhang Huacheng, roaring as he tried to break free.

"You can't just bully people like this! I'll fight you to the death!" Seeing his son looking so disheveled, Zhang Hu, already full of suppressed fury, grabbed a shovel and lunged at Chen Qiuyang. Others quickly intercepted him.

"How can you people hit someone? Is this how you bully others? Are you all animals in the Chen family?" Chen's mother wept with rage at the sight of her son.

"Mom, he said if we didn't let him marry Huiling, he'd beat me every time he saw me, and that once Huiling married him, he'd beat her to death!"
"You animal! If you like a widow, go marry a widow, don't try to ruin my sister!" Zhang Huacheng bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Chen Qiuyang finally realized what was happening—this guy was accusing him first! He roared immediately, "He hit me first! He hit me first!"

"You little beast!" An elder of the Chen family couldn't take it anymore. He walked up and slapped Chen Qiuyang hard across the face, cursing, "How did our Chen family give birth to a good-for-nothing like you!"

In the entire Chen Tang Sanli Canal, who didn't know what kind of person Chen Qiuyang was? Everyone knew that while he was a bully at home, he was a coward outside. Seeing the red mark on young Huacheng's face and his snow-covered clothes, even their own family members couldn't stand it anymore. Did he think everyone was a fool?

"He’s becoming less and less of a human!"
"Trying to play us for fools?"

Some of the Chen family members started cursing as well. They had already lost face that morning because of his affair with a widow, and now, when asked to come and apologize at noon, he had beaten the man's brother.

"F*** your mother!!! F*** your mother, Zhang Huacheng! You dared to set me up!!!" Chen Qiuyang was driven mad with rage, screaming and cursing, even his parents struggled to hold him back.

"I'll hack you to death!" Zhang Huchen rushed out with bloodshot eyes, raising a wood-chopping knife, but his sister-in-law held him back tightly while Dabao and Xiaobao ran out, clinging to their father's legs and crying incessantly.

Seeing the knife, Chen Qiuyang regained some sanity and scurried into the crowd.

"Huchen, put the knife down!"
"Everyone, calm down!"

Chen Gonglin shouted repeatedly amidst the chaos.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out. Third Granduncle Zhang Meng appeared, wrapped in a padded coat, holding a Type 54 rifle. He walked toward the crowd step by step, like a lion that had just awakened. The shot stunned everyone into silence.

"Zhang Meng, what are you doing!"
"Put the gun down!"

Chen Gonglin was startled, then roared in anger. But when the barrel of the Type 54 rifle pointed at him, he retreated instinctively; after all, one shot would cost him his life. He knew the temperament of these old soldiers from the Zhang family—they would gladly drag a few others down with them before they died.

"Are you bullying our Zhang family because we have no one?" The third granduncle raised the gun again, ready to fire.

Seeing this, Zhang Huacheng rushed up to stop him. If he hadn't, the third granduncle really might have pulled the trigger. After all, the third granduncle had a history.

The Chen family members dared not watch any longer and scattered in a panic. Everyone knew the third Zhang brother's explosive temper; years ago, a bloody incident had occurred solely because of him.

Fifth Granduncle leaned on his cane and walked up to the third granduncle, pressing the gun down.

"Since it has come to this, let the marriage be called off." Seeing the scene, the Chen family's elder granduncle looked grim, clearly reminded of unpleasant memories. Seeing a way out, Chen Gonglin let out a sigh of relief. He was terrified of the gun.

"Useless thing!" The third granduncle glared at Zhang Huacheng, seeing his face swollen and red.

"I let him hit me on purpose. He had to hit me so it would look like he was bullying me," Zhang Huacheng whispered in explanation.

"You've got a lot of devious tricks. In the future, train hard. Back in my day, when I was your age, I took down a Japanese invader with every shot." Hearing it was intentional, the third granduncle let the matter drop.

"Chen Qiuyang will be bedridden for ten days or so after he goes back." Zhang Huacheng had struck with precision; Chen Qiuyang didn't feel it yet, but he would once he got home. Inflicting internal injuries was too easy for him. The third granduncle clearly didn't believe him, grumbling for a while before taking his rifle inside.

"Second Brother!" Huiling ran out, bursting into tears. Little Ya followed, crying loudly, not forgetting to shake her tiny fists at Chen Qiuyang in the distance, repeating, "Hit you, hit you."

"Since the engagement is broken, you must return the dowry money now." Chen Yinshan was furious that his son's marriage had fallen through. "Thirty yuan, not a cent less! We won't leave until we get the money. Isn't your Zhang family so capable? Give us the money!"

"Come and see! The Zhang family broke the engagement but won't return the dowry!" Zhou Que sat in the snow, ready to throw a tantrum. They knew the Zhang family couldn't possibly come up with thirty yuan.

"Does our Zhang family lack this bit of dowry? I have four yuan and twenty cents here, take it, sister-in-law!" Zhang Huacheng's second uncle immediately dug into his pockets.
"I have two yuan at home, Guiying, I'll go get it for you."
"I have one yuan and thirty cents."

The Zhang family members stepped forward one by one to pool their money.

"Take out all your savings." Zhang Hu instructed his daughter-in-law. Her eyes red, she hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and went inside to get the money.

"A bunch of poor wretches. Let's see how they manage to scrape together thirty yuan with their one or two-yuan contributions!" Chen Yinshan gritted his teeth as he watched.

"No need to scrape!" Zhang Huacheng walked over with Huiling, pulled a roll of money from his pocket, and said, "Take the money back and use it to find a wife for your son who sleeps with widows. Don't worry, I'll make sure to spread the word for him!"

With that, he counted out thirty one-yuan bills and threw them into Chen Yinshan's face. Chen Yinshan froze, staring at the money on the ground. When did the Zhang family get so rich? Everyone knew they worked themselves to the bone all year at the production team and usually ended up owing the brigade money by the end of the year—how could they have so much cash?

"The money is paid. We're square. Mom, let's go home."
"Huacheng, you didn't give too much, did you? You didn't miscount?"
"It's correct."

Seeing the dowry issue resolved, the Zhang family members gradually dispersed, some retreating into their homes. As Zhang Huacheng crossed the courtyard, he caught sight of Ergou. The guy had somehow swiped Chen Qiuyang's apple. Just like in his memories, he wore a middle-part hairstyle that obscured his upper face, occasionally revealing his dark, piercing eyes. Ergou had come to watch the engagement be broken.

Zhang Huacheng let out a long sigh of relief. Huiling’s fate had been changed. Everything could be changed!

The Chen family members, seeing no more excitement, scattered as well. The third granduncle's Type 54 rifle had been confiscated by the elderly fifth granduncle, who was giving him a stern lecture inside. The third granduncle tilted his head, unconvinced, "What's there to be afraid of at my age? I've killed so many invaders; why fear these spineless collaborators?" Seeing the fifth granduncle glare, the third granduncle retreated a bit.

Zhang Huacheng went inside to knead dough, intending to make noodles for the elders. He had barely started when the third granduncle walked up to him, scrutinizing him.

"Third Granduncle, I'm making noodles for you."
"What did you catch in the mountains the last two nights?" the old man suddenly asked.

Zhang Huacheng was startled. Even the mountain guards didn't dare go into the mountains in groups of three or five at night—how did the third granduncle know he had been there?

Seeing Zhang Huacheng's stunned expression, the old man hummed, "I heard wolves howling the night before last, and last night a pack of them were howling behind the mountain for half the night. I used to hunt in the mountains often; I know better than anyone what they were howling about. Did you shoot at them?"

"Yes. I killed one wolf last night and took it to the county seat to sell this morning." Zhang Huacheng looked around and whispered.

"Good lad! I was wondering where you got the money. A good lad, indeed, daring to hunt wolves!" The old man was shocked. He hadn't expected Zhang Huacheng to not only hunt a wolf but to kill one and sell it in the county. Back in his day, he wouldn't have dared to provoke a wolf pack. Once targeted, their coordinated hunting style was terrifying. No wonder the pack had been howling for half the night—they had suffered a loss.

"One shot, one kill!" Zhang Huacheng echoed the third granduncle's tone.

"Hahaha, good lad! But don't go into the mountains for the next few days. Wolves are vengeful; they won't let it go." Once marked by a wolf pack, it was extremely dangerous. The third granduncle knew perfectly well how vengeful they were.

"I know," Zhang Huacheng said, though he thought otherwise. If the wolves didn't let it go, that was even better. This small pack was his mobile ATM.

The old man and the young man chatted for a long time. Seeing that the fifth granduncle seemed to have calmed down, the third granduncle finally dared to ask for his "old partner" back.

His father, Zhang Hu, walked over with a limp; clearly, the pain in his leg was setting in.

"Huacheng, make more noodles for your granduncles." In these times, serving noodles when relatives visited was the best hospitality. They had come to help, so they couldn't be slighted. The white flour used was also provided by Zhang Huacheng—a small bag he had intended to save for the New Year.