The mont An Guoming shouted her na, An Ning was already rushing out, not forgetting to shove the pheasant into his arms.
An Guoming clutched the pheasant, watching An Ning charge off. She was as fast and ferocious as Da Huang, the big yellow dog at the village entrance.
"Da Huang... Little Sis, beat him up!"
An Ning, who was ahead, blocked Miao Daniu’s punch with one hand while her other fist was already flying.
’But what’s this "Da Huang Little Sis" thing?’
"You damn mute! Get lost, I don’t hit wo—OOWWW—"
Miao Daniu didn’t even finish his sentence before a molar shot out of his mouth toward the sky. His head swam as he staggered backward.
Seeing his big brother get hit, Miao Erniu, who was behind him, imdiately picked up a stick from the ground and swung it at An Ning’s head.
"Little Sis—"
An Guoming was terrified, but he still ran forward. He couldn’t fight, but he could take a beating.
"Get back!"
An Ning bellowed, bending backward to dodge the stick. She planted one hand on the ground, kicking up into a handstand. Her legs moved one after the other—the first kicked the stick away, and the second sent Miao Erniu flying.
This move was completely beyond the villagers’ scope of understanding. ’You can fight like that?’
’Isn’t that cheating?’
But sothing even more outrageous followed. An Ning sorsaulted back to her feet and, with one hand, caught the very stick she’d just kicked away. She weighed it in her hand, looked at Chen Mingyang behind them, and said, "Your turn."
"No, no, no, I’m just watching! Just watching the show!"
Chen Mingyang turned tail and ran, abandoning the dazed Miao Daniu and Miao Erniu.
An Ning looked at the two brothers shuffling backward on the ground. The arm-thick stick in her hands, with a sharp SNAP, broke in two.
"If you dare bully my brother again, this will be your fate."
"Also, your ’good big brother’ ran off."
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! An Ning threw the two pieces of the stick. They landed precisely in front of Miao Daniu and Miao Erniu, sticking diagonally into the ground right before their crotches. The sight scared them so badly they almost peed themselves.
"We won’t do it again! We really won’t!"
The two brothers were genuinely terrified. An Ning’s display today had scared them witless. Besides, everyone in the An family, except for Second An, was a good fighter—even An Guoping.
Yesterday, it had been three of them against one, and they still hadn’t gained much of an advantage.
"Get lost!"
The two brothers were very obedient, literally scrambling and crawling as they fled.
When An Ning turned around, she saw An Guoming looking utterly gratified, his eyes even holding a few tears like a proud father’s.
"Second Brother, this is called winning. No need to cry. Have you never won a fight before?"
"Huh?" An Guoming choked on An Ning’s words, but he was still happy.
"I’m just happy, Little Sis! You’re not stupid at all."
An Guoming was truly thrilled, even more so than when he’d discovered An Ning could hunt pheasants. His little sister didn’t just know how to fight; she also knew how to sow discord.
"I know I’m not stupid. You didn’t?"
An Ning’s gaze clearly said: ’You’re the stupid one for not knowing.’
An Guoming didn’t care at all. He started explaining to An Ning why he was so happy, and after finishing, he even added his own analysis and comntary.
He didn’t stop talking the entire way ho.
An Ning understood, but she had absolute strength. ’Why bother with all those little tricks? It’s a waste of ti. I’d rather be farming; at least that’s straightforward.’
The two of them were on completely different wavelengths. One talked nonstop while the other, who may or may not have been listening, just walked. They finally arrived at the An family ho.
As soon as they reached the gate to the An family ho, An Ning quickened her pace and darted into the courtyard in a few steps.
"Mom, pheasant!"
Lin Cuihua, who was inside, ca out dusting off her apron. When she saw the pheasant, her eyes lit up as if she were seeing a long-lost relative.
"Oh my, where did this co from? It’s so plump."
Lin Cuihua took the pheasant, examining it from all sides. She hefted it in her hand to feel its weight and said, "Must be five or six pounds. It’s been eating well, that’s for sure."
Just then, An Sancheng, An Guoqing, An Guoping, and their big sister-in-law, who had been sorting mushrooms in the courtyard, all ca over. They gathered around the large pheasant, their faces beaming with joy.
"A pheasant was chasing Second Brother. I ran into it and killed it."
After An Ning spoke, An Guoming, trailing behind her, felt that his entire lecture on the way ho had been for nothing. ’Couldn’t you have just said the last part? Why did you have to drag into it?’
"Oh my god, Second Brother, you’re becoming more and more impressive! Can’t even handle a single pheasant? You let it chase you all over the mountain? What a disgrace!"
An Guoqing was always the first to laugh at Second Brother’s expense, and An Guoping was snickering on the side.
"Alright, Eldest, go clean the pheasant and have your mother stew it. We can get back to work in the fields tomorrow. Let’s have a good al today."
At An Sancheng’s word, An Guoqing sprang into action, and An Guoping deftly went to boil so water.
Lin Cuihua and her daughter-in-law continued sorting the mushrooms, setting so aside to eat and so to sell.
"Sister-in-law, are you selling these mushrooms? I’ve got connections."
An Guoming was interested in any and all business dealings. His sister-in-law knew this, but she didn’t answer, looking instead to Lin Cuihua.
She knew the family was reluctant to let their second son go into business.
An Guoming knew it too. He squatted down next to Lin Cuihua, putting on a fawning, cheeky grin.
"Mom, just let go. These mushrooms sell best when they’re fresh."
Lin Cuihua remained silent, but An Sancheng, who was nearby, spoke up.
"Second Son, it’s not that we won’t let you go. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and it’s not like doing business is out of the question. The family let you try, but you didn’t bring a single cent back the first two tis. When you can explain what happened there, then we can talk about you selling things."
An Sancheng’s words made An Guoming hang his head in embarrassnt.
"Dad—"
An Guoming looked up and called out, his face flushing red. He was too embarrassed to say it, but with several money-making opportunities right in front of him, the thought of not being allowed to pursue them was agonizing.
"Dad!"
An Guoming shut his eyes and blurted it all out, "The first ti, I did make money! But soone ca to do an inspection. I was too slow to get away, so I had to pay a bribe to get out of trouble. That’s why I didn’t bring any money back."
Having said that, An Guoming decided to just let it all out. It was all family here; losing face in front of them wasn’t the sa as losing it outside.
"The second ti, I made money too, and quite a bit! But so people targeted . I couldn’t fight them off, so I had to pay them off for my own safety. That’s why I ca back empty-handed again."
An Sancheng, who had been sitting on a stool, stood up. He walked over to An Guoming and asked, "So you’re saying you made a profit, but because you were too weak, you had to spend it all to ensure your safety?"
An Guoming nodded with a grunt of affirmation.
SMACK! An Guoming rubbed his head.
"Dad—what did you hit for?"
"What did I hit you for? I ought to kick you!"
As he spoke, An Sancheng actually took off his shoe.
"You little brat! I thought you didn’t make any money because you didn’t have the knack for it. Who would’ve thought this was the reason!"
"We have so many people in this family! Couldn’t you have taken soone with you?!"
"Think of all the money-making opportunities you’ve missed!"
"You prodigal son!"
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