The interior of the house could be described as having nothing but four bare walls. The only things of so value were the two new sets of bedding bought before the new year, and half a vat of rice left over.
The walls, built with yellow mud mixed with thatch, were neither warm nor moisture-resistant.
When the rain was heavy, it would patter down along the thatched roof.
Heavy rain outside ant heavy rain inside; it was very bitter.
Fortunately, this year was another severe drought, so there was no need to worry about the roof leaking.
Squatting next to the woodshed with a kitchen knife, he scraped the scales off the silver carp, cut open its belly, and washed it clean.
Then he brought a relatively large clay bowl and boiled the fish together with water.
After it was cooked, he mashed it. Waiting until the broth was as white and tender as milk, he then used a thin cloth to filter out the tiny fish bones.
By this ti, the rice was already stead. He poured it into a clay pot and sprinkled so coarse salt on it.
Although simple, the expanded rice grains were mixed with the rich, savory fish broth.
With one bite, he felt energized all over!
In the entire Pinecone Village, only Chu Xun could be this extravagant.
If it were anyone else, even the fish bones would have to be smashed and swallowed.
Taking a bite of the crisp and sweet cogon grass root from ti to ti, slurping away, it didn't take long for a bowl of white rice to be eaten clean.
He let out a burp of satisfaction, washed the pots and bowls clean, and squatted at the door eating the sweet and sour wild fruits brought by the crows.
Although the sun was fierce, Chu Xun only felt that his days were becoming sweeter.
When evening approached and the sun set, the villagers successively carried their carrying poles and water buckets, heading outside the village.
Zhang Shigen and Zhang Anxiu were also among them.
When passing by the door, Zhang Anxiu deliberately ran over and smilingly stretched out her hand.
Chu Xun took a wild fruit and placed it in her palm. The girl's eyes imdiately smiled into the shape of crescent moons.
A villager nearby joked, "Shigen, your daughter is quite a match for Ah Xun. Today she asked for a fruit, don't let her return him a big fat boy next year."
Zhang Shigen didn't refute, but instead said, "If Ah Xun is willing, that's fine too."
Chu Xun was an orphan with only two acres of farmland at ho, but in the eyes of the villagers, this was actually a good thing.
Having no parents to support and care for would save so much trouble in the future.
Although two acres of land was little, Chu Xun was grounded, hardworking, and had good luck.
During the severe droughts of the past two years, his family fetched the least water, yet when it ca ti for harvest, they had the most.
It was said that he had already saved quite a bit of silver at ho, unlike Li Ermao who liked to gamble.
The pension his old father and several brothers exchanged their lives for had been completely squandered over the years, leaving absolutely nothing.
It was only because his wife absolutely refused to sell the land, otherwise he probably would have sold even those nine acres to try and win his money back.
Therefore, the villagers had an excellent impression of Chu Xun, considering him a good seedling for a son-in-law.
Unfortunately, not many had daughters, only a few, and they were all young.
There were indeed people who ca to ask Chu Xun if he wanted to get engaged first.
Chu Xun didn't require his wife to be a national beauty or have imnse wealth. After all, with his current status, marrying such a person might turn out to be a great disaster.
But at the very least... she had to be passable in good conscience, right?
He had absolutely no interest in those snotty, unkempt little girls.
Zhang Anxiu ca back holding the wild fruit, and a nearby villager imdiately said, "Girl, let Uncle taste what that fruit is like."
"I won't give it to you! Brother Xun gave this to !" Zhang Anxiu acted as if guarding against a thief, tightly clutching the plain-looking wild fruit in her palm, afraid soone would snatch it away.
Everyone laughed heartily at the sight. They were just joking; how could they really fight a girl for a fruit to eat?
Before long, Li Ermao also ca over carrying a carrying pole.
He was tall and sturdy. Having eaten well before, he was as strong as an ox.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to plow the fields for three consecutive months and only lose a few catties.
Even the wealthy landlord's old yellow ox wasn't this fierce.
Seeing Chu Xun squatting at the door so leisurely, Li Ermao snorted, "Xunzi, co fetch water with your brother. You should build so muscle too, look at these skinny arms and legs. Later on, if soone bullies you, you won't even dare to fight back."
Chu Xun knew his temper and smiled, saying, "Naturally, I can't compare with Brother Ermao. Who in the village doesn't know you're the best fighter?"
"That's right. Back when my dad ca back to visit family, he taught a few moves." Li Ermao swung his carrying pole a few tis, creating a gust of wind, though they were actually just flashy, empty moves.
It did, however, scare the bystanders quite a bit. Afraid he might accidentally swing it onto their heads, they quickly dodged to the side.
"Xunzi, later your brother will teach you a couple of moves so you can look impressive," Li Ermao said.
Chu Xun smiled and nodded, and only then did he walk away with his head held high.
This person wasn't bad, just a bit arrogant because his family had achieved military rits.
Normally, if any family really encountered trouble, he was always the first to step forward, being quite loyal and righteous.
After blowing in the hot wind at the door for a while, mosquitoes flew back and forth.
Chu Xun was bitten until his whole body itched, so he finally went back inside to light so mugwort.
Although the smoke made him dizzy, it was still better than being covered in large welts.
An unknown amount of ti passed before clamorous sounds ca from outside.
Unable to sleep, Chu Xun opened the door to look, just in ti to see a group of villagers running back in a sorry state.
Many people had broken heads and bleeding wounds, and there were also those who were unconscious and being carried back on people's backs.
An exclamation reached his ears: "Oh no, he's stopped breathing! Quick, quick, quick, carry him back!"
Although he was only at the first level of Qi Condensation, his eyesight was already much better than ordinary people's.
Looking towards the sound, he saw Li Ermao, who had been extraordinarily fierce not long ago, currently being carried by others.
Half of his head had been sliced off by so unknown sharp weapon. Red and white matter mixed with minced at hung outside; he had completely stopped breathing.
Chu Xun was startled upon seeing this and quickly ran out to ask what happened.
Zhang Shigen and his daughter had also returned. They were relatively fine, covered in dust but without any injuries.
Glancing at the lifeless Li Ermao, Zhang Shigen said with righteous indignation, "The people of Three Stones Village are unreasonable. They insisted that the old well was built by their village and wouldn't let us draw water."
"Ermao couldn't swallow his anger and started fighting with them. Who knew these bastards were prepared; they hid a Martial Master who chopped off half of Ermao's head with one saber strike."
The villagers of Pinecone Village had only gone to fetch water and were unprepared, so naturally, they suffered a huge loss.
Many people were severely injured, and whether they could survive depended on the Heavens.
Zhang Shigen sighed and said, "The Li family only has this one sole heir, and Ermao's wife's belly has never shown any movent. How are we going to explain this to his wife now?"
What the lower-class commoners cared about most was the continuation of their family line, even if there wasn't much worth passing down.
But as long as there was a boy, it seed as if the family would never fall.
Chu Xun didn't know what to say either. He turned his head to look at Li Ermao, who used to be full of vigor and vitality but was now stiff and cold all over.
Fights over water were bound to happen every dry season, and it wasn't rare for lives to be lost occasionally.
It was just that when it truly happened nearby, no matter how much one had experienced, one couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.
A group of people carried Li Ermao's corpse back, and Chu Xun naturally followed behind.
Arriving in front of the farmhouse, a few village won went in first to break the news.
A mont later, the sound of things being knocked over ca from inside the house.
Li Ermao's wife, with disheveled hair, ran out of the house in a panic.
Seeing her man's tragic state, she threw herself forward, letting out heart-wrenching wails.
The villagers stood in place, silently lowering their heads.
A few village won ca over wanting to help her up, but how could they lift her?
The man she had shared intimacy with at noon was now separated from her by life and death.
She cried so hard she couldn't stand up, her voice about to crack.
A villager gritted his teeth: "Let's go, grab our weapons and go back for revenge!"
"Revenge! Damn it, we can't let Ermao die in vain!"
When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold; when the hare dies, the fox grieves.
The villagers were currently filled with towering rage. One by one, with red eyes, they went ho to grab their few iron tools.
So took kitchen knives, so took rakes, and others took sickles and the like.
Even if their wives and daughters at ho pleaded bitterly, they showed no intention of retreating.
Soone in the village had died fighting for water. If they didn't even dare to take revenge, what kind of n were they!
The senile Village Chief, feeling his way in the dark, walked over supported by his eldest son.
Behind him followed his second son and three grandsons.
The old man, with completely white hair and beard, his face full of wrinkles squeezed together, heavily smashed the walking stick in his hand onto the ground.
"All the n with balls in Pinecone Village, except those under sixteen and those without children, everyone else is going! Today, even if my old bones break there, we cannot let others look down on us!"
(End of Chapter)
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