"Second Brother, you're back. I've made soup, just waiting for you to come back and eat."
Little Stone eagerly came up to greet him, taking the pen, ink, paper, inkstone, and the paper-wrapped pig's head meat from Zhong Lin's hands.
"I slipped on the road just now. I'm going in to change my clothes. Put these things in the study and find a dish to serve the pig's head meat."
"Okay!"
With his little short legs, he ran back and forth tirelessly.
Zhong Lin also went back to his room and changed into a short, gray outfit and washed his face with clean water. The red handprint on his cheek hadn't completely faded, and a sense of pain constantly stoked the anger in his heart.
"I just want to live well, to live freely. Since you all don't want me to live, then I'll just kill you first." Zhong Lin's face was full of cold killing intent.
It's just killing, it's not like I haven't killed before.
The first time I killed someone, I was anxious, but after more, the heart becomes indifferent.
Sometimes killing is even easier than going hunting in the mountains. After all, hunting not only requires finding the prey but also preventing it from running away, whereas killing just needs one knife.
He put down his chopsticks and stepped toward the door to look at the sky.
During the day, the sky was already a bit overcast. Now the whole night sky couldn't even show a single star, and a faint chill lingered in the air, a sign of impending autumn rain.
"A dark and windy night, truly a fine weather!"
"Stone, I'm going out to handle some things. Lock the door tight, and don't open it for anyone but me."
Zhong Lin instructed.
The Little Stone, just about to wash dishes, looked at his second brother's bow and arrow in his hand and the leather belt around his waist, and with his precocity, he had some guesses and nodded heavily.
"Second Brother, be careful."
Zhong Lin smiled gently, touched Little Stone's head, said nothing more, and turned to disappear into the darkness.
...
"Hey, you damn Xing San, are you raising fish over there? Hurry up and drink."
"Don't rush me, Big Brother. I'm waiting for the fish, aren't I? A sea bass just brought in from East Market's shrimp head, it pairs best with wine when steamed."
"Bullshit, as if I don't know you, you dog. You just want to make me drink three cups of fish head wine to get me drunk, huh? My drinking capacity is so high I won't get drunk after a thousand cups. You think you can get me drunk? Dream on!"
Inside a residence, Qin Yong and Xing San were drinking and playing drinking games under the oil lamp.
A plate of scrambled eggs, a large bowl of stewed bones, and a plate of peanuts, the strong aroma of wine lees filled the entire room.
"I didn't expect that on a street watched by Qin Er, a hen laying golden eggs could fly out. It's truly heaven's favor, delightful."
Qin Yong raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, full of impudence.
Xing San, whose face was full of fat, also said excitedly, "Who says it isn't? Eighteen taels of silver! This kid earned a full eighteen taels of silver just in one afternoon. How is this a hen laying golden eggs? Clearly, it's a money tree! But Big Brother, we demand twenty taels of silver a day. Is it too little?"
"Less? Not at all. As you said, this kid is a money tree. He can earn eighteen taels of silver in an afternoon. We ask for twenty taels, it's not too much or too little. Though it hurts, it doesn't cause a deadly fight. If we ask for more and the kid runs, what then?"
"He dares? I'll break his legs and lock him in a room to paint every day, and we'll sell the paintings," Xing San slammed the table and shouted angrily.
"Enough," Qin Yong's eyes were full of shrewdness, "We two can't guard this money tree. You've seen that kid's paintings. In the whole Black Mountain County, there's no one as good as his. He'll eventually be noticed by those big shots, either becoming their honored guest or their caged bird. What we need to do now is to make a good haul before those big shots notice him."
"This..."
Xing San showed frustration. Twenty taels of silver a day! It was something he couldn't even think of before, a day's gain worth a year's usual earnings. How could he bear to give up such a money tree?
Qin Yong naturally noticed Xing San's unwillingness and warned, "Xing San, let me tell you, don't get any fancy ideas. Do you know why I've lived so long in the Black Water Gang, even becoming a leader, controlling a street? Those who joined the gang with me are either dead or crippled. Only I remain, because I'm not greedy. I know what to take and what not to take. Otherwise, one day I'll die in a gutter."
"Understood."
Xing San replied hollowly, taking a hard sip from his wine cup.
Qin Yong couldn't be bothered with this fool, yelling toward the door, "Is the fish done? If it doesn't come soon, I'm going to starve to death."
"Coming, coming."
A crisp, slightly coquettish voice came from the kitchen, followed by a woman in a red short-sleeved shirt and a blue skirt-like horse face skirt stepping out.
The woman was carrying a tray with a steamed sea bass, stepping with a sway from the kitchen to the main hall. Under the light, it could be seen she was about twenty-six or seven years old, with a slightly pointed chin, thin cheeks, and a pair of peach blossom eyes. Although not stunningly beautiful, among women, her looks were above average.
"Starving to death, as if everything on the table got eaten by dogs! If it weren't for you bringing so much silver home today, I wouldn't serve you."
She slammed the tray with the sea bass onto the table, not giving Qin Yong a chance to speak, twisting her waist, she walked into the side door bedroom.
"Damn it..."
Bringing so much silver home today, he didn't expect his own woman would still not give him face in front of his brother, causing Qin Yong's blood to boil, slapping the table with anger surging from his heart.
"Hey, Big Brother, Big Brother, drink, drink."
Xing San hurriedly went up to drag Qin Yong to drink, his eyes sneaking a hard look at the sister-in-law's swaying hips, the fullness even the skirt couldn't hide made a hot surge rise from his lower abdomen.
Qin Yong coldly snorted, took a sip of wine, cursed, "Damn woman, just wait, I'll make you kneel and beg for mercy later."
"Oh! Everyone can boast! If you can last a cup of tea's time, I'll serve you kneeling all day. Just look at your small build, Xing San's even better than you."
The coquettish voice came from the bedroom, one sentence making Qin Yong's Three Corpse Gods jump with rage.
"Damn it, today I'll let you know how many eyes Prince Ma really has."
Speaking, he suddenly stood up, striding towards the bedroom. Soon, the room was filled with the woman's laughter and Qin Yong's panting sounds, not caring at all about Xing San outside.
Xing San naturally heard the sounds of the transaction in the room, and already kindled with desire, he became even itchier, drinking down the wine in one gulp, he shouted, "Big Brother, I'm going to take a leak."
"Get lost, don't bother me."