Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 240

The three Sima brothers were filled with fervor as they listened to the "villagers'" passionate plea to eliminate the wolves.

Sima Dapao said, "Then let's go up the mountain and kill the wolves so that the villagers can live in peace."

Sima Erpao and Sima Sanpao were also eager to try, showing an attitude of being mortal enemies with wolves.

Zhao Da'e felt a sudden unease: Hmm... Why do these three guys seem a bit dim-witted?

"Don't rush, don't rush. The three of you have come from afar. Come to our house for a meal first, warm up, and then we'll see what the specifics are," Zhao Tingming said.

Director Meng, seeing that things were more or less settled, said, "Old Zhao, I'm leaving now. I have a meeting to attend later. I won't stay any longer. Give my regards to my sister-in-law. These three are in your care. If anything happens, Old Zhao, just call the township."

"Shall we have dinner together before you go back?" Zhao Tingming said politely.

Anyway, the difference between feeding three people and feeding four people doesn't seem to be that big...

Why don't we manage them together?

Director Meng declined, saying, "Old Zhao, I appreciate the thought, but I really can't today. I have to go back for a meeting, and then I need to recruit a receptionist. Right now, I'm the only receptionist in the township; I'm all alone. I need to find someone to work with."

Director Meng was telling the truth. In the past, when the township was at its peak in terms of hosting guests, there were more than ten people. Now it's not like that anymore; it's fallen so low that only Director Meng is left.

Director Meng is both the director and the worker. He does the work of ten people, and he's always working himself to the bone.

Zhao Tingming smiled and said, "Alright then."

They're even recruiting receptionists? Give me a break... If they could offer a salary, would the rest of them have run away?

It's not just about whether or not salaries are paid; everyone else has run away except for Director Meng! Director Meng isn't running away because he's a permanent employee; if he did, he'd be disciplined. Of course, Director Meng actually submitted his retirement application a long time ago, but it wasn't approved. After all, if anyone approved Director Meng's resignation, the township reception center would go bankrupt…

If people come again later, there won't be anyone to greet them...

So Director Meng just toughed it out, and his hair turned white from the strain.

Zhao Tingming figured that Director Meng really had something to do, even though his project was doomed to fail and his efforts would be in vain. But who isn't always busy in life? And how many people truly understand the meaning of their busyness? If he could do something good for the people, he would feel more at ease.

Director Meng then drove off at breakneck speed in his old, rattling Songhuajiang minivan.

I had only taken a few steps when there was a loud crash...

One of the car doors fell off...

Director Meng slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a stop.

Since he hadn't gone far, Zhao Tingming ran over, picked up the car door, and handed it over.

Zhao Tingming couldn't help but sigh: "A good car is just different; even the doors have learned to fly on their own..."

"Director Meng, you seem to be in such a hurry. You're so eager to leave that you won't even let me open the car door. Why don't you stay and have your meal before you go? By the way, I'll find someone to help you put the car door back on."

Director Meng blushed slightly: "No, no, I'll install it myself later. I'm too embarrassed to eat out."

Director Meng knew perfectly well that if he ate this meal, Zhao Tingming would ask him to reimburse him for meals and such whenever he had free time, and he would feel embarrassed to refuse.

Besides, Director Meng would be too embarrassed to go to Zhao Tingming's house empty-handed. He knew Zhao Tingming's son had returned, and it was December, so going out empty-handed wouldn't be appropriate.

It's best to avoid it if possible.

"Another day, another day. I really have something to do today. Old Zhao, I appreciate your kindness, I really will go back. The car door is fine, I can just leave it on the car and fix it myself later. Anyway, this car isn't worth much... As long as it can move, it's better than riding a bicycle to the countryside a few years ago."

You should know that this beat-up van cost more than two thousand yuan. The township's funds are even tighter. There are only two vehicles in the whole township. One is used today and another is used tomorrow. Director Meng also has to go back to return the vehicle. This vehicle belongs to the government. Although it is old, it is not his own. A group of people are waiting to use it.

Even if a car door falls off, or even if a wheel is missing, it won't stop it from running...

Director Meng took the car door from Zhao Tingming, got in, and started the car...

A plume of black smoke billowed from the beat-up van, and it sped away in a flash...

Watching from afar, Zhao Da'e felt sorry for Zhao Tingming: "Oh dear, the old man has it so tough... He's over sixty years old, and he gets sprayed with engine oil by that lousy bread roll..."

This car is seriously burning oil! The noise, the chassis rattling, the doors gone, the engine crackling, the taillights long gone, the bumper missing, the steering wheel even looks a bit rusty—it should be able to turn left and right…

Zhao Da'e was really worried about whether Director Meng would be able to drive back safely...

Zhao Tingming wiped the engine oil off his face and returned to Sima Dapao and the others, saying, "The three of you have come from afar. Let's not talk about anything else for now and go get something to eat. No matter what, you've come to rid our village of this menace. We don't have anything fancy, but we'll provide plenty of food and drink."

The three Sima brothers didn't stand on ceremony and followed Zhao Tingming home.

While the meal was being prepared, Zhao Da'e helped add some firewood, while Zhao Tingming and Xing Shuling accompanied Sima Dapao and the other two in the inner room to drink tea and chat.

Putting everything else aside, Zhao Da'e thought that this Sima Dapao was really good at talking nonsense.

Sima Dapao said that the guy used to be incredibly powerful and fearsome, killing anyone who stood in his way.

He was known in the martial arts world as the "Ghost's Bane of Kashi County".

Zhao Da'e really wanted to tell this guy from Kashi County, the "Ghost-Fearer," something like: "Brother, be scientific, there are no ghosts in this world..."

Sima Dapao also said that he had spent his whole life dealing with these wild animals, and his greatest achievement was once killing two wolves all by himself...

When he got excited, Sima Dapao, who was in the inner room, started showing off his foreign cannon: "Village Chief Zhao, I won't stand on ceremony. I'm a straightforward person, so I'll call you Old Zhao, and you can call me Dapao..."

“You’ll call my two brothers Second Cannon and Third Cannon…”

Zhao Da'e, who was tending the fire in the outer room, was grinning from ear to ear. She muttered to herself, "Grandma, look at these people's names, they're really impressive."

Zhao Da'e suddenly remembered a TV series he had watched before: Northeast Past.

Inside were things like three-corn melon, three-cannon, potatoes, sweet potatoes...

The names given in Northeast China are indeed sometimes chosen quite casually.

But it's really rare to see three brothers with such bizarre names.

In Northeast China, the term "mountain cannon" is generally used to describe someone who is considered "rough and tumble".

If you were to describe someone as particularly reckless and impulsive, they would be a "mountain cannon"...

It's easy to imagine that these men, including Sima Dapao, must have been born and raised in the forests of Northeast China.

Actually, this is sometimes the case. There aren't many people who are native to Northeast China. In other words, there aren't many people who live there permanently.

Most of them came from the Northeast or the Great Northern Wilderness.

Friends from all over the world.

However, only true Northeasterners would choose names that are so down-to-earth.

Sima Dapao continued speaking in the room: "Old Zhao, let me tell you, don't look down on this foreign cannon. This foreign cannon is a shotgun, but I've improved it. It's filled with small iron balls. There are seven iron balls in one bullet. Let me put it this way, if that Laidai gets shot by me, he'll be seriously injured, if not killed."

Zhao Tingming quickly flattered, "That's right, that's right."

Isn't that obvious? What wolf could be left unscathed after being shot by a foreign cannon?

The key is whether you can hit it... and not miss.

"Hey, Cannon, where's your hometown?"

Sima Dapao has a loud voice, and when he talks about his hometown, there's a hint of arrogance in his tone: "My hometown is Qingfengling."

"From Qingfeng Ridge, Liujiazi?"

"You know that?!"

Zhao Tingming nodded: "I know. I know. Qingfeng Ridge is a... nice place. That place really is..."

Zhao Tingming was at a loss for words. Qingfeng Ridge was truly a godforsaken place.

Let me put it this way. There's an idiom that goes, "One man can hold the pass against ten thousand," and Qingfeng Ridge is that kind of place. It's a mountain that's straight up and down, without any legs.

In other words, it's somewhat like the mountains in the famous painting "Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven" without water.

Standing on a steep, vertical path.

That place is so remote that it's difficult to even walk there, let alone cycle. It's like a paradise on earth, but most people can't get in.

"Oh, so your hometown is in another place?"

Sima Dapao nodded: "Yes. I travel everywhere, all over western Liaoning and Hulunbuir. My family are hunters. My father was a hunter, his name was Sima Laopao."

Zhao Tingming almost burst out laughing: What a great name! Like attracts like, indeed, this is a beautifully chosen name.

Zhao Da'e, who was in the outer room, also covered his mouth and laughed: This family is truly outstanding.

Even Guo couldn't hold back her laughter and burst out laughing. She quickly said, "Big Goose, go heat up the wine. Let these heroes drink to their hearts' content."

"okay."

Zhao Da'e then went to heat the wine.

Sima Dapao continued from the inner room, "My father was a hunter, as were my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather. Our family's hunting tradition is hereditary. Before, we didn't have any land in our area. During the Qing Dynasty, my family started hunting and raising guns. Later, they started eliminating the 'Four Pests' and such. On the mountains in our area, we three brothers hunted down even the rabbits."

In the years that followed, we joined hunting teams and went to several nearby counties. Basically, wherever there was danger, that's where we went.

"You guys work really hard, your salaries must be pretty high," Zhao Tingming asked.

"The pay is per kill. Five hundred for killing a wolf. Two hundred for killing a wild boar," Sima Dapao said. "Others are less. We usually prefer hunting wolves. Wolves usually come in dens, and there are usually at least ten or twenty of them. Wild boars are okay too; they also usually come in dens, a dozen or so. Other things are not allowed, and there are fewer of them. Especially in the last two years, tigers are no longer allowed to be hunted, and of course, there are no tigers around here. Black bears are also not allowed to be hunted. So we can only hunt wolves. Last year, we killed more than forty wolves."

Zhao Tingming's eyes widened in surprise: "Those forty-odd wolves, that's over twenty thousand! Your skills are amazing, making twenty thousand a year..."

Sima Dapao said arrogantly, "To be precise, there are forty-three... twenty-one thousand five hundred thousand."

"You three brothers split it equally?"

"Mhm." Sima Dapao nodded: "I'll take 20,000, and the other 1,500 will be used to feed my two brothers. It's fair and just, which is why the three of us brothers are so in sync."

Zhao Tingming was completely dumbfounded: ? ? ?

Where the hell is fairness and justice shown here? They earned a measly little over 20,000 in total. Sima Dapao took 20,000, leaving 1,500 for the three of them to eat.

So it seems that Sima Erpao and Sima Sanpao worked for a year for nothing and got nothing in return!

“Even if they are brothers, I have to handle things fairly. I only asked for two stacks of money, but they got fifteen large bills. As the older brother, that’s how I take care of my brothers.” Sima Dapao said, spitting as he spoke.

Zhao Da'e, who was in the outer room, was laughing while clutching her stomach. She took the warmed wine and went into the inner room, then came out and continued laughing.

Of these three, at least two aren't very bright. They can't quite distinguish between a stack and a single sheet.

Before long, Guo had finished cooking the rice and casually stewed a side dish.

Sauerkraut, glass noodles, two or three pounds of fatty pork, and a few pieces of chopped frozen tofu make up the main dish.

There was also a plate of pork head meat that had been bought and cut up but not finished. Guo heated it up, making two dishes. Then Guo also stir-fried some peanuts and added seven or eight eggs.

That's it, even if it's finished.

Zhao Da'e helped carry the dishes and put them on the table.

The liquor is bottled sorghum liquor, costing 3.5 yuan a bottle, which is relatively expensive.

Seeing that they got along well, Zhao Tingming took out a few packs of cheaper Hongmei (a type of Chinese herbal tea) from the cabinet. Hongmei was relatively cheaper, at one yuan and twenty cents a pack.

Zhao Tingming threw it on the kang: "One packet each, order it yourselves, I won't distribute it."

Sima Dapao is a very honest person, but he is also somewhat fierce.

He casually carried the cannon and a box of bullets.

However, Sima Sanpao also carried a gun, but he remained silent, becoming much quieter. Only when it was time to eat did he listlessly place the gun behind his back. Zhao Da'e squinted at him and asked, "Isn't that a foreign cannon?"

Sima Sanpao shook his head: "Mine is a Hanyang rifle. My older brother's is a foreign cannon. If we're far away, we use mine; if we're close, we use my older brother's."

Zhao Da'e set up the table, brought out the wine, and then naturally brewed a pot of tea on the floor.

Guo brought out a large bowl of rice as well.

Zhao Tingming, holding the warmed wine, asked, "Do you three brothers use wine cups or bowls?"

Sima Dapao said, "A bowl will suffice."

Sima Erpao said the same thing, but Sima Sanpao said, "I don't drink. Drinking while hunting will ruin things."

Sima Dapao glanced at it, feeling that Sima Sanpao's words made him lose face: "My brother has always been a fussy. If he doesn't want to drink, then he doesn't want to drink. Never mind him. Let's drink our own."

Zhao Tingming poured a full bowl of wine for both Sima Dapao and Sima Erpao.

The bowl was quite large; one bottle of wine was poured into two bowls, and when it was Zhao Tingming's turn, it wasn't enough.

Fortunately, Zhao Da'e had just heated two bottles of wine, and Zhao Tingming opened another bottle and filled his own glass.

Then he raised his wine bowl and said, "Let's have a drink."