Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

In this atmosphere that was as hot as fire and almost set the entire space on fire, Xu Damao's face seemed to be shrouded in thick dark clouds. Not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate it, and it became increasingly gloomy, like the sky before an approaching storm.

He was like an eggplant that had been hit hard by the late autumn frost. Not only had he lost his former bright color, but he also looked limp and dejected as he struggled to move through the bustling crowd. Every step he took seemed like he was carrying an invisible burden.

At this moment, his ears were filled with people's endless praise for He Yuzhu and Ma Daha. These words were like carefully polished sharp needles, not only piercing his fragile psychological defenses, but also constantly and mercilessly stabbing his heart, and every time he was stabbed, he felt an indescribable pain.

He felt as if his heart was being pressed down by a huge boulder of despair and jealousy, so heavy that he could hardly bear it. This heaviness not only oppressed his body, but also made his mind feel suffocated, and even every breath became extremely difficult, as if every breath he took was a desperate fight with death.

Every time he heard words praising He Yuzhu and Ma Daha, the anger in his heart would burn more fiercely as if it were poured with boiling oil, almost swallowing him up.

Finally, Xu Damao felt that he could no longer endure such mental and internal torture. He gritted his teeth, a look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he secretly decided to find the second uncle Liu Haizhong and have a good argument with him to get an explanation. So, he suppressed his anger and pain, as if he was crossing a blazing mountain of fire, and struggled to squeeze through the crowd around him that was as noisy as a vegetable market, and walked quickly towards the machine repair workshop, every step he took was filled with his unwillingness and anger.

After a long, crowded, and seemingly endless journey, Xu Damao finally arrived at a remote corner of the machine repair workshop. Compared to the noisy and bustling outside, this place is much quieter, like a piece of pure land forgotten by the world. Only occasionally there will be bursts of low and powerful machine roars coming from afar, like the low roars of ancient giant beasts in their sleep, slightly breaking the tranquility, but also adding a bit of mystery and solemnity.

At this moment, Liu Haizhong was standing quietly with his hands behind his back beside a huge forging machine that exuded a metallic luster. His eyebrows were tightly knitted, and his expression was so serious that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it. It seemed that he was pondering an extremely important issue that concerned life and death. He was completely immersed in his own world and turned a deaf ear to all the noise from the outside world.

Liu Haizhong slowly turned around, his eyes that had seen the vicissitudes of life fell deeply on Xu Damao's face, which was becoming increasingly gloomy due to anger and unwillingness. His heart sank. In fact, from the moment Xu Damao stepped into this door, he had already guessed the current situation through the other party's resentment that was almost condensed into substance.

He just shook his head gently, and that movement contained too many complex emotions, including regret, sympathy, and a hint of helplessness that was hard to describe. Then, he sighed imperceptibly, his tone calm but with a hint of fatigue and apology that was hard to conceal: "Da Mao, I know you must be feeling very upset right now. But this time, we two brothers really didn't handle it as well as everyone wanted."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Damao's face instantly became even uglier, as if he was blasted by the cold winter wind. He suddenly raised his voice, and the sharp and piercing voice echoed in the empty workshop, with a sense of unwillingness and anger: "Not done? Second uncle, please tell me more! Last time we excitedly ran to the West Mountain to hunt, the mountain was high and the road was long, we were as tired as a three-legged lame dog, we spent a lot of effort, but in the end we had nothing in our hands, nothing. And look at Sha Zhu, hey! That guy easily brought back a fat wild deer, just like taking a walk in the back mountain park, can this be called fair? There is no such thing in the world!"

The eyebrows in his bangs were tightly furrowed, forming a deep "川" character, as if it could pinch a fly to death. He waved his hand, signaling Xu Damao to be patient, and there was a soothing meaning in that gesture. His voice was slow and deep, like a stream flowing slowly in autumn: "Da Mao, don't worry. The situation this time is really beyond our expectations. Who would have thought that the beast on the West Mountain would be so cunning? But now that things have come to this, you don't have to keep keeping this matter in your heart. As the saying goes, if you keep the green mountains, you will never worry about lack of firewood. We still have a long way to go in the future. There will always be opportunities, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. His voice trembled with excitement: "Opportunity? Where does the opportunity come from? Uncle, please tell me in detail! My heart feels like it's been scratched by a cat's claws, it's itchy and uncomfortable!"

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong quietly approached Xu Damao, and a mysterious smile appeared on his weather-beaten old face. He lowered his voice, as if he was passing on some big secret: "Damo, have you forgotten? Our factory is about to select the quarterly model! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As long as we can make some outstanding achievements at this critical moment and let the leaders see our strength and potential, we will not have to worry about not being favored and appreciated by them? By then, whether it is a wild deer or not, it will be a matter of catching it easily."

When Xu Damao heard this, his eyes, which had been as listless as an eggplant hit by frost, suddenly lit up, like a candle suddenly lit in the endless darkness, flickering a spark of hope and illuminating his slightly depressed face. That light seemed to contain endless expectations and longings, which made people feel pity.

However, this sudden light did not last long, just like a candle flickering in the wind. After just a moment, Xu Damao's eyes dimmed quickly like a candle blown out by the wind. The corners of his mouth drooped slightly, and he grumbled, pouring out his complaints and helplessness: "Alas, the question is, what can we do now? That damned Shazhu, like a pie in the sky, hit him squarely on the head, and seized the opportunity and made a good first move! Even if we want to chase him now, I'm afraid we can't catch up..."

Seeing this, Liu Haizhong patted Xu Damao's shoulder vigorously, with a bit of love and expectation of an elder for a younger generation in his strength, as if he wanted to pass on his confidence and strength to him. His voice was gentle and firm, comforting and encouraging Xu Damao: "Damo, you can put your heart at ease. I have something in mind. This time, we won't play with those empty, flashy and fake tricks. If we want to come, we must use real swords and guns, real kung fu! I heard that there have been wild beasts appearing in the lush forest on the back mountain recently. Those wild beasts are full of treasures and priceless. Otherwise, we might as well go over and try our luck. Maybe we can catch some valuable and rare things. Then, let's see how that stupid Zhu can show off in front of us!"

When Xu Damao heard this, his eyes immediately flashed with an excitement that was difficult to conceal. That light was like a shooting star across the night sky, brilliant and short-lived, but enough to illuminate every corner of his heart. He seemed to have seen the glorious scene after his success, in which he stood on a high podium, holding the trophy, smiling from ear to ear, surrounded by thunderous applause and cheers.

But then, this excitement was replaced by deep worry. Xu Damao's face showed a mixture of hesitation and fear. He stammered, "Second Uncle, isn't this a bit too dangerous? I heard that there are wild beasts rampant in the back mountain. What if we accidentally encounter some unexpected situation? I have old people and young children to take care of. I can't joke with my own life..."

"What are you afraid of!" Liu Haizhong calmly waved his hand, interrupting Xu Damao's trembling and worried words. His eyes were like torches, staring at Xu Damao closely, with both blame and encouragement in his eyes, and he said firmly and forcefully: "Damo, you must remember that if you want to make a name for yourself in this world, you can't do it without taking any risks. Risks and opportunities have always been accompanied by each other! Just like the Ganoderma lucidum on the cliffs, if you want to pick it, you must have the courage to climb the steep mountain. If we want to really stand out and be looked up to by others, we must have the courage to take risks and fight! Don't be afraid, with the second uncle here, we will definitely be able to overcome danger and return with a full load!"

At this point, Liu Haizhong paused for a moment, his eyes full of traces of time gleaming with wisdom, as if to give Xu Damao some time to savor and slowly digest the philosophical and encouraging words he had just said. The air seemed to freeze at this moment, and only the occasional roar of machines outside the workshop broke this rare tranquility.

Then, Liu Haizhong patted his chest vigorously, his action was full of confidence and heroism, and he continued: "Don't worry, Damao. Although I am a few years older than you, I have a lot of valuable experience in hunting, exploring and treasure hunting in the mountains! As long as we are more careful and cautious in everything we do, just like the old knights who travel the world, taking every step carefully and paying attention to everything, there will be no mistakes. By then, maybe we will hit on a big opportunity, which will make us both successful and return home in glory! Haha..."

Liu Haizhong's words were like a cool breeze in summer, blowing away the haze in Xu Damao's heart; they were also like a bright light, illuminating his way forward. Under Liu Haizhong's earnest and persuasive persuasion, Xu Damao, who was originally full of worries and hesitation, like a boat trapped in the fog, now seemed to have taken a reassurance pill made of hope and courage, and gradually calmed down, and his eyes glowed with determination and resoluteness.

He first bit his lips fiercely, and that action seemed to contain endless determination and strength, as if he was making a very important decision concerning life and death, future and destiny;

Then, he suddenly raised his head and looked straight into the bangs, his eyes full of trust and gratitude.

He nodded vigorously, and said in a firm and powerful voice: "Okay! Second Uncle, since you said so, then what do I have to worry about? I will listen to you! Let's go to the back mountain and see if we can have some good luck, so that those who look down on us can see how powerful we are!"

In Xu Damao's firm and powerful response, Liu Haizhong's face blossomed with a satisfied smile, which was full of satisfaction and expectation. He nodded vigorously, as if he was cheering Xu Damao with his actions, and as if he was announcing to the world that the two of them were about to embark on a journey full of unknowns and challenges.

"Okay! Damao, with your determination, we will definitely succeed!" Liu Haizhong waved his hand proudly, his gesture full of confidence and strength. He turned and walked to the tool cabinet beside him, took out two sharp hunting knives, and handed one to Xu Damao. "Here, take this knife, let's go out and try our luck to see if we can hit the big chance that belongs to us!"

Xu Damao took the hunting knife and felt a chill coming from the blade, penetrating his heart. He held the handle tightly, as if holding his own destiny. He looked up at Liu Haizhong, his eyes were filled with excitement and anxiety, but more of it was an infinite longing for the future.

"Second Uncle, let's go now!" There was a slight tremor in Xu Damao's voice, but more of it was firmness and determination.

Liu Haizhong nodded, and the two walked out of the machine repair shop one after the other. At this time, the afterglow of the setting sun was shining on them, coating their figures with a layer of golden light. They took firm steps and strode towards the back mountain, each step full of strength and courage.

But they had just taken a few steps out when they were called back by the workshop director.

"What are you doing? Are you being lazy? Get to work!"

The workshop director's rebuke was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the enthusiasm of Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong. They stopped helplessly and turned back to the workshop.

"Alas, plans really cannot keep up with changes." Liu Haizhong sighed, his face full of regret.

Xu Damao also lowered his head, and the excitement and longing in his heart instantly vanished. His hand holding the hunting knife slowly loosened, and the afterglow reflected from the blade gradually dimmed.

"Forget it, Damao, let's get to work first." Liu Haizhong patted Xu Damao on the shoulder, trying to comfort him.