Chapter 07: Bullying

"Let’s go, carry Niu Er on our backs, and we will find the adults!" With a command from Hu Meng, he and several subordinates carefully lifted Niu Er and headed towards Long Chen's house.

Oh, a fight has broken out? The fun has begun, and the soldiers around have gathered to watch. The Chinese people have a long-standing tradition of enjoying a spectacle, and these soldiers, who are used to the boredom of life in the barracks, take this as their only source of amusement

"Using such a weapon to fool people, huh, I will have to be careful when it comes to dueling with knives in the future." Long Chen dared not strike a few more times, otherwise, the knife he had just received would be rendered useless immediately

Alright, we have the fish, let's go. Zhao Ming stopped the subordinate who was still venting.

"Adult, the fish... the fish... was taken away by Zhao Ming. I am useless, unable to protect the fish, I am useless."

If Hu Meng were here, he would probably generously hand a fish to Zhao Ming as a gesture. However, Niu Er is a simpleton and did not grasp the underlying meaning of Zhao Ming's words. He even nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, yes, hee hee, hee hee"

But the issue arose with that fish. In the camp, everyone was accustomed to gnawing on dry rations every day, and seeing how even the handsome ones were tempted by this fish, let alone the soldiers below. That morning, Zhao Ming heard from his subordinates that Hu Meng had hung many fish from the beam in his room. At first, Zhao Ming did not believe it; did he think that catching fish was so easy? However, unable to resist the fervent assurances of his subordinates, Zhao Ming decided to come out and take a look himself. That morning, Zhao Ming heard from his subordinates that Hu Meng had hung many fish from the beam in his room. At first, Zhao Ming did not believe it; did he think that catching fish was so easy? However, unable to resist the fervent assurances of his subordinates, Zhao Ming decided to come out and take a look himself

"Who on earth did this!" Hu Meng shouted angrily, but by this time, the soldiers who had originally gathered to watch the commotion had long since returned to their own homes. Hu Meng and Zhao Ming were both minor officers, and the matters between them were not something the rank-and-file soldiers wanted to involve themselves in, so they quickly retreated indoors.

At this time, the forging process was already quite advanced, but the knife I received was truly subpar. Just by the feel of it, it was clear that this was definitely a product of shoddy workmanship. I took out my short knife and gently struck the blades of the two knives together, and to my surprise, my knife showed signs of dullness.

Long Chen sheathed his sword and stood up, but a trace of gloominess appeared on his face

Zhao Ming walked to Hu Meng's house, looking at Niu Er who was dozing by the door, and exclaimed: "Where did you find these fish? They are indeed large and plump, just like the illustrations in books."

Noticing that Hu Meng had returned, Niu Erqiang forced himself to speak.

Indeed, such a lack of understanding seems to be a deliberate attempt to belittle us

Hmph, Zhao Ming, you wretched dog, do you not realize that the heavens are about to change? Yet you remain so arrogant. I am eager to see how you will meet your demise this time! Hu Meng did not mention that Long Chen was about to be promoted to his chief officer; he preferred to solidify his own position first. Does Zhao Ming not yet know that his support has already been replaced?

Upon returning from the back mountain, Hu Meng tied all these fish with straw and hung them from the beams of the collective dormitory where he lived. Since these fish had been thoroughly chilled by Long Chen, they had long since perished. It was impossible to keep them alive, so he could only tidy them up and hang them outside to let the blood drain.

Long Chen was in his room tending to his weapons. This guerrilla unit may not provide much, but each member must be equipped with a sword or weapon. This morning, Long Chen was notified to collect one.

What a remarkable skill, to have managed so much at once. Zhao Ming's statement is already quite clear, just take a few of these for me

Zhao Ming's expression darkened as he nodded to the left and right; they immediately understood and went forward to retrieve the fish from the beam.

Niu Er was startled awake and, seeing Zhao Xiaoqi, quickly put on a smiling face and said: "These fish were all caught from the stream behind the mountain last night"

"Brother Long, Niu Er has been beaten!" Before reaching Long Chen's room, one of Hu Meng's subordinates began to shout at the top of his lungs.

"Get lost!" A soldier, who was stealing fish, punched Niu Er in the abdomen.

"Zhao Ming, you beast, dare to hit me!" Hu Meng bit his lower lip fiercely, "This time, we will settle both old and new scores together!"

Zhao Ming naturally felt embarrassed to have his subordinates put the fish back, as that would be too humiliating. Even if Hu Meng finds out later, what difference would it make? He is a trusted confidant of the Chief Flag, while Hu Meng is nothing in comparison. Later, he would just go back and prepare some fish soup for his Chief Flag, and casually mention this matter, allowing it to be brushed aside.

Hu Meng and the others actually went to trade items with others, thinking that Long Chen was about to become their chief officer. It was essential for them to make a good impression on their newly appointed confidant, right? The brothers pooled together their savings and decided to go to the camp to find the tavern keeper and buy two jars of local liquor. On the day Long Ge officially takes office, we can celebrate properly. With these fish as the main dish and some liquor to drink, the atmosphere will surely be lively.

At this point, Niu Er was not having it; he quickly stood up and stepped forward to block them, saying, "What is going on with you? Why are you stealing our fish? What is happening?"

As more and more people gathered around, Zhao Ming feared that the situation would escalate. He directly approached the two who were fighting and kicked Niu Er right in the side. This kick struck Niu Er in the kidney, causing him to immediately curl up in pain. Meanwhile, the person who had been grappling with him seized the opportunity to deliver a flurry of blows to Niu Er.

It seems that this fellow does not regard you at all

Zhao Ming, relying on his close relationship with General Ran, often considers himself superior among this group of minor leaders and has bullied Hu Meng quite a bit. However, Hu Meng can only swallow his anger since he has the General behind him. This time, not only did the opponent steal his fish, but they also left his subordinates in such a state. This is a blatant affront to Hu Meng and a slap in the face to his authority.

Hiss, where did this Hu Meng kid get such skills to bring back so many fish. Those who see it will share in the spoils, those who see it will share in the spoils

Niu Er did not expect that the other party not only stole the fish but also dared to resort to violence. Both were soldiers, and neither was afraid of the other. Niu Er, possessing considerable strength, immediately grabbed the assailant and began to wrestle. The two of them rolled onto the ground, still grappling with each other, with the taller Niu Er gaining the upper hand.

Who knew that when everyone returned, they saw Niu Er curled up on the ground. Hu Meng immediately became anxious, throwing the wine jar to those around him and stepping forward to check on Niu Er's condition. Upon closer inspection, he was alarmed to see Niu Er's face bruised in shades of blue and purple, and his complexion was pale, continuously gasping for breath.

A few subordinates nodded, ran over, and took down all nine fish from the beam. Originally, Zhao Ming intended to take just two or three, thinking it would be enough and that he wouldn't appear too greedy. Hu Meng had nothing to say; what was wrong with taking two fish? However, perhaps spurred on by Niu Er's provocation, the subordinates decided to go all out and took down all the fish from the beam.

Seeing this fellow being so unappreciative, Zhao Ming frowned, and his subordinates beside him grew even more impatient