Chapter 1: Trouble Comes Knocking

While the other students were determined to pursue the fleeing enemy, Wang Xiaobai, who was closest to Chen Jianbin, was worried about potential trouble and hurriedly followed. The kid from Shuangshan Town was also in a panic, not even having time to push his bicycle, and ran wildly for a while. Just as he was about to be caught, he noticed a flat-roofed house on a high ground by the river and, in a state of panic, rushed inside.

Liuhe Town achieved a great victory, and logically, it should have ended there. However, the person in charge, Chen Jianbin, was quite badly beaten. Not only was the corner of his mouth split, but his right eye was also blackened, resembling a frozen pear. Chen Jianbin, a tall and strong young man, had always been the leader in the junior high school of Liuhe Town and had never suffered such a significant loss. In a fit of anger, he saw Wang Xiaobai reaching for the shovel and shouted fiercely, "I will definitely kill them!"

In the midst of the chaos, Wang Xiaobai saw a weasel the size of a domestic cat lying under the wooden table. This weasel had a coat of shiny yellow fur, and its eyes sparkled with an eerie green light. It was clutching a roasted chicken with its two front paws, and clearly startled by Wang Xiaobai, it did not run away, staring at him without even blinking.

Wang Xiaobai turned his head to look out the window, and saw an old crippled man hurriedly walking across the yard. He appeared to be over fifty years old, limping noticeably. It was evident that the owner of the house had returned. If they did not leave soon, something serious would happen. Wang Xiaobai became anxious, threw down the shovel, grabbed Chen Jianbin, and ran out of the house, climbing over the fence to escape.

In Northeast China, this is truly an ordinary family, and that kid from Shuangshan ran into the yard, hoping that there would be an adult present. Once an adult appeared, the matter would be resolved. However, this family happened to have no one at home. No one was there, so it was fine; the door was not locked, and that kid from Shuangshan smoothly escaped inside.

The bungalow is a common brick and tile house in Northeast China, consisting of two rooms, surrounded by a small courtyard. It is unclear whether it belongs to a fishing family by the river or someone else, but it certainly feels quite isolated, not connected to the distant houses. In the front yard, vegetables are planted, and on the right side, there is a fenced area with chickens and ducks.

Wang Xiaobai had the intention to mediate, but that kid from Shuangshan was pushed to the edge by Chen Jianbin. Not only did he jump into the pit, but he also grabbed a pair of scissors from the sewing basket at the edge of the pit. Chen Jianbin was empty-handed; if that kid acted foolishly and started swinging the scissors around, it would escalate the situation. Wang Xiaobai couldn't think too much and raised the shovel, intending to give that kid a shove to push him away from Chen Jianbin, hoping to prevent any real bloodshed.

Imagination is beautiful, yet reality is cruel. Wang Xiaobai swung a shovel without much effort, startling the young man from Shuangshan, who quickly dodged aside. Wang Xiaobai also failed to control his strength, and with a loud smack, the shovel struck the shrine, causing it to collapse instantly. Wang Xiaobai was taken aback and couldn't help but stop, the shovel head scraping against the yellow cloth draped over the wooden table, which was forcefully torn away.

The moon shone particularly brightly, casting a pale light between heaven and earth, much like Wang Xiaobai's current mood. He felt as if his soul was about to be frightened away, yet he could not faint. He wanted to cry out for help, but his voice existed only in his imagination and could not be uttered. Even the tears he wished to shed could not flow. He was being lifted by a weasel, floating forward, while the night wind rustled the withered grass, producing a sound of "shasha...".

Led by Chen Jianbin, Liuhe Town has evidently suffered losses, retreating step by step, battered and bruised, yet still wielding sticks, bench legs, and chain locks, barely holding on. The arrival of Wang Xiaobai and his five companions effectively bolstered their ranks, especially Sun Jingkai, who has long harbored a crush on Li Xiaojing and was naturally eager to step forward, shouting, "Let's take them on!"

In Northeast China, there are the five immortal families: Hu, Huang, Bai, Liu, and Hui. Hu Xian is the fox, Huang Xian is the yellow weasel, Bai Xian is the hedgehog, Liu Xian is the snake, and Hui Xian is the mouse. In this region of Northeast China, they are regarded as the creatures that are most likely to cultivate into spirits and frequently interact with humans. People honor these spirits as "immortal families"

On the altar, there is a plate of steamed rice cake, a plate of seasonal bananas, a plate of unwrapped Huanghelou cigarettes, as well as an incense burner. The incense ash has long filled the burner, indicating that offerings are frequently made. The statue in the altar is the household deity of this family

Wang Xiaobai was sitting cross-legged on half of a broken bed board, while a large, unusually sized, shiny-furred weasel, about a dozen times bigger than normal, was lifting the bed board and moving forward upright like a person, continuously making rhythmic sounds of "hey yo, hey yo". Wang Xiaobai was completely unable to move, feeling utterly weak and limp.

He pulled out the chain lock and rushed forward with a clamor. Wang Xiaobai also waved a shovel and rushed over with a few other boys to help. The standoff between both sides seemed quite intense, with shovels, sticks, and chain locks involved. In reality, they were not truly fighting for their lives; it was just a lot of aimless posturing, shouting, and swinging. None of them were foolish; they all understood that injuring someone would lead to compensation, expulsion from school, and detention at the police station.

For a fifteen-year-old boy, living at school is like escaping from the clutches of his parents. Wang Xiaobai is no exception; he is excitedly calling his friends, completely unaware of how to contain his joy. However, trouble arose in less than a week. This afternoon, after finishing class, Wang Xiaobai remained in the classroom, engrossed in a fantasy novel. Suddenly, his old classmate from the same town, Sun Jingkai, burst in and exclaimed to Wang Xiaobai: "Xiaobai, a few guys from Shuangshan have been teasing Li Xiaojing, and Chen Jianbin got into a fight with them. They’ve arranged to brawl by the river. Are you going or not?"

However, this place does not have it. Upon entering the room, there is a heated platform that occupies more than half of the space. To the left of the platform, there is a small wooden table, which is thoroughly covered with a yellow cloth. On top of it is a shrine containing a statue of a deity. The statue, carved from pine wood and painted in vibrant colors, depicts a young woman wearing a yellow coat, appearing very youthful and lifelike. Beside it, there is a yellow talisman inscribed with the name of the deity, Huang Sangu.

After drinking until after 8 o'clock, Wang Xiaobai had to return to school. On the way, he found a corner to relieve himself. Just as he took out his private parts, he saw a weasel grinning at him, baring its teeth. That smile looked quite familiar, and Wang Xiaobai thought of this... Suddenly, the weasel turned around and aimed at him, poof...

One should not be reckless in youth; this saying is indeed a great pitfall. Recklessness comes at a cost and is the source of trouble. Wang Xiaobai has indeed gotten into trouble, and it seems to be quite significant. He was kidnapped by a group of weasels. That's right, he was kidnapped. Although he was not tied up with ropes, he was carried away by a group of weasels in the wilderness.

Wang Xiaobai no longer read books, suddenly jumped up, looked around, found a broken iron shovel at the door, and followed Sun Jingkai out of the school gate. He jumped on his bicycle and, along with four other classmates from the same town, headed straight for the riverbank. After pedaling the broken bike for half an hour and switching several times, they finally arrived at the banks of the Nen River

Wang Xiaobai also followed them inside. After entering, Wang Xiaobai discovered that this house had a kang right at the entrance, which was somewhat unusual. Generally speaking, in the Northeast, when you enter a single-story house, there is usually a corridor. To the left of the corridor are the rooms, with doors and a kang, and if you continue straight ahead, you will reach the kitchen

Chen Jianbin and Wang Xiaobai reached the door, but they did not actually intend to pursue any further; they planned to wait at the entrance for that kid, thinking that since it was not his home, he would have to come out eventually. Unexpectedly, this kid turned out to be tough; he pulled out a slingshot from his pocket, loaded it with a stone, and shot it at Chen Jianbin, who had chased into the yard, hitting him squarely on the forehead. The pain made Jianbin furious, and he rushed inside.

Wang Xiaobai is fifteen years old, from Liuhe Town. His father is a minor section chief in the Forestry Bureau, and his mother runs a small convenience store. The family's financial situation is average; although they are not wealthy, they have not experienced significant hardships. This year, he has just started high school, and he is an ordinary boy. From kindergarten to graduating from junior high, there was nothing remarkable about him. However, getting into high school is different, as there is no high school in the town, so he must attend school in the county, which is far from the town, necessitating boarding.

One must be righteous and principled. Wang Xiaobai certainly has to go. The people of Liuhe Town are very united; when they came to school together, they agreed that no matter who it is, if someone is bullied, everyone will stand up. If he doesn't go, not only will he be looked down upon by everyone, but when he himself is bullied, who will help him? At this passionate age, why should they dare to tease the most beautiful and academically outstanding Li Xiaojing from our town?

The young lad loves to talk tough, and Chen Jianbin is no exception. He was truly provoked and, covering his eyes, he sprinted after a kid from Shuangshan Town dressed in black. It is likely that the punch to his eye was delivered by this kid. While chasing, he shouted: "Aren't you tough? Why are you running? Did I let you hit me for nothing? I'll kill you..."

The old man is a cripple and cannot catch up with the two young boys. As for whether they can catch that kid from Shuangshan, it is beyond their concern. The two ran for more than half an hour and only stopped when they felt the old cripple could no longer pursue them. Chen Jianbin was very excited, saying that Wang Xiaobai was truly generous and that he wanted to become sworn brothers with him and treat him to drinks. Thus, the two went to the county town and found a restaurant serving home-style dishes to drink heavily.

Wang Xiaobai was startled and quickly withdrew his hand, saying: "Old Chen, just drive them away, don't make a big deal out of it. If the school finds out, we will all be in trouble!"

The weapons were quite comprehensive, merely intended to intimidate; no one dared to actually strike at the head. It was nothing more than a few hits to the body, and they didn't even dare to exert too much force, primarily relying on punches and kicks. Therefore, as soon as Wang Xiaobai and his group appeared, the situation immediately turned in their favor. The group of young men from Shuangshan Town took a few hits, realized the situation was unfavorable, and fled, running away as fast as they could.

Who would have thought that beneath the shrine at the pit head lay a weasel? Wang Xiaobai was somewhat bewildered, and the weasel showed no fear of him, slightly curling its lips as if smiling at him. Wang Xiaobai felt a bit at a loss, unsure of what to do next. At that moment, someone outside shouted loudly: "Little Wang Ba, have you come to fight at my place? No one is allowed to run away..."

The riverside area is rather desolate, with the autumn grass turning yellow, making it an ideal place for a brawl. When Wang Xiaobai and five classmates arrived, the fight had already begun. There were six students from Liuhe Town involved in the altercation, while ten had come from Shuangshan Town, resulting in almost two against one. This was also the reason why Sun Jingkai returned midway to call for help

In Liuhe Town, there are quite a few families that worship the household deities, and the legends surrounding the Five Great Household Deities are countless. Wang Xiaobai has heard a bit about them since childhood. Although he did not take the shrine seriously upon seeing it, he still felt a sense of reverence, after all, they have their household deities. What does it mean to run into someone else's home and start a fight?