Section 2

Ten thousand vigorous bodies are about to turn into lifeless corpses and withered bones, yet Huangshi can do nothing. He imagines these Sichuan soldiers bidding farewell to their parents and wives back home, coming all the way to Liaodong amidst the worries and longing of their loved ones, and then watches them pass by in neat formation, heading towards their destined future

Behind the scenes, Zhang Zaidi always thought about taking less. He had expressed to Huang Shi on more than one occasion that it was completely unreasonable for him to share the harvest equally with Huang Shi

"All methods are creations of nature; whoever uses them owns them." Huang Shi said with a playful smile, feeling somewhat embarrassed after recognizing Sha Ban Jin.

Huang Shi kept the name in his heart: "Oh, so it's Brother Zhao. Brother, you have great skills. My name is Huang Shi, you can just call me Stone. This is Brother Zhang, his name is Zai Di."

Shan Banjin looked at Huang Shi's face with suspicion for a few moments. Just as he reached out his hand, he heard Zhang Zaidi snort menacingly, and quickly withdrew his hand. Huang Shi turned around and glared at Zhang Zaidi, stuffing the firewood into Shan Banjin's arms.

Today, Zhang Zai Di made several trips again, and this time he has not returned for a long while. Just as Huang Shi was planning to put down his axe and go over to take a look, he heard a commotion of arguing coming from that direction

Very well, young man. During these few minutes while Sha Ban Jin licked his wounds, Huang Shi divided half a bundle of firewood and handed it to Sha Ban Jin: "From now on, you can come here every day to take some, as a form of compensation from me, how does that sound?"

"Call it foolishness, half a pound." The hunter shouldered the firewood and walked away without looking back

Zhao Manxiong repeated the name twice and nodded: "Hmm, Brother Shitou, Little Brother Zhang, I have remembered it."

The hunter pondered for a moment: "The picture book is acceptable."

In the snow, four birds stand upright, each with their tails pointing to the sky, their legs straightened, their long, slender necks thrusting straight down into the ground, with their heads buried in the snow

At this moment, Sha Ban Jin is clearly aware of who is more difficult to converse with, so he keeps his eyes warily fixed on Zhang Zai Di while speaking

The obtained prey was divided into three portions, and everyone was satisfied and happy. Zhao Manxiong suggested that they start digging a large pit after a while, and of course, it should be deeper so that it can trap the big ones. Huangshi also admired such enthusiasm and ambition for digging the pit.

Hurrying to the past Yellowstone, I saw Zhang Zaidì arguing with someone, their faces flushed with anger. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the other party was none other than that foolish Ban Jin.

After speaking, he threw two over, then bent down to examine the two bundles of firewood at Huangshi's feet. He pressed down hard on one bundle and tore off a few remaining leaves, indicating that it had already been selected.

After February, the harvest gradually diminished. It is estimated that the food in the wild around Huangshi has gradually increased, and a small amount of millet can no longer entice the prey.

After Huang Shi arrived, Zhang Zai Di fell silent. He stealthily circled behind Sha Ban Jin. Upon hearing Huang Shi utter such shameless words, Zhang Zai Di suddenly struck Sha Ban Jin on the back of the head with a punch

After the young men had walked away, Huang Shi crouched down to inspect the several pits where he had failed to catch birds. Each pit contained a few grains of rice. He used the dead bird in his hand to probe the depth of the holes, "Just right." He weighed the two birds separately, and their weights were also similar. He murmured to himself, "Indeed, they are both half a jin."

Zhang Zai Di was not very satisfied with Zhao Man Xiong. He felt that although Zhao Man Xiong had come up with many ideas, the bulk of the labor was primarily borne by Huang Shi. Therefore, every time they divided the gains, he would always make a few sarcastic remarks.

At this moment, Huangshi has closed his eyes and is immersed in illusions, his arms unknowingly raised, as if he were one of those brave soldiers, engaged in a life-and-death struggle against an imaginary enemy... Suddenly, he feels a slash on his back...

Starting from the next day, when Huang Shi went to the forest to chop wood, he brought along Zhang Zai Di. From then on, the evening meals at Old Zhang's house included roasted bird meat, and his savings increased at a faster rate. Half a month later, he even bought Zhang Zai Di a new pair of shoes. This young man now had the privilege of dining before his mother and sister-in-law.

Huang Shi patted the shoulder of the foolish Ban Jin, bringing his gaze back: "Of course, we are somewhat acquainted. How should I address this young man?"

The one who patted on the shoulder was Lao Zhang's second son, Zhang Youdi. He looked in surprise at Huang Shi, who was drenched in sweat from shock, and took a step back in confusion: "Shitou, what happened to you?"

As the weather has warmed up, the foolish birds that fall into the traps have naturally decreased! It is only when the food supply is low that the foolish birds are more likely to fall into the pits. After Huangshi made the guarantee, Zhao Manxiong immediately put on an expression that suggested you wouldn't understand, as his experience was evidently quite rich: "When digging pits, one cannot focus solely on one type of prey; it is essential to constantly change strategies and alter the bait in order to catch more and trap effectively"

Halfwit, feeling wronged, hugged the firewood: "Alright, it's settled then; you must not go back on your word"

The young hunter ran over in a huff, but when he clearly saw Huang Shi's height of 1.85 meters, his expression immediately turned somewhat uneasy

Once this shivering begins, it cannot be stopped. His mind is still imprinted with the faces of those who just passed by. Tonight, these people will likely meet with their wives and children in their dreams. In one month, these soldiers, who are still alive now, will be heavily surrounded by the cavalry of the Later Jin, several times their number. Huang Shi knows they will huddle closely together, standing shoulder to shoulder with their spears to resist the numerous cavalry, until Nurhaci brings in artillery to turn them into minced meat. In one month, these soldiers, who are still alive now, will be heavily surrounded by the cavalry of the Later Jin, several times their number. Huang Shi knows they will huddle closely together, standing shoulder to shoulder with their spears to resist the numerous cavalry, until Nurhaci brings in artillery to turn them into minced meat

The sudden change left Huang Shi stunned. In the blink of an eye, Sha Ban Jin was being knocked around by Zhang Zai Di, rolling all over the ground. It was only then that Huang Shi suddenly realized: "Stop, little brother, quickly stop."

What kind of bird is this? Huang Shi weighed the bird in his hand, which was approximately one pound.

Zhang Zaidì thus became very irritable; he could never be patient and would frequently run to check on several of the holes he had dug. However, the more often he checked the holes he had dug, the less he harvested. Huang Shi mentioned it twice, but it had no effect, and in the end, he became too lazy to care.

The loud shout immediately caused Huang Shi to turn around; the voice belonged to a breathless young man. He appeared to be around twenty years old, with only a few strands of facial hair, and was wearing a grayish deer skin hat. His attire suggested that he was the son of a hunter.

The heart in his chest was almost about to leap out of his throat, and being jolted awake from the illusion left Huang Shi nearly breathless. After opening his mouth and struggling for a while, he finally managed to squeeze out a voice: "I'm fine. Is there something you need, Brother Zhang?"

The resounding drumbeats echo as they move further away, and the crowd by the roadside gradually disperses, leaving only Huangshi staring blankly at the swirling dust.

After seeing Huang Shi's face clearly, Sha Ban Jin became even more furious, his face turning red and his neck thickening. He angrily pointed at the prey in Zhang Zai Di's hands and the several pits on the ground, saying: "This is my method of coming out; you secretly learned to dig pits from me."

He - the figure - was pondering how to refute when the foolish half a jin let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. Zhang Zai Di picked up a branch and struck down indiscriminately, simultaneously cursing: "Let you think of ideas, let you dig pits! I'll kill you, the king of pits!"

At the end of February, General Chen Ce led the renowned Sichuan White Pole Army to reinforce the front lines in Shenyang. As they passed through Liuhe, among the onlookers were the military and civilians, including Huangshi. Observing the expressions of pride and honor on the faces of the soldiers marching by, he felt a deep sense of sorrow and compassion, fully aware that these young soldiers he saw were embarking on a path of no return

Since they had become acquainted, Huang Shi pulled Zhao Manxiong into conversation, sharing some provisions with him while casually inquiring why the more they dug, the more pits appeared, yet the captured prey seemed to be diminishing.

Indeed, it was a well-thought-out plan. After silently admiring Zhao Manxiong's skill in setting traps, Huang Shi smiled and said: "Thank you for your guidance. How about this: from now on, the firewood we chop together will be divided into three portions, and you shall take one portion."

Old Zhang's family hasn't eaten meat for a long time, and seeing this little bird made him drool. "Brother, can I trade some firewood for two birds?"

My name is Zhao Manxiong! The foolish Ban Jin proudly announced his family name, and did not forget to add: "Zhao from Changshan Zhao Zilong, Man from Kuai Man, Bear from Gou Xiong."

Zhao Manxiong did not answer the question immediately; instead, he nervously turned his eyes around, deep in thought. Seeing that this was not the right approach, Huang Shi added, "I may not have much, but I do have a strong arm. When the time comes, Brother Zhao can plan, and I will do the digging. How about we split the catch evenly?"

In the days to come, the small team in Huangshi became three people. Although Zhao Manxiong was not very strong, he was resourceful, setting traps for birds in small pits and catching rabbits in larger ones. Together with *Tu* and *Shu*, they occasionally devised methods for fishing. He also designed several tools for digging pits, each of which proved to be quite effective.

"Alright, it's settled then." Zhao Manxiong immediately expressed his agreement, while astutely glancing at Zhang Zaidi. The child, having heard Huang Shih's words already spoken, could only helplessly refrain from voicing any opposition.

After observing Huangshi, he noticed that a young hunter was still glancing at him, so he smiled at him amicably and gestured for him to come over. The young man then circled around Huangshi and walked towards the few small "ostriches," squatting down to pull them out one by one and effortlessly twisting their necks.

The young man murmured "yes," his gaze towards Huang Shi shifting continuously. Huang Shi carefully observed the birds on the ground; their necks were stretched into a pit in the earth, and he also noticed several small round holes nearby, which were not very conspicuous and had gone unnoticed until now

The eyes of the time traveler pierced through the mists of history, and he felt as if he were standing on a cloud, watching the vanguard of the six thousand regular troops of the Later Jin cross Fengji Fort, racing towards Shenyang. He seemed to hear the anguished roar of General You Shigong when the city gate of Shenyang was opened by a traitor. At the moment he imagined the sharp blade slicing through the throat, Huang Shi's body trembled slightly

The foolish Ban Jin, helped up by Huang Shi, had a face flushed with embarrassment, waving his hands for a long time without uttering a word. He then stomped his feet fiercely a few times, casting a resentful glance at Huang Shi, yet still did not say a single word. Zhang Zai Di watched him coldly, lightly tapping a branch against his left hand. Finally, Ban Jin, feeling defeated, sat down on the ground, rubbing his sore spot.

They have all gone far away, what are you still looking at? Hurry back, dinner should be ready at home

Huang Shi smiled kindly and asked, "Is this your bird?"