Chapter 108: Luring the Wolves Out
“Alright, since you only have three sleds, if we trade with you, then you won’t have any left. We won’t make things difficult for you,” said Yu Haojie flatly before turning around and walking away without hesitation.
“He… he… he…”
Yu Xiaoxuan was completely dumbfounded, unable to find the right words to describe what had just happened.
But as he thought back to the time when Yu Haojie had punched him hard in the chest, he suddenly realized where his cowardly second uncle had gained his confidence from.
Even Yu Zhengqing, who had always been composed, was taken aback by his younger brother’s sudden decisiveness. He couldn’t figure out what Yu Haojie was thinking.
Ignoring Yu Xiaoxuan’s stunned reaction, Yu Zhengqing turned to the village chief, who also looked rather embarrassed by the rejection. Yu Zhengqing cupped his hands and bowed politely.
“Village Chief, our supplies are managed collectively. I need to discuss with my group before making a decision. Apologies for the trouble.”
With that, Yu Zhengqing took his two sons and Yu Yongcai and left.
“Sigh! What’s the meaning of this? Are they just playing games with us?”
Watching them leave, the village chief scowled and muttered in annoyance, his breath forming a white mist in the freezing air. When they were far enough away, he turned to the man beside him.
“How many people did you count among them?”
“At least over a hundred.”
“Over a hundred? Ha! Did they commit some crime in the Central Plains and flee here as a whole family?”
Shi Tou nodded. “That must be the case. There were a lot of women and children in their group. Village Chief, do you think we can get a few of their women? We only have five women in the village, but there are over twenty single men!”
“I’d love to, but did you see that guy? He’s obviously skilled in martial arts. Who knows how many other fighters they have? If we could snatch some women for our brothers, it’d be like having a real home.”
The village chief’s eyes gleamed, but he soon frowned in deep thought.
“Unlike the women the government soldiers used to bring, this time we might have a chance. Since they plan to stay the night, we don’t have to rush things.”
Shi Tou agreed but then hesitated. “We can take our time, but their strength is not to be underestimated. If they managed to bring their elderly, women, and children safely through the Jiuzheng Mountain, they are not ordinary people. We shouldn’t act recklessly.”
Yu Zhengqing quickened his pace and caught up with Yu Haojie, blocking his path with a puzzled expression.
“Haojie, why did you refuse to trade with them?”
“That thing is useless. I know how to build proper sleds. Instead of wasting time running around in the snow, we should spend two or three days resting and making our own. That way, we’ll have enough for everyone, and we won’t have to rely on just our legs.”
For the first time, Yu Xiaoxuan wholeheartedly agreed with his “useless” second uncle. He nodded vigorously.
“I think Second Uncle is right. That piece of wood they call a sled? We can make something better ourselves. And they actually had the nerve to ask for our supplies and women in exchange? They must be crazy.”
Hearing Yu Xiaoxuan actually call him “Second Uncle” for the first time, Yu Haojie felt a bit unsettled.
“Hmm, this is a good idea, Haojie. We have plenty of men and tools. If we take the time to build sleds, it will make traveling much easier,” Yu Zhengqing agreed.
With the decision made, the women continued preparing food while the men chopped and carved wood. They worked tirelessly, ignoring the freezing temperatures that dipped below -20 degrees Celsius. Only when they were utterly exhausted did they finally rest.
Meanwhile, at the stone house, their every move was being closely watched.
“Village Chief, I’ve been observing them for hours. There are at least fifty strong men in their group, and there are probably more sleeping in the tents. But they have a lot of women. I was tempted to just snatch one for myself tonight!”
“Don’t be stupid! I’m over forty, and the only woman I’ve slept with is Zhang Tian’s wife, and that was only three times! Damn it, she won’t even let me touch her anymore!”
“Village Chief, my wife already let you have her. What more do you want?”
“I’m still not satisfied! Your wife will sleep with me again tonight. If she can’t get pregnant, what’s the use of keeping her?”
“Maybe it’s just too cold to conceive. Why not wait until summer?”
A group of men sitting around the fire burst into laughter.
“Village Chief, since we can’t take them head-on, why don’t we lure out the wolf pack? That way, we can grab a few women in the chaos.”
At this, the other men immediately cursed him.
“Are you insane? Do you know how dangerous those wolves are? Sometimes, a pack of over a hundred appears! Your scrawny body wouldn’t even be a snack for them! If an even bigger pack shows up, we’d all end up as their midnight meal!”
“Fine, fine! I just couldn’t think of a better idea.”
The man who had suggested it grumbled but ultimately gave up on the plan.
“Let’s wait and see. They’ve chopped a lot of wood, which means they plan to stay here a while. They won’t be leaving anytime soon.”
“Then why waste time talking? I’m going to bed. Tomorrow, we’ll try to get closer to them and see what else we can find out.”
With that, Zhang Tian got up, opened the wooden door of the stone house, and let in a gust of freezing wind. The fire almost went out, and the men around the fire immediately started cursing at him.
“Village Chief, I got a good look at their women. Some of them are way prettier than Zhang Tian’s wife or Da Hu’s wife. If we can get them to stay, our kids will turn out good-looking too!”
The twenty-odd single men huddled around the fire, started fantasizing. The more they thought about it, the more excited they became, completely unwilling to go to sleep.
When Liu Mingsha woke up at dawn, he saw Yu Haojie, who was supposed to be standing watch, carving wood with a plane.
“Yu Second Master, where did you get those tools?”
“I bought them before. Back when we were still under the government soldiers’ watch, they let us stock up on supplies. I had my daughter buy two sets, thinking they’d come in handy when we got to the wilderness.”
