Chapter Ninety-Two: Don’t Screw Me Over

After hearing Xiao Ding urge Tang Yunzhi to spare Sun Dasheng, Sun Dasheng began shouting at the top of his lungs. "I say, Brother Xiao Ding, why do you always come up with such rotten ideas? Wait until my wound has healed before shooting me again? You might as well just shoot me dead now and be done with it."

Then he turned and shouted to Tang Yunzhi, "Miss Tang, I was the one in the wrong from the start. I sincerely apologize to you! If you still have anger in your heart, then shoot me a few more times. Even if you shoot me, Sun Dasheng, to death, I will have no complaints at all!"

"Since you know your mistake, I will spare your life today. I will listen to Brother Xiao Ding this once. When the day comes that your leg has healed, I will come and shoot you again."

When Xiao Ding heard her, he inwardly groaned. He thought, Little girl, don't you go dragging me into this. If you really wait until he is healed and then shoot him again, I will never be able to wash my hands of it.

The two bandits helped lay Sun Dasheng flat on the ground, tended his wound, stopped the bleeding, applied wound medicine, and wrapped it up.

Those who wandered the martial world generally carried some wound medicine and antidotes on them in case of danger. But most of these medicines were only ordinary remedies, with limited effect.

While everyone was still in a flurry, busily tending to Sun Dasheng's knife wound, a sudden cry of alarm came from the thatched hut where Xiao Ding was staying.

Xiao Ding hurried over.

When he reached the entrance, he saw Erniu crouched in terror in a corner of the hut, trembling all over. In front of her lay the bundle Xiao Ding had given her. It had already been opened, revealing a small pile of yellow flowers, a block of meteoric iron, a pouch of luminous pearls, four gold ingots, and a little green snake that was still wriggling about...

Xiao Ding smiled faintly and quickly pulled Erniu toward him. "Don't be afraid, Erniu. That snake isn't poisonous. Didn't you see its head has already been wrapped by me? It can't bite you."

At that moment, Xiao'e and Xiao Zhu also came to the hut entrance.

"Brother, what's wrong with Sister-in-law?" Xiao'e asked with concern. She usually spent the most time with Erniu, and since they were about the same age, they had the best relationship.

Xiao Ding pointed at the little green snake. "She was frightened by that little snake. It's nothing. That snake isn't venomous."

Following Xiao Ding's指 pointing, Xiao'e saw the little snake. She reached out and snatched it up at once, then said to Erniu, "Sister-in-law, why are you afraid of such a tiny snake? It's not poisonous, and its head is wrapped up too. What is there to fear?"

"I just didn't expect there would be a snake in the bundle. I was startled all of a sudden..." Erniu said.

Xiao Ding brushed Erniu's hair and said, "All right, it's fine now. Put this bundle away properly, then go with Xiao Ya and prepare lunch. We have guests at home today. I'll go up to the little hill in a while and catch a few rabbits and pheasants."

"Brother, do you have any use for this little snake? If not, may I have it?" Xiao'e asked, holding up the green snake.

"I was the one who got bitten by this little snake. I caught it and casually put it in the bundle. Later I forgot about it, and that's how it scared your sister-in-law. What do you want it for?" Xiao Ding asked.

"I want to keep it and play with it. Later I can use it to catch mice..." Xiao'e said with a bright smile. She took the green snake and, with Xiao Zhu beside her, turned and walked off.

Xiao Ding returned to the courtyard. By then, everyone had already been introduced to one another by the Mei sisters, Mei Ruoshuang and Mei Ruoxue. Zhao Laixi and Xiao Ya were busy welcoming the guests, carrying out the stools, adobe blocks, planks, and anything else that could serve as seats so that everyone could sit down and rest. Xiao Ya also brought water for everyone.

The thatched house was far too small to hold so many people. These were all people of the martial world, and over these past days in Falling Sunset Mountain, they had all been sleeping in the wind and eating wherever they could. So once they came to Xiao Ding's home, they were not particular about such things; whatever conditions there were, they made use of them.

Mu Hong and Sun Dasheng were arranged to lie down and rest beside the haystack. Mu Yiyi, Yue Yurou, the Mei sisters, and Luo Dafeng all squeezed into the thatched hut where Tang Yunzhi was staying. The women chattered away, and before long they had all become familiar with one another.

Ou Muyun followed Tian Xiaofu around, happily teasing the little wolf, Gray Gray.

Ou Mulin was a little afraid of Gray Gray, so she did not run about with Xiaofu. She was still very young and, being a girl, could not really join the adults' conversations. Feeling bored by herself, she happened to see Lady Li come by with tea for everyone. Spotting her, Lady Li called her over and chatted with her for a while.

What remained in the courtyard were Fan Sanpang and the six bandits, while Zhao Laixi and Tian Dabao kept them company with casual talk.

Seeing that, in his absence, everyone had found someone to speak with, Xiao Ding finally felt at ease. He thought to himself: As long as you people of the martial world don't start fighting, that's all that matters.

He told Zhao Laixi to take good care of the guests, then called Xiaofu and Ou Muyun along and took little wolf Gray Gray up toward the little hill to hunt rabbits and pheasants.

In fact, the household had rice, flour, vegetables, and meat enough for everyone; these had been prepared for the laborers building the new house. Only wine was lacking. No one in the Tian family drank, and when they provided lunch for the workers, they did not provide wine either.

Xiao Ding led Xiaofu and Ou Muyun into the hills and shot five rabbits and three pheasants.

Little wolf Gray Gray ran excitedly back and forth. Each time Xiao Ding struck a rabbit or pheasant with a stone, Gray Gray would dash over, seize it in its mouth, and trot back with a proud, skipping gait.

Alas, its body was still a little too small. The rabbits after autumn were rather fat, heavier than its own weight, and it staggered along while carrying them, looking adorable in a dazed, foolish sort of way.

At such times, Xiaofu and Ou Muyun would run over. Ou Muyun did not dare approach Gray Gray too closely, but Xiaofu was already quite familiar with it. He took the rabbits from Gray Gray's mouth and handed them to Ou Muyun to carry.

For lunch, Erniu and the others stewed a pot of rabbit meat, simmered a pot of chicken soup, and stir-fried several side dishes with pork and greens.

Though lavish, it still lacked some spirit because there was no wine.

Even so, everyone ate with great enjoyment.

These past days they had been in the mountains, hungry one meal and full the next. When had they ever eaten such a proper meal?

The more people there were at a table, the more fragrant the food seemed. Especially when a whole crowd that looked as though they had all been reborn from starving ghosts gathered together, the more they ate, the more they wanted to eat.

After lunch, Xiao Ding had Zhao Laixi drive the donkey cart to town for supplies. In addition to buying meat, vegetables, and the like, he specially reminded him to bring back some good wine and fine tea. The tea they were drinking today had been borrowed by Lady Li from the village head's house.

He also told him not to forget to buy more quilts and bedding. These people might have to stay here for several days, and the quilts at home would not be enough.

After Zhao Laixi left, Xiao Ding called Fan Sanpang and the six bandits over and found a few axes and butcher knives in the house to hand out to them.

When the bandits saw the axes and knives, the more they looked, the more familiar they seemed.

Indeed, these were the axes and knives Xiao Ding had previously looted from them.

At first, the six bandits had still been somewhat afraid of Xiao Ding. He had robbed the Flying Cloud Stronghold bandits twice, and both times they had been among the victims.

Only later did they finally understand that Xiao Ding was taking them to the forest to the west to cut down trees. The timber would be used to build thatched huts for them to sleep in at night.

With many hands, the work went quickly. Xiao Ding led the group, and before the afternoon was over, they had raised two thatched huts.

One was built adjoining the hut where Tang Yunzhi was staying and was meant for the women.

The other was built outside the fence on the west side of the courtyard. The reason was simple: Xiao Ding's courtyard was fine enough for his own family, but once too many people were packed into it, it felt cramped. There was also a haystack in the yard, so there was no room left to put up another thatched hut inside.

In any case, the new house would be ready to live in after only a few more days, so Xiao Ding and the others tore down the fence on the west side of the courtyard and built another thatched hut outside it for the men.

When the work was done, Fan Sanpang looked at the construction site being raised to the west, and at the little hill behind the open ground, and silently began to make plans in his heart.