Chapter 12. Sad Memories

Hearing Zhang Xiaofan speak so seriously as if he was scaring her for fun, Shu Wan'er couldn't help but ask curiously:

"I'm an atheist and don't believe in ghosts and gods in this world. But I've heard of the so-called Mountain God that people talk about. So, what exactly is it?"

As Shu Wan'er asked, she noticed that their hands were tightly clasped together. A hint of shyness and a touch of happiness appeared on her face.

Zhang Xiaofan let out a sigh. Since this woman would live in these mountains in the future, she needed to know some things to avoid accidentally breaking taboos, which would cause trouble. So, he patiently explained.

"The Mountain God has different names in different places. The local villagers around here call it the 'Evil Family'. Just from the name, you can tell how inauspicious it is.

Simply put, the Mountain God refers to some evil spirits that have become spirits in these deep mountains. They can capture people's souls. I can't really explain exactly what it is. You'll only know when you encounter it.

In China, not just here but in other mountainous areas as well, some hunters will prepare incense, candles, or some offerings before entering the mountains. They will pay their respects to the mountain before going in.

The old hunters in our village always do this when they go into the mountains."

Zhang Xiaofan's explanation was rather vague, and Shu Wan'er was a bit confused and still didn't quite understand.

"Then why didn't you pay your respects to the Mountain God when we entered the mountains? Is it because of this that we encountered the wild wolf?"

Shu Wan'er asked curiously. Zhang Xiaofan grinned and let out a cold snort:

"Hmph! Those mere demons and ghosts. If I were to pay my respects to them, could they even bear it?

If I really did pay my respects to the Mountain God and it ensured our safe journey, where would we get wolf meat to eat tonight?"

Seeing Zhang Xiaofan speak so arrogantly, exuding a unique charm like a sharp sword, which was extremely attractive, Shu Wan'er felt warm in her heart. She couldn't help but grip Zhang Xiaofan's hand tighter, feeling even safer that way.

"Hmph! You're just bragging. It was lucky today that we met a stupid wolf. If it were smarter, it would make you cry without any tears."

The two of them bantered with each other like this and returned down the mountain with a full harvest. On the way, Zhang Xiaofan realized that because they had been in such a hurry earlier, Shu Wan'er's pants on her thigh had been torn by the trees, revealing her white and tender thigh. It looked really nice. On the way, Zhang Xiaofan couldn't help but occasionally reach out and secretly touch it, and the two of them immediately started playing around. Shu Wan'er completely lost her air of an iceberg beauty and instead seemed like a lovely little girl.

As for the "Evil Family", it was really hard to explain. It generally existed in places with extremely cold and poor feng shui. Sometimes it was a giant snake that had become a spirit, or other animals that had transformed into spirits and monsters.

And some "Evil Families" were rather strange. For example, in the past, when bandits were being eliminated in the mountains or there were battles, a lot of people died, and the blood flowed like a river, forming a blood lake.

As long as the geographical conditions were right, such a blood lake could also give rise to an "Evil Family". An "Evil Family" filled with such overwhelming resentment was truly terrifying. It wasn't just an ordinary spirit or monster.

When Zhang Xiaofan was a child, he heard from the old people that outside Jiulong Village, on the mountain in Qingyang Town, there was such a place. It had killed countless people, but now a Taoist priest had suppressed it.

Li Xiu'e, who had grown up with Zhang Xiaofan, had just come back from the vegetable garden. When she saw Zhang Xiaofan holding Shu Wan'er's hand, although they seemed like an older sister and a younger brother, their expressions were very affectionate. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of discomfort in her heart.

However, when she thought that she was now someone else's wife and that she had regarded Zhang Xiaofan as a younger brother when they were children, and now he had to call her sister-in-law, things were no longer the same as when they were young.

Thinking of this, seeing Zhang Xiaofan holding Shu Wan'er's hand, she was genuinely happy for this younger brother. He had found such a beautiful and elegant woman, and she heard that the woman came from a wealthy family.

"Sister-in-law Xiu'e, we had a good harvest today. Go and boil some water. We'll have wolf meat tonight."

Zhang Xiaofan held Shu Wan'er's hand with one hand and still didn't let go even when they were already home. With a huge wild wolf on his other shoulder, he said with a smile, looking very happy.

When Li Xiu'e heard Zhang Xiaofan call her sister-in-law instead of sister, her heart still ached a little. Then she nodded and smiled:

"Okay! Xiaofan, how dare you fight a wild wolf? Didn't you get hurt?"

Seeing that their clothes were a bit messy, Li Xiu'e couldn't help but ask worriedly.

"No!" As he said that, the two of them held hands and walked into his house. The wild wolf fell off his shoulder and was thrown beside the ancient well.

When they got home, both of them changed into a set of clothes. Shu Wan'er's face was always a bit red with shyness, and sometimes she even avoided Zhang Xiaofan's gaze, feeling rather shy.

Even her way of addressing him changed: "Little brother Xiaofan, wolves are protected animals. We killed it in self-defense, but carrying it home and cooking it to eat doesn't seem right, does it? This is against the law."

"Hmph! Against the law? Then don't eat it. Later, you can go and help my sister-in-law Xiu'e boil water. I'll go and call some people from the village."

Zhang Xiaofan sneered and then gave instructions before walking out of the house.

Zhang Xiaofan thought that wild wolves were rare, and they tasted really good. The old people in the village were all feeling sad. He wanted to call them together to have a meal and forget about their unhappiness.

As for whether it was against the law regarding protected animals or not, there was no such concern here.

Jiulong Village was surrounded by mountains on all sides. There wasn't much farmland in the mountains. If hunting wasn't allowed, people would surely starve to death.

Moreover, there were a lot of wild beasts in the Jiulong Mountains. Sometimes they would even attack people on their own initiative. Every year, more than a dozen people near the mountains died in the mouths of wild beasts.

As for the people in the mountains who hunted and sold the game, the local police turned a blind eye. They understood and sympathized with the hardships of their lives.

Of course, for first-class protected animals like tigers and pandas, hunting was strictly prohibited. Once discovered, people would still be sentenced, and the villagers knew this.

This could be considered a kind of privilege for the people in the Jiulong Mountains. If outsiders wanted to come and hunt in large quantities, it wasn't allowed.

In the Jiulong Mountains, there wasn't just Jiulong Village. In fact, there were several other mountain villages hidden in the valleys, and their lives were all very difficult and miserable.

Most of the people in the village were old. Zhang Xiaofan found Wang Ergou and asked him to notify every household. Then he went back home to prepare the wolf meat. The two women surely wouldn't be able to handle it all on their own.

Some of the old people came, while some didn't want to. There was no coercion. Those who came all helped, chopping firewood and starting the fire.

Some people also brought some glutinous rice wine. Everyone had a great time during this meal. After drinking some wine, Zhang Xiaofan said some big words, saying that he would change the village, it was just a matter of time.

Shu Wan'er was happy and also got drunk. Her body swayed like a fairy's, and her face was flushed. She was incredibly beautiful, just like a concubine who had drunk too much wine.

She also vowed that she wouldn't abandon the villagers here and was willing to do her best throughout her life to make the villagers' lives better.

Some of the elderly people in the village were so moved that they shed tears. As they talked, they mentioned their sons again, and one after another, they cried bitterly, heartbroken.

The meal started in the afternoon and didn't end until one or two o'clock in the morning. Everyone then left one after another. Shu Wan'er was completely drunk and had completely let down her guard. She lay in the room and lost consciousness.

Only Li Xiu'e, like a virtuous wife and good mother, patiently cleaned up the tables in the courtyard and washed the dishes by the ancient well.