HPDBC Chapter 1873 The Clever and Sensible Little Black Bear
Chapter 1873 The Clever and Sensible Little Black Bear
Chapter 1873 The Clever and Sensible Little Black Bear
Although it was early June, the sun was quite strong around noon, and the temperature was not low.
In the donkey shed of the Zhao family compound, a little donkey lay lazily on a haystack, swishing its tail idly to shoo away the flies buzzing around its rump.
Although Li Ruhai didn't do much of the middleman business after joining the Zhao family gang, his business skills and connections didn't suffer.
Li Ruhai sold the mule after only two days back.
Mules are a hybrid breed, and their endurance, disease resistance, and pulling power all surpass those of cattle and horses. They are highly efficient at working and have low maintenance costs. It can be said that, except for their inability to reproduce, they are superior to cattle and horses in every way.
In addition, scarcity increases value, and the mule they found along the way sold for 1,300 yuan.
Li Ruhai found a buyer and went up the mountain with Zhao Jun. The buyer came yesterday to take the mule away.
With the mule gone, the little donkey was free and could eat its fill.
Suddenly, the little donkey sprang to its feet and stared wide-eyed at the children standing outside the shed.
Zhao Hong, Zhao Na, Li Xiaoqiao, Xiao Lingdang, Wang Qiang, Wang Xue, and Lin Xiaobao, the seven children all stared at the little donkey, making the little donkey feel uneasy.
"No!" Not knowing what Zhao Hong was planning to do, Xiao Lingdang advised her, "Donkeys are so stubborn, they'll kick up again."
“Then let’s ride the dog!” Zhao Hong said, and walked towards the backyard. As she turned around, she saw a “sword” on her back.
The sword was about half a meter long and crudely made; it was just a section of ash wood with a hemp rope wrapped around one end to form the hilt.
The novel "The Book and the Sword," which had previously been circulated among Li Tongyun, Li Dayong, Li Baoyu, Li Ruhai, and Zhang Yuanmin, has recently come into the hands of Li Xiaoqiao.
Although the little girl couldn't recognize all the characters, she still managed to read the book, albeit in a haphazard way. After finishing it, Li Xiaoqiao picked out classic passages from the story and told them to Zhao Hong and Zhao Na, and thus the Zhao family compound gained several little kung fu enthusiasts.
As chivalrous heroes, they certainly need a fine sword. Now that they have the "fine sword," they need to find a "good steed."
They couldn't ride such a big donkey, so Zhao Hong turned her attention to the Zhao family's backyard.
Although Black Tiger and Erhei are not here, the Zhao family still has a big dog weighing over 120 pounds—White Dragon!
"Hong!" Little Bell ran a few steps, caught up with Zhao Hong, and grabbed her arm, saying, "No, you can't ride a dog. It's going to rain on your wedding day."
"It's raining on my wedding day? That won't do!" Zhao Hong shook her head repeatedly after hearing Xiao Lingdang's words, her little face full of seriousness.
"Hehe!" Just then, Li Tongyun's voice came from the north window of the Zhao family's main house: "Xiao Hong, how old are you? You're already thinking about whether it will rain or not when you get married?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong looked towards the window. The window was covered with two layers of gauze, making it impossible for Zhao Hong to see Li Tongyun's face clearly, but Zhao Hong still said very seriously, "Sister Xiaoyun, I want to be a virtuous mother and good wife, just like my brother said."
"Hahaha..." Li Tongyun's laughter came from the window, leaving Zhao Hong completely confused.
Zhao Hong, who aspires to be a virtuous mother and wife, did not want it to rain on her wedding day, so she gave up the idea of riding a dog.
We only have a few animals at home. We can't ride the donkey or the dog, so the only option is the little black bear.
Then, the children rushed into the house and hurriedly dragged the little black bear lying in front of the dish rack out.
"Hei Zi, lie down!" Zhao Hong gave the command to the little black bear as soon as they entered the yard.
Black bears are more intelligent than dogs; they can understand simple, common words.
This little black bear has lived with people since it was a cub, and it has learned to walk upright like humans.
But the little black bear dared not disobey Zhao Hong. It put its two front paws on the ground, then bent its limbs and lay on its belly, just like that.
"Good little black bear!" Zhao Hong patted the little black bear's ears, then climbed onto the bear.
"Giddy up!" Zhao Hong, riding on the little black bear, slapped the bear's bottom.
The little black bear, who had just been slapped, looked completely bewildered; it didn't understand the word.
"Giddy up!" Zhao Hong squeezed her legs together, leaned forward, and slapped the little black bear's butt again.
The little black bear tilted its head blankly, seemingly unable to understand.
"Get up! Go!" Zhao Hong angrily changed the command. The little black bear understood the command. It pushed itself up with its front legs, stood upright, and raised its paws to its chest.
"Ah!" Zhao Hong fell flat on her back to the ground. Luckily, her head didn't hit the red brick floor, otherwise she would definitely have a big bump on the back of her head.
Even so, Zhao Hong, who landed on her back and buttocks, was badly hurt, and with the ash sword pressing against her, she was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Hong!" Li Xiaoqiao and Xiaolingdang saw this and quickly went over to help Zhao Hong.
Before she could even get up, Zhao Hong pointed at the little black bear and shouted, "Beat it!"
Lin Xiaobao was the youngest, but the fastest. He rushed over and slapped the little black bear twice.
The little black bear has thick skin and doesn't even bother to scratch when it gets slapped twice.
At this moment, Zhao Hong, who had been helped up by Li Xiaoqiao and Xiaolingdang, grinned and took off the ash sword, shouting, "Hei Zi, take this!"
The little black bear didn't understand the word either, but when it saw Zhao Hong swinging her stick at it, it turned and ran away.
When the little black bear runs, it also runs on two legs, with its two front paws raised in front of its chest. Its chubby body sways back and forth, looking very cute.
And so, the little black bear ran ahead, while Zhao Hong led a group of children in pursuit.
Following behind the children was Little Black Fatty, who ran and barked excitedly, wagging its tail.
The baby lynx was sunbathing on the low wall of the vegetable garden when the little black bear and its cubs walked past it, as if the baby lynx didn't even see them.
The chubby little black bear was eventually captured by the children.
But Zhao Hong didn't hit it with a stick; she just tugged at the little black bear's ear and gave it a few words of discipline.
The little black bear probably didn't understand and didn't know what it had done wrong, but it was very loyal and silently endured Zhao Hong's accusations.
Then, the little black bear joined the group of children in playing Eagle Catches Chickens.
Zhao Hong played the eagle, the little black bear played the mother hen, and a group of children hung behind the little black bear.
This game is quite exciting for the children; whenever Zhao Hong pounces on the "chicks," the children scream.
Wang Meilan, who came out of the house, tied her headscarf as she laughed and said, "This troublemaker, he's never quiet for a day."
Jin Xiaomei, who had followed them out, smiled and then called out to the children, "Alright, stop fooling around, go to school! What time is it? Aren't you going to school yet?"
“Hurry up, Mom!” Li Xiaoqiao replied, holding onto the little black bear’s waist on both sides. “We’ll be there by the time we leave at forty-five.”
"What's the rush?" Jin Xiaomei shouted, "Hurry up and pack your things, let's go!"
After saying this, Jin Xiaomei added, "At forty-five, he walks in a hurry, and when he runs, he's panting heavily!"
"Okay, Mom!" Hearing Jin Xiaomei's words, Li Xiaoqiao readily agreed, "We'll go right now."
"Hey?" At this moment, Yang Yufeng quickened her pace and called to the children, "Put down those sticks you're carrying!"
“Sister Zhang, this is our precious sword,” Zhao Hong said, only to hear Wang Meilan say, “What precious sword, what eight swords? Throw them all home, no one is allowed to take them!”
She knows her own child best. Her daughter, Zhao Hong, is usually unruly at school; what if she brings a stick to school and hits her classmates?
"I..." Zhao Hong wanted to say something, but Li Xiaoqiao tugged at her.
“Hong, give me a break,” Li Xiaoqiao whispered. “If you keep arguing, your mother will beat you up.”
Hearing Li Xiaoqiao's words, Zhao Hong grumbled as she took off the ash wood sword.
Zhao Hong was the leader of the group of children. Seeing that she had compromised, the other children also unsheathed their swords.
Two minutes later, as the gate of the Zhao family compound opened, seven children ran out of the courtyard, followed by Wang Meilan and the others.
The old lady at the back closed the door, afraid that the little black bear would come out.
Actually, the compound's walls couldn't stop the little black bear that could climb trees, but the Zhao family had always strictly forbidden it from leaving the compound. The little black bear was quite obedient; knowing its owners wouldn't let it out, it wouldn't go out.
Just as Wang Meilan and the others left, a whistle came from inside the Zhao family's house.
Upon hearing the whistle, all the hunting dogs lying in the backyard raised their heads and looked towards the front yard.
Meanwhile, the little black bear, the little fat black bear, and the little lynx in the yard all rushed into the house.
Since raising the lynx and black bear cubs, Zhao Jun has been consciously training them to be obedient.
Zhao Jun believes the most important thing is that no matter what the situation, whether at home or away, the lynx and black bear cubs can be called back.
In this regard, Zhao Jun chose to use food as bait. Before each feeding or giving out snacks, he would whistle a long, drawn-out whistle. Gradually, the little black bear, the little lynx, and even the little fat black bear got used to it. As soon as the Zhao family whistled, they would run towards them.
After seeing the little black bears enter the house, Zhao Youcai closed the door and then led the three of them into the west hut.
There were three slices of red sausage prepared in advance on the kang table. Zhao Youcai gave him three slices and one slice for each animal. Then Zhao Youcai went out of the room, closed the door, and went to the outer room to call out to Zhao Weipeng, "Come on, brother."
"Let's go!" Zhao Weipeng responded and then stood up.
"Huh?" Zhao Weipeng, after getting up, turned around and looked at Old Master Zhao, who had also stood up from the bench, in surprise, and asked, "Dad, what are you doing?"
"I'll go too," said Grandpa Zhao. "I'll go for a stroll with you two."
Just now, Zhao Youcai and Zhao Weipeng discussed that they wanted to go for a stroll in Dongdagou.
Remembering the important task entrusted to him by Wang Meilan, Grandpa Zhao decided to go with Zhao Youcai and Zhao Weipeng.
"Dad, why don't you not go?" Zhao Weipeng advised his father. "It's so hot, why are you going? Why don't you stay in the room and take a nap?"
"You two know it's hot, yet you still go out?" Old Master Zhao retorted, then added, "It's cooler by the river, I'll take a stroll there too."
Hearing what Grandpa Zhao said, Zhao Weipeng didn't say anything more. The three of them left the house and headed east.
It was indeed cool by the water, with a gentle breeze that felt very comfortable.
Zhao Youcai sat on the bank, hugging his left knee with both hands, a blade of grass between his teeth, staring blankly at the water ruffled by the breeze, lost in thought.
Zhao Youcai sat with Zhao Weipeng on his left and Old Master Zhao on his right, both of them yawning repeatedly.
On a summer afternoon, after a good meal, it's no wonder people feel sleepy when a gentle breeze blows.
At this moment, the Zhao father and son leaned back, lay down in the grass, and could fall asleep as soon as they closed their eyes.
"You're so rich!" Old Master Zhao wiped away the tears that came out of his yawns and said to Zhao Youcai, "Why don't we go back?"
Zhao Youcai stared blankly at the water without saying a word, while Zhao Weipeng leaned back slightly, then stroked the back of Zhao Youcai's head and said to Old Master Zhao, "Dad, look at you. I told you not to come, but you insisted on coming, and now you're making arrangements to go back."
After Zhao Weipeng finished speaking, he saw his father roll his eyes at him and then smack his lips repeatedly.
"Huh?" Zhao Weipeng was taken aback, not knowing why he was being scolded.
Seeing his chubby son's blank stare, Old Master Zhao rolled his eyes at him again, then sighed softly.
Grandpa Zhao misses Xing San. Before, the two of them could take turns looking after Zhao Youcai. Now he's all alone, and it's exhausting watching over Zhao Youcai.
To perk himself up, Old Master Zhao took out the cigarettes his son had bought for him from his pocket.
Holding the cigarette pack, Old Master Zhao glared at Zhao Weipeng again from afar. Before his son came back, he smoked at least Shilin or Hongtashan cigarettes, if not Zhonghua. Now that his son is back, his standards have dropped.
But there's nothing I can do; my son bought it for me. Can I just throw it away if I don't smoke it?
In order to use up the cigarettes he had as soon as possible, Old Master Zhao handed one to each of Zhao Youcai and Zhao Weipeng.
And so, Zhao Youcai sat by the river in a daze for three hours, while Zhao Weipeng and Grandpa Zhao kept him company for three hours.
As the sun was about to set, Old Master Zhao, who was lying on the grass, called to Zhao Youcai, "Youcai, let's go back. We need to cook, right?"
After saying that, Old Master Zhao added, "The child will be back soon, right?"
"Sigh!" Zhao Youcai sighed softly, the sound of his sigh carried away by the breeze.
"Let's go home." Zhao Youcai stood up, and seeing this, Old Master Zhao quickly got up as well.
Zhao Weipeng was overweight, and it took him some effort to get up. The three of them walked back along the riverbank, and after getting onto the main road, they headed towards Yong'an.
As they approached the village, they heard the sound of a car behind them. Zhao Weipeng turned around and exclaimed in surprise.
Zhao Youcai and Grandpa Zhao instinctively looked back and saw a jeep speeding towards them.
The jeep stopped in front of the three men, and Li Baoyu's voice came from the window: "Grandpa, Grandpa Zhao, Uncle Peng, are you three getting in? I'll take you back."
As soon as Li Baoyu finished speaking, Xie Chen got out of the passenger seat and gave his seat to Zhao Weipeng. If Zhao Weipeng sat in the back, it would be too crowded with three people in the back.
Jie Chen got off the bus and first pulled two baskets off the back seat.
Looking at the ginseng buns in the basket, Zhao Weipeng exclaimed in surprise, "You managed to make so many ginseng buns?"
"Okay." Jie Chen carefully looked around and whispered, "Uncle Peng, let's get in the car, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Upon hearing what Jie Chen said, Zhao Weipeng climbed into the passenger seat without hesitation.
After everyone got into the car, Li Baoyu started the car and drove towards the village.
At this moment, Zhao Youcai asked, "Why are you two back?"
"Grandpa, something's happened!" As expected of brothers, Li Baoyu used the same line as soon as he came up.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Weipeng, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke faster than Zhao Youcai.
"Grandpa," Li Baoyu didn't answer Zhao Weipeng's question first, but asked Zhao Youcai, "Do you know someone named Wang Yaoguang?"
"Wang Yaoguang?" Zhao Youcai frowned, feeling the name was somewhat familiar. After a moment's thought, Zhao Youcai remembered and immediately asked, "Wang Yaoguang and Wang Dalong's father are cousins, right?"
“Yes,” Li Baoyu replied. Zhao Youcai then asked, “He moved away so many years ago, how do you still recognize him?”
“He’s back…” Li Baoyu recounted the events from the beginning: Wang Yaoguang and his group stormed into Lao’anzi yesterday, and today Wang Yaoguang joined forces with the Pang family gang, and Pang Gaoming smashed the Jiefang tires.
Finally, Li Baoyu concluded: "My brother was afraid that these people were still up to no good, so he sent the two of us back to bring some men."
"Manpower?" Zhao Youcai's eyes lit up instantly. "I'll go!"
"Grandpa, I misspoke," Li Baoyu quickly corrected himself, saying, "My brother told me to come back and get Little Black Bear, and then take three dogs with me."
“Then I’ll go too!” Zhao Youcai said decisively. “You kids can’t handle this kind of situation; I have to go.”
“Grandpa, you…you’re home, aren’t you?” Li Baoyu said, “Before I left, my brother specifically told me to have you stay home and keep an eye on things. We have so many leather goods and stuff. Besides, if you’re not home, can my aunt and sister-in-law manage with their two younger sisters?”
Upon hearing Li Baoyu's words, Zhao Youcai turned his head to look out the window and remained silent.
This chapter is to make up for yesterday's. I'll post it around 1:00 AM today. Guys, if you're sleepy, go to sleep first.