Chapter 5: It Is Not As If the Zhang Family Lacks Men

Qian Chunfen had always been used to being overbearing; she had never suffered such humiliation before. To have a mere boy slap her across the face several times—she was so furious she felt as though her lungs might explode. She slumped onto the ground, shrieking, "You, Zhang! I’m not going anywhere today. If you’ve got the guts, just kill me!"

"You just wait! When my people from the Wang family arrive, I’ll make sure you regret this..."

Bang!

Zhang Yang pulled the trigger, firing a shot that whistled past her scalp.

"Ah..." Qian Chunfen had never imagined that Zhang Yang would actually dare to play with fire like this. Scared out of her wits, her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and she wet herself in terror.

"Get out!" Zhang Yang spat the words out coldly.

"Mother, he’s crazy! This brat has lost his mind, let’s go, quick!" Wang Zhaodi, equally terrified, grabbed her mother and practically scrambled away in a frantic rush.

"Zhang Yang, you and your whole family just wait!"

"I’m going to call my Wang Jie back right now. When he gets here, I’ll make you kneel and beg for mercy..."

Even as they fled, Qian Chunfen continued to hurl threats.

"You still dare to run your mouth!" Zhang Yang raised his foot, ready to chase after them to give them a real lesson.

Li Huifang and Zhang Yan, finally snapping out of their shock, quickly held him back. "Yangyang, don't be reckless! If you take a life, none of us will be able to go on living!"

"Mother, Sister, I’m not stupid!" Zhang Yang put the gun away. "I just wanted to teach them a lesson. How could they bully you like that!"

"Is the anger out of your system? Please, don’t do anything rash!"

"It’s out, it’s out. Honestly, watching you deal with that mother and daughter felt pretty good!" Zhang Yan couldn't help but laugh, though her concern quickly returned. "But the Wang family are notorious ruffians in Wulipu Village, and they have the captain of the militia backing them up. You beat them so badly this time, they’re definitely going to come back and cause trouble..."

"Maybe I should just go back after all!"

"Go back? Go back where?" Zhang Yang’s eyes widened. "Sister, you have to understand one thing: people who are too kind are bullied, and horses that are too gentle are ridden. You’ve been too soft-spoken, which is why the Wang family has dared to push you around!"

"With people like them, the tougher you are, the more cowardly they become!"

"Besides, if you go back, wouldn't Yaya be in danger too?"

"Don't you worry. If they dare to come looking for trouble again, I’ll deal with them just the same! And as for that dog Wang Jie, he’s not fit to be your husband. Next time he shows up, I’ll settle things with him once and for all. From now on, you’re living with us!"

"This..." Zhang Yan was still hesitant. She certainly didn't want to go back to that life of suffering, but she was also afraid the Wang family would retaliate against her family.

"Yan'er, if I had known you were suffering so much, I would have brought you home long ago. Just stay here and take good care of the child! At worst, we’ll return those ten jin of white flour to the Wangs. Our Yangyang has grown up and can handle things now—the Zhang family isn't without men!" Although Li Huifang was a simple woman, she possessed a resilient core.

"That's right, Sister. With me here, you can set your heart at ease!" Zhang Yang patted his chest. "Look, we have meat to eat again!"

"You rascal, you said you didn't go into the mountains, and here you are lying to us again!" Li Huifang was happy, but couldn't help but scold him. "Oh my, why is there so much blood on you? Where are you hurt?"

"I’m not hurt, it’s all from this roe deer. Don't worry, I went with Dongzi, it was perfectly safe!" Zhang Yang grinned. "Mother, we’ll keep half the deer for the winter, and we’ll take the rest to the town market to trade!"

"Alright, whatever you say!" Li Huifang grabbed a kitchen knife and began to expertly prepare the meat.

Zhang Yang went inside to change into clean clothes and playfully pinched Wenwen and Feifei’s cheeks. "You two little sleepyheads, aren't you going to get up yet?"

"Oh, Brother, your hands are so cold!"

"It's cold outside, we don't want to get up!"

"We’re going to the market, and there’s candy to be had. If you don’t want any, that’s fine by me!" Zhang Yang said deliberately.

"Brother, I want candy!"

"Candy, I want candy too!"

Wenwen and Feifei jumped out from under their blankets to get dressed and wash up.

Zhangjiatun was over ten miles away from the market, a distance most villagers covered on foot. Since Zhang Yang had over a hundred pounds of roe deer meat, he borrowed a cart from the village elder.

Along the way, Wenwen and Feifei hopped and skipped; they rarely went to the market, and even when they did, they could rarely afford to buy anything because they were so poor. Today, Zhang Yang was determined to fulfill their wishes.

The town, called Yanxi Town, was quite prosperous due to several nearby mines that provided plenty of employment. The market stretched along the street, filled with food, clothes, toys, and all sorts of wares.

Zhang Yang found an empty spot and shouted, "Wild roe deer meat! Fresh wild roe deer meat! Come take a look!"

This startled Li Huifang and Zhang Yan. Their mindset was still stuck in the days of communal dining and simple bartering, and even when they did trade, they did it discreetly. Zhang Yang, however, was doing it so brazenly.

"Yangyang, you..."

"It's fine, Mother, Sister. We’re selling roe deer meat, it’s not against the law!" Zhang Yang replied nonchalantly. Although it was a planned economy and large-scale commerce wasn't allowed, market trading was perfectly acceptable.

Moreover, he wasn't selling government-rationed goods; meat was a daily staple and could be sold freely.

"Young man, how much for this roe deer meat?" An elderly woman with a shopping basket walked up to inquire.

"Ma'am, one yuan and twenty cents a jin!" Zhang Yang smiled.

"One yuan and twenty? That's a bit expensive!"

"Ma'am, pork is already hitting ninety cents a jin. For authentic wild roe deer meat, thirty cents more isn't excessive! Look, the blood hasn't even dried yet; we spent all night hunting it. I’m just earning a bit for my hard work!" Zhang Yang said smoothly. "Wild roe deer meat has a different flavor—it's a treat to try, and it’s nourishing, too!"

"If you buy it for your husband, he’ll be in great health!"

"You certainly have a silver tongue. Alright, no more joking, give me a jin first. If it's good, I’ll come back to you!" The woman pointed at the deer. "Give me some from the front leg!"

"You got it!"

"Young man, give me some too!"

"I want a whole leg..."

Most people in town were mine workers or their families; they were better off than the rural folk and generally didn't lack for money. Naturally, they were willing to try fresh wild game. With Zhang Yang’s experience in business from his previous life, selling roe deer meat was a piece of cake.

Within an hour, half the deer was sold. Li Huifang and Zhang Yan watched in stunned silence, feeling as if this wasn't the first time the boy had done this kind of work.

Half a deer, over thirty jin, had sold for more than forty yuan. The two women felt like they were dreaming—they hadn't seen that much money in their entire lives.

"Mother, Sister, take Yaya, Wenwen, and Feifei to buy things for the house. Whatever they want, buy it for them. Don't come back until the money is spent!" Zhang Yang instructed.

"This is over forty yuan, how could we possibly spend all of that?"

"Exactly, you rascal, don't be so reckless with money!" Li Huifang and Zhang Yan shook their heads.

"There’s still another half of the deer left—over seventy jin—that will sell for at least eighty or ninety yuan. Isn't the point of earning money to spend it on you? If you don't spend it, I won't bother earning it anymore!" Zhang Yang tossed the knife aside, his face darkening.