1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

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At this moment, Jia Zhang was surrounded by a large group of people. She was horrified to find that she was surrounded by five burly men. These five men were called the eldest, the second, the third, the fourth and the fifth, a total of five people.

Look at the boss. He's incredibly burly, a towering figure, his body thick and muscular, his body thick with firm, fat muscles, as if imbued with endless power. Even more striking is the lifelike tiger tattoo embroidered across his broad face, making his already ferocious features appear even more ferocious and terrifying.

His childhood was rich and varied, and there were countless brilliant and memorable moments. However, if we were to single out one that was the most shocking and breathtaking, it would have to be the story that happened when he was eight years old.

I remember it was a scorching, unbearably hot midsummer. One day at noon, after finishing his meal, the eldest brother enthusiastically picked up a long bamboo pole and headed for the crystal-clear river near the village to fish. To increase his chances of catching fish, he dug out his father's treasured, hidden, fine wine from home and carefully poured some of it out to soak the fresh corn kernels. You have to remember, in those days of scarcity, even a simple bottle of baijiu was worth a fortune, let alone this bottle, a treasured possession of his father's collection for years. Clearly, the eldest brother had spared no expense, investing heavily in order to return home with a bountiful catch!

With joy and anticipation in his heart, the eldest brother sat steadily by the river, bamboo pole in hand. A beautiful picture of fish catching the hook, a bountiful harvest, and a beaming smile appeared in his mind, and he was immersed in the infinite anticipation of the upcoming "big harvest."

Just as the boss was dreaming sweetly, he suddenly heard a clamor of footsteps and a commotion not far away. He instinctively raised his head and cast his gaze in the direction of the sound. In an instant, his smiling eyes narrowed, a hint of fear in their gaze. It turned out that the people slowly approaching him were not just ordinary people, but the village's notorious and feared gang of bullies!

Each of these bullies was a strong and burly young man. They were rampant in the village, committing all kinds of evil. The villagers were as scared as mice seeing a cat, trying to avoid them. The man in the front was even more aggressive, and he came to the boss in two steps. Without saying a word, he reached out and snatched the bamboo pole that the boss was holding tightly in his hand, and roared at him fiercely: "You little bastard, get out of here now! This is not a place for you to stay!"

Anyone else in this situation would have been terrified and would have bolted. However, this "big brother" was no ordinary man! Although he was only eight years old, he was fearless and didn't even know how to write the word "death"—because he had never set foot in a school!

After all, that bamboo pole and the soaked corn were treasures he had spent countless efforts to obtain. How could he tolerate these hateful bullies taking them away? So, the boss gritted his teeth and secretly made up his mind to bravely fight these evil people to the end.

He quickly bent down, picked up an incredibly hard stone from the riverbank, and without hesitation, smashed it hard against the bully's head. With a dull thud, the bully felt as if his head had been struck by a sledgehammer, excruciating pain. Instantly, blood gushed from his head, staining his cheeks and clothes red.

He subconsciously reached out and gently stroked his injured and bleeding head. He froze in shock, as if time had stood still. After a brief moment of unconsciousness, the bully leader finally regained consciousness and let out a terrified scream: "Ahhh... My head! My head hurts!" The shrill cry resounded through the sky, sending chills down your spine.

Yet, faced with this scene, our "boss" showed no fear at all. Instead, his expression remained calm, his heart unflinching. He calmly bent down again, picked up another stone, and then, repeating his pattern, hurled his stones at the remaining thugs. For a moment, stones flew everywhere, and screams echoed.

Before long, these usually arrogant and domineering thugs were unable to withstand the boss's fierce attack and fled in panic. Since then, the story of the "boss's" heroic deeds has spread throughout the village. People praised him endlessly, calling him the village's little hero who punishes evil and promotes good. From then on, no one dared to mess with this little "bully" again!

This is also the origin of his status as the boss. At the age of 8, he challenged several young thugs alone. Among his brothers, no one was more powerful than the boss!

Looking at the second brother, he stood in stark contrast to the eldest. He possessed a refined demeanor and a refined demeanor, speaking in a slow, measured, and elegant manner. It turned out the second brother had graduated from junior high school, making him the most educated of the brothers. Whenever the brothers encountered a difficult problem or problem, it was usually the resourceful second brother who stepped in to solve it. It was no exaggeration to say that the second brother was the undisputed brain trust of the brothers!

When the second child was little, he did something truly earth-shattering! It was no small feat, shocking not only the entire village but the entire town. It nearly alarmed the local television station and the TV series' editors! Each and every one of these media professionals eagerly sought an interview with the second child, but were met with a complete refusal. Why? It turned out that the second child's parents, concerned that too much attention would harm their child's development, politely declined all requests.

The story behind this incident is actually quite interesting. Someone stole the chickens raised by Zhang the Mute in the village! Could Zhang just let it go? Of course not! After much deliberation, he turned his suspicions on the blind man next door, Li the Blind. Why was he so suspicious? Well, firstly, Blind Li lived right next door to him. Secondly, Blind Li's family was so broke that they couldn't even afford pork during Chinese New Year, let alone chicken. So, Zhang the Mute was completely certain that Blind Li had stolen the chickens.

Faced with this fabricated, baseless accusation, Blind Li felt even more wronged than Dou E! His face flushed crimson, veins popped on his forehead, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "I'm innocent! God, if I really did such a sneaky thing, please let me be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!" He swore and slapped his chest, as if he wanted to rip his heart out for everyone to see.

However, Zhang the Mute, standing nearby, remained unmoved by Blind Li's explanations. After all, in this small village, apart from the impoverished Blind Li, there was no one else with a motive. So, no matter how confidently Blind Li assured them, Zhang the Mute remained convinced that he had stolen his hens.

The two men, each arguing, refused to give in. The heated argument attracted many villagers to watch. But no matter how much the others tried to persuade them, the argument wouldn't subside. In desperation, an enraged Zhang Yaba stamped his foot and headed straight for the police station. A few moments later, several officers arrived.

For this type of common civil dispute, the police usually mediate based on the principle of peace and making a big deal out of a small matter. They first listened to the statements of both parties and then consulted with the surrounding villagers. However, due to the lack of solid evidence, it was difficult to determine who had stolen Zhang Yanba's old hen.

After some patient and meticulous mediation, the matter could only be put on hold temporarily. Although the police had done their best, such a result obviously could not satisfy the victim Zhang Yaba. You know, in that era of scarcity, an old hen was a very precious property! Almost all of Zhang Yaba's daily expenses depended on the eggs laid by this old hen to make a living. Now that the old hen is nowhere to be found, he feels like the sky is about to fall. Without a source of income, the days ahead will probably become extremely difficult, and even food and clothing may become a problem. How can this not make him anxious?

Just when everyone was feeling extremely troubled, suddenly, a loud voice came from the crowd: "Why don't you go look for Lao Er? He's got a very bright head!"

These words flashed like a bolt of lightning across the night sky, instantly illuminating Blind Zhang's chaotic thoughts. He slapped his thigh and thought to himself, "That's right! Why didn't I think of asking Lao Er for help?" He was always very smart. Maybe if he just called Lao Er over, he could get to the bottom of this matter and find out who stole my hen.

Thinking of this, Blind Zhang seemed to have suddenly gained a powerful strength. It was as if a gust of wind blew under his feet, and he ran towards the second brother's house at full speed.

At that moment, the second child sat quietly in his room, absorbed in his homework. The gentle scraping of his pen against the paper echoed throughout the room like a gentle melody. However, when he heard Zhang the Mute's familiar, urgent cry, he immediately dropped his pen without hesitation, quickly stood up, threw open the door, and rushed out like a whirlwind.

As soon as the two met, the second brother was so exhausted that he was out of breath. He didn't even have time to catch his breath before he asked anxiously, "Uncle Zhang the Mute! What's going on with you? You're so anxious. What happened?"

Zhang Yaba's wrinkled face revealed a bitter smile, followed by a long, helpless sigh, as if he had a thousand sorrows in his heart that he had nowhere to vent. Then, using his hands and babbling, he recounted the details of the theft of the old hen that he had always relied on for his livelihood.

The second child's eyes widened as she listened intently to Zhang the Mute's narration. The more she listened, the more angry she became. She had never imagined that in their village, which had always been known for its simple folk customs, such a hateful little thief would appear!

"That's too much!" The second brother stamped his feet in anger, a surge of rage in his heart. You know, this guy dared to steal a chicken from Uncle Zhang today, maybe he would be even bolder tomorrow, maybe even steal someone else's cow!

After fully understanding the whole story, the second brother's face was solemn. Without saying a word, he tightly grasped Zhang Yaba's rough and calloused hand and hurriedly ran towards home. They were silent all the way, but from the second brother's furrowed brow and Zhang Yaba's anxious expression, it was clear that they were uneasy and anxious.

Soon, they arrived at Zhang Yaba's slightly shabby home. As soon as they entered, Lao Er didn't even bother to rest and immediately asked Zhang Yaba to take him to identify the scene where the stolen hens had been stolen. Zhang Yaba nodded quickly and quickly led Lao Er to his pigpen.

After stopping, Zhang the Mute pointed at the pigpen and made an indistinct sound, as if telling something to Lao Er. Lao Er leaned in to listen carefully, and heard Zhang the Mute say with difficulty: "Lao Er, my old hen was 'stolen' here." After saying this, he gestured with his hands to show the size and appearance of the chicken.

The second brother looked in the direction Zhang the Mute pointed, only to find the pigpen empty except for a scattering of straw and feces. He then shifted his gaze to the walls and floor, hoping to find any clues. However, to his disappointment, there were no useful clues left on either the walls or the floor. Furthermore, the floor was completely clean, with not even a footprint to be seen.

This really stumped Lao Er. He couldn't help but frown and paced back and forth around the pigpen, thinking hard about how to find a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Zhang the Mute looked at Lao Er with a worried look on his face, his eyes full of expectation and helplessness.

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