Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

Li Xiangdong listened carefully for a while before he heard a rustling sound coming from not far away.

The ears are really good for catching crickets!

Wang Erkui gently moved his body closer to Li Xiangdong's ear and whispered, "If it's just one person, we can sneak past from the side."

He gestured with his hand across his neck as he spoke.

Li Xiangdong was terrified by Wang Erkui's audacious idea!

They've only known each other for a short time, doesn't it seem a bit presumptuous for them to suddenly say these things?

He stared wide-eyed and shook his head repeatedly, replying in a low voice, "Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid Qin Liu and the others will cause you trouble afterward?"

"It's okay, I'm not afraid. I can sneak over there quietly and make sure he doesn't find me."

Wang Erkui's tone was full of confidence. He could catch crickets in the wild. If he didn't have some agility, he wouldn't be able to catch anything.

He continued to whisper in Li Xiangdong's ear, "Qin Liu and his men are carrying cricket boxes. I'll sneak over and knock him unconscious, then you can come and help me tie him up. After we get them, we'll split the crickets in half."

"Brother Dong, aren't you here to buy crickets? You're not tempted to get a box of crickets for free? I certainly am. How many work points can I earn after a year of hard work in the fields? How many crickets can my dad catch if he stays up all night? I don't want to miss such a good opportunity."

Wang Erkui was not only saying these words to Li Xiangdong, but also to himself.

He was hypnotizing himself, telling himself that Qin Liu and his gang were no good, and that if he didn't rob them, he'd be a fool!

As a farmer who makes a living by tilling the land, if he dares to go to the market to trade crickets when the policies are unclear, then he has the courage to do so once he makes up his mind.

Li Xiangdong is now in a dilemma. If he doesn't agree, it seems that Wang Erkui will do it on his own. If it fails, he will also be finished.

But then again, under these circumstances, would his word really count? Rather than waiting to be forced to nod by Wang Erkui, he might as well agree now.

But why is it so hot?

Li Xiangdong shook his vest, thinking that it must have rained all night, and now the temperature was rising, making the cornfield a bit stuffy and humid.

He watched as Wang Erkui stood up gently, first rolling up his trousers to his thighs, and then taking off his white vest, which had several holes in it.

???

Li Xiangdong was puzzled by his behavior until Wang Erkui, like the bandits who used to rob and plunder, covered his face with a vest, leaving only his eyes showing.

He gave a thumbs-up with utmost admiration, saying, "No wonder there's a saying that Shandong Province has always produced heroes; it's truly no lie!"

Li Xiangdong smiled and said softly, "Brother Er Kui, you're like a completely different person after all this. Amazing!"

Wang Erkui felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this, but he had no choice but to do so. He wanted to make money, but he didn't want to lose face!

He had only stood up for Li Xiangdong before, and he wasn't the one who kicked him. He was just a cricket seller, and Qin Liu and his gang probably wouldn't even remember to cause him trouble.

But then things changed; he had to cover his face.

As long as they aren't recognized on the spot, they're not afraid even if Qin Liu and his group come looking for them afterward.

He could come up with countless excuses for the other party. Besides, his family had more than twenty cousins, and they didn't eat seven or eight black steamed buns every meal for nothing. Qin Liu would definitely have to think twice before coming to cause him trouble.

Wang Erkui made a gesture to Li Xiangdong, then bent over and gently touched him.

Li Xiangdong followed Wang Erkui's example, taking off his vest to cover his face and tying it in a knot behind his head, then quietly following not far behind him.

'Waaah~'

Upon hearing the sound, Li Xiangdong quickly walked over.

When he got there, he saw that Wang Erkui had already pinned the other man to the ground. His knee was on the other man's back, one hand covered the other man's mouth, and the other hand then chopped heavily on the back of the other man's neck.

'slap slap'

Wang Erkui slapped the other man twice, and seeing that he didn't react, he let out a long breath and said in a high-pitched voice, "Brother Dong, you're dizzy."

Wow, my brother Er Kui!

This guy is really efficient; his skill is evident in the details. Could his ancestors have been bandits?

Li Xiangdong first pulled up the other person's vest and covered his head.

Only then did they cooperate with Wang Erkui, pulling down the unfortunate man's pants and tying his hands and feet. But who would have thought that Wang Erkui's hand would directly reach into the man's pocket...

Li Xiangdong pretended not to see it until Wang Erkui, unconcerned about the dirt, started pulling down the other man's pants. "What are you doing?"

Wang Erkui said in a high-pitched voice, "Gag me."

As he spoke, he crumpled the other man's pants into a ball and shoved it into the unfortunate fellow's mouth.

After finishing his work, Wang Erkui grabbed a handful of soil and rubbed his hands vigorously. He then picked up the cricket box lying on the ground and pointed deep into the cornfield.

The two ran quickly for several dozen meters before Li Xiangdong stopped and said, "Brother Er Kui, you're really amazing. You can knock someone unconscious in one go."

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly realized what he had said, and a cold sweat broke out all over his body.

If Wang Erkui had other ideas and used the same method to deal with him, he wouldn't have a chance to get out of this cornfield today!

Although Wang Erkui's father is probably still with Hou San and the others, even if he had the intention, he would likely have some reservations.

However, Li Xiangdong still needed to remain vigilant, since he sensed that the Er Kui brothers in front of him were experiencing some kind of bloodline awakening.

"Brother Dong, this money and these tickets are what I just took from that guy. Let's split them in half."

As he spoke, Wang Erkui took out a small stack of money and bills from his pocket and held them out to Li Xiangdong.

Li Xiangdong remained vigilant, but said with a smile, "Brother Er Kui, I'm already very grateful that you could give me half of the crickets in the box. I can't accept this money and tickets."

Seeing that Wang Erkui was about to refuse, he said earnestly, "Brother Erkui, I felt very close to you the moment we met. Now that we've worked together, you should keep these banknotes for yourself. You need them more than I do!"

"Brother Dong, I..."

"Don't say anymore, Brother Er Kui. I still want to come to you to buy crickets in the future. Our friendship needs to continue."

Doesn't Li Xiangdong want money?

Of course he thought about it, but compared to his own life, money really meant nothing.

When Wang Erkui saw that Li Xiangdong refused to accept the money and tickets, he put them in his pocket.

With a sheepish grin, he said, "Shall we continue, Brother Dong?"

"Continue with what?"

Alarm bells rang in Li Xiangdong's mind!

Damn, he's addicted! Don't just leave him in the cornfield again!

Wang Erkui scratched his head. "I think they're all trying to find us from different directions, so we can go find them in the opposite direction."

Li Xiangdong hurriedly advised, "Brother Er Kui, I think what you're doing is too dangerous. Why don't we just forget about it?"

"It's too late, Dong Ge."

"what happened?"

"It looks like someone's sneaking up on us again."

"..."