Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

"My son..." After they left, Li's mother could no longer hold back. She grabbed Li Xiangyang's hand, her voice trembling, "What are we going to do? If they really take away your hunter's license, how will you be able to go up the mountain in the future..."

Li's mother couldn't continue speaking.

This is what worries her the most.

Without a hunting rifle, what if my son encounters a wild animal while hiking up the mountain...?

Seeing his mother's pale face, Li Xiangyang gently comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. No matter how impressive their claims are, they still need to have the ability. I'll go to the forest farm first and inquire about the Yang family's background."

"Then be careful on the road..." Li's mother wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Li Xiangyang.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to get some information."

After saying that, Li Xiangyang headed towards the forest farm.

When we arrived at the forest farm, Captain Zhou was sunbathing in the yard.

Upon seeing Li Xiangyang arrive, he greeted him with a smile, "Little Li's here?"

Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded, taking out some good meat from his bag: "This is something I brought especially for you."

After saying that, he slipped me ten yuan.

"Oh, you're too kind, child." Captain Zhou accepted it with a beaming smile.

Li Xiangyang started a conversation: "Brother Zhou, I'd like to ask you something. Do you know the Yang family, the accountant in Yangjia Village?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've heard about your situation. The Yang family asked me to take back your hunter's license..."

Captain Zhou looked around and lowered his voice, "To tell you the truth, they have absolutely no connection. But Yangjia Village is a big village in this area. It's populous, and there are a lot of relatives and friends there..."

"Of course, they're used to playing dirty tricks."

"Last year, someone from the neighboring forest farm who had a grudge against the Yang family was ambushed on his way home one night and is still in bed."

Li Xiangyang understood.

The Yang family is truly lawless.

"Brother Zhou, so what you mean is...?"

"Ha, the Yang family. If they were as shrewd as you, offering enough bribes, I might actually confiscate your hunting license."

"But threatening me? Do you think I'm afraid of that? I dared to kill Japanese soldiers when I was eight years old..."

He turned and shouted into the yard, "Little Sun! Little Li! Come here!"

Soon, Sun Yongliang and Li Wenbin came out of the house.

"Captain," the two replied.

Captain Zhou didn't mince words with Li Xiangyang, saying directly, "Starting today, everyone will carry two extra boxes of ammunition and take turns guarding the forest. Also, travel in groups on your way home."

He looked up at the sky: "It gets dark early, so everyone carries weapons to and from get off work. If we encounter someone who's too cocky and makes a scene, we just take them down. I'll take the blame if anything happens."

“This…” Sun Yongliang hesitated.

"What?" Captain Zhou glared. "Afraid I'll go back on my word? Damn it, I've been killing Japanese devils since I was eight. Do you think I don't know anyone? Besides, if we do this, we might even get commended. If I were to move up a rank, wouldn't the person in charge here be chosen from you two?"

“Yes, Captain.” The two nodded immediately.

"Xiao Li, you..." Captain Zhou turned to Li Xiangyang and said earnestly, "When you encounter something like this, never back down. If anyone dares to ambush you, treat them like a bear."

"Oh, right," Captain Zhou suddenly remembered something, "Do you have enough bullets on your end?"

"Not quite enough."

"That's perfect. Xiao Sun, go and get the storeroom keys."

A moment later, Captain Zhou took ten boxes of ammunition from the storeroom: "Take these. It's best if you don't need them, but you have to be prepared."

Li Xiangyang took the bullet, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Brother Zhou, this..."

"Don't be so polite with me." Captain Zhou waved his hand, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips. "Well, I'm just not very conscientious. All I ever think about is living a good life. That's why I ended up in this place."

He looked at Li Xiangyang, his eyes showing approval: "Unlike you, you're so sensible."

Li Xiangyang understood that Captain Zhou was praising his ability to get along with people, and couldn't help but smile: "Brother Zhou, you flatter me."

"Alright, stop wasting time here." Captain Zhou stood up. "Remember what I said: anyone who dares to ambush you, you can treat them like a bear. If things get out of hand, I'll protect you. Everyone knows someone, right?"

Li Xiangyang nodded and turned to leave.

Captain Zhou's voice came from behind: "Be careful on the road!"

This reminder warmed Li Xiangyang's heart.

When Li Xiangyang opened the door to his home, it was already dark.

"Son, you're back." His mother, who was tidying clothes in the main room, rushed to greet him upon seeing him return. "Why were you gone for so long?"

"I chatted with Captain Zhou for a while. Don't worry about the hunter's license..."

Li Xiangyang sat down in the chair and told his mother about what had happened at the forest farm.

When Captain Zhou told them to beat up anyone who dared to cause trouble like a black bear, Li's mother suddenly stopped.

“My son,” she said softly, “that’s not right.”

Li Xiangyang looked up at his mother in surprise.

The light from the kerosene lamp illuminated her slightly aged face, which was filled with worry.

Li's mother put down the clothes she was holding. "Captain Zhou is a straightforward man. But no matter what, we have no right to take someone's life. Listen to me, if you really encounter this, give the other person a chance to live. It would be best if you could scare them away. Only if you can't scare them away should you listen to Captain Zhou."

Li Xiangyang lowered his head.

His mother's words struck him deeply.

As night deepened, the mother and son sat facing each other in the main room.

Looking at his mother's wrinkled face, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

This kind woman never did anything earth-shattering in her life, but her simple words contained the deepest wisdom.

“I understand, Mother,” Li Xiangyang said softly.

"My son, you must listen to your mother." Li's mother held Li Xiangyang's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"Alright, Mother, I swear, I'll absolutely listen to you."

"What about the production team leader? Our family's work points and food rations all depend on him."

Looking at his mother's weathered face, Li Xiangyang felt a pang of heartache.

She has been carrying too much on her shoulders all along.

"Mother, I won't try to persuade you to relax. How about this? I'll ask Uncle Wang to find you a job in the city. That way you won't have to stay here and suffer."

"Work in the city?" Li's mother was clearly stunned, and her hand tightened slightly.

“Yes,” Li Xiangyang gently patted his mother’s hand, “Uncle Wang is the head of the education department, it’s easy for him to find you a logistics job. Even if it only pays a few yuan a month, it’ll be good.”

He paused, then added, "Most importantly, Xiaohua can go to school in the city now."

A glimmer of light flashed in Li's mother's eyes, but it quickly dimmed again: "And what about you? Are you just going to leave you alone in the village?"

“Me?” Li Xiangyang smiled, his gaze drifting to the night outside the window. “Don’t you know me? I love this kind of carefree life. Besides, my hunting skills are what they are; I’ll never starve.”

Looking at her son's resolute profile, Li's mother's eyes wavered slightly.

But soon, she shook her head: "Son, let's forget about it. Your Uncle Wang has helped us so much lately; he's just been reinstated, and this is a crucial time for him."

She sighed. "They don't owe us anything. We can't trouble them with everything."