Heavy snow covers the ground, and the sky and earth are pure white.
On this day, sixteen-year-old Zhang La returned from the mountains and forests with a sledge.
The corpse of a colorful tiger, which was 30% larger than an ordinary tiger, lay stiffly on the sledge behind it. Its brocade-like fur rippled like water under the sunlight.
Back in the village, neighbors greeted me and exclaimed from time to time along the road.
"Xiao Ke, you're back from the mountains!"
"Well! Hello, Uncle Chang!"
"Hey~ why is this tiger so big and so fat? Could it be that this is the demon tiger that was rumored to be haunting the mountains and forests some time ago?"
"I heard that the character '王' between the eyebrows of the demon tiger is golden and has two tails. Look, this tiger also has two tails!"
"Sss~~! He was actually able to catch the demon tiger. Xiaoke must be the most powerful hunter within a hundred miles, right?"
"That's it, hey~~~, Xiaoke, my daughter-in-law is a good woman and can run a household. Do you want to marry her to you?
Hmm! How about using this tiger as a betrothal gift?"
"Hahaha~~! What a wonderful idea you have. If Xiao Ke has such ability, will he still look for your fat girl?"
"..."
Zhang Ke blushed at the teasing of many neighbors, and hurriedly pulled the sledge and walked quickly to the west of the village.
When we arrived at the door of the house, a beautiful little girl heard the noise and ran out.
When he saw the ferocious and huge tiger corpse, he first screamed in surprise, then turned around and shouted in surprise:
"Mom~~, my brother has shot another tiger!"
Zhang Ke pulled the sledge into the yard and said displeasedly:
"Call me brother~~!"
The little girl turned her head and hummed, then chirped:
"You have been lying to me all these years. I asked my mother. I was born one day before you. I am the elder sister and you are the younger brother!"
Zhang Ke's expression froze, and he changed the topic without revealing anything.
"Where's dad?"
"Dad went to the market with some people in the village a few days ago. The family needs to replenish some salt and other supplies. By the way, we can sell the wild products you have harvested over the years."
When Zhang Ke heard this, he became anxious, dropped his sledge and ran to the hut next to him.
"Hey~~! Don't worry, little brother, daddy didn't touch your baby."
Because Zhang Ke was able to go hunting in the mountains, his family's life improved a lot, and a three-in thatched hut was built in recent years.
This was intended for Zhang Ke to marry, but he usually used it as a trophy storage room.
Opening the door, you will see animal heads fixed on the four walls of the small thatched hut.
Nine oxen, three bears, four leopards, two wolves, and one tiger, plus the one we just killed, there are two tigers.
These things in the hut are not all the prey that Zhang Ke has hunted. What can be displayed here has special meaning to Zhang Ke.
For example, the bull head on the far left is Zhang Ke's first hunting prey, and the black leopard head among them is a demon leopard that can hide its body at night.
There are also wolves that can stand and walk, bears with horns on their foreheads, tigers that can control ghosts, etc.
If the prey in this room were exposed, it would shock the neighbors.
Just because of his father's instructions, Zhang Ke never made it public, and because these heads were abnormal, they were not sold.
Although he knew that his father understood the importance and would not sell these things, Zhang Ke was relieved only when he actually saw them.
The next day, Zhang Ke was dealing with the giant tiger at home when he suddenly heard a sudden noise coming from the village.
Zhang Ke never liked the excitement, so he didn't listen attentively and just cut up the tiger carcass in an orderly manner.
But not long after, I heard a rush of footsteps, which seemed to be heading towards my home.
A moment later, a young man of the same age as Zhang Ke pushed open the courtyard door and shouted in panic:
"Zhang Ke, something happened to your father!"
...
night.
Zhang Zhiqing was lying on the kang with a flushed face, and a thin old doctor put two fingers of his right hand on his pulse to check his pulse.
Zhang Ke had a calm face and said nothing. His mother and sister looked at the doctor with red eyes, full of hope.
After a long time, the old doctor took his finger away from Zhang Zhiqing's pulse and sighed softly:
"Get ready for the funeral!"
After hearing this, Zhang Ke's mother and sister couldn't bear it anymore and burst into tears.
"Wow~~! Woohoo~~~!"
Zhang Ke silently stood up and sent the doctor away. When he walked to the door of the courtyard, Zhang Ke suddenly asked:
"Doctor, is my father's injury really beyond repair?"
The old doctor glanced at Zhang Ke.
This child was delivered by myself back then, and I didn't expect it to have grown so big.
After pondering for a moment, the old man said:
"Actually, it's not impossible to cure, it's just..."
Looking back at several huts, it is not difficult to understand the meaning.
Zhang Ke bowed and begged:
"Please give me some advice, doctor."
"I've also heard about your father. In recent years, the 'Black Wind Bandits' have been raging everywhere and massacred many villages.
This time, when the villagers went to the market, they happened to encounter the "Black Wind Bandits" who robbed them and were killed by them.
Two people in the village were killed and four were seriously injured. When I diagnosed and treated them, I found that they basically suffered from the same kind of 'fire poison' injuries.
When the 'fire poison' invades the five internal organs, I'm afraid none of these seriously injured people will survive."
After a brief pause, the old doctor continued:
"However, if a century-old ginseng hangs its head, and then supplements it with precious medicines to replenish vitality, it may not be possible to recover, but it is still possible to save one's life.
only..."
He looked at Zhang Ke and said slowly:
"Your father's injury will not last long. Even if you use medicine, you need to use it as soon as possible. Not to mention how hard it is to find century-old ginseng, the various medicines that can replenish vitality will cost at least nearly a thousand taels of silver.
Moreover, you may need more drugs to maintain your health in the future, depending on your family's situation...
Alas~~!”
The old man patted Zhang Ke on the shoulder, turned around and walked out.
"One thousand taels of silver... one thousand taels of silver... one thousand taels of silver..."
Zhang Ke's eyes were dull and he was mumbling to himself.
All the family's savings are probably less than three hundred taels.
The Zhang family is a common surname in the village, and there are always some poor people who can't take the blame and are disabled, and have the same disease.
Zhang Ke has hunted a lot of valuable prey over the years, but all the money from the sales went to his family members.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Now when you really need to use money, you can understand its importance.
The old man walked out of the courtyard and was about to get on the mule cart to leave. He turned around and saw Zhang Ke's lost look, which was a bit heartbreaking.
After thinking for a moment, he returned to Zhang Ke again, considered his tone, and whispered:
"I heard that Mr. Ding from Dingjia Town is looking for a son-in-law. This young lady from Dingjia has been sick since she was a child. Maybe there is a century-old ginseng in her family."
After saying this, the old man left without looking back.
There was a flash of light in Zhang Ke's eyes, and he bowed deeply towards the old man's mule cart as he left.
Frowning, I returned to the room, where my mother and sister were still sobbing softly.
Looking at his unconscious father, Zhang Ke was slightly lost in thought and said for a long time:
"Mom~~! Prepare some pancakes for me. I'll go to town to see if I can find a way to save dad."
Zhang Ke's mother wiped the tears on her cheeks and trembled with a hint of hope:
"Is...is there really any hope?"
"Yes! Doctor Ding just told me."
"That's good...that's good...I'll prepare things and bring all the money at home."
"Um!"
...
Zhang Ke's legs were so fast that he traveled in the middle of the night and arrived at Dingjia Town before dawn.
On the way, he also encountered Ding Langzhong's mule cart, but because of time constraints, he did not accompany it.
Dingjia Town is a large town with three thousand people living in it.
Lanterns and torches can be seen flashing on the blue-grey stone wall, and many figures are moving.
Zhang Ke did not enter directly through the town gate. The 'Black Wind Bandit' had just injured someone, so there was no way he could enter any village at night.
He had been to Dingjia Town and knew that there was an underground river on the left side of the town that led directly into the town and provided for the needs of everyone in the town.
This underground river never freezes for some unknown reason, but in winter it is extremely cold and can freeze people to death in an instant, so this is the only place that has never been guarded.
There were wandering warlocks who came to investigate, but they still didn't know why.
Arriving at the underground river, Zhang Ke sorted out the huge package he was carrying on his back and jumped in without any hesitation.
...
Ding Zhai.
In the study, Ding Yuanhe, the head of the Ding family, was upset and sulking.
Beside him, Mrs. Ding was crying softly.
The Ding family is a big family in the town, which can be known from the fact that the town is named with the character ‘D’.
Ding Yuanhe and his wife only have one daughter, named Ding Xiaoxiao, and they regard their only daughter as a treasure.
But Ding Xiaoxiao has been weak and sickly since he was a child, and he can't even get out of bed. Only in July in the summer can he be pushed for a walk in the courtyard.
An unknown amount of money has been spent on the treatment, but the condition has not improved and is getting worse.
Later, I had no choice but to spend a lot of money to ask the Lotus Master from the Lotus Temple for advice, and I came up with a solution that was not a solution.
'happy'
According to Lianhua Taoist, Ding Xiaoxiao was attacked by evil spirits in the womb, causing damage to his soul. If he wanted to return to normal, he had to find someone born on the same day, month and year to help him eliminate evil spirits.
Ding Xiaoxiao is a woman and belongs to Yin, so the person who wants to overcome evil spirits must be a man. Only in this way can Yin and Yang be united to break evil spirits and replenish the soul.
However, Master Lianhua also said that Chongsha will be extremely harmful to the man, and his life may be in danger.
How can Ding Yuanhe care about others now? His daughter's life is the most important thing.
Immediately, a large sum of money was spent to invite Taoist Master Lianhua to build a Taoist temple in Danling County.
The euphemistic name is to pray for my daughter, but in fact I hope that Master Lianhua will leave the local area temporarily to prevent the news from leaking.
After that, Ding Yuanhe posted a list to recruit a son-in-law and listed his requirements one by one.
He also said that once the wedding is successful, he will be given a thousand taels of silver, a big house in the town, and 300 acres of good paddy fields.
As soon as this news was released, it attracted countless people's discussion.
Although they knew that Miss Ding was ill, many people still made up their mind.
The Ding family only has one daughter. Once Ding Yuanhe and his wife pass away, and Miss Ding becomes a sick child, then millions of dollars in wealth will be easily obtained.
But the development of things was beyond everyone's expectation.
The first person who came to marry was a poor scholar. After checking that all the conditions were met, Ding Yuanhe agreed to get married in one month.
After all, weddings are complicated and there is always time to prepare.
Unexpectedly, just after the marriage was agreed upon, the poor scholar fell down into a cesspool and drowned when he got up that night.
After that, two more people were recruited one after another, and they also died in various accidents within three days.
It was very lively at this time, and countless people discussed this matter after tea and dinner.
It is said that it must have been the Ding family who did something detrimental to their morality when they first became rich, which led to the retribution of the descendants.
After the news spread, no one came to marry him. After all, a wealthy family must have a life to enjoy it.
Seeing their daughter coughing up blood every night and her complexion getting worse day by day, Ding Yuanhe and his wife were heartbroken.
The conditions for marrying into the family were raised one after another, but no one came to the door again.
At this moment, the couple was sitting opposite each other sadly, when suddenly there were rapid footsteps outside the door, and at the same time a voice came from outside the door.
"Ex-member, I'm so happy...so happy!"
The butler pushed the door open without knocking. Ding Yuanhe was so furious that he raised his leg and kicked him.
"Ouch~Ouch~!"
The housekeeper was kicked awake and shouted:
"Excuse me, I'm so happy! There's someone outside the door asking for a bride-in-law!"
'Um???'
Ding Yuanhe and his wife were stunned at first, then they were overjoyed and shouted in unison:
"really?"
The housekeeper nodded quickly and said:
"Seriously, the person is right outside the door."
Mrs. Ding shouted urgently:
"Then don't bring people in."
"Why!"
The butler responded and turned to leave.
Ding Yuanhe said:
"slow!"
He frowned and thought for a moment, then asked:
"You mean the person is right outside the door?"
The butler didn't know why and replied:
"Yes! He's covered in ice and dirt, and he's carrying a package half as tall as a man."
Ding Yuanhe asked again:
"Is this person from the town?"
The housekeeper hurriedly shook his head and said:
"No, I asked. He's from Zhongcun. His name is Zhang Ke."
Ding Yuanhe said doubtfully:
“The ‘Black Bandits’ have been extremely rampant recently, killing people everywhere. The gate of the town is guarded by patrols. How can people from outside the town sneak in?
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Furthermore, my Ding family has been on the list for several months. If he really wanted to marry into his family, why did he come now?
And why don’t you come here during the day instead of coming here at night?”
The housekeeper couldn't help but trembled and guessed:
"I don't think this person is a spy of the Black Wind Pirates?"
Ding Yuanhe nodded slowly and said in a deep voice:
"It's no big deal!"
The steward immediately said:
"Then I'll drive him away."
After saying that, he was about to leave.
Mrs. Ding became anxious and shouted:
"There are many servants in the house and guards in the courtyard. Call them in. If they are thieves, they will take them to the government.
But if you really intend to get married, if you refuse, wouldn't it cost my daughter's life?"
Ding Yuanhe slapped his forehead and shouted:
"I feel dizzy, but Madam is still thoughtful.
Ding Zhong, call ten people to stand by in the middle hall and invite Zhang Ke in."
"Yes, Yuanwai!"
...
The middle hall of Ding's house.
Two rows of servants stood neatly guarding the courtyard. Ding Yuanhe looked Zhang Ke up and down.
But I saw that this man was tall and tall, with a good appearance, clear eyes, and neither humble nor arrogant.
Even though he was wearing a thin cloth, he could still feel the presence of a stove even though he was far away.
The more Ding Yuanhe looked, the more satisfied he became. He turned his head slightly and looked beside him.
The household registration officer who was invited overnight carefully checked Zhang Ke's household registration number and nodded lightly to Ding Yuanhe.
Ding Yuanhe breathed a sigh of relief and asked warmly:
"Zhang Jiazi, why do you want to marry into my family?"
Zhang Ke was silent for a moment and told the story in detail.
Then he opened the package next to him, revealing eleven tiger and cow heads.
"If my wife agrees to my marriage, these heads will be used as a wedding gift."
The sudden sight of so many beast heads really shocked everyone present.
In particular, one of the tiger's heads had obviously just been beheaded, and its ferocious appearance almost frightened Mrs. Ding, who was quietly observing Zhang Ke behind the screen, out of her wits.
Ding Yuanhe couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
'How can anyone in the world come to propose marriage with the head of a beast?'
However, Zhang Ke's simplicity and filial piety really impressed Ding Yuanhe.
Such kindhearted people are a good match for my daughter!
It's just that he still has something on his mind that he hasn't told Zhang Ke.
"Zhang Jiazi, it's late at night today. Please rest at my house for a few days while I handle this matter.
Hmm, it will take about three days to sort it out, I don’t know if I’d like to stay here temporarily.”
Seeing the embarrassment on Zhang Ke's face, Ding Yuanhe said again:
"Don't worry about your family affairs. I have three hundred-year-old ginseng roots and two three-hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum at home. Tomorrow I will find a famous doctor in the town to bring one of each and many medicines to Zhongcun to treat your father's injury."
Zhang Ke let out a long sigh of relief, bowed and said:
"Thank you so much, member!"
Three days later, Zhang Keju was safe and sound in Ding's house.
Ding Yuanhe sent people to Zhongcun, firstly to treat Zhang Zhiqing's injuries, and secondly to inquire about Zhang Ke's character and information.
And he himself observed Zhang Ke's words and deeds at close range to determine this person's character.
Ding Yuanhe felt greatly comforted by the news fed back from all quarters, and agreed to recruit Zhang Ke as his wife within seven days.
...
Firecrackers are blasting and gongs and drums are noisy.
On the day that Zhang Ke and Ding Xiaoxiao got married, the Ding family held a flowing banquet for seven consecutive days.
During the dinner, Zhang Ke showed no trace of grievance or dissatisfaction. Most of his father's injuries had been cured. Not only did he wake up from his coma, he could barely walk on the ground.
Ding Yuanhe also calculated his capital. Not to mention the preciousness of century-old ginseng, the cost of various medicines to treat injuries alone exceeded two thousand taels of silver.
This made Zhang Ke very grateful to Ding Yuanhe and determined to treat his wife sincerely, which was also Ding Yuanhe's purpose.
Wedding night.
When Zhang Ke lifted the red hijab on the bride's head, the first thing he saw was a head of white hair as silver as snow.
The bride Ding Xiaoxiao's face, which looked like an old man's, could not help but surprise Zhang Ke.
If this was not the case at the Ding family, Zhang Ke would have thought he had been deceived.
Ding Xiaoxiao knew how miserable he looked and didn't even dare to raise his head.
After a while, I heard a gentle voice in my ears.
"Madam, how about I take care of you for the rest of your life?"
Ding Xiaoxiao's eyes filled with mist, and he whispered:
"If you never betray, dependent life and death I will!"
'boom--!'
At this moment, Zhang Ke suddenly seemed to hear another person saying the same words to him in his mind.
A vague figure flashed through my mind, but then the figure was shrouded in fog.
Zhang Ke had a splitting headache that seemed to explode, and he couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead.
Seeing Ding Xiaoxiao's eyes and expression showing panic like a wounded deer, Zhang Ke said softly:
"It's fine."
...
After getting married, due to Ding Xiaoxiao's physical condition, Zhang Ke did not take her home to meet her parents, but only sent a letter back.
Zhang Zhiqing's injury is getting better day by day due to sufficient medication.
But the other four villagers in the village who were also harmed by the 'fire poison' died one after another within half a month.
But Zhang Zhiqing was not in a good mood. He felt that his injury led Zhang Ke to marry Ding's family, which made his son unable to raise his head and lead a good life.
However, as time passed, the Ding family continued to send property to the Zhang family.
Not only did the life of the Zhang family greatly improve, but it also showed that the Ding family valued their son, and Zhang Zhiqing gradually dispelled the haze in his heart.
For the next thirteen years, Zhang Ke lived in the Ding family for a long time, only returning home for a brief reunion with his parents during the Chinese New Year.
In the Ding family, Zhang Ke abides by his duty and does not interfere with any business or personnel affairs of the Ding family. Apart from being with his wife Ding Xiaoxiao every day, he spends the rest of his time traveling to and from the mountains and forests.
But since the day he entered the forest, he has never brought out any prey.
After the news came out, many hunters in Zhongcun secretly lamented that a very good hunter was ruined like this.
Perhaps it was really effective to eliminate evil spirits. Although Ding Xiaoxiao's body did not fully recover, it did not continue to deteriorate. A few years later, he could even walk on the ground for a short time.
Ding Yuanhe and his wife were greatly relieved, and became closer to Zhang Ke.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Zhang Ke doesn't care about what other people think. Apart from a trace of concern for Ding Xiaoxiao, there is only one thing that worries him.
‘Black Thief’
After Zhang Ke got married thirteen years ago, the 'Black Wind Bandit' disappeared after escaping from a government siege.
Until the seventh day of July, 1403 in the lunar calendar, a piece of news broke Zhang Ke's normal life.
The 'Black Wind Thief' appeared again and bloodbathed the 'Zhaojiaji', killing 1,600 people.
Then these 'Black Wind Bandits' fled into 'Cangcheng Mountain' and disappeared.
And ‘Cangcheng Mountain’ is the same mountain that Zhang Ke hunted since he was a child.
That night, Ding Xiaoxiao woke up from his sleep, but Zhang Ke was nowhere to be seen next to him.
Looking around, he saw Zhang Ke standing in front of the window, looking at the stars in the night sky.
On the wooden table next to him, a half-foot-long short bow knotted with black hair lay flat.
This bow took Zhang Ke five years to make by himself. The bow string is twisted from his own hair and is called "Qingsi".
After thirteen years of getting along with each other, Ding Xiaoxiao didn't understand the reason for the frustration in Zhang Ke's heart.
He reluctantly struggled to sit up on the bed. Zhang Ke, who heard the noise, came closer and said dissatisfiedly:
"Why are you getting up? Lie down!"
Ding Xiaoxiao lay down again obediently, looked at Zhang Ke for a while, and then suddenly said:
"Mr. Lang, go into the mountains!"
Zhang Ke was slightly shocked, wondering how his wife could see what he was thinking.
Ding Xiaoxiao said gently:
"Don't worry about me, I will always be at home waiting for you to come back."
He said slightly naughtily:
"But you have to bring me the most beautiful flowers in the mountains."
Zhang Ke was moved and reached out to hold Ding Xiaoxiao's hand.
"Xiao Xiao, take good care of your health. When I come back, your father will have a grandson next year."
Ding Xiaoxiao's face gradually turned red, and a trace of hope and desire flowed into his heart.
...
The next day, when it was still dark, Zhang Ke put on his old clothes, took a short knife, a 'green silk bow' and two bags of arrows and quietly left Ding's house.
On the third day after he left, the 'Black Wind Bandits' suddenly attacked in large numbers. After a fierce battle, Dingjia Town was captured.
The residents of the town were massacred, and of the more than 3,000 people there was not a single survivor left in the town.
Later, Dingjia Town was burned to the ground by the "Black Wind Bandits" with a fire.
Zhang Ke searched for several days in Cangcheng Mountain. Although he found signs of a large gathering of people, he was unable to find the whereabouts of the Black Wind Bandit.
When he reluctantly left Cangcheng Mountain and returned to Dingjia Town, he was shocked by the still-burning town in front of him.
Zhang Ke frantically rushed into Dingjia Town. Everywhere he looked were stumps, broken arms and burnt corpses of residents.
But when he came to the door of Ding's house, his heart sank to the bottom.
The door was opened to the outside, and the corpses of servants and guards lay scattered at the door. There were obvious signs of damage everywhere, which meant that when Ding's house was broken into, the people inside did not have time to retreat.
When he entered the burned house with only its frame remaining, he saw a charred corpse lying on the bed.
Zhang Ke's vision suddenly went dark, and he fell to the ground in a dizzying state.
After a while, he struggled to get up and came to the bed, carefully identifying the body, but the body had already been charred, and it was impossible to tell who it was.
With trembling hands, Zhang Ke pulled off a strand of hair from the burnt corpse's head, which was not completely burned. The white roots left Zhang Ke without any luck.
"Ah~~~!"
He howled like a wounded lone wolf and rushed out of the house.