Chapter 1: Childhood Chapter 1: Mischievous

  Leaving Zujia Village, Yuan Huan and Da Gou and Er Gou, the four of them walked towards their own village.

  Yuán Hào's mind had been preoccupied with this matter, and for a moment he was lost in thought. Unaware, his foot tripped over a stone, almost causing him to fall.

  The big dog's eyes were sharp, and he immediately grabbed Yuan Huan, saying: "Huan brother, I said you've been thinking about something all along the way, so absorbed in thought that you almost fell down without realizing it. Could it be because of what those few little brats said earlier?"

  "Really? Do you guys think they're telling the truth or lying? If it's true, how about we four go together to learn from them?"

  "Alright, I was worried that no one would teach me. If I learn martial arts, just watch me take down Huang Jia's bully first. He knows how to bully men and women, humph. When the time comes, I'll definitely beat him until he's crawling on the ground looking for his teeth, and make him kneel like a grandson begging me." The speaker is Er Gou (Second Dog), because his mother was bullied by Huang Ba Tian, that evil tyrant, in her early years, and couldn't bear the humiliation, so she jumped into the river to kill herself. Normally, as soon as this matter is mentioned, Da Gou (Big Dog) and Er Gou would grit their teeth and clench their fists.

  "It's good, but this matter, still needs to be done slowly." The speaker is Da Gou, the older brother of Er Gou.

  Yuan Hui heard that it was also right, this worship, that's also a skill, can't be sloppy. At least have to prepare. Thinking of this, Yuan Hui stopped and didn't move, then said to Da Gou, Er Gou and Da Sha: Let's go to the broken temple behind the village to discuss this matter.

  After finishing speaking, the four people went straight to the broken temple.

  "Big dog, you're clever, tell us, what's this about becoming a disciple? What should we prepare and how to do it?"

  The big dog often comes up with a ghost idea, and several brothers call him 'Dog Head Military Adviser'.

  "This is about becoming an apprentice, and it's all about fate, first of all. After all, whether we have the foundation or not, it's not up to us to say, it depends on the master; secondly, when becoming an apprentice, we must also observe etiquette, such as giving gifts, money and so on; finally, learning martial arts requires talent, and another thing is that we must be willing to suffer hardship. As the saying goes, 'summer training in the hottest days, winter training in the coldest days'."

  After hearing what Da Gou said, Yuan Huan thought about it and indeed felt that it was reasonable. However, this money, our families are not wealthy, where can we get the money from?

  "Hey, right! That barefoot doctor Wang Daifu didn't take 10 bucks from my old man last time, did he? I'll go get the money back from him and that's it. But 8 of those 10 bucks were earned honestly, only 2 bucks are left, and these few days haven't passed yet to pick them up. Let's see if there's a way to get all 10 bucks back intact, or even extort some more, so the four of us can have money to go apprentice."

  Yuan Huan asked a question that left the three of them bewildered. "You three, excluding Big Fool, do you know if there's anything shady about the village's barefoot doctor, Wang?"

  Two dogs listened, touched the back of their heads and said: "Hao brother, what do you mean by this? Whether someone has something that can't be seen or not, how would we know? We're not his relatives or friends, nor do we live together every day."

  The big dog knew what Yuan Hua was thinking in his heart and only asked one sentence: "Hua brother, do you mean to get some money from Wang Daifu?"

  Indeed, you're a military strategist; with just one hint, everything becomes clear.

  "As far as I know, Wang Dafu goes to that widow's place on Half Mountain every week. I've seen him several times when I went with Er Gou to cut firewood on Half Mountain, being all secretive and suspicious, I reckon there must be something fishy going on."

  "That's it." Yuan Huan was overjoyed when he heard this, what a timely rain! Now, would he still worry about not getting the handle?

  "Haha, Wang Dafu, this time I'll make you spit out everything with interest. Is the money from my family's Yuanhao also something you can take at will?" After finishing speaking, a sinister smile appeared on his face.

  "So, Big Dog and Second Dog, you two just suffer a bit for the next few days, keep an eye on that Wang Daifu, especially when he goes to that widow's house again. You must tell me as soon as possible. Whether we can successfully apprentice this time depends on whether we can get our hands on Wang Daifu's handle. Once we get the money, we can learn martial arts. At that time, let's see who dares to bully us in these ten villages. That Huang Ba Tian will be waiting for us to clean his butt."

  "Alright, Brother Hao, leave this matter to me and Er Gou. Within a week, we'll make him show his true colors."

  These kids chatted for over two hours, and before they knew it, it was time to eat. They all dispersed, each returning home to find their mothers.

  "Where have you run off to again, not even a shadow of you can be found all day. Your old man told you to go to Wang's place and get those two dollars back, how many days has it been? Have you forgotten about this?"

  "Oh dear, I've been quite busy these past few days, I'll go as soon as I have some free time."

  "Nonsense, you little brat, what's the hurry? Take a break and go prepare dinner."

  "Alright, mom."

  He agreed with his mother verbally, but his mind was still thinking about how to do it better. After all, this wasn't just a minor scuffle, he would be facing a villain from the village.

  First of all, this matter must be done secretly. Many details need to be considered carefully, otherwise it will not only fail but also bring a lot of trouble to the family.

  Wang Xiangyang is not a person without background, he is the younger brother of Wang Meifeng, the wife of the village head. His wife is the daughter of the town's finance bureau chief, and this relationship is very strong. Moreover, his wife is notorious for being shrewd. Even if evidence was obtained, it would be impossible to directly ask Wang Xiangyang for money.

  That's a bit of a hassle.

  The first step is to confirm whether Wang Xiangyang has any involvement with that woman, and then create chaos, obtain some evidence such as clothes or documents.

  The second step is that we can't directly go to his door and ask for it, but rather play a psychological game with him, making him feel guilty and fearful first, and then propose our conditions, so as not to make him desperate and jump over the wall.

  The final step is to shut his mouth, make him eat bitter melon and have no way to express his grievances. Isn't he afraid of his wife? Then we'll use her as a shield, I'm sure he won't speak out of turn everywhere.

  Secondly, when the time comes to create chaos, we can't just rush in and catch them in the act. We need to use momentum, for example by letting Da Shuai pretend to be a member of the neighborhood watch team. Then we'll make a big noise, and Wang Xiangyang will definitely not dare to leave through the front door. After that, we'll put some goose eggs on the roof, and it would be strange if he doesn't sprain his ankle when jumping down from the wall.

  This way, we can create the opportunity we want. I believe that with his anxiety and tension, he will definitely make a mistake. So, haha, sorry about that, Wang Xiangyang.

  This first step is too crucial, it's a pity for Da Gou and Er Gou.

  I don't know when this guy will show up, it's going to be a long and arduous task.

  Yuan Hao thought, and then asked his mother to prepare more potatoes, corn, eggs, buns and so on, saying that they were for Da Gou's family, who had been under a lot of pressure lately.

  Since the mother of Da Gou and Er Gou jumped into the river, their family's life has been very difficult. Huinai's mother also knew this, and when she heard her son say so, she was deeply moved. She knew that the three of them had a very good relationship in normal times.

  Without saying another word, I started preparing the food for them. After finishing, I instructed them to bring it over and also asked them to pass on a message to invite Dong Sheng's father to visit when he has time.

  Met Da Gou and Er Gou, Yuan Huan added many details he thought of, and stuffed all the things his mother had prepared into their mouths.

  Dà gǒu hé èr gǒu jiàn dào huǎng gē duì zì jǐ nà me hǎo, dōu shí fēn liǎo gǎndòng.

  Translation:

  The big dog and the second dog were very moved to see that Huáng brother was so good to them.

  "Alright, you guys have worked hard for these few days, don't expose yourselves at all costs. Remember to bring two quilts from home, it's cold at night."

  "Alright, don't worry, Brother Hua. We'll be careful. Just wait and see, this time we will definitely expose the evil deeds of Wang Evil Doctor."

  That night, Da Gou and Er Gou began to prepare the necessary items. They brought quilts, and then, together with Da Sha, they carried a large bag of goose eggs, big and small, all of which were laid out behind the woman's house. They also cut some branches and inserted them around the perimeter, forming a barrier.

  The work "Life's Ups and Downs" has undergone significant additions and deletions due to plot requirements.

  I hope everyone will like it.

  Wish you all a smooth work and a happy life!