Chapter 165 Hiding Merit and Fame (2/2)

Two bright gas lamps hissed as they hung high on a wooden pole, illuminating the entire area as if it were daytime.

Under the lamplight, two wolves, a large and a small wild boar, seven or eight rabbits, and five or six pheasants were lined up in a row, their blood dripping onto the straw mat. The stench of wild animals mixed with the smell of blood wafted in the cold air, far from frightening; instead, it whetted everyone's appetite.

Meat!

All that white, fluffy meat!

The villagers surrounded them in layers, craning their necks and their eyes gleaming with greed.

"My God, this wild boar must weigh at least four or five hundred pounds!"

"Look at those wolf fangs, tsk tsk, they could chew a person's bones to pieces!"

"Jianshe and Licheng are really capable. If I were to go up the mountain, my legs would cramp up!"

In the crowd, Liu Cuihua's triangular eyes darted around. She pouted, nudged Chen Dazui next to her with her elbow, and said sourly:

"What's so great about it? It's just good luck. I think there's something fishy going on here!"

Chen Dazui's eyes were practically glued to the wild boar meat, so he had no time to pay attention to her and just casually hummed in agreement.

Seeing that she wasn't taking the bait, Liu Cuihua became even more emboldened. She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "I heard that none of the educated youth Yan went up the mountain this time! Isn't that strange? His little brother Yu Hao went, but he's just staying home, cuddling with his wife and enjoying himself. When they distribute the meat later, let's see if he'll have the nerve to come and collect it!"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the people around her to hear clearly.

Someone immediately chimed in: "Exactly! If they won't go to these good opportunities to make a name for themselves, they're probably afraid of dying!"

“That’s not necessarily true. I heard that it was Yan, the educated youth, who later went up the mountain and rescued them,” a young woman couldn’t help but retort in a low voice.

"Who are you listening to!" Liu Cuihua glared. "If he really had that ability, why didn't he go earlier? I think Li Jianshe and his gang just made up some nice-sounding stories to get a bigger share!"

These words struck a chord with many people, and the surrounding chatter grew even louder.

Team leader Chen Fengshan and former Party Secretary Chen Zhangmin stood in the middle of the crowd, with production team leader Chen Defu and accountant Li Heping beside them. The group was looking at the ledgers and comparing scales.

Li Jianshe had no obvious external injuries, and apart from being a little pale, he seemed to be in good spirits.

Hearing the gossip below, his face turned red with anger. Just as he was about to step forward to argue, Chen Fengshan grabbed him.

"People can say whatever they want," Chen Fengshan said calmly. "Justice will prevail. Besides, didn't Yan Zhiqing say not to mention him? He doesn't want a share of the meat. Just remember to save the hind leg of the deer and send it to him."

After saying that, he picked up the brass whistle hanging around his neck, took a deep breath, and blew it hard.

"Beep—!"

A sharp whistle pierced the night sky, instantly silencing all the buzzing chatter.

The threshing ground suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chen Fengshan cleared his throat, and his loud voice echoed in everyone's ears: "Folks! Quiet down! Let me say a few words!"

"Today, our brigade hunted wolves and boars—this is a great event! What does it show? It shows that the young men of our Jixiang Brigade are brave and capable!"

A cheer of "Good!" immediately erupted from the crowd.

"But!" Chen Fengshan's tone shifted abruptly, his face darkening and becoming extremely serious. "Behind this joyous occasion lies the sacrifice of our commune members! Wei Dong, Li Cheng, and a few others are still injured and lying in the clinic!"

"This time when we went up the mountain, we encountered a pack of wolves! More than a dozen wolves that were starving!"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in the crowd.

The villagers, who had just been all smiles and laughing, suddenly froze.

Instead, a profound sense of lingering fear and shock filled the air. (This chapter has been read. Please click to continue reading the next chapter!)