Chapter 29: The Zhang Brothers

Xiao Tao pondered for a moment and replied, "My dad didn't say, but I guess it must be at least two or three hundred! Even though his gun is an old model, that barrel is a new one that's only been used for less than two years; he had someone get it from the Union Protection Team!"

"If he didn't say, how do you know it's at least two or three hundred?"

Xiao Tao spread his hands and answered, "Because my dad only managed to save 170 yuan. He kept muttering that the money was still a bit short, not quite enough. He was even hesitating about whether to ask your dad for a loan, but my mom said your uncle's leg was injured and your family's finances were tight, so they dropped the idea for now... If they had enough money, they would have bought the gun long ago!"

Yue Feng nodded, acknowledging Xiao Tao's analysis.

"Alright, let's earn a few more days. Once we've made enough money and the timing is right, we'll buy that barrel gun!"

In his heart, Yue Feng already considered the gun in Chen Pao's hands to be as good as his own.

The two brothers walked back together and, before they knew it, had arrived home.

Because they had lost some time at the supply and marketing cooperative, it was already 8:20 PM by the time they returned to the village.

From a distance, Yue Feng saw two familiar figures waiting under the large elm tree behind Xiao Tao's house. Looking closer, it was the brothers, Zhang Xiaowen and Zhang Xiaowu.

Both brothers were somewhat thin, standing about 175 cm tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. They wore blue tunics with patches on obvious areas like the elbows and shoulders, though the clothes were washed very clean.

"Xiaowen, Xiaowu!!!" Xiao Tao spotted his good friends and called out from dozens of meters away.

Hearing the call, the two brothers turned around.

"Xiao Tao, Brother Feng, you're back from town?" Xiaowen was the same age as Xiao Tao, but his manner of dealing with people was noticeably more mature.

Without needing explanation, Yue Feng knew what it meant: Xiao Tao must have told them yesterday about making money by hunting with hawks, and the brothers had come early to wait.

Yue Feng smiled and nodded. "You've been waiting a while, haven't you? Don't just stand here; come to my house for a quick meeting! Xiao Tao, come over once you've put your things down!"

"Oh!"

Upon entering Yue Feng's house, the two brothers respectfully greeted Yue Feng's parents. Yue Feng ushered them into his western bedroom.

The newly bought fruit and candies were unpacked and placed on the table. Soon, his mother, Meng Yulan, brought over sweet water with added white sugar for Xiaowen and Xiaowu.

"Xiaowen, Xiaowu, have some water! When you come to your auntie's house, treat it like your own!"

"Thank you, Auntie!" the brothers thanked her repeatedly.

"I don't know much about hawk hunting, so you boys figure it out among yourselves. I'm here, so don't feel constrained! If you need anything, Xiao Feng, just call me!" After a brief greeting, Meng Yulan pushed the door open and went out.

Soon, Xiao Tao arrived, and everyone was gathered.

With the four young men in the room, Yue Feng didn't rush into business. Instead, he placed the freshly opened snacks in front of the brothers.

"Xiao Tao and I bought some fruit in town. Try some!"

Neither of the brothers ate the fruit in front of them. Xiaowen was the first to break the silence, asking, "Brother Feng, I heard from Xiao Tao that if we go up the mountain with you to hunt with hawks, we can make money!"

Yue Feng nodded. "Xiao Tao should have told you the general situation. I want to organize a group of reliable people, teach you how to hunt with hawks, and then sell the caught flying dragons, sand chickens, and such in the city. I've already secured a market!"

"But we don't have any hawks!" the younger brother, Xiaowu, also asked.

Yue Feng replied, "Don't worry about that. Now that the Cold Dew period has passed, it's the season for catching hawks. I've already prepared the nets and decoys; we'll head up the mountain to set the nets in a bit! You don't need to worry about training the hawks either. My dad and I will handle the initial taming, then we'll take you into the mountains for a few days of practical training. Once the hawks are settled and you've learned the ropes, you'll be able to go up the mountain and hunt independently!"

"There's one more thing I need to ask clearly. Brother Feng, don't think I'm being too practical, but if everything goes as smoothly as you say and we sell the prey, how will the money be split?" Xiaowen pressed, bracing himself.

Xiaowen was a straightforward person who said what was on his mind and did what he said; asking about the profits directly suited his character.

Yue Feng answered, "I am responsible for providing the hawks and the market for the prey, and you are responsible for hunting. After I sell the prey caught by each of you, we will split the proceeds fifty-fifty! Today, when Xiao Tao and I went to town, the flying dragons sold for one yuan each! If the market price changes later, we will decide based on the actual situation!"

Hearing Yue Feng's proposed distribution, Xiaowu's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean, catching one flying dragon earns us fifty cents?!"

This was no small amount. When the brothers weren't working in the fields, they would take on odd jobs around the village; even a good employer would only pay thirty cents a day.

By comparison, Yue Feng's offer was incredibly generous. Even if each brother only caught one flying dragon a day, they would earn much more than doing odd jobs.

"No way! That's not how money is split when partnering for a hunt; it's against the rules!!" Xiaowen looked at his brother with dissatisfaction and directly rejected Yue Feng's proposal.

Xiao Tao chimed in, "I also think that split isn't quite right. You're leading us to make money, providing the hawks, teaching the skills, and handling the sales. You should be getting the lion's share!"

Hearing his friends' stance, Yue Feng felt a warmth in his heart. His intentional test of a fifty-fifty split actually made him feel a bit petty.

To remain unmoved by profit and prioritize rules and fairness—these were the kind of people one could truly call brothers for a lifetime.

If no one had contested the 50/50 split just now, Yue Feng wouldn't have changed the ratio, but his cooperation with them would have ended at small-scale hunting. He wouldn't have brought them along for the larger hunts in winter.

Yue Feng looked at Xiaowen and asked, "Xiaowen, how do you think it should be split?"

Xiaowen thought for a moment and said, "In recent years, Xiaowu and I have sometimes followed local hunters up the mountain to do manual labor during the winter, so I know a bit about the rules. According to the rules for large-scale hunts, the prey profit is distributed as follows: the leader gets two shares, the lead dog gets one share, the three assisting dogs get one share, the gunner gets one share, the assistants get one share, and if there's an informant, they get one share! Our hawk hunting is different from their large-scale hunts, but the principle is the same. We don't have guns or dogs, but we have hawks. Personally, I think a fair plan would be: the hawk counts as one share, the skill of teaching hawk hunting counts as one share, the person bringing the hawk up the mountain counts as one share, and the person selling the prey in town counts as one share! What do you think? That would be four shares total, with each share being 25%."

While asking the others, Xiaowen gave his brother Xiaowu a sharp look before returning his gaze to Xiao Tao with softness.

Xiaowu realized his brother was correcting his lapse in composure, so he nodded along with Xiao Tao, saying in unison, "I think Xiaowen (my brother) is right!"

Yue Feng pondered for a few seconds and offered a compromise: "How about this: the hawks were caught with me, so we won't count that as a separate share. That makes three shares total. I'll take two shares, and each of you will get 33% of the value of the prey you personally catch! Everyone likes money, but I believe there are things in this world more important than money. Following the rules is fine, but there should also be a bit of human touch. Don't let money make your relationships cold and clinical. What do you say, Xiaowen?"

Xiaowen fell silent for two seconds, as if struggling internally. Meeting Yue Feng's gaze, he nodded. "Fine, we'll go with Brother Feng's way!"

"We'll go with Brother Feng too!" Xiao Tao and Xiaowu echoed.

Seeing that they had reached an agreement on the split, Yue Feng continued

"But don't get happy too early. I have more rules to tell you!"

"Tell us, Brother Feng!"

"For now, the only ones hunting with hawks to make money will be you two, Xiao Tao, and my Uncle Li—five of us in total! Hawk training is a family skill. Aside from our own group, you must not tell anyone the details of how to hunt with hawks! And don't show off when you make money. Earn it quietly so the villagers don't get envious!"

"Understood. Xiaowu and I are tight-lipped; we won't say anything we shouldn't!" Xiaowen agreed without hesitation.

Yue Feng glanced at the wall clock. "Alright, it's settled! We'll go set the nets first, then I'll take you for a walk around Erjiazi Gully for some basic training! We'll eat lunch at my house, and your auntie will make us something delicious!"

"Alright, we'll do whatever you say!"

Soon, Yue Feng led the other three, carrying the riding cage nets, decoys, and the hawk, Daqingyao, out of the village toward the small woods by the river where they had caught the hawk last time.

Since they had left home a bit late today, Daqingyao's stomach was empty. Being hungry, the hawk was very spirited. As soon as Yue Feng's hawk left the village, he noticed several Eurasian Jays perched in an elm tree by the roadside, chirping incessantly.

While they weren't the target prey, they would certainly serve as food for the hawk. Yue Feng walked forward a few steps and quickly demonstrated his skill to the brothers by releasing the hawk.

Eurasian Jays are not particularly skilled flyers. With a distance of about fifteen meters, Daqingyao flew low to the ground. It was only when it was within ten meters that the jays noticed it. Before they could fly far, Daqingyao performed a graceful mid-air flip and snatched one right out of the sky.

The brothers had never seen such a spectacle and couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Yue Feng let Daqingyao eat some of the jay to settle its stomach, then explained how to use the glove to cover the talons and how to remove the prey and hide it in a pocket.

After handling the first prey, Yue Feng led the three boys to the woods by the river.

Last time, they only had one set of torn nets, but this time, Yue Feng had brought three full net panels.

The woods near their doorstep were the best spot for catching young hawks. Yue Feng selected three locations to set the nets, then, with the hawk on his hand, led the three boys up the gentle slope of Erjiazi Gully.