1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

The weather is gradually warming up, and it's not as cold outside as it was during the first month of the lunar calendar.

But the snow still hasn't melted; the thawing is still a long way off.

Chen Gaoshan squatted at the gate of the courtyard, rubbing his hands. He had already figured out the situation outside from his father Chen Laonian's rambling chatter.

Those Japanese devils were driven away last autumn.

But now the villagers are settled by Russians, who stay for more than half a year.

If we calculate the exact date, it should be the end of February 2046.

The Lunar New Year is long over; it's been almost two months since the first month of the lunar calendar ended.

Tomorrow is the 28th of February, and there will be a big market day in town.

We have plenty of wild boar meat, roe deer meat, and other meats stored at home from last year, but we're quite short on small daily necessities.

Needles and thread, as well as cotton and fabric.

Chen Gaoshan plans to go to the market in Fuping Town with his father tomorrow.

If Xinghua and Lianhua really get pregnant and have children, the family won't even have a small quilt or clothes. Adults are used to being rough around the edges; they'll just make do with what they have all year round and get by.

But newborn babies are so tender, they can't afford to be careless.

Besides that, there's another plan.

If you're lucky, you can buy a Type 38 rifle and a few hundred rounds of ammunition, then you'll be set. You won't have to worry about hunting in the mountains or guarding your home anymore.

As for why the women in the family are not allowed to go out and go to the market with them...

There were bearded men coming down from the mountains from time to time, and there were also old, slovenly soldiers outside who would snatch young women and wives, drag them aside, and then abuse them.

They chased away one after another, and each one they chased away was ruined.

Anyone who dares to let their wife or daughter out of the house is practically asking for trouble; being scolded or beaten is the least of their worries.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, the father and son boarded their own horse-drawn sled and headed towards town.

The sled was covered with dry grass and piled with a jumble of things: five roe deer skins, one wolf skin, and ten rabbit skins. There were also two baskets of dried mushrooms, hazelnuts, and walnuts, all of which were intended to be taken to town to be exchanged for oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, cloth, and cotton.

Old Chen waved his whip, flicking it lightly against the horse's body to urge it forward.

Chen Gaoshan had been holding back all the way, but finally couldn't help asking.

"Dad, are there still any Russians living in town these days?"

Old Chen spat.

"How could there not be! Those despicable bastards, when they first came here last year, they were completely insane. They would chase after any young woman or married woman they saw on the street, and then rape them in public without any regard for others! Otherwise, why do you think those old women in town would shave their heads bald and wear men's big cotton-padded coats and baggy pants?"

"It's only because our village is remote, far from the town, hidden deep in the mountains. If it were closer, your mother, Xinghua, and Lianhua would all have to shave their heads bald, wear men's clothes, smear their faces with soot from the bottom of a pot, and then rub some chicken droppings on them before they could even show their faces!"

"Father, how come they can't tell that woman is wearing men's clothes?"

"Bullshit, it's a damn figure eight. The Russians couldn't tell at first, but they got the hang of it and started touching it with their hands."

He got angrier and angrier as he talked.

"When they first came, we were all naive and hoped they were good people who came to support us! But what happened? They weren't even human; they were a bunch of heartless bastards who made life miserable for the people! They would steal food and take whatever they could find."

Last year, when I went to town with your Uncle Chunlei to haul grain, do you remember the pocket watch I traded for a bear skin? Those Russians stole it, and we had no recourse!

"Do you remember the old girl from Uncle Er's family in our village? She was born with blue eyes and a high nose; her features didn't look like anyone from around here at all. That's a remnant from the first time the Russians came to visit, back in the Year of the Rat. Now, this is the second time they've come to wreak havoc on people!"

The image of the second uncle's little girl immediately came to mind clearly in Chen Gaoshan's mind.

In terms of seniority, I should call her "Auntie," and she has always looked different from the other people in the village.

He smacked his lips. "So, that old lady has Russian blood in her veins? Second Uncle... he's a real tough guy, it's not easy for him to take on this."

"What else can we do? This isn't your second aunt's fault. Blame those heartless Russians. With a knife to their throats, the common people have no choice but to fight back."

"Your second uncle is indeed a real man. Other men in the village might not be able to handle it. He dared to raise this child by his side and take this daughter as his own. He is already a true man."

He looked around again.

"I don't know what's wrong with those Russians lately, they've been much quieter than before, not looting and causing trouble everywhere. A few days ago, a peddler who travels from village to village came to our village and secretly told me that the Russians have had enough looting and are now hauling away our grain, timber, and iron, cartload after cart, to their own territory. They're going to plunder this place clean!"

Chen Gaoshan sat on the sled, his hands tucked into his sleeves, listening to his father talk about the awful things happening outside, his heart seething with hatred.

Whether it was the days of the little dog or the days of the old Russians, they're all cut from the same cloth. They run off to other people's territory and do all sorts of disgusting things; not one of them is any good.

If he gets the chance, he'll definitely pull off a big heist, teach these outsiders a lesson, and take back everything they've stolen.

Those things originally belonged to us, so even if he takes them back, it's perfectly justified and he has no conscience whatsoever.

He has been in this place for a whole month now. Apart from accidentally killing two sly creatures that came down the mountain, this space has never been of any use.

The house is only so big, and everything is limited; there's nothing of value that he can store in his spatial storage.

Putting everything else aside, just look at his mother. She has such sharp eyes that she can spot even the smallest missing needle or piece of cloth in the house immediately. Being watched like this, he has no way to use his talents, and just thinking about it makes him feel incredibly frustrated.

He wasn't sure if he would ever find an opportunity to use this space again. The world was in such a mess right now; it would be good enough if he could protect his family. He would just have to take it one step at a time.

Thinking about self-defense tools.

"Dad, if only we had a Type 38 rifle. Our homemade guns are so useless. We have to stop and reload after every shot. It's a hassle, and in an emergency, we can't keep up at all."

Chen Laonian turned his head and glanced at him.

"Don't worry, I've had this on my mind for a while. I've already asked your Uncle Chunlei to ask around in town. It's not just about getting the Type 38 rifles; it would be best if we could also get a couple of Mauser pistols. These days, with war and chaos, and even the mountain folk, we don't dare go far without a handy weapon. We feel anxious just going out."

When Chen Laonian went to the market this time, he didn't bring the silver dollars he had saved at home. He hid them away, and only he and his mother knew about them.

This time I brought Russian tickets.