Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The person outside the courtyard gate knocked twice more.

"Tap, tap."

"Zhao! It's me!"

Upon hearing the accent, Zhao Shanhe raised his eyelids, got up, walked over, and pulled the courtyard gate shut.

Standing outside the door was indeed Ivanov.

The old Russian was wearing a thick woolen overcoat, a gray scarf haphazardly wrapped around his neck, his nose red from the cold, and he was carrying a bulging bag in each hand. He stood at the door grinning at him.

Zhao Shanhe was taken aback when he saw it was him, then asked, "Ivan?"

"Why are you here?"

Ivanov laughed and lifted the bag in his hand: "Of course I'm here to thank you."

"I've been staying with Sun, waiting for you to come back. When I heard you were back, I thought I had to come and see my friend no matter what."

Zhao Shanhe glanced at him twice, and the corners of his mouth relaxed a little: "Okay, let's come in first and talk."

"It's cold outside."

Ivanov nodded repeatedly, picked up his things, and walked into the yard, muttering, "Cold, so cold!"

"The wind here is just like the wind in Siberia; it feels like a knife when it hits your face."

Zhao Shanhe closed the courtyard gate, glanced back at the two bags in his hands, and casually asked, "What are you carrying?"

Ivanov grinned and said, "Just a little thing."

"Liquor, sugar, and a little Soviet stuff. It's not worth much, it's just a token of our appreciation."

As soon as the two entered the courtyard, Lin Xiu also looked over from the entrance of the main room.

She immediately spotted a tall, burly Russian man carrying a bunch of things. She paused for a moment, then looked at Zhao Shanhe: "Shanhe, what's this—"

Zhao Shanhe stepped forward and said, "This is my friend, Ivanov."

Upon hearing the word "friend," Ivanov's smile widened, and he immediately nodded to Lin Xiu, saying somewhat awkwardly, "Hello, hello."

"Zhao, you're lucky."

"A virtuous wife, a fire in the house, and steam rising from the pot—that's what makes a home."

"Unlike my husband, who sits by the stove eating black bread as soon as winter comes. He'll take a bite and then scold me, take two bites and then scold me again."

"Now she sits down like a sack of potatoes, and when she stands up she has to catch her breath."

"But her mouth doesn't get tired at all; she can still nag me from morning till night."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Sometimes I'd rather be caught and sent to the Gulag to dig snow than sit at home listening to her nag me."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu was taken aback for a moment.

She probably didn't quite understand what "Gulag" meant, but judging from Ivanov's suffering expression, she knew it wasn't a good place.

Her lips twitched slightly; she tried to hold back, but couldn't, and smiled through her pursed lips.

She lowered her head and brushed the stray hairs behind her ear, her voice softening as she said, "Let's go inside."

"It's cold outside. No matter how much you talk, standing there for too long will make you feel cold."

Upon hearing this, Ivanov immediately clapped his hands and grinned at Zhao Shanhe, saying, "See, Zhao!" "Your wife really knows how to talk!"

As soon as Ivanov entered the room, before he even had a chance to sit down, he put two bulging bags on the table.

With nimble hands, he unfastened the bag, and "whoosh!" a pile of colorful foreign bags fell onto the table.

There were candies in tin boxes, chocolates wrapped in shiny paper, and several cans of cookies, coffee, and meat with foreign writing on them. The table was quickly covered, and he almost knocked the two empty bowls to the ground.

Lin Xiu stood to the side, stunned for a moment.

She had never seen so many fancy foreign foods in her life; the colors on the packaging alone were dazzling.

Seeing her expression, Ivanov's nose almost popped out in smugness as he chuckled as he pulled out the package: "American-made!"

"Great stuff! It's sweet, kids love it, and women love it too."

After he finished speaking, he looked down and rummaged through his bag again, this time pulling out two small tin boxes and several round and square bottles and jars.

He pushed the items toward Lin Xiu: "Face wipes, hand wipes, and soap, all American-made."

"Using this in winter keeps my hands from cracking and my face from getting dry. It's much better than the stuff you guys use here."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu quickly waved her hand, "This is too valuable, I can't accept it."

"Hey—" Ivanov immediately raised his hand to stop him: "Don't say that."

"Zhao helped me a lot before, what's this little thing?"

After he finished speaking, he looked down and rummaged through his bag again, this time carefully pulling out a cardboard box from the very back.

The box wasn't big, and the outside was printed with a circle of colorful pictures.

Ivanov opened the box, and inside was a small, palm-sized wind-up bear.

The little bear was wearing red overalls, had a round face, and a small bell hanging on its chest. After winding it up, its two short legs could waddle forward, and the bell would jingle after a few steps.

Ivanov held the little gadget in his hand and shook it, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "This is for the child."

"German toys, when wound up, will run by themselves and make a sound."

"No child would dislike this."

Lin Xiu was truly stunned this time, and subconsciously glanced in Zhao Shanhe's direction. She had never even seen such a thing before, let alone bought it.

Ivanov, as if that wasn't enough, pushed the food and utensils on the table forward and grinned at Zhao Shanhe:

"These are all for my family."

"Zhao, don't worry."

"I know you don't care for these sweet and fragrant things, but I've prepared something for you anyway."

As he spoke, he reached into his coat, pulled out a flat, rectangular box, and placed it on the table.

Once the lid was lifted, a watch lay quietly inside.

The dial is jet black and shiny, with a fine ring of markings around the outer edge. The crystal reflects a cold light, and the strap is a thick black leather strap with a clasp and edges that are polished to a very sharp finish.

Ivanov picked up the watch, shook it in his hand, and narrowed his eyes: "A diving watch."

"Made in Germany, waterproof, sturdy, and even glows in the dark."

"You can go into the mountains, set traps, and stake out locations, and you can check the time with just a wave of your hand. You're not afraid even if it's cloudy."

As he spoke, he tapped the bezel with his finger and said proudly, "This can even tell directions."

"When the forest is deep, when it snows, when the sky is overcast, and when your eyes can't see clearly, this thing is very useful."

Zhao Shanhe glanced down at the screen, about to speak, when Ivanov raised his hand to stop him, his smile deepening: "Don't be in such a hurry."

"That's not all." "I've also prepared a truly great gift for you."

As he spoke, he pulled the large bag closer and carefully pulled out a long cloth bag from the very inside.

The cloth was untied layer by layer.

What was exposed inside was a bolt-action shotgun with a scope.

The gun barrel wasn't long, but its lines were extremely clean, and its entire body was covered with a layer of dark, cold light. The wooden stock was oily and shiny, as if it had been rubbed by hand for countless years. The handguard and stock fit together perfectly, with no loose or sagging metal parts. Even the sound of the bolt being pulled back and forth was clean and crisp.

The scope rested firmly on the gun, its barrel blackened and its edges finely polished.

Ivanov held the gun with both hands, his playful smile fading, and he became unusually serious: "Here, take this."

"Good stuff from the Izhevsk factory in the Soviet Union."

"7.62 caliber, long bullet, with scope."

"You're accurate at 100 meters. At 200 meters, as long as your hand is steady, you can still keep your aim down."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently patted the gun, a hint of smugness in his eyes that only an expert would have: "This isn't one of those pieced-together junk guns over there."

"The bolt is steady, the firepower is strong, and the scope is bright. It can withstand overcast skies, snow reflections, and fog in the forest."

"Hunting foxes and wolves is nothing; when it comes to a big catch, it's not afraid either."

At this point, Ivanov looked up at Zhao Shanhe and grinned, "Zhao."

"You're the most skilled hunter I've ever seen; this gun is perfect for you!"

Zhao Shanhe did not speak immediately.

He reached out and took the gun.

The moment he got his hands on the gun, his eyes changed slightly.

It's a good gun.

Zhao Shanhe raised his hand, slung the gun over his shoulder, pressed his eye to the scope, and glanced in the direction of the courtyard gate.

It was just getting light. On a withered branch of the old locust tree outside the courtyard, a gray sparrow was perched, hopping around with its neck tucked in.

Ivanov, who had been laughing, suddenly brightened up when he saw Zhao Shanhe's action and instinctively held his breath.

The next second—

"Bang!"

As soon as the gunshot rang out, the sparrow on the treetop didn't even flutter before it plummeted to the ground.

The courtyard fell silent. Lin Xiudu's shoulders jerked slightly from the gunshot, and when she came to her senses, she saw that the sparrow had already fallen into the snow at the base of the wall.

Ivanov was taken aback at first, then slapped his thigh and grinned, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "Good!"

"Zhao, excellent marksmanship!"

Zhao Shanhe lowered the muzzle of his gun, and a slight relaxation finally appeared on his face.

He glanced down at the gun again, lightly rubbed his palm on the wooden stock, and then looked up at Ivanov: "This gift is far too precious."

Thanks.

Upon hearing this, Ivanov immediately waved his hand and laughed generously: "There's no need for thanks between friends."

"Zhao, I remember you helping me before."

Zhao Shanhe didn't exchange any more pleasantries with him, only turning back to glance at Lin Xiu: "Xiuer."

"Put these things away for now."

Lin Xiu responded and then stepped forward to collect the American snacks, skin creams, and trinkets from the table one by one.

She was quick and efficient, and without asking any questions, she simply put the wind-up toy and a few small tin boxes aside, then took the gun and gently placed it in the most secure spot on the kang table.

After she had packed up most of the things, she said in a low voice, "I'll go boil some water and chop some vegetables."

"You two speak first."

After saying that, she turned and went into the inner room with her things, making room for them. The room became quieter.

A gust of wind slipped in through the crack in the courtyard gate, making the paper windows rustle softly. Ivanov's smile slowly faded.

He glanced at the doorway first, then turned back to stare at Zhao Shanhe's face, which still showed signs of a sleepless night. His gray-blue eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered slightly: "Zhao."

"Are you in trouble?"