The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Chapter 39 Follow the Rules

Seeing that Lin Dachun not only didn't back down but also gripped his hunting rifle tightly with a fierce look in his eyes, the three scarred men were momentarily wary.

They had heard of the power of the old hunting rifle; at such close range, a single shot was no joke.

But they were reluctant to give up the prize they had already got their hands on, so the three of them were stuck in place, unable to move forward or backward, and the situation became a stalemate.

Lin Dachun's mind raced.

If they fight head-on, they and Ma Guihua will definitely suffer losses, and they won't be able to save the deer either.

If he showed weakness or gave up directly, Lin Dachun couldn't bear the loss of face, nor could he swallow his pride, and the money to buy the lambs would be nowhere to be found.

We must find a way to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control by resorting to force, while simultaneously intimidating the enemy and protecting our prey.

He recalled hearing from the older generation about certain "old rules" for resolving disputes among mountain people when he was hiking in the mountains in his early years.

Although it's not popular now, it might still work for these hooligans and thugs who roam the mountains and believe in the law of the jungle.

Just as the scarred man was getting impatient and preparing to forcibly take it, Lin Dachun spoke again, his voice deeper and steady than before, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Brothers, this stalemate isn't going to work. If we really get guns drawn and blood is spilled, it won't benefit anyone."

Scarface sneered, "So what do you want? Put the deer down, and you can all get lost. It'll be better for everyone!"

Lin Dachun slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the three men before finally settling on Scarface: "This deer was something we risked our lives for; we can't just give it away for nothing. But you outnumber us, and it's not heroic of you to try and steal it by force with your weapons."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Let's follow the old customs of the mountains. I won't use this spear."

As he spoke, he actually gently placed the hunting rifle against a tree nearby, his movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

This action stunned all four of them, including Scarface.

Lin Dachun moved his wrists, making a slight cracking sound. He had worked and hunted for many years, and although he was over fifty, he was still strong and had powerful arms.

"You four, choose one of you to fight me one-on-one. Fists, kicks, clubs—it's up to you. If I win, we'll carry the deer away, and you'll make way. If I lose…"

He glanced at the deer and said calmly, "The deer is yours. We'll take our loss and leave."

Upon hearing this, not only did the four scarred men exchange bewildered glances, but even Ma Guihua stared wide-eyed in surprise, exclaiming urgently, "Brother Dachun! You…"

Lin Dachun raised his hand to stop her, his gaze fixed intently on the scarred man: "Dare you, or don't you dare? Give me a straight answer! If you don't dare, then get lost and stop making a fool of yourself here!"

These words were clearly provocative and contemptuous.

The scarred man's face turned pale and then flushed.

He originally thought he could just rob the place because he had the upper hand, but he didn't expect to run into such a tough guy who came up with this "retro" solution.

"Scarface, we outnumber him, let's just rob him directly, why waste so much breath talking to him?" the tall man couldn't help but say.

"Then you try it. Whoever takes the lead, I'll shoot them with my gun." Lin Dachun raised his gun again.

"Who are you trying to scare? Your shotgun is single-shot. There are four of us. At most, you can injure one of us, but the other three can still take you down," the tall man said.

"Kill me? Fine!" Lin Dachun roared, "Unless you step over my dead body, you won't get your hands on this deer. There's also a woman here. Are you going to kill both of us just to steal a deer? Murder is punishable by death. Think about it carefully, is it worth it?"

"That's right, let alone murder, robbery is a serious crime now," Ma Guihua shouted.

This put Scarface in a difficult position.

It's impossible for someone to actually kill someone for a wild deer, right?

"Okay, I promise you." Scarface readily agreed.

"Brother, don't fall for his trick! He's doing this on purpose to escape," said the henchman beside him.

"Exactly, just rob them."

"Do you want to kill someone? Do you want to get shot? If you're not afraid, then go ahead and rob me. I'm not going to risk my life for a wild deer. Besides, don't you believe I can win?" Scarface was still a man of principle and reason.

The three of them immediately stopped talking nonsense.

If they don't fight, it will seem like they're afraid of this old man. How will they survive in this mountain area after that?

"Fine! We'll do as you say!" Scarface said viciously. "I'll personally 'greet' this old man from Linchangtun!"

The scarred man grinned, revealing yellow teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and swaggered out.

He was half a head shorter than Lin Dachun, but he had broad shoulders and thick arms, and he looked like he had some brute strength.

Lin Dachun also took off his sweat-soaked old jacket, wearing only a sleeveless linen vest, revealing his bronze arms and chest with well-defined muscle lines and several old scars, which added to his fierce appearance.

The two stood facing each other in the center of the open space.

Ma Guihua was so nervous her heart was in her throat, but she still picked up the gun to prevent it from being stolen.

The scarred man and the tall, thin man stepped back a few paces.

The mountain wind blew, the leaves rustled, and the fierce battle began.