Chapter 634 (2/2)

“You’re too kind, Chief Zhao. This is what we should do, to begin with,” said Tang Xiu with a smile.

With eyes fixed on Tang Xiu, Zhao Donghe smiled back and said, “Are you Tang Xiu? The famous miracle-working doctor, Tang Xiu? You’re really brave and resourceful. What a promising young man!”

Tang Xiu talked some pleasantries before looking at everyone else and smilingly saying, “We’ve made all the fellow villagers worried, and we are really sorry for causing you all to climb the mountain to look for us, more so that we are about to celebrate the New Year. Brother Ben and them here have killed this leopard, so everyone can feel relieved after the New Year is over. After I go back, I’m going to the best restaurant in the county town to order dishes since all of you have gathered together. It’s the New Year’s Eve, thus let us arrange a feast to celebrate the New Year together.”

“Hooray! That’s great!!!”

The villagers of the Su Family village wore bright smiling faces and applauded.

After some conversation, everyone then began the journey back. It made Su Ben, Su Quan, and Su Xiangfei very excited, nevertheless, since they did not have to lift the carcass of the leopard again while hurrying back.

Returning to the Su Family Village, Tang Xiu drove his car and brought the trio. He then parked the car at his grandmother’s house and then told the trio to move the carcass over. The quartet had yet to enter the courtyard as Tang Yunde, Su Lingyun, Zhang Shi, Chen Huiying, Mu Qingping, Su Yaning, and the others rushed out.

“Xiu’er!”

“Son!”

Su Lingyun and Chen Huiying separately bolted toward Tang Xiu and Su Ben.

While looking at his rushing mother, Tang Xiu embraced her and said, “I’m alright, Mom. We are alright. We climbed up the mountain to kill this leopard, who had many killed people. You can see that we’ve already returned now! You can rest your worries.”

Su Lingyun slapped Tang Xiu’s arm with tearful eyes and angrily said, “Who made you want to show off your ability, huh? If by any chance… something bad happened to the three of you, what would the two us do?”

Zhang Shi echoed, “That’s right, Xiu’er. The mountain is fraught with dangers! You’d been there for two days, so we were worried that something bad had happened to you all. You must never do such a stupid thing again in the future.”

Tang Xiu could only force a smile secretly and said a lot of comforting words to calm everyone’s emotions. Originally, Tang Yunde and Su Lingyun planned to take Zhang Shi to Star City to celebrate the New Year, but the incident made them return to the Su Family Village, so everyone then decided to stay and celebrate the New Year here this year.

Immediately afterward, Tang Xiu made an excuse to take the trio to the county hospital to bandage their wounds. The quartet went to the county town by car, and then headed to the biggest restaurant in the county to order dozens of tables, foods, and wines, and paid double the price to make the restaurant deliver them to the Su Family Village.

Following that, Tang Xiu took the trio the hospital to have their injuries stitched and re-bandaged. Then, they knocked a store nearby selling firecrackers and fireworks and told the store owner to deliver a cart of fireworks to the Su Family Village as well.

Although the location of the Su Family Village was geographically remote, the road to the village was quite wide. Due to the help from the villagers, a large number of round tables and benches were rented from neighboring villages and were placed on the road at the main entrance to the village. Moreover, many more excited villagers pulled electrical wires and lighted the lamp bulbs outside. If one were to look at the Su Family Village from above, they would definitely find that most of the village was well-illuminated and brightly lit.

Gu Yin, who was still childish and had never had such a lively and busy New Year celebration in the past, was excitedly running around, and even played with a group of Su Family Village’s folks that were older than her, and also played with children smaller than her.

As the food and wine from the biggest restaurant in the county town were sent to the tables, the villagers beamed with delight and began drinking and chatting. Even the two families who lost their loved ones smiled. However, what made everyone excited was that the County Police Chief, Zhao Donghe, even brought his whole family to gather with the Su Family Village’s folks. He even made his whole family sit at the same table with Tang Yunde and Su Lingyun.

Furthermore, the event occurring in the Su Family Village at the New Year’s Eve was passed to several neighboring villages. Some people from several villages nearby also came over to join in on the fun. The Village Chiefs from various villages who had kinship ties with the Su Family Village also came and as a result, added several more tables to the party.

At 12:00 sharp at night.

With the advent of the New Year, the firecrackers were ignited and roared along with the fireworks that painted the sky red.

This night for the villagers of the Su Family Village became an unforgettable event that they would never forget! The grand scene of celebrating the New Year’s Eve with a banquet would be held every year in the future. This newly formed custom then became the most important custom of the Su Family Village in the future, something that never crossed their minds before.

The four young men—Tang Xiu, Su Ben, Su Quan, and Su Xiangfei also became the big heroes of the Su Family Village as well as the villages in the surroundings for their great merits.

The lively and joyful scene lasted until 1 o’clock in the early morning.

In the next morning, just as dawn came, Tang Xiu, Su Xiangfei, Su Yaning, and Gu Yin were called out by Zhang Shi from their beds. It was because of the custom to eat dumplings and to set off the firecrackers early in the morning—the custom that was rooted deep in the hearts of every villager.

“Xiangfei, get and set off the firecrackers.”

Tang Xiu stood near a well in the courtyard. He washed his face with chilling cold water and then shouted at Su Xiangfei, who had already washed his face.