The Devil's Tribulation

After learning the finger snapping technique and separating from Uncle Niu, Pan Chengfeng could not wait to return to the dangerous building to practice. A stone target was placed 30 meters away. Although he was wearing two wrist guards and his every move seemed a bit clumsy, Pan Chengfeng was still enthusiastic. After practicing for two hours, he did not hit the target, but Pan Chengfeng was still very excited because he found the technique of exerting force. After practicing the finger snapping technique, Pan Chengfeng continued to practice handstand. As he thought, three fingers on one hand could not bear it at all, and even ten fingers were a bit difficult. However, Pan Chengfeng still gritted his teeth and persevered.

After practicing, Pan Chengfeng was sweating all over and his stomach was growling with hunger. He walked to the well and drew a bucket of water. He didn't use a ladle, but directly picked up the bucket and gulped down half of the water. He walked into the kitchen to prepare to cook, picked up the rice bag and found that it was only enough for one meal. Since Pan Chengfeng started practicing, his appetite has gradually increased. Now he eats three kilograms of rice in one meal. In modern times, that is a real glutton. Generally, an adult who can eat one kilogram of rice in one meal is considered a big eater. Pan Chengfeng eats three times as much as others, and he feels that his appetite will continue to increase until he is like Uncle Niu, or even exceeds Uncle Niu. Weighing the rice bag, Pan Chengfeng thought to himself, "It's been so short and your appetite has already increased. If it increases further, I won't be able to feed myself just by chopping wood. The main reason is that there is no oil and water. I have to practice my finger-snapping magic as soon as possible. As long as I can catch enough prey, it will be no problem to feed myself. I still have to go chop firewood early tomorrow morning, otherwise I will starve. I have to wait until I'm full before I can do anything." After thinking about these things, Pan Chengfeng started to boil water and cook.

The next day, Pan Chengfeng got up early, took his tools, and headed for the Red Mountains. He practiced snapping his fingers while walking, and now he can hit about one out of ten, but his strength is not enough. It is okay to shoot some wild rabbits and pheasants, but it is not enough for larger beasts. After walking for nearly two hours, Pan Chengfeng was already a little out of breath. Finally, he arrived at the place where he had to chop wood: "This extra eight hundred kilograms of weight is really no joke. I am so tired." After taking a breath, Pan Chengfeng began to chop wood. With an extra eight hundred kilograms of weight, he felt clumsy in everything he did. Although he was a little clumsy, Pan Chengfeng quickly collected three bundles of firewood, tied them up, and prepared to go down the mountain on his back. Unexpectedly, he didn't walk far before he saw a wild rabbit eating grass in front of him: "It's you again! I recognize your fat ass! I let you run away last time, and this time you come to provoke me again!"

No one knew if it was the same hare as before. In Pan Chengfeng's eyes, all hares looked the same. He squatted down and picked up a small stone from the ground. He glanced at the position of the hare and raised his hand to shoot it. With a whoosh, the small stone actually went straight to the hare. The hare seemed to sense the danger and just wanted to run away when the stone hit the hare's hind leg. Pan Chengfeng opened his eyes and mouth wide: "Did it really hit it?" Then he ran over quickly. Although the hare was hit on one of its hind legs, it could still move, but it was not as flexible. After a while of catching, Pan Chengfeng finally caught the hare. He grabbed the hare's ears and smiled: "Haha, you are my first prey in my life. Should I braise, steam, or roast it tonight? You are so fat, about six or seven pounds! ~Hahaha" He grinned, carried firewood on his back, and jumped all the way, just like a child, actually a child.

When Pan Chengfeng returned to the village, he felt that everyone in the village was looking at him. Because he was holding a fat rabbit in his hand, a passing villager A asked, "Dogwa, is this the prey you hunted?" He was thinking, "This Gouwa has grown so fast. It's been such a short time since we last met, and he has grown so tall." Pan Chengfeng said modestly, "I'm lucky to have encountered a wounded hare." After walking for a while, he met villager B again and asked, "What a fat hare! Where did you encounter it? This guy may have escaped and is hard to catch." He was thinking, "These bundles of firewood must weigh at least 300 to 400 kilograms, right? This Gouwa is so strong?!" Pan Chengfeng continued, "I'm lucky. It got wounded somehow, so I caught it."

The girls on the road also looked at Pan Chengfeng differently. He used to be skinny and weak, but now he has become a brave man. In this way, every villager he met had to ask him something. Until he arrived at the back door of Mr. Pan’s house, Pan Chengfeng knocked on the door, and the door opened with a creak. Liu Yuexin saw the hare in Pan Chengfeng’s hand at first sight: "What a cute rabbit, let me see it." As she said that, she reached out to hug the rabbit. Pan Chengfeng opened his mouth and blinked his eyes, but still handed the rabbit over. A strange thing happened. The hare that struggled in Pan Chengfeng’s hand was very well-behaved in Liu Yuexin’s arms, but it was sniffing, as if complaining.

Liu Yuexin touched the rabbit's head and asked, "Where did you catch it? How did its leg get injured? Did you hit it?" Pan Chengfeng thought that the braised rabbit meat for dinner might be finished. How could he forget that women are creatures who can't let go of cute things. Hearing Liu Yuexin's question, Pan Chengfeng quickly said, "How could it be possible? I don't have that ability. When I met it on the road, it was already injured. I thought it was pitiful, so I brought it back, thinking that I would let it go after it healed its wounds."

At this moment, the rabbit seemed to understand what Pan Chengfeng said, and shook its head. Pan Chengfeng looked at the rabbit in surprise, thinking: "Could this rabbit be a spirit? Can it understand what I say?" Liu Yuexin was also suspicious for a moment, and said: "It seems that it doesn't like you very much. Let me take care of it, and when it recovers, I will let it go back to the mountains to reunite with its family." Pan Chengfeng wanted to die, thinking: "I thought I could eat braised rabbit meat in the evening, but now I can only go back to eat rice, so that you can show off!" In the past, he could be moved all night if he had rice to eat, but now he can't live without meat.

Pan Chengfeng forced out a smile that was uglier than crying and said, "I think so too. Sister Yuexin is more careful than me, so you have to take care of the small animals." Liu Yuexin stroked the rabbit and suddenly asked, "You did what Aunt Cuihua did, didn't you?" Pan Chengfeng wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it, even if he didn't admit it, people could guess it. So he nodded, looked around, and looked behind Liu Yuexin. Seeing that no one was around, he said with relief, "How is it, no one knows about it, right?" After saying that, he smiled smugly. Liu Yuexin couldn't bear it and said, "Isn't Aunt Cuihua too pitiful in this way? And you really wronged her. She and Butler Pan didn't have that at all."

Pan Chengfeng said seriously, "Take the medicine for the sick. They want to wrongly accuse us and take our lives. Can't we fight back in self-defense? Sister Yue Xin, some people will think you are weak if you are kind to them, but will be more respectful to you if you are cruel to them. Butler Pan and Chen Cuihua are such people who bully the weak and fear the strong. So don't feel guilty, they deserve it." After saying these words, Pan Chengfeng asked, "How is that fat guy now? And that old pervert, is he still making things difficult for you?"

Although Chen Cuihua is fine now, the village chief doesn't allow her to go out now. She hides at home embroidering all day. After something like that happened, she should stay out of the spotlight, right? But there is no news from Butler Pan. Liu Yuexin said: "After the village chief led everyone away that day, Master Pan scolded Butler Pan when he returned home and beat him with twenty boards. Butler Pan is still lying on the bed. The master told him to pay back the two hundred taels of silver and get out, otherwise he would take Butler Pan to see the officials. Master Pan didn't mention that matter again. Now the affairs of the mansion are temporarily managed by Brother Liuzi." Pan Chengfeng knew this Brother Liuzi, but he had never met him and didn't know what kind of person he was.

It was also a coincidence that while the two were talking, a voice came from behind: "Sister Liu, Brother Gou Wa, what are you talking about?" In fact, Pan Chengfeng noticed Liu Zi when he was about 30 meters away, but he didn't avoid him because he saw him walking towards him openly. "Brother Liu Zi" the two greeted him together, and Liu Zi said generously: "Gou Wa, are you here to exchange rice? The master said that from now on, one bundle of firewood will be exchanged for one catty of rice, and the case of housekeeper Pan deducting the villagers' rations will never happen again. Winter is coming, and the firewood used in the mansion is increasing. From now on, you can exchange as much as you bring. Your three bundles of firewood will be exchanged for three catties of rice. I will ask someone to bring you rice later." After saying that, Liu Zi went to the kitchen.

Seeing Liuzi's smug look, Pan Chengfeng was suspicious. Although Liuzi acted very generous, he still saw something in Liuzi's eyes. That was greed, especially when he turned around and took a look at Liu Yuexin's pretty face. Pan Chengfeng was thinking, when he heard Liu Yuexin say: "Brother Liuzi is very good, and he is also very easy-going to the people in the mansion." Pan Chengfeng approached Liu Yuexin and whispered: "I don't think so. You can't know a person's heart by knowing his face. It's better to be careful. I think this Liuzi is much smarter than housekeeper Pan." Liu Yuexin smiled and said: "Why do you think everyone is a bad person? Brother Liuzi won't." Pan Chengfeng also smiled: "I just want to tell Sister Yuexin that you should not have the intention to harm others, but you must be on guard against others." Liu Yuexin nodded indifferently. Pan Chengfeng said: "Okay, the rabbit is handed over to you, take good care of it, I'm leaving." After that, he put down the firewood and took the rice handed over by others. Pan Chengfeng reluctantly moved his eyes away from the rabbit.