Days passed in a leisurely, unhurried flow, and Xu Shu grew up day by day. Seeing that the meager income from farming was barely enough to sustain their livelihood, Xu Shu decided to join the village men on their hunting trips into the mountains. Xu Village happened to be nestled at the foot of a great mountain range, and whenever it was the off-season for farming, the men of the village would spontaneously organize groups to hunt. This not only improved their own diet but also allowed them to exchange excess game at the market for essential daily necessities like seasonings and fabric.
However, when Xu Feng first heard that Xu Shu wanted to join the hunting party, he refused flatly without a second thought. Although Xu Shu was already over 1.6 meters tall and didn't look much different from an average adult, in Xu Feng’s eyes, he was still just a twelve-year-old child. Moreover, hunting in the mountains was neither easy nor safe; it was filled with unknown dangers and challenges. Despite their meticulous preparations before every excursion and their careful handling of potential situations, accidents could never be completely avoided. Almost every year, there were injuries or deaths, and even Xu Shu’s grandfather had lost his life after falling off a cliff during a hunt. Consequently, Xu Feng was determined not to allow a child like Xu Shu to accompany them.
Yet, once Xu Shu demonstrated his astonishing strength to the villagers, Xu Feng could find no reason to refuse him. After all, even Xu Feng himself was no match for this twelve-year-old, who quickly became the most skilled hunter in Xu Village. Soon enough, Xu Feng felt fortunate for his decision. Ever since Xu Shu joined, the overall capability of the village hunting team had skyrocketed. Now, every time they entered the mountains, they not only brought back more abundant game than ever before, but under Xu Shu's guidance, serious injuries became a rarity. Usually, everyone only suffered minor scrapes or bruises, and fatal accidents ceased to happen entirely. Because of this, life in the village became increasingly comfortable for Xu Shu and his mother, Li Xiurong, and in these peaceful, fulfilling days, Xu Shu continued to thrive.
By late December 1957, sixteen-year-old Xu Shu once again followed Xu Feng and the others into the deep mountains. The trip was no different from the past; they encountered no major obstacles and soon harvested a sufficient amount of game. The reason their hunts were always so smooth was not just because of Xu Shu’s exceptional ability, but because everyone understood the wisdom of not exhausting a resource. They hunted only to meet their daily needs and improve their diet, never with the intention of making a fortune. Because of this, the wildlife population in the vast forest remained plentiful, allowing them to gather plenty of game without ever needing to venture too deep into the woods.
Just as the group was happily packing up to head home, Xu Shu faintly heard a desperate, weak cry from the distance: "Help!" His heart tightened, and he immediately turned to inform Xu Feng. Before the words had fully left his lips, Xu Shu vanished like an arrow released from a bow, sprinting toward the direction of the voice.
A few minutes later, Xu Shu found an adult man in a blue work uniform lying on the cold ground. The man was clutching his right leg tightly, groaning in pain with sounds that rose and fell. Xu Shu hurried over and followed the man's hands to find a rusted steel trap clamped firmly onto his leg. The saw-toothed metal had embedded deep into his flesh, and blood had already stained the soil. Seeing this, Xu Shu didn't hesitate for a second. He stepped forward and said, "Big brother, please bear with it. I’m going to help you remove this trap now!"
The man, who had been lost in the throes of agony, was startled by the unexpected, concerned voice. Thinking it was finally his colleagues arriving to save him, he looked up, but his hope vanished the moment he saw the stranger. Standing before him was not a colleague, but a young boy, barely in his teens. Seeing the youth's tender face and slender frame, the man’s eyes filled with disappointment. He had tried to pry the trap off himself with all his might, yet it hadn't budged; he could hardly harbor any expectations for a child.
Just as he was about to tell the boy not to touch it, he looked up and saw that the child had already crouched before him. Suddenly, the intense pain in his leg eased significantly. Shocked, he looked down and realized the trap had already been removed. He stared in astonishment at the boy for a long moment before stammering, "You... how did you do that?"
Xu Shu replied with a nonchalant, relaxed expression, "It’s nothing difficult, you just need steady hands. Besides, we use these traps for hunting all the time; I’m very familiar with them. But anyway, who are you? And why are you here?"
"Oh, I never imagined someone so young could be so strong," he said, regaining his composure. "My name is Liu Jianjun, from the Procurement Section of the Red Star Rolling Mill. It’s so difficult to procure supplies lately that we had no choice but to try our luck in the mountains and hunt some game to fulfill our quotas."
Xu Shu asked curiously, "Do you know how to hunt? Why come into the mountains alone?"
Liu Jianjun explained with a wry smile, "I don't. I just wanted to try my luck. And I’m not alone; there were several of us, they are just over there." As he spoke, he pointed in a direction. Xu Shu looked and saw three men in similar uniforms approaching quickly. They looked flustered and relieved upon seeing Xu Shu and Liu Jianjun. After confirming that Liu Jianjun only had flesh wounds, they breathed a sigh of relief.
The leader stepped forward and said gratefully, "Little brother, I am Chen Jun, deputy leader of the first group of the Red Star Rolling Mill’s Procurement Section. We owe you a great debt for what you did for Jianjun! May I ask your name?"
Xu Shu waved his hand modestly. "You’re too kind; anyone would have done the same. I live in Xu Village at the foot of the mountain; my name is Xu Shu. Our village hunts during the off-season, and today was just a coincidence. Besides, even if you hadn't met me, I’m sure Brother Jianjun would have been fine."
Chen Jun asked, "You mentioned your village hunts during the off-season. How are your harvests?"
Xu Shu frowned, confused by the implication. Seeing his bewilderment, Chen Jun hurried to explain, "Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm. As you know, we are in the Procurement Section and are responsible for sourcing supplies for the mill. It’s truly difficult right now, and we were desperate enough to try hunting. But we have no experience—we thought it would be simple, and look, we were injured almost immediately. I just wanted to ask, if your harvests are plentiful, could we buy some from you?"
Xu Shu realized what he meant. "We have plenty, but isn't private trading prohibited?"
Chen Jun quickly replied, "If it were a private transaction, that would be a problem. But we are procuring on behalf of the rolling mill, so that is perfectly fine."
Xu Shu was only sixteen and had spent his life in the village, never even visiting Beijing. His family’s financial situation had always been poor; after his mother, Li Xiurong, learned of his father Xu Yuan’s death, she had fallen into a deep illness, and their savings and the stipend left by his father were all spent on her recovery. Fortunately, after years of care, she had fully recovered and was even stronger than before. Because he had stopped school after junior high, Xu Shu was not well-versed in policy. However, hearing Chen Jun’s words, a realization struck him.
"Brother Chen Jun, if that's the case, our village might be able to help you solve your problem."
Chen Jun’s eyes lit up. "Really?"
Xu Shu nodded firmly. "Of course! Our village chief is just over there. If you don't believe me, we can go ask him right now. Besides, in your current state, you can't continue hunting anyway, so you might as well head down the mountain with us."
Chen Jun looked at his disheveled colleagues and then at the injured Liu Jianjun. After a moment of thought, he agreed. They helped Liu Jianjun up and followed Xu Shu to meet Xu Feng. After Xu Shu explained the situation, Xu Feng and the villagers led everyone and their game down the mountain. Seeing the haul, Chen Jun and his group were now largely convinced of what Xu Shu had said. An hour later, the party arrived at the village office. Under Xu Feng’s supervision, the game was divided, and everyone departed, satisfied with the results.