stjorthotic Chapter 34 Testing the Gun
Chapter 34 Testing the Gun
Knowing that Chu Maolin couldn't control them, Su Dao and the others simply watched coldly from the sidelines.
Seeing that Chen Tuo was going to confront Chu Xiaoxiazi head-on, Wu Laowai didn't say anything.
Hong Ye, who came with Chen Tuo, looked down on Chu Maolin, who was all show and no substance, and wanted to see him make a fool of himself, so he chimed in from the side.
"Chu Maolin, educated youth are also part of the militia in the forest area. They're qualified to carry guns at sixteen. What regulation are you referring to as 'qualification'?"
Chu Maolin, whose reputation had been tarnished by Hong Ye, nonchalantly retorted:
"He's an unregistered resident whom nobody wants, what kind of educated youth is he? He doesn't even have legal status, so how could he be qualified to carry a gun?"
Hong Ye tried to argue his case, but Chu Maolin unleashed his killer move.
"If you're willing to vouch for him, I have no problem with that. But if something goes wrong, can you afford the consequences?"
When Chu Maolin brought up the unpredictable outcome, Hong Ye lost his confidence.
If anything goes wrong involving firearms, she simply can't afford the joint liability of being a guarantor; that would mean losing her job...
After Hong Ye's defeat, Chen Tuo still wanted to fight back, but Su Dao, who was sitting by the campfire, coughed.
Before Su Dao could speak, a faint creaking sound came from the side.
"Brother Su Dao, now that you're in town, why don't you come over to my place to warm up? Isn't that inconsiderate?"
Like Chu Maolin, Sun Changkui had also arrived long ago, with the same purpose: to keep an eye on the guns on Su Dao's sled.
Normally, these standard-issue rifles in Sudao are hunting rifles, which can be freely traded in the forest area.
But what's abnormal is the power and origin of these guns.
The origin of the gun is still related to the identities of Su Dao and the others.
Evenki, Reindeer Tribe, Solon, Solonbe, Yakut, Tungus—these all refer to Sudao and his people.
With this identity, no one cared about their travels in the north and south.
Therefore, they could cross the river at will and trade goods with the Yakut tribes on the other side.
There's a shortage of vegetables and alcohol over there. If Su Dao and his men haul a sled of cabbage and liquor over there, they can haul back a sled of Belietank and Shuilianzhu.
The Berek gun is 1.3 meters long, and the old-fashioned water-powered gun is 1.2 meters long.
Putting aside everything else, the length of the gun alone demonstrates its considerable power.
The guns that Su Dao and his group exchanged were all well-maintained stock, and the original guns with the original ammunition were extremely powerful.
The power is too great, and its origin is also a problem. If an accident really happens, the trouble will be in the Songling area.
However, the Forestry Bureau couldn't easily manage hunters like Su Dao, so they could only focus on improving distribution channels.
If it was Sun Changkui, Chu Maolin, and Su Dao who made the transaction, the Forestry Bureau would have permitted it.
However, people like Chen Tuo and Hong Ye fall into the category of those who are not allowed to do so.
Giving these young people who have hardly ever handled a gun a full-powered rifle with tremendous recoil is simply not a good idea...
"Brother Changkui, we'd like to change our drinks and then stay at your place for a couple of days."
Just like Sun Changkui's "warm up," Su Dao's past two-day rest was to sell the guns on his sled to the Songling Armed Forces Department at a low price.
Exchanging alcohol at the armed forces headquarters and then transporting the alcohol to Yakutia to exchange for guns was a major source of livelihood for Su Dao and his settlement, in addition to deer herding and hunting.
"People going to the market usually don't arrive until noon. Come to my place and warm up first. I'll see what nice things you've brought out this time..."
While extending the invitation, Sun Changkui also deliberately glanced at the water-spraying rifles that Su Dao and the others had placed on the sled.
These experienced men in the forest don't use long spears much.
Chen Tuo, a novice, wanted to play with an old gun without even rifling; he was just asking for trouble.
Having received Sun Changkui's hint, Chen Tuo could only manage a wry smile.
He wanted to get a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, but the forest farm wouldn't give it to him!
"Xiao Hong, isn't it time for you to go to work? Hurry up and go home..."
Su Dao and his fellow hunters, along with Chen Tuo, Wu Laowai, and Chu Maolin, were all on Sun Changkui's invitation list.
But Hong Ye is different; if he drinks alcohol, he's likely to get into trouble.
"Chen Tuo, I'm going to work now..."
Before leaving, Hong Ye gave Chen Tuo a meaningful look, reminding him to submit his work, but Chen Tuo shook his head and refused.
I submitted my poems to Guangzhou.
Rural essays and miscellaneous notes such as "The Story of Picking Fish," "Mountain Dog," and "Water Hair."
You should submit your work to the long-established Longjiang Literature and Art Publishing House; their readership is much larger than that of the newly launched Huacheng Publishing House.
On the way to the town's armed forces department, Sun Changkui chatted with Su Dao and others about everyday matters.
Chen Tuo then understood why Songling was divided into towns and districts.
Songling Town was the first stop for the pioneers and also the base of the Japanese settlers' group.
The Xiaoyangqi educated youth settlement where he lived was a branch station of the South Manchuria Railway that transported timber, and a timber transfer point under its jurisdiction.
Songling Town has mostly flat land and is close to the newly built Nenlin Railway.
Railway soldiers and forestry workers with large families mostly lived in towns.
Forestry workers who do not need to farm mostly live in the Songling area where the Forestry Bureau is located.
The town's armed forces department, which was under Sun Changkui's management, was one of only two brick-and-concrete buildings in Songling Town, besides the supply and marketing cooperative.
This was also the former site of the Forestry Bureau.
The warehouse was made of brick and concrete, with a shooting range in front and several horse stables in the forest farms in summer and autumn behind.
The reason why Sun Changkui held two jobs was simple: like Hong Ye, he used two incomes to supplement his family's income.
Once inside the firing range, Sun Changkui didn't stand on ceremony.
First, Wu Laowai was arranged to chop a large bunch of miscellaneous fish with an axe on Chen Tuo's sled, in preparation for eating.
They also arranged for the armed forces to take Su Dao and the others to place the reindeer in an empty stable.
"Xiao Chen, you just want a gun, right?"
Only Chen Tuo and Chu Maolin remained at the shooting range, and only then did Sun Changkui begin to talk about the guns.
"Brother-in-law Sun, I'm the only one living in this educated youth settlement, and there are wolves in the Hetao region. Do you think I should have a gun?"
Pointing out his strong need for guns, Chen Tuo glared at Chu Maolin with annoyance.
This is a forest area, not a rural town with crisscrossing paths and the sounds of chickens and dogs.
"Maolin, Chen Zhiqing's request isn't unreasonable, but..."
Having acknowledged Chen Tuo's essential need and then subtly mentioned Chu Maolin, Sun Changkui did not delve into the conflicts or past grievances between the two.
Instead, he looked directly at Chen Tuo, pointed to the chest target made of tree stumps on the shooting range, and gave him the strict requirements for holding the gun.
"Xiao Chen, guns aren't something you can just play around with. Whether you want to hunt or defend yourself, at the very least, you need to know how to use a gun."
As he said this, a hint of a not-so-kind smile appeared in Sun Changkui's eyes.
Sudo and his men took their reindeer, but the sled remained where it was, along with the old-fashioned water beads and Berettank on it.
The reason why guns are dangerous, besides their lethality, is primarily because of who wields them.
Also, what kind of gun is this person holding?
A gun is only a gun if a person can pick it up and use it.
If you pick it up and can't use it, it's just a fire poker.
If we used the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, let alone a grown man like Chen Tuo, even an eleven or twelve-year-old could hit the target with some guidance.
However, the old-fashioned water-jet guns that were finalized eighty years ago, and the Berdan II guns that were one hundred and ten years ago, are not guns that young children can play with!
Children, women, people with little strength, and those who are new to this kind of gun could easily be knocked over.
The Forestry Bureau and the Armed Forces Department have regulations, and Chen Tuo is reluctant to persuade them otherwise.
While chatting about everyday things on the way, Sun Changkui came up with a plan to test the gun and dissuade Chen Tuo.
He picked up the gun and was immediately knocked over.
Even if Chen Tuo has a strong need for a weapon, he cannot make requests for it or to buy a gun before he has mastered the skills...