Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Taking a Master
"Are you talking about the Xianghe Noodle House?" Slightly tilting his head, Hu Xiaodong appeared exceptionally calm, but this calmness stunned Tang Xiaoquan.
Tang nodded subconsciously, then asked, noncommittally, "So, Brother Hu also plans to gather supplies there?"
"Phew~" Exhaling a long smoke ring, Hu Xiaodong didn’t hurry to answer Tang Xiaoquan. Instead, he flicked away the cigarette in his hand.
The flying cigarette butt, with scattered ashes and a flickering crimson line, landed heavily on the ground.
After the cigarette hit the ground, Hu Xiaodong finally relaxed his tightly furrowed brows. He turned and patted Tang Xiaoquan’s shoulder, smiling, "No rush to talk about that. Let’s talk after we fill our stomachs, haha."
"Hey, Brother Hu, Xiao Wang is looking for you!" A slightly whimsical voice suddenly sounded behind him, interrupting Tang Xiaoquan’s plan to continue his inquiries.
"Hurry, hurry!" Wen Quanxin waved incessantly, urging.
Seeing this situation, Hu Xiaodong shook his head helplessly. It was clear he was often tormented by Wen Quanxin, so...
Grabbing the long bow, he gestured to Tang Xiaoquan to join him, and Hu Xiaodong strode over.
"So, what’s the matter?" Without any nonsense, Hu Xiaodong plopped down next to Wen Quanxin, embodying the casual demeanor of a friendly older brother, devoid of his former sternness.
"Ah~ here’s the thing~" Wen Quanxin acted mysteriously, placing his arm around Hu Xiaodong’s shoulder, then chuckled slyly, giving everyone around goosebumps.
"What kind of trick are you playing again? Stay away from me; I’m not interested in men," Hu Xiaodong feigned disgust, waving Wen Quanxin’s arm away.
"Tsk~ I’m kindly introducing a disciple, yet you act all high and mighty. Forget it, forget it, Qiang, this guy doesn’t appreciate it, I can’t help it!" Clicking his tongue twice, Wen Quanxin spread his hands towards Wang Qiang.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute," Hu Xiaodong paused for two seconds; clearly, he was confused by Wen Quanxin’s words. He immediately asked, "What are you talking about? Disciple? Which disciple? What does this have to do with Xiao Wang?"
Tang Xiaoquan shifted his gaze to Wang Qiang, his eyes also carrying doubt.
"Ah~" Wang Qiang, slightly embarrassed by the commotion caused by Wen Quanxin, hesitated: "Well~ it’s like this, Brother Hu, I want to learn... archery from you."
Upon hearing this, Hu Xiaodong contemplated for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Learning archery is no problem, but right now this place..."
Looking around, Hu Xiaodong shrugged helplessly and continued, "Let’s wait until we have more space and a safer environment before we start learning. What do you think?"
"Alright, alright!" Before Wang Qiang could speak, Wen Quanxin grabbed the opportunity to reply, further pointing to the bow in Hu Xiaodong’s hands, a sly grin on his lips, "Come, let Qiang try your bow first and see his potential."
Without waiting for Hu Xiaodong’s response, Wen Quanxin took the black bow from his knee and handed it to Wang Qiang, "Go ahead, brother, give it a try."
The black bow, like a bat spreading its wings, glimmered in the sunlight.
Wang Qiang weighed the bow in his hand twice, reckoning it must weigh at least 3-4 pounds.
Following the fragments of memory in his mind, Wang Qiang earnestly raised the black bow. Just from his posture, he truly appeared like an archer.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Qiang stared ahead intently, as if it were his target.
Focusing, calming, pull... the bow!
"Emma!" It didn’t release!
Failure is the mother of success. Considering it might’ve been a matter of breathing, Wang Qiang didn’t lose heart and took another deep breath.
"Hey!"
"Emma" still didn’t release!
Now Wen Quanxin couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing while holding his belly.
Wang Qiang’s face alternated between red and green as Wen Quanxin laughed. Despite his full effort, he just couldn’t pull the bow in front of him.
"Alright, Xiao Wen, teasing others all day; you couldn’t pull it back then either." Hu Xiaodong rolled his eyes at Wen Quanxin irritably, then signaled Wang Qiang to return the bow and explained, "This bow is currently at 60 pounds, so it’s normal for you not to pull it. I’ll lower the poundage later, and with practice, you’ll manage."
"Furthermore, this bow is different from others; we usually call it a Compound Bow. See the two pulleys above? They’re designed to help reduce the force needed after pulling the bow."
"Also, pulling a Compound Bow requires a special Release Device. Look at this," while speaking, Hu Xiaodong took off a dark green device strapped to his wrist, "This is a Release Device; it comes in different types. I use the wrist type, which is convenient to carry."
Nodding continuously, Wang Qiang attentively absorbed every word Hu Xiaodong said, like a student in class.
"Alright, alright! Everyone take a break; lunch is here!"
With Lin Muye’s voice echoing, a tempting scent of rice permeated the air.
"Oh my, Uncle Lin, the meal is ready. You should’ve just called us to get it; it’s embarrassing to have you serve it, here, let me!" Quickly reaching out to take the bowl from Lin Muye, Ma Chao moved aside a bit, signaling for him to sit.
"Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay. This old body can only do this much; don’t fight me on it, haha." Lin Muye smiled, his words carrying a hint of humor, subtly conveying a message:
In this post-apocalyptic world, as a member of the team, regardless of your skill, don’t forget your responsibilities: contribution!
"Alright then, you guys start eating. I’ll check if the noodles are ready and bring some to Huzi’s mom and son. Oh, and Lu Hu, I’ll call him up for lunch."
With that, Lin Muye turned to leave, but before taking a step, Hu Xiaodong pulled him back, "Uncle Lin, you rest; I’ll watch over Huzi, and as for Lu Hu, he’s grown up, doesn’t need to be managed."
Anticipating Lin Muye’s refusal, Hu Xiaodong didn’t give him a chance to respond and headed straight towards the stove.
Watching Hu Xiaodong’s departing figure, Tang Xiaoquan, who had been silent with his hands at his sides, thoughtfully raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to the chatterbox Wen Quanxin...