I know this snake catcher, his surname is Zhang. I heard that he had a disease when he was young, leaving many pockmarks on his face, so everyone calls him Zhang Mazzi (Pockmarked Zhang).

Zhang Mazzi's face is indeed a bit ugly. In the past, the adults in the village would scare unruly children by saying, "If you don't behave, Zhang Mazzi will come and take you away!" The children would immediately stop crying upon hearing this.

Before and after Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is hot and dry, and many snakes come out of the woods and become very active.

For snake catchers, this is the best time to catch snakes.

After catching snakes, they usually choose to sell them. Some snakes are sold to be used for making snake wine. It is popular in rural areas to drink snake wine, as it is believed to dispel evil and dampness. Some snakes are directly sent to restaurants in the city and become a delicacy.

Zhang Mazzi stood by the roadside, trying to sell the snakes in his bag to passersby.

Of course, my attention wasn't on the woven bag but on the iron cage, because inside the cage was the small jade-colored snake I knew, my snake wife, Liu Qingqing!

I was both shocked and angry. I was shocked that Liu Qingqing, with her abilities, could be caught by an ordinary snake catcher. Just a few days ago, my mother told me that Qingqing couldn't stand the strong smell of realgar powder in the village and went back to the forest. So how did she end up being caught by the snake catcher and locked in a cage? What on earth happened?

The little jade snake looked exhausted, curled up into a ball and not moving.

I approached for a closer look and found wounds on Qingqing's body, blood oozing out.

I felt heartbroken, with my heart tightly clenched. I pounded on the iron cage and shouted continuously, "Qingqing! Wake up, Qingqing! What happened to you?"

"Go away, don't touch it!" Zhang Mazzi drove me away, not allowing me to touch the iron cage.

I gritted my teeth and pointed to the iron cage, asking Zhang Mazzi, "How much for this green snake?"

Zhang Mazzi's eyes rolled around and said with a smile, "This snake looks good, see its body, it's as green as jade, an absolutely rare species. Kid, 500 yuan, take it, how about it?"

As soon as they heard "500 yuan," the crowd erupted in astonishment. In those economic conditions, that was two months' salary for an ordinary person.

Zhang Mazzi really had a big mouth. The price scared away many people, especially us elementary school students. It was an astronomical price.

Zhang Mazzi said, "It was not easy for me to catch this green snake. Let me ask you all, have any of you seen such a unique green snake in your life? No, right? Rarity commands a high price. I'm selling this snake for 500 yuan, which is definitely not excessive!"

My beloved spiritual snake wife was being sold by Zhang Mazzi, and anger turned my eyes red.

I secretly swore that no matter the cost, I would bring Liu Qingqing home today.

I gritted my teeth and said, "Fine, 500 yuan it is. I'll take this snake!"

At that, many people looked at me with astonished eyes, wondering if I was crazy to spend 500 yuan on a snake. They were even more surprised because as an elementary school student, how could I possibly have 500 yuan in my pocket?

Zhang Mazzi was taken aback for a moment but then smirked indifferently, "Kid, are you kidding me? Come on, check your pockets. Do you have 50 cents? Go, go, don't interfere with my business!"

It was true that I didn't have any money in my pocket, but I had some at home. Xie Qiang had given me a big red envelope, and after buying some school supplies, there was still a lot left.

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I angrily said, "Zhang Mazzi, don't look down on people. Just wait, I'll go home and get the money!"

I glanced at Qingqing curled up in the iron cage, her internal organs twisted in discomfort.

I stomped my foot and rushed back home.

At home, I rummaged through boxes and cabinets, found the red envelope, and without counting, stuffed the money into my pocket and rushed out of the house.

My mother called out from behind, asking where I was going as dinner was about to be served.

I was in a hurry and ran back to Zhang Mazzi's stall, only to see him packing up.

I took out the money from my pocket, panting, and said, "This snake... I... I'll buy it..."

Zhang Mazzi pointed to the iron cage and smiled at me, "Sorry, someone already paid a deposit just now. This green snake has been sold. The person wants to take it back and make snake wine!"

What the ** !

I exploded immediately. Zhang Mazzi was already ugly-looking, but when he smiled, he looked even uglier.

My fists clenched tightly, wanting to punch him in the face.

I yelled at Zhang Mazzi, "You have no integrity! I told you I would go home and get the money right away, but you sold it to someone else! Isn't this money? I'll give you the money, and I'm taking this green snake!"

I was getting desperate. I took out the money from my pocket and forcefully handed it to Zhang Mazzi.

Zhang Mazzi counted the money in his hand and threw it back at me, saying, "Not enough, this is only 300 yuan, still over 100 short! Kid, go back. I already told you, this snake is 500 yuan; your money won't buy you anything. Go away, go away, I need to go home for dinner!"

I squeezed the money in the palm of my hand. Damn it, why is there only a little over 300 yuan? If only I hadn't bought those school supplies.

Seeing Zhang Mazzi finish packing up and preparing to leave, I quickly grabbed his clothes and said, "Boss, let me give you the 300 yuan I have now. I'll make up the rest for you later. Can we do that?"

"Forget it, do you take me for a fool?" Zhang Mazzi impatiently pushed me away.

I was truly furious. I instinctively wanted to take out the soul-calling gourd, but then I remembered that the gourd had been sealed by Ku Qiao and couldn't summon the Five Ghosts within a year.

If only I could use the technique of the Five Ghosts, I could have them steal Liu Qingqing back.

But now...

Zhang Mazzi held the iron cage in one hand and carried the woven bag in the other, walking away briskly.

I became really desperate. In just a few steps, I rushed forward and reached out to grab the iron cage.

"Hey, you little brat! How dare you try to steal something in broad daylight? I think you're looking for death!" Zhang Mazzi cursed and kicked me, sending me tumbling to the ground.

Ignoring the pain, I got up and continued to try to grab the iron cage.

I had only one thought in my mind: even if it meant risking my life, I would take Qingqing home. She was my wife, and if I couldn't protect my own wife, what kind of man was I?

I kept persistently trying to grab the cage, which completely infuriated Zhang Mazzi.

After all, I was just an elementary school student, small in stature, while Zhang Mazzi was big and strong. We were not evenly matched at all.

Zhang Mazzi easily kicked me to the ground with a few kicks. I held my stomach, curled up on the ground, pale from the pain.

Zhang Mazzi said viciously, "If you dare to come after me again, I'll kill you!"