The Earthen Firecracker (Part One)

Hehe, Brother Yi is still quite discerning. It's been years since I've had this monkey wine; even the base liquor will do..."

Upon catching the long-lost scent of monkey wine, San Pao's eyes instantly lit up. He snatched the gourd and poured his inferior liquor into it, giving it a few shakes before taking a sip. However, he was aware of the strong aftereffects of the liquor and dared not indulge excessively.

"Damn it, you filthy San Pao! Are you trying to make us drink your saliva?" 

Seeing San Pao drink directly from the gourd, Fatty couldn't help but fume. He swiftly seized the gourd from San Pao's hands and took a swig himself. After all, during their childhood, they would share a single lollipop among the three of them, so Fatty was unperturbed by San Pao's actions.

"What can I say to you two..." Fang Yi, standing by, looked utterly speechless. However, since he had brewed the monkey wine himself, he had consumed far more than San Pao and Fatty over the years and thought little of the liquor's quality, opting not to compete with the two.

"Hmm? San Pao, where's the fish you fried?" Fang Yi shook his head and, as he reached for his chopsticks to grab some dishes, suddenly paused. The table was laden with chicken, duck, and meat, but conspicuously absent was any fish.

You see, Fang Yi had grown up in the mountains, often trapping small animals for fun, so he held little interest in wild game. However, he had a particular fondness for fish, which was scarce in the mountains, so he relied on Fatty and San Pao to bring fish whenever they ventured up.

"Hmm? Peng Sanjun, I must say, you have no sense of propriety..." 

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Fatty also noticed the absence of fish on the table and grew furious, pointing an accusatory finger at San Pao. "You know Brother Yi loves fish; why didn't you bring it? If you can't afford it, you could have at least gone and caught some..."

"I genuinely couldn't afford it; I had intended to catch fish..." 

San Pao responded with a bitter smile. His recent expenses due to dating had been considerable, having spent two to three hundred yuan on clothes for Fang Yi in the city, and he had depleted his veteran's allowance. The dishes on the table were all brought from his parents' home.

San Pao had initially planned to go to the reservoir at the foot of the mountain to catch some fish, but to his surprise, a police checkpoint had been established right by the reservoir. A police officer in uniform, accompanied by two neighborhood watch members, had been stationed there all day. Even with his boldness, San Pao dared not throw his homemade explosives into the water.

"You know, I completely forgot about that..." 

Upon hearing San Pao mention the police checkpoint by the reservoir, Fatty was momentarily taken aback but then nodded in understanding. "The recent urban renovation project has diverted water from our reservoir; they built the checkpoint to prevent any sabotage..."

The reservoir in Weijia Village is surrounded by mountains on three sides and spans a vast area. It has long served as a water reserve for Jinling City, so naturally, after the urban renovation, the reservoir, which had been in place for over thirty years, was put back into use.

As the saying goes, "Rely on the mountains to eat from the mountains, rely on the water to eat from the water." Previously, the villagers of Weijia would often forage in the mountains and fish in the reservoir. However, fishing had now been prohibited, though local residents occasionally fished, and the guards would often turn a blind eye.

"Since that's the case, let's forget about it; missing one meal isn't a big deal..." Fang Yi remarked upon learning that the reservoir was being monitored. "Aren't we descending the mountain soon? Once we earn some money, I'll treat you both to a meal..."

"Absolutely not, it's my treat..." San Pao felt embarrassed in front of his two childhood friends, his face turning crimson. He muttered, "Why did they have to set up a checkpoint just when I arrived?"

"Actually, it's not impossible to catch some fish..." 

Fatty stroked his chin, a sly grin appearing on his seemingly innocent face as he spoke. "Today is Saturday, and those officers and neighborhood watch members must have gone home. We can sneak over, throw a couple of firecrackers, and grab some fish before making a hasty retreat. There shouldn't be any issues..."

"Fatty, are you sure they're gone?" 

San Pao's eyes brightened at Fatty's suggestion. They were all children of the countryside, and while they had spent a few years in the military, their understanding of the law was not particularly strong. Having fished with explosives since childhood, they had never seen anyone arrested for it, provided they weren't caught in the act.

"They've definitely gone home. Do you think those guys would stay up in the mountains on the weekend?" 

Fatty nodded vigorously. He knew that while the stationed police officers were from the town, the neighborhood watch members were locals. Earlier, when he brought Fang Yi back, he had seen one of them carrying a bottle of liquor home.

"Alright then, let's do it..." San Pao exclaimed excitedly.

"Your skills are only good for one shot; it seems you're aptly named San Pao (Three Shots), haha..." Fatty chuckled mischievously.

"What does his name have to do with only one shot?" Fang Yi asked, puzzled.

"Don't mind Fatty; he's just being cheeky..." 

San Pao understood Fatty's jest and retorted with a hint of annoyance, "San Pao is San Pao; regardless, once we head to the city, we won't have the chance to catch fish again. I only made two of those explosives; I still need to prepare one more..."

"That shouldn't be a problem. You have plenty of explosives at home; just make another one..." Fatty chuckled, choosing not to explain the difference between a single shot and three shots to Fang Yi.

"How absurd..." Seeing the two of them laughing so lewdly, Fang Yi sensed that something was amiss. He said irritably, "Are we making explosives? Then let's get to it. I've only heard you talk about it; I've never actually seen it..."

Having grown up in the mountains, Fang Yi had read a few books related to the law, but compared to Fatty and San Pao, he was quite ignorant and had no awareness that making explosives without permission was illegal.

"Let me show you; by the way, we don't call it a bomb; we call it an earthen firecracker..." San Pao said, "You two keep eating while I prepare the materials..."

"Hurry up; we need to save some room for the fish..." After hearing San Pao's words, Fang Yi and Fatty felt their hunger returning and promptly picked up their chopsticks to eat.

"We're still missing a bottle; I exchanged all the extra beer bottles at home for some snacks..." A few minutes later, San Pao emerged from the inner room carrying a plastic bag. He glanced around, grabbed the inferior liquor bottle from the table, and poured its contents out into the yard.

"Making this thing is actually quite simple..." 

Noticing Fang Yi's unwavering gaze upon him, San Pao returned to the room with a smug grin. "If I had an alarm clock, I could even make timed firecrackers. My years in the army weren't wasted..."

San Pao wasn't boasting; he had served in the engineering corps and, having dealt with explosives since childhood, was particularly fascinated by them. Whenever there was a task requiring blasting in the army, San Pao had never once experienced a dud.

If it weren't for San Pao's insistence on leaving the army, his commanding officer had already planned to promote him to a technical sergeant based on his expertise with explosives.

"Stop bragging and quickly mix the materials; it's still early. If we wait until midnight, we might attract attention..." 

Fatty irritably tossed a peanut at San Pao. He couldn't stand San Pao's smugness, especially since he had been kicked out of the army while San Pao had chosen to leave voluntarily, which was quite disheartening.

"Isn't it quick to make this?" San Pao scoffed, pushing his bowl aside and placing the plastic bag and liquor bottle on the table.

San Pao glanced around, found a ladle from the cupboard, and inserted it into the neck of the liquor bottle. He then reached into the plastic bag, scooping out a handful of black powder that smelled of sulfur, pouring it through the ladle into the bottle.

While San Pao was well-versed in the properties of gunpowder, Fang Yi and Fatty were blissfully ignorant. They had no idea that San Pao was using blasting powder meant for quarrying, which was not very stable and could be easily ignited.

After filling the bottle with about a third of the powder, San Pao pulled out a small object the size of a thumb. It was wrapped in yellow paper, half solid and half hollow.

San Pao took out a pair of scissors and cut a piece of fuse about thirty centimeters long, then inserted one end into the hollow part of the yellow tube until it wouldn't go any further, before placing the tube along with the fuse into the bottle.

"That tube is a detonator, and the fuse is a igniter. This igniter won't extinguish in water and burns at a moderate pace..." Seeing Fang Yi's puzzled expression, Fatty took on the role of the explainer. After all, which family in Weijia Village hadn't fished with explosives? Fatty's village head father had engaged in this activity numerous times.

"Hehe, Fatty, didn't your family buy the gunpowder from ours?" 

Hearing Fatty's words, San Pao chuckled, but his hands moved swiftly. After inserting the detonator, he quickly filled the rest of the bottle with gunpowder and used three chopsticks to pack it down firmly.

Once he completed these steps, San Pao fetched some water and went outside to make a lump of mud, sealing the bottle's opening with it, leaving only about ten centimeters of fuse exposed. An earthen firecracker was successfully created.

"This thing must pack quite a punch, right?" Watching San Pao with the bottle, Fang Yi felt a vague sense of danger.

"Of course, it's powerful. The explosives used for blasting mountains are far more potent than this little amount..." San Pao nodded proudly and explained, "Our purpose is to stun or incapacitate the fish, so we need to pack in a bit more."

"Alright, the materials are ready; let's go now..." Given the strict management of the reservoir in recent years, fish blasting had become increasingly rare. Fatty was eager to partake, having not done so in quite some time.

"Are you two not going to eat a bit more?" San Pao was indifferent, reaching for a green shoulder bag behind the door, which contained two already prepared earthen firecrackers.

"I'm already half full from earlier..." Fang Yi felt a surge of excitement. Having heard the two speak of the fun in blasting fish since childhood, he was eager to see how it was done.

"Okay, since the villagers are still awake, the noise shouldn't be too loud..." San Pao glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just past seven. At this hour, the villagers were either watching television or drinking and playing cards, so no one would notice the commotion near the reservoir.

**The Earthen Firecracker (Part One)**

"Hehe, Brother Yi is still quite discerning. It's been years since I've had this monkey wine; even the base liquor will do..."

Upon catching the long-lost scent of monkey wine, San Pao's eyes instantly lit up. He snatched the gourd and poured his inferior liquor into it, giving it a few shakes before taking a sip. However, he was aware of the strong aftereffects of the liquor and dared not indulge excessively.

"Damn it, you filthy San Pao! Are you trying to make us drink your saliva?" 

Seeing San Pao drink directly from the gourd, Fatty couldn't help but fume. He swiftly seized the gourd from San Pao's hands and took a swig himself. After all, during their childhood, they would share a single lollipop among the three of them, so Fatty was unperturbed by San Pao's actions.

"What can I say to you two..." Fang Yi, standing by, looked utterly speechless. However, since he had brewed the monkey wine himself, he had consumed far more than San Pao and Fatty over the years and thought little of the liquor's quality, opting not to compete with the two.

"Hmm? San Pao, where's the fish you fried?" Fang Yi shook his head and, as he reached for his chopsticks to grab some dishes, suddenly paused. The table was laden with chicken, duck, and meat, but conspicuously absent was any fish.

You see, Fang Yi had grown up in the mountains, often trapping small animals for fun, so he held little interest in wild game. However, he had a particular fondness for fish, which was scarce in the mountains, so he relied on Fatty and San Pao to bring fish whenever they ventured up.

"Hmm? Peng Sanjun, I must say, you have no sense of propriety..." 

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Fatty also noticed the absence of fish on the table and grew furious, pointing an accusatory finger at San Pao. "You know Brother Yi loves fish; why didn't you bring it? If you can't afford it, you could have at least gone and caught some..."

"I genuinely couldn't afford it; I had intended to catch fish..." 

San Pao responded with a bitter smile. His recent expenses due to dating had been considerable, having spent two to three hundred yuan on clothes for Fang Yi in the city, and he had depleted his veteran's allowance. The dishes on the table were all brought from his parents' home.

San Pao had initially planned to go to the reservoir at the foot of the mountain to catch some fish, but to his surprise, a police checkpoint had been established right by the reservoir. A police officer in uniform, accompanied by two neighborhood watch members, had been stationed there all day. Even with his boldness, San Pao dared not throw his homemade explosives into the water.

"You know, I completely forgot about that..." 

Upon hearing San Pao mention the police checkpoint by the reservoir, Fatty was momentarily taken aback but then nodded in understanding. "The recent urban renovation project has diverted water from our reservoir; they built the checkpoint to prevent any sabotage..."

The reservoir in Weijia Village is surrounded by mountains on three sides and spans a vast area. It has long served as a water reserve for Jinling City, so naturally, after the urban renovation, the reservoir, which had been in place for over thirty years, was put back into use.

As the saying goes, "Rely on the mountains to eat from the mountains, rely on the water to eat from the water." Previously, the villagers of Weijia would often forage in the mountains and fish in the reservoir. However, fishing had now been prohibited, though local residents occasionally fished, and the guards would often turn a blind eye.

"Since that's the case, let's forget about it; missing one meal isn't a big deal..." Fang Yi remarked upon learning that the reservoir was being monitored. "Aren't we descending the mountain soon? Once we earn some money, I'll treat you both to a meal..."

"Absolutely not, it's my treat..." San Pao felt embarrassed in front of his two childhood friends, his face turning crimson. He muttered, "Why did they have to set up a checkpoint just when I arrived?"

"Actually, it's not impossible to catch some fish..." 

Fatty stroked his chin, a sly grin appearing on his seemingly innocent face as he spoke. "Today is Saturday, and those officers and neighborhood watch members must have gone home. We can sneak over, throw a couple of firecrackers, and grab some fish before making a hasty retreat. There shouldn't be any issues..."

"Fatty, are you sure they're gone?" 

San Pao's eyes brightened at Fatty's suggestion. They were all children of the countryside, and while they had spent a few years in the military, their understanding of the law was not particularly strong. Having fished with explosives since childhood, they had never seen anyone arrested for it, provided they weren't caught in the act.

"They've definitely gone home. Do you think those guys would stay up in the mountains on the weekend?" 

Fatty nodded vigorously. He knew that while the stationed police officers were from the town, the neighborhood watch members were locals. Earlier, when he brought Fang Yi back, he had seen one of them carrying a bottle of liquor home.

"Alright then, let's do it..." San Pao exclaimed excitedly.

"Your skills are only good for one shot; it seems you're aptly named San Pao (Three Shots), haha..." Fatty chuckled mischievously.

"What does his name have to do with only one shot?" Fang Yi asked, puzzled.

"Don't mind Fatty; he's just being cheeky..." 

San Pao understood Fatty's jest and retorted with a hint of annoyance, "San Pao is San Pao; regardless, once we head to the city, we won't have the chance to catch fish again. I only made two of those explosives; I still need to prepare one more..."

"That shouldn't be a problem. You have plenty of explosives at home; just make another one..." Fatty chuckled, choosing not to explain the difference between a single shot and three shots to Fang Yi.

"How absurd..." Seeing the two of them laughing so lewdly, Fang Yi sensed that something was amiss. He said irritably, "Are we making explosives? Then let's get to it. I've only heard you talk about it; I've never actually seen it..."

Having grown up in the mountains, Fang Yi had read a few books related to the law, but compared to Fatty and San Pao, he was quite ignorant and had no awareness that making explosives without permission was illegal.

"Let me show you; by the way, we don't call it a bomb; we call it an earthen firecracker..." San Pao said, "You two keep eating while I prepare the materials..."

"Hurry up; we need to save some room for the fish..." After hearing San Pao's words, Fang Yi and Fatty felt their hunger returning and promptly picked up their chopsticks to eat.

"We're still missing a bottle; I exchanged all the extra beer bottles at home for some snacks..." A few minutes later, San Pao emerged from the inner room carrying a plastic bag. He glanced around, grabbed the inferior liquor bottle from the table, and poured its contents out into the yard.

"Making this thing is actually quite simple..." 

Noticing Fang Yi's unwavering gaze upon him, San Pao returned to the room with a smug grin. "If I had an alarm clock, I could even make timed firecrackers. My years in the army weren't wasted..."

San Pao wasn't boasting; he had served in the engineering corps and, having dealt with explosives since childhood, was particularly fascinated by them. Whenever there was a task requiring blasting in the army, San Pao had never once experienced a dud.

If it weren't for San Pao's insistence on leaving the army, his commanding officer had already planned to promote him to a technical sergeant based on his expertise with explosives.

"Stop bragging and quickly mix the materials; it's still early. If we wait until midnight, we might attract attention..." 

Fatty irritably tossed a peanut at San Pao. He couldn't stand San Pao's smugness, especially since he had been kicked out of the army while San Pao had chosen to leave voluntarily, which was quite disheartening.

"Isn't it quick to make this?" San Pao scoffed, pushing his bowl aside and placing the plastic bag and liquor bottle on the table.

San Pao glanced around, found a ladle from the cupboard, and inserted it into the neck of the liquor bottle. He then reached into the plastic bag, scooping out a handful of black powder that smelled of sulfur, pouring it through the ladle into the bottle.

While San Pao was well-versed in the properties of gunpowder, Fang Yi and Fatty were blissfully ignorant. They had no idea that San Pao was using blasting powder meant for quarrying, which was not very stable and could be easily ignited.

After filling the bottle with about a third of the powder, San Pao pulled out a small object the size of a thumb. It was wrapped in yellow paper, half solid and half hollow.

San Pao took out a pair of scissors and cut a piece of fuse about thirty centimeters long, then inserted one end into the hollow part of the yellow tube until it wouldn't go any further, before placing the tube along with the fuse into the bottle.

"That tube is a detonator, and the fuse is a igniter. This igniter won't extinguish in water and burns at a moderate pace..." Seeing Fang Yi's puzzled expression, Fatty took on the role of the explainer. After all, which family in Weijia Village hadn't fished with explosives? Fatty's village head father had engaged in this activity numerous times.

"Hehe, Fatty, didn't your family buy the gunpowder from ours?" 

Hearing Fatty's words, San Pao chuckled, but his hands moved swiftly. After inserting the detonator, he quickly filled the rest of the bottle with gunpowder and used three chopsticks to pack it down firmly.

Once he completed these steps, San Pao fetched some water and went outside to make a lump of mud, sealing the bottle's opening with it, leaving only about ten centimeters of fuse exposed. An earthen firecracker was successfully created.

"This thing must pack quite a punch, right?" Watching San Pao with the bottle, Fang Yi felt a vague sense of danger.

"Of course, it's powerful. The explosives used for blasting mountains are far more potent than this little amount..." San Pao nodded proudly and explained, "Our purpose is to stun or incapacitate the fish, so we need to pack in a bit more."

"Alright, the materials are ready; let's go now..." Given the strict management of the reservoir in recent years, fish blasting had become increasingly rare. Fatty was eager to partake, having not done so in quite some time.

"Are you two not going to eat a bit more?" San Pao was indifferent, reaching for a green shoulder bag behind the door, which contained two already prepared earthen firecrackers.

"I'm already half full from earlier..." Fang Yi felt a surge of excitement. Having heard the two speak of the fun in blasting fish since childhood, he was eager to see how it was done.

"Okay, since the villagers are still awake, the noise shouldn't be too loud..." San Pao glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just past seven. At this hour, the villagers were either watching television or drinking and playing cards, so no one would notice the commotion near the reservoir.