64: Chapter 64 Wang Ba Box 64: Chapter 64 Wang Ba Box The Southern Fourteen Type 8MM Semi-automatic Pistol, colloquially known as the Wang Ba Box.
This model of pistol was the standard issue for the Japanese Army.
Its most infamous characteristic was its frequent malfunctions, which made people joke that even when trying to commit suicide, the gun would likely jam.
At this moment, Sun Jinzhong’s attention was fixed on the Wang Ba Box he had fished out of the wooden box, and the accompanying dozen or so bullets.
Time had left its mark on the Wang Ba Box; rust spots were prevalent all over its barrel.
Perhaps, the gun was abandoned by the Japanese soldiers in the wooden box due to its malfunctions, rather than being carried away.
You’re interested in this thing, Brother Zhong?
This is dangerous stuff.
If you hide it and someone reports you, you could end up locked away for a year and a half!”
Chen Hai squatted down beside the wooden box too.
Seeing Sun Jinzhong’s eyes shining, he knew exactly what was going through this guy’s mind!
To be honest, firearms like these have a natural allure to young men like him and Sun Jinzhong.
But Chen Hai had good self-control.
He knew what was meant by socialist core values and wouldn’t touch anything remotely illegal unless there was no other choice.
“I’m not afraid; there are plenty of these things among the people!”
“In our village, how many boys in their teens haven’t played with homemade gunpowder guns?”
“I’ve wanted a real gun for a long time, cousin; I just haven’t found a way to get one!”
“Cousin, I followed you to this deserted place in the middle of the night to dig a hole.
No merit in that, but sure hard work!”
“Let’s strike a deal.
I don’t want anything else from the wooden box, just this Wang Ba Box and the bullets.
With a few dry laughs, Sun Jinzhong tentatively spoke up, asking Chen Hai.
The laws banning firearms had been in place for a long time now.
However, in these smaller county towns, the enforcement of such regulations had always been lax.
In suburban rural areas like Yanbei Village, it was slightly better; you hardly saw any firearms.
In the remote mountain villages, finding a few hunting rifles was a piece of cake, simple and easy.
In this day and age, the chances were slim that an old lady at a stall would be caught for shooting balloons and end up sentenced to ten or eight years for illegal gun possession—that was utterly ridiculous and wouldn’t happen.
“Brother Zhong, if you want this Wang Ba Box, just take it!”
“If you were to give this thing to me, I’d still say it’s troublesome to deal with.”
Laughing, Chen Hai added, “You don’t want anything else but this.
I hope you won’t regret it later!”
Beside the wooden box, Chen Hai had already briefly examined the bottles and jars that Sun Jinzhong had no interest in as they spoke.
Though their appearance was rather plain and they weren’t in great condition, these bottles and jars seemed to have some age to them and could roughly be considered antiques.
When it came to knowledge of antiques, Chen Hai didn’t know much.
However, under the dim candlelight, he noticed the words “Qianlong Year” near the mouth of one of the jars.
In his opinion, these bottles and jars could be worth some money.
It was for this reason that he made a point of kindly reminding Sun Jinzhong.
“What’s there to regret?
Apart from this gun, I don’t care for anything else.”
“Just tuck this thing in my belt and take a walk down the street – how majestic, how domineering!”
“Those old hoodlums on the streets, after they catch a glimpse of this on my waist, will probably be very respectful and call me Brother Zhong!”
He chuckled with a snicker, Sun Jinzhong boasted triumphantly and said.
As he spoke, he even stood up, made a show of it, and clipped the rusty Wang Ba Box to his waistband.
Seeing Sun Jinzhong with the gun barrel stuffed into his pants, leaving half of the gun handle exposed, Chen Hai had an odd expression on his face.
He began to speak, kindly reminding him, “Brother Zhong, you don’t even check to see if there’s a bullet inside before you jam that thing into your pants?”
“The Wang Ba Box is notorious for misfiring easily!”
“Aren’t you worried that if there’s a bullet inside and it accidentally misfires, it could shoot off your dick?”
At this point, Chen Hai, who already had his hand over his mouth, couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
Sun Jinzhong was startled and hastily removed the Wang Ba Box from his waistband.
After fiddling with it for a while and removing the magazine, to ensure there were no bullets inside, he finally felt relieved.
“Brother Zhong, I have no problem with you wanting the gun and the bullets.”
“But I must remind you, you’d better hide these things well, don’t just take them out willy-nilly, you definitely don’t want to get caught over this!”
Chen Hai spoke up again, warning him.
“Don’t worry, cuz, I know my limits when I’m doing things.”
“If something really did happen by some chance, I’d take all the responsibility, I absolutely wouldn’t involve you!”
Sun Jinzhong replied nonchalantly.
He had already carefully put away the bullets found in the wooden box, and the Wang Ba Box was once again clipped to his beltline.
Since Sun Jinzhong had said as much, Chen Hai felt it was not his place to say anything further.
After all, his cousin was already in his twenties, no longer a child.
He should know what to do and what not to do.
If he, as a younger cousin, said too much, it might just upset him and provoke his dislike.
Carefully wrapping up the six or seven jars and bottles with his shirt, Chen Hai took care of his find.
As for the tin cans that contained military rations, he naturally had no interest and simply ignored them.
“Brother Zhong, give me a hand, dig a hole right in this cave and bury that skeleton!”
Placing the wrapped shirt to one side, Chen Hai called out to Sun Jinzhong.
Sun Jinzhong was taken aback and asked.
The matter of burying the skeleton had been mentioned by Chen Hai when they first entered the cave, and Sun Jinzhong had no objections.
His question was merely out of a bit of confusion.
“To let her rest in peace so she isn’t exposed in the cave, I’ve done all I can.”
“I’m not her descendant; choosing a Feng Shui treasure land for her burial is not my duty!”
Chen Hai explained casually with a laugh.
With a Wang Ba Box clipped to his waist, Sun Jinzhong was full of vigor, and it seemed like his courage had grown significantly.
After digging a small pit, he even took the initiative to help move the skeleton of the woman in the floral dress into the hole.
After they buried the skeleton, the two cousins restored the cave to its previous state as much as possible.
Busy until around midnight, Sun Jinzhong and Chen Hai, each carrying a shovel and their findings, set off on their way back.