In the eighteenth century, in the western part of America, after suppressing the local Indians, some people called western cowboys began to pioneer in this somewhat barren land.
They built farms and also raised horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and other livestock.
They are full of energy and fighting spirit that others do not possess.
But...it is also full of violence, alcohol, and tobacco.
Every western town is not very big unless a huge farm is built.
In small towns, guns and taverns have also become essential elements.
People who had finished their work for the day came to the tavern in the slightly hot weather.
The owner of the tavern wiped the wine glasses on the bar and asked enthusiastic questions about everyone who came in.
These people will also habitually drink a glass of whiskey to show off their drinking and spirit.
"Hey, did you hear that? That coward Terry got beaten up again today."
"Haha, anyone can beat up Terry, a person who doesn't even dare to touch a gun."
"It's just that when even seven or eight-year-old children dare to do it, he doesn't dare to do it. It's really unimaginable that he would be a cowboy."
"It's understandable to say that it embarrasses the cowboys."
Everyone openly laughed at the man named Terry.
Soon, as the wooden door of the tavern was pushed open, a bell rang, and a thin-looking cowboy walked in with a slightly hunched body.
He is very young, probably in his twenties.
However, his complexion was very poor and his body looked erratic.
The tavern owner was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said:
"Terry, are you here to buy wine for your father again?"
Terry's temperament was indeed a bit shy. He lowered his body slightly and nodded, subconsciously lowering his cowboy hat so that the brim of the hat blocked his sight.
Then, with some difficulty, he took out some silver coins from his pocket.
The tavern owner nodded:
"The money can only buy half a bottle."
Terry nodded repeatedly:
"Just buy half a bottle, thank you."
The tavern owner turned around and began to prepare Terry.
Behind him, the people who had just mocked Terry began to act recklessly.
"Cowardly Terry, a man who is even afraid of riding a horse, how are you going to survive in this small town?"
"Haha, that's right! It's better to sell the farm and get out of here!"
The cowboys laughed endlessly, but Terry didn't say a word, just silently took half a bottle of whiskey from the tavern owner, and then left.
However, the cowboys who did not get the expected feedback because of the ridicule felt a little unhappy one by one.
"Why, you didn't say a word? Could it be that you are dissatisfied?"
A tall cowboy stood up immediately.
Terry took a few steps back in fear and muttered:
"I don't want to cause any friction with you, I'm just here to buy drinks."
"Buy a drink?" The cowboy grinned, deliberately approaching Terry, so that his burly body would bring greater pressure to the opponent.
"Just half a bottle? You are really shabby!"
As he said that, the cowboy snatched Terry's wine away.
Terry was anxious: "My father wants this, please give it back to me!"
"Hey!" the cowboy sneered: "Your father is just a drunkard. Do you think I will be afraid of him?"
With that said, the cowboy opened the bottle in a bad manner and drank half the bottle of whiskey in one big gulp!
Witnessing this scene, the tavern owner sighed secretly and shook his head, but did not speak. He just wiped the wine glasses left by others as always.
Terry stared blankly at the empty wine bottle before it was stuffed back into his hands.
Suddenly, his eyes began to become bloodshot.
When the cowboy saw this, he smiled coldly and touched the gun on his waist.
In this chaotic era, learning to shoot has become the most basic common sense for a cowboy.
However, cowboys also have cowboy rules. Unless their lives are threatened, if they want to shoot, it must be in the form of a duel.
He was waiting, and when Terry couldn't stand it anymore, he could justifiably take out his gun.
For a time, the atmosphere in the entire tavern gradually reached a strange point.
Terry's breathing became heavier and heavier, and the frequency became faster and faster, like a wild beast on the verge of going crazy.
However……
"jingle!"
Terry finally opened the door and left.
The gun on his waist is like a decoration.
The cowboy who was deliberately provoking showed a hint of dissatisfaction when he saw this, but he could only let him go.
If he provoked Terry by shooting and wounding him, he would also be ridiculed in this town.
He didn't have the guts to break the rules among cowboys.
…
Terry returned to his farm and placed an empty wine bottle on the table.
The smell of alcohol that hit your nose was accompanied by a middle-aged man stumbling down the stairs.
"Terry, where's the wine... where's the wine?"
The man had obviously drunk a lot, his clothes were disheveled, and his body was shaking uncontrollably. This was an addictive reaction after years of drinking.
Terry took a few steps back in fear: "Father, the wine...the wine is gone. It was...taken away by others and drank..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Terry's father walked over quickly and kicked him to the ground.
For an alcoholic who has no alcohol to drink, the empty bottle is the source of his anger.
Even if the other person is his son, he will not show any mercy.
The skinny Terry had fragile bones due to lack of nutrition.
Now, after being kicked, his breathing was even more rapid, and he couldn't stand up for a long time.
He looked at the man with resentment but said nothing.
It’s not that I don’t dare, it’s that I know it doesn’t make any sense.
As early as I can remember, my mother ran away, and my so-called father drank every day and didn't even take care of the farm.
It was also difficult for him to survive alone. He had to learn from his neighbors and finally managed to become self-sufficient.
But this western town is barren after all, and most of the livestock raised have to be sold.
Therefore, since childhood, Terry has been living a life of one meal and two meals.
He didn't bother to argue with his alcoholic father. After all, he only had so much money.
If he didn't buy the wine today, he couldn't spend tomorrow's living expenses to buy it again.
"Hey! Go buy me a drink, do you hear me?"
Behind him, the alcoholic father roared in dissatisfaction.
Terry was too lazy to pay attention and planned to feed the chickens and ducks on the farm.
Moreover, he also needs to stab a few more scarecrows.
Recently, many people have come to his farm secretly to steal things.
But suddenly:
"boom!"
The sound of a gunshot immediately caused the crows on the roof to fly away in fear!
Terry felt the pain coming from his shoulder in disbelief, and then turned around little by little.
The drunk father actually pointed the shotgun at himself!
Without alcohol, the alcoholic father has lost his mind.
The shot hit his son, making the alcoholic father slightly stunned.
At that moment, there seemed to be a trace of shock and regret in his eyes.
Just when he was about to speak, Terry had already run away.
…
Terry was so scared that he ran to the hospital in the town.
Along the way, everyone was a little surprised when they saw the blood on Terry's shoulder.
Because in their impression, Terry never dared to shoot, how could a gunshot wound occur?
At this time, Terry happened to meet the cowboy who bullied him.
The cowboy looked at Terry's appearance. He was stunned for a moment, and then showed an evil smile:
"oh?"
"Our timid Terry actually..."
"Get away!" At this moment, Terry's eyes were scarlet and his expression was ferocious like a devil.
This moment of rage, as well as the anger and evil that had been hidden for more than twenty years, made the cowboy take a step back subconsciously.
After realizing that he was actually scared, the cowboy felt ashamed of himself, but felt that Terry was disgusting, and he also took out his pistol.
"Terry, I want to duel you!"
However, still immersed in the shadow of being almost killed by his father, Terry has turned into a beast that is almost losing his mind.
He ignored the cowboy's words at all, but roughly pushed him away and ran straight towards the hospital.
The cowboy roared like crazy behind him, but he seemed not to hear it.
…
The hospital in the small town in the west is called a hospital, but in fact it is where people with a little knowledge of medical skills deal with emergency situations.
Of course, there is a kind of injury that the doctors here are very good at handling.
That's a gunshot wound.
However, the doctor was still a little surprised when he saw that the person with gunshot wounds was Terry, a well-known timid person in the town.
"How did you get injured? Who was involved in the duel?" the doctor couldn't help but ask.
Terry sat there and let the doctor tear the cloth apart:
"Father... fired the gun..."
The doctor was stunned for a moment, then sighed, with a trace of sympathy in his eyes:
"I see."
"A drunkard... I never thought he could be so scary."
"I can't inject you with anesthetic for your wound."
"Terry, you have to be patient."
Terry nodded.
A moment later, a heartbreaking pain suddenly made his expression distort.
The darkness and resentment in his heart also turned into an inexplicable sound in a trance.
[Author's digression]: I wish everyone a happy National Day