Li Zhong

Biodata

Background / History

Family Hardship and Li Xuan’s Change

Li Zhong is the eldest of the Li family’s sons. His mother died giving birth to his younger sister, Li Xiuer, and the second son disappeared several years before the story begins. His father, Li Shan, was formerly a respected hunter, but a hunting accident left him unable to enter the mountains. The original Li Xuan worsened the household’s poverty by taking money to court Miss Xu and responding to his father’s and brother’s advice with abuse 1.

Despite Li Xuan’s past behavior, Li Zhong urged Wang to wait when his younger brother failed to return by dinnertime. When Li Xuan brought home a rabbit, Li Zhong enthusiastically helped prepare it, shared his meat with Li Shan and Wang, and offered to accompany him hunting. Li Xuan’s subsequent promise to support the family moved him to tears 2 4 7.

Marriage Dispute and Hunting Trips

The Xu family’s demand for thirty taels, a live-in marriage, and a surname change horrified Li Zhong. Li Xuan’s apparent willingness to offer a hundred taels frightened him further, until his brother explained that it was a ploy. During the later confrontation, Li Zhong stepped in front of Li Xuan and Wang to support them against Xu Wang. He then restrained Li Xuan’s apparent murderous outburst, unaware that it was an act 5 6 7 9 10.

Li Zhong accompanied Li Xuan into the woods with rope and grain bait, helping set traps for mountain pheasants. Their hunt succeeded when Li Xuan drove a pheasant into a snare and shot it. Later, Li Zhong and Wang set out through a snowstorm to search for Li Xuan, only to meet him returning with mountain-goat meat and hide. Li Zhong took over the heavy load and carried it home 7 8 15 16.

Market Journey and Martial Training

On the journey to town, Li Zhong struggled to keep pace with Li Xuan despite carrying a lighter load. At a frozen river, he learned to spear fish with a sharpened reed and caught a crucian carp on his third attempt. His next, overexcited strike hit the ice and frightened the remaining fish away 20 21.

Bandits attacked the travelers before they reached town. An arrow struck a tree beside Li Zhong, and he and Wang hid behind a rock while Li Xuan fought the attackers. At the market, Li Zhong arranged their medicinal herbs and answered customers’ questions; the family’s goods earned over twelve hundred copper coins 22 23 25.

Li Zhong initially worried about the expense and talent requirements of martial training, but accepted Li Xuan’s decision to try the Thunderbolt Martial Arts Hall. After Li Xuan’s admission, he defended his brother’s seriousness to Li Shan and expressed confidence that he would succeed 30 33.

Wang Kui’s Theft and Its Aftermath

Li Zhong helped Li Xuan retrieve the remaining half of a wild boar, only to discover that Wang Kui’s gang had stolen it. After following the thieves’ trail, he nearly charged their camp when they insulted Li Shan. Li Xuan stopped him and sent him home to warn the family; Li Zhong reluctantly agreed, insisting that his brother abandon the meat if necessary to return safely 38 39 40.

Li Zhong subsequently returned up the mountain with Li Shan to look for Li Xuan. Learning that his brother had killed Wang Kui and his accomplices shocked him, but he agreed to keep silent under his father’s instructions. He later reported Constable Zhou Hong’s questioning of villagers and, during another family discussion, used a request for warmed wine to get Wang and Xiuer out of the room before discussing the case 43 45 46 49.

Personality

Li Zhong is honest, hardworking, and guileless. His care for the household is practical: he gives up his own meat for his father and wife, carries supplies, and repeatedly offers Li Xuan help. His early hesitation around his troublesome brother develops into open pride and trust as Li Xuan begins providing for the family 1 4 13 35 40.

Although usually placid, Li Zhong becomes impulsive when his family is insulted. Li Xuan considers him straightforward but poor at planning, and his unsettled expression readily betrays his worries. He also enjoys wine, sheepishly accepting twenty copper coins from Li Xuan after Wang forbids him to buy any 25 40 45.

Abilities & Skills

Farming and Medicinal-Herb Work

• Works the family’s fields and helps maintain their hillside medicinal-herb plots 18 35.
• Sorts and displays herbs at market, assuring customers that they are homegrown and have not been fumigated with sulfur 25.
• Carries substantial bundles of herbs and firewood, though his endurance falls well short of Li Xuan’s improved stamina 19 20 45.

Hunting Assistance

• Helps set concealed foot snares and a drop-basket trap for pheasants 7.
• Assists with preparing game and transporting heavy meat and hides 4 16 38 43.
• Learns basic ice-fishing from Li Xuan, successfully spearing a fish with a reed; his unsteady aim and excessive force can disturb the fishing spot 21.

Equipment / Items

• Axe and chopping tools — Used for splitting firewood and carried on the pheasant hunt 5 7.
• Hemp rope and grain bait — Supplies brought for setting pheasant traps 7.
• Hoe — Carried when heading out to work in the fields 35.
• Carrying pole and woodcutting blade — Taken to retrieve the hidden wild-boar meat 38.
• Sharpened reed stalk — Used to spear crucian carp through a hole in the ice 21.

Relationships

• Li Xuan — Younger brother. Li Zhong becomes an enthusiastic supporter of his hunting and martial training, while remaining anxious about his safety and ruthless actions 4 30 40 43.
• Wang — Wife. They share farming, market, and household responsibilities; she openly scolds his careless fishing and desire to buy wine 18 21 25.
• Li Shan — Father. Li Zhong shares food with him, reacts fiercely to insults against him, and follows his instructions to conceal knowledge of Wang Kui’s death 4 40 43 46.
• Li Xiuer — Younger sister and fellow member of the Li household 1.
• Wang Kui — Thief who steals the family’s boar meat. Li Zhong wants to confront him but is restrained by Li Xuan 39 40.
• Zhou Hong — Constable investigating Wang Kui’s death. His inquiries alarm Li Zhong, who reports them to his family 46.

Notable Quotes

“Run the moment anything looks wrong! Do you hear me? Forget the meat if you have to, but you must come back!” 40