12dz Chapter 408 Returning with a Full Load
Chapter 408 Returning with a Full Load
The bushes at the foot of the mountain were covered with icicles, which made a soft clattering sound in the wind, startling a few sparrows into fluttering up to higher branches.
The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, lashed at their faces as Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou hunched their shoulders and trudged up the mountain, their steps uneven.
"Ergou, to be efficient, let's split up and search in two directions. I'll go to the pine forest to the west, and you can go to the birch forest to the east, how about that?"
After the two climbed halfway up the mountain, Li Xiangyang stamped his numb feet and offered a suggestion.
"Okay." Wang Ergou nodded, rubbing his frostbitten ears, and before turning away, he reminded him, "If you encounter a wild boar, don't fight it head-on. Blow your whistle to let me know!"
After agreeing on their plan, the two of them pushed aside the bushes in different directions, and the snow fell into their collars, causing them to shiver.
Li Xiangyang walked deeper into the pine forest, stepping on the dead branches, his hunting rifle swaying gently on his shoulder with each step.
The snow on the pine needles occasionally hit my head, splashing up tiny ice crystals.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from ahead.
Upon hearing the sound, he immediately held his breath and crouched down to slowly approach.
Parting a clump of low bushes, a wide open space suddenly appeared before my eyes, where two brightly colored pheasants were pawing at the ground.
Upon seeing this, Li Xiangyang was overjoyed. He immediately crouched down and moved to a leeward position to avoid startling his prey.
Just as he adjusted his position and prepared to fire, a gunshot rang out in the distance, startling two pheasants into taking flight.
Li Xiangyang shook his head helplessly, abandoning his goal and turning to walk towards the direction of the gunshot.
"Xiangyang! Over here!" Wang Ergou's voice came from not far away.
Li Xiangyang ran over and saw Wang Ergou squatting next to a fallen tree, holding a plump wild rabbit in his hand.
"I caught a rabbit, but it seems I disturbed a flock of pheasants." Wang Ergou scratched his head sheepishly.
"It's alright, there's plenty of prey on the mountain," Li Xiangyang reassured him. "Although we didn't catch any pheasants, I think I saw a badger's den. Let's go check it out."
The two followed the direction Li Xiangyang pointed and soon discovered a hidden cave entrance.
There were obvious tracks on the snow around the cave entrance, proving that animals did indeed roam here.
"Don't badgers hibernate in winter?" Wang Ergou asked in a low voice.
“Badgers don’t completely hibernate. When food is scarce in winter, they sleep in their burrows for a few days, then come out to find food when they get hungry,” Li Xiangyang explained. “Judging from these tracks, they must have come out last night.”
Li Xiangyang took out several wire traps from his backpack, set them up around the entrance of the hole, and then scattered some corn kernels he had brought as bait.
"Is that all?" Wang Ergou asked, somewhat puzzled.
“The badger is very wary; it won’t come out if we stay here,” Li Xiangyang said. “Set the traps, and we’ll check back tomorrow.”
After setting the trap, the two circled the mountain again and caught three rabbits and two pheasants.
As dusk approached and snow began to fall, Li Xiangyang decided to end the day's hunt.
"We have to go back, or my wife will worry." Li Xiangyang looked at the gloomy sky.
"We should head back now." Wang Ergou nodded, slinging the prey over his shoulder. "A good haul today, enough for a few good days."
As the two walked back, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and visibility decreased rapidly.
Li Xiangyang looked around alertly, then suddenly stopped: "Wait, there's movement."
Wang Ergou also pricked up his ears and listened carefully. He heard a rustling sound coming from deep in the forest, as if some animal was moving in the snow.
"Could it be a wolf?" Wang Ergou asked nervously.
“No way.” Li Xiangyang shook his head and raised his hunting rifle. “Wolves wouldn’t be so reckless.”
Just then, the bushes suddenly shook, and a huge wild boar rushed out, heading straight towards the two of them.
"Holy crap! A wild boar!" Wang Ergou exclaimed, frantically raising his hunting rifle.
Li Xiangyang stood firmly in place, his hunting rifle already aimed. Before the wild boar could reach a dangerous distance, he decisively pulled the trigger.
"boom!"
The wild boar was hit in the shoulder and staggered a few steps, but still charged forward madly. Li Xiangyang quickly retreated a few steps and fired another shot.
This time, the bullet struck the wild boar squarely in the head. The boar collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitched a few times on the snow, and then lay still.
"That was close!" Wang Ergou breathed a sigh of relief, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "If that had been pressing against me, I would have been bedridden for a month or two."
Li Xiangyang walked to the wild boar, confirmed it was dead, and then looked back at the path he had come from: "This wild boar is unusual. In winter, wild boars usually stay in their burrows and don't come out unless they're disturbed by something."
"Could it be a pack of wolves?" Wang Ergou looked around warily.
"Possibly," Li Xiangyang nodded. "We need to get out of here quickly."
The two tied the wild boar's limbs together, threaded the wooden sticks they had brought through it, lifted it up together, and quickly walked towards the village.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the sky grew darker and darker, so the two quickened their pace.
Suddenly, several wolf howls echoed from afar, their mournful and drawn-out cries standing out clearly against the silent snowfield.
The two men ignored it completely, braving the heavy snow and carrying heavy wild boars and other prey, they struggled forward.
About an hour later, the two finally carried their prey to Li Xiangyang's doorstep.
"Wow! Sister-in-law, Mom, my brother and Er Gou have hunted so much game, including a wild boar!"
Seeing the two return laden with their spoils, Li Xiaohua, who was chasing after Xiaohu in the yard, excitedly shouted.
"Don't get excited. We just happened to run into them, so we hit them on the spot." Li Xiangyang smiled and patted his sister's head.
"How did you manage to hunt the wild boar? Wasn't it dangerous?"
Hearing the noise, Li Xiaoyun quickly came out and nervously took Li Xiangyang's hand to check if he was injured.
"No, look, I'm perfectly fine. Um, you go back inside first, I need to process the prey." Li Xiangyang said, taking out a knife from the kitchen.
"I'll help!" Li Xiaohua volunteered.
"You're too young, don't look at this. Go inside and boil some water, then help your brother wash his hands later."
Li's mother pulled her daughter back and then helped Li Xiaoyun into the house.
Li Xiaohua reluctantly nodded and ran into the house to boil water.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou skillfully handled the wild boar.
"This pork is enough for us to have a prosperous New Year," Wang Ergou said with satisfaction.
"Yes, it's almost Chinese New Year. I'll give some to the elderly people in the village tomorrow," Li Xiangyang said with a smile.
Wang Ergou nodded, picked up his share of the prey, and said, "I'll head back now; Hongxia must be getting impatient waiting."
After seeing Wang Ergou off, Li Xiangyang finally relaxed, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
He washed his hands and went inside, where he found that Li Xiaoyun had already prepared hot water and clean clothes for him.
"Are you tired? Quickly wipe yourself down, change your clothes, and warm up," Li Xiaoyun said with concern.