12dz Chapter 288 He's back safe and sound, isn't he?
Chapter 288 He's back safe and sound, isn't he?
Just as the group was carefully making their way across a muddy slope, they suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from ahead.
"Stop!" Li Xiangyang immediately raised his hand to signal everyone to halt. "There's movement."
Everyone held their breath and listened intently. The sound grew closer, as if something was moving through the bushes.
Wang Ergou instinctively raised his hunting rifle, his eyes warily fixed on the direction from which the sound came.
Suddenly, the bushes parted, and a roe deer, soaking wet, stumbled out. Upon seeing the crowd, it stopped in terror, its eyes filled with fear.
"A roe deer!" Wang Ergou excitedly raised his gun, about to take aim.
"Don't shoot!" Li Xiangyang slammed the gun barrel down. "Shooting could trigger a landslide."
Upon seeing this, the roe deer quickly turned around and disappeared into the bushes on the other side.
Wang Ergou looked somewhat resentfully in the direction the roe deer had gone: "Sigh, this wild game just got away like that."
"Is your life more important or the wild game?" Old Zheng asked seriously. "In this situation, safety comes first."
The group continued on their journey, which proved to be more difficult than they had imagined.
On several occasions, they had to take detours because the original road had been completely washed away.
Around noon, the sky darkened again, thick fog rolled in the mountains, and visibility plummeted.
"Oh no, it's foggy," Zhang Changlin said worriedly. "This is going to make it hard to find our way."
"Yes, the fog is too thick; it's too dangerous to continue. I see a recessed area in the cliff over there, sheltered from the wind and rain, where we can rest for a while."
Faced with the sudden thick fog, Li Xiangyang quickly stopped and offered his advice.
No one objected, and they walked over under his guidance.
"Bring out the dry branches we just collected, let's start a fire," Old Zheng said. "It's been so many days, a little longer won't hurt."
Several young hunters quickly piled up dry firewood and lit a fire.
The group sat around the fire, drying their wet clothes and roasting some of the remaining bear meat to stave off hunger.
The fog persisted until the afternoon before it began to dissipate.
The group resumed their journey down the mountain.
As evening approached, they finally saw the outline of the forest farm in the distance.
"Look, it's the forest farm!" Wang Ergou excitedly pointed into the distance. "We've finally arrived!"
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace.
When they entered the forest farm, Director Zhang and several other teams of hunters were anxiously waiting for them.
"Thank goodness, you're finally back!" Director Zhang hurried forward, his face filled with worry and relief. "We were so anxious these past few days, sending several groups of people to look for you, but they were all scared away by the situation in the mountains."
"Have the other teams all returned? Were there any casualties?" Old Zheng asked with concern.
Director Zhang nodded: "They're all back. There were no casualties, just two young men who sustained minor injuries, but they've been treated."
Wang Ergou put down his backpack and breathed a sigh of relief: "At least everyone is safe and sound."
"It's a pity about those two bears we shot down," Li Xiangyang said to Director Zhang, "they were swept away by the flash flood."
Director Zhang patted Li Xiangyang on the shoulder: "We can make more if we lose anything. It's good that you're alright. Come on in and warm up. There's some hot soup in the kitchen; fill your stomachs first."
Everyone followed Director Zhang into the main house of the forest farm. A wave of heat hit them, and the long-lost warmth made everyone feel incredibly comfortable.
"We owe a great deal to Lao Zheng and Li Xiangyang this time," Zhou Guangming said to Director Zhang. "If they hadn't discovered the danger of the flash flood in time and moved us to higher ground, something terrible might have happened."
Director Zhang nodded solemnly: "We really must thank you. This experience reminds us that we must pay closer attention to the weather forecast before going into the mountains in the future."
Li Xiangyang sat by the stove and accepted a bowl of steaming hot meat soup.
"Xiangyang," Wang Ergou leaned closer, his voice tinged with regret, "those two black bears we hunted are really gone. All that work for nothing."
Li Xiangyang took a sip of the hot soup and shook his head: "How could it be a wasted effort? We eliminated the dangerous black bear and protected the safety of the forest farm. Isn't that a good thing?"
"But..." Wang Ergou wanted to say something more.
"Don't think about it too much," Li Xiangyang interrupted him. "The biggest achievement is that we came back alive. Besides, the prey in the mountains won't all run away; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Wang Ergou thought for a moment, then finally nodded: "That's right, life is more important."
As night deepened, the lights in the forest farm were extinguished one by one, leaving only the main house still lit.
The hunters sat around the fire, drinking hot wine and sharing their hunting experiences.
Li Xiangyang leaned back in his chair, listening to the laughter and chatter around him, but his thoughts drifted far away.
I haven't been home for several days now, and I wonder how worried Li Xiaoyun must be.
My younger sister should be on summer vacation soon, right?
"What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?" Old Zheng sat down next to Li Xiangyang and handed him a cup of hot wine.
Li Xiangyang took the glass, smiled, and said, "It's nothing, I just miss home."
Old Zheng nodded knowingly: "Young people have worries, that's normal. We'll go back first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll see our families soon."
Li Xiangyang raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Lao Zheng's: "To our safe return."
Old Zheng smiled and replied, "A toast to peace, and a toast to the future."
The next morning, after having breakfast at the forest farm and receiving their hunting rewards, everyone set off on their journeys home.
The sunlight shone on their faces, dispelling the fatigue and gloom that had accumulated over the past few days.
"When I get back, I need to take a good shower. I've been feeling really stifled in the mountains these past few days, without even hot water."
On the way, Wang Ergou couldn't help but complain.
Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded: "Yes, I plan to take a good rest for a few days when I get back. We've been away for so long, my family must be very worried about us. By the way, the kids should be on summer vacation now, so I plan to bring my younger sister back to stay for a few days. We'll go into the mountains again when the weather is better."
Wang Ergou excitedly replied, "That's great! Next time we'll definitely come back with a full load!"
The two chatted all the way and unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Xiaoliang Village.
From afar, Li Xiangyang saw a familiar figure standing at the village entrance, looking around. It was Li Xiaoyun.
Upon seeing Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou, Li Xiaoyun's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile, and she quickly went to greet them.
"You're finally back!" Li Xiaoyun's voice was full of concern. "It's been raining heavily for the past few days, I was so worried!"
Li Xiangyang put down his backpack and hugged Li Xiaoyun tightly: "I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm back safe and sound."