sjar Chapter 316 Song Desheng made a mess
Chapter 316 Song Desheng made a mess
Li Ju'an joked, "Don't make Uncle Qian imitate wild animal sounds every day, or what if he attracts a big cat at night?"
Old Qian chuckled twice before going to sleep, turned over, and said, "You little rascal, you're really something. You'll feel much more at ease when a leopard actually stands in front of you."
Song Desheng chuckled and said, "I couldn't be happier. If a wild beast were to stand in front of me tomorrow, I'd fire a couple of shots at it and show it what a master like Song is."
The group laughed heartily and went to sleep fully clothed.
The next morning, before the frost had melted, it started raining early in the mountains. The drizzling rain extinguished the campfire, and Song Desheng, who was sleeping on the outermost side of the hunter's cabin, woke up shivering from the cold.
He had just opened his eyes when he saw a wolf standing behind the bushes in the distance. It terrified him.
He was about to shout to wake Li Ju'an and the others when he suddenly remembered the boast he had made last night. He thought to himself, "If Li Ju'an and the others really find out that I'm scared, won't they go back and laugh at me, making fun of this for a long time?"
Song Desheng quickly raised his gun and quietly aimed it at the wolf, thinking to himself, "Please, please, it's not a pack of wolves. If a large group of savages comes, I'll really have to call for help."
The wolf didn't run away when it saw him. It stared at him intently, noticed the gun barrel in his hand, and suddenly turned and walked away, disappearing into the depths of the jungle.
Seeing that the sly fellow had run away, Song Desheng became bolder and more daring. He ran to the spot where the sly fellow had been standing, only to discover that it was a trap that Li Ju'an had dug the day before.
Li Ju'an dug this trap using a willow stick and a pick. He originally intended to mark the hunter's hut by noting the bark. The trap was dug in September when the soil was soft and easy to work with; by winter, it would be a ready-made snow pit, perfect for trapping wild animals. It would be very convenient for catching badgers or leopards.
Just then, a strange noise came from the trap, attracting Song Desheng's curiosity. His eyes widened as he peered out and saw a pregnant she-wolf had accidentally fallen in. This unexpected joy filled him with delight. He realized the wolf pelt could be sold for money. With that thought, he picked up a large rock and, without hesitation, swung it at the she-wolf's head. After several heavy blows, the she-wolf was dead.
Capturing the she-wolf was a boastful feat for Song Desheng, especially one he could show off in front of the three hunters. However, wary of the lurking wolves in the forest, he dared not be careless and quickly woke up Li Ju'an and his group from their slumber.
"Brother Li, Uncle Qian, Uncle Zhang! Wake up! I have something good to show you!" His voice was filled with barely concealed excitement, eager to share this unexpected gain with his companions.
Seeing Li Ju'an open his eyes and touch the gun, he jumped into the snowdrift, lifted the dead mother wolf, a heavy wolf with cubs in her belly, and told Li Ju'an to take it.
Li Ju'an glanced at the mother wolf's swollen belly and was taken aback. He frowned slightly and said, "Hey, how could you lay a hand on a pregnant animal? You can't hurt one like that."
On this land, hunters have followed the rules passed down from their ancestors for generations, always adhering to the principle of "hunting the big ones and leaving the small ones, not harming pregnant mothers, and not capturing animals with young." This ancient wisdom, like a clear spring in the mountains, nourishes their symbiosis with nature, knowing that if they take from others recklessly, the mountains will crumble. Just like the fishermen in the fishing village, the skilled fishermen of the village never use nets that kill off offspring.
Song Desheng, being from the city, didn't care about these customs and was dismissive of these rural traditions. He chuckled dismissively and said, "Hey, isn't this a ready-made she-wolf? It's like fat meat delivered to my doorstep. Why not take it? It's already been delivered to my doorstep, what a waste. Besides, there's another wolf staring at me from behind, it's creepy."
Old Zhang exclaimed in surprise, "There's another green-skinned one?"
Old Qian and Old Zhang looked at Li Ju'an, and suddenly Old Zhang said, "That's not right, Little Li, why aren't your hunting dogs barking?"
Li Ju'an led nine hunting dogs into the mountains. Not only did Chicken Butt and Fortune not bark, but even Flower Ear and Tiger didn't utter a sound. It was understandable that Tiger didn't like to bark, but even Flower Girl, who was usually very vocal, remained silent. This puzzled Li Ju'an completely.
Old Qian said, "Little Li, why don't your dogs chase or bark at the scoundrel?"
Li Ju'an stared at Da Hu, who seemed a little guilty and turned its face away. He found it even stranger. He examined the female wolf and said, "Looks like a purebred blue-skinned wolf, just like Zhang San, why isn't it howling?"
Song Desheng suddenly said, "Could it be that this green-skinned guy is Big Tiger's lover?"
These words made Li Ju'an's face darken, while Old Zhang and Old Qian burst into laughter. But as they laughed, they realized it couldn't be true; a hunting dog and a scoundrel working together—wasn't that absurd?
Old Qian joked, "Little Li, if this mother wolf hadn't come to seek refuge with your dog and asked your dog to raise her pups, she would be here."
Li Ju'an felt even more frustrated after what was said. He looked at Da Hu, feeling even more uneasy. Da Hu didn't react either.
He said to Song Desheng, "This is bad. You can't hit a mother wolf with her cubs."
Song Desheng disagreed, saying, "The mountain god gave it to me for free, so I can't just not take it. I can use it to make wolf placenta wine, which is more medicinal than deer placenta wine."
In town, many women were begging for deer placenta wine, claiming that newlywed wives who drank it would conceive. If they drank wine containing deer placenta for twins, they could conceive twins. These rumors spread among the women, and many begged hunters in the mountains for animal fetuses to make the wine. The hunters, of course, wouldn't take the job, but Song Desheng had an idea: he would take wolf fetuses back and make the wine while they were still fresh.
A light rain was falling from the sky, and it showed no sign of stopping. Song Desheng carried the mother wolf down the mountain, his steps not faltering for even a moment.
At the bend in the road leading down the mountain, Li Ju'an parted ways with the others. He said, "I have to go to Wild Boar Gully. You guys go down the mountain first, I'll go take a look."
He harbored a single thought: to head to Wild Boar Gully to search for the giant red pine. He figured the eagle's feathers should be strong enough these days, making it the perfect time for the mother eagle to guide it in its flight. He needed to catch the sub-adult eagle just in time, when it had already learned to fly but wasn't quite proficient yet, and raid its nest.
Old Qian and Old Zhang didn't say anything. The four of them gathered together and divided the captured grouse, the remaining pheasant, and half a catty of hamster according to their shares. After dividing the spoils, they each carried their loads on their shoulders and in their hands, and set off on their journey home, laden with their prey.
Li Ju'an, leading the newly acquired mule, received two precious flying dragons. He carefully placed the bound flying dragons into the bamboo basket on his back, then securely tied the basket to the mule's rope. Then he whistled, called Da Hu, and they followed into Wild Boar Gully.
"Let's go, Tiger! Today we're going to Wild Boar Gully to check out the flat-feathered birds."