sjar Chapter 251 Sun Weimin on the Run
Chapter 251 Sun Weimin on the Run
Li Ju'an and his group traveled back to the village by sled. The weight of so many fish made the sled very heavy, and it exhausted the dog.
Lu Jinyang suggested that they go back to the hill on the slow slope to take a look, as there were still snares they had set up. Song Desheng also shouted that they must go back and check, because maybe the snares had already caught a bear, which would be a great achievement.
Lu Zhiqiang looked preoccupied and didn't reply.
Li Ju'an held Little Fatty, the water dog given to him by the fishing village, in his arms. He glanced at Iron Hammer, who was now obediently following at his feet. Big Tiger and Flower Ears were also quiet, dragging their sleds without making any unusual noises.
He put the hammer off the sled and shouted, "Let's go for a ride to Fatty."
Iron Hammer had been waiting for this moment. Excitedly, it shook off its ears and frolicked happily in the snow. Before long, it ran towards the hill, making Li Ju'an laugh and say, "Iron Hammer is very clever. If there is any movement, it will be the first to run back."
The group continued on their way. Sun Weimin wanted to put his share of fish on the dog sled as well, but Li Ju'an scolded him, "Look at you, shameless as you are. If you think it's too heavy, just put the rope on the sled yourself and pull it."
Feeling sorry for the dog's heavy load, he slung the rope over his shoulder and dragged it along with the dog. Song Desheng and Lu Jinyang also threw the fish onto the sled and pushed it together. Lu Zhiqiang was completely lost and dejected; he couldn't hear anyone calling him, and he even strayed off course, infuriating Lao Zhang and Lao Qin. They said that when they called him, he had seen a girl and forgotten where he lived.
Lu Zhiqiang didn't answer the reprimand, but kept his head down and kept walking. He did whatever he was told to drag, which was unusual for him.
Sun Weimin had no intention of helping the dog pull the sled. He shouted, "Pah! You want me to lend a hand? Dream on!" In a fit of anger, he stomped his foot and strode off, walking away without looking back.
Song Desheng said, "Where did he go? Did he run back to the village by himself? And dragging so many fish around, isn't that just attracting wild animals?"
Li Ju'an, pulling the sled, was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead and soaking his crotch. He said, "He's not going back to the village; he's going to pick up the harnesses we use to pull the corn."
Song Desheng was startled and quickly glared at him, saying, "Damn, he's got a good plan! I knew Sun Weimin was up to no good when he suddenly ran away. Isn't that the trap we're setting up ahead?"
When Lu Zhiqiang heard the sound of pulling the stick, he came to his senses as if his soul had returned, and said, "Where is it just ahead? We still have to cross two mountains."
The bear trap they had set earlier was only visible after crossing two mountains. Sun Weimin hurried ahead, while Song Desheng and Lu Jinyang chased after him, cursing and swearing. Lu Zhiqiang realized what was happening and quickly pulled Li Ju'an along to catch up as well.
Li Ju'an said, "Why chase after him? There's no need to. He'll come back on his own in a bit."
Lu Zhiqiang glared at him and said, "He'll have cut off all the bear gallbladders in a bit. That bastard has no good intentions. He's back, but he'll definitely be back with a smug attitude."
Old Zhang and Old Qin, being slower on their feet, followed behind and said, "He's all alone. He'll find out when he fires a shot. He can't drag the bear down the mountain, so he'll have to come looking for us."
Lu Zhiqiang slapped his forehead and thought about it; it made sense. Someone as fussy as Sun Weimin, even if he really got the bear gall, wouldn't be willing to give up the bear skin. By the time he skinned the bear, the group would have already crossed the mountain. Besides, there were hunting dogs; once he fired, the dogs wouldn't let him come down the mountain.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out ahead. A loud "bang" made Lu Zhiqiang's eyes light up with excitement, and he shouted, "Did you see that?! That bastard Sun Weimin, he's the one who hijacked our gun!"
Li Ju'an listened intently and said, "It's not that sound."
The weather was freezing cold, and the northwest wind was blowing fiercely, filling the air with the howling sound of wind and snow. Several people heard gunshots coming from the northwest. But Sun Weimin was heading southwest.
Li Ju'an loosened the sled ropes, and the hunting dogs scrambled out. He ran to the hill and looked northwest. Where there had been only one gunshot, now sporadic gunfire rang out, as if something had emerged.
Song Desheng, standing on higher ground, shouted, "There's someone over there!"
Without him saying anything, Li Ju'an knew there were people around. He shouted, "Go and see what's going on." He dragged the sled's harvest into the snowdrift, covered it with soft snow and branches to prevent predators from spotting it quickly, and then hurried over.
Old Qin and Lu Jinyang followed with their guns, while Old Zhang from the security department, whose knees were in excruciating pain, gritted his teeth and limped along at the very back.
This gully was originally a corner of the Wild Boar Forest. Now, after the forest farm took over, it is now the Sixty-Nine Forest Farm. There are still untransported timber planks on the ground.
Li Ju'an looked down at the snow and saw a man's fresh footprints running quickly toward the ravine. He shouted, "Over there, follow Da Hu!"
The hunting dogs barked in unison as they charged forward, taking a running start towards the timber processing area in the center of the ravine.
The gunfire ceased completely. A chill ran down their spines; ahead, hunting dogs began barking angrily, and a tiger roared menacingly.
If it were a normal prey like a roe deer or deer, the tiger would charge and crush it without hesitation. If it were a wild boar or a green sika deer, the tiger would become even more ferocious, leading its pack of dogs to surround and attack the prey from all directions. But now, the tiger's barking sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Song Desheng said, "A beast that can make a tiger bark must be very big."
The group of men, on high alert, drew their guns and ran quickly toward the direction where the hunting dogs were barking. Li Ju'an first spotted a figure lying on the ground, and a horse tied to a tree stump, kicking restlessly. A large log, weighing about 500 jin (250 catties), was tied to the horse's back.
Lu Jinyang gave Li Ju'an a wink. Li Ju'an immediately understood. This man wasn't a lumberjack, a temporary worker at the forest farm, or a helper at the logging camp; he had come with a horse to steal timber.
The forest farm hasn't fully resumed operations since the Lantern Festival, and there are very few workers, making it a perfect opportunity to steal timber. Some unscrupulous individuals will inevitably try their luck and take the risk. But this man was incredibly audacious, leading a horse and hauling away 500 jin (250 catties) of large logs. Selling them on the black market could fetch a good amount of money, but if he's discovered, he'll face legal trouble after being reported, and his family will also be implicated.
Song Desheng shook his head and said, "This guy is really bold. He still dares to come after being bitten like this."
A figure lay limply on the ground, blood dripping in patches on the snow, staining the snow crimson. A dog-skin hat had also fallen to the ground.