Xiang Rong went down and carried the goat out; the goat had broken its leg. There were also four rabbits and two pheasants inside.
They had hoped to catch a lot of prey, but they were not experienced hunters and didn't know how effective their dug traps would be.
Seeing the significant gains from the first and second traps, I'm gradually gaining confidence.
The third trap contained even stranger items: two deer, one large and one small, along with several rabbits.
"Oh dear, we have deer, one big and one small," Xiang Rong said. "We can take them back, raise them, and sell their antlers for a good amount of money every year."
Venison is much more valuable than rabbit or pheasant.
"Yes!" Zuo Li was also very excited, as he could make a contribution again. "I carried a rope with me, so I tied it up and secured the things inside."
After clearing the three traps, He Tiantian said, "We have quite a lot of stuff now, let's take it downstairs first."
Zuo Li and Xiang Rong looked at each other. They each had quite a few things on them, especially a sheep and two deer, one big and one small, which were more valuable than rabbits!
“Alright, let’s go down first, take the stuff back, and then come back.” Zuo Li agreed. The three of them had a good haul, so they went down the back mountain and returned to the livestock team.
Old Qi, Professor Gu, and Old Bai were all beaming with joy at the sight of such a large harvest.
Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao, who were inside the house, saw that Zuo Li and Xiang Rong had brought back so many things, and heard that they were going to go up the mountain again, so they wanted to come along too.
They felt bad about the care they had received from others these days. They couldn't do heavy work, but they could go up the mountain together to hunt.
"Brother Zuo, we don't know how to hunt, but we can help you with some things. We feel bad about the help you've given us all this time, so please let us do something." Qian Shikun was also dressed in thin clothes. He had been very envious when he saw the rabbit fur coat that Old Man Bai was wearing. Since they could get rabbit fur, they could help out and then ask him to make one for them.
"Alright, carry your bamboo baskets. The road is a bit long, so walk fast and keep up," Zuo Li said. They usually ate together, and these people, even when they weren't hunting in the mountains, ate the same food as everyone else. As for winter coats, everyone else had already made them; it wouldn't be right not to make them. To prevent them from reporting them, they couldn't just ignore them. If they wanted to work, it would be even better to ease their burden.
It's always better to earn money through labor than to reap the rewards without sowing!
“Okay!” Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao agreed. After several months of hard work and labor reform, they had adapted to life here.
Working is no longer a burden, but a part of life.
The period of being sent to the countryside was grueling, but it also toughened me up!
The five of them went up the back mountain. Professor Gu, Professor Wang, and Old Man Bai, led by Old Man Qi, boiled water and skinned and gutted the rabbits and pheasants. As for the wild goats and two deer, one large and one small, they were kept in a makeshift enclosure, waiting for everyone to return so they could discuss what to do with them.
This time, they went straight for the fourth trap.
The fourth trap, damn, was even worse! It required a half-grown wild boar. The rabbits that fell in had already been killed by the boar. As for the boar, it had broken its leg and was barely clinging to life inside the trap, grunting and squealing incessantly!
"There's a wild boar here!" Qian Shikun exclaimed in surprise. "Oh my, we haven't even finished eating the pork at home yet, and we've caught another one. Brother Zuo, Brother Xiang, you two are really amazing, even more amazing than those old hunters."
Actually, Zuo Li and Xiang Rong were also quite surprised that they had gained so much!
They couldn't figure it out either, and finally decided that since they couldn't understand it, they shouldn't think about it anymore. After all, it was a gift from the mountains, so why not take it?
"We didn't know either! We didn't expect it to work so well," Zuo Li said. The half-grown wild boar had broken its leg and was barely alive. We put a rope around its neck, and the four of us carried it down. Sweetie helped carry the remaining rabbits and pheasants.
"Okay!" the group replied.
When they finally managed to carry the half-grown wild boar down to the livestock team at the foot of the mountain, Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao were covered in sweat and so exhausted that they sat on the ground and wouldn't get up.
Old Qi urged, "You guys hurry up and come in. You've sweated so much, you'll catch a cold if you're exposed to the wind."
Upon hearing this, the group quickly got up, stumbled back into the house, and drank hot water to replenish their fluids.
"Where did you dig these traps? How did you manage to get so many?" Old Qi asked in surprise. "People in the village go hunting on weekdays, but no one has ever caught this many before."
Zuo Li thought for a moment and said, "Just above the halfway point, after passing through the dense forest, there's a small stream. We saw many animal tracks around us, so we guessed that many animals had passed through there. That's why we dug traps there, and we didn't expect to find so much. We still have three traps to collect. Based on this result, I estimate that the remaining three traps will also contain quite a lot of stuff."
Upon hearing this, Old Man Qi's expression changed, and he asked, "You guys are too reckless. Passing through that dense forest is extremely dangerous. If you encounter bears, tigers, leopards, or wolves, you'll be in real danger."
“Hehe, Uncle Qi, you’re not trying to scare us, are you? We’ve gone up and down the back mountain so many times, and we’ve never seen any big animals. The biggest one we’ve seen is a wild boar,” Xiang Rong said. “Besides, I’ve also secretly scouted the area, and there are no footprints of any large or dangerous animals, so you can rest assured.”
"Impossible!" Old Qi said. "Someone from Hujia Village was killed by a bear before. It was a terrible sight. He was almost smashed into a meat patty. It was so pitiful. After that, no one went there to hunt."
Zuo Li and Xiang Rong didn't care at all, and decided to wait until after lunch to go.
He Tiantian wanted to go back to have lunch with Grandma Qi, but everyone stopped her.
"Sweetie, eat here. There's plenty of food." Professor Wang said. They hadn't invited He Tiantian to eat here before, not because they didn't want to, but because there wasn't enough food for everyone!
He Tiantian smiled and said, "No need. Just give me one after you've finished processing it. I'll take it back and eat it with Grandma Qi. She's all alone at home and quite lonely. If I don't go back, she probably won't cook for herself."
He Tiantian truly cares about Grandma Qi. No matter how busy she is, she will go home for meals and keep Grandma Qi company.
“You’re a good boy.” Professor Wang took three wild rabbits dripping with blood from the prepared basin.
He Tiantian quickly waved her hand and said, "If we carry this all the way, it will make a mess of blood everywhere. Let's leave it here to dry before I take it."
Anyway, it's her share, so it doesn't matter whether she takes it sooner or later. (To be continued.)
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