"My father has been worried about this these days!" Lin Ning's face was filled with worry, and he even had some lingering fear: "A few days ago, those wolves howled in the middle of the night. Everyone in the city could hear it, causing panic among the people. It also scared me a lot. Fortunately, there are city walls blocking us, otherwise, from the sound of their howling, they sounded like they were going to come in and eat people!"
The wolves were very cunning. County magistrate Lin ordered archers to shoot them, but when they saw the crowds of people, the wolves ran away without a trace, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Shen Qing thought that because people were building roads and houses on the mountain in their Lantang village, the wolves no longer came here and only took away the lonely children in Xiahe Village. He nodded in agreement.
"Now my father has posted notices everywhere, firstly telling the people to return home when it's getting dark, and not to go up the mountain alone, lest they run into wolves. If the villagers down below want to chop wood or dig wild vegetables, they must form a group of more than ten people, and children must be restrained and not allowed to run around.
The second is to recruit hunters from the county and the village and offer a reward to catch and kill the wolves. Unfortunately, only two people responded to the call. If it was a lone wolf, two people might give it a try, but how could two people dare to fight against a wolf pack so easily? "
Shen Qing thought for a moment and said, "I'll go too."
Lin Ning's eyes widened, and he quickly stopped her: "Why are you going there? Are you trying to save your life? That's a wolf!"
"Is this a little bit related to me?" Shen Qing was not sure, and told Lin Ning about the killing of wild boars. "Perhaps it was because the wild boars were annihilated that the wolves lost their natural enemies and migrated to the vicinity of the village. I don't know, but my home is also in the village. I can't just stand by and watch the wolves move around nearby."
Lin Ning was so shocked that he was speechless. He knew less than one percent of Shen Qing... He knew that a ruthless person killed a group of wild boars last year. His father also bought a wild boar head to offer sacrifice to the ancestors. It was not very delicious but it did look majestic. It turned out that this ruthless person was Shen Qing? !
"I'll go and take the list later." Shen Qing said as he stood up. Having something to do would help him divert his attention from thinking about the troubles in the end times. The main thing was that he couldn't help at all, so he had to wait for fifteen days. He took out a few bulging paper bags from his arms and handed them to Lin Ning: "Help me give this to your father."
"My father told you not to send anything..." Lin Ning muttered quietly. County Magistrate Lin might be a little prejudiced against Shen Qing now, thinking that he likes bribery and connections, and he doesn't like him very much, but he didn't restrict Lin Ning from interacting with him. Lin Ning weighed a few paper packages, gently, but curiously opened them and looked, "What is this?"
Lin Ning was also born in a farming family, so he would know about grains. But he could not imagine what Shen Qing would give his father grains for. Didn't Shen Qing always give away valuable items? Therefore, he began to doubt his own judgment.
Precious flower species?
"This is what I got on my business trip this time. It's a grain variety that has a yield more than double that of ours." Shen Qing pulled out another piece of paper, on which was a recipe for local fertilizer that Song Kaiji had copied for him: "Use this with it, the effect will be even better."
This shock was even more shocking than the fact that Shen Qing had killed the wild boars. Lin Ning's hands were shaking as he held the recipe, and he stammered for a long time. Suddenly, as if he had made a major decision, he stuffed the seeds and the recipe back to Shen Qing.
Shen Qing was a little surprised: "Why, you don't believe it?"
"No, I believe it." Lin Ning said, "It is precisely because I believe that you should not present such an important thing to my father through me." Lin Ning was calculating frantically in his heart. County Magistrate Lin now has some prejudice against Shen Qing. If he sends it like this, perhaps even County Magistrate Lin will not value it. Or maybe even if he accepts the thing, he will still be awkward with Shen Qing. "Since you are going to kill the wolves... I believe you have the ability to do it! Why not wait until you kill the wolves and my father commends you, then you can present it to him in person!"
With these two great achievements combined, I wonder what he will have to say when that time comes!
Shen Qing thought about it and felt that what Lin Ning said made some sense, so he put the seeds back. But Lin Ning was not calm at this time, and asked Shen Qing about this and that: "Where did you go to do business? How did you get seeds with such a high yield?"
County Magistrate Lin only had this one brother, and he loved him very much. Although he had never taught Lin Ning any political affairs, he never avoided talking to his subordinates and colleagues. As far as Lin Ning knew, there was no place in their dynasty with particularly high grain production. The so-called rich places were just because of the climate, where two or three crops could be harvested a year. The more times the harvest was, the more grain was obtained throughout the year, but the difference in per-acre yield was not that big. Shen Qing's seeds that doubled the per-acre yield were really unheard of!
Shen Qing had already thought of an excuse: "Besides our dynasty, there are many other countries in this world."
Lin Ning nodded. He knew this. Last winter, when Shen Qing killed the wild boars, their court defeated the neighboring country in the south without any chance to fight back, and sent two princesses to marry. However, compared with their dynasty, those countries were just small border countries. If they had such a high yield of grain, would the country be so weak?
"It's not those countries." Shen Qing shook his head. "It's the small countries beyond our surroundings. There are many countries in the west, which are far away. Those countries are not smaller than our dynasty. They are not like the small places around us."
Shen Qing didn't know what his world looked like. But the textbook he found had a world map, and at this time he followed the map and said half-truthfully, "I met some merchants over there and exchanged seeds with them."
Shen Qing's words were beyond Lin Ning's understanding. How come there is a country over there in the neighboring country? He really couldn't imagine what it was like, but he was extremely curious and pestered Shen Qing to ask him to tell him more: "Many of the things you gave me that we haven't seen here are also from there? Do the people over there dress differently from us? Do they look good?"
"More than just the clothes are different?" Shen Qing told him half-truthfully, "The hair color of the people over there is not black. Some are golden, some are brown, and some are red. Their eyes are also of various colors, green, blue, and brown. They are tall and have very white skin, but some are very dark." These are some of the foreigners Shen Qing has seen at the Hongcheng base: "The language they speak is not our language. It's weird and incomprehensible."
Sometimes Song Kaiji and Qu Weiwei would inadvertently say a few words in English. Although Shen Qing had not learned English, he had heard it a lot and knew the meaning of a few words: "They call a nice meeting "hello" and say goodbye "bye-bye", which is very strange."
"Why are you so polite?" Lin Ning didn't understand, but it didn't stop him from being amazed. After being amazed, he felt a little disappointed: "I envy you so much, you can go everywhere, meet such rare people, and get such precious seeds."
Even though his father loved him very much, he could never live the same life as Shen Qing. His father was quite open-minded, allowing him to go out of the house frequently and eat around the city with Lin Zao'er, but people still gossiped about him, saying that he was too wild and didn't know the rules.
Thinking of this, Lin Ning was not very happy: "Some people really make me speechless! They obviously look down on me, but they insisted on inviting me to a flower-viewing banquet. After inviting me, they openly and secretly laughed at me as a bumpkin from my village who didn't know the rules. They obviously didn't want to offend my father, so they insisted on inviting me. But what good would it do them to invite me to offend him?"
But even though he said this, Lin Ning was also very conflicted. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone there knowing that those people often laughed at him. "I don't understand why they have to hold these flower-viewing banquets and poetry gatherings. If I don't go, I won't fit in, and my mother is also very annoyed. The affairs of women and boys in the back house have to affect the men in front. If it weren't for my father's dignity, I really want to punch them all."
But he still made his father lose face. Lin Ning was unhappy. What could he do? He was just a boy from the countryside, a nouveau riche who had only made a fortune in recent years. It would have been fine if those people laughed at him secretly, but they also laughed at his mother, which made Lin Ning even more angry and intolerable.
But things like rules, manners, and etiquette, how can they be improved overnight?
Seeing him like this, Shen Qing thought of someone: "If you just want to avoid being rude at the banquet, maybe I can introduce someone to help you."
Xie Miyun hadn't seen Shen Qing for a long time. Ever since he was rejected from climbing into bed with her, Shen Qing felt very awkward when seeing him. After talking to him, she sent him to the house behind the county government office to teach girls and boys, and he never saw him again.
The Xie brothers and sisters taught very attentively, and there were two good students who learned very quickly. It was not an imperial examination, but just accounting and recognizing simple characters. After about half a year of study, they would be able to work in the shop and help Shen Qing.
Shen Qing thought, Xie Miyun was born in the family of the prefectural governor, so he just watched from the sidelines. The brother and sister's every move was different from that of ordinary people. Since County Magistrate Lin became an official, it was impossible for Lin Ning to not learn these things for the rest of his life - at least he had to do it on the surface. If he introduced Xie Miyun to Lin Ning, maybe he could help Lin Ning?
However, for now, Shen Qing still has to deal with the wolf pack issue first before thinking about other things.
He went back to Xiahe Village to find Liu the Hunter. Liu the Hunter was actually one of the two hunters who were summoned to the county government. The other one was a man from the county town. Unlike Liu the Hunter, his ancestors were hunters. He only went to the suburbs of the county occasionally to hunt some prey to supplement his family income. He was summoned this time because his family was really short of money and he was greedy for the reward money given by County Magistrate Lin.
In comparison, Hunter Liu was more sincere. The child who was taken away from Xiahe Village was a relative of his husband. Even those who didn't get along well with him in the village would feel uncomfortable after losing the child, not to mention their relatives.
"I heard that you set a trap when hunting wild boars. But I only heard it from one ear and I don't know what kind of trap it was. So I wanted to ask, can this trap also be used on wolves?" This was the reason why Liu the hunter went to find Shen Qing.
Shen Qing shook his head and explained the trap he had set to Liu the hunter in detail, leaving out the part about the wooden trap and saying that he had used a large bow: "Wolves are much smarter than wild boars. This method works for wild boars, but not for wolves."
As hunters, they are all familiar with the habits of animals. Hunter Liu naturally knows it as well. He could only sigh when he heard it.
"I have a plan, but this plan cannot involve too many people. Those wolves are very cunning and will hide when there are too many people around." This group of wolves seemed to be very cautious, probably because they were new here. Even with the arrogant wolf, two or three people with a few dogs, the wolves would not hesitate to surround them.
"Even if there's one more person, it won't work?" Hunter Liu still wanted to participate.
How could Shen Qing use his gun with one more person? He firmly rejected Liu the Hunter: "I need you to bring some young men to guard the mountain to prevent any wolves from escaping down the mountain."
The reason why they chose Xiahe Village is that the wolves rarely go to Lantang Village. Maybe because they successfully carried away the child, the wolves thought Xiahe Village was easier to bully and often went there.
Hunter Liu was eventually persuaded by Shen Qing. The next afternoon, Shen Qing led two sheep and some bloody meat up the mountain under the guidance of Hunter Liu.
Miao Yu and Tieshan also followed. Shen Qing had rarely been to this mountain, but Hunter Liu was more familiar with it. The two carefully identified the wolf's footprints and finally found an open space with tall trees and a wide view, which was not conducive to the wolves hiding.
Shen Qing chose a tall and sturdy tree, tied a sheep under the tree, and tied another sheep not far away. He placed the bloody fresh meat next to the sheep, and said to Liu the Hunter, Miao Yu, and Tieshan: "You guys go back. When you hear a sound like thunder in the mountains, my trap will be ready. Wait for an hour, and then come up the mountain to meet me."
He carried a big bow on his back as a cover, and he also held a cloth bag in his hand, which was bulging and no one knew what was inside. Hunter Liu looked at Shen Qing, but didn't ask what the mechanism was. This might be someone's food, how could he say it casually. Miao Yu bared his white teeth and said, "I know, I know! When my cousin hunted wild boars, everyone in the village thought it was a winter thunder. I remember the sound!"
Shen Qing nodded and patted Miao Yu on the shoulder: "Be careful." Miao Yu had a crossbow in his hand, but he could not show it to anyone easily. In fact, the wolves would not necessarily flee down the mountain. This was just an excuse for Shen Qing to get Liu the hunter away. Even Miao Yu and Tieshan were asked by Shen Qing to watch Liu the hunter and go down the mountain together because he was afraid that Liu the hunter would secretly stay on the mountain.
After the three left, Shen Qing climbed up the tree, chose a thick branch with the best view to sit on, threw the long bow and cloth bag back into the space, and took out a rapid-fire rifle, silencer, sniper rifle, night vision goggles and other items from the space, and put them on one by one.
The last time he killed a wild boar, he ran out of bullets, and he was still a little scared when he thought about it. Now Shen Qing has a space with all the equipment and full of confidence.
It's getting dark.
The sheep tied under the tree seemed to know that they were used as bait, and they were shaking with fear, and even their cries were trembling. Shen Qing hid in the tree, occasionally imitating a few wolf howls to lure the wolves.
This trick was very effective. The wolves thought that their comrades had spotted the prey and were calling out to them. Soon they appeared nearby, their eyes glowing green, and they were getting closer and closer...
Shen Qing lay on the tree and did not act rashly. This time was different from hunting wild boars. Wolves had a higher IQ. If a net was set up like hunting wild boars, the wolves would definitely not come in.
So Shen Qing had no way to stop the wolves from escaping. He could only lure them as close as possible and then snipe them. Fortunately, wolves are quite vengeful. As long as one is killed, unless there is absolutely no chance of winning, the wolves will not leave, but will find a way to take revenge. If it really doesn't work, they will leave first and come back to take revenge later.
This is a pack of six wolves, of which there is only one half-grown wolf, and the others are all strong adult wolves. The wolf king is extremely large and majestic.
They found that the wild boars that occupied this territory had died a long time ago. This territory was empty, and the villages around the territory had people and livestock raised by people, which could all become their reserve food, which was so delicious.
The wolves fell in love with this territory more and more, and did not want to return to their original territory. They heard their companions calling, rushed over to see the sheep under the tree, and smelled the faint smell of blood in the air, which made them even more excited.
But the wolf did not happily run over to have a meal like the wild boar. Instead, it carefully looked around and also observed the sheep, as if wondering why the sheep appeared in such a place.
Being stared at by a pack of wolves, the sheep under the tree bleated even more shrilly. Shen Qing held his breath, holding the rifle, not daring to breathe, for fear of disturbing the wolves.
After a long time, as if they were sure there was no danger, the wolves slowly approached the sheep. When they were only three or five meters away from the sheep, Shen Qing finally opened fire.
Having been in the apocalypse for so long and having been on so many missions, Shen Qing's marksmanship is no longer what it used to be. Without wasting too much, he shot three wolves with three shots, but the location was not so particular.
The wolves that were shot did not die immediately, but spun around like a top for a few times before twitching and falling to the ground. They did not howl like the wild boars, as if they knew they would die today. Some lay quietly, while others howled a few times, as if they were sending their final message to their companions.
"It's done!" The moment Liu the hunter at the foot of the mountain heard the gunshot, he subconsciously tried to run up the mountain, but was grabbed by Miao Yu who was beside him.
Miao Yu strictly followed her cousin's instructions: "How many calls are there? My cousin said, wait a little longer, wait until the calls stop completely, and then wait another hour before going up to meet them."
Hunter Liu paused awkwardly. He looked up the mountain again and again, and exclaimed, "Your cousin is really amazing. It's only been a short while, and he's heard three calls. Has he caught three horses?"
He obviously learned it from his father, and learned it secretly, but he is even better than him, his father's direct disciple who was taught with all his heart. Liu the hunter felt a little uncomfortable, but he was also happy that there was such a talented person in the village.
There is no need to set traps or dig ambushes, just a large bow is enough to take care of the wolves.
The remaining three wolves ran away the moment their companion was shot, but Shen Qing saw through the night vision goggles and high-power scope that they did not run far. After leaving the danger zone, they circled back and stared at their fallen companion.
The wolf king raised his head and let out a long howl.
It thought it was hiding in a safe place and was quite far away, but the next second, Shen Qing changed to a sniper rifle and shot through the wolf king's heart with one shot.
The three wolves that had been shot before were still spinning on the ground for a while before they landed, but the wolf king was shot dead straight away.
The remaining two wolves finally realized that this time the opponent was too strong and they might not be able to fight against it. Up to now, they didn't even see the opponent, they just knew that it was in that tree.
The two wolves exchanged a few words briefly, gave up on revenge and turned to run. Shen Qing immediately fired four or five more sniper shots - it was difficult to hit a running wolf - and finally wiped out all six wolves in the group.
Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief and waited on the tree for about ten minutes. No other animals appeared. Except for the shivering bleating of sheep, there was silence all around.
Shen Qing took out several emergency lights from the space and placed them next to the sheep. He also held one in his hand, dragged back the wolf's body that had run away, and lit a bonfire: this was to scare other animals hiding in the dark. The smell of blood was too strong at the moment, and he was afraid that it would attract other things, and the fire could scare them a little.
As usual, Shen Qing used a dagger to open the wound and take out the bullet, then stabbed the wound a few more times or inserted an arrow.
Of the first three wolves that were shot, one had already died, and the other two were hissing and gasping. Shen Qing did not approach rashly. He took out his crossbow and shot more than a dozen arrows from a distance, turning the two wolves into sieves, with no chance of survival, before he stepped forward to deal with them.
It is better to be safe than sorry. If the wolf strikes back at you now, you will suffer a great loss.
After everything was done, Shen Qing sat next to the sheep and touched its head: "How is it? I'm just lending you as bait. It's not dangerous at all."
Little did they know that in the eyes of the sheep, Shen Qing was probably scarier than the wolf. When Shen Qing touched it, the sheep was so scared that they dared not even cry.
When Liu the Hunter, Miao Yu and the others finally went up the mountain, they were also extremely surprised: no one thought that these two sheep were still alive.
"Take it back and raise it well. It can be considered a sheep that has made contributions." Shen Qing smiled.
Hunter Liu was speechless, but Miao Yu rushed forward to check the wolf's corpse. He was extremely excited and looked at Shen Qing with more admiration: "Brother, you are so awesome, my brother!" Miao Yu didn't even ask Shen Qing how he killed the wolf. His brother was so awesome, he must have just killed the wolf easily, without any skills at all!
His brother is the best!
The group hurriedly carried the wolf's body down the mountain. Miao Yu wanted to beat gongs and drums to show his brother's achievements. In fact, even without beating gongs and drums, Shen Qing was still a great hero in the surrounding area, especially for Xiahe Village. After all, the first to suffer were the children of their village.
The child's parents arrived and kicked and beat the wolf's corpse, then cried and bowed to Shen Qing. The head of Xiahe Village was also very excited and ordered people to prepare a good meal to entertain Shen Qing. Shen Qing could not refuse, so he had to sit down and talk to the head of the village. In fact, he had no appetite, and he had just killed a wolf, and the bloody smell on his body made him feel a little nauseous.
Shen Qing himself was a little puzzled. He had never killed wild boars like this before. Maybe he lived too well. He had just become wealthy a few days ago when he killed wild boars. Seeing the wild boar was like seeing a mountain of meat. He was greedy and didn't mind the blood. It was Liu the hunter's husband. As a brother, he was more careful and prepared hot water for Shen Qing to wash.
It was a lively night. The next day, the village chief of Xiahe Village arranged for people to carry the wolf's corpse to the county town with drums and gongs to commend Shen Qing.
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