Chapter 81: Going Out of the City to Hunt Wolves
The snow stopped, and the golden rays of sunlight leaked through the thin clouds.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping took out the mattresses and cushions from the bed to dry in the sun. Xue Tianze also spread the clean chicken feathers on a bamboo mat and placed them on a stone to dry in the sun. Sui Yu planned to use the tufts of chicken feathers he had peeled to fill the interlayer of the mattress.
"Brother Qin and the others are planning to leave the city to look for the wolf pack, and I plan to go with them." Zhao Xiping came in from outside.
"Outside the city?"
"Well, you can't go." Zhao Xiping understood what she meant.
Sui Yu curled her lips and said reluctantly, "Okay."
Then he muttered, "I asked you out twice, but you didn't agree once."
"There are no wolves in the city, not even a wolf pack." Zhao Xiping smiled helplessly. He went into the woodshed, got a bow and arrow with a new leather string, and came out saying, "I'll go rabbit hunting with you tomorrow."
Sui Yu glanced at him sideways.
Zhao Xiping laughed a few times, walked past her and led the camel out.
"What are you so happy about?" Qin Dashun asked.
Zhao Xiping didn't say anything. He got on the camel and said, "Let's go?"
"Let's go. I'll be waiting for you."
A group of ten people rode out of the city on strong camels. The traces of the wolf pack were told by an old man who came to the city to visit relatives. He heard the howling of wolves seventy or eighty miles east of Dunhuang the day before.
After leaving the city, Zhao Xiping and his group rode camels eastward. If they were lucky, they could make it back before the city gate tonight.
"Are your injuries healed?" Qin Dashun asked in a muffled voice.
Zhao Xiping patted his chest to indicate that he was fine. He covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed, and said nothing.
Before noon, the group discovered wolf feces, a patch of wolf paw prints heading north on the snow, and a series of messy camel hoof prints.
"It seems someone got here before us." The leading man looked toward the north. He was more motivated by the presence of a competitor. He said excitedly, "If we don't find the wolves tonight, we'll stay out for two days and see who kills them."
No one else had any objection, and Zhao Xiping had even less. He wanted to hunt two wolves and skin them to make fur coats for Sui Yu and Sui Liang.
A group of ten people followed the wolf paw prints, but by evening, there was still no sign of the wolves.
It was so cold at night that people could be frozen to death. Zhao Xiping and others had no choice but to run twenty or thirty miles to the east to stay at a farmer's house.
In this small village, they met another group of wolf hunters. Considering that there would be safety in numbers, the two groups agreed to set out together after dawn.
Inside the city, Sui Yu sat in front of the stove, warming herself by the fire and doing needlework. From time to time, she stuffed a handful of straw into the stove to cover the fire. When the water in the pot dried up, she added cold water.
The cat felt that the temperature on the stove was burning its paws, so it meowed and jumped off the stove. But then it felt that the ground was too cold, so it crawled into the sewing basket and lay down.
Sui Yu touched it and it snored in comfort.
It was the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The full moon in the night sky reflected the white snow on the ground, and the night was as bright as the first rays of dawn. Sui Yu opened the door to see the direction of the moon's deviation. Confirming that Zhao Xiping would not return tonight, she put down her sewing basket and went into the house to sleep.
The full moon was in the sky and wolves were howling in the wilderness. The hunters who were staying in the village woke up. After some discussion, they went out in the middle of the night and headed north to look for the wolves, relying on their numbers.
"You can leave, but you're not allowed to come back," the village chief said with a gloomy face. "The wolves hold grudges. If they smell the scent and come over, our village will be in danger. So if you haven't killed all the wolves, at daybreak, go to a secluded place and return to the city as soon as possible."
"Okay, don't worry, old man." Zhao Xiping agreed.
The sound of the camel's galloping hooves startled the villagers. Those who woke up tremblingly went out to see what was happening. When they returned to their houses, they told their wives, "They are really risking their lives to be so bold."
"People who come back from the battlefield are definitely braver than us farmers. Go to sleep, and go check tomorrow morning to see if you can pick up anything."
The night was bone-chillingly cold. When the camels galloped, the cold wind cut through their exposed hands and ears like knives. Slowly, the group slowed down at the same time.
"I really shouldn't have come out." Qin Dashun regretted it. "My hands are so cold that I can't hold the reins. How can I draw the bow later?"
Zhao Xiping was fine. He had gloves on his hands, so although they were cold, they were not stiff.
"Follow me later and don't leave me far away," he instructed.
"Okay." Qin Dashun no longer asked to hunt wolves.
The hungry wolves heard the sound of hooves and ran eastward. In less than half an hour, the people and the wolves met.
There were at least thirty or forty wolves in the pack, and seeing that there were quite a few camels, they hesitated, but after the leader gave the order, the wolves rushed forward.
As the distance closed, Zhao Xiping patted the camel to calm it. He drew his arrow and placed it on the leather string, calmly staring at the approaching wolf. As the wolf leaped, he loosened his index and middle fingers, which had been strained until they turned white, and the sharp arrow shot out at high speed. In the blink of an eye, the arrow pierced the wolf's chest, sending it falling to the ground.
Zhao Xiping retracted his gaze, pulled out another arrow, and shot the wolf that pounced on Qin Dashun.
Qin Dashun howled in fear. He'd been at ease since he'd left the battlefield. He'd been so confident before leaving the city, but tonight, a few wolves pounced, and he was terrified. Once he lost his composure, the camel under him also panicked, subconsciously running away with the man on its back.
Zhao Xiping whistled, and the camel being chased by five wolves panicked and didn't listen to any orders at all. He had no choice but to drive the camel to chase them.
With only three arrows left in his quiver, Zhao Xiping made several judgments before urging his camel to speed up and catch up with the wolves from the side. During the bumpy ride, he pulled the leather string and shot an arrow, hitting the gray wolf that was about to bite Qin Dashun's thigh.
The gray wolf rolled to the ground and howled in pain. The other four wolves hesitated and looked at the other man warily.
"Hold on tight, don't fall down." Zhao Xiping reminded loudly. He didn't dare to get close and could only follow from a distance.
The wolves gave up attacking him and continued to chase Qin Dashun.
This was exactly what Zhao Xiping wanted. While running, he observed a wolf with white hair on its tail and judged its running movements. When it jumped, he lowered his bow and arrow, let go in an instant, and the arrow pierced the wolf's belly.
Another wolf fell to the ground, and three more wolves ran towards him. Zhao Xiping only had one arrow left in his hand, and he didn't dare to use it again. He could only drive the camel to escape.
Zhao Xiping was satisfied after shooting four wolves. His goal now was to save his life. He took the three wolves for a walk in the wilderness.
"then."
Another person came and threw a machete at him, and shot an arrow. The arrow missed the target, but it frightened the three wolves that were chasing it.
Zhao Xiping took the opportunity to shoot another arrow. Under the cold moonlight, the arrow head shone with a cold light, which penetrated into the wolf's crotch. The gray wolf fell to the ground, struggled for a few times, but stood up again.
Qin Dashun came and shot the wolf with an arrow. The gray wolf howled a few times and then became silent.
The leader wolf howled loudly on the hill, and the surviving wolves quickly fled.
The wolves didn't go far. They stood on the hill and confronted the people in the wilderness.
The people sitting between the camel's humps were alert and did not dare to get off the ground.
"It's almost dawn, let's go catch up." said the leader.
Before dawn, there is a period of time when there is no moon in the sky, and it will be the darkest time of the night.
"Okay, let's chase them for a while. Once the wolves leave, we can come back and pack up and prepare to go back to the city."
"Leave a few of you here to guard." Zhao Xiping didn't want to bring Qin Dashun, who was a drag, with him. He reached out and took the three unused arrows from Qin Dashun, saying, "Don't go."
Qin Dashun scratched his head and dared not to show off anymore.
"drive--"
The camels were running, and the crowd was waving their knives and shouting loudly. With so many people and so much noise, the wolves began to retreat.
As the arrows hit the hill, the leader wolf turned around and left with his remaining soldiers.
"Let's go, let's go back and count the prey. I shot three wolves."
Zhao Xiping thought about it and shot five wolves.
The two wolves that had been shot dead during the pursuit of Qin Dashun had already been brought back by Qin Dashun. Zhao Xiping dismounted from his camel and dragged the last gray wolf, which had been hit by two arrows, over to him, saying, "This one is for you, so you don't have to return empty-handed."
Qin Dashun was too embarrassed to ask for it, so he refused, "You saved my life, how can I have the nerve to ask for prey."
"I still have two." Zhao Xiping asked him to guard it. He pulled out the arrows that belonged to him and walked into the crowd to look for his prey.
Arriving at a familiar spot, Zhao Xiping turned around twice. With a gloomy face, he asked, "Who took my prey? Two wolves."
"Your companions have already taken away two wolves." said the person who stayed behind.
"More than that, I shot and killed five wolves in total."
Someone let out a long hiss, meaning that he was bragging and that they could only shoot three wolves at most.
At this time, the moon in the sky disappeared, and only snow remained on the wasteland.
"I saw Brother Zhao shoot the two wolves at the beginning, and then he went after Qin Dashun." People from the same village spoke out to confirm.
Qin Dashun came over with a machete in hand and started cursing, "How shameless! You have no ability and you steal the prey instead. Did your mother get pregnant in a den of thieves?"
"you……"
The rest of the group looked towards the source of the sound. The leader of another group walked over and said in a deep voice, "Did you steal it?"
"It's not me." The man with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks denied it.
"I have marked my arrows. My name is engraved on the shaft and there are also marks on the arrowhead. Since no one has admitted it, I will check the arrows when the moon comes out. Of course, it is late at night now. If you are afraid of losing face, I will give you a chance. Find an opportunity to throw the wolf over." Zhao Xiping said loudly.
The crowd was silent for a moment.
"Disperse, give him a chance." Zhao Xiping stepped back and said, "You've killed a few wolves yourself. Not only do you know the number, but the people around you also have eyes. You can fool those who don't know, but you can't fool them."
The crowd dispersed, and two heavy footsteps were mixed in. There were two "dong" sounds, and then the footsteps became lighter.
Zhao Xiping walked over after the footsteps left. He touched the scratches on the arrow shaft and confirmed that it was the prey he had hit.
Qin Dashun cursed again.
Zhao Xiping stopped him, he didn't want to make enemies with anyone now.
After making sure the wolves were dead, Zhao Xiping and Qin Dashun lifted the dead wolves and threw them onto their camels. Zhao Xiping tied three wolves to his camel, while Qin Dashun carried two. As the moonlight reappeared, the group of more than 20 people headed towards the city.
The leader wolf and the remaining dozen or so wolves followed far behind. When the sky brightened and the towering shape of the city wall appeared in the distance, they gave up their plan of revenge and turned back to escape to the mountains in the northeast direction.
From the time the moon sets to the time the sun sets, Zhao Xiping and Qin Dashun led their camels into Shisantun in the evening.
It was cold and no one was walking in the alley. When the sound of hooves came into the alley, Sui Yu heard it, and she lifted up her skirt and ran out.
Zhao Xiping quickened his pace, his face raised and smiling.
"Good harvest?" Sui Yu smiled unconsciously when she saw his ostentatious look.
"Brother Zhao is a great archer. He killed five wolves, and I was left with one," Qin Dashun said. He untied the frozen wolf and carried it on his shoulders back to Zhao's house. "I'm able to come back alive this time thanks to Brother Zhao. On the day of the Little New Year, my family will buy a pig, and I'll invite you all to enjoy the pig-killing meal."
Sui Yu looked at Zhao Xiping, and Zhao Xiping nodded.
He led the camel in and said, "Brother Qin, you need to practice your skills."
"It's not just about skill, it's also about courage." Qin Dashun recognized his own strength and said, "I won't overestimate myself now. I'll practice when I get back."
Qin Dashun put the wolf down and left. Sui Yu went to feed the camels with a bundle of hay, saying happily, "We killed four wolves."
"Well, you and Sui Liang can each make a fur coat from these two wolves. The pelt of this wolf can be used as a mattress, and I'll tan the remaining pelt and give it to my mother." Zhao Xiping made the arrangements. "As for the wolf meat, keep two to dry. I'll send one back home in the spring, and we'll sell the other two."
Sui Yu had no objection at all. She squatted down and asked, "Is it easy to kill a wolf?"
"Eating people, do you think it's easy?" Zhao Xiping rejected her idea and said, "Anyway, I won't take you to hunt wolves."
Living in fear and suffering from hunger and cold is not a good thing. He just needs to give it a try.
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