Chapter 190
Looking at the brown bear that was as big as a small mountain in front of her, Fan Xiaoxiao felt her hands and feet trembling.
Uncle Wang found the chicken, which was trembling with fear, in the woods, tied it up again, and put it back in the basket. It was quite a lucky chicken; in that situation, it managed to flit away from the brown bear for quite a while by flapping its wings.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead; his face was still a little pale.
"Girl, let's not stay here any longer! Let's go down the mountain and call everyone to come and help."
"Ah? Oh, okay."
Fan Xiaoxiao was still a little dazed. The near-death experience made her feel that the ground she was stepping on was soft. It was Uncle Wang who came over and pulled her up. Only then did she come to her senses and stagger after him as they walked down the mountain.
"Girl, how did you come up with the idea of using pheasants to lure the brown bear?"
Recalling what he had just witnessed, Uncle Wang glanced back at the maple tree that was almost touching the ground, still feeling a lingering fear. The trunk was covered with rough claw marks.
This was the first time in his life he had ever seen a brown bear go berserk. Now, recalling how he was still standing here unharmed and talking, Uncle Wang felt a little dizzy, and the feeling of being alive seemed unreal.
Fan Xiaoxiao's hands were still trembling uncontrollably. She gave a bitter laugh, trying her best to sound normal.
“Godfather, I was just taking a gamble. We had no choice with Yang just now. Besides, the arrow you shot hit its eye right away. I threw the pheasant to divert its anger.”
"Given how agile the pheasant is, I could only gamble that the one-eyed brown bear wouldn't catch it before the poison took effect. Fortunately, we won the gamble."
Fan Xiaoxiao's face showed a hint of relief at surviving a disaster. Uncle Wang sighed deeply, "Yes, on the bright side, our food supply for this period of time is secured. And with the chestnut trees over there, we should be fine this winter."
Speaking of this, Fan Xiaoxiao shook her head. How could there possibly be enough food? They had been here for a month, and not a single drop of rain had fallen. The situation in other places was probably even worse than near the Tianshan Mountains.
They don't just need this food for the winter; some of it must be stored until next spring. If the situation isn't good next spring, then forget about making money at a stall; they might even have trouble making ends meet.
"Godfather, let's go back and dig a few cellars, right in the backyard."
"How many? Do we need so many?"
Uncle Wang didn't object to the idea of digging a cellar; in his view, storing more food was actually a good thing.
However, having several cellars means that Fan Xiaoxiao wants to store far more food than just enough for one winter.
"Yes, that's right, just a few cellars. It hasn't rained lately, and I'm a little worried about whether there will be a drought next year. Also, I'm thinking of setting up a stall near the tea stall next spring to store up more food so I can buy less next year."
Also, if possible, I'd like to see if there are any chestnut trees, so I can dig one up and plant it in the yard.
Uncle Wang nodded, then looked back at the brown bear he could still see.
"So what do you plan to do with that bear?"
Fresh meat cannot be preserved for long, and turning it all into jerky would require a considerable amount of effort. They have too many things to do these days, and it might be difficult for them to manage both aspects.
Fan Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment. Actually, she didn't know how to cook bears. After all, bears were never on her dinner table.
Although they are currently short of food, they are not yet at their wits' end. If possible, Fan Xiaoxiao would prefer to exchange it for some more common poultry, since they have spent a considerable amount of money recently.
“Let’s transport it back. We’ll keep the pelt; it’ll be cold in winter, and we can save up the pelts just in case. As for the rest of the meat, we’ll take it to Tianshan Town to sell. We’ll also see if there are any livestock for sale.”
As they spoke, the two were getting closer to their home at the foot of the mountain. They then realized that the place they had just been in was not far from home.
From afar, Fan Xiaoxiao saw everyone packing something in front of the courtyard, looking like they were preparing to leave. Curious, she called out to them, "Sister, what are you all going to do?!"
"Sister!!"
Hearing Fan Xiaoxiao's voice, Madam Fan turned around, and the things she was holding fell to the ground with a clatter. She stumbled to Fan Xiaoxiao's side and hugged her tightly.
"Sister! You're back! Are you alright? We heard wild beasts roaring in the mountains! We thought something had happened to you!"
"Sister, sister, I'm fine! Don't worry."
Fan Xiaoxiao was hugged tightly, and felt like she could hardly breathe from being squeezed by Madam Fan. She coughed twice, and only then did Madam Fan release her as if waking from a dream.
"Old man, what did you encounter?"
Uncle Wang turned his basket upside down on the ground. Hearing Aunt Wang's question, he sighed and said, "We encountered a brown bear, but we've already killed it. It's still by the stream on the mountain and we haven't been able to bring it back yet."
"Bear!?"
"Yes, sister, let's go up the mountain and bring that bear down. We need to deal with it as soon as possible before it gets dark. Tomorrow morning, you can take it to Tianshan Town and sell it. After that, see if you can buy some livestock."
Back home, Fan Xiaoxiao finally felt a real sense of relief that she had survived. But now was not the time to relax. They had to get back to the mountain as soon as possible, otherwise things would get bad if the brown bear attracted other wild animals.
Uncle Wang came out from the west side of the house. That small area was a tool shed specially designed by Fan Xiaoxiao. It was a large area with a shed outside that could shelter from the wind and rain, and it was connected to Master Lu's blast furnace.
“I’ve packed my things, girl, you don’t need to go. You stay home and finish the fence with Brother Lu, then we’ll go up the mountain to butcher the bear and bring it down as soon as possible.”
"But that bear is so big, I'm afraid the three of you can't bring it down!"
If it were just the three of them, transporting several hundred pounds of meat would take an unknown amount of time. Moreover, the later it got, the more dangerous it became on the mountain. In addition, if Uncle Wang dismembered the bear on the mountain, the smell of blood might attract something unpredictable.
"No, I'll go with you. Let's finish quickly and come back to rest!"
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao picked up her basket again and prepared to walk away with Uncle Wang and the others.
"Girl, just listen to your godfather. The three of us can handle it! It's not safe to go up the mountain right now, so you stay home and wait for us to bring the bear back."
Fan Xiaoxiao opened her mouth, about to speak, when she heard someone's voice at the door.
What kind of bear are you talking about?
(End of this chapter)
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