Shuiliangou (Water Curtain Gully), at first glance, easily evokes the Water Curtain Cave from "Journey to the West," the legendary birthplace of the Golden-Eyed Stone Ape, which refers to Sun Wukong. This area of the Qinling Mountains is also inhabited by monkeys, specifically golden snub-nosed monkeys. As human activity has accelerated, this group has chosen to retreat to the deep forests and seclusion.
Therefore, it's very difficult to see them in this area. It's estimated that once the golden monkey population returns, it will indicate that the environment here has become very good.
Zhao Qiang was speechless when Zhang Guodong compared this to the Water Curtain Cave. But at least it dispelled the oppressive atmosphere.
As they walked, the group gradually became more talkative and began to laugh. However, they didn't let their guard down. In this deep forest, there were cover everywhere, and every year there were countless examples of people suffering losses due to carelessness.
By the time everyone arrived at their destination, Shuiliangou, it was nearly noon. Several hours of hiking through mountain paths and forests had taken a considerable amount of time. Most of them had rolled up their trousers, which resulted in them being drenched in sweat, looking like they'd been pulled out of water.
Sweating again and again, finding coolness again and again. And so it went, until salt crystals formed on my clothes.
Zhang Guodong did not see its true appearance beforehand, but only saw a small stream winding down the ravine, crystal clear, but the water volume was very small, and it was not as good as the stream in Shangjixing Village.
However, it is incredibly precious to the animals in the mountains. In the sweltering summer, many animals seek out water to quench their thirst and cool down; otherwise, they risk dying from the heat.
"Ouch!" As they walked, Uncle Gang, a middle-aged man in the group, suddenly cried out in pain, sat down on the ground, and hugged his leg. Just as they were about to reach the Water Curtain Ditch, this sudden turn of events brought the group to a halt.
"Uncle Gang, what's wrong?" Several people nearby hurriedly helped Uncle Gang up.
Zhao Qiang and Zhang Guodong also walked back to see what had happened. Uncle Gang was among the last group cleaning up the mess. Those at the front and back are the most vulnerable to injury.
"I'm cramping, I'm cramping—" Uncle Gang said helplessly with a grin.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; cramps weren't a big deal. As long as it wasn't a snake bite or insect bite, it wasn't a serious problem.
After walking such a long distance, my legs and muscles should have been stretched, so it's quite baffling that I got a cramp.
"Uncle Gang, you must be a picky eater again, right? Cramps are caused by a lack of some trace elements in your body. It's normal to have cramps when your body lacks these elements!" Zhao Qiang checked and found it was just a cramp. He massaged it to relieve the cramp and then joked.
"Haha—" Everyone else laughed when they heard this. They clearly knew what was going on.
Zhang Guodong was the only one who seemed to be kept in the dark, looking completely bewildered.
"Guodong, you wouldn't believe it. Hehe, Uncle Gang is very particular about food, and there's a little story behind it!" Zhao Qiang said with a smile when he saw Zhang Guodong's curious expression.
"Are you getting cocky, kid?" Uncle Gang's face flushed red upon hearing this. He glared at Zhao Qiang and said fiercely. This brat is getting more and more disrespectful. He doesn't even know how to respect his elders. He actually dared to expose his elders' secrets.
But in reality, everyone in the village knew how formidable Aunt Gang was. It all stemmed from Uncle Gang's picky eating habits. At home, Uncle Gang was a chauvinist, but Aunt Gang was no pushover either. So she staged a scene to "discipline" her husband. That time, Aunt Gang prepared a very lavish meal, but the only thing that left everyone speechless was that it was all made of eggplant.
If we don't eat it, it's a waste; if we do eat it, it's all the same ingredients. No matter how varied the dishes are, they can't withstand this kind of preparation. Aunt Gang said it was to help him strengthen his muscles, but he ate too much at once, and now Uncle Gang feels nauseous whenever he eats it again.
As the story spread, it became a popular anecdote, and it is said that Aunt Gang became a role model for the women of Jixing Village.
"Guodong, look, Uncle Gang is angry. If you want to know, go ask Uncle Gang. I dare not say anymore, hehe!" Zhao Qiang stood up abruptly, afraid that Uncle Gang would give him a slap on the head.
Zhang Guodong was speechless. Ask him? How could he ask? He'd be asking people embarrassing stories; he'd probably get yelled at.
"Another day, another day!" Zhang Guodong declined.
Everyone arrived at Shuiliangou, so there was no rush. They rested for a few minutes until Uncle Gang's cramps subsided, and then everyone got up.
You can actually find prey in this ditch. They've probably come to drink, but while drinking, they're unusually alert, scouting their surroundings for any potential threats or changes in the environment.
"This distance is a bit far, over a hundred meters. The air rifle's accuracy isn't good enough; it's hard to hit the prey!" Zhao Qiang said helplessly. "Most of the time, firing at a distance of a hundred meters is just a waste of bullets!"
Zhang Guodong glanced down and saw that there really was no cover. If someone went down, they would easily be spotted. It was broad daylight; animals could see them.
"Guodong, why don't you give it a try?" Zhao Qiang suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile.
"This isn't a good idea, is it? There are only twenty-five bullets in total, and one has already been used up. How can we manage if we run out of bullets later?" Zhang Guodong was genuinely interested in giving it a try, especially since he had his eye on the brightly colored, unidentified pheasant. But then he thought about how few bullets there were, and it would be too wasteful to go all the way to the actual destination.
There are many pheasants in these mountains, but that's just a general term. In fact, there are many kinds of pheasants, so many that Zhang Guodong couldn't tell them apart at all.
But compared to wild rabbits and domestic chickens, this pheasant stewed with medicinal herbs is truly a delicacy and a great tonic! For Zhang Guodong, the tonic effect is secondary; he prefers to eat it.
"It's alright, I brought plenty of bullets. I'll give you ten more later, enough for you to hunt five or six game animals!" Zhao Qiang urged. "Generally speaking, we never run out of bullets—"
"Want one?"
"Give me one!"
The others joined in the jeering. The older ones were more reserved, simply listening with smiles. Those who joined in the jeering were all around Zhang Guodong's age.
"Bring it on, who's afraid of who?" Zhang Guodong grinned, ready to go all out. Seriously, he thought he was a complete novice? Let me show you my marksmanship!
"How about this, it's no fun fighting alone. Who wants to have a go at me? It would be best if we could make a bet. Let's shoot at the wings of a pheasant, and if we shoot anywhere else, we lose!"
Zhao Qiang coughed a few times, his mouth full of saliva. They say a newborn calf isn't afraid of a tiger, but Zhang Guodong is really boasting! The accuracy of an air rifle bullet is greatly reduced at 100 meters. Hitting an arm? Even hitting a larger target like a body wouldn't be easy, would it?
But he was the one who instigated this. If he didn't participate, wouldn't others look down on him?
"I'll go! You name the stakes, but don't gamble with real money, I'm not as rich as you!" Zhao Qiang immediately warned.
“Gambling is so vulgar. Let’s not gamble. Whoever loses has to go down and collect the prey. Is that okay? Anyone who can’t beat someone with their arms is considered a loser!” Zhang Guodong winked and said.
"call!"
“No problem!” Zhao Qiang nodded.
The prize was just to add some fun to the journey; could he refuse? It was just running errands. Besides, he really didn't believe his marksmanship was inferior to Zhang Guodong's.
"I'll be the referee!" Zhao Wangquan said cheerfully.
Being a referee is actually very simple; you don't even need to go down and watch in person. As long as the animal isn't dead, can still flap its wings, and can't fly away, it's basically been hit in the shoulder.
The team chose a wide, shady spot to stop. The trees provided shade, preventing the sunlight from shining into their eyes and allowing them to aim effectively.
Zhang Guodong and Zhao Qiang each chose a spot, but they were standing. Were they planning to fire while standing? This was far more difficult than holding a gun while crouching. Holding a gun, maintaining stability, and finding the right feel for it requires several times more mental and physical exertion than crouching while holding a gun.
For example, if you crawl on the ground and hold your gun down to fire, you can last for four hours, but if you stand and fire at the same time intervals, you might only last for one hour.
Both of them surprisingly chose the more difficult option. Clearly, their competitive spirit had been ignited, and neither was willing to concede defeat.
"I'll count to three, then fire all at once! Get ready!"
Searching for prey, Zhang Guodong's eyes immediately fell upon a large, brightly colored male pheasant. At that moment, the pheasant was gracefully strutting around two common pheasants, showing off its long, beautiful feathers, as if it were looking for a mate.
Zhao Qiang, however, pointed his gun at another one, so that the two wouldn't hit the same one.
"Are you ready?" Uncle Quan asked, still worried.
"alright--"
"no problem!"
Both of them were full of confidence.
"One, two—" Uncle Quan began to count. But just then, the sound of pebbles hitting each other came from the ditch, a splashing sound, as if some animal was running wildly.
"Three!" Uncle Quan blurted out the word "three" out of habit. But as soon as it left his mouth, his expression changed drastically. It was too late to stop.
Zhao Qiang was pondering whether or not to fire when Zhang Guodong pulled the trigger, and a bang shattered the tranquility of the ditch.
Upon hearing this, everyone's mouths dropped open, and they all looked at Zhang Guodong in astonishment. They saw Zhang Guodong quickly reload, raise his gun again, and after barely a few shots, another bang rang out.
Then, the culprit that caused the pebble collision appeared: three argali sheep—two large and one small! These three argali sheep were incredibly fast! Running swiftly and without stopping in the pebble-strewn gully, they raced upstream towards the prey Zhang Guodong had aimed at.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Two gunshots rang out from behind. It turned out that someone else was chasing the three ibex.
"That's strange. This area has always been our village's hunting grounds. Who else has come here?" Zhao Wangquan finally understood, and his face darkened. This place is close to Jixing Village, and for many years, this area has been the hunting ground for the people of Jixing Village. Naturally, they have regarded this place as part of their village.
Furthermore, other villages near the mountains have their own 'hunting areas' and generally do not cross those boundaries.
"What about those two pheasants?" Fan Dun stared at the pair of pheasants whose wings had been hit and who were in distress, and looked at Zhang Guodong with admiration.
Guodong is really something! He hit the target with the first shot, and with the second shot, even though the two pheasants were about to fly away, he still managed to shoot one down.
"What should we do? Just let it be? I'll go down and pick them up, and see who these people are!" Zhao Qiang said with a serious expression.
"I'll go too!" The others also rushed to go down.
"Alright, this isn't a fight, why are so many of you going down here?" Zhao Wangquan shouted, immediately silencing everyone else.
“Uncle Quan, Qiangzi and I will go down and take a look—” Zhang Guodong said after thinking for a moment.
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