"Be careful, keep an eye on the ice. Don't get excited and fall into the river. In the dead of winter, even if they manage to pull you out, you'll be half dead!" Li Gangtie earnestly warned.
The other party wasn't impatient at all, and chuckled, saying, "Don't worry, I know!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of loud crashing sounds echoed across the ice.
Shen Yanming felt a toothache upon hearing this, so he said to Li Gangtie, "I'll go see if there are any other prey nearby."
Li Gangtie nodded: "Okay, don't go too far, be careful of danger."
Shen Yanming smiled and left. He then wandered around the area and successfully found two squirrel nests.
There wasn't much good stuff inside, just some dried mushrooms. The legendary hazelnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, etc., were nowhere to be found. I guess the previous disaster drastically reduced their numbers, so the little ones couldn't collect them anymore.
Shen Yanming didn't go and destroy the squirrel's belongings; he just glanced at them and left.
Then, in a dead tree that required two people to hug, he found a nest of hibernating snakes. There were seven or eight of them, each a meter long and as thick as a wrist. He was almost scared to death.
Shen Yanming didn't make a move. He called over a guard and left on his own.
Then they found a hole in the ground and used the same trick again, pulling two "rabbits" out of the hole.
"Today's harvest was indeed quite good," Shen Yanming said as he walked back.
The two rabbits were startled awake from their slumber to find themselves in a world of ice and snow outside. The warmth and comfort they had felt inside were nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, they were all stunned. They were frozen.
Without any buffer from the temperature drop, this situation was like being thrown into an ice cellar. The two rabbits were so frightened that they peed all over the place, and then they started trembling. They didn't tremble for long before they died.
Shen Yanming clicked his tongue twice, thinking to himself that she was really weak; he didn't even have to lift a finger to twist her neck.
Indeed, animals that originally had similar survival abilities have developed vastly different characteristics due to their different environments.
Although life forms are more resilient in higher altitudes, they haven't adapted to cold air and will still feel the chill in this icy landscape.
Even the domesticated animals outside have developed some wildness after experiencing these changes. They are no longer as fearful of humans or as gentle as before.
When they see people, they either keep their distance and avoid contact, or they confront them head-on without fear.
As Shen Yanming carried the two dead rabbits back, he happened to hear Chang Anhui shouting on the river: "It's through! There really are fish in there!"
As they were talking, two fish leaped out of the ice hole. The one with the biggest head was twice the size of the fish sold in the market before.
Li Gangtie hurriedly threw the fishing net he had prepared to Chang Anhui: "Hurry up and get in, we'll haul it in in a bit."
Chang Anhui was overjoyed, grinning foolishly as he held the fishing net. But he didn't stop, quickly and efficiently setting the net.
"Alright, come on up." Li Gangtie pulled the man ashore, and then scooped up the two fish that were jumping on the ice.
"Let's find a place to get something to eat." He glanced at his smart bracelet and realized it was already 3:30 in the afternoon. He frowned and said, "It really is getting late. I was so focused on hunting that I didn't even notice the time."
"Are there any caves nearby?" Li Gangtie turned his head and asked Shen Yanming and the guards who had just gone out for a stroll.
One of them said, "There's a hole nearby, not very big, only about three or four square meters."
Li Gangtie nodded: "Okay, let's go there."
Shen Yanming glanced at the sky, somewhat worried: "Captain Li, it's getting dark, is this... not a good idea?"
Li Gangtie smiled nonchalantly: "Anyway, fishing takes some time. Instead of just standing here waiting like an idiot, we might as well go to the cave to rest and have something to eat."
"Yes, Lao Shen, you're overthinking it. In the past, when we went hunting, we always waited until dark before coming down the mountain."
"I've memorized the route, and I even brought a flashlight and a torch when I left. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
"Yes, this isn't our first time hunting, so we know what we're doing. You'll understand once you come along a few more times."
Seeing their confident assurances, Shen Yanming didn't bother to dampen their spirits. He had his trump cards; if anything went wrong, he could escape unscathed. He should be the least afraid.
So he smiled and said, "Well, this is my first time participating in an event like this, so I'm a little timid. Sorry about earlier, everyone."
"It's okay, it's okay. Everyone was like you when they first started hunting. But you gradually got the hang of it. I believe in you, brother."
Shen Yanming nodded and gave the other person a friendly smile, but didn't say anything more.
After walking for about twenty minutes, the group arrived at the so-called cave.
They threw the branches they picked up on the road onto the ground and started a fire.
Li Gangtie lit the fire with a lighter, then used a dagger to scrape off the scales of the two fish, gutted them, cleaned them, and roasted them over the fire.
Shen Yanming also slaughtered the two rabbits. After all, there were ten people present, and there wouldn't be enough food if there wasn't enough.
It was at this moment that he realized that his rabbits were somewhat different from those in the wild.
Rabbits caught in the wild have short, round ears. But pet rabbits have long, thin ears.
Shen Yanming was relieved that this feature was not obvious and could not be seen without careful observation.
He quickly skinned the rabbit and threw it aside. As for the head, he cut it off and buried it in the snow.
However, Li Gangtie's words, "The fur is nice, keep the pelt safe and we'll take it back," almost made him jerk his dagger and cut his hand.
Shen Yanming nodded in agreement. He placed the blood-stained rabbit skin at the entrance of the hole, then skewered the rabbit on a branch and put it on the fire.
Soon, the aroma of meat wafted through the air.
Everyone sniffed hard, feeling their stomachs were empty.
"Is it almost done?" The skin is golden brown and oozing oil; it looks incredibly appetizing.
Li Gangtie shook his head: "We should roast the things we catch in the wild until they are thoroughly cooked."
"Fine." The man reluctantly pouted and sat back down. He knew, however, that Li Gangtie's concerns were not without merit. After all, parasites have existed since ancient times.
Shen Yanming and Ji Kangyong were the two most composed among them, showing no sign of craving for the barbecue.
The former is someone whose family has plenty of food and eats it often. The latter just ate it last night and is often given food as a treat, so he's never really gone hungry.
Li Gangtie noticed their behavior and nodded to himself, "These two are really well-mannered. They can remain calm in the face of delicious food. That's rare."
Shen Yanming had no idea what the other person was thinking. If he had known, he would have said, "It really is a beautiful misunderstanding!"
He was now warmed by the fire, and calmly took out a lunchbox from his backpack, picked up a steamed bun with his chopsticks, and handed it to Ji Kangyong: "Want some?"
Ji Kangyong nodded: "Eat!"
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