Time flew by and it was almost the end of the lunar year. To ensure everyone could eat well during the New Year celebrations, the Haishi base organized a small hunting team.
This year is different from last year. Last year it was an individual effort, where the game brought back was split 50/50 between the base and the owner. But this year it's an official organization with many participants, so the distribution has naturally changed.
Fortunately, the base provides some support, such as oxcarts, guns, ammunition, tents, sleeping bags, and other cold-weather supplies.
Shen Yanming was summoned by Li Gangtie once again. Although he was reluctant, he had no legitimate reason to refuse. Since that was the case, he might as well prepare properly.
I wore very warm underwear from top to bottom, then applied heat packs through the underwear, and finally put on a sweater and a down jacket.
Hats, gloves, and masks are all available. There's also ginger soup, milk, and vegetarian buns.
With everything prepared, Shen Yanming left before dawn. Li Gangtie was already waiting downstairs, along with Qi Lin.
“The young man has grown taller again. In a couple of days, he might even surpass me,” Shen Yanming said with a smile.
Qi Lin nodded shyly: "Hello, Uncle Chen!"
"Where's your dad? Is he already at the base entrance?"
"Yes, there are a lot of people over there, and he's maintaining order."
"Alright, let's go over there quickly!" Shen Yanming said as he walked out.
Li Gangtie took the backpack from him, lifted it, and felt that it was quite heavy.
"You brought quite a lot of things. Do you have any steamed buns?" he asked.
Shen Yanming nodded: "Yes, this time it's filled with cabbage, radish and potato."
“Sure. I haven’t had breakfast yet, so I’ll fill my stomach later.” Li Gangtie chuckled and rubbed his fingers together.
Shen Yanming rolled his eyes, but didn't refuse. He simply asked, "Has Qi Lin eaten?"
"I ate it, Uncle."
"It's alright, Uncle brought a lot. I'll treat you to some hot vegetarian buns later. Your Aunt Qiao An's cooking is pretty good." Even if her cooking isn't great, with the spiritual spring water and vegetables grown in the space, the taste won't be bad.
Qi Lin nodded gratefully: "Thank you, Uncle!"
Upon hearing this, Li Gangtie became indignant and put his arm around Shen Yanming's shoulder, saying, "You brat, you're so nice to Xiao Linzi, but why are you so mean to me?"
Shen Yanming: "...Are you jealous of a child?"
Li Gangtie bared his teeth fiercely and said in a deliberately menacing tone, "Hmph, bad guy!"
Shen Yanming chuckled: "That's enough, aren't you afraid the children will laugh at you?"
"Still a child. Little Linzi is already 1.8 meters tall, okay?"
"That's still a minor. Qi Lin, how old are you this year? Are you eighteen yet?"
Qi Lin smiled shyly: "No, Uncle. I'm seventeen. I'll be an adult in a few months."
"That's alright, they're still children since they're not adults yet."
Qi Lin didn't speak, but Li Gangtie glared at Shen Yanming and changed the subject: "Isn't your buddy participating this year?"
"No, I'm married. I have responsibilities and I'm afraid something might happen."
Li Gangtie nodded: "That's true. Last year was so dangerous, it's understandable that he didn't want to go. I hope everything will go smoothly this year."
Shen Yanming smiled and said, "Yes, I will."
The group chatted as they went, and soon arrived at the entrance of the base.
Qi Xili was already waiting there. Seeing them approach, he smiled and said, "Get in the car quickly, we'll leave right away."
Shen Yanming nodded and got into one of the horse-drawn sleds with Li Gangtie and Qi Lin. Most of the people on the sled were acquaintances; after exchanging greetings, Li Gangtie couldn't wait to ask Shen Yanming for steamed buns.
Shen Yanming wasn't stingy either; he simply took out a lunchbox and let Li Gangtie take it himself. Old Li not only took two, but also one for Xiao Linzi, and casually asked those around him, "Do you want one?"
"Yes, I want one. Little Shen's steamed buns are really delicious," Liang Huaxin said with a grin, taking one as well.
However, I asked beforehand, "How much did you bring today? Is it enough to eat?"
Shen Yanming swayed his backpack, indicating to everyone, "I brought quite a lot, enough for us to eat."
Therefore, Liang Huaxin didn't hold back. The others did too.
After finishing the steamed buns, Shen Yanming put the lunchbox back into his bag. Only then did he have the mind to observe the entire group.
There were about a hundred people, including those who came last year. There were also some unfamiliar faces, but you could tell from their interactions with others that they were all veteran security guards.
They all smiled kindly when they met Shen Yanming's gaze. Old Shen also nodded, which was considered a greeting.
In order to carry more game, this time not only were ten horse-drawn sleds deployed, but also a large truck.
However, trucks are slow and can't climb mountains, and there are some places they can't go. They can only stay at the foot of the mountain to load the game for them.
"Captain Li, where are we going this year?" Shen Yanming noticed that the direction they were heading was the same as last year.
"Let's go to that mountain again. Although encountering a pack of wolves is a bit scary, we have a lot of people this year and we've made ample preparations. If we run into dozens of wolves, we'll be rich."
"And there are fish too. If we catch a few more fish in that river, this trip won't have been in vain," Chang Anhui added.
"I know your fish!" Li Gangtie slapped Chang Anhui on the forehead: "You're quite good."
Chang Anhui chuckled and scratched his head, not angry at all.
The group walked for more than three hours before arriving. This time, because they had a clear goal, they didn't split up and headed straight for the river on the mountain.
However, they didn't overlook any of the holes along the way, including those in the ground, trees, and piles of rocks.
So before they even reached the river, the group had already caught over thirty rabbits and seventeen or eighteen snakes, much to the excitement of those participating in a hunt for the first time.
All the prey were tied together. Shen Yanming smiled and turned his attention to the space around him.
Bi Qiaoan had already gotten up. After having breakfast, she strolled leisurely to the storage area, lay lazily on the bird's nest hanging chair, and looked outside.
Shen Yanming had noticed her long ago, but since someone was always talking to him, he didn't have a chance to talk to his wife.
Now everyone was busy. He could finally have a proper talk with his wife.
"Honey, didn't An'an and Nuan Nuan come over?"
"No, they're still asleep."
Shen Yanming chuckled softly: "You stayed up too late last night, so you probably couldn't get up this morning."
"It's because you're going out that the two kids are clinging to you and won't go to sleep. Sigh, I don't know why they're so attached to you!" Bi Qiaoan said, feigning a sob.
Shen Yanming's lips curled up: "Those two are just deliberately pestering me. Do you think they really can't bear to part with me?"
Bi Qiaoan couldn't help but burst into laughter. After she finished laughing, she asked, "Is this the mountain from last year?"
"Yes, we'll be at our fishing spot soon."
Bi Qiaoan nodded: "Are you coming back tonight?"
"I don't know, they probably won't be going back. Captain Li said they'd be back in two or three days. There are a lot of people coming this time, they're probably going to have a big fight."
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