They were only missing a hemp rope and a few nails to make the bow and arrow, so Liu Gang volunteered to go out and find them. The hemp rope they used for bundling firewood in their woodshed was too thick to use.
Du Yuhan carefully trimmed the wooden sticks used to make the bow with a kitchen knife, and straightened the branches used to make the arrows. She also carved out grooves at the arrowheads with scissors, and planned to fix the nails to the arrowheads when they arrived.
The feathers needed for the arrow fletching will be available after you hunt pheasants again.
Liu Gang returned quickly, and no one knew where he found the materials, but they all met Du Yuhan's requirements.
The wooden sticks used for making bows and arrows were heated by a fire in the stove pit. The bow had a moderate curve, and the arrow was very straight. The bowstring and arrowhead were then fixed with hemp rope, and the simple bow and arrow were finished.
Du Yuhan was quite satisfied with the simple bow and arrow she had finished. It was already quite good that she had managed to make one under such rudimentary conditions. She planned to get a better bow and arrow later so it would be easier for her to use.
Looking at the crude and simple bow and arrow, Liu Gang hesitated and asked, "Can this even catch prey?"
Du Yuhan smiled and said, "Why don't we give it a try?"
Liu Gang nodded and said, "The regimental commander should be up from his afternoon nap. I'll go tell him we'll just go out for a little while, but not for too long."
Du Yuhan also went inside to change into some rather worn-out clothes, so she wouldn't get scratched while going into the mountains.
Liu Gang greeted the regimental commander and then came out.
Du Yuhan then told Liu Gang to carry the willow basket on his back and the two of them to hurry up and leave.
Now that the first month of the lunar calendar is over, the weather is gradually warming up. Except for the evergreen pine trees, the trees in the mountains that had lost all their leaves are now budding. Some small animals are also gradually coming out to move around.
Du Yuhan observed that wild vegetables had already sprouted in the sunny, sheltered spots, and that she could dig for wild vegetables to change her diet in a few days.
The two headed towards the denser woods. To encounter small animals like pheasants or rabbits, they had to go further in, as these animals were rare on the outskirts where human activity was frequent.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which made a rustling sound when you stepped on them. They were also very soft, like stepping on a thick carpet.
After walking a short distance, the two slowed their pace and carefully observed their surroundings. Soon they spotted a brightly colored pheasant with vibrant plumage; it was clearly a male pheasant, and quite large.
In a forest where only branches and tree trunks are monotonous and bare of leaves, the bright colors of the pheasant stand out.
The two gestured to each other to be quiet, and Du Yuhan slowly took out her bow and nocked an arrow. To be on the safe side, she carefully aimed.
A simple arrow shot out with a whoosh. Before the pheasant could react, it was hit and fell to the ground.
The pheasant was pierced through the chest by a sword. It struggled and flapped its wings for a long time with the arrow still in its body. After running more than ten meters, it collapsed to the ground and did not move.
Liu Gang ran over when the pheasant was shot, and when the pheasant fell to the ground, he ran up to it and grabbed it.
He picked up the pheasant, tossed it around, and excitedly turned to Du Yuhan, shouting, "Du Yuhan, I caught it! You're amazing! This pheasant must weigh at least five or six pounds!"
Liu Gang was overjoyed; hunting a pheasant meant they would have meat to eat that night.
How could a young man with a meager appetite not eat meat? It's just that he lacked the skill to catch any prey and could only stare helplessly at the mountains.
That's great! Now that Du Yuhan has hunting skills, there's more to look forward to in the future.
It seemed as if bowls of meat were beckoning to Liu Gang.
Du Yuhan saw that although her skills had declined due to her physical condition, they were still acceptable. With continued training, she was certain that she would eventually reach the peak level she had achieved in her previous life.
Du Yuhan thought that someone would come to build a toilet for them in the next few days. Even if they didn't pay wages, they would definitely be provided with meals. So she thought she might as well catch a few more prey to add to the dishes and save on food.
Du Yuhan said, "Let's look around somewhere else. Don't make a sound, or you'll scare the prey away."
Upon hearing this, Liu Gang quickly covered his mouth with his hand, because his hands were covered in chicken blood from handling the pheasant, which was now stuck to his face.
Du Yuhan looked at Liu Gang's blood-stained face and wanted to laugh but dared not make a sound. She held back her laughter and decided to tell Liu Gang when she got home.
The two continued their exploration, and they were lucky today, hunting a pheasant and a rabbit in an hour. A good haul.
Fearing that Han Yixian might need help, the two didn't dare linger and hurried home.
The prey was placed in willow baskets with some dry branches on top, so that even if people encountered them, they wouldn't know what was in the baskets, thus keeping a low profile.
The two quickly returned to the courtyard, and the journey was smooth as they did not encounter anyone else along the way.
Liu Gang put down his willow basket and ran into the east room, wanting to share the good news with the regimental commander.
Han Yixian was sitting in his wheelchair reading a book when he heard Liu Gang run into the room. He looked up and saw Liu Gang with his face covered in blood. He asked in surprise, "What happened to you? Why is your face covered in blood?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Gang quickly looked in the mirror and exclaimed, "Oh dear, this Du Yuhan didn't even tell me! This must be chicken blood!"
Han Yixian looked at Liu Gang, who was covered in dust, and asked curiously, "What did you guys do just now? Why are you all so disheveled?"
Liu Gang, beaming with excitement, said, "We just went hunting in the mountains. Du Yuhan is really amazing. She made a simple bow and arrow and used it to hunt. Du Yuhan is quite accurate with her arrows; she caught two pheasants and a rabbit. She said she'll stew pheasant meat for dinner."
Han Yixian was surprised to hear this. He didn't expect this little girl to have this skill, but looking at how thin and weak she was, it was clear that she had been starving for a long time.
But then I thought, even if the little girl knew how to hunt, she probably wouldn't get to eat anything; it would all be taken by someone else.
Liu Gang said, "Commander, I'll wrap up the rabbit skin first. Du Yuhan said that once the rabbit skin is tanned, it can be used to make clothes, shoes, and hats. She knows how to do that."
Han Yi nodded and said, "Rabbit skin is a good thing. After you skin it, I'll teach you how to tan rabbit skin."
Liu Gang happily went to wash his face and prepare the rabbit.
Du Yuhan was boiling water to prepare to pluck the feathers from the pheasant.
Du Yuhan had already plucked the large feathers from the pheasant's tail and wings, which could have been used to make arrow fletching.
Boil the water and pour it into a large basin. Soak the two pheasants for a short while, then quickly pluck their feathers. Chickens shouldn't be soaked in boiling water for too long, otherwise the skin will be torn off when plucking the feathers.
The feathers of the two chickens were quickly plucked off, and the remaining downy feathers had to be carefully picked off and singed with fire to remove them.
Du Yuhan gutted and cleaned the two pheasants, one male and one female.
The woods were full of grass seeds, so the pheasants had plenty of food and were quite plump. The hen had many small eggs inside, which could be stewed with the chicken.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
