Du Jianshan pondered for a moment, his expression grave: "We hunted the bear when we went into the mountains. There are eyewitnesses. We won't hide or evade it. We'll treat the bear's gall bladder and paws as personal use for now. When we get back, I'll write a hunting report for the company to file, and then we'll divide it according to the rules. We need to follow the rules and not give anyone any reason to complain."
"Well said!" Zhao Funian slapped his thigh. "With you taking the lead, we feel at ease too."
"Stop flattering me, carry the stuff!" Du Jianshan tossed the piece of meat onto Zhao Funian's back, picked up a bamboo pole, and headed down the narrow path at the foot of the mountain.
Along the way, the three carried their heavy prey, stopping frequently to catch their breath.
By evening, they had finally returned to the vicinity of the dugout. A few people were still drying the badger pelts they had hunted the day before in front of the camp. As soon as they saw Du Jianshan and the others return, they all gathered around.
"Wow! What's that smell? It smells so strongly of blood!"
"Look at that fur! It's so shiny black... Is that a bear?!"
"Quick, quick, carry it out into the yard, so the stray dogs don't smell it!"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
"Brother Shanzi, you're awesome!" A young man named Li Sanxi exclaimed, his eyes shining. "You even managed to hunt down a bear! I'm too embarrassed to even show off my little badger pelt!"
"Stop talking nonsense." Du Jianshan raised his hand to silence the murmurs. "This hunt was done by the three of us. We'll share the meat tonight for dinner, and the rest we'll take to the supply and marketing cooperative first thing tomorrow morning. We'll get the gall bladders, paws, and skins through proper channels, understand?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Brother Shanzi is reasonable!" "I feel safe following you!" "We have to have a celebratory drink tonight!"
Just then, Old Zhang from the kitchen shouted at the top of his lungs, "Shanzi! Tieniu! Hurry up and wash your faces and come eat! I've made stewed daylily and chicken, and it's waiting for you!"
Wang Tieniu laughed out loud, "Oh my, this feast today is like a gift from heaven!"
"Alright, stop dawdling." Du Jianshan weighed his hunting knife in his hand, walked to the bear carcass, squatted down, his eyes steady, and swiftly cut into the bear's neck, then down its belly.
The bear's blood was still slowly oozing out, and the subcutaneous fat was as thick as lard. It was slippery when the knife was cut into it. Wang Tieniu clicked his tongue in amazement: "Brother Shanzi, how come your peeling skills are like peeling a pomelo? My legs go weak just looking at the blood."
"Then why are you still hunting in the mountains? Don't just join in the fun." Du Jianshan didn't even look up. "You clean this place up first, cut the bear meat into pieces and put them in baskets. I'll skin it in a bit, and you find me some salt and pack the gallbladder and bear paws separately."
"Alright!" Wang Tieniu rolled up his sleeves. "If I can handle this job, it's worth it even if I have to eat pickled vegetables all day!"
Just then, footsteps came from the woods, followed by Niu Zhenshan's voice: "Jianshan! What's going on with you two? I can smell blood from far away!"
"We just finished dealing with a bear!" Wang Tieniu shouted as he turned around.
"A bear?!" Niu Zhenshan stopped abruptly, rushed over in a few steps, and when he saw the bear carcass and the blood all over the ground, his mouth dropped open: "My God! You really killed it?"
"Still don't believe me?" Du Jianshan patted the bear's head. "Count them yourself. These teeth marks, these claws, and this whole wild boar bone in its belly—this beast not only kills wild boars, but also steals food from the snare. It should have been dealt with long ago!"
“My goodness…” Niu Zhenshan squatted down and stroked the bear's fur, then looked at its thick paws, and suddenly swallowed hard. “How much would this thing sell for?”
Wang Tieniu immediately replied, "Bear bile is conservatively five hundred, bear paws are eighty-one, and the bear skin is thick and oily, making it top-notch material for winter mattresses and jackets. Add to that the bear meat... Brother Shanzi, this trip will keep us from worrying for at least half a year!"
Niu Zhenshan's eyes darted around excitedly. "Tell me, should we go back and spread the word? Then everyone will know that the three of us killed the bear. Once that reputation spreads, the supply and marketing cooperative might even come knocking on our door to buy our goods!"
"Don't make a fuss yet." Du Jianshan sheathed his knife and stood up, his voice lower. "This bear is no ordinary one. It has old wounds on its claws and traces of lead bullets fired from another region. It's very likely that someone else chased it before."
“You mean…” Niu Zhenshan frowned.
“There are also hunters in this forest, and they may not be from our area.”
The three exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere immediately became tense.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
