Du Jianshan smirked, not answering directly, but instead pointing the gun down and giving it a hard shake, banging the butt against a tree root to test it. "Good question. Look at this homemade gun, it looks old, but like people, the old ones have experience."
"Experience is important, but you also need a steady hand." Li San'er chimed in with a laugh, "I heard that last time you used it to hunt a badger, you didn't hit the badger, but you ended up with your ears ringing."
"Get lost, it's just that the wind was too strong and the gunpowder couldn't be lit properly." Du Jianshan glared at him defiantly. "If you're so good, you do it, let's make a bet."
"I'm not going to gamble my life with you." Li San'er waved his hand with a smile. "Whether your shot is accurate or not depends on your performance today."
Wang Tieniu smacked his lips, gently stroking the tin can with his fingers. "Uncle Du, where did you get this gunpowder? It's not allowed to be sold in town anymore."
"Who said it was bought in town?" Du Jianshan raised an eyebrow. "I made this gunpowder myself. Saltpeter, charcoal, sulfur, everything is there."
"You can even make gunpowder?" Wang Tieniu was even more surprised. "Isn't that stuff supposed to be quite dangerous?"
“You have to know how to handle danger too.” Du Jianshan hung the ox horn back on his waist. “These days, when you’re out in the mountains doing odd jobs, it’s better to rely on your hands than your mouth, and better to rely on your hands than your life. If you really want to make something of yourself, you need to know a little bit about this stuff.”
Wang Tieniu nodded thoughtfully, his eyes now showing more respect.
"Alright, let's stop talking nonsense." Du Jianshan glanced at the light and shadows at the edge of the woods. "That patch of yellow grass ahead is a favorite spot for wild rabbits. The sun is just turning over, so they'll be out sunbathing. Stay close and don't make any noise."
The group crouched low and circled around the mountainside.
Not far from the yellow grassland, about twenty feet away, the grass was fine and dense, with several messy paths winding through it, like traces left by wild animals.
"Look over there." Du Jianshan suddenly pointed, and a grayish-white shadow flickered in the grass.
Wang Tieniu's eyes lit up, and he was about to pounce when Du Jianshan grabbed him.
“Your pounce could scare it away for miles,” Du Jianshan said in a low voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
He crouched down, supporting the butt of the gun with his left hand and steadily raising the homemade gun with his right, then gently moved it towards the shadow of grass. The atmosphere instantly tensed, and even Li San'er beside him fell silent.
"Bang!" A flash of light, and a puff of white smoke emerged from the muzzle of the gun.
"Yo—I got it!" Li San'er shouted first.
With a rustling sound, a rabbit rolled out, a clump of iron pellets embedded in its leg. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop on the ground, still twitching.
Wang Tieniu rushed over in three strides, carefully picked up the rabbit, and exclaimed, "Hey, Uncle Du, your gun really works!"
Du Jianshan blew out a breath and sneered, "My gun and my hand are a perfect match, of course it works."
"This one must weigh five or six pounds," Li San'er said as he came over to examine it. "We can exchange it for some meat coupons when we get back."
Du Jianshan squatted down and examined the marks on the ground, nodding: "There was more than one. Look at these paw prints, there's another one over there, with heavy footsteps, probably a female."
"Should we still chase them?" Wang Tieniu asked, eager to try.
"Of course we'll chase them." Du Jianshan reloaded the gunpowder. "You think going hunting in the mountains is just for watching a show? I brought you out today so you can learn something, not just clap and cheer."
"Let's go!" Wang Tieniu hurriedly grabbed the hunting fork next to him.
Li San'er laughed and added, "Maybe we can catch a whole basketful today and go back to exchange it for a few pounds of old wine."
The three continued deeper into the woods. The terrain began to steepen, and the sunlight shone obliquely from above, casting dappled shadows.
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