Tie Niu swallowed hard and said in a low voice, "Brother Jianshan, I remember. Old Wang said that the things in the mountains are very clever, and if you move, they won't come. But my heart is pounding. What if it gets away?"
Du Jianshan didn't turn around; his eyes were still fixed on the compacted snow in front of the trap. His voice was very low: "They can't escape. Look at those footprints; they're very fresh. They must have been made in the middle of last night. If they really do escape, it's their fate."
Tie Niu gave a wry smile: "Your words are just like Old Wang's."
Zhao Ershun, who was squatting nearby, couldn't help but interject: "Tie Niu, shut up. Jian Shan is right, this kind of work can't be rushed. The more anxious you are, the worse things will get."
Tie Niu curled his lip: "This is the first time I've ever guarded such a big trap. If we catch Black Bear, my dad will be ecstatic when we get back to the village."
Zhao Ershun snorted: "Black bears aren't that easy to catch. If you ask me, we'd be lucky to catch a wild boar."
At this moment, Sun Fugui, who had been leaning against the tree, slowly moved over and said in a low voice, "You guys keep your voices down. There are a lot of ears in the mountains."
Tie Niu immediately shut his mouth, glanced into the depths of the woods, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Fugui, what did you hear?"
Sun Fugui shook his head: "Maybe it's just the wind. But Old Wang once said that when guarding a trap, it's better to be mute than to be a chatterbox."
Du Jianshan nodded, finally turning back to look at them: "Remember this. This routine was taught to me by Old Wang himself, so none of us should embarrass him."
Zhao Ershun chuckled: "Jianshan, don't worry. If it really works out, I'll treat you to some fine wine when we get back."
Tie Niu's eyes lit up: "I'll go too! I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy peanuts."
Du Jianshan said softly, "It's not even settled yet, and you're already thinking about drinking. Let's talk about it when things really get interesting."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a very faint cracking sound came from the woods, like a dead branch being broken by a foot.
Tie Niu froze, his eyes widening, and whispered, "Brother Jian Shan, did you hear me?"
Du Jianshan raised his hand to signal them to stay still, and froze like a stone. His ears twitched slightly, and his breathing slowed down.
Another dull thud, the sound of snow being trampled, slowly approached from the direction of the trap.
Zhao Ershun's Adam's apple bobbed, almost mouthing, "You're really here?"
Sun Fugui gripped his old hunting rifle tightly and whispered, "Don't panic, wait."
Tie Niu's palms were sweaty, and he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "God help me, please don't let it be a weasel."
Du Jianshan replied in a low voice, "No. The steps are heavy and the footprints are deep; it's probably a wild boar."
Upon hearing this, Tie Niu became even more nervous: "Wild boars are not to be trifled with."
Sun Fugui sneered: "It's only valuable if it's not easy to mess with. If it's a sow with piglets, then you'd better be careful."
The bushes in front of the woods swayed slightly, and a dark figure stopped at the edge of the snow. Everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.
Tie Niu almost collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling: "Brother Jian Shan, why isn't it moving?"
Du Jianshan squinted: "It's sniffing. Wild boars have a keen sense of smell; if the snare smells raw, it won't go in."
Zhao Ershun lowered his voice: "Then what should we do?"
Du Jianshan said softly, "Do nothing. Wait."
Time seemed to stretch out, each breath crystal clear. The dark figure circled twice before finally arching forward.
Suddenly, the rope tightened sharply, and the noose made a muffled sound.
Tie Niu almost shouted it out, but Sun Fugui grabbed his shoulder.
The forest erupted in chaos, the howls of wild boars pierced the air, and the snow was churned up and scattered.
Zhao Ershun's face turned red with excitement: "It's on, it's on!"
Du Jianshan stood up and said in a deep voice, "Don't rush, let's do it the old way. Brother Fugui, you're on the left, Ershun on the right, and Tieniu with me."
Tie Niu nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling but filled with excitement: "I'll listen to you, Brother Jianshan."
Sun Fugui grinned: "Kids, you're lucky today. I'll brag about it to Old Wang when we get back."
Du Jianshan looked at the struggling wild boar with a calm expression: "Get the job done first, don't rush to brag."
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