These sika deer are truly sentient!
Is it here to repay a debt of gratitude?
Seeing that Li Xiangdong and his companion had noticed the antlers in the valley, the sika deer immediately led the bald-headed fawn into the dense forest with a light leap.
In a few leaps, he disappeared without a trace.
Li Xiangdong and Zhou Hongsong each picked up a large, forked deer antler, as if they were dreaming.
"Xiang Dong, am I sleepwalking?"
"Fifth Brother, it doesn't seem so."
Why?
"You stepped on my foot, it hurts."
...
Male sika deer naturally shed their antlers every year. The medicinal value of these naturally shed antlers is certainly not as high as that of velvet antlers. However, antlers can be used to make antler glue, to make collectible items, and even to make decorative items.
This pile of antlers of various sizes is already a great harvest.
The two of them helped each other back to the cabin, only to find that the path they had taken was quite winding and long.
Li Xiangdong and Zhou Hongsong used knives to mark the trail on prominent trees along the way, so they wouldn't lose track of the deer antlers.
The two trekked for a long time, and by the time they returned to the cabin, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
Scarface was relieving himself under the eaves with his eyes closed. He had just pulled up his pants and was about to go back inside when he saw two dark figures swaying towards him.
"Oh my god, who is it?!"
Scarface was startled and immediately sobered up. He pressed himself against the wall warily, rubbing his eyes, trying to see who was on the other side.
Zhou Hongsong said to him irritably, "What are you yelling about!"
"My god, big brother, Xiangdong! What have you two been doing?"
Upon seeing that they were his own people, Scarface breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
The two were talking quite loudly, which woke up Li Guoqing and He Chaochao. Jasmine and Lamei recognized Li Xiangdong before Scarface did, and were now obediently lying at his feet.
Li Xiangdong and Zhou Hongsong briefly recounted the story of the sika deer giving away its antlers to repay a debt of gratitude, leaving the other three amazed and finding it unbelievable.
Scarface pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, head east, you've probably entered the heart of the Deer Territory."
"What do you mean by that?"
“There’s an old saying that there’s a deer’s lair in this forest where many male deer go every year to shed their antlers. It’s said that the antlers there are piled up like mountains, but that place is hard to find.”
Scarface lit a cigarette, took a puff to calm his nerves, and said, "Back then, someone happened to encounter one and even carried out a pair of twelve-pronged antlers. When he and his men went to retrieve other antlers with a sled, they could no longer find the place."
"That's really weird. The forests here aren't like the ones in the south, so how come we can't find it?"
This question was finally answered when they cut down tree branches to make a simple sled to pull the deer antlers, and they finally understood why the deer's territory was so mysterious.
Even though Li Xiangdong and Zhou Hongsong had marked the way, they still got lost several times.
Fortunately, Li Xiangdong had a good memory and was able to realize he was on the wrong path several times, getting back on the right track.
When the sun shone brightly, piercing through the layers of branches and shining onto the snow, they finally saw the small hill formed by deer antlers.
It was a mountain with antlers that overflowed from the valley.
At first, everyone was shocked, then they found it unbelievable, and finally, they were overjoyed.
Wow, I'm rich!
Scarface was the first to jump down into the ravine. He examined the antlers at the very bottom, then jumped back up and said happily, "The antlers at the very bottom are at least fifty years old wild antlers! These old antlers can cure arthritis and deafness, and they can fetch a lot of money if sent to a pharmaceutical company!"
Seeing his brother's overflowing excitement, Zhou Hongsong felt a little uneasy.
To be honest, when Li Xiangdong came this time, he intentionally or unintentionally revealed the matter of Scarface and Wheat to Li Xiangdong, hoping that he would help him.
He didn't say it directly at the time because he felt he still owed Li Xiangdong a lot of favors and was too embarrassed to bring it up.
Therefore, whether Scarface's matter succeeds or fails depends entirely on Li Xiangdong's decision.
Moreover, even if this doesn't work out, he won't think Li Xiangdong is heartless.
But to my surprise, as soon as Li Xiangdong heard about it, he immediately promised to pay for it himself.
Scarface was grateful for the way the matter was handled, and he was also very grateful.
Therefore, he also agreed with Scarface that he did not want any prey.
But now, with such a large pile of wild deer antlers, their value cannot be underestimated. If Scarface were to have any improper thoughts at this moment, he would be in a very awkward position...
Unexpectedly, at that moment, Scarface excitedly said, "Brother Xiangdong, although you found the antlers yourself, I finally feel more at ease. Otherwise, I would really be embarrassed to take your money..."
Li Xiangdong's hand was tightly gripped by Scarface. He looked at Scarface, whose voice was choked with emotion, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Finally, he felt a sense of relief.
He glanced at Zhou Hongsong's relieved expression and felt genuinely happy.
What made him happy was not the accidental acquisition of the antlers, but that his two brothers had withstood the test of money.
Their character is still reliable.
Next, it was time to transport the antlers.
However, transporting these vast stretches of deer antlers out of the mountains is no easy task.
They had to use what they had on hand, so they made several sleds, one for each of them, and pulled the deer antlers back to the cabin.
Normally, when they walk in the forest, they only complain that the snow is too thick, but now they complain that the snow is too thin.
The sleds left long tracks in the snow.
If you look down from the sky at this time, you will see a group of small black ants, carrying something around like they are moving house.
After two days of transporting them, seeing that the antlers were not even half gone, they could no longer continue.
The area in front of the cabin in the woods was already piled high with deer antlers, and transporting them to the village would be a huge undertaking.
Finally, it was decided that He Chaochao would accompany Scarface to the village to borrow two large livestock and a proper sled, and also bring back food and water to replenish supplies.
They split into two groups and acted independently.
Scarface and He Chaochao stayed in the village for one night. Mai Zi helped prepare food and drink, while Scarface went to borrow livestock from the villagers.
But the production team was disbanded, and the large livestock were valuable means of production for each family. Who would lend them to others for nothing?
In the end, He Chaochao paid for two sets of livestock and a sled.
Mai Zi came along this time too. She's a capable woman. Her unhappy life has etched wrinkles all over her face early on, but she's full of energy.
"I'll go too. I can't do anything else, but cooking for you guys would be nice!"
P.S.: Happy New Year to everyone, and may all your wishes come true!
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