Sheng Xiping quickly skinned the two raccoons, cleaned them up, and then hung them up in the storeroom.
Afterwards, I went back inside to wash my hands, then brought out the food to eat. After finishing the meal, I washed the dishes and chopsticks before going inside to soothe the child.
Sheng Xinhua can now sleep through the night. He goes to bed around 8 or 9 pm and wakes up at 6 am.
After eating, I play for a while, then sleep from eight o'clock to about ten o'clock. I also take a nap in the afternoon, from two o'clock to four o'clock.
Just in time, Sheng Xinhua was sleeping, Sheng Xiping was dressed and ready to go to work, and Zhang Shuzhen could tidy up the house and do some needlework.
The security department's work is divided into day shifts and night shifts, and Sheng Xiping prefers the night shift.
I'm on duty at the farm headquarters at night. I go out for a couple of walks in the first half of the night, and if there's nothing to do, I go to sleep. Then I get up again around 1 or 2 a.m., take another walk, and then go back to sleep.
After work during the day, I can take the dog into the mountains to hunt, so I can do whatever I want without any problems.
I can work the day shift too. I come to the field headquarters in the morning, go for a run or two, practice shooting occasionally, and then stay in the office.
When someone comes to do something, they work; when no one comes, they drink tea, read newspapers, or find a place to settle down and go to sleep.
Isn't this kind of life a hundred times better than going up the mountain to do heavy lifting and carrying logs?
Although the salary isn't high, the side hustle can make a lot of money. If you're capable, who would rely on that little bit of salary to make a living?
The forest farm was nestled in a valley in the mountains, with plenty of timber. There was a stove in the office, and people could throw firewood into it as much as they wanted, making the room warm and cozy.
During the day, everyone drinks tea and chats in the office, and then goes home when it's time to leave work.
"Mom, wife, I'm going into the mountains again tonight to try and catch that mountain weasel."
When Sheng Xiping got home from get off work, he took off his hat and coat as he entered the door. He looked back and saw that the food had already been laid out on the south kang (a heated brick bed), so he sat down and ate while talking.
"Going into the mountains at night? Is that alright? It's too cold in the mountains at this time of day, and besides, it's very dangerous in the mountains at night. You shouldn't go."
Zhou Qinglan had already learned from his mother-in-law that Sheng Xiping had brought back two raccoons that morning. He was worried about Sheng Xiping's safety and didn't want him to go up the mountain.
"It's alright, it's not too far from our forest farm. The weather is still okay at this time of day, we can manage at night."
I have to kill that weasel, otherwise it will definitely steal again even if I set a trap.
Sheng Xiping has this temper; once he sets his mind on something, he has to do it, otherwise he won't be able to sleep well at night.
"Are you sure you can manage on your own? Why don't you let Xikang stay with you? The two of you can keep each other company, and we'll feel more at ease at home."
Zhang Shuzhen knew her son's temperament, so she didn't try to persuade him. She only said that the third son should go with him so that they could look after each other.
"No need, the third brother has to go to school tomorrow, and we don't know if we'll be able to catch the lynx tonight. It'll probably take half the night."
He's still young; don't let him come with me into the mountains for a night, or he might catch a cold.
Sheng Xiping glanced at his third brother and shook his head. This kid hasn't suffered much hardship.
At night, wild animals howl in the mountains, and the north wind howls through the trees, creating a cacophony of ghostly cries and wolves. Even someone like Sheng Xikang would be terrified.
"It's okay, I'll bring more of my son's instruments, along with flashlights and such, and try to stay there during the first half of the night."
If the lynx doesn't come in the first half of the night, I'll go home.
Like leopards, lynxes have the habit of hiding their food, but while leopards hide their food in trees, lynxes usually hide their food in grass or snowdrifts.
Last night, I don't know when, the lynx stole the roe deer, ate some of it, and hid the rest.
Sheng Xiping guessed that this guy would definitely go looking for the food it had hidden tonight, so he staked out the vicinity, hoping to kill it.
A lynx pelt can sell for several hundred yuan. If you're lucky, that's quite a large sum of money, isn't it?
"Brother, I'm fine. Schoolwork isn't too demanding right now, and it's only one night. I can manage."
Just now, Zhang Shuzhen said that when she asked Sheng Xikang to come into the mountains with her, Sheng Xikang was quite looking forward to it.
He had never spent the night in the mountains before, and he thought it must be very exciting and interesting.
Before he could even speak, Sheng Xiping refused outright, leaving Sheng Xikang somewhat disappointed.
Taking advantage of the pause in his older brother's speech, he quickly expressed his stance, trying to persuade him again.
"No need, you stay at home. Dad and the second son are both up in the mountains. I'm going hunting in the mountains again."
"It's just Mom and your sister-in-law taking care of them tonight; they can't be left unattended at home."
Sheng Xiping shook his head, saying he absolutely could not agree to let Sheng Xikang go into the mountains with him.
Seeing his elder brother's firm attitude, and considering that what his brother said made sense, Sheng Xikang could only snort dejectedly, which was considered an agreement to stay at home.
After dinner, Sheng Xiping started packing his things.
They've hunted a lot of roe deer in the past two years, and the family has collected a lot of roe deer skins. In addition to making roe deer skin rugs, Sheng Xiping also had Zhang Shuzhen make fur coats and trousers.
A well-cooked roe deer hide is very soft and has excellent heat-insulating and cold-proofing properties. When going into the mountains on such a cold day, it's essential to be well-prepared.
Sheng Xiping tied his inner pants with leggings, then put on cotton pants, then roe deer skin pants, and over his cotton-padded jacket, he also put on a roe deer skin coat.
Then, carrying a roe deer skin rug, flashlight, gun, bullets, batteries, and other necessities, he left home around 7:00 AM.
On November 8th, the 17th day of the ninth lunar month, the moon was full and bright, and the moonlight shone on the snow, so it wasn't dark outside.
Sheng Xiping didn't use a flashlight; he simply followed the path he had taken that morning and entered the woods.
Traveling into the mountains at night is never as fast as during the day. Sheng Xiping entered the forest around 7:00 a.m. and didn't reach the place where the lynx and roe deer were hiding until after 8:30 p.m.
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