No matter what happens elsewhere, people are most concerned about things that are closely related to themselves. Winter hunting is related to every household, especially those with able-bodied men or those with poor family conditions.
The news of the winter hunt quickly became the talk of the village.
An Moxue had already learned from Aunt Guo that the hunting team would gather at the drying ground this morning.
When An Moxue arrived at the drying ground, a large crowd had already gathered.
The villagers, regardless of age, gender, or age, were densely packed together; as far as the eye could see, there were people everywhere.
Some earnestly instructed that safety was the most important thing, while others relentlessly urged that one must hunt more, because those who went up the mountain could share the spoils according to the amount of prey they caught.
Some children looked on with anticipation, while others were filled with worry. The children knew nothing of sorrow; they only knew that returning from a hunt meant there would be meat to eat. They were all very excited, running around the hunting grounds, cheering and jumping for joy.
This hunt is not just a simple hunt. Which wild beast in the deep mountains will obediently wait for you to hunt it? There are too many unpredictable dangers.
An Moxue wandered through the crowd, searching for familiar faces.
Aunt Guo saw her from a distance and started calling out, "Mo Xue, here! Mo Xue, here!" She stood on tiptoe and waved.
An Moxue heard someone calling her from the crowd. She turned around and saw it was Aunt Guo. She raised her hand and waved back before squeezing into the crowded throng and disappearing into the distance.
An Moxue came up to Aunt Guo, leaned close to her, and asked, "Auntie, why are there so many people? It's so lively."
There were too many people, and everyone was talking, so the noise was very loud. Unless you got close or spoke loudly, you couldn't hear what the people next to you were saying.
"Oh dear, it's the same every year, it's nothing. You'll get used to it after two or three years."
"Auntie, when did this hunt start?" An Moxue asked curiously.
"I really didn't know that. It's been around as long as I can remember. In earlier years, there were some ceremonies, but in recent years, with all sorts of movements and reforms, those have gradually been canceled. Otherwise, it would be even more lively!"
Aunt Guo only mentioned it briefly, but An Moxue thought it must be something like a prayer or blessing. She remembered her mother talking about winter hunting in their hometown when she was very young, and that it was very important.
The timing of departure and return must be determined by divination to find an auspicious day.
The mountain god protects this land and its people. When people go hunting in the mountains, they also worship the mountain god, pray for peace and safety, and offer them gifts of gratitude.
"This is my first time seeing this. Auntie, do we have to go to every house?"
"No, it's voluntary, but anyone who can hunt or has a strong laborer will participate. There are more than a hundred people every year."
"So many people!"
"Yes, in earlier years, there were sometimes even more people than this! Back then, there were hunters and mountain herders. Now, individuals are no longer allowed to hunt, and mountain herders are no longer allowed either, so there are far fewer people."
"How could they go hunting every year?"
"It seems that at first, wild boars and wolf packs came down from the mountains to damage the crops and entered the village, injuring people. This happened every year. Later, people organized hunting activities, which have continued to this day. However, hunting in the mountains is not allowed in the spring."
"Why are there different seasons for hunting?"
"Spring is the breeding season for animals. Killing them means killing either pregnant animals or those with young cubs, which is against nature's order."
An Moxue thought that the people at the foot of the mountain understood environmental protection. They could only cut dead trees to collect firewood and were not allowed to cut living trees. Hunting was not allowed in the spring. All of these were ways of protecting nature.
The hunting party had almost assembled. The village chief raised his hand from the platform and said, "Villagers, quiet down, quiet down." After a moment, the crowd quieted down, and the village chief continued, "The hunting party is about to depart. This year, our village has gathered a total of 123 people, divided into four teams. Each member must obey the captain's instructions and not act on their own to avoid unnecessary harm. If you disobey the leadership and act on your own, you will be responsible for all the consequences. Members of the hunting teams, do you understand?"
"Understood." The voices were clear and loud.
"Okay! Remember, safety comes first. Let's go!"
The crowd automatically parted to make way for the hunting party.
Only then did An Moxue see clearly the tools they were carrying: bows and arrows, machetes, sickles, axes, hemp ropes, and some other things that An Moxue couldn't name—a truly diverse array.
An Moxue also saw several male educated youths in the group. She wondered what gave them the confidence to participate in the hunt, given their thin appearance.
The group continued westward, entering the forest at the foot of the western mountains. Only when the hunting party was out of sight did the people disperse.
An Moxue followed Aunt Guo to the foot of West Mountain before stopping. Once they were out of sight, she turned and went down the mountain.
The two talked as they walked down the mountain.
"Auntie, with so many people in this group, how are we going to feed them?"
"Didn't you see some of them carrying pots? Those are the ones responsible for cooking; they've taken the grain and salt."
"With so many people, what if someone gets injured?"
"It's alright, we've got medicine for all the injuries. Minor wounds can be bandaged up, but serious injuries will require carrying us down the mountain. However, that's rare."
"They've really prepared everything."
"That's right, we've been doing this for years and have accumulated a lot of experience."
“I see that a few male educated youths have also joined. Is this going to work? They can barely manage farm work. I hope they don’t drag our hunting team down.”
"As long as they are self-aware and follow the captain's instructions, doing odd jobs, there shouldn't be any major problems. The only concern is that if they try to be too capable and get in the way, then it's hard to say."
"I think it's a bit risky."
"Auntie, we've come back from the hunt and are dividing up the spoils. Are we going to slaughter a pig again before the Lunar New Year?"
"We won't kill them anymore. This time they've returned and handed in all the pigs and game for the village. Then the village will slaughter the pigs and distribute the meat. It's getting cold, and the meat will freeze after it's distributed."
How much meat can each family get?
"This has both head meat and centimeter meat, and each person weighs two or three pounds! That's quite a lot."
"That's all the meat we get in a year!"
"Yes! But some families slaughter pigs for the New Year, right? They can just share a little more. Being able to eat dumplings with meat during the New Year is already very good. Now we have a peaceful life, we don't have to hide here and there, we don't have to worry about the enemy coming and burning, killing and looting. What more could we ask for?"
"Yes, indeed, life is much better now than before."
"We ordinary people don't ask for much. We just want our families to be safe and healthy. We're happy if we have a little extra money to eat something nice and improve our meals. As for other things, that's not something we ordinary people can control."
"Yes, contentment brings happiness, and the country is prosperous and the people are at peace."
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