With snow falling in winter and nowhere to go, Lin Qing stayed home knitting. She first knitted a sweater for each of her eldest and second brothers, as they lived in a remote and cold area and needed sweaters the most. Then she knitted a sweater for her parents, Gu Nanxun's uncle, and Gu Nanxun's parents, though they only had tops. Finally, when Lin Qing wanted to knit a sweater for Gu Nanxun, he stopped her. It wasn't that Gu Nanxun didn't want a sweater knitted by Lin Qing, but he felt bad seeing how many sweaters she had knitted, and besides, he had sweaters in his spatial storage, so he had to reluctantly refuse. However, Lin Qing still knitted a scarf for Gu Nanxun, herself, and her third brother.
During this time, Gu Nanxun also used the rabbit fur he had hunted to make a pair of rabbit skin boots for Lin Qing. When Lin Qing wore the rabbit skin boots and went out, the village children, young women, and young wives were all envious, and more people went up the mountain in those days.
"Squeak..."
Gu Nanxun pushed open the door and walked in from outside.
"You're back. Is there anything I can help you with, Captain?" The brigade bell rang again after breakfast. This time, Lin Qing didn't go; only Gu Nanxun and the others from the courtyard went.
"It's about hunting. Every winter, the brigade organizes people to go hunting in the mountains. As soon as the snow stops, it's the time when small animals come out to forage."
As Gu Nanxun spoke, he took off his coat.
Lin Qing handed him a towel and asked, "Are you going?"
"The captain asked me to lead the hunt this year, but I declined." Gu Nanxun said as he walked to the stove and warmed his hands by the fire.
"Why?" Lin Qing asked curiously.
Gu Nanxun squeezed Lin Qing's hand and said, "I don't plan to go this year. I'll stay home with you."
Lin Qing moved closer to Gu Nanxun and said, "Brother Nanxun, are you worried about me?"
Gu Nanxun gently pushed Lin Qing away while saying, "Don't be silly, I'm cold."
Seeing that Gu Nanxun refused to let her get close, Lin Qing didn't force him. With Gu Nanxun's help, she returned to her original position. "Then tell me, are you worried about me?"
Gu Nanxun nodded: "Yes, the hunt will take several days, and I'm worried about leaving you alone at home."
Hearing this, Lin Qing smiled happily, "Go ahead, Xi Xi and Chen Chen can stay home with me. Hunting is such a fun thing, it would be a shame not to go. Besides, have you forgotten that we have a space? We can meet in the space at night. Don't worry, nothing will happen! I'll feel regretful if you don't go."
Lin Qing knew that hunting was an exciting activity for men, especially for capable men. She wasn't worried about Gu Nanxun's skills, but she didn't want him to stay at home because of her.
Looking at Lin Qing's serious expression, Gu Nanxun thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "Then I'll take Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightning, and Third Brother, as well as Chen Bin and Wang Haoran, to form a team. We'll try to come back as soon as possible."
Hunting in winter usually takes anywhere from a few days to ten days or half a month. As for how many days you go out, it depends on when you can catch prey. The sooner you catch prey, the sooner you can come back. Gu Nanxun decided to hunt enough prey as soon as possible and then come back.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind, go and tell the captain."
"No rush, let's talk about it after lunch. The brigade leader has also given everyone time to go back and think about it. Those who want to go, go to the brigade headquarters to register after lunch, and we will be assigned to teams this afternoon."
After listening to Gu Nanxun's words, Lin Qing nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked, "What do we need to prepare? When do we leave?"
"We're leaving tomorrow, so we need to prepare some supplies, such as dry food, matches, flashlights, ropes, and weapons. We can also prepare some medicine, just in case."
"Okay, I understand."
After saying this, Lin Qing got off the kang (a heated brick bed), took two baskets and placed them on the ground, then began to fill them. He first put a blanket, then a disposable raincoat, a flashlight, two boxes of matches, a 10-meter climbing rope, and a dagger. After thinking for a moment, he took the dagger out and placed it outside. Then he took out another dagger and two guns and placed them outside as well. Next, Lin Qing continued to put some steamed buns, flatbread, and an iron pot into the baskets. Finally, he opened a packet of instant noodles, took out the noodles, wrapped them in newspaper, and put them in the basket as well. He also poured the instant noodle seasoning into a bottle and put it in the basket as well. The other basket was filled with the exact same items; that was for his third brother.
"Alright, that's about it." Lin Qing clapped her hands. "You can pack the rest before you leave. Keep the daggers with you, I won't put them in your baskets. Also, keep the hunting rifles with you."
Gu Nanxun nodded, then got off the kang and carried Lin Qing back onto it. "Don't worry about me, I have my space here. If you need anything, I'll get it from my space. I won't be home for the next few days, so take good care of yourself and don't be picky about food. I'll ask Zhao Xi and Zhao Chen when I get back."
"Don't worry, I'm not a child anymore." Lin Qing leaned against Gu Nanxun's chest. "You should also be careful and stay safe."
The next morning, before dawn, a group of people had already gathered in the brigade's courtyard. They were dressed in heavy winter clothes, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement. Gu Nanxun stood at the front of the group, counted the number of people, and then assigned tasks.
In the end, Gu Nanxun did not set off with the men from the front yard, Chen Bin, and Wang Haoran as he had promised. Because of the hunting rifles, Gu Nanxun's group had a total of five rifles. Therefore, after obtaining Gu Nanxun's consent, the captain assigned Chun and Xia to the hunters' group. The two of them led a team with the hunters. Zhao Youcai and the captain's youngest son, Liu Guoqing, joined Gu Nanxun's group.
After the two groups assembled, they headed up the mountain together. Once they reached the foot of the mountain, they split up and went in different directions.
As they moved forward, the snowflakes crunched beneath their feet, leaving a trail of footprints, some deep and some shallow. With each determined step, they ventured deeper into the unknown mountains and forests.
Lin Qing and the villagers watched them go up the mountain, their eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of worry.
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