This leopard was quite heavy, and it took me a lot of effort to pull it up.
The leopard was hanging upside down from a branch, making it relatively easy to handle. This time, I didn't use the stones to cut it, because I had found some reeds on the way here.
The older reed stalks are very sharp when cracked open, and can be used directly as a knife to cut soft tissue.
I made a cut around the joints of the leopard's hind and forelegs, and then slowly cut all the skin, fascia, and muscles from the leopard's head.
I held the leopard's head firmly with both hands and twisted it 360 degrees clockwise. With a snap, I ripped the leopard's head off.
I learned this technique from watching my father butcher the pig's head when he slaughtered it for the New Year. I never expected to succeed on my first try.
Next, I cut off its tail, but that was useless to me; all I wanted was the complete leopard pelt.
Next, I don't plan to cut it open from the abdomen to remove the skin. Instead, I plan to peel the skin off completely using the method that the village elders use to peel yellow weasels.
I started cutting into the leopard's skin from its anus. As I cut, I used a stick to slowly push the peeled skin back into the opening, making it easier to peel off once it was taut.
The body had just died, and was still warm and not hardened, so it was much easier for me to handle.
I carefully cut the leopard's skin septum, circle by circle, using the reeds in my hand. With my meticulous efforts, the skin was removed from the leopard's body intact, just like taking off a sock.
Looking at the complete cylindrical leopard skin, he was overjoyed. He immediately disregarded the leopard skin's stench and grease, and took off his grass skirt and cloak.
This leopard was probably over two meters long, only about twenty centimeters taller than me. But that's not a big problem; it suits my taste perfectly.
I pried open the skin on the leopard's rump like I was putting on clothes and slipped through until I reached its neck before sticking my head out. Then I slipped my hands and feet out from under the leopard's limbs.
The skin was peeled off so completely that even after I put it on, it still scared the monkeys in the trees half to death, making them howl and scream on the branches.
Except for my head, if I were on all fours instead of standing, I would really look no different from a leopard, so it's understandable that they would be afraid.
This fur coat felt like it was tailor-made for me; it fit perfectly without any discomfort. I never expected to get my first piece of clothing in this way, but with this leopard-skin bodysuit to keep warm, even the wind and rain at night are nothing.
I didn't plan to eat leopard meat either. The meat of this carnivore is not only sour and tough, but also has a very unpleasant gamey smell, making it a very unpalatable ingredient.
However, I don't plan to throw away the heart and liver; these offal are quite good. They provide a lot of minerals and trace elements. As long as I roast them over the fire, I won't have to eat pork jerky for dinner tonight.
After all, eating the same food all the time can get boring, so it's nice to change things up occasionally.
The monkeys were still just looking at me curiously. I had already given them too much of a shock today, so they were behaving relatively well for now.
I took off my leopard-skin jumpsuit and put it on my basket, hoping the scent of the leopard skin would keep the monkeys away.
I put the leopard carcass down and then took out its heart and liver. I dragged the rest far away into the nearby bushes; it's safer to keep these things out of reach.
Then I used the fire-starting mirror to start a fire. With the fire, I felt much more at ease. The crackling fire could scare away most wild animals.
This leopard was an unexpected bonus. All this commotion has taken up quite a bit of time.
Today, I still have to set up my temporary shelter before dark, just like before. As expected, I'll have to sleep in the tree again today.
However, those poplars are not suitable as trees for sleeping, not only because they have too few branches, but also because the distance between the trees is too far, making it too laborious to build.
After some searching, I found a large, independent tree. I didn't recognize the tree, but its size and canopy width were excellent, making it perfect for a wire mesh bed.
I started working on the tree. Because of my previous experience making tree beds, this time it was easy for me. I also made a lot of ropes, which saved me a lot of time in making the tree bed.
It took me about forty minutes to finish making the tree bed. It was still the kind of tree bed with a dome, but it was more delicate and sturdy than before.
Then I went back to the poplar tree and took down the basket and all my supplies. The monkeys just watched me from a distance the whole time and didn't seem to want to get close to me.
Perhaps they don't fully trust me yet, thinking I might hunt them the same way I hunted that leopard.
Only after I had completely climbed down the tree did the monkeys follow me down from a distance, then disappeared into the depths of the other dense forest.
I single-handedly transported the supplies back to the new residence, busying myself back and forth until everything was finished. By then, the sun had already set, and the fiery red sunset spread across the vast lake, like a giant, ancient, fiery red mirror.
By the time I moved the fire to the tree, it was already dark. I took the leopard's heart and liver, which had already dried out a bit from roasting, and hung them around my neck before climbing the tree.
I sat on the tree bed, eating the tender flesh and its internal organs with gusto, feeling much more comfortable as my stomach was filled with food.
Looking at the horizon where only the last ray of sunlight remained, I felt a pang of melancholy and sadness.
Today passed by without incident again; I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Also, if I want to go to that mountain, I'll inevitably encounter large, ferocious beasts like tigers.
I have a feeling that there must be many tigers living in the dense jungle of that mountain.
But I don't have the ability to confront them head-on right now, and I don't know what method I can use to safely avoid these beasts. Let me go to the top of that mountain and take a look.
I stared blankly at the already dark horizon, with no one to talk to or discuss with me. After dark, I could only pass the time by thinking heavily about the problems I might face tomorrow.
Only in this way can I temporarily forget, forget that I have always been the only human being active in this jungle.
I lay on the tree bed and put on my leopard-skin jumpsuit. I don't know how long I was lost in thought, it continued until I drifted off to sleep...
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