"Is that a bear on the back of the bison?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be."
"Xiao Guang didn't bring a gun this time. How did he kill the sun bear?"
"If Xiaoguang can tame a buffalo weighing over a thousand pounds, shouldn't he be able to catch a sun bear weighing several hundred pounds easily?"
"You're right."
…
Zhang Shuguang had already walked away, and the guards behind him had not yet recovered from their shock.
They had seen what Zhang Shuguang got from every hunting trip and knew that he was very skilled.
They had seen Zhang Shuguang carrying a wild boar and walking briskly, and knew that he was extremely strong.
Today the guards discovered that they had seriously underestimated Zhang Shuguang's strength.
It’s not time to cook dinner yet, and there are many people chatting in the courtyard.
Zhang Shuguang, who was leading a big bison, instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.
"Cow, what a big cow."
The children who were playing in the yard shouted excitedly and came to Zhang Shuguang in groups.
"Dongwa, don't go over there."
"Lingling, quickly pull your brother away and hide. Why are you standing so close? Be careful the cow might kick you."
…
The children's parents quickly called their children.
They may not know bison, but such a big ox or buffalo is not easy to deal with.
A large body means great strength and destructive power.
The children are so young, if they are kicked by the cow, there will probably be no need to rescue them.
"Brother Xiaoguang, did you buy this from a fellow villager?"
The children were quite obedient. They stopped and stood not far away, looking at the huge bison excitedly.
"Brother Xiaoguang, are you going to plow the land? When my father and I went to town, we saw fellow villagers plowing the land with oxen."
In recent years, food supply has been tight, and the troops have begun to find ways to be self-sufficient.
Although southern Xinjiang is not as good as northern granary, it is barely enough if we reclaim some land and provide logistical supplies.
"No, this is a bison I caught. I didn't buy it from a fellow villager, and I didn't use it to plow the land."
Although the people asking the questions were all children, Zhang Shuguang did not fool around but answered them seriously.
"Is this a bison? I was wondering why it's so big."
"Xiao Guang is so capable!"
"I knew Xiaoguang was a good hunter, but I didn't expect him to be so skilled that he could even catch a bison."
…
Several military officers' families who knew Zhang Shuguang all praised him highly.
They were all military families and had some experience. Capturing and taming a bison alive was much more difficult than killing it.
"I heard from Brigadier General Xiao's wife that Commander Zhang's son is getting engaged tomorrow. You must be Commander Zhang's son!"
Zhang Xiangnan had just been promoted to the head of the group, and Zhang Shuguang had only been there for less than a month, so many people didn't know him.
"Yes, I am Zhang Shuguang."
Zhang Shuguang didn't know the military family member who asked the question, so he didn't know how to address him.
"Xiao Guang, you just said this bison isn't for plowing the fields. Are you planning to kill it for a banquet tomorrow?"
One of the military dependents suddenly had an idea and screamed in surprise.
Zhang Shuguang didn't know how to answer and could only smile awkwardly.
If it were in Dongfeng County, Zhang Shuguang would not have so many concerns.
After all, this is the military unit, where his father works and serves, and Zhang Shuguang doesn't want to cause any bad influence.
"Xiao Guang, why did you bring back a bison?"
Hu Jianpeng finished all the work he could see at the regiment commander's house, and thought of going out to meet Zhang Shuguang. He saw him as soon as he came out of the alley.
He often participates in the troops' border patrol missions and is no stranger to bison.
The huge and strong body and the crescent-shaped horns made Hu Jianpeng's face change drastically.
"Platoon Leader Hu, aren't you guys going on a long mission in a few days? I caught a bison and plan to kill it and make some jerky to give to the comrades as dry food."
Seeing Hu Jianpeng, Zhang Shuguang finally thought of a reliable reason.
"You're exaggerating! No wonder you won't let me go into the mountains with you. I'd be a burden if I went along."
Hu Jianpeng is 1.7 meters tall, which is definitely not short in that era. He stood next to the bison, which was 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder, and swallowed hard.
"How did you tame it?"
Looking at the huge monster in front of him, Hu Jianpeng was full of curiosity.
It was hard for him to imagine how an ordinary vine tied around the bison's neck could make this huge bull so obedient!
"Let's talk about it when we get back."
More and more people gathered around, and Zhang Shuguang didn't want to be the focus of attention, so he tightened the vine in his hand, and the bison took a step forward obediently.
The Bison started slowly like a tank, and the surrounding crowd quickly made way for it.
After Zhang Shuguang walked into the alley, the crowd behind him suddenly exploded.
No matter what era people are from, there is no one who doesn’t like to watch the fun.
But this is a military compound after all. No matter whether the military families come from the city or the countryside, they will pay attention to their words and actions in their daily lives, for fear of bringing shame to their men.
On weekdays, everyone is united and helps each other, and the neighbors live in harmony. Not to mention quarrels and fights, there are not many people gossiping behind others' backs.
The bison that Zhang Shuguang brought back today immediately became shocking news, and the entire living area was talking about it.
Zhang Shuguang led the cow back home, which naturally attracted everyone's exclamations and admiration.
After everyone calmed down, how to deal with the bison became a difficult problem.
No one had ever killed such a large prey, so they didn't know where to start and didn't have the right tools.
"Captain, how about I go call the kitchen staff over?"
Li Lixin looked at Zhang Xiangnan.
"I'm afraid the kitchen team doesn't know how to kill a bear either. The last time Xiaoguang hunted a Malayan bear, it was the first time the kitchen team had ever handled one, and they accidentally made two holes in the bear's skin while skinning it."
Hu Jianpeng reminded from the side.
Before joining the army, the comrades in the kitchen team were all ordinary young men, most of whom were children of farmers.
Before they joined the army, the only way they could come into contact with cattle was probably the cowshed in the production team.
Even further back in time, there were oxen raised by landlords for farming.
Before the 1960s, farms generally raised chickens, ducks, and geese, with the largest animal being pigs.
At this time, cattle are the farmers' greatest productive force and their reliance for spring planting and autumn harvest.
Everyone regarded cattle as more important than themselves. Even in the most difficult times, no one thought of killing cattle to save lives. Instead, they reduced their own food rations and gave priority to large livestock.
"Xiao Guang, you really gave me a difficult problem."
Zhang Xiangnan frowned, thinking about how to kill the cow.
"Dad, I'll do it myself. You can ask the comrades in the kitchen to take care of the sun bears, pheasants, and rabbits."
Zhang Shuguang did not make things difficult for his father. Now Zhang Shuguang also understood that asking a farmer's child to kill a cow might be more difficult to accept than asking him to kill people.
"I'll take the cattle to Crescent Lake to kill them. You can arrange for someone to go there and bring the meat back later."
The grand spectacle of slaughtering cattle requires a large amount of water, which can be better handled by the lake.
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