Return to the small mountain village in 1983

Chapter 414: The Brutal Predator Family

Lin Heng took a few steps, took out the slingshot and loaded it with an iron ball.

This is a homemade hunting rifle used for hunting. He asked Old Man Zhao for some. This thing can be used for slingshots because it has a fast flying speed and great power.

With a snap, the slingshot in Lin Heng's hand made a sound, and a blue-green grouse on the treetop fell down.

“These birds are the first to be hunted on snowy days.”

Lin Heng glanced at Xiongba who was picking grouse, turned his head and said.

"That's true." Lin Yue nodded.

When it snows, everything is white and the forest is very quiet. It is especially easy to spot grouse and golden pheasants at this time.

After Xiongba picked up the grouse, Lin Heng lifted it and estimated it to be about one and a half kilograms. He tied it to his backpack with satisfaction.

The two men walked along the woods, looking for footprints of other prey while checking the condition of the traps.

It's snowing today so it's easy to check. Just look at the snow from a distance and if it's not moving, then there's no prey caught.

"It seems that there are really no prey in this forest." Lin Yue said after looking around.

"It should be gone recently." Lin Heng nodded and walked towards a farther distance.

Not far away it saw a sneaky red squirrel climbing up an acorn tree.

He first fired a slingshot, but missed. Then he took a look and found that the tree was not tall, so he climbed up directly.

"Sure enough, there are chestnuts." Lin Heng grinned, took the chestnuts and put them in his pocket, thus having a snack for his hunting trip.

After giving some to his eldest brother, Lin Heng ate chestnuts and walked slowly, looking at the snow scene in the forest and watching Xiongba wandering around in front.

"Brother, a hazel grouse!"

Suddenly Lin Yue let out a low cry.

"I come."

Lin Heng looked in that direction and found a Hazel Grouse.

This guy is looking for food on the branches. Obviously, the snow has made him very distressed. He can't find anything to eat. He can only look for seeds that have not fallen on the branches.

Lin Heng approached with a slingshot, and soon came back with a hazel grouse.

"The temperature is cold enough now, so it won't go bad if we just leave these hazel grouse alone." Lin Yue said, looking at the hazel grouse.

The cured meat and cured chicken all taste bad, but fresh meat still has its own unique flavor.

"Of course, the temperature will get lower and lower every day, so it's okay to leave it there without applying salt." Lin Heng nodded.

Continuing walking, they soon arrived at a low barren hill. On the way, they killed two more squirrels.

"We didn't find any animal footprints in this area. It seems that even if it snows, prey will be hard to find." Lin Yue said.

"Let's go back after checking the remaining traps. We can come out tomorrow when the snow freezes hard." Lin Heng said. He had no feeling in his legs and feet anymore.

There are several traps near the natural salt mines, which are quite a distance away from here.

But those places are among the places with the greatest hope, and Lin Heng doesn't want to give up checking.

It took them two hours to get there, and when they saw from afar that there was no trace of the trap, they were immediately disappointed.

"Go back." Lin Yue patted Lin Heng's shoulder helplessly.

"Yeah." Lin Heng nodded.

The two of them changed direction and walked back.

They returned quickly because their hands and feet were cold and they just wanted to get back to the camp as soon as possible to warm themselves by the fire.

"Hey, there are footprints here."

Suddenly, Lin Heng discovered rows of special footprints.

"Plum Blossom Seal, is this a wild cat or a white rice seed?" Lin Yue walked over and looked at the ground with some confusion.

"Whatever it is, we finally found a big prey. Brother, quickly get your gun ready and let's go look for it."

Lin Heng spoke up and now he was motivated again.

It's like fishing. As long as you catch a big fish, it doesn't matter if there is wind or rain, it won't hinder your fishing.

"Speed ​​up the pace." Lin Yue also nodded.

The two followed the footprints and kept walking forward. After walking about a hundred meters, they found that there were more footprints. This was not just one animal but a group.

"Don't you think this could be a group of weasels?" Lin Yue said in a low voice, looking at the footprints on the ground.

"It's possible. It could also be something like a yellow-throated marten." Lin Heng nodded slightly.
"Then it seems our trip today was not in vain." Lin Yue said in a low voice. He was happy to have prey.

Lin Heng controlled Xiongba, and the two men and the dog continued to move forward. After walking about eight or nine hundred meters, they saw four figures the same size as orange cats.

These little guys were searching for bugs in a fallen log with a rotten heart fifty meters away, and they hadn't been discovered yet.

Its tail, head and limbs are dark brown, its back is a beautiful orange-yellow, and there is a touch of snow-white under its neck.

It looks very beautiful, like a little elf in the snow.

"It's really a yellow-throated marten. It's so good."

Lin Yue said in a low voice with some excitement, taking out his shotgun and preparing to attack.

Mink fur is very valuable, and four yellow-throated martens are worth a lot of money.

"Wait a moment, maybe they can lead us to find other large prey." Lin Heng whistled.

Don't be fooled by the small size of the yellow-throated marten. These guys are the overlords of the forest. They can hunt muntjacs, musk deer, wild boars and other animals that are larger than themselves, and they even dare to fight with giant pandas and black bears.

They work as a team, cooperate seamlessly with each other, and hunt very quickly.

"Ah?" Lin Yue looked confused, thinking he had heard it wrong.

"Just watch, big brother." Lin Heng said.

It is normal that his elder brother does not understand the ferocity of the yellow-throated marten. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand how ferocious and terrifying this guy is.

Lin Yue nodded and watched from a distance. After these yellow-throated martens finished eating the insects, they quickly ran forward to look for other prey.

Lin Heng and the others followed the footprints and were not in a hurry.

After about ten minutes, they followed and saw one of them quietly climbing up the tree.

The two looked up and saw that there was a hazel grouse on the tree, which was sneaking towards them from behind the tree.

After reaching the branch where the hazel grouse was, it jumped up suddenly and rushed over to bite the hazel grouse.

"I rely on!"

Lin Yue couldn't help but open his mouth and almost shouted. He felt that this thing was so powerful.

Lin Heng shook his head in disappointment and whispered, "Let's do it. When they are eating, we will kill them all at once."

He had hoped that these guys would find a muntjac or something, and they would hunt him, but now a hazel grouse had appeared, so there was no hope today. And this guy didn't hunt large animals every day, most of the time he would just eat whatever was available.

Lin Yue nodded, and when the four yellow-throated martens gathered to eat, he moved a little closer and fired a shot from a distance of about thirty meters.

With a loud bang, the four yellow-throated martens ran two steps and then fell to the ground. Their bodies twitched twice and then they became motionless.

"That's enough, one hazel grouse and four yellow-throated martens." Lin Yue couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Pity."

Lin Heng told Lin Yue about the strength of the yellow-throated marten, and Lin Yue was immediately shocked: "This thing is so powerful, didn't I kill it too early?"

"It's really amazing, but you are destined not to see it today." Lin Heng said. That was the best opportunity just now. If you miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to kill them all with one shot.

There is no need to give up the benefits that are about to be obtained for the sake of illusory possibilities.

"Then you have to be careful next time you meet me." Lin Yue looked at the yellow-throated marten in his hand and nodded.

The two men walked back quickly with their things. After hunting the prey, they saw that they couldn't hold on any longer, so they held the yellow-throated marten, which had just died and was still warm, in their arms to keep it warm. Its fur was smooth and soft, and very comfortable to touch.

It was already one o'clock in the afternoon when they returned to the camp. After taking off their wet shoes, they slowly warmed themselves by the fire, not daring to get too close.

"Your harvest today is good."

Lu Honggang looked at the prey they had hunted and nodded repeatedly. He touched it and went to add some firewood.

He was not idle today. He got some evergreen leaves to surround the shelter so that the wind could not get in and people would not be too hot in front and too cold in the back.

After spending an hour warming up the mountain, the two picked up some roasted sweet potatoes to eat, drank some broth, and then began to process the prey they had caught that day.

Although it was not snowing at noon, the sun was not shining either. The weather was gloomy, and the branches of the trees were still covered with snow. When people's faces and hands came into contact with the cold air, they felt a little stinging.

Lin Heng’s crack oil is sold out, but they still have bear oil. Applying some on the skin and face can also provide good protection.

Mink meat has no strange smell, and the lean meat and fat are relatively balanced. In this weather, just kill it and hang it there, and it won't go bad for half a month.

They ate part of the internal organs and gave the rest to Xiongba, who also needed something good to eat to resist the cold.

"Why haven't my uncle and the others come back yet? Could it be that they have caught some big prey?" Lin Yue said after dealing with the prey.

Lin Heng looked at his watch and said, "Wait a little longer. If he doesn't come back, let's go check again."

It's three o'clock now, and there are still three hours before dark, so there's no need to be too anxious.

After the meal was ready, they sat by a fire in the camp. Lin Heng stared at the snow-covered forest in a daze, while Xiongba had fun outside for a while and then ran back.

"People are back."

At around four o'clock, Lin Yue suddenly spoke, he heard a sound in the distance.

After a while, the two men were seen coming back with Fengshou. Apart from the two golden roosters, there were no other prey in their hands.

"Let's go tomorrow. This wild boar can run very fast. We couldn't find it after chasing it for a long time." Lu Honghai shook his head.

"You found a wild boar?" Lin Yue asked in surprise.

Li Baiquan shook his head and said, "Yes, they were the footprints of a group of wild boars, but we didn't catch them."

"Then I'll go with you tomorrow." Lin Yue said with interest.

"Sure." Lu Honghai said in surprise as he took off his shoes and looked at the four yellow-throated marten skins on the shelf. "This is your harvest today. It's a good thing. It's more valuable than wild boar."

"We were lucky enough to see a nest of yellow-throated martens." Lin Yue said.

After chatting for a while and warming up, we started to eat. We drank a little wine to warm ourselves up. We decided not to go out this afternoon. We will wait until the snow becomes more solid after freezing all night before going out tomorrow.

In the afternoon, Lin Heng used fresh trees to weave a small snow net for walking in the snow. It was a net made of branches that could increase the contact area with the snow.

The night passed quietly, and the next morning the snow became thicker and thinner. It would no longer cover the calves with a single step, but it could still cover the ankles.

Lin Heng put a small net made of branches on the soles of his shoes, so that he could stay on the snow while walking without sinking in. The only one who made this tool at the scene was his eldest brother, and his uncle and others thought it was unnecessary and redundant.

"You really aren't coming with us?" Lin Yue looked at Lin Heng, a little worried about him going out alone.

"Don't worry, I'm with Xiongba."

Lin Heng waved his hand and said that he would not go hunting with his uncle and the others, and went to check his traps alone.

Walking on the snow is much more comfortable than yesterday. My shoes won’t get wet, and the grid-like branches also have an anti-slip effect.

It took him two hours to check all the traps he had set on the mountain, but he still found nothing.

But he was not in a hurry to go back, because he could just rest in the camp if he went back, and it would be the same if he took Xiongba for a walk.

He was not very cold today, one reason was that his clothes and shoes were not wet, and another was that before setting off he had wrapped mink fur around his waist and wrapped squirrel and rabbit skins around his calves, all of which were very warm.

"Come on, Xiongba, let's climb the mountain."

Lin Heng smiled as he glanced at Xiongba who was having fun in the snow.

"Mmmmm~"

Xiongba let out a shout and rushed forward to explore the way.

Soon they reached the top of the mountain. From here, the sky and the earth were all white, and the forest looked like a white sculpture.

The first thing that came to Lin Heng's mind was thousands of miles of ice, tens of thousands of miles of drifting snow, and the silver snakes dancing on the mountains and the wax elephants galloping on the plains. He had infinite admiration and worship for the author.

The wind was very strong on the top of the mountain, but Lin Heng was absorbed in admiring the beautiful scenery.

"Woof woof!!"

Suddenly Xiongba barked in the distance. Lin Heng turned his head and saw three or four yellow rabbits hopping around in search of food on the opposite hillside after the snow.

"Come on, let's go there."

Lin Heng's eyes lit up, and he hurried down the mountain with Xiongba. He held the slingshot and approached within eight meters, then knocked one out with a bang.

At the same time, Xiongba also chased after another one nearby, and soon came back with the dead rabbit in his hand.

"Let's go back to the camp and rest." Lin Heng said with a smile while holding the rabbit.

It was already afternoon when he returned to the camp. He skinned the rabbit and planned to make a roasted rabbit, roasting it slowly over the fire.

Apply some bear oil while grilling. Rabbit is lean meat and it will be very dry and not tasty without any oil.

When it was evening, his eldest brother and the other two came back and shouted from a distance, "Come over and help us."

"What did you catch?"

Lin Heng ran over excitedly, only to see three people carrying a big wild boar with yellow hair towards the camp.

"We have a great harvest today. We found the wild boar at noon." Lu Honghai said with a smile.

"Come over and help lift it. This one weighs about 160 to 170 kilograms." Li Baiquan also said with a smile.

"Here it comes." Lin Heng nodded with a smile. Although wild boars are not valuable prey, it is still a big gain after all.

(End of this chapter)