Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 477: Breaking the alcohol ban and doing it
It was a dark night with a strong wind. The southwest wind drove the dark clouds to the northeast. The wind roared in the valley, making the trees rustle. Looking up at the dark night sky, the dark clouds made me feel very depressed...

It was a little after 8 o'clock. Xu Ning and Sun Jiye were walking in the Toad Valley with their Type 56 and a half bicycles, with a rushing stream on the left and swaying trees on the right.

Walking on the stone beach beside the river, you can occasionally hear the sound of stones rubbing against each other, as well as the calls of birds and animals. The night in the mountains is quiet, but there is a lot of noise in the mountains.

With the help of the flashlight, Xu Ning lowered his head and tried to find the traces left by the black bear on the stone beach. How could he be sure that the black bear had come to Toad Valley?

In fact, he couldn't be completely sure. It was just based on his analysis of experience. If he let Sun Jiye and Liu Zhu go into the mountains to track them, would they be able to come to Hamagou?

No, because the Toad Valley is a river that flows from south to north, more than 20 miles away from Xiaosandaoling. At most, they would look for traces of the black bear near Xiaosandaoling...

The further they walked upstream into Toad Valley, the less certain Xu Ning became. He and Sun Jiye had walked for about two miles without seeing any trace of the black bear. Besides, it was dark and visibility was poor, so it was normal that they couldn't find any trace.

Xu Ning took the biscuit handed to him by Sun Jiye, threw it into his mouth and chewed it. After swallowing the biscuit that was sticky in his mouth, he looked up at the night sky and frowned, saying, "It's going to rain today."

"That's not bad! No one expected it to rain tonight and no one brought a raincoat. Erning, we can bear it. Zhuzi will never give up unless we kill this black blind man."

Xu Ning picked up the canteen and took a sip of water, saying, "Yeah, it's nothing. Zhuzi calls me uncle, and he and Wang Ye went to the mountains to pick me up last time. I must help with this matter to the end!"

Although Wang Ye and Liu Zhu are not biological brothers, they have a very good relationship. They have shared joys and sorrows and experienced life and death together. That is why Liu Zhu insisted on avenging Wang Ye.

Sun Jiye said, "I know you are particular. If we can find a black bear tonight, no matter who shoots it, the gallbladder will be yours."

"Just pull it off..."

Sun Jiye shook his head and said, "Zhu Zi was the one who brought this up. He knows that you are particular about your work, but he can't just torment you for nothing."

"Let's talk about it when we really fight. I think the continuous fog in the mountains has chased this black bear into a corner. But it has injuries on its body, so it will definitely not go too far. If it rains when it comes to Toad Valley, it should find a cave to hide in..."

Seeing that Xu Ning was not concerned about the whereabouts of the bear gall, Sun Jiye knew that he had given in. Xu Ning really wanted the bear gall, and he did not want to play tricks on Sun Jiye because after selling the bear gall, he could just pay the 1000 yuan for the renovation of the market with Hu Zhibin, and the 500 yuan for the furniture workshop with Zhang Jinbao.

Since his family started building the house, Liu Lizhen's money has been shrinking. In a few days, she will have to buy red bricks and cement, which will be another considerable expense.

"There are indeed several caves in this Toad Valley, but they are all man-made. There were Japanese invaders here before, so the villagers fled to the mountains and dug five or six caves in the mountains, which can accommodate more than 20 people. Over the years, they have been used as warehouses for storing pine cones."

At this time, raindrops fell from the sky, dripping on Xu Ning's head. He turned around and said, "Let's meet up with Zhu first, and then go to these caves to take a look. But I think the black bear will not hide in man-made caves. It is very sensitive to smells, and it basically will not stay in caves or tree warehouses where people stay."

"That's true. I hunted a small black bear in the warehouse before. It's been six or seven years, and there has never been a black bear in the warehouse again."

The two of them returned the same way. The rain was getting heavier. Xu Ning glanced at his watch with the help of the flashlight and said, "It's 20 minutes to 9 o'clock, Uncle San, let's hurry up."

The two of them and Liu Zhu and the other two agreed that if they didn't find any trace before 9 o'clock, they would return to the place where the five of them separated. However, Xu Ning and Sun Jiye needed to continue walking downstream because the cave Sun Jiye mentioned was just downstream. The purpose was to prevent Liu Zhu and the other two from taking a detour.

After walking more than a mile downstream from the place where they separated, they ran into the three people head-on. Liu Zhu hurriedly raised the brim of his hat and shouted, "Uncle Xu! I can't see anything, and it's raining heavily. Let's go back."

Xu Ning waved his hand and shouted, "It's too late to go back! Uncle San said there is a cave nearby, let's go to the cave to take shelter from the rain."

Liu Zhu nodded heavily. He was very grateful for Xu Ning's decision because he needed someone's support, but he was also afraid that his companions would back out.

Knowing that all traces would be washed away after the rain, Liu Zhu still didn't want to go back to the village. He felt that he would not be able to face his brother Wang Ye unless he killed Hei Xia Zi.

When speaking in the heavy rain, you have to shout because sound is difficult to travel through water, and the sound of raindrops hitting the ground covers up the sound of your voice.

Sun Jiye pointed to the forest on the left and shouted, "Go up the mountain! If it rains hard and there's a flood, all five of us will be washed away!"

"go!"

Liu Zhu wanted to give the hat on his head to Xu Ning, but he waved his hand to refuse. Xu Ning gathered some grass in the forest, and casually wove a round straw hat with his hands and put it on his head, so that the rain would flow down behind his ears and would not block his vision too much.

They were soaked, but no one complained. It was normal to rain in this season. It was just that Sun Jiye and Liu Zhu had not made any preparations. This was not in line with Sun Jiye's character. He was very methodical in doing things. For example, if he knew he was going to go fishing the next day, he would check the boat, refuel the boat, check the fishing nets, etc. the day before. This time he had just returned from Qing'an and had no time to prepare.

Sun Jiye led the way. They walked in the mountains for nearly 40 minutes before reaching the cave. He stood at the entrance of the cave and used his flashlight to scan inside. When he saw nothing else, he let Xu Ning go in first, followed by Liu Zhu and the remaining two people...

After Xu Ning entered the cave, he raised his flashlight and 56mm rifle at the same time. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was nothing in the cave. He said, "Let's take shelter from the rain first. Turn off the flashlight and take off all the clothes and wring them dry."

Sun Jiye said: "I still have four batteries in my pocket, so there is no need to save power."

"Then open one and put it on the ground. It will be fine if there is some light."

Xu Ning propped the 56 and a half against the wall next to the cave entrance, took off the cloth bag and belt, and took off his coat and pants. He and Sun Jiye each grabbed one end and wrung out the water.

Although it is already mid-June, the temperature in the mountains of Sandaohe is still a bit cold at night. After being drenched by the rain, my whole body is chilly.

Liu Zhu took out a canteen from his pocket and said, "Uncle San, take a sip to get rid of the cold."

Sun Jiye took a sip of the wine and said with a grin, "Erning, do you want to have a sip too?"

Liu Zhu advised: "Uncle Xu, it's okay to take a bite, it doesn't count as breaking the rules."

Liu Lizhen had asked Xu Ning to drink medicinal wine before, but Xu Ning refused on the grounds that he was not married. Now he really had no reason to refuse, because his hands were trembling from the cold and his lips were a little pale.

Xu Ning paused, took the canteen, tilted his head back and took a sip of wine. After swallowing it, he felt a wave of heat sinking down his lower abdomen, and his stomach quickly felt warm.

"Oh my, this 50-plus-proof sorghum wine is really spicy!"

Liu Zhu smiled and said, "Uncle Xu has a good sense of taste. He knew it was 50-plus alcohol kaoliang liquor after just one taste."

Sun Jiye said, "Then what are you thinking about? He used to drink a lot of wine, how could he not taste the wine?"

"I drank recklessly before because I was young, but today I broke my vow. I have to be careful when I drink next time."

"It's okay to drink less. Besides, you have changed now. Even if you break the rules and drink, my brother and sister-in-law can't say anything."

Xu Ning said: "Quitting smoking and drinking is a rule I set for myself. I left a bad impression on my family members before. If I want to change their view of me, I have to show my determination and sincerity. Once they see that I have quit smoking and drinking, they will have confidence in my claim that I have learned well." "That's for sure. You have to make changes in habits that can be seen with the naked eye. You have to let people see it, then they will believe it."

There was no firewood in the cave, so they used the light of the flashlight to wring out their clothes and pants. Liu Zhu blocked the entrance of the cave with his own clothes to keep the temperature inside.

The five men sat around in their underwear and chatted. The wine in the canteen was soon finished. Xu Ning only took two sips. He did not drink too much because he had not drunk for such a long time, so his alcohol tolerance must have decreased. Before he knew his own alcohol tolerance, he had to control himself.

The rain outside gradually subsided and turned into a drizzle, while the five people in the cave finished the remaining biscuits and tiaozi cakes in the cloth bags.

Xu Ning was not too concerned about breaking his vow of abstinence from alcohol, because it was a matter of time. Even if he didn't want to break it, his mother and wife would force him to do so after marriage. After all, his mother wanted to have twin grandsons. Xu Long had already drunk more than a pound of the deer placenta wine. If Wang Shujuan could get pregnant before winter, the remaining 18 pounds of deer placenta wine would all belong to Xu Ning.

At around 3 a.m., the rain outside the cave stopped. Xu Ning, Sun Jiye, Liu Zhu and two others put on wet clothes. As soon as the clothes touched their skin, they shivered.

Liu Zhu said: "I might get a fever when I go back tonight..."

"Drink two bowls of ginger and sugar water before going to bed on the warm kang. We are strong and nothing will happen to us."

Xu Ning tied a leather belt around his waist and said, "My fever only lasts overnight. I will be better the next day."

"You had a fever all night last time. Zhuzi, go back and give your uncle Xu some fruit wine made at home. I think he will be happy to drink fruit wine."

"Okay, then just bring the jar to my uncle Xu to drink. I don't really like drinking fruit wine."

Xu Ning held up the 56 and a half and asked, "Is it the fruit wine made from red fruits? Did you add rock sugar water to it?"

"Yes, my wife poured two pounds of rock sugar water into it. It's so sweet!"

"Okay, I won't be polite with you. Just pour the wine into the jug for me. It's easy to get hurt in the car if you hold the jug."

At this moment, Xu Ning seemed to hear a slight noise. He quickly raised his hand and put his index finger on his lips - shh!
The four people in the cave stopped talking and held their breath. They stared at Xu Ning with wide eyes, while Xu Ning turned his head to the cave entrance. He moved slowly and asked quietly, "Are you listening?"

Sun Jiye was stunned for a moment and asked, "Black blind man?"

Xu Ning nodded: "Yes, didn't you hear the black bear calling?"

Liu Zhu told the truth: "No."

Xu Ning stepped out of the cave and waved to urge the four people to leave the cave, saying: "Zhu Zhuo tied the flashlight to his hat and used it as a headlamp. Third Uncle, let's tie the flashlight to our arms. I just heard..."

Before he finished speaking, a clear bear roar was heard. The five men trembled immediately and then quickened their movements.

After wrapping the flashlight, Xu Ning pointed to the left side of the mountain and said, "Toad Valley!"

"Yeah! The sound is coming from the Toad Ditch. Uncle Xu, what should we do?"

Xu Ning stepped forward and said, "What else can we do? Just deal with it!"

"Oh my god, I wonder what tricks you have."

As the five of them ran forward, Xu Ning turned back and said, "What can we do? When we encounter a mad black blind man like this, there is only one word - fight him!"

"Just do it!" Liu Zhu repeated.

Their experience in the mountains was a bit miserable. If it hadn't rained, they might not have been so miserable, but sometimes God is just blind and no one can do anything about it.

Liu Zhu was hurrying along the way and tripped over a tree branch because he was in a hurry. He fell flat on his face. Fortunately, he did not sprain his ankle, otherwise he would not be able to participate in the bear hunt.

In Toad Valley, a black bear stood on a fallen tree and waved its palms wantonly at the thick tree in front of it. After peeling off all the bark, it raised its head and roared towards the sky. When the small animals in the forest heard it, they all hid everywhere, and were all scared by the roar and dared not leave their nests.

The roar of the bear became clearer and clearer, and the five people's hearts were also aroused. As the dark clouds in the sky dissipated and the moon came out, there was a faint light in the mountains and forests.

"Turn off the flashlight! Uncle San, I'm going to fire a gun first. Can you see the shadow standing in front of you?"

Sun Jiye narrowed his eyes and said, "I've spotted it. It's about 40 to 50 meters away from us."

The terrain here is not complicated. The water level of the Toad Valley River has risen to the edge of the mountain, and this black bear is halfway up the mountain, about sixty or seventy meters away from the river below.

Xu Ning said: "I will go straight down, and you guys surround it from the left and right. This black bear has gone crazy, so you have to hit its head. If it pounces on you, don't panic, just climb up the tree."

"I know... We are so close, how come the black bear didn't notice us?"

"Why do you care so much? Let's kill it and go home to sleep!"

In fact, there are two main reasons why the black bear didn't notice them. One is that they were downwind, and the other is that the black bear had lost its sense of smell.

"Alright! After a night of suffering, I finally found it."

Xu Ning covered the bolt with his clothes and gently pulled the bolt. Sun Jiye saw it and gave him a thumbs up, saying, "Professional."

"From experience, we should go down the mountain slowly. This black bear's nose and eyes don't work well, but its ears should be good."

Several people nodded in response. Sun Jiye and Liu Zhu each took one person to move to the sides, while Xu Ning held his gun and slowly moved down the mountain.

Although he was only 40 meters away from Hei Xia Zi, Xu Ning still didn't dare to shoot. Why? He didn't have enough vision!

After turning off the flashlight, Xu Ning could only see things in the moonlight, and everything he could see with his eyes was blurry.

He could only see the outline of the black bear forty meters away, and could not tell whether the black bear's head was blocked by its forelimbs or branches, so he could not fire his gun easily.

At this time, Sun Jiye and Liu Zhu had already gone down the mountain and were moving towards the crazy black bear. Xu Ning was about 20 meters away from the black bear. There were three connected crooked elm trees in front of him, which could serve as a support point.

(End of this chapter)