Globe Trekker

Chapter 14 Spring Equinox
Under the mountain depression more than ten miles west of Taijin Mountain, there is a clear and cold stream bypassing the dense bamboo groves, rushing and flowing from the foot of two red rocks that are closely attached to each other by the side of the mountain road, making a pleasant ding-dong sound. The warm sun shines through the gaps between the bamboo shoots, and sprinkles the mottled golden light into the gurgling stream, reflecting sparkling waves.

The exhausted Wu Ming squatted by the stream, picked up the fine sand and rubbed the mud and sticky blood on his hands, picked up a few handfuls of stream water to wash his face covered with dirt and sweat, looked up at the blue sky, and let out a long and happy sigh. breathing.

The five-day hunt ended up taking eight days. Not a single wolf was caught, but two big wild boars and five young wild boars were caught. Wu Ming and Tian Zhenggang spent a day and a half carrying and carrying them back and forth six It took a total of more than [-] miles of mountain roads to get the prey here. It was a rewarding trip. In the proud words of Tian Zhenggang, an excellent hunter: "In the past, even if ten good hunters were dispatched for ten days and a half months, they would still be able to catch the prey." Can’t keep up with what the two of us have achieved this time.”

Wu Ming learned a lot in eight days, and he had a deeper understanding of patience and persistence. He fired more than 80 rounds of bullets. While testing his marksmanship, he also learned a lot of valuable mountain survival experience and hunting knowledge.

The two traveled across the mountains to find the traces and lairs of wild beasts. They were sweating and exhausted every day. At night, they found a cave and lit a bonfire to deal with it all night. When they were hungry, they picked some wild vegetables and mushrooms and cooked a soup with bamboo tubes. Early in the morning, eat some dry food and continue to set off.

The first three days were fruitless, but one-third of the ammunition was spent on Wu Ming's marksmanship practice, so the whole process was not monotonous at all. Small prey such as pangolins, hares, and mountain birds were encountered from time to time on the road, and Wu Ming followed Tian Zhenggang. Know a lot of animals and plants, understand the habitat rules of various beasts and birds, know which wild mushrooms and wild vegetables are edible and which are poisonous, learn to identify various mountain vines and leaves, and know how to dig out huge pieces from the roots of mountain vines. The yams to satisfy one's hunger.

On the fourth day, Wu Ming found that his physical strength had dropped a lot, and his heart began to feel impatient. Tian Zhenggang, who thought he was also young and impatient, did not look anxious at all, and was still full of energy and walking like flying. Wu Ming could only bite Gritting his teeth and following, it was very hard to follow all the way.

Fortunately, Tian Zhenggang stopped every time he encountered animal feces, footprints, or fallen vegetation, and patiently told Wu Ming what kind of animal the trace was, how long it had been left, and which direction to go next. If he didn't have a gun, how should he dig traps, set up traps, etc., so that Wu Ming would not feel lonely and unbearable.Several times, Tian Zhenggang even picked up wolf dung, sniffed it, rubbed it, and made a more accurate judgment based on it.

Seeing Tian Zhenggang so calm and devoted, Wu Ming felt ashamed secretly, and admired Tian Zhenggang's rich knowledge of wild survival and super toughness.

On the evening of the fourth day, Tian Zhenggang finally discovered the habitat of wild boars. Wu Ming, who was exhausted, was immediately refreshed. The frightened wild boar shot.

The seasoned Tian Zhenggang picked up his Hanyang made, and killed a violent wild boar with only two shots. Wu Ming was very excited when he held the Mauser pistol, but the first three shots were all missed, causing a ferocious wild boar to rage. Howling wild boars galloped towards him.

Without waiting for Wu Ming to aim his gun, Tian Zhengang fired an accurate shot, and the sprinting wild boars fell down with blood splattered on their foreheads.

The two big pigs that fell in the herd were all knocked down by Tian Zhenggang. The distance of more than [-] meters and the favorable terrain where the wild boars could not take advantage of the instant impact to pose a threat. For Tian Zhenggang holding a military rifle, killing the prey was too simple. up.

After the crazy wild boar was hunted down by Tian Zhenggang, Wu Ming also calmed down, and he aimed his gun steadily before shooting. Two young pigs running slowly were shot by Wu Ming one after another more than 40 meters away, and another adult boar After being shot, he turned around and fled wildly. The crisp sound of gunfire shook the valley, and the lingering sound of wild boars echoed everywhere.

Four days of arduous trekking, eating and sleeping in the open, in exchange for just a few minutes of shooting and hunting, achieved fruitful results. Wu Ming was deeply moved and had a deep understanding of hunting.

Wu Ming, who is good at summarizing, finally got used to it. In the following two nights and one day, the two experienced another failed waiting ambush: using mountain vines to tie a wounded piglet under a small tree in an open field, trying to take advantage of it. The wailing of the piglets and the bloody smell of several dead wild boars lured the wild wolves, but unfortunately they failed in the end, and they didn't even see the shadow of the wolves.

Tian Zhenggang said that wolves are cunning, and it is estimated that the gunshots have alarmed the wild wolves, and they will run away if they find danger. In addition, as the weather gets warmer, small animals come out to look for food. The wild wolves are not short of food, so they heard the screams of the little wild boars They won't come either, and they have to wait until the next time to get rid of the wild wolves. Anyway, with the powerful Hanyang made in their hands, they don't have to worry about not being able to beat the wild wolves, and the wolf skins in early winter are the best.

The two gave up ambushing wild wolves, and worked together to get the two big wild boars and five young wild boars to the col at the west foot of Taijin Mountain. It took another day and a half to go back and forth.

Wu Ming was exhausted from torment. Before that, he always thought that he was hard-working and resilient, and he had devoted himself to practicing martial arts for more than half a year in the Taoist school. He dared not say that he was outstanding. At least his physique and endurance were much stronger than before. Tian Zhenggang, who was walking on the mountain road as if walking on flat ground, compared it, and Wu Ming realized that he was not one or two points behind.

At the foot of the col is the mountain crossing out of the mountains and forests. It is more than four miles away from Tianjia Village. After packing everything up, Wu Ming felt that his legs were fluttering, and he could no longer walk when he sat down. When someone asked about it, he said, "The gun was borrowed by Wu Daochang, and he has already returned it." He asked him to hide the gun and then go back to the village to call a few trusted brothers to send the pig back to the village. It is estimated that the villagers will not be persistent. Investigate the origin of the gun, get back a thousand catties of meat, and send one or two to each of the villagers, so that the elderly and children can improve their lives. It would be a crime to throw it away. Tian Zhenggang was also unwilling.

To Tian Zhenggang's disappointment, after Wu Ming's earnest instructions, he left alone before Tian Zhenggang returned to the village to call someone. Tian Zhenggang knew that Wu Ming's temperament was easy-going and kind, and there was no distinction between high and low, so he didn't want to show up. It's a secret that you don't want people to discover the rifle.

That night, the aroma of wine in Tianjia Village overflowed with joy, and the people of Tianjia Village, who had already remembered the kindness of "Wu Daochang", were even more grateful.

Before dawn the next day, Tian Zhenggang took gifts and climbed to Taijin Mountain. When he got there, he saw Wu Ming had just finished boxing practice. They were evenly matched, but there were a few more footprints on Wu Ming's body.

After Wu Ming packed up angrily and entered the house, the cheerful Tian Zhenggang had already brought a wooden tray of stream water and a towel: "Brother, wash your face."

Seeing that Tian Zhenggang was still looking lively, Wu Ming shook his head and joked, "Did the beautiful daughter of Old Ganshu's house get you drunk last night?"

Tian Zhenggang chuckled, put down the tub and took out a brand new pair of laminated soles from behind: "Brother, my mother asked me to send these shoes, don't dislike them."

Wu Ming glanced at the new shoes. After washing his face, he wrung out the towel and poured out the water. He pointed to the patched cotton shoes under Tian Zhenggang's feet and said, "Your mother made these for you, right? You keep them. I have shoes."

Tian Zhenggang waited patiently for Wu Ming to finish washing, and followed Wu Ming into the hut: "Brother, I remember you once said that nowadays, the foreign army wears the kind of strong raw rubber-soled leather shoes with straps, which are wear-resistant and light. Hua, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other big places sell them, if you get rich in the future, can you just give me another pair?"

Wu Ming stared into Tian Zhenggang's eyes for a while: "Okay, I will remember."

The two were enjoying the delicious meat porridge in front of the fireplace. Wu Ming held the bowl and asked, "What day is it today, you don't have to work?"

Tian Zhenggang looked at Wu Ming in surprise: "Today is the vernal equinox. Every spring equinox, the Qizhen Temple will hold rituals to pray for the people. People from all over the world will go up to the mountain to pray for blessings. At this time, the Qizhen Temple may be full. Brother, you are not really a fake Taoist priest, are you? That is not true, if you are a fake Taoist priest, why would the well-known Bingzhen Taoist priest keep you?"

Wu Ming smiled wryly, and after drinking a large bowl of meat porridge, he touched his warm stomach and stood up: "Zhenggang, although I didn't hit any wild wolves when I went into the mountains this time, I have seen your high-strength skills and calm temperament, so I can rest assured." Yes! As long as the gun is in your hands, I believe that the wild wolf will be eliminated by you sooner or later, but there are not many bullets left. I guess you can buy it from people on the road quietly, or sell it to merchants who collect mountain goods, and deal with it. Bar."

"Brother, do you really want to go?" Tian Zhenggang stood up anxiously.

Wu Ming nodded: "It's late March in the Gregorian calendar. I've been here for almost ten months. I have to go. You're right. I'm not a real Taoist. I'm from a poor family like you. Zhenguan is because I am injured and need medical treatment. It is estimated that Longhushan will send someone to send me a travel ID in the next few days. Don’t you like this small house? I have already agreed with Taoist Cheng Zhi, After I leave, you can use this house as long as you can, and you have also been to the cave at the back, where there is a lot of wine, food and dry goods, you can figure it out."

"Brother..." Tian Zhenggang was not willing to let Wu Ming leave, but the simple and honest man didn't know how to keep him.

"Let's go, let's go to Saddle Ridge together to take out the gun and bullets. It's not safe to put it in that small cave. It's uneasy after a long time. After that, I'll go up the mountain by the trail to the east. You can find a way to get the gun back. Hide it in a safe place." After Wu Ming finished speaking, he walked away, and Tian Zhenggang had no choice but to follow quickly.

The two of them crossed two cliffs to the west and went down to the Ma'anling Col. They crossed the creek and took out the spear and bullets from the cave in the forest. Tian Zhenggang wrapped the Hanyang-made rifle around with cloth strips, and finally raised his head and looked at Wu Ming reluctantly. , Seeing Wu Ming waving his hand and walking into the small path up the mountain, Tian Zhenggang followed without thinking.

Wu Ming had no choice but to stop, and comforted him again, until he promised to stay in Tianjiacun for a night and drink a few glasses of farewell wine before he left.

Wu Ming, who was sweating profusely, climbed up the steep rock wall, walked around two narrow and steep mountain bends, and passed through a bamboo forest under a big tree. He was surprised to find a row of quilts and clothes drying on the bamboo pole in front of his cabin The familiar figure disappeared at the door of his hut, and disappeared in a flash like a surprise, which made Wu Ming very annoyed.

(End of this chapter)