Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 577: Tiger Tracks by the River My Back Feels Cold, Let's Go
A slight cool breeze blew through the red pine forest, stirring the treetops and making them sway.

Although it was only the beginning of September, the temperature in the mountains was lower than that in the plains. Xu Ning and others wore coats when they entered the mountains. Even when the temperature was around 9 degrees, they did not dare to take them off, for fear that the earth's air would penetrate their bodies, which would be real torture.

Unlike catching cold or wind, most people may not believe in the somewhat mysterious concept of earth energy, but Xu Ning has experienced earth energy before, so what can he say about it?
All the bones in my body felt like they were being pricked by needles, and eventually it developed into rheumatoid arthritis, which lasted a lifetime.

At this moment, Chen Heshuang saw his father and younger brother taking bones out of the pit, and he felt a little scared deep down. In fact, he was not afraid, but there was a cool air coming out from his spine, and then his whole body was wrapped in a breeze. For a moment, he felt a little discouraged and flustered, and he had no strength in his body. If he said that he was not feeling well, Xu Ning could diagnose from his symptoms that he should have a low fever.

But Chen Heshuang didn't seem to be prepared to speak. He just felt uneasy in his heart, so he came close to Chen Jinlong, lowered his head and silently pulled the red cloth, and then he felt better all over.

This was the result of his mental suggestion. If he had not been thinking too much, he would have been able to tell that he had a fever. However, due to the current environmental factors, he did not think that he was sick, but instead thought of some weird things.

Chen Jinlong urged him to put on gloves and pick up the bones. After all, he was his great grandfather with whom he had a blood relationship, so as a junior, he must show some performance. Chen Heshuang nodded and took a few bones. Although he didn't make any sound, his lips were obviously trembling, and he felt his whole body getting colder and colder...

"What's wrong with you?" Chen Jinlong asked when he saw him trembling.

Chen Heshuang whispered, "Dad, why do I feel a chill on my back?"

Chen Hedong was stunned when he heard this, raised his head and frowned, "Don't talk nonsense! We are here to take Grandpa home. He can take care of anything that happens nearby. We are all family members, how can he harm his grandson?"

"That's not what I meant. I just felt very anxious..." Chen Heshuang panicked and couldn't express himself clearly.

Chen Jinlong lowered his head and urged, "Hurry up and fix it. If there is anything, we can talk about it when we get home. Maybe you can calm down by talking to your great grandfather for a while."

"Eh..." Chen Jinlong muttered quietly with trembling lips.

Xu Ning, who was standing against a tree, raised his arm and glanced at his watch. He tilted his head and said to Xu He and Guan Lei standing next to him, "It's a little after two o'clock now. It will probably be nearly three o'clock when they finish. Let's not waste time here. Brother He, Shitou and I will go to the creek behind to get some water. Can you stay here for a while?"

"Okay, you two should be more careful."

Xu Ning and Guan Lei turned and walked towards the stream. He didn't want to spend the night in the red pine forest today as that would waste too much time. They would wait until Chen Hedong finished packing at about three o'clock and then they would hurry back and find a place to set up a tent before dark.

When they reached the creek, Guan Lei carried a five-jin kettle and filled it with water. Xu Ning walked around the area. He did not see any livestock or small animals, but saw a trail of deer on one side of the creek. He estimated that there were more than twenty deer in the herd.

When Guan Lei finished drinking water and just stood up and turned his head, he noticed two paw prints on the other side of the stream. His heart skipped a beat and he whispered, "Brother! Brother!!"

Xu Ning heard the noise and rushed over and asked, "What's going on?"

"Do you think those two traces were left by the big cat?"

Xu Ning frowned and looked at them, only to see that the two paw prints were one deep and one shallow, similar in shape to a cat's paw, but several times larger than a cat's paw.

"Yes...Shitou, let's go back quickly, this is a new trace!"

Guan Lei's eyes were stunned, and he quickly followed Xu Ning with the pot in his hand, grabbing the knife at his waist with one hand.

Xu Ning said, "It should be nearby. When you get to the red pine forest, tell Brother He quietly, but don't tell the other three. Chen Heshuang might be up to something bad."

Guan Lei pouted and cursed: "This bastard, he was talking nonsense before entering the mountain. We all kowtowed, but they were the only ones who were dithering. If it weren't for Brother Dong's sake, I would have cut him down long ago."

"Now is not the time to complain! Watch out, and chop down any pine torches you see. We may have to take a long detour to get back, and we can't go back against the wind, we have to take a detour..."

Guan Lei nodded: "Okay! Then we go back overnight?"

Xu Ning observed the surroundings and said, "We'll see what happens. I'm not sure where it is, but it's patrolling the nearby territory now. If it smells us, it will probably hide in the grass and observe..."

"The three big cats that Hu Zi mentioned earlier that they met in Wangxing didn't smell your scent either."

"At that time, there was a ditch between us, and the wind blew through the ditch. There were so many wild boars emitting smells that they had covered the smell on us. This time is different. This is a low mountain area, and the wind can penetrate into the forest. Judging from the tracks it left, it should be an adult... As long as we don't make too much noise to irritate it, I don't think it can pounce on us..."

Everything is just inference. Xu Ning cannot control the big cat's behavior and can only judge based on experience.

Wild big cats are completely different from cats kept in zoos. Big cats in the mountains are the kings of beasts! They often hunt wild boars and other large animals, and have accumulated a lot of fighting and hunting experience. Only then can they survive in the mountains. Big cats in zoos are usually fed by people and often come into contact with people, so they are naturally less wild.

There is a word called "eyes wide open". You can understand this by observing your own kittens' state when they are stimulated or threatened. Sometimes kittens run so fast that only a shadow is left, and their sharp claws can hurt people in just a moment. If their size is increased several times, you can imagine how ferocious they are. Moreover, big cats hunt jackals, tigers, leopards, bears and pigs, so you naturally know what their fighting power is.

Xu Ning and Guan Lei hurried back to the red pine forest. At this time, Chen and his son had already cleaned up about two-thirds of the forest. Guan Lei put down the kettle and dragged Xu He to the side. After whispering a few words, Xu He glared around. Guan Lei lowered his head and said, "Brother He, don't look, don't look..."

Xu He took a deep breath and asked, "What did Er Ning say?"

"Don't let us tell the three of them, for fear that Chen Heshuang will do something bad after hearing it."

"Er Ning's thinking is correct. This guy is really an idiot. He's a businessman. If he keeps doing business like this, he'll go bankrupt sooner or later! Did you two see the shadow?"

"No, I just saw a trace, but my brother said it was new, so it should be nearby..."

Xu He shook his head: "We have two 56 and a half in our hands, there is no need to be afraid. With six people in total, it can kill them anyway. I am just afraid of hurting people."

"Yes, my brother is also afraid of hurting someone. The main reason is that the three of us have some experience, but the three of them have never run in the mountains before. If they really get hurt, what should we do? After all, they followed us into the mountains together."

Xu He said thoughtfully with a stern face: "Tell Er Ning later that if a big cat really pounces on us, let him protect Hedong and I will protect you. Just make sure the four of us are okay."

"Oh, okay! So let's go back now?"

"Go back, don't be alone."

At first, Guan Lei was a little surprised to hear Xu He's words. He didn't expect Xu He to be so decisive. From this, it can also be seen that he didn't have a good impression of Chen Jinlong and Chen Heshuang. This father and son did not behave like businessmen at all. They offended people everywhere and were not tactful at all. Maybe in their eyes, Xu Ning and Xu He were of no use.

After returning to the small earth pit, Guan Lei stared at the surroundings and repeated what he had said to Xu He. Xu Ning smiled and said, "If you can spare a hand, take care of him. After all, he came into the mountains with us and he is Dong Ge's biological father and brother."

"..."

At around 3 o'clock, Chen and his son took out all the visible bones in the soil. Chen Hedong patiently used a branch to dig the pit, looking for small broken bones. Chen Jinlong urged, "That's enough." Chen Hedong looked up at his father, then used the engineer shovel to shovel twice of soil from the original pit and sprinkled it on the bones, then wrapped them in red cloth and put them in his own backpack.

"Erning, it's done, you can make the arrangements."

Xu Ning said, "Let's go south with the wind."

Chen Heshuang said, "Why are you leaving? Isn't there a shack over there? Just stay here for the night and leave tomorrow morning."

"Do you know how to run in the mountains? What are you talking about?" Chen Hedong said unhappily, "Erning, we'll go the way you arrange."

Xu Ning held the gun and walked forward, saying, "Brother He, you lead the way, and Brother Dong will walk in front of me."

"Got it."

After that, everyone set off to walk south. Going south, there was also a red pine forest. When they reached the shady slope, it was a little slippery. There were more mosses and lichens in this area. Chen Heshuang fell twice and started cursing when he got up. He said that he felt weak all over and his head was buzzing. Xu Ning and others ignored him and just thought he was complaining. Chen Jinlong didn't care either and just chewed the oil cake wrapped with green onions.

After walking seven miles south, the sun began to set. Xu Ning raised his arm and glanced at his watch, frowning and muttering, "It took me two hours to walk this far?"

Chen Hedong turned around and said, "Erning, why don't we find a place to stay for the night? My legs are a bit weak."

Xu Ning walked up to him and whispered, "I'm telling you the truth, don't scream."

Chen Hedong looked a little puzzled, and then he said, "There is a big cat following us. Shitou and I went to the creek and saw its tracks. They are new!"

"..." Chen Hedong opened his eyes wide, looked around quickly, turned his head and asked anxiously: "What should we do?"

"We have a favorable wind now, so it shouldn't have smelled anything. We just need to not make too much noise."

Chen Hedong nodded and said, "Don't tell my dad about this. He's quick to react and telling him will definitely delay things."

"I know, so I didn't rush to tell you."

"Why don't you stop tonight and keep going south?"

Xu Ning said: "It depends on the situation. If the idea is good, we can take a break. If the idea is not good... then everything is in vain!"

"I understand, Erning. I am a burden to you."

"Hey, do we need to talk about this? It's too unorthodox."

Chen Hedong forced a smile, then turned around and strode forward, pushing Chen Heshuang. Chen Heshuang became angry and shook his shoulders vigorously, saying, "Why do you keep pushing me? Are you sick?"

"Shout a few cents!" Chen Hedong lowered his voice and said, "Don't shout! Just leave quickly!"

Chen Jinlong turned around and said, "Stop making trouble, both of you. If you're hungry, just eat something. It will pass if you bear with it."

"Dad, this little bastard keeps pushing me, it's really annoying." Chen He stared at Xu Ning with a hint of veiled criticism.

Xu He and Guan Lei in front of them didn't notice it, but Xu Ning saw it clearly. He said in a dark voice, "Brother Dong, if he wants to leave, he can leave. If he doesn't want to leave, he will stay and feed the wolves. Let's go to the front."

Chen Hedong glared at his brother and said, "You are a hopeless case!"

Chen Jinlong frowned upon hearing this, but Chen Heshuang retorted: "I am a piece of mud that can't be helped? You are really funny. Who in our family is the piece of mud? You have been deceived by your friends since you were a child. How much money have you caused to our family? How much money have you made from business..."

Chen Hedong was stunned when he heard this, smiled at Chen Heshuang, then shook his head and he and Xu Ning passed the two of them and caught up with Guan Lei and Xu He.

Chen Jinlong rushed over and patted Chen Heshuang on the head, gritting his teeth and saying, "Why did you mess with him? Do you know the way out of the mountain? If you get lost, you'll never get out in your life! Hurry up and catch up, what are you thinking about?"

Chen Heshuang took out a red sausage and took two bites angrily, saying, "I'm so hungry that I feel weak all over. What's the harm in arguing with him?"

"Don't waste time, let's go!"

At this moment, on the steep slope diagonally above Xu Ning and others, there was a huge tiger with colorful fur all over its body, strolling forward leisurely.

It was also enjoying the feeling of having its butt pushed by the wind, and felt a little lazy for a moment, but it was very curious about the people fifty or sixty meters away, because it had discovered this group of people as early as noon, and after smelling the strange smell emanating from them, it felt a little confused and excited.

This was a species it had never seen before, and its smell was very mixed, with the aroma of fried cakes and red sausage, the salty smell of soybean paste, the smell of machine oil from the gun, the smell of sweat from the clothes, and now there was also some earthy smell...

It was a little curious and wanted to taste it, but it was not sure because it had a natural aversion to the smell of engine oil. It felt that the smell was very dangerous. This is the animal's special sense of danger.

When it reached the top of the slope and looked down, it suddenly saw two lone people. One of them was holding something in his front paws and putting it into his mouth, and the other was pulling his arm and walking forward quickly. It suddenly felt a little confused. After looking at the top of the slope for a while, it went into the woods and disappeared.

Chen Hedong in front had already calmed down. He pulled Xu Ning's arm and said, "Erning, if there really is a big cat, my dad and the others..."

"It has slowed down now. Look, it has caught up with us."

Chen Hedong looked back and said, "After all, they are my father and my brother. Erning, it's difficult for me too."

"Yes, I remember there is a big reservoir ahead. Let's go to the reservoir and find a place to rest for the night and leave tomorrow."

"Row!"

Xu He turned around and asked, "Erning, is that reservoir connected to the Mudan River? If it is, we can find a boat and go there. Then we don't have to worry about the big cat suddenly jumping out."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking. Wouldn't it be much easier to find a boat to take us to a village near Yanwangkanzi?"

"That's true! There's nothing wrong with this arrangement. It can save us a lot of effort!"

(End of this chapter)