Back in the 1980s, hiking in the mountains was also a way of life

Looking at the flattened ground, Wang Li said in a deep voice:
"Fourth Brother, this herd of sika deer has also been targeted by others. What should we do?"

At this moment, Wang An's expression was also not good. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"There's no good way, we can only tough it out."

Upon hearing this, Wang Li was completely dumbfounded, and then said with a bewildered expression:

"Fourth Brother, go all out? What do you mean by 'go all out'? Just attack them directly?"

Wang An rolled his eyes at Wang Li and said:

"Who are you messing with? Do you even know who they are before you start attacking them? Besides, this mountain isn't ours, are you going to stop them from coming here? Damn it."

Before Wang Li could speak, Wang An said:

“Didn’t I tell you two to bring axes? Let’s hang up the talismans all around here. After we’re done hanging up the talismans, we’ll set up footholds around that salt flat. Then we’ll build a hut right here and come over to guard it first thing tomorrow morning.”

The "hanging omen" mentioned by Wang An is somewhat similar to the "omen" cut off when digging for ginseng.

However, "hanging the omen" and "cutting the omen" are different.

"Kan Zhao" is a process where ginseng diggers cut a piece of bark off a tree after finding ginseng and record the grade of the ginseng, the number of people involved in the digging, and the date of the digging on the tree trunk.

These "zhao" were mainly used for recording.

The method of hanging a sign is a technique used by hunters. Although it also involves cutting tree bark, it does not involve cutting off the bark. Instead, a vertical cut is made in the bark, and then about a quarter of the bark is peeled off horizontally. The spread bark is then supported with a small stick and hung on the tree like a red flag.

The reason it's only a quarter ring of bark is to avoid harming the tree's growth.

The purpose of doing this was to tell other hunters that this area was already being hunted, and that bullets don't have eyes, so they should never venture in.

Generally speaking, if someone is digging traps, setting explosives, wolf traps, or foot snares in a mountainous area, which are all very dangerous hunting methods, the warning signs around the area will be in accordance with these methods.

In short, the purpose of "hanging the omen" is singular: to inform passersby, those planning to enter the mountains for gathering firewood or logging, and various other people, including those planning to hunt in the mountains.
"Hunting is taking place here. Strangers are not allowed to enter. We are not responsible for any accidents that may occur."

Of course, that's the literal meaning. The real meaning is, "Don't disturb my prey, don't come and steal our prey, and don't delay our hunting."

This is exactly what Wang An meant when he was at home: "First, secure the nest."

The reason why Wang An and his two companions never used this trick in the past was because they always went hunting deep into the mountains and rarely stayed near the mountains. They also rarely encountered other hunters, so this trick was completely useless.

After Wang An finished speaking, Wang Li clicked his tongue and said:

"Fourth Brother, do you mean we should fence off this mountain area?"

Wang An smiled confidently:

"Yeah, let's set up a perimeter. Nobody's put up any omens yet, so let's put them up. Damn it, after we put up the omens, let's see who dares to come over. Whoever comes over, we'll beat them up, hahahaha!"

Wang Lika blew his eyes, scratched his head, and grinned as he said:
"Fourth Brother, you're being too mean!" Upon hearing this, Wang An kicked Wang Li's backside with his big foot and glared at him, saying:

"Damn it, what are you saying? I think you're asking for a kick again."

Wang Li rubbed his buttocks and chuckled foolishly.

To be fair, Wang An went to great lengths to catch sika deer, even resorting to such "unorthodox" methods.

And so, Wang An, Wang Li, and Huang Zhong, each carrying an axe and a cleaver, began the "hanging omen" procedure.

The operation of "hanging a sign" does not require cutting down trees one by one. You only need to cut down a tree at intervals in a place where the trees are relatively sparse, so that you can see the next sign when you stand next to the current one.

Even so, it took the three of them nearly two hours to successfully enclose the mountain area with "Zhao".

After finishing his work, Wang An stood next to a "兆" (zhào, a type of auspicious omen), glanced around, and couldn't help but reveal a smug smile on his face as he looked at the "兆" that had now been joined together.

Wang Li, however, raised a question:

"Fourth Brother, will cutting this thing even work? What if we're distracted for a moment and the deer gets killed? We can't really say we've started a fight, can we?"

A ruthless glint flashed across Wang An's face, but he said nonchalantly:

"If they were any better, they wouldn't bother with us before we leave Zhao. If they annoy me, I'll send them all in. Do they really think I'm just a figurehead?"

According to the rules of the mountains, once someone has cut down a tree to "hung up a talisman," no one is allowed to approach the area until the bark used for the "talisman" has been cut or torn off.

Of course, the rules in these mountains used to be very binding, but as time has passed, fewer and fewer people abide by them.

After scanning the area again, Wang An checked his watch and then said to Wang Li and Huang Zhong:

"Let's go, find a sheltered spot to eat some dry rations first, then we'll take the hoes into the saline-alkali land, and after that we'll build a shack and that'll be the end of our work."

The journey into the mountains was only a little over ten miles, and Wang An didn't plan to stay there for long, so he didn't bring any cooking utensils before heading into the mountains.

However, Wang An brought roasted fruit and biscuits, Wang Li brought some steamed rice cakes and fried pickled vegetables, and Huang Zhong brought fried dried fish and dried meat. The three of them ate a little bit and then got busy with their cooking.

The key to success with catching stalks is quantity, so the three of them planted an entire sack of stalks around the saline-alkali land, forming a pocket-like array.

After setting out to catch the fish, Wang An poured the two bags of salt he had brought into his water bag, dissolved them into water, and then sprinkled it around the fish as bait. The three of them then used tree branches to sweep away the traces before leaving the saline-alkali land.

By the time the three of them found a suitable spot 800 meters away to observe the surrounding saline-alkali land and finished setting up their hut, it was already past 4 p.m.

The reason the shelters were built so far away is that the wild sika deer in these mountains are very alert, with extremely sensitive noses and ears. If there is any unusual smell or movement, the deer herd is very likely to never come to this saline-alkali land again.

However, just in case, mainly to prevent other hunters from entering the mountains to ambush the herd of sika deer, Wang An and his two companions did not go home immediately, but waited until it was already dark before descending the mountain. (End of Chapter)