American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 108 The Guardian of Weisman Village (Seeking monthly votes~)

"what is this?"

"China's self-heating hot pot can be heated without fire."

The fact that it could be heated without fire immediately piqued Stan's interest.

Lin Yu'an tore open the packaging and poured the water from the water bag into the heating pack. Soon, a rich aroma of butter and spicy spice filled the cold air!
Stan's nose twitched, and his eyes lit up.

Once he was sure it was safe to eat, he couldn't wait to take a bite—something he had never tasted before in his life! Clearly, he fell in love with the flavor.

Lin Yu'an then took out a bottle of Wuliangye liquor without fancy packaging from another box, unscrewed the cap, and poured a glass for each of them into a stainless steel glass.

"Try this, the flame from China."

Stan picked up his glass and, imitating Lin Yu'an, drank it all in one gulp!

The scalding liquid instantly slid from his throat into his stomach, causing his weathered face to flush red, and he let out a satisfying exhale.

"As expected of flames! It's really like swallowing flames whole!" Stan exclaimed sincerely.

The two sat silently by the campfire, enjoying the scalding hot and spicy self-heating hot pot and drinking strong liquor with an alcohol content of over 50 degrees.

Alcohol and calories quickly dispelled physical fatigue and also opened up a floodgate of conversation.

"Kid, what's the point of all this trouble to settle down in this godforsaken place?"

Lin Yu'an took a sip of wine and slowly began to speak.

“I might not have been able to answer you before, but now I’m doing it for psychological freedom.”

Looking at the leaping flames, Lin Yu'an calmly continued, "After participating in the wilderness solo living activity, I was afraid that everything I had was just a dream. Rather than being anxious about gains and losses, I should live life seriously."

"If we abandon the desires constructed by capitalists, shouldn't human life simply be about having enough to eat, enough to wear, reproducing, and watching one's offspring grow up?"

"What I want now is a way to record my life without being disturbed by anyone, and share it with others, hoping to give them some healing power."

Stan nodded, seemingly understanding the idea.

He finished his drink, poured himself another, and gazed intently toward the town of Wiesman, his eyes becoming deep and thoughtful.

“When I was young, I felt that all of Alaska was my hunting ground.”

“I’ve chased wolves, confronted brown bears, gotten lost in blizzards, and survived by eating lichen and tree bark. I thought I would live like this forever, like an old wolf, and die in this wilderness.”

"But as people get older, their thinking changes."

His voice carried a hint of vicissitude.

“Wiesman…there are a lot of old guys like me there. Our kids have all gone to the big cities and don’t want to come back to this cold, hard land.”

"We're getting old, we can't run anymore, and sometimes we get sick, so we can't even chop firewood ourselves."

So, I stayed.

Stan looked at Lin Yu'an with a sincere expression: "What I'm doing now is making sure that there's still smoke coming out of the chimneys of those old folks in town in the winter."

"If someone's generator breaks down, I'll fix it. If someone's road is blocked by snow, I'll deliver supplies on my snowmobile. If someone is too sick to get out of bed, I'll take them to Fairbanks."

Lin Yu listened quietly, filled with a deep sense of respect.

He finally understood where Stan's unique temperament came from; it wasn't just the fierceness of a hunter, but a deeper sense of responsibility.

“In China, there’s a saying, ‘village guardians,’” Lin Yu’an said softly.

"Village guard?"

Stan chewed on this unfamiliar word.

"Yes, the guardians of the village."

"Protecting the elderly who can no longer walk, protecting the last roots of that land."

A glint flashed in Stan's eyes, and he grinned, finding the title exceptionally fitting.

“Village Guardian…hmm, not a bad title. But I’m not the only one.”

He stretched out his finger and pointed into the distance: "That cop in town named Cage, he could have gone to Anchorage to be the sheriff, but he stayed. He said he wanted to make sure the old guys here slept soundly."

"And then there's that pilot named Hank, who used his dilapidated little plane to handle all our air transport for us, and he charged us the lowest price of all."

"And there's that young veterinarian named Emily. She treats not only the animals but also us old folks. She's the only doctor in town."

"They are all the guardians of Wiesman."

Stan looked at Lin Yu'an with an unprecedentedly serious expression: "Kid, if you want to settle down in this land, building a beautiful wooden house by yourself isn't enough."

“You have to understand, Wiesman is not a place name. It’s a home that’s been kept from falling by us old bones supporting each other. We welcome the strong, but we need our neighbors even more.”

Lin Yu'an picked up his wine glass and solemnly raised it towards Stan.

He downed the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp, and a warm current rose from his stomach, flowing throughout his body.

Tonight, he not only gained an ally, but also a key that can truly unlock the gates of this land.

The next morning, Lin Yu'an crawled out of his sleeping bag in the car early, and the biting cold wind instantly woke him up.

Instead of starting work immediately, he first boiled a pot of snow water, cooked instant noodles with beef jerky and vegetable packets, and had a steaming hot breakfast with Stan.

Stan raved about the instant noodles, he never imagined that something so simple could be so delicious!

After replenishing enough energy, the battle of the new day begins again.

After a night of low temperatures, the muddy road surface froze slightly, making it easier to walk on than yesterday.

Lin Yu'an seized this precious window of opportunity and maximized transportation efficiency. He first slowly drove the XCMG loader to the vicinity of the camp and covered it with a plastic sheet.

Stan wasn't idle either. He used Lin Yu'an's F-450 as a temporary base, drinking hot coffee while observing his surroundings through binoculars, keeping watch for any potential dangers.

At the same time, he also helped move the remaining supplies from the container to an open area, making it easier for Lin Yu to install the vehicle and saving a lot of time.

Around 3 p.m., when Lin Yu'an drove his tricycle to the destination with the last box of seeds and several bundles of farm tools, the "ant moving house" operation that lasted for two days and one night finally came to an end.

He stood on the highest plateau, looking at the building he had personally moved there: a heating stove, a large iron pot, boxes of tools, bundles of building materials…

These things will be his only means of survival and development in this isolated land for the next few months.

Lin Yu'an took out a roll of plastic sheeting, tore off a section, and covered the "mountain of supplies" completely.

When he returned to the container, Stan had already packed up all his loose belongings.

"Is everything moved out?"

Stan looked at him with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Yes, it's all moved."

After finishing all this, Lin Yu'an glanced at the empty container and said to Stan, "Stan, thank you for your help. You should go home and rest now."

What are your plans for the future?

"We have to go back to Fairbanks and return the rental car."

"You're going alone?" Stan frowned.

"You've returned the car, how are you getting back?"

"I'm the guide hired by the production team, so it's my responsibility to be with you. I'll go with you and bring you back."

Stan looked at him and said sincerely.

Lin Yu'an felt a warmth in her heart: "Okay, thank you, Stan."

Finally, the two jumped into their respective pickup trucks and drove south along Dalton Highway, one after the other, towards Fairbanks.

After arriving in Fairbanks.

The car return process went smoothly. After inspecting the vehicle and equipment, the owner of the rental company found no damage to the core components and readily refunded the deposit.

By the time all the formalities were completed, it was already late.

Lin Yu'an said to Stan, "Stan, why don't you rest at the hotel tonight? I'll treat you to the best steak in town."

Stan shook his head: "No, I can't stand the smell of the city. We have to get back before the road conditions get worse."

So the two didn't stop in Fairbanks, but drove Stan's old Chevrolet pickup truck and set off again on their way back to the North.

When they rushed back to the town of Wiesman, it was already midnight.

Lin Yu-an unloaded all his personal equipment from Stan's car and prepared to head to the cabin that Jack had previously rented for the production team.

"Stan, thank you for your help these past two days."

He took out two cartons of "Chunghwa" cigarettes and two bottles of Moutai from a box and handed them to Stan.

"Take this, don't refuse."

This time, Stan didn't refuse. He took the cigarettes and alcohol and said to him, "Kid, it's up to you now. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, call me via satellite phone."

Stan turned his old Chevrolet pickup truck around and drove along the muddy road toward his home, eventually disappearing into the night.

Lin Yu-an stood alone in front of the temporary wooden cabin rented by the production team. It was very quiet all around, with only the occasional sound of the cold wind whistling through the treetops.

He moved all his personal equipment into the cabin, which was cold inside. After starting a fire, he took out a satellite phone.

I walked straight to the window, dialed director David's number, and as soon as the call connected, clear DJ noise came from the background.

“Herman?” David’s voice sounded surprised.

“It’s me, David,” Lin Yu’an said calmly.

“I’m ready. You can bring Mike over now. The helicopter can land directly on the Wiesman helipad.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

David clearly didn't understand what Lin Yu'an meant: "Ready? Lin, are you sure? The situation on the northern section of the Dalton Highway is very bad, and many of the things you need can't be transported in for the time being."

"I am sure."

Lin Yu'an's tone left no room for argument.

"Everything you want to see is here. Bring your equipment and plenty of warm clothes, it's much colder here than in New York."

"But Lin, what about logistics and planning..."

"Come over as soon as possible."

Lin Yu'an interrupted him, then hung up the phone, leaving David no room for further questions.

Three days later, in the afternoon, a roar of propellers approached from afar.

A Bell 206 small helicopter landed on the only makeshift helipad in the small town of Wiesman, which was paved with gravel.

David and photographer Mike had just jumped off the plane when they were hit by a gust of cold wind that made them shiver.

They saw Lin Yu'an, fully armed, carrying a huge backpack almost half his height, waiting quietly there.

(End of this chapter)