American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 220 Guarding Miracles

Lin Yu'an gave the enclosed stove, built of soapstone slabs, one last inspection. He confirmed that the connection between the firebox and the flue was sealed perfectly.

Everything is ready. We just need to wait for the weather to improve tomorrow so we can start the first official cold fumigation operation.

In the polar region at dusk, shrouded in blizzards, there was no visible natural light source.

The sky and the earth were completely merged by the raging white vortex, forming a darkness so deep that one could hardly see their own hand in front of their face.

Only the high-intensity headlamp that Lin Yu'an was reluctant to use projected a bright beam of light onto his forehead, piercing through the boundless wind and snow.

The wind was at least a level stronger than when he had come out in the afternoon. Snowflakes were lashing out at almost horizontal angles, hitting his windproof jacket with a loud, crackling sound.

Lin Yu'an glanced in the direction of the shelter. The building, half-buried in the snow, was faintly visible at the edge of the headlamp's halo. He could no longer linger outside.

“Alright, that concludes today’s work,” he shouted into the GoPro camera, his voice almost ripped apart by the howling wind.

"The main structure and supporting facilities have all been completed, and it looks like this blizzard will last at least all night."

"The smoking process has to wait until tomorrow, when the wind will be weaker, so we can control the fire and smoke more precisely. Right now, the most important thing is to get back to the shelter."

He took one last look at his new work, a white, hemispherical building standing quietly in the wind and snow, with only an arched entrance and a reserved chimney.

Bathed in the beam of its headlamp, its silhouette appeared both mysterious and powerful, like a probe from another planet, brimming with a sci-fi aesthetic. The more I look at it, the more I love it!

Braving the fierce wind, he trudged towards the shelter, each step incredibly difficult; the wind felt like an invisible wall, pushing him backward with all its might.

The distance of less than a few hundred meters felt like an eternity to him.

The moment he finally touched the heavy wooden door of the shelter, pulled back the bolt, and slipped inside, the whole world seemed to be muted and quieted down.

A warm aura, mixed with the dry scent of burning wood and the faint milky smell of December, instantly enveloped him.

Lin Yu'an took off her coat and hat, which were covered in snow, and hung them near the fireplace to dry. She felt that her cheeks and the tip of her nose were already numb from the cold.

He walked to the fire pit, stretched out his hands, and felt the heat from the flames. Only then did his stiff fingers slowly regain feeling.

"Ouch?"

A childish, questioning voice came from the corner.

Lin Yu'an turned his head and saw December climbing up from its wolf-skin bed, tilting its little head and looking at him with its pure obsidian eyes.

It seemed to be somewhat curious and uneasy about Lin Yu'an's "disappearance" just now.

"I'm back, little one." Lin Yu'an's voice trembled slightly from being in the cold wind for so long, but her tone was incredibly gentle.

When December heard his familiar voice, it immediately felt relieved. It took its little legs, which were much more steady than a few days ago, and trotted to Lin Yu'an's feet.

It nuzzled his trouser leg affectionately with its fluffy little head, making satisfied "mmm" sounds in its throat, as if welcoming his return.

Lin Yu'an was amused by its clingy appearance. He sat down and hugged December into his arms. The little guy's body was like a warm little stove, dispelling the last bit of chill from his body.

He gently scratched December's chin and behind her ears with his fingers. The little guy squinted his eyes comfortably and made a "purring" sound in his throat, like a contented kitten.

"Okay, I know, you must be hungry." Lin Yu'an estimated that more than four hours had passed since the last meal, which was exactly the feeding interval recommended in the "Guide".

"It's windy outside, it's scary, isn't it?"

Lin Yu'an hugged it and walked towards the supply box, saying softly, "But it's okay, let's eat our fill first, then we won't be afraid of anything."

I skillfully began preparing dinner for December, first putting the pacifiers into the UVC sterilization box for quick sterilization.

Then, an iron pot was set up to melt the snow, and the water temperature was precisely controlled at around 39℃. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Take out the electronic scale, accurately weigh out 50 grams of milk powder and 200 grams of warm water, then gently shake them in a circular motion to mix them into a perfect dinner.

"Dinner's ready, little gluttonous bear."

He gently placed the blunt, round silicone nipple to December's little mouth.

Having learned from the morning's experience, December did not hesitate at all this time, immediately opening her mouth and taking the nipple in her mouth.

When the first sip of warm, sweet milk entered its mouth, it immediately let out a satisfied whimper.

After feeding the little guy until December was full, he held the contented little one in his arms, picked up the electronic recorder, and prepared to complete another important task for the day—measuring vital signs data in the afternoon.

"Alright, it's time for our daily check-up. Let me see if you've grown well today, after eating and drinking your fill."

The first step was the simplest temperature measurement. He turned on the veterinary non-contact infrared thermometer and pressed the measurement button on the inside of December's relatively sparse ear.

"Beep—38.7℃."

"Normal body temperature, very healthy." He quickly entered the data into the recorder.

Next are heart rate and blood oxygen, which are slightly more complicated to measure and require a relatively quiet period in December.

He took out the specially made animal ear clip pulse oximeter; the clip was small enough to just fit the edge of December's ear.

The little guy was very unhappy with the "little clip" that suddenly clamped his ear and immediately started shaking his head, trying to shake it off.

"Hey, don't move, don't move, just for a moment." Lin Yu'an used one hand to steady its head, and the other hand held the recorder, his eyes fixed on the numbers that started to jump on the screen.

The heart rate reading fluctuated rapidly between 140, 135, and 150, which was clearly due to the little guy being nervous.

Lin Yu'an waited patiently, while gently stroking its chin with his fingers to help it relax.

Finally, after about ten seconds, December seemed to get used to the foreign object in her ear and gradually calmed down.

The heart rate reading on the screen stabilized at 125 beats per minute, and the blood oxygen saturation was displayed as 98%.

"Heart rate 125, blood oxygen 98%. Hmm, for an active cub, this heart rate is a little fast, but it's perfectly within the normal range. The blood oxygen saturation is ideal." He read aloud as he entered the data.

The most difficult part was measuring weight and length. He first tried to put December directly on the scale, but the little guy wouldn't cooperate at all. As soon as he was put on, he immediately twisted and tried to climb down, and the readings were impossible to stabilize.

"Well, it seems that direct measurement won't work." Lin Yu'an shook his head helplessly.

He glanced at December, who was already playing with a red rubber ball, smiled at the camera, and said, "The little guy has too much energy. Forcing a measurement will only scare him. We can only talk about his weight and length after he falls asleep."

After saying that, he put the electronic scale and tape measure back in their proper places. He marked the data items that could not be measured temporarily as "to be measured" on the electronic recorder.

Then I started writing a preliminary summary of my afternoon's activities:

"The cubs are in excellent spirits, full of energy, and increasingly interactive with humans. They are showing wariness toward the new environment (blizzard)."

"But he was calm in the safe shelter. During his playful behavior in the afternoon, he showed preliminary hunting instincts such as pouncing and tearing."

After finishing all this, he finally felt his stomach start to rumble. He had been busy all day and hadn't had time for lunch yet.

Lin Yu'an carried December back to its wolfskin bed, and the little guy immediately started playing with the red rubber ball again. Lin Yu'an then began preparing his own dinner. He didn't choose to deal with the snowshoe hare; he just wanted a simple, quick meal that would replenish his energy.

He took the lake trout fillet he had caught earlier from the dried fish string hanging on the beam of the shelter.

After several days of air drying, the fish fillets have formed a slightly hard outer shell, locking in most of the oil and moisture inside.

Cut a thick piece of fish fillet, skewer it directly onto a sharpened wooden stick, and grill it over the charcoal fire in the hearth.

Soon, the fish fillets sizzled as they were grilled, and the oil that had concentrated during the drying process was quickly forced out under the high temperature.

Occasionally, a few drops of fish oil would fall onto the charcoal below, igniting clusters of flames and releasing a rich, smoky aroma.

The fish skin turns golden brown and crispy, while the inside remains moist and tender. This is an extremely primitive cooking method, and also the best choice for replenishing energy.

Lin Yu'an ate the grilled fish with gusto, enjoying the fullness and warmth brought by the high protein and fat content, quickly replenishing the energy consumed during the construction work in the snowstorm today.

December seemed to be drawn in by the strong smell of barbecue. She stopped playing with the ball, but still held it, and then looked up at him with her little head.

Then it ran to his feet, tilted its little head up, and looked at him with its signature pitiful eyes.

"Of course you can't eat this, little guy." Lin Yu'an smiled, tore off a small piece of tender, unburnt fish meat, let it cool, and then offered it to the little guy's mouth.

This piece of pure, unseasoned fish is a small reward for its "uncooperative" behavior during today's medical check-up.

December immediately stuck out her pink little tongue, snatched it up in one bite, and chewed it with satisfaction. However, this wonderful taste was too short-lived.

After the last bit of the fish's fresh aroma had disappeared from his taste buds, the little guy licked his nose with lingering satisfaction, his big, black bean-like eyes filled with longing.

It no longer begged as eagerly as before, but tilted its furry little head and made a soft whimpering sound in its throat.

It's as if it's asking silently in its gentlest way: "Really... can't I have just one more small bite?"

Lin Yu'an understood all its emotions, her heart softened, and she smiled as she gently patted its little head, saying softly, "Alright, that's enough for today, you glutton."

The little guy, comforted, lay down contentedly, curling up at his feet like a warm snowball.

Once it had settled down, Lin Yu'an began cleaning the tools and adding more firewood to the fireplace to ensure warmth throughout the night.

Outside, the wind was still howling wildly, and you could even hear the dull thud of large chunks of snow sliding off the roof, but inside the shelter, it was warm as spring.

December seemed to have regained some energy; it abandoned the rubber ball it had grown tired of playing with and turned its "target" to Lin Yu'an.

It stumbled and climbed onto the sleeping bag that Lin Yu'an had laid out on the ground, which to it felt like a soft and bouncy big toy.

First, it tentatively patted the nylon fabric of the sleeping bag with its paws. After finding that the big guy wouldn't resist, it immediately became bolder.

Then, it buried its head in the folds of its sleeping bag and started playing hide-and-seek, leaving only its furry little bottom sticking out.

After a while, it suddenly poked its little head out again and let out a harmless "woof" at Lin Yu'an, as if it were provoking him.

Lin Yu'an was also touched by its childlike innocence. He reached out and gently scratched December's little belly through the sleeping bag.

The little guy was immediately tickled by this sudden "attack," squirming and turning in his sleeping bag, lying on his back with his feet in the air, making a series of giggling sounds.

Lin Yu'an simply lay down as well, and started playing "whack-a-mole" with December, separated by a thin sleeping bag.

He presses here, and the little guy nudges there; he pokes there, and the little guy stretches out his paw to scratch.

The shelter was filled with December's cheerful calls and Lin Yu'an's hearty laughter.

At this moment, he was no longer the challenger struggling to survive in dire straits; all the loneliness and pressure were temporarily cast aside in this pure playfulness.

After about ten minutes of playing around, both the human and the bear seemed to be exhausted.

Lin Yu'an unzipped the sleeping bag, and December immediately slipped in, expertly finding her special "pillow spot" in the crook of his arm.

He held the little "warm baby" in his arms and then pulled the sleeping bag back up.

December seems to have really exhausted me; even though I just woke up from a nap in the afternoon, I already feel completely drained.

She barely adjusted her position; her little head rested on his arm, and she began to breathe evenly, quickly falling asleep.

Lin Yu'an didn't fall asleep immediately. She quietly watched the little life. The firelight from the fireplace softly shone on December's white down, making it look like a little angel that could shine.

He could clearly feel its steady heartbeat, which resonated wonderfully with the rise and fall of his own chest.

Outside, the most violent blizzards in the Arctic Circle rage, where any exposed life could be frozen into an ice sculpture.

Inside the house, behind the thin wooden walls and snowdrifts, lies a completely different world.

The flames in the fireplace burned steadily and persistently, bathing every inch of the space in a warm orange-yellow hue.

The flickering light and shadow softened the outlines of the rough wooden walls, the piled-up supplies, and the man and bear embracing in their sleeping bags.

There was no howling of the cold wind, only the crackling sound of the flames and the even breathing of the bear cub.

Violence and tranquility, coldness and warmth, chaos and order, are separated by only a door. They form an extreme contrast.

Lin Yu'an stretched out his other hand and gently covered December's small body.

The shelter he built himself was not only protecting himself, but also shielding this fragile new life from the malice of the entire world.

This feeling of being completely relied upon and trusted filled him with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

He watched as December's nostrils twitched slightly in her sleep, and a thought suddenly entered his mind:
"Will you remember?" he asked himself softly.

"When you grow up and become a half-ton king of the ice plains, when you chase seals, patrol your territory, or curl up in an ice cave on some equally snowy night..."

"Does a blurry fragment flash through your deepest memory? There was once a strange two-legged creature that accompanied you through your difficult childhood?"

"Will you remember this small wooden cabin that smells of smoke? Remember this flickering orange-yellow flame? And me, the first and most peculiar member of your bear family?"

Lin Yu'an knew that this might just be wishful thinking on his part. Animals' memories, especially those from their early childhood, are mostly vague and based on smell and instinct.

Perhaps we won't remember this at all in December. But what does it matter?

"Even if you don't remember, I will remember," Lin Yu'an said to herself.

I will remember that in this desolate and lonely far north, I did not live only for myself.

It also once protected a miracle.

-

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(End of this chapter)