The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

In the latter half of the night, Lin Dachun and Ma Guihua took turns keeping watch for half the night.

Apart from the sound of the wind and the occasional hooting of owls outside the cave, there was no sign of any large wild animals approaching.

early morning.

The two men heated up their dry rations over the remaining embers and swallowed them whole.

Extinguish the fire, and prepare to try your luck again when the animals are most active in the early morning.

They searched upstream along a stream.

Lin Dachun walked ahead, his gun already cocked, his sharp eyes scanning every suspicious silhouette in the fog.

Just as they approached a clearing in the woods, Lin Dachun suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal Ma Guihua behind him to be quiet.

Through the thin mist, one could see a robust male sika deer with its head down, cautiously licking the salt and alkali on the rocks at the edge of the clearing.

It is quite large, with distinct horns, and its fur shows beautiful brown spots in the dim morning light.

This is practically a windfall delivered to our door!

Venison, deer hide, and deer antlers are all quite valuable!

Lin Dachun's heart raced instantly, and all the blood rushed to his head.

He silently raised his hunting rifle, and the sights steadily lassoed the deer's neck.

Ma Guihua also held her breath, her eyes wide open.

Perhaps sensing a deadly threat, just as Lin Dachun was about to pull the trigger, the deer suddenly raised its head, its ears twitching rapidly, and looked in the direction where they were hiding!

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out, but in the instant the deer moved, the bullet that was originally aimed at its neck only hit the outside of its hind leg!

Blood splattered, and the deer let out a painful cry. It suddenly sprang up, limping on one hind leg, and fled madly into the depths of the dense forest!

"Hit! Not dead! Chase!" Lin Dachun roared, grabbing his shotgun and rushing out with Ma Guihua without even loading a second bullet!

We can't let it get away!

If a wounded prey escapes into the deep mountains, not only will all the previous efforts be wasted, but the smell of blood may also attract other wild beasts!

A fierce chase ensued.

Although the injured deer was lame, its survival instincts still drove it to be incredibly fast, and it was extremely cunning, choosing to go into places with dense bushes and difficult mountain paths.

Lin Dachun and Ma Guihua relentlessly pursued them.

Thorns tore at their clothes and skin, and their clothes were quickly soaked with sweat mixed with morning dew.

They were panting heavily, their lungs burning, but their eyes were fixed on the leaping, fleeing deer in front of them, and they dared not stop for a moment.

"Left! It's gone into the ditch on the left!" Ma Guihua, with her sharp eyes, shouted a warning.

Lin Dachun immediately turned around and scrambled down the steep slope.

"Bloodstains! Over here!" Lin Dachun spotted fresh bloodstains on the grass and his spirits lifted.

After chasing for an unknown amount of time, the sun had risen higher, dispelling the morning mist and brightening the light in the forest.

Both of them were nearing their physical limits, and the deer's speed had also slowed down significantly. The limp and drag marks were becoming more and more pronounced, and it was covered in blood.

Finally, in a relatively open clearing in the woods where sunlight could shine in, the exhausted deer could no longer run.

It staggered a few steps, its front legs gave way, and it collapsed beside a large tree, panting heavily, its eyes filled with fear and despair.

The injured hind leg dangled limply, bleeding profusely.

Lin Dachun and Ma Guihua were also almost at their limit, supporting themselves on their knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping down their chins.

They exchanged a glance and both saw a look of ecstatic relief in each other's eyes.

Lin Dachun calmed his breathing, reloaded the shotgun with gunpowder and shot, and slowly walked forward.

This time, he didn't hesitate and, at close range, fired a fatal shot into the deer's head.

Gunshots echoed through the valley, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Then, the forest fell silent again, leaving only the heavy breathing of the two people.

The immense joy washed away all the fatigue.

They succeeded!

A fully grown male deer! That's worth way more than a wild sheep!

Especially the deer antlers, which are quite valuable.

"Great! Brother Dachun! We've hit the target!" Ma Guihua exclaimed excitedly, her face flushed, waving her arms.

Lin Dachun also showed a rare, hearty smile.

He walked to the deer carcass, squatted down, and stroked the still-warm, beautiful fur, quickly calculating in his mind: the venison would fetch a good price, the hide was intact, and although it wasn't peak harvest season for the antlers, they would still be valuable...

The capital to buy lambs is secured!

"Take a break, have some water, then we'll tie him up and carry him back!" Lin Dachun made a quick decision.

The smell of blood cannot linger for too long, or it will attract a pack of wolves.

The two men worked together to tie the deer's four hooves with the hemp rope they had brought, and then threaded it onto a sturdy wooden stick.

They were heavy, but at that moment they were full of strength.