Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

Chen Feng's finger rested on the trigger, his heart pounding rhythmically with his breathing.

Just as the roe deer was momentarily stunned and tried to turn around due to a forceful attack from Tread Snow, Chen Feng pulled the trigger.

boom!

Gunshots echoed through the valley, shaking the snow off the pine branches.

The roe deer's front legs buckled, and its entire body rolled onto its side in the snow. It twitched twice and then stopped moving.

Ta Xue immediately pounced on him, pinned him down with her front paws, sniffed him, then looked up at Chen Feng, wagging her tail powerfully a few times.

Chen Feng slowly exhaled the breath he had been holding in his chest, and the white mist dissipated in front of him.

He walked over with his gun, muzzle pointing downwards.

A few dark red bloodstains splattered on the snow, standing out starkly against the pure white.

The roe deer's wide-open eyes had lost their sparkle, and its moist nose was no longer twitching.

He crouched down and checked the point of impact; it was very accurate.

Then he touched Ta Xue's damp head and whispered, "Well done."

The snow-treading creature stuck out its tongue and exhaled, clearly indicating that the chase and encirclement had exhausted its energy.

There's no time to waste.

Chen Feng quickly untied the hemp rope he had prepared from his waist and skillfully tied the roe deer's four legs together in pairs. Then he used a longer rope to pass through the binding and tied a sturdy back knot.

He hoisted the roe deer onto his shoulder; it was heavy and still warm.

Ta Xue led the way, jogging ahead, and they quickly returned to the sheltered, gentle slope, following the path they had taken.

When they returned to the original spot, Chen Jun had already dealt with the large roe deer quite well.

Chen Jun was wiping the blood off his machete with snow when he saw Chen Feng return carrying the prey. His face remained expressionless; he simply nodded.

"Are you alright?"

Chen Jun asked, his gaze sweeping over Chen Feng and Ta Xue.

"without."

Chen Feng put the roe deer down. "Ta Xue blocked it in the depression."

Chen Jun glanced at Ta Xue, said nothing, but there was a hint of approval in his eyes.

He came over and helped Chen Feng lay the second roe deer down on the ground.

It's not practical to just drag it back; we need to deal with it first.

"I'll handle this one. You clean the meat and pack it up. The smell of blood is getting stronger."

This is not a place to stay for long.

Even in the cold wind, the smell of blood grew stronger.

Chen Feng said no more, carefully rested his hunting rifle against a rock, and began to wrap the meat pieces that Chen Jun had already cut up tightly with the oiled paper he had brought, before putting them into his basket and satchel.

Chen Jun squatted next to the second roe deer, his knife flashing as he skinned and butchered it with quick and steady movements, clearly a veteran.

He didn't peel the roe deer skin too finely; instead, he roughly rolled it up along with some meat, intending to take it back and process it more carefully.

Ta Xue stood guard nearby, occasionally straining his ears to listen to any sounds coming from the woods.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, both roe deer were reduced to packaged chunks of meat and two rolled-up hides.

Chen Feng carefully cut off the remaining internal organs and scraps of meat, and gathered them on the clean snow to the side.

He waved to Ta Xue: "Here, this is for you."

Ta Xue's eyes lit up, and she leaned over to eat it heartily, making satisfied slurping sounds in her throat.

The basket and satchel were stuffed full and quite heavy.

Chen Jun stuffed the roe deer skin into the top layer of his satchel and tied the opening tightly with a rope.

Chen Feng hoisted the basket full of meat onto his back, tested its weight, and took a deep breath.

Chen Jun also shouldered his satchel, still holding the clean wood-chopping knife in his hand.

"Walk."

Chen Jun gave a brief explanation and chose a route that deviated slightly from the one he had come by, but was more secluded.

He led the way, Chen Feng followed in the middle, and Ta Xue consciously brought up the rear, taking on the tasks of covering the rear and keeping watch.

The journey back seemed exceptionally long and arduous because of the heavy load.

Each step sank deeper into the snow, producing a dull crunching sound.

My shoulders ached from the straps, and the cold air I inhaled burned my lungs.

Both remained silent, conserving their energy and focusing solely on the path beneath their feet and the sounds around them.

The forest seemed even quieter than when we arrived, and that silence carried a sense of being watched.

It might just be a psychological effect, but no one dares to let their guard down.

Ta Xue seemed very alert. It stopped running around and stayed a few steps behind Chen Feng, its ears twitching alertly and its nose twitching occasionally.

Sometimes it would suddenly stop and let out a low whimper towards the depths of the dense forest on the left.

Chen Jun and Chen Feng immediately stopped. Chen Jun gripped his machete tightly, while Chen Feng placed his hand on the hunting rifle wrapped in cloth beside his basket.

They held their breath and waited for a moment, only to hear the whistling of the wind through the treetops and the rustling of snow sliding down.

Ta Xue's ears slowly flattened, and its tail wagged gently, indicating that the danger had passed.

The two then continued on their way, but quickened their pace.

The sun was high overhead, but the light in the woods was still dim.

They passed through a dense coniferous forest and then climbed over a snow-covered stone ridge.

Sweat soaked through my inner clothes, then froze them in the cold wind, making them stick to my body and very uncomfortable.

Chen Feng could feel that his back was already soaked with sweat.

Finally, the familiar outline of the hillside behind the village came into view below.

Smoke rose from the rooftops of several houses, swirling crookedly into the gray sky.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, but instead of relaxing, they became even more careful and chose to descend from the most secluded back edge of the village, trying to avoid any paths where they might encounter people.

Ta Xue seemed to recognize her home, letting out a soft hum and quickening her pace.

They slipped into Chen Feng's yard without making a sound.

Lin Xiu kept a close eye on them. Almost as soon as they entered the courtyard, she slipped out of the kitchen and quickly closed the gate.

She saw the heavy luggage the two were carrying and the snow on their backs, and a hint of relief flashed in her eyes, but she didn't ask any more questions. She just said in a low voice, "Come inside quickly."

Chen Feng and Chen Jun unloaded the things onto the floor of the main room with a dull thud. Lin Xiu had already deftly brought over two basins of warm water.

The two washed their hands and faces in the basin; the cool water stimulated their skin and invigorated them.

Ta Xue then went to her water bowl and gulped it down.

Lin Xiu then brought over a few hot cornbread buns and a bowl of pickled vegetables.

The two of them didn't stand on ceremony and sat down to eat heartily.

Only after eating hot food did my frozen body gradually warm up.

Chen Lin had just finished eating when he received a message from Lin Xiu and rushed over.

He pushed open the door to Chen Feng's main room, bringing in a blast of cold air; his clothes were still covered in snowflakes from the yard.

Upon entering the backyard, Chen Lin saw piles of meat and hides on the ground, and Ta Xue, who was eating until her belly was round and licking her paws.

His eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything. He simply nodded to Chen Jun and Chen Feng as a greeting.

Lin Xiu poured him a bowl of hot water as well.

"Have a sip of something hot first."

Chen Lin took it, held it in his hands, and didn't drink it immediately. His gaze fell on the two rolled-up roe deer skins and the pile of bones next to them that he hadn't had time to carefully remove.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Chen Jun followed his gaze and understood what he meant.

He began, "Second brother, this skin, the remaining bones, and the scraps of meat still need some more careful processing. I'm rough with my hands, but you're meticulous; you're better at this."