Hunting 81: Gathering Goods in the Mountains, I Spoil My Ex-Wife to the Extreme

"Bang……"

A gunshot suddenly rang out from deep in the mountains and forests.

A plump hare that had run out of its snow den to forage hadn't gone far when it saw several humans approaching. Naturally timid and cautious, the hare immediately turned back and tried to crawl back into its burrow.

Before it could even take a few steps, a gunshot rang out, and the plump rabbit fell to the ground, a splash of blood landing on the white snow, staining it red.

"Wow, what a big, fat rabbit!"

Uncle Maocai saw the rabbit fall to the ground after being hit, and quickly went over to pick it up.

This wild rabbit was quite plump, probably weighing four or five pounds. When Uncle Maocai held it in his hand and weighed it, his smile became even brighter.

Li Yunshan had just told them that any game they hunted on the way into the mountains, such as rabbits and pheasants, would belong to the villagers who came to help them.

At that time, Uncle Maocai and the others were overjoyed.

Yesterday, Li Yunshan had already agreed with them that they would each receive three yuan for helping to move the game in the mountains. This was equivalent to the work points they would earn working in the village collective for ten days.

Now, there are still wild rabbits and pheasants to catch, which makes them even happier from the bottom of their hearts.

Because their family was poor, sometimes they couldn't even get enough to eat, let alone meat.

Even during holidays, they would only cut off a pound or two of meat to treat their family members and enjoy the taste of meat often.

Although Li Yunshan said that any game they hunted on the way into the mountains would belong to them, it was actually Gao Hongmei who hunted it.

In other words, Li Yunshan and Gao Hongmei were willing to let them take the prey; otherwise, they would only earn three yuan for this trip into the mountains.

Thinking of this, Uncle Maocai and the others were filled with gratitude towards Li Yunshan and Gao Hongmei.

They are all good people.

"Yunshan, don't worry, leave the task of carrying the game back to the village to us today. We'll make sure you get it done perfectly."

Uncle Maocai carefully placed the rabbit, patted his chest, and solemnly promised, giving off the feeling of a scholar willing to die for a friend.

"Hehe, Uncle Maocai, there's no need to say that. Uncle Zhou, Uncle Baotian, and Cai Er are all in the mountains. They will also help. You few alone can't transport the game out of the mountains."

Li Yunshan smiled.

"Why not? Are you looking down on us? We work in the fields all the time. We don't have anything else, but we're strong enough to carry a few deer down the mountain."

Uncle Maocai said.

"Yunshan, you gave us such a high reward and even asked us to bring the game we hunted on the way into the mountains. We will remember this favor. We will do our best to help you get things done properly."

"Yes, money is hard to earn these days. The compensation you've promised us is already more than enough. It's equivalent to the work points we usually earn in about ten days of farm work."

The other villagers, who were also easily satisfied, chimed in with their own opinions.

"Hehe, let's continue into the mountains."

Li Yunshan smiled and then called to everyone to follow behind Gao Hongmei into the deep mountains and forests, while he was responsible for bringing up the rear.

On the way into the mountains, Gao Hongmei's Tiger Head brand hunting rifle kept firing shots, hitting pheasants, rabbits, ruddy shelducks... some fell to the ground after being shot, while others escaped and flew away by chance.

Several villagers went up to pick up wild rabbits, pheasants, and ruddy shelducks, and soon each of them had a prey.

Although the prey varied in size, with large rabbits weighing four or five pounds and small pheasants and ruddy shelducks weighing only a little over one or two pounds, even a mosquito is still meat, no matter how small.

However, Uncle Maocai and the others were also curious about how Li Yunshan found these prey in the deep mountains and forests. Whenever he spoke, he would point in a certain direction and tell Gao Hongmei that there was a wild rabbit here and a pheasant there. Gao Hongmei would then follow his directions, quickly find the prey, and then shoot it.

It's truly amazing. No wonder they can catch so many prey and earn so much money when they go hunting in the mountains.

Although Li Yunshan used to be idle and rarely went hunting in the mountains, his father and brother were both outstanding hunters in the village, so his talent was undeniable.

"Yunshan, how much further is it?"

"It's not far now. Just cross that hill ahead and we'll reach where Uncle Zhou and the others are."

Li Yunshan pointed ahead.

"Then let's hurry over there."

Uncle Maocai smiled, his whole body brimming with energy.

The other five villagers also seemed very enthusiastic, after all, Li Yunshan offered high pay and also let them collect the game they hunted.

The thought of having meat to eat is enough to keep them motivated.

After the group followed Li Yunshan over the mountain ridge, they saw the temporary wooden house that Uncle Zhou and his men had built deep in the mountains.

At this moment, wisps of smoke rose from outside the wooden house, and a pot of meat soup was simmering on a simple earthen stove. Uncle Zhou and the others sat around the stove, warming themselves by the fire and chatting.

This time, their hunting trip into the mountains yielded an unexpected harvest, and everyone's face was filled with bright, joyful smiles.

"I wonder when Yunshan will be able to come."

Cai Er added two more pieces of firewood to the earthen stove and said.

"Judging by the time, it should be soon."

Li Baotian looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was gradually rising higher overhead.

In those days, not everyone owned a watch. The hunters in the village lived better than ordinary villagers because they went into the mountains to hunt, but no one was willing to spend more than a hundred yuan to buy a watch.

Firstly, watches are expensive; secondly, buying a watch requires not only money but also watch coupons or industrial vouchers.

Watch coupons were hard to come by, and industrial coupons were only available to factory workers in the city; they were all very precious.

To get industrial vouchers, you have to exchange them for money.

In an era when many people couldn't even get enough to eat, even factory workers in the city couldn't bear to spend money on a watch, let alone rural people who toiled in the fields and hunted in the mountains.

However, after years of hunting in the mountains, they had long since learned to judge the approximate time by observing the movement of the sun.

"I wonder how many people he can get to come."

Zhao Shuanzhu said.

"Surely we can find a few."

Peng Youlian was somewhat insecure.

As hunters who have been hunting in the mountains for many years, they know that the villagers are quite resistant to, or rather, afraid of, entering the deep forests. The villagers usually collect firewood and pine needles from the outskirts of the mountains for their daily fires.

Because deep mountains and forests are full of dangers for hunters with rifles.

Although danger is not always present, it is uncertain.

Perhaps a hunter, if he is not careful or not paying attention, will be injured or killed by a wild animal that suddenly appears from somewhere where he can hide.

The ordinary villagers didn't even have hunting rifles; at most, they had a wood-chopping knife, a red-tasseled spear, or a wild boar spear. How could they possibly dare to venture into the deep mountains and forests?

"I think if you offer one dollar as a reward, probably not many people will come. You should have made it clear to Yunshan that you would offer a higher reward."

Li Baotian puffed on his pipe, exhaling smoke as he spoke.

"I already told him yesterday to act according to the situation and increase the reward appropriately. Although Yunshan used to be idle and seemed a bit unreliable, he has changed a lot recently. I believe he can do this job well," Uncle Zhou said.

"Hehe, if his father were still alive, seeing that this kid has studied hard and is capable, he would probably be all smiles."

Li Baotian smiled.

"Hey, look over there, who's that?"

Just then, Zhang Sange noticed several figures appearing on the distant mountain ridge.

"It seems to be Li Yunshan... that... isn't that Uncle Maocai from the village...?"

"Who is that woman? She's holding a gun."

"It seems to be Gao Hongmei."

"What did you say? Even Gao Hongmei came? What can a woman like her do in the mountains?"

"What can she do in the mountains? Hunt, of course. Don't look down on her. Gao Hongmei has hunted wild boar and deer before. She must have some skills."

Cai Er and Peng Youlian stood up, looked at the distant mountain ridges, and said with a smile.

"It was all Yunshan who taught her."

Uncle Zhou said.

Gao Hongmei going hunting in the mountains with Li Yunshan was nothing new in the village.

At first, the villagers found it funny, thinking that Li Yunshan was an idle person who had never even gone hunting in the mountains many times, yet he dared to take Gao Hongmei hunting in the mountains. They wondered what kind of things they could possibly catch.

But when the two of them caught prey, and even large animals like wild boar and deer, those who had been laughing at them had nothing to say.

Why?

Because they made money by hunting prey.

However, even experienced hunters like Uncle Zhou and Li Baotian had many doubts about Li Yunshan.

Because when Li Yunshan's father was still alive, they rarely saw Li Yunshan go hunting in the mountains with his father; it was always Li Yunshi who went with him.

Therefore, in the eyes of Uncle Zhou and Li Baotian, Li Yunshi was the hunter who had truly mastered the skills.

But Li Yunshan was a man of few words, and when he did speak, he made a big splash. He went to the Red Star Forest Farm to hunt a tiger, and he actually killed it.

This made them admire Li Yunshan's courage and boldness.

Later, when a bear entered the village, Li Yunshan miraculously managed to shoot and kill the bear in the dark, saving the life of the village's old hunter.

Uncle Zhou and Li Baotian both thought that even if it were them, they would most likely not be able to do it.

But Li Yunshan actually managed to do it.

Later, I heard that the two deer that Li Yunshan and Gao Hongmei hunted were caught by them deep in the mountains and forests.

"If Old Li were still here, seeing how well Li Yunshan hunts now, he'd probably be grinning from ear to ear."

Uncle Zhou thought to himself on Friday.

As time passed, Li Yunshan and the others got closer and closer to Uncle Zhou and his group.

"Uncle Friday!"

After walking several hundred meters, Li Yunshan shouted loudly.

"Phew, we've finally made it this far."

Uncle Maocai and the others who were following behind Li Yunshan breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Uncle Zhou and Li Baotian.

When they entered the mountains, although Li Yunshan and Gao Hongmei were protecting them with guns, and although they didn't encounter any wolves or tigers along the way, they were still a little apprehensive.

Now, Uncle Zhou and Li Baotian are right in front of us, each of them carrying a hunting rifle. Even if jackals and tigers came, they would probably have to walk or be carried out of the mountains.

Soon, Li Yunshan and his group arrived at the place where Uncle Zhou and his men had set up camp.

"Hehe, Maocai, you've finally arrived. I'm afraid you'll have to make this trip today."

Upon seeing that the visitor was Liu Maocai from the village, Uncle Zhou walked over with a smile and offered him a round of cigarettes.

The cigarette is Daqianmen, which might not be considered a good cigarette in the city, but in the countryside, it's definitely a good cigarette.

"Hehe, it's not hard work, it's not hard work."

Uncle Maocai waved his hand with a simple smile.

"You must be hungry after walking all this way. Sit down and rest for a bit. After you've eaten some meat and filled your stomachs, you can help carry the game down the mountain."

Li Baotian smiled and gestured.

Uncle Maocai and five other villagers saw the pot on the stove bubbling away, and a rich aroma of meat wafted out and spread, making their mouths water.

"I can't accept this."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Please sit down first. It's still early. We can start working after we've eaten."

"Uncle Maocai, please don't stand on ceremony. Please sit down. We're all from the same village, so there's no need to be so polite."

Li Yunshan said.