novelaction Chapter 271 Summer is More Dangerous
Chapter 271 Summer is More Dangerous
When the lead boar collapsed, the herd panicked and scattered in all directions.
Li Xiangyang seized the opportunity and fired continuously at the panicked pigs.
Every shot was incredibly accurate, almost never missing its mark.
Wang Ergou wasn't idle either; taking advantage of the wild boars' panic, he knocked down two more.
Within minutes, eight or nine wild boars were lying on the ground. The remaining wild boars were terrified and scattered, quickly disappearing into the dense grass.
"Should we chase them or not?" Wang Ergou asked loudly, his face flushed with excitement.
Li Xiangyang looked up at the sky; the sun was already setting in the west, and it would be dark in a little over an hour.
"Let's not chase them anymore. It's getting dark, and it's not safe in the mountains." Li Xiangyang shook his head. "We've already taken so many; that's enough to explain to the village."
Wang Ergou nodded, walked to the wild boar carcass, and examined it carefully: "This big one weighs at least 350 jin (125 kg), it's a real behemoth!"
Li Xiangyang put down his gun and squatted down next to the boar: "This should be the leader. Its tusks are at least two inches long; no wonder it can root the ground so vigorously."
The two tallied their spoils: they had killed a total of nine wild boars. The largest boar weighed over 300 jin (approximately 150 kg), and the rest weighed over 100 jin (approximately 50 kg), for a total weight exceeding 1,000 jin (approximately 500 kg).
"This much pork is enough for the whole village to have a meal," Wang Ergou said with a smile.
Li Xiangyang looked around: "It's getting dark. We'll have to spend the night in the mountains. Let's find a safe place to camp first, and then figure out how to get the wild boar back to the village tomorrow morning."
The two found a sheltered ravine nearby, where there was a protruding rock that could block the dew and wind at night.
"Sir, light a fire. There are many mosquitoes in the mountains; the smoke will repel them and keep wild animals away."
After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, the two began to collect dry branches and fallen leaves, and soon started a fire.
The firelight dispelled the surrounding darkness and brought a sense of security.
Li Xiangyang took out some dry food and water from his backpack and handed a portion to Wang Ergou: "Eat something first to replenish your strength."
The two ate their dry rations silently by the firelight.
In the distance, the chirping of insects and birds could be heard from time to time, and the mountain wind rustled through the treetops.
"Xiangyang," Wang Ergou suddenly asked, chewing on a dry steamed bun, "Do you think it's more dangerous in the mountains in winter or summer?"
Li Xiangyang took a sip of water and said seriously, "I think summer is more dangerous, which is why I haven't been advocating going into the mountains lately. These mountains are high and the forests are dense; even an expert like Old Zheng wouldn't be able to get out without a dog."
Wang Ergou nodded: "Anything else?"
"There are also diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, bloodsucking by leeches, and diseases from tigers, leopards, wolves, and other insects. Even if they get inside, you might not notice them until it's too late."
Wang Ergou shuddered: "Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel a little creeped out."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "It's alright. As long as the fire stays burning all night and we take turns keeping watch, nothing should happen. Besides, we have helpers, don't we? By the way, have you named your eagle yet?"
"It's up, its name is Xiao Jin. It's a pity it grows too slowly; besides its warning function, it's completely useless."
Wang Ergou said unwillingly.
"You should be content. So many people dream of having it but can't..."
The two ate and chatted. After finishing their meal, they checked the prey again to make sure that the wild boar carcass had not been dragged away by other animals.
Back at the camp, Li Xiangyang suggested that Wang Ergou rest for a while, and he would take over the first shift.
Wang Ergou was also tired, so he nodded and lay down.
Li Xiangyang leaned against the rock, his eyes scanning the surrounding darkness warily.
As night deepened, the sounds in the mountains and forests became clearer.
Occasionally, the howls of wolves could be heard in the distance.
A few hours later, Li Xiangyang gently woke Wang Ergou: "You keep watch for a while, I'm going to take a nap."
Wang Ergou rubbed his eyes, sat up, and took over the night watch.
Li Xiangyang lay down to rest, but he didn't fall asleep completely. Instead, he remained in a semi-conscious state, ready to deal with any unexpected situations.
At night, the camp was disturbed by the footsteps of several wild animals, but the animals did not approach because of the firelight.
As dawn broke, Li Xiangyang opened his eyes, stretched, and loosened his stiff body. Looking at Wang Ergou, whose eyes were bloodshot, he smiled and asked, "Want to sleep a little longer?"
"No, Brother Xiangyang, you're really something. Those wolf howls really scared me," Wang Ergou said with a wry smile.
Li Xiangyang stood up and looked around: "Since you don't want to sleep, eat something, and then we'll quickly figure out a way to bring the prey back to the village."
The two ate some dry rations and then went to the wild boar carcass.
After a night, the wild boar carcass had stiffened somewhat, but fortunately it had not been damaged by other animals.
“There are so many pigs, the two of us can’t possibly take them all back,” Wang Ergou said, frowning as he looked at the wild boars on the ground.
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment: "Let's do this: first remove the internal organs to reduce the weight. Then we'll make two makeshift stretchers with ropes, carrying as much as we can. The rest can stay here for now, and we'll organize people to retrieve them when we get back to the village."
Without further ado, the two skillfully processed the wild boar carcass.
They first gutted the wild boar, then used the ropes they carried and branches they found on the spot to make two makeshift stretchers.
"Take the largest one and the two medium-sized ones back first," Li Xiangyang said. "Make a makeshift fence around the rest with branches; whether they get lost is up to fate."
There really wasn't a better way, so the two of them quickly got to work.
By the time everything was finished, the sun was already high in the sky.
The two men each carried a stretcher and began walking towards the village.
The mountain road was rugged, and the stretcher was heavy, so the journey was very slow.
The two had to stop frequently to rest and adjust the weight on their shoulders.
"Xiangyang," Wang Ergou said breathlessly after walking for a while, "Do you think our village suffered a big loss this time?"
Li Xiangyang wiped the sweat from his brow: "It's significant; over ten acres of land were destroyed, which will definitely affect this year's harvest. Fortunately, we discovered it in time. We hunted so many wild boars, so we've done our part for the village."
Wang Ergou nodded: "Yes, so much pork is enough for the whole village to have a nice meal."
The two struggled onward until noon when they finally saw the outline of the village.
"We're almost there," Li Xiangyang encouraged, "Just hang in there a little longer."
A crowd had already gathered at the village entrance, and seeing the two men carrying their prey back from afar, they all came to greet them.
"Got it! Got it!" A cheer erupted from the crowd.
Team leader Zheng Dehou squeezed through the crowd and walked up to Li Xiangyang: "Thank you for your hard work! This wild boar is so big, it's enough for the whole village to share!"
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou put down the stretcher, stretching their aching shoulders: "Captain, we killed nine in total, this is three of them. The rest are in the mountains, we need to organize people to retrieve them."
Zheng Dehou's eyes widened in surprise: "Nine heads? Good heavens, that's a huge harvest! I'll organize some men right away to go down into the mountains and bring back the rest of the game."