pdf-ebookys Chapter 476 Finally Back
Chapter 476 Finally Back
Carrying the lynx on their shoulders, the two quickened their pace, passing through the dense forest and heading towards the boulder where they had previously hidden the wild boar.
The wind grew stronger, and snowflakes began to fall in abundance, starting as just a few scattered snowflakes, but soon becoming more frequent.
"Oh no!" Wang Ergou caught a few snowflakes, his expression grave. "It looks like it's going to snow heavily."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "This is indeed bad; we must speed things up."
When they finally found the boulder, the wild boar was covered by a layer of fresh snow, making it almost impossible to see its outline. The two men quickly cleared away the snow and dragged the boar out.
Then they also took down the roe deer that was hanging on the tree.
"Brother Xiangyang, what are we going to do now?" Wang Ergou looked at the heavy prey, then at the increasingly heavy snow, his face filled with worry. "With this much snow, we simply can't carry it back!"
Li Xiangyang looked around, his gaze finally settling on a few fallen saplings not far away. A glint of light flashed in his eyes: "I've got an idea."
He put down the lynx and walked to the fallen trees, examining them carefully. "These birch trees are good; the wood is resilient, and they've been dry for a while. We'll make a sled, tie it with ropes, and haul the game back."
Wang Ergou clapped his hands and praised, "Great idea! I'll go cut down the tree."
He quickly took the axe off his back and chopped down two small trees in no time, then cut down a few thinner crossbeams.
Li Xiangyang took out a rope and a hunting knife from his backpack and began to remove branches and trim the trunk into a shape suitable for making a sled.
"Luckily, I brought extra rope," Li Xiangyang said, skillfully whittling wood, "otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to get back today."
The two worked together, and in no time, a simple but sturdy sled was completed.
The front of the sled curves upwards, and the two main trunks are arranged in parallel and connected and fixed in the middle by a horizontal beam, forming a support platform.
Li Xiangyang then added a pull ring to the front of the rope so that the two of them could pull it together.
“Almost there,” Li Xiangyang checked the knots again, making sure every part was secure. “Put the prey on it and test it.”
They arranged their prey neatly on the sled and secured it firmly with ropes to prevent it from slipping off.
"Not bad," Li Xiangyang clapped his hands in satisfaction, "Let's go, before the snow falls too heavily."
The two men each grabbed a rope and worked together to pull the sled.
It was a bit strenuous at first, but once they overcame static friction, the sled began to glide on the snow much more smoothly than they had imagined.
"Haha, that's really good!" Wang Ergou couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Looks like I did a pretty good job as a temporary carpenter."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and soon a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground.
Although it increased the difficulty of pulling the sled, the smoother snow surface actually made the sled glide more smoothly.
The two carefully proceeded along the path they had come from.
In the vast expanse of white snow, visibility dwindled, and one could only rely on memory of the terrain and the occasional glimpse of landmarks to determine direction.
"Phew—this snow is too heavy!" Wang Ergou wiped the snow off his face and said, panting heavily.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, thank goodness we made this sled, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to get back."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the wind blew stronger and stronger, howling through the woods.
Their steps became increasingly difficult, but neither of them complained. They simply pulled the sled silently, moving forward step by step.
“Brother Xiangyang, I recognize this place,” Wang Ergou suddenly said as they passed through an open area, “We’re almost at the village entrance!”
Li Xiangyang looked up and could vaguely see the outline of a village in the distance: "That's right, just a little longer and we'll be home."
This discovery gave the two men renewed strength, and they quickened their pace, pulling their sled toward the village.
Finally, the old locust tree at the village entrance came into view.
"We're here!" Wang Ergou shouted excitedly.
Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally back."
Upon returning to Li Xiangyang's home, Li Xiaoyun heard the commotion and came out to greet them, carrying Li Wangchen in her arms.
"You're finally back!" Li Xiaoyun breathed a sigh of relief. "I was getting worried when I saw the snow falling heavier and heavier."
When Li Wangchen saw his father return, he happily stretched out his little hand: "Daddy! Daddy!"
Li Xiangyang smiled and walked forward, kissing his son's cheek: "Daddy's home."
Li Wangchen pointed curiously at the prey on the sled: "What's this?"
“This is the game Daddy hunted,” Li Xiangyang said, ruffling his son’s hair. “When you grow up, Daddy will teach you how to hunt.”
"Great! Great!" the little guy clapped his hands happily.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou carried the prey into the yard and worked together to process the game in no time.
As night fell, after a long day, Li Xiangyang was finally able to rest and have dinner with his family in peace.
Li Wangchen's face turned red as he ate, and he occasionally made satisfied "mmm" sounds.
"Eat slowly, don't choke," Li Xiaoyun lovingly wiped the grease from her son's mouth, then turned to Li Xiangyang and said, "Be careful when you go into the mountains next time."
Li Xiangyang smiled and put his arm around his wife's shoulder: "Don't worry, I understand."
“Brother, if it weren’t for this snow today,” Li Xiaohua interjected, “you two probably could have caught even more prey, right?”
Li Xiangyang shook his head and reached out to wipe the rice grains stuck to his son's cheek: "That's enough. We couldn't carry any more back. With the heavy snow blocking the mountains, it's already a blessing from God that we were able to bring back this much."
Looking at his son's cheeks puffed out like little hills, Li Xiangyang suddenly remembered how his father taught him to hunt, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "When Wangchen gets a little older, it's time to take him to the forest to learn how to navigate."
"Okay, okay."
Upon hearing Li Xiangyang's words, Li Wangchen put down his bowl, the meat juices flowing from the chipped rough porcelain bowl onto the kang mat: "I'm going to go fight the big tiger too!"
The little guy's spirited demeanor made the whole family burst into laughter.
Li Xiangyang grabbed the corner of his shirt to wipe his hands, and then slapped him on the bottom: "You little brat, you think you can fight a tiger? Wait until you're as tall as a door frame, then Dad will teach you how to set traps to catch wild rabbits!"
Li Xiaohua laughed so hard she almost fell over, pointing at Li Wangchen with her finger, laughing so hard she could barely speak: "Wangchen, you're so funny, and your courage is commendable."
Li Xiaoyun smiled and hugged Li Wangchen, kissing his forehead: "Our Wangchen is ambitious, but now, you have to eat well and grow up quickly."
Looking at his son's innocent face, Li Xiangyang burst into laughter, and the family's laughter echoed throughout the house.
Outside the window, the snow continued to fall, the fluttering snowflakes dancing in the night, covering the whole world in a white coat.