pdf-ebookys Chapter 17 Full of Harvests
Chapter 17 Full of Harvests
Fifteen yuan is a huge sum for Li Xiangyang right now.
He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to start speaking.
In this day and age, asking for money is the hardest thing to do.
Moreover, his family still owes money to his two uncles.
Seeing his embarrassed expression, Uncle Li seemed to understand something and sighed, "Xiangyang, don't be troubled. Here's what we'll do: I'll find someone to fix it for you first. We can talk about the money later when you have more money."
“Uncle Li, this…” Li Xiangyang’s voice was a little hoarse.
“You’re a sensible child,” Uncle Li waved his hand, his eyes sparkling. “Your father helped me a lot when he was alive. Back when my family was building our house, we were short of timber, and it was your father who took me into the mountains to find it. If it weren’t for him, how could my house have been built?”
Li Xiangyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
This is the countryside; personal relationships are more important than accounts.
But precisely because of this, he couldn't let Uncle Li suffer a loss.
“Uncle Li, here’s what I’m saying,” he said seriously, “Give me three days. I’ll go into the mountains and try to hunt as much game as possible. I’ll definitely raise the money for repairing the house for you.”
"You silly boy..." Uncle Li looked at his resolute eyes and suddenly smiled. "Alright, then I'll go back and prepare the materials."
Li Xiangyang felt a warmth in his heart.
He knew that when Uncle Li said "prepare materials," he probably meant taking out all the materials he had at home.
"Uncle..."
"Alright, that's enough," Uncle Li waved his hand. "If you're going into the mountains, hurry up. The weather can change in an instant, don't be late."
Watching Uncle Li's departing figure, Li Xiangyang's eyes welled up with tears.
In this era of scarcity, when everyone was struggling to make ends meet, such help from others was an immense act of kindness.
He clenched his fists tightly.
This time, I'm determined to hunt enough game in the mountains.
Not only do we have to pay off the debts of the two uncles, but we also can't make things difficult for Uncle Li.
After saying goodbye to Uncle Li, Li Xiangyang set off with his bow and arrows and hunting rifle on his back.
Last night's strong winds gave him the opportunity.
In this kind of weather, large prey that do not hibernate will often choose sheltered places to lie dormant in order to conserve their energy.
Li Xiangyang followed the path he had taken yesterday into the deep mountains.
He deliberately avoided the area where he had encountered the wolf pack the day before yesterday, and instead chose a mountain path that was rarely traveled by people.
The snow on the road was very deep, and we had to be extra careful with every step.
Experience told him that in this kind of weather, the range of wild animals would be greatly reduced.
This, on the contrary, presents a good opportunity for the hunter.
After walking for about two hours, he found fresh traces of wild boar rooting on an open hillside.
Li Xiangyang immediately became alert, as wild boars are most ferocious in winter.
Cold and hunger can trigger their aggression, and encountering them can be even more dangerous than encountering a tiger.
He carefully examined the freshness of the tracks; the hoofprints in the snow indicated that it belonged to a group of wild boars, and that they were nearby.
Following the trail, he found his target at the edge of a pine forest: three wild boars were searching for pine nuts under the snow.
Li Xiangyang held his breath and slowly approached a large tree.
This position allows for cover from tree trunks and also enables a quick evacuation if necessary.
He first took out his bow and arrows—he wouldn't fire a gun lightly without being absolutely certain of victory.
Gunshots not only alert other prey, but may also cause unnecessary trouble.
Suddenly, a particularly large boar raised its head and sniffed the air warily.
Li Xiangyang immediately stopped what he was doing, not daring to breathe.
This large wild boar is extremely difficult to deal with; once spotted, it will attack without hesitation.
Once the wild boar had lowered its head to forage again, Li Xiangyang slowly drew back the bowstring.
This arrow must hit its mark on the first strike, or the consequences will be unimaginable.
However, just as he was about to let go, a breeze swept by, and the wild boar suddenly raised its head in agitation, staring directly in his direction.
Li Xiangyang's heart stopped beating suddenly.
Oh no, the wind has changed.
The boar let out a deafening roar and charged at him in the blink of an eye.
In that critical moment, Li Xiangyang quickly dropped his bow and arrows and grabbed his hunting rifle.
"boom!"
The sound of gunfire echoed through the valley.
The wild boar stopped abruptly, but did not fall down.
It shook its head, its eyes flashing with even greater ferocity, and charged again.
Li Xiangyang didn't dare to delay and immediately replaced the bullet with a second one.
This time, he aimed for the wild boar's eyes.
"boom!"
There was another gunshot.
The wild boar finally collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitched a few times on the snow, and then fell still.
Li Xiangyang lowered his gun with trembling hands, his forehead already soaked with cold sweat.
Just a moment ago, his life hung by a thread from that single shot.
If he hadn't hit the boar's eye, given the remaining distance, he definitely wouldn't have had time to fire another shot.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
The other two wild boars had already been startled by the gunshots and fled, leaving behind chaotic hoofprints on the snow.
Although it was a bit of a pity, he couldn't care less about that at the moment.
As Li Xiangyang approached to examine the fallen boar, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.
The wild boar was bigger than he had expected, weighing at least 300 pounds.
Those fangs alone must be half a foot long.
If one were to be targeted by those fangs, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The first shot hit the wild boar in the shoulder, but clearly missed a vital spot. Instead, it enraged the ferocious beast, causing it to charge recklessly.
Fortunately, the second shot hit his eye accurately; otherwise, the outcome of today's encounter would have been very different.
Li Xiangyang squatted down and carefully examined his prey.
This boar was at its best, with fat covering its entire body at least three fingers thick.
Even at the lowest price, it would still be worth more than forty yuan.
If it finds a knowledgeable buyer, it might sell for sixty yuan.
Thinking of this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the trip was fraught with danger, the gains were substantial.
Not only will it be enough to pay off all the debts, but it will also be enough to buy some winter supplies for the family.
At this moment, Li Xiangyang dared not waste any time.
Such a large prey will take a considerable amount of time to process.
Moreover, the gunshots would likely attract other wild animals, especially the pack of wolves.
He had to hurry and process the prey before dark, and transport it to a safe place.
He took out the rope and began to clean the prey.
But when he thought about that terrifying moment just now, his hands still couldn't help but tremble a little.
Indeed, every harvest in these deep mountains is earned with one's life.
He dragged his prey to a sheltered spot.
There are several large pine trees here, which not only provide shelter from the cold wind, but their canopies also prevent other wild animals from discovering this place from above.
He took a knife out of his bag and first cut open the wild boar's throat to bleed it out.
Blood flowed down the snow, quickly staining the white snow a dark red.
Although it was a bit wasteful, he couldn't care less.
If he were to drag the prey along, it would be a catastrophe, because the prey was too large.
This is the most dangerous moment, and he dares not let his guard down for a moment.
The smell of blood attracts other predators.
With that thought, he moved his hands even faster, quickly peeling and gutting the animal.
The steaming internal organs were still emitting white vapor, and he carefully put away the useful ones.
In this day and age, every part of a wild boar is a treasure.
Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, but this time, he did not attract any carnivores.
After breaking down all the meat to minimize its weight, he plans to transport it in four trips.
Although traveling back and forth takes more time, it is the safest way.
In this kind of weather, taking shortcuts often leads to disastrous consequences.
Along the way, he walked and stopped frequently, constantly observing the surroundings.
By the time the last piece of meat was safely transported to a secluded spot at the village entrance, it was completely dark.
Looking at the spoils of war before him, Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the day was thrilling, it was very rewarding.