novelden Chapter 145 The most important thing in hunting is patience.
Chapter 145 The most important thing in hunting is patience.
As the two men spoke, they arrived at the village entrance and saw a brand-new Liberation truck.
"Towards the sun!" The sea's voice carried on the cold wind, "Here!"
“It’s the ocean.” Li Xiangyang smiled.
As the two approached, Dahai rubbed his hands together and greeted them, "We've finally waited for you! How about it, Mr. Ma, are you going to do me a favor?"
"This is more than just giving face; this car is really nice." Li Xiangyang walked around the car. "By the way, let me introduce you. This is Wang Ergou, my partner."
"I've heard so much about you." Da Hai quickly extended his hand. "To be able to partner with Xiang Yang, Brother Wang must be quite skilled."
"Not at all," Wang Ergou said with a simple smile, "It's alright."
"Alright, guys, get in the car. Oh, by the way, Boss Ma said, if you're going to sell this elk to anyone else, don't sell it to anyone else, he wants it."
"We'll have to start it first," Li Xiangyang laughed. "But we mustn't scratch the car..."
"Don't worry, it's okay if it gets scratched. We're hauling timber, of course it gets scratched."
"That's true, but we should be as careful as possible."
Since that's what they've said, Li Xiangyang naturally can't say anything more.
"Hurry up and get on the bus. This awful weather, it's almost spring, and it's still freezing." Dahai rubbed his hands together and exhaled a puff of white breath.
The three of them climbed into the driver's seat, and Dahai started the car.
Wang Ergou would occasionally give him directions.
Before dawn, the car headlights cast a dim yellow glow on the dirt road ahead.
The truck trudged along the dirt road, its tires crunching as they rolled over the frozen ground.
Occasionally, when they encountered potholes, the three of them would sway back and forth in the carriage.
Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening, and in the distance, the mountains rose and fell, stretching endlessly.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, swirling between the mountains.
The mountain peaks stand like giants between heaven and earth, appearing exceptionally majestic.
The car traveled along the winding mountain road at a slow speed, but much faster than walking.
The birch trees on both sides of the road gleamed silver in the morning light, their branches covered with a thick layer of snow.
"Now that's what mountains are like," Da Hai exclaimed sincerely. "The mountains on this side of our land stretch out one after another, and as far as the eye can see, you can't see the end."
Indeed, the Xingan Mountains are majestic and magnificent.
Before we could even cross one mountain, another range of mountains stretched out in the distance.
Especially in winter, when it is covered in snow, it appears even more majestic.
“Of course,” Wang Ergou chimed in. “There are seven or eight hunting trails in these mountains alone. If Xiangyang hadn’t been leading the way, I wouldn’t have been able to tell which way was which.”
"Hey, it's all experience." Li Xiangyang smiled.
The truck slowly climbed the hill, its engine roaring.
From this vantage point, the distant mountains appear to meander like a giant dragon.
The morning light shone on the snow, making it gleam silver and so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.
"Let's stop here." Li Xiangyang looked at the increasingly steep mountain road. "It seems our car can't make it any further. We'll have to walk. Dahai, thank you so much for driving us all this way."
"It's just a pity. I wanted to take you hunting with me, but the car couldn't get through, and we couldn't leave you unattended..."
Li Xiangyang said apologetically.
Dahai sighed, "Hey, it's alright. I'll just be helping out. I'll wait for you guys here. The car's got everything I need, except maybe a little boring. I've brought everything, so even if I stay for half a month, it won't be a problem. Don't worry."
Li Xiangyang chuckled and patted Dahai on the shoulder: "Once we catch them, you'll definitely get your share."
"That's great!" Da Hai's eyes lit up. "I still have hot water here, take it with you, drink some if you're thirsty."
"Beat!" Wang Ergou, gun slung over his shoulder, was eager to try. "Xiangyang, let's go."
Watching the two figures disappear at the end of the mountain road, Dahai exhaled a puff of white breath and turned back to the driver's seat.
In this kind of weather, you have to keep the car warm, otherwise it will be difficult to start it again.
Amidst the biting wind, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou journeyed through the mountains.
Both of them knew that finding the Han was not something that could be done overnight.
“The terrain here is complex; we need to search from lower to higher ground,” Li Xiangyang said, looking around. “The elk prefer to roam in open areas, but they always rest in secluded spots.”
The two slowly made their way up the mountain.
Occasionally, you can see some scattered signs of animal activity along the road—gnawed tree bark, trampled snow—but none of them were recently left behind.
After searching for a long time without finding any useful traces, the two found a sheltered mountain hollow to rest.
The trees here are dense, so the snow isn't that thick.
Li Xiangyang quickly cleared a space, laid out several layers of dry grass, and the two sat down on the ground.
"Which forest do you think that elk is in?" Wang Ergou took out his water bottle, took a sip, and handed it to Li Xiangyang.
“Spring is coming soon, it will definitely move to higher ground.” Li Xiangyang took the water bottle. “The forest to the west is at a higher altitude and the trees are denser. Elk don’t like places with lots of people, I reckon that’s a good place for them.”
“That’s true, it’s a remote area.” Wang Ergou clicked his tongue. “Besides, there are lots of birch trees.”
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's right, there are not only birch trees, but also poplars and pine trees, all of which it loves to eat. But let's stop here for today; we need to build a shelter before it gets dark."
"Alright, I'll take care of it." Wang Ergou stood up and stretched his limbs. "You rest first, I'll go find some usable branches."
Li Xiangyang waved his hand: "Let's do it together. This job needs to be finished before dark, and two people can look out for each other."
The two of them split up.
Li Xiangyang was responsible for finding some sturdy tree branches for support, while Wang Ergou went to find some thin branches and pine needles.
Before long, the two built a simple but sturdy shelter in the mountain valley.
Li Xiangyang first used several thick tree branches to build a "人"-shaped frame, and then used thin branches to weave an area the size of a straw mat to cover the frame.
Finally, a thick layer of pine needles and hay was laid on top to create a sloping roof.
As night fell, the chill intensified.
After the two started a fire, they crawled into the makeshift shelter, sat to keep warm, and took turns keeping watch.
The only sounds in the mountain valley were the wind and the occasional bird call.
As dawn broke, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou packed their things and set off.
This time they headed west, where the terrain gradually rose.
The snow underfoot was getting thicker and thicker, and each step required a lot of effort.
"Walk slowly, don't sweat," Li Xiangyang reminded him. "Sweating in this weather can easily make you catch a cold."
Around noon, the two climbed up a small hill.
Looking down from here, you can see a wide, open valley.
The valley is lush with trees, and occasionally you can see traces of melting snow.
“This place is good.” Li Xiangyang looked around. “The terrain is open, the view is good, and there’s a water source. Let’s hold this position for a while.”
He pointed to a clear spot in the valley where the snow had melted: "Look over there, the snow is melting quickly, which means there might be heat below. This kind of place might be where it rests."
Wang Ergou nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "So, we'll just stay here and keep watch?"
“Hmm, let’s find a secluded spot,” Li Xiangyang said, beginning to carefully examine the surrounding terrain. “We need to pick a location where we can clearly see the valley, but won’t be easily spotted.”
This vigil lasted for most of the day.
As darkness fell, there was still no sign of large animals in the valley.
But Li Xiangyang wasn't in a hurry; the most important thing in hunting is patience.