mtl008 Chapter 367 First Snow
Chapter 367 First Snow
Days passed by, and Wang Ergou and Ma Hongxia made a trip back to the city before November.
The two originally wanted to invite Li Xiangyang and his wife to come along, but Li Xiaoyun's morning sickness was severe, so she declined.
November has arrived in the blink of an eye.
That day, Li Xiangyang had just gotten up when he saw heavy snow falling outside the window.
For hunters, the first snow is good news. The footprints in the snow are clearly visible, and prey will be more likely to venture out due to food shortages, greatly increasing the success rate of the hunt.
Li Xiaoyun, who was beside him, was awakened by the light coming in from the window. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Li Xiangyang.
"It's snowing?" she asked, her voice still sleepy, as she slowly sat up.
Li Xiangyang nodded, returned to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and gently stroked his wife's slightly protruding belly: "Want to get up and take a look? This is the first snow of the year."
Li Xiaoyun shook her head, smiled, and said, "Go ahead, I'll lie down for a while longer. In this weather, the kang (heated brick bed) is the most comfortable."
Li Xiangyang smiled, leaned down and gently kissed her forehead: "Then you sleep a little longer, I'll make breakfast."
After getting dressed, Li Xiangyang stepped out of the house. A thin layer of snow had accumulated in the yard, pure white and flawless.
Little Tiger and Black Cat were playing in the yard, leaving a trail of messy footprints on the snow.
He took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs and invigorating him.
Just as Li Xiangyang was about to go to the well to fetch water, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
"Brother Xiangyang! Are you up yet?" Wang Ergou's voice came from outside the door.
Li Xiangyang opened the courtyard gate, and Wang Ergou stood outside, his shoulders covered in snowflakes, holding a plump wild rabbit in his hand.
"So early?" Li Xiangyang stepped aside. "Come in and talk."
Wang Ergou stepped into the yard, brushed the snow off his clothes, and said excitedly, "It's snowing! I went to check the traps I set yesterday before dawn, and they worked!"
Li Xiangyang took the rabbit and weighed it in his hand: "Not bad, at least seven or eight pounds."
“And another thing,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice, “I found tracks of a group of wild boars near the mountain. There were quite a few, probably seven or eight.”
"Wild boars?" Li Xiangyang's eyes lit up. "Which direction did they go?"
"They went towards Daqinggou," Wang Ergou rubbed his hands together. "The footprints in the snow are clear; they can't have gotten away. Xiangyang, shall we go hunt wild boar?"
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, but we need to have breakfast first, and then tell Xiaoyun."
"Then I'll go back and prepare the gun and ammunition. We'll meet at your doorstep in half an hour." After saying that, Wang Ergou turned to leave.
"Wait," Li Xiangyang called out to him, "call the hunting team members. Since it's a group, more people mean more strength."
"Okay!" Wang Ergou replied and quickly left.
Li Xiangyang hung the wild rabbit on the wooden frame in the yard, then turned around and went back into the house to make breakfast.
In the kitchen, he skillfully started a fire and kneaded dough. Before long, a pot of steaming millet porridge and several freshly made pancakes were ready.
Li Xiaoyun had already gotten up, dressed neatly, and went into the kitchen to help serve the food.
"Did Er Gou come by?" she asked.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "He spotted a herd of wild boars near the mountain and wants to invite me to go hunting with him. A hunting team will also be going."
Li Xiaoyun frowned slightly: "The roads are slippery in the snow, be careful. Don't linger, come back soon."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Li Xiangyang reassured him. "With snow, it's actually easier to track prey, and it's safer too."
After the two had breakfast, Li Xiangyang began preparing his hunting gear.
He took out the Type 63 automatic rifle, carefully inspected the bolt, loaded the bullets after confirming that everything was in order, and prepared a spare magazine.
Next, he packed dry food, a water bottle, matches, and some first-aid supplies into his backpack.
With everything ready, Li Xiangyang went into the yard and whistled at Xiao Hu and Xuan Mao.
The two animals immediately perked up their ears and ran to his side.
"We'll have to rely on you guys today." Li Xiangyang patted Xiao Hu's head and then scratched Xuan Mao's chin.
The sounds of Wang Ergou and the others laughing and talking could be heard outside the courtyard gate.
Li Xiangyang slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder, kissed Li Xiaoyun's forehead, and then walked out of the yard.
“Let’s go, while the snow isn’t too thick yet, the footprints will be easier to spot,” Li Xiangyang said.
The group immediately set off, walking along the path at the village entrance towards the distant Daqinggou.
The snow was still falling, but it wasn't as heavy as it had been in the morning.
A group of people walked along a snow-covered country path, leaving a deep trail of footprints.
They walked in silence for about an hour before arriving near Daqinggou.
This is a low-lying valley with pine and oak trees growing on both sides, and a stream running through the middle of the valley.
“This is it,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice, pointing to the snow not far away, “Look, those footprints.”
Li Xiangyang bent down to examine the snow and found many wild boar hoof prints extending into the depths of the valley.
“They must have gone to the stream to drink,” Li Xiangyang judged. “Food is scarce this season, so they’re more active. Let’s follow these tracks, but stay alert; wild boars can be dangerous if startled or threatened.”
The group moved quietly, following the tracks left by the wild boar.
Little Tiger walked in front, his nose close to the ground, constantly sniffing the air.
The black cat jumped onto a nearby tree and nimbly weaved among the branches.
Little Gold hovered in the sky, occasionally letting out a low cry, providing the team with an aerial perspective.
One of the biggest advantages of hunting in the snow is that you can clearly see the prey's movements.
The wild boars' footprints were clearly visible on the snow, revealing their rhythmic walking and stopping, as well as the traces of them occasionally pausing to root around in search of food.
After walking for about half an hour, Little Tiger suddenly stopped, his fur stood on end, and he let out a low whimper.
Li Xiangyang immediately raised his hand to signal the team to stop, then slowly squatted down to carefully observe the situation ahead.
About 100 meters away by the stream, a group of wild boars were drinking water and foraging for food.
They are large in size, and their dark brown fur stands out against the white snow.
Among them were several particularly large boars with gleaming tusks; these were adult boars, among the most dangerous prey.
“There are seven,” Li Xiangyang whispered. “Three large boars and four sows or piglets. We’ll flank them from three directions. I’ll draw their attention from the front, and you all fire from the sides. Remember, aim for vital organs.”
After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, the group quietly began their operation. He found a sturdy pine tree, leaned against the trunk, set up his Type 63 automatic rifle, and aimed at the boar standing at the front.
Looking at the herd of pigs before him, he held his breath, his finger lightly resting on the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment to fire.
Just then, a noise came from the other side of the stream, startling the wild boar herd.
The large boar at the front alertly raised its head and looked in the direction of the sound.
"Damn it!" Li Xiangyang cursed inwardly, knowing that his plan was probably going to fall through.
Sure enough, the boar let out a piercing squeal, and the entire herd of wild boars immediately tensed up and prepared to flee.