C10 A Livestock Farm!

The night was fraught with tension.

Soldiers in the unit, workers in the fields, those mixed up with the riffraff, or those who kept close company with them, were all on edge. Uncertain if the sweeping crackdown would ensnare them, even a few from the grain storage were apprehended, leaving everyone with a questionable past feeling nervous.

Xue Lang, however, was indifferent to the commotion. The next day, well before six in the morning, Liu Zhong and Fatty Shao took him to the apiary in their dilapidated 212. After dropping them off, Fatty Shao headed back, while Liu Zhong, carrying a burlap sack, followed Xue Lang into the wilderness.

They had been hiking less than ten minutes when Xue Lang set down the sack, gestured for Liu Zhong to halt, and pointed to a series of compacted footprints in the snow. "There's a rabbit warren nearby; keep your distance," he advised.

Surveying the area, Liu Zhong noticed a slew of chaotic tracks and asked, puzzled, "Xue Lang, how can you tell there's a warren around here?"

Xue Lang opened the sack and pulled out a thin steel wire that had frayed from an oil-soaked rope. "These are snow hare tracks. Snow hares are sly creatures; they never retrace their steps. Before heading back to their burrow, they circle the area to check for danger, hence these interwoven tracks."

Liu Zhong nodded, half understanding, and stayed put as instructed.

With practiced ease, Xue Lang fashioned a slipknot, examined the footprints and their direction, then drew a hog butchering knife. He chopped several hazel branches, selected a spot, and methodically planted the branches like a fence, leaving an opening about thirty to forty centimeters wide. He secured the snare with dry grass and leaves to the branches and tied the other end to a slender tree a little over a meter away. Carefully, he backtracked, covering his tracks with snow, before departing the area.

Watching Xue Lang wrap up his work, Liu Zhong inquired, "Is that all? Will the rabbit just go in there on its own?"

Hoisting the gunny sack onto his back, Xue Lang spoke with assurance, "Yeah, I'll have one by tonight. Come morning, we'll be good to go."

"Really? Are rabbits that dumb to just walk into traps?"

Xue Lang glanced at Liu Zhong with a chuckle, "Relax, this is our ranch. I can make the rabbits go wherever I want."

"You're full of it. A ranch, huh? You think you own the whole mountain?"

Liu Zhong, clueless about hunting, was skeptical.

"Absolutely!"

Xue Lang maintained his confidence and pressed on.

After trekking through the mountains for over two hours, Xue Lang had set a dozen traps. He couldn't help but remark that few people seemed skilled in hunting here. Judging by the tracks in the snow, the wildlife was more abundant than in the poorest of villages.

As they roamed, Liu Zhong, utterly bored, found himself at a grassy area reminiscent of the one back home.

"Mountain Suzi, no less!"

Xue Lang, showing no signs of fatigue, eagerly beckoned Liu Zhong, "Quick, get those number eight wire tongs ready. We're having pheasant tonight."

Liu Zhong scanned the area, spotting not even the shadow of a wild chicken, and his interest waned. Dropping the sack, he fished out the tongs and grumbled, "Xue Lang, you talk a good game. If we come up empty-handed today, you owe me a chicken tonight. My legs are jelly."

Xue Lang replied with a grin, "Deal. If we don't catch anything, I'll buy one. But if we do, you're carrying it back. Remember, I'm the injured one here."

"Pfft! Enough with the tall tales. You've earned the nickname 'Big Talker.'"

Xue Lang, uninterested in bickering, grabbed a bunch of tongs and said, "Daxuan, keep an eye on the sack. I'll be right back."

Liu Zhong, all too happy to stay put, plopped down on the sack, waving him off, "Go on, I'll make sure to light a candle for you."

"Damn! What a curse!" Xue Lang chuckled, shaking his head as he strolled into the Grass Hall, tongs in hand.

He hadn't gone more than twenty or thirty yards before he squatted down, picked a spot, and set up a trap that resembled a mouse trap, twisted together with wire. He baited it with a corn kernel strung on a thin wire and nestled it at the base of a clump of grass, gently placing it on the snowy surface. He then camouflaged it with a scattering of broken grass, leaving the glistening yellow corn kernel temptingly exposed.

After making a circuit around the grass pond and setting a dozen traps, Xue Lang returned to Liu Zhong and suggested, "Let's go find somewhere to grab a bite to eat and not disturb the pheasants' mealtime."

Liu Zhong just smirked and, too lazy to retort, stood up, hefting the sack.

Xue Lang led Liu Zhong over a mountain ridge, and before they could settle down in a sunny spot to rest, he halted and remarked, "Daxuan, looks like you're in for some heavy lifting today."

"What...?" Liu Zhong, out of breath, stopped and asked instinctively.

Xue Lang didn't bother with details; he set down the sack, pulled out a large clamp, and got to work attaching an oil-silk noose to it. He surveyed the ridge before carefully stepping forward.

Liu Zhong, watching Xue Lang's cautious movements, just stood there catching his breath, too indifferent to inquire further.

Xue Lang advanced about ten meters to the edge of a narrow, well-trodden path. He gently set the clamp down, took out his Pig Slaughtering Knife, and began to carefully dig into the compacted snow at the edge. His actions were deliberate and slow, as if wary of startling some unseen creature.

After meticulously digging for five or six minutes, he removed a palm-sized piece of snow from the center of the top layer and cautiously placed the trap underneath.

Once set, he took an A4 sheet of paper and softly laid it over the opening, sprinkling snowflakes on top to blend it in. He stood back to inspect his work and, satisfied there were no giveaways, turned back to Liu Zhong. He then felled a sturdy maple tree, about three meters tall and as thick as a pickaxe handle, dragged it over, fashioned a pig's hoof knot on the snare's end, and secured it to the base.

After securing everything, he scanned the surroundings, swiftly erased their tracks, and hurried back to Liu Zhong. In a hushed tone, he said, "We need to move. The roe deer will return any minute now."

Return...

Liu Zhong was at a loss for words. He snatched up the sack and raced down the slope after Xue Lang.

What in the world was happening? Rabbits were supposed to hop right into traps, and now pheasants were supposedly on a lunch schedule? The idea that roe deer had errands to run and would be back was even more preposterous.

Xue Lang offered no further explanation. With over a decade of hunting under his belt, he had become quite the expert, even if it was just from absorbing his grandfather's tales.

He understood the roe deer's patterns. Since the mountain hadn't seen heavy snowfall yet, the deer were still foraging nearby. The path they were on was the very one the deer used after a full meal, returning to a wind-sheltered spot before noon and venturing out again at dusk—a route commonly referred to as the roe deer's trail. The direction of the hoof prints indicated they were headed towards the grassy slopes in the distance. His instincts told him the deer hadn't come back yet.

Exhausted, Liu Zhong only moved when Xue Lang prodded him. He grudgingly descended into the gully and climbed halfway up the opposite hillside. When he finally got the okay to rest, he plopped down and lit up a cigarette.

Xue Lang couldn't help but chuckle to himself, seeing Liu Zhong on the verge of blowing his top. No sign of even a single feather all morning—how could anyone remain patient?

Still, Xue Lang kept his counsel. He pulled out a bag of beef jerky and a bottle of wine, poured a toast to the old man, and settled himself on the sack to enjoy his lunch.

Amidst his sullen mood, Liu Zhong flicked away his cigarette butt and pulled out his own bag of beef jerky. Chewing thoughtfully, he grumbled, "Xue Lang, you've really done me in today. I've never trekked this deep into the mountains before."

"Heh, quit your bellyaching. I'm more concerned you'll be too loaded down on the way back and won't be able to make it," Xue Lang teased, passing the wine bottle to Liu Zhong.

Liu Zhong tipped his head back for a gulp, but before he could swallow, the sudden yelp of a stray dog echoed from the mountain across the way.

"Cough, cough..."

Startled, Liu Zhong choked on his wine. Tossing the bottle aside, he whirled around and yanked an axe from the sack, his voice tight with tension. "Xue Lang, what was that sound? It's not a bear, is it?"

Xue Lang, unruffled, picked up the wine bottle and replied, "Relax, it's just a roe deer. They're part of the canine family, and their cries sound like dog howls, especially eerie at night."

Before he could finish, another howl echoed through the air.

"There really are roe deer!"

Liu Zhong glanced back at the mountain they'd come from, his excitement palpable. "Did your trap catch one? Should we go check it out?"

"It's caught."

Taking a swig of wine, Xue Lang said, "No rush. Let the roe deer tire itself out first. You'll get to experience catching one soon enough."

"It's caught?"

Liu Zhong didn't ponder why it wasn't 'trapped' as he stuffed his beef jerky into his down jacket and pressed, "Then shouldn't we go check now? What if it gets away?"

"Don't worry, it won't escape. Eat up; we've got to check the traps later."

Despite another distant howl, Liu Zhong reluctantly sat down, eating and watching the opposite mountain.

The calls from across the way grew more frequent, and even Liu Zhong could sense the urgency in them.

After a long fifteen minutes, Xue Lang stood and declared, "Let's go catch that roe deer."

Liu Zhong was already eager to go. At Xue Lang's words, he shouldered the sack and grabbed the axe, following Xue Lang to the opposite mountain with a thrill.

They hadn't quite reached the summit when Liu Zhong spotted a roe deer pausing every few steps, howling in distress. Occasional howls responded in the distance, seemingly offering solace to the trapped animal.

Seeing the roe deer, Liu Zhong began to trust Xue Lang's words. He curbed his excitement, trailing behind Xue Lang as they made their way to the top.

The roe deer, spotting them, grew frantic, struggling in vain. Dragging a maple sapling nearly half its weight, it was hopelessly stuck, its breath forming white puffs as it kicked up sprays of snow.

As Xue Lang and his companions crested the mountain peak, still a good distance from the roe deer, they saw the animal was utterly spent. It wobbled on unsteady legs, yet continued to struggle fiercely.

Liu Zhong caught sight of the roe deer nearby and couldn't contain his excitement. "Holy crap! We got it!"

Xue Lang, cautious not to let Liu Zhong approach, gripped the pig-slaughtering knife and sprinted to the flailing deer. He pinned it down by the neck with his foot and plunged the knife in...

Amid the rising steam, Xue Lang got to work. He sliced open the deer and scrubbed its stomach with snow. Liu Zhong was of no help, buzzing with questions about the deer's weight and the absence of antlers.

With a chuckle, Xue Lang multitasked, enlightening Liu Zhong as he went. He explained that herds of roe deer this season were mostly females and fawns, with the males typically roaming solo. As he spoke, he swiftly cleaned out the stomach, gave it a few scrubs with snow, packed it into a ziplock bag, and stuffed it into a burlap sack.

Once done, he hoisted the roe deer onto his shoulders. "Let's go. Grab the sack, and we'll catch some pheasants."

"I'll do it..."

Liu Zhong eagerly offered to take the load.

Xue Lang blocked him, "There's still blood; it hasn't frozen yet. You don't want that on your down jacket—it's a pain to clean. Come on, it's not too heavy."

Liu Zhong, seeing Xue Lang's resolve, didn't push further.

Reaching the grassy pond, Liu Zhong's eyes lit up at the sight of pheasants, not yet fully frozen, and he let out an excited whoop.

Xue Lang had anticipated this. The game here—pheasants, rabbits, roe deer, and wild boars—was far more plentiful than in the mountains near their home, with few hunters around.

Laughing, he followed their tracks, collecting traps along the way. This place was a veritable game reserve; they wouldn't be short on wild game anytime soon.

By the end of their circuit, their luck had held strong. They bagged six wild pheasants—a bountiful haul, indeed.