1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

The group trudged through the snow, their feet sinking deep into the woods, making a crunching sound as they walked.

Uncle Liu, holding the Hanyang rifle in his hand, turned his head to look at Chen Gaoshan in the middle and asked.

"Shanzi, this is your first time in the mountains, isn't it, since winter's been so long? You brought Sanpangzi here, have you explained all the rules and taboos to him?"

"Uncle Liu, don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Chen Gaoshan had just opened his mouth, and before he could finish speaking, Sanpangzi hurriedly took over the conversation.

He had no gun, only an axe in his hand, which he used to chop down trees and deal with small wild animals. At this moment, he hunched his shoulders and looked around.

"Uncle Liu, you can rest assured! Shanzi has already explained all the rules to me. I won't touch what I shouldn't touch, and I won't go where I shouldn't go. I will definitely follow the group obediently and will not cause you any trouble!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but shudder again.

"But Uncle Liu, I heard from the old folks in the village that there really are big cats (tigers) in Black Tiger Forest? I'm afraid that if I really run into one, my legs will cramp up and I won't be able to control them. I'll be in big trouble then! You guys have to give me a hand."

Uncle Liu glanced sideways at the three fat men beside him.

A while ago, this bastard specially brought him wine and begged him to take him into the mountains. He had already figured it out: Fatty San was lazy and good-for-nothing, couldn't carry anything, and was not cut out for hunting at all. He couldn't endure the hardships of the deep mountains.

Who would have thought that Gao Shan would actually agree to take him along? Now that he's come into the mountains with him, and they're all from the same village, they'll see each other all the time, so he can't just abandon him. He has to make sure he tells him the rules and the dangers.

"What's there to be afraid of! When we men go into the mountains, we have to be fearless in the first half of our lives so we won't have any regrets in the second half. Young people need to have a pioneering spirit, otherwise they'll live a cowardly life and achieve nothing!"

Wang Changfa, who was standing to the side, chimed in, holding his old-fashioned microphone.

"Old Liu is right! So what if we run into a big cat? There are four of us men with four guns. We can just surround it and kill it. There's nothing to be afraid of!"

After he finished speaking, he turned his head.

"Shanzi, you keep a close eye on Sanpangzi. Don't let him wander off even for a moment. Even if he needs to relieve himself, we have to take turns standing guard with him! The deeper we go into Black Tiger Forest, the more treacherous the terrain becomes, and the more wild animals there are—green-skinned ibises, black bears, wild boars, you name it. One wrong move and something bad will happen!"

The fat man shrank back in fright and hurriedly nodded and bowed in response.

"Don't worry, Uncle Long Hair, I promise I'll stay with you obediently and won't run off. Running off is just asking for trouble, and I'm not going to do something that stupid!"

The group continued deeper into the mountains. The section of the road leading into the mountains was usually used by villagers to cut firewood and gather mountain products, and the snow had been repeatedly trampled down.

But the deeper you go into the old forest, the fewer people there are, and the thicker the snow becomes.

Before long, the snow was up to our knees, and we had to strain to lift our legs and step down with each step.

This was Chen Gaoshan's first time venturing deep into the old forest of Black Tiger Forest since he arrived, and he was quite excited.

Looking at Sanpangzi, he usually complains about doing farm work and relies entirely on his wife Qiuyanzi for help. But now, he was panting heavily after walking for only a short while.

He gazed at the endless forest, growing impatient, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Uncle Long Hair, how much longer do we have to walk? How many days will it take to get back to the village? We've been walking for most of the day, and we haven't even seen a single wild animal!"

Wang Changfa turned around and glared at him fiercely.

If it weren't for the fact that Sanpangzi's stonemason father had died of illness long ago, and for the sake of their fellow villagers, he wouldn't have bothered to say a single word to this kid.

"What do you want to see? I'd like to ask you that!"

"In the dead of winter, the wild animals in the mountains that should be hibernating are all hiding in their dens. The clever ones are also hiding. They're not stupid. Why would they wander around in broad daylight? Are they looking for a bullet? Let me tell you in advance, there are wolves and black bears in this forest."

Having gone hungry all winter, they're all ferocious, starving beasts! Don't howl and scream here; it'll make too much noise. If you attract a bear, one lick and you'll be skinned alive. You won't even have time to cry then. Think it over carefully!"

After being scolded, Fatty San dared not say another word, muttering to himself.

Once we hunt some wild animals in the mountains this time, sell the pelts and get some money, he absolutely has to get an old-fashioned rifle. With a gun in hand, we'll have the confidence to not be afraid of these wild animals anymore!

Wang Changfa had only taken a couple of steps forward when he suddenly noticed clear footprints on the snow beside his feet, along with some excrement.

He immediately squatted down, reached out and picked up the clump of excrement that hadn't frozen solid yet, smelled it under his nose, and squeezed it.

"Shanzi, come quick, come and see what this is!"

Chen Gaoshan quickly stepped forward, squatted down on the snow, and began to carefully track the animals based on the hunting experience accumulated from the original owner's memories.

Experienced hunters rely entirely on tracking to identify wild animals. By observing the depth and shape of footprints, the dryness or wetness of excrement, and the trampled vegetation around them, they can determine what kind of animal left the tracks, when it passed by, and how long ago it left.

He keeps two dogs, Dahuang and Erhuang, at home, and he is very familiar with the size of their paws and the shape of their paw prints.

But the footprint in front of me was clearly a size larger than my dog's.

"Uncle Long Hair, these are the footprints of shrews, and it's definitely not just one or two. There are countless claw marks; it could be a whole group!"

Wang Changfa casually tossed the poop in his hand aside, rubbed it on a nearby tree trunk, stood up, and nodded.

"That's right, it's a pack of wolves! Let's follow these footprints. These scumbags just left not long ago, we're sure to catch them. Follow the tracks, there's bound to be a big catch!"

The fat guy at the back of the group heard the whole conversation between the two men. He was unhappy and pouted, feeling unconvinced.

All he knew was to call Chen Gaoshan over to check; was he just a figurehead?

This was his first time in the mountains, and he had no experience whatsoever. They didn't even bother to greet him or teach him how to identify the tracks; they showed him no consideration whatsoever.

He forgot that his father carved his mother's tombstone himself!

He complained inwardly, but dared not fall behind and stayed with the group.

The group followed the wolf paw prints on the snow and continued into the mountains.

Chen Laonian remained at the very back of the group, holding his gun at the ready. Every few steps, he would turn around and glance warily behind him.

Having spent his entire life roaming the Black Tiger Forest, what he feared most was not the fierce black bears or the big cats, but the packs of green shrews.

This creature is more dangerous than other wild animals. Not only is it intelligent, but it also understands teamwork just like humans. When hunting, it has a methodical approach, is smart, and incredibly bold. Once it sets its sights on its prey, it will hold on tight.

The worst part is that wolves are extremely vengeful. If you hurt even one of them, the entire pack will hold a grudge and seek revenge relentlessly. Many experienced hunters have fallen victim to wolves.

"Shanzi, do you remember the story I told you about the old hunters in Nangou Village when you were little? It was also near the Black Tiger Forest. Two hunters were traveling at night and passed through a yellow forest. The one in front was walking along when he suddenly felt a paw on his shoulder."

"He thought it was his companion behind him making a fuss, so he turned around to yell at him. But when he turned around, it wasn't his companion at all, but a green wolves standing upright with its front paws on his shoulder! His companion behind him had already been killed by the pack. He had just realized what was happening and tried to run away when a wolf bit his neck."

There's an old saying that goes, "A ghost blows on your neck, a wolf scratches your back," a lesson learned by hunters of the past who risked their lives for it.

Hearing his father's words behind him, Chen Gaoshan gripped the Type 38 rifle, which he had been holding steadily, even tighter, his finger unconsciously moving closer to the trigger.

"Father, I remember! Please keep a close eye on what's behind you and be very careful!"