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

Wang Changfa gripped the knife in his hand and strode over to the three shrews on the ground.

Although the wolves said they were no longer moving, they still managed to deliver a few more vicious blows.

After confirming everything was in order, he met with Chen Gaoshan, Liu Chunlei, and Lao Nian.

Each person carried one and hurried towards the camp.

The three fat men who had the accident were moved to an open space next to the camp and lay down in the snow.

Chen Gaoshan followed Uncle Chunlei into the woods to cut tree branches, hoping to make a simple sled before dawn so that he could transport the wolf and Sanpangzi down the mountain.

After working for a while, he suddenly felt a chill on his legs, as if the cold wind was seeping into his trousers and penetrating his skin.

Looking down, he realized that his leather pants had been torn by the wolf's claws during his fight with the sly.

Liu Chunlei swung his axe at the tree, speaking in a gruff voice.

"Shanzi, you killed three bastards all by yourself. I didn't realize you were so tough! Judging from the situation just now, this group of bastards was clearly a small group. Originally, all four of us had guns, so seven bastards wouldn't have been a problem."

"You can't blame Sanpangzi for this. He only has himself to blame for not listening and running off recklessly. Try to think more positively and don't take all the blame on yourself, okay? He insisted on coming into the mountains with us; you should have thought of this beforehand."

Chen Gaoshan was holding an axe.

"Uncle Chunlei, I understand everything. It's getting light, let's not waste any more time and hurry up and get ready to go down the mountain. As for Sanpangzi, in the end, he got into this mess because he came up the mountain with me."

When we get back and divide the meat, I'll give all of mine to Sanpangzi's family. Qiuyanzi has a hard time raising two girls alone; with Sanpangzi gone, life will only get harder. I'll help them as much as I can."

Liu Chunlei immediately snorted.

"Bullshit! If you ask me, without that fatso messing around, that mother and her three children could have lived decent lives! That lazy good-for-nothing of his, he's only dead because he took the blame for good people. What, you've got too much money to waste, so you're taking advantage of me and even sacrificing yourself!"

Chen Gaoshan actually agreed with Uncle Chunlei's words. He was doing this for his sister-in-law's sake, and it had nothing to do with Sanpangzi.

"Uncle, Heaven is watching what people do. I've done my best and have a clear conscience, that's enough."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing and get to work!"

Liu Chunlei waved his hand, no longer dwelling on it.

"Your dad and the others are skinning wolves over there. The stench of blood in this forest is too strong; bears and wild boars are coming after us. If we encounter any more wild beasts, we'll be in trouble! Quickly get the nails out, nail the sled together, and get to work!"

Chen Gaoshan reached into his basket and pulled out a cloth bag. He opened it and found nails inside, along with a bundle of hemp rope.

He handed the items to Uncle Chunlei, and saw that Liu Chunlei's hands, rough and strong from years of farm work and hunting, picked up the wood and nails and skillfully hammered and tied them together in no time. In a short while, a simple sled was made.

When the two of them pulled the newly made sled back to the camp, they saw that Old Lady Chen and Wang Changfa had already finished their work.

Seven green wolves were laid out on the ground, their skins peeled off, and their internal organs and offal cleaned out.

Hunters in the mountains all know that you shouldn't eat the offal of a green-skinned man.

The saying "wolf's heart and dog's lungs" is not just a casual remark. Wolf's heart has a strong, pungent smell that cannot be removed even by soaking it in a whole bottle of liquor for a long time. It is inedible if you bring it home and it will only be a waste.

Wang Changfa took a shovel and covered the snowdrifts soaked with wolf blood and the wolf entrails, trying to mask the smell of blood as much as possible.

After doing all this, he grabbed a handful of clean snow and vigorously rubbed his hands, which were covered in blood and smelled of fish.

Upon seeing Chen Gaoshan and Liu Chunlei pulling a sled over, Wang Changfa immediately called out to them.

"Hurry up, get all these sluts onto the sled, and put Fatty San's body on top! No matter what, we all lived in the same village. We should respect the dead and not let him go with these things on top of him."

They lifted the green-skinned boy onto the sled, and then placed the three fat men on top and tied them up with ropes.

Then, Chen Gaoshan and Liu Chunlei pulled the rope of the sled, one in front and one behind.

They pulled the sled down the mountain.

They walked forward with their heads down for less than a mile before it was completely bright.

The rope on Chen Gaoshan's shoulder was so tight it hurt his skin, so Liu Chunlei pulled it for him for a while.

Seeing this, Wang Changfa raised his hand and waved, intending to tell everyone to stop and take a break before continuing their journey. However, looking at the snow slope ahead, he suddenly stopped.

Not far away, in the snow, stood two silly roe deer. Their round bodies were covered with thick fur, and their three-lobed mouths were moving around with a smacking sound as they nibbled at the moss buried in the snow. Their big, black eyes were wide open, staring blankly in their direction, completely unaware of the danger approaching. Their dazed appearance made them look both simple-minded and foolish.

"Don't move around, don't startle anything!"

Wang Changfa lowered his voice.

"It's a roe deer! Delivered right to our doorstep!"

Chen Gaoshan immediately loosened the red-hot sled rope from his shoulder and instinctively reached for the Mauser pistol tucked into his waistband.

Roe deer meat is rather coarse, with tough fibers and a lingering earthy smell. Compared to domestically raised pigs and sheep, it tastes far inferior. But in the current situation, having something to eat is better than nothing.

Before he could make a move, Wang Changfa had already raised the hunting rifle on his back and held it on his shoulder. He waved his other hand behind him, beckoning to Chen Laonian beside him. The two of them bent over, took light steps, and slowly moved towards the roe deer.

Strangely enough, these two silly roe deer seemed to have no sense of reason, staring blankly at the two people approaching without even twitching their ears. Instead of running away, they tilted their heads, looking curious and bewildered, perfectly living up to the mountain people's name for them as silly roe deer.

Once he reached the right position, Wang Changfa pulled the trigger. With a "bang," a roe deer fell to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before going still.

This hit the vital point.

The other roe deer finally realized the danger, jumped up in fright, and turned to run into the woods. As it ran, a tuft of fluffy white fur on its rump suddenly stood up, forming a heart shape that was very conspicuous.

Chen Laonian reacted quickly, raising his gun, aiming, and firing in one smooth motion. Immediately afterward, another shot rang out, and the bullet accurately struck the white spot on the fleeing roe deer.

The roe deer stumbled and fell in the snow, but its survival instinct drove it to drag its injured body and run desperately into the distance.

Old Chen turned around. "Shanzi, follow it, don't let it get away!"

Chen Gaoshan took off chasing after the roe deer in the direction it had fled.

He followed the trail of blood, stumbling along, and after less than fifty meters, he saw the wounded roe deer finally give way and huddle in a snowdrift.

He strode forward and reached out to grab the roe deer's hind legs, but the roe deer suddenly struggled with all its might a few times.

Seeing its pain, Chen Gaoshan didn't hesitate. He raised his hand, aimed at the roe deer's head, and decisively fired a shot to lessen its suffering.

The roe deer meat, with its blood clots, had an even stronger fishy smell. He took out a dagger, squatted down, and slit open the roe deer's neck.

After the blood had been completely drained, he bent down, hoisted the roe deer's body onto his shoulder, and walked back.

The roe deer fur clinging to the shoulders is thick and soft, warm and cozy. You can feel the warmth of the fur even through the clothes. It's not too heavy to carry on your shoulders.

When he returned to the spot, without saying a word, he handed the roe deer he had hunted to his father, Chen Laonian, who then skinned and gutted it.

After hunting stags and roe deer one after another, the snowfield was filled with the smell of blood. When the wind blew, the stench carried far and wide. No one dared to linger any longer. They hurriedly prepared their prey, loaded their sleds, and rushed down the mountain.