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

Silly Qiangzi tilted his head, listening in a daze, looking completely bewildered. He didn't understand anything about "Qiaowo" or anything like that; all he could think of was a warm, cozy bed.

He wasn't very bright, but he knew that if he nodded in agreement when his mother spoke, she would stop nagging. So he nodded and mumbled a reply.

"Okay, I've got it."

Aunt Wang looked at her son nodding obediently, but she was still unsure. She had no idea how much of her nonsensical explanation about the bird's nest had actually been taken in or understood by her silly son. But she had no other choice but to try again that night.

Evening came quickly.

Aunt Wang deliberately poured half a cup of wine into Sha Qiangzi's hand, hoping to embolden him and that he would finally understand by nightfall.

As darkness fell, she pulled her husband along and crept to the base of the wall in the west wing. The two of them crouched down, pressed against the earthen wall, and listened to the sounds coming from inside, hoping that things would work out that night.

Hearing no movement from inside, Aunt Wang, who was perched at the window, quickly alerted Qiangzi inside.

"Qiangzi, what is a man?"

"Men are clever."

"The cat's here, what a coincidence."

Silly Qiangzi, who was drinking for the first time, was a little dizzy, but he still replied to the woman, "It's a lucky coincidence that I've crawled into her den."

"That's right, who said my son is stupid? My son is very smart, he didn't forget a single word."

Before he could finish speaking, he heard snoring coming from inside the room.

Wang Er snorted. "What did I tell you? It's like a blind man lighting a lamp—a waste of time!"

He put his hands behind his back and walked straight back, walking quite casually.

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All that was left in the fields was watering and weeding; his parents were busy with all the work at home, so he didn't need to help at all. He packed up, slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder, and gathered his personal belongings, preparing to go into the mountains with his two dogs, Dahuang and Erhuang, by his side.

Right now, everything in the mountains is reviving, and it's the time for wild animals to reproduce. Animals that are in heat are in heat, and those that are raising their young are raising their young.

Since these male animals have already fulfilled their reproductive duty, hunting them in the mountains is the most appropriate course of action. It's better not to hunt the females and cubs.

Before hunting, take a quick look down to see if there are any calves; that will tell you whether they are male or female.

Besides, this trip into the mountains might yield unexpected rewards. If we're lucky, we might stumble upon wild ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, and monkey head mushrooms—these are all rare and delicious wild delicacies. We might also pick some bracken, which we can stir-fry with meat when we get back. It'll be incredibly fragrant!

As soon as it was light, he set off for the mountains.

The wild grass in the mountains had grown up to his calves, but luckily he was prepared. He had tied his legs in advance and changed into durable and non-slip rubber shoes. However, his shoes and socks were still soaked with dew as he walked.

Even when we were still at the foot of the mountain, we could vaguely hear the howling of wolves and the roar of big cats coming from deep in the forest, but we couldn't make out where they were hiding.

Chen Gaoshan had told his family in advance that he planned to stay in the mountains for several days before heading there.

At this moment, Da Huang and Er Huang ran ahead to clear the way for him, constantly sniffing the surrounding scents.

As he walked forward, he looked down and searched the roadside bushes for herbs or other wild delicacies. Before long, he heard a dog barking from the bushes ahead.

Hearing the noise, you know the two dogs must have spotted some wild game.

Chen Gaoshan gripped his gun tightly and quickly chased after him.

Two yellow figures darted back and forth in the woods, rushing about wildly; they were catching a wild rabbit.

Big Yellow and Little Yellow were blocking the rabbit from the front and back. The rabbit was exceptionally agile and fast at escaping. With a sudden push of its hind legs, it nimbly changed direction. In terms of dodging and maneuvering, it far surpassed the two dogs.

But no matter how fast it could run, it couldn't withstand the combined attack of Da Huang and Er Huang, two old hunting dogs who had followed their master into the mountains for years and were experienced in the hunting grounds. The two hunting dogs cooperated perfectly, surrounding the rabbit from both sides and taking turns to rush forward and block it. The rabbit ran back and forth in a panic, but it didn't last more than a few minutes before Da Huang seized the opportunity and bit its neck hard.

After biting its prey, Dahuang habitually swung its neck violently, shaking the rabbit until it was completely exhausted and had no strength left to resist. After a period of inertial struggle, the rabbit was completely dead.

"Big Yellow, come back."

Big Yellow, carrying a wild rabbit in its mouth, wagged its tail and ran towards him. As soon as it reached his feet, it let go and dropped the rabbit on the ground.

Chen Gaoshan stepped forward and reached out to pat the heads of Dahuang and Erhuang.

"What two good dogs! We'll roast this wild rabbit for lunch today to satisfy our cravings."

He bent down to pick up the rabbit, skillfully bled it, gutted it, and took out its internal organs, then casually tossed them to Da Huang and Er Huang, who were waiting eagerly nearby.

The two of them swallowed the appetizing offal in just a few bites.

Without waiting for Chen Gaoshan's instructions, Da Huang and Er Huang immediately took off into the woods, glancing back at him every now and then.

Chen Gaoshan followed behind the two hunting dogs, his eyes always fixed on his feet and his surroundings.

His experience in the mountains made him very perceptive of every trace in the forest.

He hadn't gone far when he squatted down. There was a clump of fresh droppings on the ground, left by a herbivore that had just left.

Having confirmed the trail, he got up and continued walking deeper into the area. The grass under his feet grew denser, and dew dripped down his trouser legs.

After walking briskly for more than twenty minutes, Da Huang and Er Huang, who had been running ahead to scout the way, suddenly stopped, lowered their bodies, and lay down in the dense grass, their limbs tense, their heads resting on their front paws, their eyes fixed on the front, assuming a standard ambush posture.

Chen Gaoshan looked in the direction of the two hunting dogs and saw a patch of tender green grass growing in an open space more than 20 meters away. A small wild animal was burying its head and munching on the grass.

It did look a bit like a roe deer, but upon closer inspection, Chen Gaoshan immediately frowned; this thing was not a roe deer at all.

Below its mouth, two sharp, long fangs were visible, and its skin was jet black with a bluish-gray tinge.

He instantly realized that this was a musk deer, and judging from its distinctive tusks, it was clearly a male musk deer; female musk deer never grow tusks!

Chen Gaoshan dared not make any rash moves. These musk deer were very clever and timid. They knew that people were after their musk. If they were captured alive, they would immediately bite their own navels and die rather than let anyone get a single drop of musk.

Therefore, when hunting male roe deer, one must kill them with a single blow and never give them a chance to struggle or resist, otherwise this most valuable treasure will be completely wasted.

Moreover, musk deer are excellent at jumping high and are very agile. It would be difficult for the two dogs, Da Huang and Er Huang, to catch them directly. Instead, they would easily scare them away.

The key to dealing with this thing is the flanking tactic. Have two hunting dogs attack from the side, forcing it to change its running direction, while you hold the best position and wait to surround and hunt it down.

Chen Gaoshan said in a low voice, "Go!"

Dahuang and Erhuang heard the instruction.

Two yellow figures darted out from the grass and pounced straight at the musk deer.

The two hunting dogs worked in perfect coordination, flanking the musk deer from the left and right. Just as they were about to bite the musk deer's hind leg, the musk deer was startled and raised its head. It then used its hind legs to propel itself high into the air, instantly changing its escape direction and running towards the direction where Chen Gaoshan was hiding.

He picked up his Type 38 rifle, squinted one eye, and locked his sights on the oncoming musk deer.

When the prey was about ten meters away, he pulled the trigger, and with a "bang," the bullet hit the musk deer's belly.

The musk deer, shot, staggered forward two steps, its limbs stiffened, and it collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.

When Dahuang and Erhuang saw their prey fall to the ground, they became overly excited. The two dogs lowered their front legs, arched their bodies, and opened their mouths to bite the musk deer's neck, trying to subdue it completely.

"Alright! Big Yellow, Little Yellow, come back!"

Fearing that the two animals would spoil the musk, Chen Gaoshan ran towards the fallen musk deer while shouting.

When he got close, he picked up the knife, aimed it at the musk deer's neck, and delivered a quick and painless blow.

He then skillfully bled and gutted the musk deer, disposing of its carcass. Of all the parts of the musk deer, only its navel was more valuable than the rest of its flesh.

Musk is actually the mud from the navel of a male musk deer.

Musk is an extremely precious medicinal herb. If a woman carries musk with her, she will not only fail to get pregnant, but even if she does, she will miscarry.

Chen Gaoshan took the knife in his hand, aimed it at the musk deer's protruding navel, and cut it off completely, storing it in his spatial storage.

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