Chapter 84
Chapter 84: Chapter 84 The Rush for Quick Success and Instant Benefits_1
Chapter 84: Chapter 84 The Rush for Quick Success and Instant Benefits_1
On the first day of his mountain trip, Zhao Erhu’s harvest was scant, as most of his time was spent on the journey. As darkness fell, he found a cave to rest in, a familiar spot he had visited a few times before. There was no need to search for caves; he used the same old place he had stumbled upon years ago during a frantic escape from a wild animal. The entrance of the cave, hidden by sprawling vines, was hard to notice without a close look.
After gathering some dry wood nearby, Zhao Erhu ignited a fire with flint and then opened the bundle Lin Yue had given him. “Well, no wonder the bundle was rather heavy,” he thought. Along the way, he had carelessly eaten some of the food from the bundle without giving it much attention, not realizing that his little wife had packed all the food she had prepared the previous afternoon.
“This girl, she didn’t even think to leave some at home. There’s only half a piece of meat left, all used for buns. Looks like we won’t be having any meat for a few days. She really is a silly Niuniu,” complained Zhao Erhu. Despite his grumbling, he felt a warm glow in his heart, and even the chilly night breeze in the mountains didn’t seem so cold.
Rising early the next day, Zhao Erhu went to inspect a particular area of the forest he had noticed earlier. While passing by yesterday, he had spotted the paw prints of a mature bear. If he could take down this bear, he could sell it for at least a hundred taels of silver. Although there was some danger, for a hundred taels of silver, it was worth a try. Injuries were inevitable, but as long as he was careful, there wouldn’t be too much risk, and after the hunt, he could simply recover at home for a while. Besides, if he managed to get the bear, he wouldn’t need to return to the mountains for a long time, and there was the farmland at home to tend to. He also didn’t like the idea of leaving his little wife at home alone too often, and he had been thinking about making her a set of silver jewelry.
The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. Perhaps Zhao Erhu was being a bit too impatient and overestimated his abilities, as bear hunting was not so easy. Otherwise, their price wouldn’t be that high—it was a job that risked one’s life. Moreover, the bear he had previously taken had been heavily injured in an attack by another animal, which made it easy prey for him, perhaps too easy, leading him to become complacent now.
This mindset was extremely dangerous. The bear in question was healthy, in its prime, and hungry. Even a group of hunters together might not be confident in tackling such a beast, yet Zhao Erhu was fixated on the idea of going after this particular bear, as if he was spellbound.
Zhao Erhu kept vigil the entire morning but saw no sign of the bear. His little wife had only packed a few steamed buns and baozi for him, leaving the rest in the cave. Feeling hungry, he ate a couple and then wrapped up the remainder to tuck inside his jacket, taking a few sips from his water pouch before resuming his watch in the shrubbery.
Patience is something a hunter never lacks, sometimes waiting days on end for their quarry. Zhao Erhu was no exception. Among the hunters around Zhao Family Village, he was regarded as skilled, even enjoying a modest reputation. When the older hunters mentioned Zhao Erhu, they would give a thumbs-up: “This sturdy young man is authentic and agile. He has a promising future. Old Zhang has found himself a successor!” Old Zhang was the elder who had taught Zhao Erhu how to hunt.
Zhao Erhu waited patiently, and after about a couple of hours, he heard faint noises coming from afar. His body tensed up, ready for battle, as he fixed his eyes on the direction of the sounds. Soon enough, he saw a large black figure looming through the trees…