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墨書 Inktalez
"This wooden cabin was built by hunters from my grandfather's generation; it's considered ours," Zhou Yiqiang said, not intending to claim it for himself. He held a bundle of firewood and lit the fire pit, warming up the kang as the room gradually became cozy.
Yezhi took off her leather boots and climbed onto the kang, massaging her sore thighs. Lin Haitao looked around and sat at the edge of the kang. Wolf Child arrived at Old Forest, feeling as if he had returned home; his excitement was unspoken as he dashed off out of sight. Zhou Yiqiang unloaded the dry rations, jerky, and seasonings from the sled.
"Xiao Lin, you must be hungry. Here, have some dry rations to fill your stomach!" Zhou Yiqiang handed Lin Haitao a steaming bean bun and offered another to Yezhi.
The bean bun is a specialty snack made from yellow cornmeal. In the past, farmers typically ate two meals a day, and yellow corn is known for its slow digestion. Therefore, sticky bean buns made from yellow cornmeal became a staple food for farmers to stave off hunger. Steaming sticky bean buns is a significant event in rural Northeast during the year; once December arrives, every household is busy making them. Aunt Zhou also prepared quite a few, freezing them outside. When it's time to eat, they are steamed again, resulting in a sweet flavor with a hint of fragrant leaves and a soft, chewy texture that is unique. However, Yezhi doesn't particularly like sticky foods; bean buns are both sticky to the hands and teeth, which she finds bothersome! Thus, they are rarely found on her family's dining table.
"Comrade Lin, these bean buns are essential food for our villagers during festivals! My wife makes the best bean buns in the whole village!" Zhou Yiqiang said proudly.
Lin Haitao had tasted Aunt Zhou's bean buns at Yezhi's home and found them no different; still, he nodded in agreement, "Delicious!" Zhou Yiqiang wore an expression that seemed to say "I told you so," making Yezhi cover her mouth and chuckle. One Egg led Wolf Child into the house; the two little kids loved the fragrant bean buns and stuffed their cheeks full like two big frogs.
After finishing the bean buns and sipping a cup of tea brewed by Yezhi, they noticed that the sun had quietly set outside. "Wow! Why is it getting dark so quickly?" Yezhi exclaimed.
"Don't worry; we'll stay here for the night and head back tomorrow!" It seemed One Gun Brother had planned this all along. However, Yezhi liked this suggestion while Lin Haitao remained noncommittal but showed hints of anticipation in his eyes.
Zhou Yiqiang got ready again and opened the wooden door. "Let's go catch some flying dragons!"
Yezhi jumped off the kang and put on her cotton-padded jacket while Lin Haitao readied his gun. "Comrade Lin, no need for a gun! You won't need it."
"How can we hunt flying dragons without a gun? They can fly!" Yezhi interjected.
One Gun Brother laughed heartily. "I have my own methods! Just follow me!" Yezhi pulled One Egg along as they rushed outside. "Kid, spill your dad's secret weapon!"
One Egg pretended to be mysterious, smiling without answering as he dragged Wolf Child to chase after his father.
Zhou Yiqiang led everyone around the forest; Xiao Fang had already spotted signs of flying dragons. Yezhi knew there were flying dragons right under their noses, but One Gun Brother seemed to have no intention of taking action.
"Comrade Lin, go over there in the woods and shout a couple of times!" Zhou Yiqiang cheerfully instructed Lin Haitao.
Though Lin Haitao didn't understand what was going on, he ran into the woods and shouted twice before returning. "Now we just wait for it to get dark!" Zhou Yiqiang said confidently.
Wolf Child was puzzled by what was happening; how could humans hunt prey without guns while crouching in the snow? In fact, Yezhi was also confused by One Gun Brother's plan; she wanted to ask but feared disrupting his strategy.
"Let's go!" With One Gun Brother's command, the group hurried forward in the dim light of their flashlights. After running about 100 meters, they stopped in front of a large snow pile. One Gun Brother crouched down in the snow, reaching in and pulling out a flying dragon. Yezhi was amazed; it was like a magic trick, so incredible.
Zhou Yiqiang kept moving around the snow pile, tossing out one flying dragon after another. Excited, Yezhi picked them up one by one, while Wolf Child stood with her mouth agape, looking incredulous: How could this be? To catch such fast-flying birds so easily! Big Wolf was right; humans were indeed the most terrifying creatures.
Lin Haitao looked on in astonishment at the efficiency of catching flying dragons and the skill involved in dispatching them. One Egg was immensely proud; he was determined to learn his father's skills and become a top-notch hunter.
After pulling out more than ten flying dragons, Zhou Yiqiang finally stopped. "This spot is empty; let's head back!"
Yezhi finally seized the opportunity to ask, "One Gun Brother, how did you catch the flying dragons so easily?"
"Did we sweep through their nest?" Lin Haitao, who had been observing for a while, spoke up. Zhou Yiqiang nodded with a smile, confirming Lin Haitao's statement. "It looks impressive, but it's really that simple. The flying dragons rest on trees during the day and burrow into the snow at night. I had you call out a couple of times to drive them into their nests; we aimed to take out the whole nest." Though it sounded simple, it was built on generations of wisdom and experience; hunting was indeed not an easy task.
Back at Zhou Xiaomu's house, One Egg boasted to Wolf Child while plucking feathers and gutting the dragons. Zhou Yiqiang chopped up the flying dragons and tossed them into a pot. Yezhi watched as they simmered into Dragon Soup. Zhou Yiqiang took the rabbit that One Egg had prepared and set up a fire outside, hanging the rabbit over it to roast. Occasionally, he tossed in some Pine Bark into the flames, making it look delicious.
For dinner, they had flying dragon and Snow Rabbit prepared using the simplest and most primitive cooking methods. Each person received a large bowl of white Dragon Soup. Yezhi happily sipped hers, exclaiming how fresh it tasted. Lin Haitao had eaten flying dragon before but found that having it in the wilderness added a unique flavor; it was exceptionally delicious. Wolf Child quickly finished her bowl of meat and soup, wiped her mouth, and One Egg eagerly refilled her bowl with more soup. Wolf Child beamed with joy while One Egg grinned foolishly, ignoring the heat as she tore off a golden-brown rabbit leg and handed it to Wolf Child.
Yezhi watched with envy and was about to tease One Egg when Xiaobinzi handed her a torn-off rabbit leg. Yezhi froze for a moment, then Lin Haitao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?" How could she not? Yezhi took it eagerly and bit down hard. "Oh my gosh! It's burning hot!" she exclaimed as she jumped around from the heat but couldn't bear to spit it out.
Lin Haitao turned his head with a smile while One Gun Brother laughed heartily.
One Egg shouted joyfully, "Sister Ye is so silly!" This had nothing to do with being silly! Yezhi shot One Egg an annoyed glare. One Egg retorted stubbornly, "You're even worse than a child!" Yezhi felt indignant; the rabbit meat was fragrant, crispy, and tender—she didn't want to waste any of it! She was clearly just valuing food!
At that moment, outside came Niu Niu's barking sounds. Yezhi put down her rabbit leg and rushed outside where Niu Niu jumped into her arms, followed closely by a swift black shadow lunging at her.
Little Fang Stone screamed loudly, "Master, watch out!"
In an instant, Lin Haitao wrapped his arms around Yezhi, shielding her protectively. Wolf Child impulsively lunged forward but thankfully One Egg reacted quickly and pulled her back. One Gun Brother raised his hunting rifle and fired twice; the black shadow fell to the ground!
"Xiaobinzi, are you okay?" Yezhi asked urgently.
Xiao Fang looked dazed, covering his eyes as he murmured, "So much blood!" This frightened Yezhi greatly. "Xiaobinzi...!"
"I'm fine! Your voice is so loud; I'm almost deaf!" Yezhi punched him lightly on the chest while Lin Haitao let out a muffled grunt!
Zhou Yiqiang shook his head with a bitter smile. Why is it that every time he goes up the mountain with Leaf Sister, they always encounter some unexpected situation? This time, even a leopard showed up. What next? A tiger? A pack of wolves? He spat in frustration. Is there even going to be a next time? Can they even survive it?Once the danger was gone, One Egg let go of Wolf Child. Wolf Child charged forward and started punching and kicking the leopard lying in a pool of blood, howling in grief. From the feedback on the "Pet Communicator," Yezhi understood: "Big Wolf and the others were injured from fighting two leopards. Wolf Child is furious at the sight of his enemy."One Gun Brother lifted the bloodied Wolf Child, and tears streamed down his eyes, as though he was crying blood. Seeing this in the pitch-black night was terrifying.Back at the cabin, Yezhi pulled Xiaobinzi close and thoroughly checked him from head to toe. Only after Xiao Fang confirmed that there were no internal injuries did she feel truly relieved. "Master, if the 'Indestructible' spray can't even defend against such minor injuries, then it's too weak!"Yezhi comforted Wolf Child for a while, and when she saw her calming down, she turned her attention to settle scores with Niu Niu. Poor Niu Niu was being spanked by its owner and felt extremely wronged. It barked in protest, explaining that it was the owner who didn't allow it to transform. Otherwise, that sickly big cat would have been electrocuted crispy by now, just like Big Wolf, heh heh~ A hint of pride flashed in Niu Niu’s watery, glassy eyes.The "Pet Communicator" could decipher not only vocal and physical languages but also the language of thoughts. The feedback made Yezhi laugh and cry at the same time, and she gave Niu Niu a couple of hard pats to vent her frustration. Niu Niu whimpered in response.Xiao Fang tilted his head, observing the scene for a while before gently advising, "Master, stop hitting it. Be careful, or Niu Niu might turn against you out of love. There’s precedent for this in the Cilou Dog family!" Yezhi's hand trembled at his words, and she couldn't help but recall the terrifying experience of being electrocuted in the past.Sensing the moment, Yezhi hugged Niu Niu tightly and said in a sweet, sugary tone, "Hitting is love, and scolding is affection, Niu Niu. I only hit you because I like you so much. The more it hurts, the more it shows how much I care for you, okay?" Niu Niu, feeling deeply wronged, was left in a daze by her words. However, being a Cilou Dog meant existing for the love of its owner, and its glassy eyes immediately filled with deep affection for Yezhi.Lin Haitao, Zhou Yiqiang, and One Egg stared at the scene of the person and dog in confusion. Lin Haitao couldn’t help but cough twice, breaking Yezhi and Niu Niu's intense gaze.After the false alarm, everyone was exhausted and lay down on the modest bed. One Gun Brother blew out the candle, and outside, it was pitch dark. Yezhi felt like she could hear strange sounds. In her half-asleep state, her mind was filled with the image of Xiaobinzi rushing forward to embrace her without hesitation, and the sound of her own heartbeat.
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