Reborn in 1985: Starting from Contracting a Ranch

Chapter 65 Returning Empty-handed

The next morning, Shan Yaowen was tidying up at home, and Lin Nian helped him organize his clothes and prepare dry food.

You have to prepare for everything in this snowy weather, especially warm clothing. If you don't dress warmly, you can really freeze to death on the mountain.

While Shan Yaowen was checking the gun and bullets, Lin Nian brought over the prepared biscuits and water bottle.

The kettle wasn't filled with water, but with alcohol.

There were no thermos flasks that day, and these marching water bottles, which carried hot water up the mountain, would soon get cold and even freeze.

Firstly, the wine won't freeze so easily, and secondly, it can warm the body; taking a sip when you're cold is more convenient than warming yourself by a fire.

Before setting off, I fed the silly bird some food, but not too much.

Instead of going up the mountain behind Baixi Ranch, the three of them took the road at the entrance of the village.

One advantage of taking this route is that there is a hidden cave left by the Japanese soldiers on the mountain where you can rest.

"How was it? It must have been quite difficult to climb up the mountain in this weather, right?" Shi Zhang led the way, leaving a trail of footprints in his wake.

Dog Egg followed closely behind Stone Camphor, stepping in the footprints in front of him as they walked up the mountain: "It's alright, we all grew up in the village, what's a little snow climbing a mountain, as long as it doesn't snow."

Shan Yaowen, bringing up the rear, slung his gun over his shoulder and said, "Don't jinx it. Given the current situation, if it snows, we'll have no choice but to turn back the way we came."

Although the mountain is not high, if it really starts to snow, it will basically be a blizzard.

Moreover, no one goes hunting on snowy days. With the heavy snow here, after a short while, you can't even see a hair, let alone footprints, so it's impossible to hunt.

Just as the group reached the mountain and rested at the cave entrance in preparation for finding their destination, a sudden gust of wind swept across the mountain, followed by fine snowflakes.

"Did you have your mouth blessed at a temple?" Shan Yaowen looked at the snowflakes falling on his arm and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Dog Egg chuckled sheepishly, "I was just saying it offhand, who knew it would actually start snowing?"

"What should we say?" Shan Yaowen looked at Shi Zhang.

Although he had hunting experience, this time he went hunting in the mountains with Shi Zhang.

He was the one who found the roe deer and led the way, so he didn't interfere.

If it weren't for the fact that he had saved someone's father, Shi Zhang might not have called him this time.

"Let's find it, it should be around here." Shi Zhang grabbed a handful of snow, put it in his mouth, and then led the way out.

He had seen that herd of roe deer before; there were seven or eight big ones. If they could be taken down, they could have a prosperous year.

Unfortunately, he didn't bring a gun last time, only a wood-chopping knife.

Then the heavy snow disturbed the herd of roe deer, and they didn't manage to shoot down a single one.

This time it's good. Three men, three guns, a hunting dog, and an eagle. We're going to take them all down no matter what.

An hour later.

Looking at the heavy snow falling from the sky, all three of them had ice crystals on their faces.

Not to mention roe deer, not even a rabbit was seen; the heavy snow had covered all traces of animals.

The silly bird had already gone back when it was snowing heavily, so now only the three people and the dog are still struggling to trek.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm about to collapse." Gou Dan wiped the snow off his face. "Guys, my pants and shoes are soaked through, what do you say?"

Shi Zhang sighed, "Let's go back. It looks like it's not going to work today."

After retreating back to the cave entrance, the three rested for a while, finished the remaining liquor, and then hurried down the mountain.

After agreeing to continue tomorrow, Shan Yaowen hurried home.

Not only were Gou Dan's pants and shoes wet, but Shi Zhang's were almost too. After all, with such a heavy blizzard, unless you stayed home, there was no way to avoid it.

They could only endure it, but unfortunately they still couldn't find any trace of the roe deer.

"Huh? Didn't you hit him?" Lin Nian was at home grooming her silly bird when she saw Shan Yaowen return and quickly went to take his wet clothes.

"No, the snow is too heavy, and there's a strong wind." Shan Yaowen wiped his face.

After returning home, my face, which had been almost frozen, finally warmed up quite a bit.

"It's alright, hurry up and change your clothes, don't catch a cold." Lin Nian quickly brought over a clean set of clothes for Shan Yaowen.

After changing into dry clothes, that sticky, uncomfortable feeling was finally gone.

Shan Yaowen changed his clothes, then remembered that he hadn't checked the sheep pen yet, so he put on his clothes and dog-skin hat and went out.

"I should have known better than to change. I could have finished everything and come back to change later." Shan Yaowen really wanted to take off all his clothes and put on the ones that were already wet.

Seeing this, Lin Nian quickly patted him on the shoulder, "Just wear this. What's the point of wearing something wet? Anyway, I tend the fire at home. I'll dry it for you later. What's the point of wearing something wet? Besides, you're going to the sheep pen, not hunting. You might not even get your clothes wet..."

Seeing Lin Nian's concern for him, Shan Yaowen felt a warmth in his heart, hugged her, and then turned to leave.

However, just as I stepped out of the house, before I even reached the intersection, as I passed Aunt Lan's house next door, I heard a sound of crying coming from her house.

A faint arguing could be heard.

It seems that Aunt Lan's daughter-in-law and son had a fight, and you could vaguely hear words like "keeping a mistress outside" and "where's the money?"

Just as he was about to press his ear against the wall to listen carefully, someone suddenly patted him on the back, startling him.

He turned around and realized it was his wife. "What are you doing? You scared me!"

Lin Nian quietly sidled up to her. "So what are you doing? Sticking to the outside of someone's wall."

"It sounds like they're arguing. Why are you out here? Why aren't you at home warming yourself by the fire?" Shan Yaowen glanced at the impatient Lin Nian. "You're joining in on their argument?"

"You're different?" Lin Nian squatted down in front of Shan Yaowen, her ears practically tucked into the wall.

This person is clearly a hardcore gossip enthusiast.

Looking at the snow that was still falling overhead, Shan Yaowen simply pulled Lin Nian back and listened by the wall in his own yard.

A short while later, the sound of a stool being smashed came from next door.

"Weren't you going to the sheep pen?" Lin Nian pressed her ear against the wall, her eyes practically leaping inside to peek, but she was still urging Shan Yaowen to get to work.

"Wait a minute."

Shan Yaowen was listening intently; the sheep wouldn't starve if he fed them later.

The commotion next door grew louder and louder, and it wasn't just Shan Yaowen and his wife who heard it; many people in the neighborhood heard it, and some even came over to try and break up the fight.

Shan Yaowen and his companion followed the people who were trying to break up the fight, intending to see what had happened.

As soon as the two entered, they saw Aunt Lan's daughter-in-law sitting on the ground kicking her legs. When she saw someone coming to persuade her, she shouted even louder, and even sounded like she was crying.

"Look at you, you haven't brought any money home all winter and you're always running around outside. You must be keeping a vixen."

When Aunt Lan's son saw the neighbors approaching, he looked embarrassed and yelled at his wife, who was lying on the ground, with a dark expression:

"Didn't I tell you I had nothing to do lately, and I lost the little money I had left gambling?"

Seeing the two start arguing, the people around them immediately stepped into peacemaking mode.

Some people pulled the woman off the ground, while others tried to persuade the man to stop arguing. However, most of them were asking questions while trying to persuade him, wanting to know more inside information.

Then, with the persuasion of her neighbors, the woman was almost convinced to take her child and go back to her parents' home.

Fortunately, Aunt Lan and her husband rushed back after hearing the news.

Then everyone dispersed.

However, they were still muttering about the couple when they left.

After finishing their melon-eating, Lin Nian went back satisfied, while Shan Yaowen remembered to go to the sheep pen.

When he rushed to the sheep pen in the pasture, the sheep were already bleating in a flock.

"What's the big deal? It's just a little late, why are you yelling?"

While cursing the sheep, Shan Yaowen went to get straw to feed them.