Chapter 295 - 217: Acting Separately
Zhao Wendong now used the horse-drawn sled without any qualms. No one in the village would object. After all, Zhao Wendong had been the one to bring them their life-saving grain for the New Year and the haul from the coast. At this point, anyone in Dragon King Pond who dared to speak ill of Zhao Wendong would face everyone’s wrath. With the horse-drawn sled, Lin Zhiyin’s family of three, and Jin Xiuying, they could definitely get all these goods back.
"Big Brother, take them back to grab everything, see them to the foot of the mountain, and then come right back. Just wait for us in the cave. Don’t come looking for us in the mountains, you hear me? Wait at the stronghold until we’re done catching Forest Frogs, then we’ll regroup."
Hearing Zhao Wendong’s detailed plan, Zhao Wenjun nodded and prepared to carry it out. After breakfast, they fed the bear cubs one more time. Then, Zhao Wendong’s group of three escorted Zhao Wenjun, Erhei, and the two little cubs most of the way down the mountain before turning back. They headed for the large poplar tree hollow from yesterday. At first, Erhei was reluctant to return to the village, constantly looking back over its shoulder. It only trotted off obediently with Zhao Wenjun after Dahuang barked at it twice. Zhao Wendong smiled, squatting down to pat Dahuang’s head.
"Good boy, Dahuang. You’re really something. A fitting lead dog for me, Zhao Wendong."
At Zhao Wendong’s praise, Dahuang’s two white eyebrows seemed to perk up happily, and a huge grin spread across its canine face.
Following the trail they had marked the day before, the three men and two dogs made their way back to the large poplar. The big, empty tree hollow was still there. The area was silent. The lingering, indelible stench of blood from the recent, fierce battle hung in the air, a scent that made most animals instinctively keep their distance.
They rested for a bit under the great tree. Zhao Wenwu’s curiosity was piqued by the enormous hollow, and grabbing a flashlight, he squeezed inside. Zhao Wendong had already checked it out, so he paid him no mind, sitting outside with Er Gou to rest. A moment later, they heard Zhao Wenwu shout.
"Hey! Hey!"
The voice came from the other side of the tree. Zhao Wendong climbed to his feet, brushing the snow off his clothes.
"What’s up, Second Brother?"
"Wendong, come quick! What is all this?"
Zhao Wendong and Zhao Ergou got up and walked around to the other side of the tree. They followed Zhao Wenwu’s gaze upward. On the upper branches of the large poplar, patches of something green were growing, standing out starkly in the winter landscape. They hadn’t noticed it yesterday; they didn’t expect Zhao Wenwu to spot it today.
"It’s Dongqing. This stuff is good for treating chronic joint pain."
"Can we sell it?"
"Yep."
Zhao Wendong had barely finished speaking when Zhao Ergou had already slung off his rifle and was scrambling up the tree with a series of quick movements. Zhao Wendong had wanted to climb it himself. ’It’s been years,’ he thought, ’I kind of miss it.’ But seeing how much faster Er Gou was, he didn’t compete for the spot. Zhao Wenwu remained dutifully on the ground, watching with worried eyes. He wasn’t very coordinated and was a poor tree-climber, so he waited below, ready to catch Er Gou the instant he might fall.
Once up the tree, Zhao Ergou used a sickle to cut down the Dongqing. Many of the leaves still had bits of ice clinging to them. Their vibrant green was a delightful sight. In the dead of winter, where the world was a stark canvas of black and white, the sudden appearance of green was an instant mood-lifter.
"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
[Something is approaching.]
Dahuang and Dahei suddenly began barking furiously at something in the distance. Zhao Wendong reacted instantly, snatching up his Type 56 rifle and looking in the direction the dogs were facing. Soon, he spotted it: on a large, distant tree, a Northeast Leopard was stealthily approaching, its eyes locked on Zhao Ergou, who was still cutting the Dongqing.
"Er Gou, look out!"
Zhao Wendong shouted a warning, simultaneously taking a few steps forward to position himself between Er Gou and the Northeast Leopard. He held his Type 56 rifle tightly, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. Zhao Wenwu also snatched up his gun to help. He knew his marksmanship was poor, so he immediately fixed his bayonet, preparing to charge in for close-quarters combat if the leopard attacked.
Seeing it had been spotted, the Northeast Leopard froze. From its perch on the branch, its eyes met Zhao Wendong’s. A knot formed in Zhao Wendong’s stomach as a familiar feeling washed over him. ’This leopard is an old acquaintance.’ He was sure it was the same one he’d encountered before—the one whose boar he’d taken, and which had later snuck back to ambush him. But last time, Zhao Wendong had been holding a Type 38 rifle. This time was different. This time, he had a Type 56.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Zhao Wendong aimed at the Northeast Leopard in the tree and pulled the trigger. The leopard’s body blurred into motion, vanishing in a flash. The bullets slammed into the branch where it had been, shaking loose a shower of snow.
"It’s gone."
Straddling the branch, Zhao Ergou shook his head with a hint of disappointment. Then he went right back to harvesting the Dongqing. With Brother San around, he never had to worry about his safety. Dahuang and the other dog also fell silent. Zhao Wendong lowered his rifle, feeling a little regretful himself. ’It’s just too fast,’ he thought. ’Once you miss the first shot, it’s almost impossible to land a second. I couldn’t even move my muzzle fast enough to track it.’
Once they had harvested most of the Dongqing and gathered it into a bag, Zhao Wendong and the others took their tools and went directly to the gully beside the ice-covered spring. Zhao Wendong carefully examined the marks from their previous digging and nodded.
"Yep, this is the spot. Let’s start digging."
The three men began to dig. As they broke through the layer of frozen earth, nest after nest of hibernating Forest Frogs were exposed to the frigid air. Some froze solid before they even had a chance to wake up. Others managed a few last twitches of their legs before they, too, became motionless. The few stronger ones that managed to hop away were quickly pinned to the ground by a paw. Dahuang and Dahei waited gleefully to the side, thoroughly enjoying this game of catching frogs.