Chapter 758 - 706: Surprise
When Mountain Eagle woke up from his dream, the sky was just getting light...
He glanced out the window and found that it had started snowing lightly again. After checking the time on his watch, he turned to kiss the forehead of Xiao Wan, who was curled up in his arms.
He lifted the blanket to take a look at Xiao Wan's still graceful figure, sighed in satisfaction, and then quietly got out of bed, dressed, and walked into the bathroom...
Softly opening the door to the next room, he walked in to find Zack and Yue Yi already awake.
Yue Yi, wearing shorts, stood on a stool beside the bed, pointing outside along with Zack...
Mountain Eagle followed the children's gaze and saw a wolverine under the cabin porch rummaging through a trash bin. The wolverine had already gnawed a hole in the bottom of the bin and was pulling out the bones leftover from their meal yesterday.
Seeing animals at Brown Bear Camp isn't unusual; after all, as Alaska enters winter, many animals begin to starve. Finding food in the easiest places is an instinct shared by all creatures.
Wolverines aren't unusual, but what really interested the two kids were the Maghenxi Wolves...
The young Maghenxi Wolves in the camp had early on detected the wolverine's presence but did not scare it off when it entered the camp. To them, the wolverine just wasn't a threat.
So, most of the Maghenxi Wolves stayed quietly in their kennels downwind without moving, while three restless young wolves spread out and hid downwind, ready to slowly tighten the encirclement once the wolverine found some food.
Watching the wolves' movements, Mountain Eagle realized they were preparing to drive the wolverine in a certain direction...
Looking at the controller on Zack's ear and hearing his occasional low commands, Mountain Eagle smiled and patted his enviously amazed son's shoulder, saying, "Where are your two dogs..."
Yue Yi seemed concerned that his voice might disturb the wolverine below. He scratched his dry nose and whispered, "Schuck and Beta are in the attic...
I made a nest for Snowy Owl, but Old Ruby said it's too warm down here, and Snowy Owl doesn't like it, so I moved the bird's nest to the attic...
Balang also chased Schuck and Beta there. Last night Balang was fierce; he even bit Schuck and Beta's necks.
Dad, is Balang really Schuck and Beta's father? They don't look alike at all, and Balang is too fierce."
Upon hearing this, Mountain Eagle realized something. He touched the wound on his wrist left by Balang, then reached out to ruffle his son's hair, saying, "Balang is doing it for their own good. If Schuck and Beta can't adapt quickly to Alaska's cold, they'll get sick easily when going out.
Malinois isn't suited for very cold places, just like your mom's two Dobermans, who have to wear thick clothes even for a short outing."
While they were talking, the three Maghenxi Wolves downstairs launched an attack, springing from three directions at the oblivious and happy wolverine...
Though the strike was fierce, it slowed down as they got close to the wolverine, accompanied by a low growl.
At that moment, the slower-reacting wolverine hesitated for two seconds between baring its teeth and fleeing, then faced with the three half-grown wolves about 50 cm at shoulder height, it opted to turn tail and run.
The three Maghenxi Wolves herded it like shepherds, chasing it for several dozen meters in a triangular formation until just as it was about to leave the camp boundary, the wolverine triggered a snare...
With a light "bang" sound...
A deliberately bent branch suddenly straightened, the snare looped around the wolverine's hind leg, hoisting it into mid-air.
"Yes..."
Yue Yi excitedly high-fived Zack beside him, then turned to his dad, yelling eagerly, "Dad, it was Zack's trap..."
Mountain Eagle saw a shy smile appear on Zack's face and said in surprise, "You guys noticed it early?"
Zack shrugged, saying, "We woke up when it was barely light and noticed the wolverine sneaking near the camp's edge.
I controlled the little wolves as the wolverine snuck in and while Fist was holding Balang, I set several snare traps on the camp edge."
Saying this, Zack pointed to the controller on his ear, "Sir, they trained me from childhood to work with these animals in the lab, so..."
Mountain Eagle nodded slightly, saying, "That might be the silver lining in a bad situation. Let's not talk about the lab anymore; we're family. You'll definitely become the finest warrior and hunter."
With that, Mountain Eagle, pulling a very eager Yue Yi wanting to handle the prey, curiously asked, "Why catch a wolverine?
The meat is really bad!"
Yue Yi broke free from his dad's grip, hurried to the bed, and quickly put on some breathable and warm underwear, then donned a simple windproof and warm outfit, shouting loudly, "Last night, Old Ruby got drunk and was talking about hunting some wolverines to make ointment to prevent frostbite.
Dad, let's get down there...
Old Ruby said a wolverine could be exchanged for an airgun at his place; the area around the camp has a lot of mice, and I want to shoot mice to feed the Snowy Owl."
Mountain Eagle caught on—Yue Yi just wanted to have fun, but to him, a boy's love for guns is a virtue. He gladly called Zack to go down and deal with the prey, and then the three of them took the catch to Old Ruby's doorstep. Afterward, with the sun just rising, they carried their guns and went for a few loops around the camp.
Calling it running is inaccurate; it should be called trekking...
The 30 cm thick snow made it very hard for Yue Yi, who was just over a meter tall, although the little guy was very excited to be able to move with his father, and his physical condition was surprisingly good. Plus, Balang occasionally bit his clothes and pulled him along, making the whole process difficult yet full of fun.
As the three passed by the sawmill, they could hear a rustling sound from afar, coming from the nearby sawmill leaking wind everywhere. When they approached to check it out, they found more than a dozen gray-black rats scurrying out from a pile of completely rotted wood, rushing into the sawmill's sawdust pile.
Seeing his son excitedly take off the air pistol on his back, Mountain Eagle shook his head with a smile and said, "Don't shoot the rats first thing in the morning; let's see if we can catch some snow chickens or the like for your mom to make soup."
Yue Yi nodded regretfully, then looked at the woods not far away and said: "Dad, then let's hurry. I also want to be a hunter; in the future, I can support you all in Alaska…"
Mountain Eagle thought of the hard life of native hunters, smiled, and nodded: "Then you try it; there's no harm in it.
But remember one thing, only hunt the prey you need, don't kill indiscriminately.
A respected hunter sees his harvest as a gift from nature, keeping a grateful heart…"
Yue Yi nodded, seemingly understanding, while Zack next to them said earnestly, "Got it!
Just like those true beasts, only take what you need…
In documentaries, once lions are full, they won't attack antelopes even if they are circling nearby."
Mountain Eagle called the two little ones to follow him; he walked towards the woods, smiling as he said: "The difference between humans and lions is that we store food for unpredictable circumstances.
It's a great habit, but when many people do this, some develop greedy thoughts, leading to competition.
Like me, I have prepared a great deal of food, but I still can't help but want my family and friends to taste fresh meat.
The only comfort I find is that the meat I store is raised by Wayne's clan, whom I paid."
"Why?"
Zack stepped in and out, following Mountain Eagle, curiously asking: "If we have enough reserves, does hunting still make sense?"
Mountain Eagle smiled and said, "That depends on how you think and what you do?
The purpose of reserves is to cope with unforeseen risks; Alaska inherently poses great risks to people.
Every winter, a portion of the surrounding natives go hungry due to insufficient reserves; Wayne's tribe is in good shape this year, but there are other tribes nearby.
When you have enough reserves, you can help them through the difficult winter.
Food and gasoline represent "wealth" in remote parts of Alaska…
Our ability to reserve food and gasoline signifies our "power"…
When we are capable enough, as long as we are willing to take responsibility, in this land, we will gain power!"
This topic was slightly too profound for Zack…
Mountain Eagle looked at Zack, who seemed a little confused, and smiled as he said, "Zack, you're the oldest; you'll become a leader someday.
While the most crucial quality for a leader is indeed ability, the key to others following you lies in whether you are willing to take responsibility."
Zack nodded instinctively and said, "I think I kinda get it…"
Mountain Eagle smiled and patted Zack on the back, saying, "You always care for your younger siblings, but that's not enough.
You're stronger than them, more capable and experienced, and you need to learn to persuade them to heed your advice in certain matters, rather than merely taking care of them for the sake of taking care."
Zack didn't entirely understand Mountain Eagle's meaning, and at that moment, Mountain Eagle didn't want to continue explaining either; some things need to come gradually, and they also relate to personality…
The three of them trod on the snow into the woods around the camp; the morning sunlight shone through the treetops, casting a warmth in the forest. A group of white snow chickens appeared some tens of meters away, burying themselves in the snow, searching for food.
Mountain Eagle stopped Balang from rushing forward, led the two children to circle the area, approaching the snow chickens with their backs to the sunlight…
Just as Mountain Eagle was teaching Yue Yi how to use the air pistol, Balang suddenly let out a low growl…
A rustling sound came from the distant woods, and then a large white figure appeared before them.
The large group of snow chickens, startled, flew up in panic, settling on surrounding bushes with discontented 'cluck cluck' noises…
"Moose, a white moose…"
Yue Yi exclaimed excitedly, then instantly realized something was wrong and covered his mouth forcefully…