The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the two of them hurried home with the sled!
On this morning, where the cold was enough to make even dogs bared their teeth, the temperature was much lower than during the night, hovering near minus 40 degrees. Yet, every time they entered the mountains in the morning, they felt nothing; this time, however, the descent from the mountain truly left them shivering and frozen!
Passing by the area where the large snares were set, they took a look. Although these six large snares were expensive and the process of setting them was incredibly complex and troublesome, they were truly effective!
They had caught three roe deer. Two were still alive, and one was a "yellow-haired" one. The yellow-haired one might have been caught earlier; its internal organs had been torn out and eaten by some animal, and a small piece of its belly meat had also been taken, but overall, the loss was practically zero!
Although the trip into the mountains had yielded a significant harvest, they had also suffered quite a bit of hardship, but the two were still beaming with joy. They had lost a pig, but they had gained one back.
Most importantly were the two live roe deer. Live animals are worth much more than dead ones, and these trapped ones could be raised and slaughtered whenever one felt like eating!
This kind of thing was truly worth celebrating! The remaining two large snares that hadn't caught anything were also packed up!
Roe deer are terrified of wolves. When the two men tied the two live roe deer and placed them on top of the wolf carcasses, the deer wouldn't stop bleating. The white fur on their hindquarters stood on end, and their bound legs struggled and kicked wildly, looking quite comical!
Reaching the mountain range where the wire snares and traps were located, they had another harvest: five bobcats, one flying dragon (marten), one "silly half-pound" (weasel), and two pheasants. Wang An was already used to such hauls!
In truth, whether it was snares or traps, it all relied on quantity. With over 60 snares and more than 30 traps, as long as one learned the proper methods and did a circuit every day, one would never return empty-handed!
However, fine wire and thick wire were not cheap for ordinary mountain folk in this era, so they were stuck in a vicious cycle!
It was just like wanting to start a small business; you know it makes money, but you don't have a cent in your pocket, and everyone around you is poor. You try to borrow, but you can't, which is simply agonizing!
In the mountains of this era, things like pheasants and rabbits were simply too abundant! Even in the later generations, there were still rabbits in the small woods of the countryside!
But without someone to teach you, the harvest would certainly be mediocre. Just like Wang An before, no matter how many snares he set, he couldn't catch a single thing!
The two didn't linger and hurried home with the sled.
When they arrived at Feng Chengmin's house, his aunt, Wang Yulian, had been pacing back and forth at the front gate for who knows how long. Her hair wasn't combed, her face wasn't washed, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were bloodshot—it was obvious she hadn't slept all night!
Since Feng Chengmin hadn't mentioned staying overnight in the mountains before they left, Wang Yulian had been terrified since he didn't return last night!
It was understandable; anyone could understand. In these times, it was all too common for mountain hunters to die in the mountains!
Even if one wasn't a professional hunter, as long as they entered the mountains, it was common to see one or two deaths occasionally!
Otherwise, where would all the widows and widowers in every village come from!
Seeing Feng Chengmin and Wang An return, Wang Yulian's eyes instantly welled up! She said nothing and didn't cry; the worry was real, but so was the habit!
The aunt didn't care about the sled full of wolf carcasses or the live roe deer; she went straight into the house to cook. Wang An refused to stay, using the excuse that his family was waiting anxiously, and the two men surprisingly did not try to persuade him to stay!
Regarding the hunted prey, Feng Chengmin decided to split it equally. Perhaps in Feng Chengmin's heart, Wang An's contribution with the large.54 caliber rifle was the greatest this time, as it had essentially saved both their lives!
As soon as Wang An tried to decline, Feng Chengmin's expression changed. Wang An felt uneasy about always taking the advantage, but he could only accept it helplessly!
Thus, Wang An's share included six wolves (including the alpha), two roe deer (one alive, one dead), six bobcats, one flying dragon, one weasel, and two pheasants. Feng Chengmin even told Wang An to take the tiger cub back and split the money once the pelt was sold!
This was because Feng Chengmin had an extra wolf with damaged fur from a dog bite, and the weight of one yellow-haired roe deer was roughly equivalent to three regular ones.
Compared to roe deer meat, mountain folk preferred wild boar meat because wild boars have fat, whereas roe deer are almost entirely lean meat, except for a thin layer of fat on the belly about as thick as parchment paper!
The tiger cub also weighed nearly sixty pounds, significantly heavier than a roe deer, serving as a form of compensation for Wang An! He just didn't know if tiger meat tasted good, mainly because he had never eaten it!
This time, besides the "Big Claw" (bear), Wang An had essentially eaten all three great feline beasts of the mountains!
As he was leaving, Wang An suddenly asked Feng Chengmin, "Uncle, are you keeping those wolf teeth?"
Feng Chengmin was stunned, not knowing why his nephew was asking, and replied, "What use is there in keeping that stuff? It's just trash."
Hearing this, Wang An felt a surge of joy and said, "Then when you skin the wolves, help me knock them out and save them for me. I'm interested in those things!"
Though still puzzled, Feng Chengmin figured everyone has their hobbies. He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll save them for you!"
Wang An said his goodbyes and hurried home with the sled!
Still far from the courtyard, Wang An's big black head dog seemed to sense something and began to bark, followed immediately by the other two!
However, in the broad daylight, the family didn't pay much attention!
Before even entering the gate, Wang An saw Mu Xueqing and Shen Wei chatting at the entrance, and he was momentarily stunned.
Why did these two women look so harmonious? Did they have no desire to fight? Although he was the culprit, the way they were acting was truly abnormal!
Seeing Wang An return, both women were very surprised, because Wang An hadn't returned last night, and the family thought he had stayed at Feng Chengmin's! Since the two women were chatting, the topic was naturally Wang An, so Shen Wei knew what had happened!
And at this hour, shouldn't Wang An have already entered the mountains?
However, as Wang An approached, the two women were even more shocked! A pile of wolf carcasses! What on earth was going on?
Ignoring the women's shock, Wang An said with a smile, "Why aren't you two chatting inside? Isn't it cold at the gate?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xueqing first gave Wang An a look of reproach, followed by a face full of worry. So many wolf carcasses, all killed by gunshots—one could only imagine what her man had gone through!
Shen Wei also frowned deeply at the sight of the wolves, her face filled with concern!
Although she and Wang An had only shared physical intimacy once, many women in this era were like this: once they gave their bodies, they essentially gave their hearts!
Furthermore, many women were given their bodies through drugs or other dirty methods by men, yet they would not resist; instead, they would actively marry the man who had used such means to obtain them, regardless of how much of a bastard the man was!
Hearing of such things, people felt pity for their misfortune but anger at their lack of struggle! Most of all, people felt nothing but helplessness!