Chapter 834: The Long-Desired Gunner Title

After the group returned to the dugout, they transferred the wild boar carcasses from the backs of the mules, horses, and donkeys onto the four-wheel carts and the trailers of the walk-behind tractors.

During this process, Wang An kept two small wild boars weighing about 20 jin each, and he and Wang Li each kept an Oroqen horse.

As for the four-wheel carts and the walk-behind tractors, Wang Daliang and Wang Dazhu drove them back home.

By this time, it was already past noon.

After Wang Dazhu and Wang Daliang led the group away, Wang An and Wang Li began bustling about to prepare lunch.

Due to the time, they stuck to their usual routine of stewed meat and steamed buns.

As for the roast suckling pig Wang An wanted to eat, that was something that couldn't be done in a short amount of time; it would have to be roasted in the afternoon and eaten in the evening.

While eating, Wang Li asked with a face full of worry

"Fourth Brother, when do you think that Big Claw will leave?"

Hearing this, Wang An shook his head and said

"Who knows? If it likes it here, it might stay for several years. If it doesn't, it might leave once autumn arrives."

This was actually something Wang An had been wondering about as well.

It was said that the tigers that came to Heilongjiang Province were generally female tigers coming to give birth, because the temperature here was relatively warmer than on the Russian side.

Once the cubs grew up, the tiger would migrate back to the Russian side.

Of course, this was just a local saying; Wang An didn't know if it was actually true.

Not having received the answer he wanted, Wang Li chewed his steamed bun while staring expressionlessly at the fire, clearly feeling a bit distracted.

Wang An, however, said with a beaming smile

"What's this? A single Big Claw has you scared stiff? You've got a gun in your hand, what the hell are you afraid of? Besides, we don't even know for sure if there is a Big Claw, so what's there to fear?"

Wang Li pondered for a moment and said

"Construction on my house is about to start. Hunting is already hard enough at a time like this. If a Big Claw shows up and just watches from the sidelines every day, and then I'm too afraid to shoot it, how frustrating would that be?"

Hearing this, Wang An gave Wang Li an annoyed look and said

"Look at you, acting like a bear. Do you think we'd actually let you go into the mountains alone? Every single time, it's either the two of us or the three of us with Xueli. It's fine; if it dares to show up, we'll just sneak up and blast it dead."

Wang Li was stunned and instinctively asked

"Sneak up and kill it? Is that okay? If people find out, won't we be buried along with it?"

To be honest, if they killed a tiger without approval, Wang An felt a bit apprehensive too.

After all, in his previous life, Wang An had been thrown into the "fence" (prison) for trafficking tigers and firearms.

Having been reborn, Wang An absolutely did not want to repeat the same mistake.

However, Wang An forced himself to act tough and said

"It won't come to that. As long as no one knows, it's fine. Don't worry."

Thus, through Wang An's guidance and encouragement, Wang Li visibly relaxed.

After lunch, with nothing left to do, the two of them lay on the kang of the dugout and enjoyed a wonderful nap.

What Wang An and Wang Li didn't know was that they had already been dubbed "Gunners" by the villagers of Kaoshan Village.

The reason they were given the title of "Gunner" was partly thanks to Wang Dazhu. While chatting with the others, Wang Dazhu had inadvertently revealed that Wang An had previously led people from the county to slaughter a Big Claw.

In this region, only those who had slaughtered tigers and leopards could be called "Gunners," and Wang An and Wang Li were undoubtedly deserving of the title.

Furthermore, to the surprise of Wang An and Wang Li, the results of their crop-guarding mission had already begun to spread beyond Kaoshan Village.

In an era where wild beasts were rampant, having Gunners in a village provided the residents with a great sense of security.

If Wang An knew that the "Gunner" title he so coveted had been obtained so haphazardly, he didn't know how he would feel.

When they woke up, it was already 3:30 PM.

Stepping out of the dugout, Wang An gave a long stretch. He had to admit, that nap was truly refreshing.

Pulling out a cigarette and handing one to Wang Li, Wang An pondered for a moment and said

"Fifth Brother, ride your horse home now and grab two heads of garlic. Then go to my house and fill a pot with liquor, and ask your sister-in-law for some sesame seeds. We'll have a good drink tonight."

Wang Li took a puff of the cigarette, smoke billowing from both nostrils, and said

"Don't we still have to watch the crops tonight? Is it okay to drink? Besides, what do we need sesame seeds for, Fourth Brother?"

Wang An gazed at the surrounding crops and said

"We killed so many wild boars this morning; I reckon it'll be quiet tonight. Besides, we Wang family members don't get drunk easily, so what's the fear? Hurry up and go. I'll get the little spotted brat ready, and we'll eat roast suckling pig tonight."

At the mention of roast suckling pig, Wang Li immediately became interested and asked curiously

"How do you roast a suckling pig, Fourth Brother? I've never eaten one before."

Wang An lied with a smile

"I've never eaten one either. I just heard people talking about it in the county. We'll find out once we try, haha..."

Wang Li nodded

"Alright, Fourth Brother, I'll head back now. Hehehehe..."

After Wang Li left, Wang An got busy.

Normally, wild boar skin is inedible because it is completely different from domestic pig skin; it is extremely tough and very tedious to process.

However, the "spotted brats" were different. Their skin was very tender; as long as the hair was cleaned off and it was cooked through, it was delicious.

So, after starting a fire, Wang An threw the whole small wild boar into the flames, then piled a heap of dry, thin twigs on top of it.

Soon, the entire piglet was buried in the fire.

After a few minutes, Wang An raked the piglet out and began using a skinning knife to carefully scrape off the charred black crust.

This process was indeed quite time-consuming.

Fortunately, Wang An had nothing else to do and plenty of time.

Once the charred bits were scraped clean, Wang An carried the piglet to the ditch by the field and gave it a thorough wash. Only then did he gut the pig.

Finally, he cut off and discarded the head and trotters, which were difficult to clean, and gave it one last rinse. The preparations for the roast suckling pig were finally complete.

Actually, in a standard roast suckling pig, the head isn't thrown away, but it's a hassle to clean, and a wild boar this small has very little meat in its head. It was easier to just toss it.

After prepping the piglet, Wang An carried it back to the front of the dugout.

Breaking a pile of leafy branches to spread on the ground, Wang An began to carefully marinate the small wild boar.

(End of Chapter)