Chapter 953: Scooping Honey

After taking the bear gall, the three of them began cutting meat to feed the dogs.

Just as they had fed the dogs a few strips of meat, Wang Li suddenly asked Wang An

"Fourth Brother, this black bear clearly isn't that 'man-bear.' Should we keep wandering around here looking for it after noon?"

Wang An thought for a moment and said

"Since we've already made the trip into the mountains, let's wander around a bit more. It's not like going back now changes much."

Hearing this, Mu Xueli immediately asked

"Then should we only feed the dogs until they're half-full, Brother-in-law?"

Wang An nodded and said

"Yeah, just feed them until they're half-full. If we happen to run into that man-bear before noon, the dogs will still be able to tear into it."

"Tear into it" was local dialect with several meanings, but in this context, it meant to bite and fight.

In fact, it is the same for any animal; when they are full, their agility drops significantly.

Furthermore, because there is too much food in the stomach, violent exercise can damage the gastrointestinal tract.

Raw meat is already difficult to digest, and dogs don't chew their food much. If a dog exercises violently on a full stomach, it could even lead to a ruptured stomach and death in severe cases.

Thus, while the dogs barked wildly and impatiently, the three of them stopped cutting meat for them.

Hearing the dogs' cries, Wang An said to Da Hei

"We still have work to do this afternoon. We'll let you eat your fill tonight, alright? Tell them to stop barking."

Upon hearing Wang An's words, Da Hei let out a few grunts, clearly expressing the dissatisfaction of the pack.

It was normal for the dogs to behave this way.

During this season, aside from cornmeal, the dogs only got to eat dried meat during special treats, or otherwise chewed on bones they had saved up.

So, having finally found a chance to eat meat only to be told they couldn't eat their fill, the dogs were bound to be resentful.

Helplessly, Wang An rubbed Da Hei's head a few times and explained in a gentle tone

"We still have to work this afternoon. If every one of you has a belly round as a ball, how are you going to work?"

Under Wang An's persuasion and guarantee, Da Hei finally barked a few times at the other dogs.

Once Da Hei finished barking, the pack finally fell silent.

Wang An patted Da Hei's head again as a sign of approval, then turned to Wang Li and Mu Xueli, who were butchering the meat

"Put the cut meat directly into the sacks. We'll hang the sacks on the tree in a moment, and then come back to pick them up before we head down the mountain."

As soon as Wang An finished speaking, Mu Xueli and Wang Li responded simultaneously

"Yes, Brother-in-law."

"Got it, Fourth Brother."

Wang An stopped paying attention to the two of them and began wandering around the vicinity.

Of course, Wang An wasn't wandering aimlessly; he wanted to gather some wild chives and dig up some wild garlic and other wild vegetables.

Since they were going to eat pancakes in a bit, they needed some vegetables to go with them.

While digging for wild vegetables, Wang An pondered where to find the man-bear. Thinking about the man-bear naturally reminded him of the black bear that had just fallen to its death.

The reason this black bear fell from the tree was certainly because Da Hei and the other dogs had surrounded the tree and barked frantically.

In other words, the bear had been startled by the sudden barking, and in its agitation, it had fallen.

But the question was, why was this black bear climbing a tree for no reason?

Although black bears are omnivores, almost everyone knows that their favorite food is honey.

After this train of thought, Wang An finally concluded one thing: atop this large lime tree, hidden from view, there was a beehive, and that hive contained plenty of honey.

A black bear wouldn't climb a tree for no reason; if it climbed, it was definitely to eat.

At the thought of honey, Wang An's eyes lit up.

Honey was an incredibly delicious substance, and beyond its taste, its price was very high.

For something like lime honey, the procurement price at the supply and marketing cooperative was as high as over 2 yuan per jin, and the selling price exceeded 2.5 yuan.

Of course, "hundred-flower honey"—a mixed honey from many different flowers—was slightly cheaper.

Thinking of this, after digging enough wild vegetables for the three of them, Wang An returned to the large lime tree where Mu Xueli and Wang Li were.

By this time, the two had finished butchering the entire black bear and were hanging the sacks on a very thick tree fork.

Wang An stepped forward to help tie the ropes, then pointed to the lime tree the bear had fallen from and said to the two with a smile

"I reckon there's definitely a beehive in that tree. Which one of you wants to go up and scrape out the honey?"

Actually, Wang An was just asking. If neither of them could do it, he would climb the tree himself.

Although Wang An hadn't worked as a mountain hunter in his previous life, he had plenty of experience as a mountain gatherer. While he hadn't harvested honey often, he had done it a few times.

To be honest, harvesting honey was not an easy job.

On one hand, beehives were mostly in tree hollows high up in trees or in rock crevices on steep cliffs; in any case, the vast majority were in high places.

Honey on steep cliffs was basically out of the question, as it was extremely difficult to climb up, and harvesting honey under such conditions was too dangerous.

Only those in trees were relatively safe, making them frequent targets for gatherers.

Since people in the mountains generally knew how to climb trees, as long as they were careful not to fall and avoided being stung by the bees, it was manageable.

Hearing this, Mu Xueli and Wang Li instinctively widened their eyes and looked up at the tree.

Immediately after, Mu Xueli said eagerly

"That's right! The black bear climbed the tree, so nine times out of ten it was for honey. How did I forget that? I have experience harvesting honey, hehehehe, I'll go up!"

As he spoke, Mu Xueli began looking around.

Wang An knew Mu Xueli was looking for dried cow dung. To avoid being stung, using lit dried cow dung to smoke out the bees was incredibly effective; it was a common technique used by gatherers.

Seeing this, Wang An said

"Are you looking for dried cow dung, Xueli? Don't bother, that stuff won't even light with matches. Didn't we bring mugwort rope? Old Fifth, go cut a piece for your Brother Mu."

Wang An suddenly realized he should buy a few lighters; matches were sometimes unreliable.

While Wang Li went to the horse to cut the mugwort rope, Wang An walked to a lime tree that wasn't too thick, peeled off a piece of bark with his knife, and in a few quick motions, fashioned a bark bag with a handle.

With everything prepared, Mu Xueli handed his Type 56 semi-automatic rifle to Wang An and climbed the tree like a monkey.