Chapter 12: The Sales Outlet for Live Poultry

Yue Feng climbed the hillside with steady steps. Opposite him lay a vast, gentle slope covered primarily by a mixed forest of conifers and broad-leaved trees. The ground vegetation was low with few shrubs, making it an open, clear area that hunters considered ideal.

From at least thirty or forty meters away, Yue Feng spotted the traces of hazel grouse.

Five or six hazel grouse with mottled, reed-colored feathers were foraging and playing under a tree near the ridge.

The success rate of hawking is very high against flocks that haven't been exposed to hawks before. Yue Feng pretended to be nonchalant, using the tree trunks as cover to get as close as possible. This small flock of hazel grouse didn't seem particularly afraid of humans; Yue Feng had already slowly approached within thirty meters, but the rooster in the flock only glanced at him occasionally, continuing to go about its business.

The Da Qing Yao (Great Blue Sparrowhawk) in Yue Feng’s hand was already eager to go, trying several times to break free from his grip, but Yue Feng held firm.

When he got within twenty meters, the flock grew alert. Knowing he couldn't get any closer, Yue Feng decisively released the hawk.

Once in the forest, the sparrowhawk’s true prowess was fully displayed. With the initial speed from the launch, it skimmed just above the grass, accelerating in a straight line like a silent ghost, charging directly at the flock.

*Zizizi!!* The rooster’s sharp warning cry rang out, but it was too late!

The Da Qing Yao pinned one of the hazel grouse to the ground. The captured bird flapped its wings and struggled violently, but it was all in vain.

By the time Yue Feng walked up, the Da Qing Yao had already adjusted its posture after a quick flip of its talons, settling into its classic pose: one talon pinning the bird’s head, the other gripping the base of its wing.

The Da Qing Yao, which weighed only about 375 grams even when fully fed, had caught a hazel grouse weighing at least 500 grams. Yet, aside from the brief initial struggle, it hadn't taken much effort.

Yue Feng hurriedly covered the prey with his glove, pulled a dead hazel grouse used for feeding from his pocket, and swapped it for the live bird, letting the Da Qing Yao tear into the flesh to feed.

As the hawk stood on the remains of the dead bird to eat, Yue Feng tucked the live hazel grouse away.

He stuffed the bird into a torn sock and tied the opening shut; the bird became docile and unable to move. Yue Feng shoved the prize into his satchel and continued on his way with the hawk.

He walked along the ridge all the way to the foot of the mountain without finding another opportunity to strike. Yue Feng took out his canteen to give the hawk a little water, then headed straight home along the mountain path.

It took about half an hour to walk from the ridge on the north bank of the Little River back to the village. Yue Feng, with the hawk perched on his arm, hummed a little tune and found himself off the mountain before he knew it.

At midday, everyone was at home eating or resting, so he didn't run into anyone on the road. Yue Feng entered the house, tethered the hawk, and carried his satchel into the east room.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back! Look, here’s today’s haul!"

Nine sock-tubes of various colors—green or black—were lined up on the edge of the *kang*. Yue Feng’s face was full of pride.

"You caught so many in just one morning!! This will last us several meals!" Meng Yulan was overjoyed to see her son’s harvest.

"Did the hawk settle down well?" His father, Yue Lei, also cast an approving look.

"Yeah! I used the 'pinning the string' technique and released it twice today! I circled around those flocks of hazel grouse in the grove by the river. Oh, and on the way back, I ran into a small group of hazel grouse. I moved in with the hawk and caught one!"

After saying this, Yue Feng moved the hazel grouse, which was noticeably larger than the others, to the front.

"This is good stuff. If we make soup with it, the flavor is so fresh you could swallow your tongue!" his mother exclaimed again.

Yue Feng nodded. "We'll keep two hazel grouse for ourselves. As for the rest, I'll head into town early tomorrow morning to see if I can sell these live birds for some money or food stamps!"

"You want to go to the 'ghost market' near the Mining Bureau?" Hearing the implication, his father immediately knew what his son was planning.

Yue Feng didn't shy away, nodding. "I heard there's no one patrolling the ghost market before dawn. I want to try my luck and find a market for the game."

Yue Lei seemed to think of something, his brow furrowing. "Even though these hazel grouse are mountain delicacies, the village hunter Chen says they’re hard to sell for a good price in the city. Plus, selling things on the sly is troublesome if you get caught. Not only do you get fined, but in serious cases, you could even end up in jail!"

"The ones that don't sell for a good price are the ones caught in traps or snares! At this time of year, the temperature is high, so they don't keep, which is why the price gets driven down. Everything we catch with the hawk is alive. If you take care of them with a little water and food, they can easily last ten days or half a month!

Besides, hazel grouse killed and cooked on the spot taste much better than those dead ones!

As for the risk of selling, I only have this much stuff. If someone comes to catch me, I’ll just ditch the goods and run. If I’m quick enough, they won't catch me!"

Yue Feng hit the nail on the head, which was the key reason he chose to train hawks for small-scale hunting rather than setting traps or snares.

Ordinary hunters who set traps or snares on the mountain, even the most diligent ones, would check them at most once a day. Aside from the occasional roe deer or wild boar that might still be alive, the prey caught in traps would have been dead for a long time by the time the hunter arrived the next day.

The blood wasn't drained from the dead chickens or rabbits. While they wouldn't necessarily be spoiled, the flavor and texture were far inferior to a freshly slaughtered bird.

At this stage, rural areas in the Northeast were still largely in the production team phase. Although ordinary workers in the city had higher wages—earning dozens of yuan a month—few ordinary people were willing to spend money on these mountain delicacies unless it was a holiday.

Who were the customers truly willing to pay for high-quality, fresh game? They were either coal mine receptionists or the staff canteens of forestry bureaus; these units were currently rolling in money. The existence of the ghost market was actually directly related to the specific needs of these groups, though the intricacies were not convenient to explain.

After a brief discussion with his parents, Yue Feng’s plan was approved. The next morning, just past three o'clock, Yue Feng scrambled off the *kang*.

Walking from the village to the city was a one-way trip of twenty to thirty *li*. Yue Feng put on his clothes, wrapped his leggings, shouldered his bag, carefully packed the hazel grouse, and soon disappeared into the night.

At twenty, his body was in its prime. Yue Feng walked quickly, and in just over an hour, he arrived at the old district of Fengcheng, just as he remembered it.

The sky was just beginning to brighten. Yue Feng identified his surroundings on the street and headed straight for Fushun Avenue, on the east side of the Mining Bureau.