Chapter 36: The Great Blue Harrier Hunts the Gray Dog

Yue Feng rode his bicycle home at exactly 7:20 PM. His mother, Meng Yulan, had steamed two-grain flour mantou in the morning and stir-fried mustard greens with lard. A large pot of corn grits porridge was simmering on the stove. After the Zhang brothers and the Li father and son had eaten their fill, they had set off up the mountain with their hawks perched on their arms.

Yue Feng pushed his bicycle into the courtyard and carried all the supplies he had bought today into the house. He then handed the copy of today's canteen procurement list and the expenditure funds to his mother.

Despite not having finished middle school, her mother was perfectly capable of handling simple bookkeeping. After Yue Feng gave a brief explanation, his mother solemnly retrieved a dedicated notebook from the inner room and began recording everything with great seriousness.

The accounts for selling goods in town were settled daily. In truth, the bookkeeping didn't hold much practical significance, but seeing how much importance his mother placed on it, Yue Feng didn't dampen her spirits and let her get on with it.

There was still warm food waiting for Yue Feng in the pot. He ate two large mantou with the stir-fried pickles and washed it down with a bowl of corn grits porridge. Once full, he first went to return his bicycle, then stuffed two mantou and a few pieces of pickles into his satchel and set off up the mountain with his hawk on his arm, a bit later than the others.

Both groups were entering the mountains from the Erjiazi Ravine. If Yue Feng were to go to the ridges at the foot of the mountain near his doorstep, he certainly wouldn't be able to compete for space. He had no intention of continuing to fight his companions for the hawk-flying grounds closest to home.

The prey caught by the two groups would certainly be enough to deliver to the No. 2 canteen of the coal mine. Yue Feng planned to traverse several more ridges toward the deep mountains to wander through a red pine forest from his memory.

The forests on the mountain were of different types: some were a mix of coniferous and broadleaf trees, some were mostly hard deciduous shrubs, and some peaks were entirely red pine forests. The deeper one went into the mountains, the more large trees appeared—the kind that one person couldn't wrap their arms around.

Areas with too much ground clutter or too many miscellaneous shrubs that blocked the line of sight were not ideal for early-stage hawk training. Whether for himself or as advice to others in his team, Yue Feng always suggested finding bright, clear spots for the hawks, as the efficiency would be much higher.

Yue Feng's logic was simple. He knew the eight valleys, ten ridges, and twenty-three mountain ranges around his doorstep like the back of his hand. He would leave the relatively simple terrain to Xiao Tao and the Zhang brothers. The large Green Goshawk in his possession had the best hunting instinct, so he would go to a slightly more distant area to set up a hunting ground.

While setting up a new ground meant more complex terrain, risk came with opportunity. The density of small chicks in the deep forest would certainly be higher and easier to catch than near his home. Additionally, Yue Feng had his eye on the "gray dogs" in the red pine forest.

Carrying his satchel and with his hawk on his arm, Yue Feng entered the mountains. He didn't stop at any of the nearby ridges, instead following the mountain crest northward, crossing a full six ridges before finally stopping.

By this time, he had been in the mountains for over an hour. Yue Feng had been busy traveling and hadn't caught a single prey, but he wasn't worried in the slightest.

Having just entered the red pine forest, Yue Feng could hear the squeaking sounds of squirrels playing and frolicking on the ground from a distance.

There were two common types of squirrels in this forest. One was primarily gray-black, known locally as "gray dogs"; its scientific name is the Eurasian Red Squirrel, and after the turn of the millennium, many regions began keeping them as pets.

The other type was called "red dogs," or sometimes "hanging mice." Their most distinctive feature was the crimson fur on their bellies; their scientific name is the Red-bellied Squirrel.

Using large tree trunks for cover, Yue Feng slowly approached the direction of the squeaking. He soon discovered two gray dogs on the ground, currently fighting over a pinecone that had fallen from a tree.

Yue Feng naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity. Immediately, he released the hawk from his arm.

While he had been creeping closer just moments ago, the large Green Goshawk had already been eager to strike. As Yue Feng released it, the hawk flew low through the red pine forest. It only needed to make slight adjustments with its tail feathers to easily maneuver around the trees along its path.

It wasn't until the hawk flew directly in front of the frolicking gray dogs that the two squirrels noticed its presence.

A piercing scream rang out as the Green Goshawk and the gray dog tumbled together on the ground.

Seeing a successful strike, Yue Feng immediately sprinted forward with his long legs. By the time he arrived, the battle was nearing its end.

The squirrel appeared slightly larger than a weasel, but one would only know the truth upon closer inspection; most of its perceived size was a visual illusion caused by its tail. The actual body was not even half the total length.

The Green Goshawk held the squirrel's head in its talons. Blood seeped from the corner of the gray dog's mouth; without even looking, Yue Feng knew the squirrel's cheek had been slashed by the hawk's large outer talons.

Yue Feng was not stingy with the first squirrel he caught. He pulled out a small knife, made a vertical cut just below the neck, and hung it upside down by its tail to bleed it. He then carefully opened the fur to let the Green Goshawk have a few bites of blood and meat.

After a few simple movements, Yue Feng removed the squirrel and stuffed it into his backpack.

Catching these gray dogs offered a much higher profit margin than flying dragons.

A single intact pelt could sell for at least six to eight yuan, and the squirrel meat was delicious; if sold, it was worth at least fifty cents to a yuan. Even if not sold, it could be taken home, chopped up, and stewed with potatoes for a fine meal.

Having finished the first gray dog, Yue Feng was in high spirits. The Green Goshawk's performance in catching squirrels was even better than he had expected. Unless it encountered an old veteran weighing over a pound with a body length approaching half a meter, the hawk shouldn't face much pressure.

When the Green Goshawk had suddenly appeared during its low-altitude flight, the second of the two fighting squirrels had not run far. It had immediately scrambled up a tree, hiding behind the trunk to observe what was happening.

Yue Feng was very familiar with the habits of these little creatures. He pretended not to notice, tucked the first slaughtered squirrel safely into his backpack, and continued on his way.

After walking for less than ten minutes, Yue Feng returned with his hawk.

The other curious gray dog had since returned from the tree and was currently skulking around the recent battlefield, observing suspiciously.

The pinecone full of seeds remained unmoved on the ground; this little gray dog was clearly willing to risk its life for the sake of the treasure!

Using the same formula and the same method, in less than half an hour total, the second gray dog was once again pinned under the Green Goshawk's feet.

This time, Yue Feng did not immediately slaughter and bleed it. Instead, he used the carcass of the first one to swap for the second live one, gripping the gray dog by the neck to keep it temporarily controlled.

In the next second, Yue Feng took a folding wire cage from his satchel. After a few quick adjustments, the cage door was propped open. Holding the gray dog by its neck, he stuffed it into the flat cage.

This flat cage was something Yue Feng's father, Yue Lei, had specially woven from wire to catch squirrels. When expanded, it was about thirty centimeters long. By pulling a switch on one side, a small compartment could be isolated; once a squirrel was stuffed inside, it couldn't even turn around, preventing it from struggling wildly once inside the cage.

With the second gray dog secured, Yue Feng had already completed half of his task for the day.