Chapter 101

After scalding the three gallbladders, there was no need to change the water; it was hard-won snow water, so it would be a waste to pour it out!

With the hot water, they directly cut the meat and threw it into the pot, added salt and chili powder; they had just passed a patch of mountain pepper, cut a big bundle, pulled out a branch, chopped it up, and put it in, covered the pot, and started stewing!

Northeast mountain pepper is a vine with long round leaves; it's the vine of schisandra. Actually, this vine is also a medicinal material, but no one wants it; locals use it to stew meat. Of course, every family lacks meat, so it doesn't have much use!

But this thing is quite good for stewing meat; Wang An feels the flavor is even more authentic than the pepper and star anise sold in the supply and marketing cooperative!

Beside him, Mu Xueli was already roasting sticky bean buns.

After more than ten minutes, twelve sticky bean buns had been roasted hot on one layer.

The two started gnawing on the roasted layer; this thing is truly hard, you can only gnaw one layer at a time, six each, after gnawing one layer...

You still have to roast it and continue gnawing the next one.

In a moment, the 12 sticky bean buns were covered in tooth marks!

But the two ate very happily; this thing gets more fragrant the more you chew it, even better than roast meat.

After eating the sticky bean buns, the black bear meat was also cooked; drinking the soup to fill the gaps, they were instantly full.

Full and satisfied, they set off for home. This trip into the mountains was another significant harvest, and both were very satisfied.

Driving the sled, smoking cigarettes, bragging, and chatting!

A pile of meat on the sled, easily raking in the money!

Wang An felt this was the happy life; this life was just too damn comfortable!

Just as they reached the village entrance, they saw Li Erlengzi wandering there; Li Erlengzi also saw Wang An and the others and hurriedly greeted them.

Wang An didn't mind; caring about money, no problem!

Seeing the three black bear skins on the sled, Li Erlengzi was instantly ecstatic.

But before Li Erlengzi could speak, Wang An took a step ahead and told the truth.

However, when Li Erlengzi heard there were two black bears in that Earth Den, he was still very happy.

Wang An also took out the iron gallbladder and the grass gallbladder for Li Erlengzi to see.

After looking, Li Erlengzi said: "Brother, look, I'm waiting for money to use, how about..." After finishing, he looked at Wang An with some embarrassment.

Wang An instantly understood what he meant; he didn't trust him and wanted the money!

Mu Xueli naturally understood what was going on, and his expression instantly turned ugly.

The rule in the mountains is that no matter what is hunted, meat is split when they get home.

Pelts or bear gallbladders can only be split after they are sold! Because it's impossible to calculate how much or how little until this thing turns into money.

Besides, how much money does an average family have? In this era, a hundred or eighty yuan is not a small amount!

But Wang An completely understood; money not in one's own pocket is never considered one's own!

He wasn't angry either and said: "These two gallbladders aren't big; I estimate they can sell for at most five hundred yuan, so we'll just settle the account based on five hundred."

Hearing Wang An agree to split the money now, Li Erlengzi immediately lost his embarrassment and hurriedly said: "Five hundred is fine; let's do it as you say, brother."

Wang An directly took money out of his pocket, counted out 7 "Great Unities" and one 5-yuan note, handed it to Li Erlengzi, and said: "15% of five hundred yuan is 75 yuan; you count it and see if it's right?"

Li Erlengzi took the money, his mouth grinning almost to his ears, counted it once, and said with a smile: "Brother, you handle things very decisively!"

Wang An smiled without speaking, turned, and took two black bear paws from the sled.

Seeing Wang An take the black bear paws, Li Erlengzi pulled a large cloth bag out of his pocket.

When Wang An turned around and saw this scene, he was stunned for a moment; this was damn well prepared!

But Wang An didn't speak, put the black bear paws into Li Erlengzi's cloth bag, turned back, took four more pieces of meat, and also put them into the cloth bag. Li Erlengzi was already grinning from ear to ear!

At this time, Wang An said with a smile: "Don't be so happy; when I clear out that Heaven Den tomorrow, you'll still be able to split quite a bit!"

Hearing this, Li Erlengzi instantly stopped smiling and stammered:

"Brother, don't be angry about that, that... that Heaven Den, I... I told someone else, and by now it's probably already cleared out."

Wang An's expression darkened directly, and he said unhappily: "I've been so decisive in handling things, and you're doing this shit? Damn!"

After finishing, he didn't pay attention to Li Erlengzi standing on the side, led the horse, and went home.

When he reached the courtyard gate, the smile on his face had already returned!

Walking into the courtyard, he shouted again, and the whole family ran out.

Although the harvest was significant, the family seemed to be used to it; no one showed the kind of overjoyed smile they had when they first hunted prey!

But the movements of moving the meat were extremely skilled; half was left for Mu Xueli, and the rest was put into jars or buried in the snow.

Only when seeing the little yellow-haired ones in the sack were Liu Guilan and Mu Xueqing very happy, because such small wild boars could be raised!

It was immediately decided that the ones caught by Er Hei and San Hei would be one for each family, and the one caught by Da Hei was a bit wilted, so it would be kept and not split!

These days, Wang Dazhu basically went to the county town every other day; no way around it, there was too much meat, and if it wasn't sold, it couldn't be eaten!

Hearing the couple muttering, they had already sold several hundred yuan worth of meat during this period!

Once all the meat for his own family was moved, Wang An drove the sled again to send his brother-in-law home; mainly because there were too many things, and his brother-in-law couldn't carry them back!

Arriving at his father-in-law's house, Wang An hugged his sister-in-law and kissed her; Mu Xueting was getting closer and closer to Wang An now, as if her brother-in-law was much better than her big brother!

After his brother-in-law took everything off the cart, Wang An said to Mu Xueli: "Don't forget to drive the sled to my house tomorrow; I'm leaving now."

Refusing his father-in-law's family's request to stay for a meal, he drove the sled home.

After dinner, Wang An glanced at the wall clock; it was 6:30.

And the good show Wang An had been looking forward to was officially starting!

He heard the brigade's bell being rung by someone; it was rung very urgently, meaning a gathering.

If it wasn't rung urgently, it was also a gathering, but it meant a big meeting!

Calling it a bell, it was actually a section of rail less than a meter long, hanging up!

Every village had something similar, either a large piece of thick iron or a rusty big guillotine; of course, there were also real iron bells.

Anyway, as long as you hit these things with a hammer, they were especially loud, and the sound could travel at least 2 li away.

He heard his mother ask suspiciously: "What big thing happened again!"

Wang An calmly put on his shoes and said to his family: "I'll go take a look!"

He went out and walked toward the brigade headquarters; people were gathering from all directions toward the brigade headquarters, all asking each other: What happened?

Wang An knew what was going on, but could he say it? Definitely not!

So he also pretended not to know anything and continued walking toward the brigade headquarters.

The brigade headquarters was next to the small shop, and people were also gathering at the entrance of the small shop, chatting and bragging, without any tense or worried atmosphere.

Wang An and several cousins, big brother Wang Yong, second brother Wang Shun, third brother Wang Gan, and fifth brother Wang Li—the five of them naturally walked together, also chatting and bragging.

During this period, none of the families had eaten less of the meat Wang Dazhu had sent, and they all knew Wang An was trekking in the mountains now, all clamoring to go hunting with Wang An...

For this kind of bell-ringing gathering, as long as they had split up and lived separately, everyone had to come!

In the Northeast, too many things happened, and people were numb, so no matter what happened, they couldn't avoid bragging and bullshitting first!

When people had mostly arrived, Brigade Secretary Niu Qun cleared his throat and spoke:

"Comrades, today during the day, our village's Comrade Niu Dali went into the mountains to hunt black bears and hasn't returned yet; an accident may have occurred!

For comrades like this, who are brave enough to fight against animals that destroy crops, we must go save him!

Therefore, I announce the establishment of a search team; all able-bodied men from each family must be dispatched, in groups of at least 5 and at most 10, immediately enter the mountains, bring all guns, each group must have militia or hunters, set off!"

(End of chapter)