Chapter 22 Climbing the Mountain First Watch

  In the afternoon, Aunt Li came with her granddaughter.

  Mrs. Zhao knew that Aunt Li had taken good care of her daughter and family, so she was grateful in her heart and showed it on her face, calling out "Big Sister" again and again, truly being extremely close.

  Li Shu was most envious of cultured people, and she naturally didn't stand on ceremony. Before long, the two became sworn sisters, one intentionally making friends, the other willing to lend a helping hand, getting along even more intimately than biological sisters.

  Zhao Tong felt a bit bored and told Zhao Juan that he wanted to go out and take a look.

  Before Zhao Juan could respond, Li Shu hastily replied: "Why don't you let Yan Er's dad take you to the mountains for a stroll? Don't go inside, just walk around outside. I know city kids like this."

  Zhao Juan quickly refused: "How can this be good? Jian Guo must be busy in the fields, and it's not easy to earn work points. We can't delay him from working."

  Auntie Li shook her head: "It's okay, his mother-in-law is celebrating her birthday today and didn't go to the fields. It's a good opportunity to take them for a walk around, and we won't go inside, there's no danger."

  Looking at her brother's bright and shiny eyes like a Pug dog, Zhao Juan couldn't say no, so she nodded slightly.

  She quickly called up Xiang Yan and took her to her home, calling Zhang Jianguo to bring the tools and heading towards the mountain. Xiang Yan was also familiar with the road, as her father had taken her there several times before.

  Several people took their tools and set off towards the mountain in a mighty manner, this was also Song Jie's first time going up the mountain, she had been looking forward to it for a long time.

  The sun was just right at noon, and as soon as we walked into the forest, it became cool. The cold air pierced through our pores, and Zhang Jianguo taught everyone to hold a stick in their hands to beat the grass, to avoid snakes in the grass. With the stick, we can beat the grass to scare away the snakes.

  Zhang Jianguo walked at the front, his younger uncle Zhao Tong brought up the rear, and the two little ones walked in between.

  Everyone walked forward in such a stumbling manner, and it wasn't until they entered the forest that they realized the road was not easy to walk on. Countless grass roots and tree branches made them trip easily, so their movements were slow.

  The country has regulations that do not allow private hunting of protected animals on the mountain, according to Zhang Jianguo. In the past, there were even wild wolves on the mountain, but they have not appeared for a long time. Now people just catch some wild chickens and rabbits, which can be added to the dinner table as an extra dish, adding some flavor. This is also not considered a violation of regulations.

  The mountain behind Xiao Zhang's village is not low, and everyone climbed for a long time before they even reached the tail. All you could hear were the chirping of various insects and the flying around of various small flying insects, which was very disturbing. Not to mention that no chicken feathers were seen at all.

  "Don't worry, sometimes you can't even catch one wild chicken in a day, it's normal. In the past few years, the harvest was not good, and the wild chickens and rabbits on the mountain were almost wiped out. Now, it's getting harder to find them, it all depends on luck."

  Zhao Tong curiously asked: "Now everyone uses bows and arrows? Is there still anyone using hunting guns?" The boys all liked this topic.

  Zhang Jianguo smiled and said, "In the early years of severe crackdowns, they were all confiscated, but some old folks still kept one or two guns. They were afraid that there might be wolves and bears roaming around in the mountains. Although it seems like there's nothing here, actually everything is hidden deep in the mountains. But we can't go there."

  Zhao Tong nodded regretfully and dispelled that bit of eagerness in his mind.

  The further in you go, the more luxuriant and taller the trees grow, their shade covering the sky and hiding the earth. The grass thickets didn't even reach Song Jie's thighs. Fortunately, there was a small path that many people had trodden, allowing passage.

  As she walked, a sudden "flapping" sound came from the wings, Song Jie had become more sensitive to sounds and sights since practicing her skills, she was the first to turn around and look, seeing a flash of colorful tail feathers, probably a wild pheasant, Song Jie secretly determined in her heart.

  Zhang Jianguo heard the sound and immediately made a big gesture to the crowd behind him, telling everyone not to move. The three people in the back saw the gesture and stopped their footsteps instantly, motionless, with only their eyes "rolling" anxiously.

  Zhang Jianguo walked slowly towards the place with sound, without making a single noise under his feet. He parted the grass and found a pheasant pecking at seeds in an open space, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

  Zhang Jianguo gently took down the bow and arrow from his shoulder, pulled out a feathered arrow, strung it, drew the bow full, aimed, and with a "whoosh" sound, the feathered arrow flew off the string.

  Several people standing still had their eyes wide with excitement, wondering if they had hit it or not. They didn't dare to move recklessly, fearing that they would scare away the wild chicken.

  Zhang Jianguo walked over, bent down and picked up a wild chicken, waving it at the crowd. As if they had broken through a barrier, several people cheered and rushed forward, and indeed started fighting. Zhang Jianguo's archery skills were not bad, one arrow was inserted into the neck of the wild chicken, this wild chicken was already dead and couldn't be deader.

  "Later I'll pick some mushrooms and go back to make a wild chicken stew with mushrooms for you, the wild chicken is delicious and especially fragrant." Zhang Jianguo said.

  Zhao Tong admired Zhang Jianguo so much that his eyes sparkled: "Brother Jianguo, your archery skills are amazing, teach me!"

  Zhao Tong looks like a big kid who has just grown up, curious about everything. Zhang Jianguo also went through this age, so he naturally knows: "Okay, I'll teach you, and let you practice later."

  Zhao Tongle's eyes were wide open, revealing his small tiger teeth. Song Jie and Xiao Yanniang both rolled their eyes in unison, expressing their disgust.

  Next, Zhang Jianguo demonstrated to Zhao Tong how to use the bow and arrow, and how to aim. Zhao Tong learned very seriously, aiming at a target, shooting an arrow, and then busily picking it up again, having a great time.

  Song Jie didn't idle either, whenever she met familiar plants, she would secretly transplant them into the space, her short legs moving swiftly and efficiently, not feeling tired at all.

  Later, they encountered a nest of rabbits. Zhao Tong waved his hand and let everyone wait for him to take care of it. He drew his bow and arrow in a familiar manner, took aim, and shot an arrow, which hit the ground with a "thud".

  Everyone thought they had hit it, but when they walked over to take a look, all they saw was a rabbit running away as fast as it could, leaving behind only an arrow stuck in the ground quivering.

  There were still three little wild rabbits lying on the ground, motionless, apparently frightened. Zhang Jianguo walked over, picked up a few rabbits and threw them into his backpack. It seemed that the rabbit mother was so scared that she abandoned her children, letting them take advantage of it.

  The little swallow couldn't take her eyes off the cute rabbit until her father said she could keep it, then she reluctantly looked away.

  As we went deeper into the journey, small animals also became active. Zhang Jianguo said: "Let's just walk to here, can't go any further, let's take a look around."

  Several people walked away after hearing this, the weeds were really too high, and for Song Jie, a small bean sprout, it was indeed a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, Little Swallow was considerate and walked in front of her, helping to trample down the grass that her father had already flattened, allowing her to walk smoothly.

  The stick hit and hit, not only one or two little mice, but also various insects running to the side. Various small animals have increased, and even cute little squirrels can be seen jumping between the trees.