Chapter 17 This is the Expert

Since Xiang Weiguo arrived, life had begun to be more relaxed and pleasant. The training at first was quite easy, and the addition of another person meant they could chat and stave off the loneliness that Gao Yuan had long felt. He was truly enjoying it.

The main reason for the increased comfort was that eating had become something to look forward to, a pleasure.

Though their main food was still that wild boar, only in Xiang Weiguo's hands did the wild boar become something really good.

Of course, this "good thing" only applied to Gao Yuan and Xiang Weiguo. For Luo Xingyu, being able to look but not eat, or at best, get a taste, was simply torture.

But today was different, it was time to eat meat again, and Xiang Weiguo cut the wild boar into large, thick slices. In Luo Xingyu's eyes, which were both hopeful and helpless, Xiang Weiguo smiled very kindly.

"Alright, let loose and eat meat today."

Luo Xingyu was shocked and delighted, "I can eat meat? Can I eat as much as I want?"

"Eat as much as you want."

After giving Luo Xingyu a definitive answer, Xiang Weiguo turned to Gao Yuan, "How much boar meat is left?"

"Not much, if we save it, it can last for three more days at most."

"Hmm, to let Xiaoyu eat meat without restraint, we should go out today. I'll come with you."

Gao Yuan had checked the traps they had set these past few days, but Xiang Weiguo had never accompanied him due to Luo Xingyu.

Luo Xingyu was in poor health, Xiang Weiguo did not know where the traps were, and if he and Gao Yuan both went out, Luo Xingyu would be left unattended. Moreover, since there was plenty of boar meat left, hunting was not urgent. Now that Luo Xingyu's health had improved, Xiang Weiguo naturally could go with Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan, puzzled, said, "Uncle Xiang, why is it that my traps are always empty? Is something wrong with them?"

Xiang Weiguo chuckled, "Of course, it's wrong. You set traps for roe deer, but caught a wild boar instead. That's certainly not right."

Gao Yuan, astonished, said, "Ah, then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Xiang Weiguo smiled, "Some things, I could tell you for half a day and it wouldn't be as clear as showing you once. This afternoon, you will understand everything. Xiaoyu will come too; it's about time you learned as well. Some things are better understood when figured out on your own."

Outdoor survival was Xiang Weiguo's strong suit.

After lunch, the three of them made their way through the mountains and forests to the nearest snare that Gao Yuan had set.

"This is for catching roe deer,"

Gao Yuan pointed to the wire trap, and Xiang Weiguo glanced at it, immediately saying, "Too low, raise it by about five centimeters."

Gao Yuan quickly expressed his surprise, "Ah?"

Xiang Weiguo grabbed the wire trap and said, "Raise it about this much, just to the level of my knee. You might not think it matters, but being off by this much will keep you from catching roe deer."

"Why?"

"Based on the normal size of a roe deer, when it walks, its head is at this height. If you set it this much lower, the deer's antlers can touch the wire, and then the deer won't move forward. Understand?"

Gao Yuan looked at Xiang Weiguo making gestures out there, then he suddenly understood and said, "No wonder!"

Xiang Weiguo spoke in a grave tone, "Hunting really isn't as simple as it seems, and setting traps isn't simple either. Stumbling upon a dead mouse or running into a wild boar is just good luck, but if you want to catch prey regularly, you've got to use your brain and make an effort."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right," Gao Yuan agreed.

Xiang Weiguo began to dismantle the snare that Gao Yuan had set up. After taking down the snare, he pointed to the bushes around them and said, "The place you set your trap is also wrong. There's no doubt that this is where the roe deer roam, but the bushes here are too dense; the deer won't go through. You can't just look for convenience. You have to find the right spot, shift it here, just these two meters can make all the difference."

As Xiang Weiguo began to tie wire onto a small tree again, Gao Yuan nodded repeatedly, "So that's how it is."

"Setting a trap isn't just about tying up a noose. You have to create a path for the prey. For example, if roe deer definitely pass through here, we can insert a few branches, and lay one sideways like this. The deer can only go this way and then dip its head right into this noose. If we make this noose a little smaller, like this, once the deer's head gets in, it's going to be hard for it to get out. But your loop was too big; what's the use if it can come and go freely?"

Seeing is believing, and hands-on teaching is better than verbal instruction. While Xiang Weiguo explained and demonstrated, it all clicked for Gao Yuan.

And it only clicked once he saw it for himself.

There's a common saying that poking a hole in the paper window makes it clear, but if you don't poke that window paper, then it's not transparent, right?

Gao Yuan was utterly convinced. In the past two months or so, he had only stumbled upon a wild boar by sheer luck.

Luo Xingyu was also watching intently because she was genuinely terrified of hunger, and to satiate herself, she needed to master these skills.

After fixing a trap for the roe deer, they moved to a trap intended for wild boars. Xiang Weiguo took one look and said, "This isn't right either. This time the noose is set too high. Wild boars dig through the ground as they walk; it's too high to catch anything. I reckon the last time your noose worked was because its own weight deformed it to touch the ground. See, the noose for wild boars should be just ten centimeters off the ground, just like this."

This time, Xiang Weiguo didn't change the location. He simply lowered the snare by ten centimeters, then stood up. However, after a brief look, he crouched down again and said, "The knot you tied isn't right, a wild boar could break free with a struggle. With this kind of steel rope, you have to use a double loop knot, which is the simplest..."

There's knowledge in everything, and it was only then that Gao Yuan realized his self-proclaimed experience was a joke compared to those with actual experience.

Where did Gao Yuan's experience come from?

From books, the internet, and television, and not many people have these bits of knowledge, even fewer study them. So he had just a superficial understanding. He seemed to know everything when among those who knew nothing, but compared to a real expert like Xiang Weiguo, his ignorance was laid bare.

As Xiang Weiguo was tying knots in the wire snares, Luo Xingyu suddenly asked, "Why not use guns? Why not go find guns?"

The question was a good one. For hunting, the simplest, fastest, and most convenient method was, of course, to use guns.

Xiang Weiguo didn't even look up, while Gao Yuan replied with a pained expression, "This is the very definition of 'Why not eat minced meat'."

Luo Xingyu looked unconvinced and said, "In the past, we didn't have guns due to the law, but now it's no problem, right? Who cares if we use guns for hunting now; we aren't going to do anything bad with them."

Feeling helpless, Gao Yuan said, "Of course I understand that, but where am I supposed to get a gun? The police station? The barracks? The armed forces department? No matter where you go, how do you plan to get through those villages swarming with zombies? I won't even start on how many more zombies there are in the towns. Tell me, where can we get guns?"

Sure, guns would be great. Gao Yuan dreamt of getting his hands on one, but the harsh reality simply didn't allow it. If they were at the brink of survival, risking everything to obtain a gun might be worth it, but as long as they could survive as is, searching for guns amidst the risk of zombies everywhere would be a foolish loss.

Luo Xingyu gave the matter some thought and then sighed regretfully.

Finally, Xiang Weiguo spoke up leisurely, "Don't think that getting a gun is easy, but also don't believe that it's impossible to get one. It all depends on the need. Right now, we clearly have a need, but it's not that urgent."

After speaking, Xiang Weiguo glanced at the two and continued, "In these mountains, we can't use guns for hunting. Why? Because once you fire a gun, all the nearby prey will scatter. If you want to keep getting game, you're still better off setting traps."