Natural Hunting Ground: A Hot Spring Valley

Chopping down the bushes at the foot of the mountain and clearing the entrance, the sky was already showing the first light of dawn. As the group lit torches and ventured inside, after a few steps, they could see the light coming through the entrance. The cave walls were slippery, with folds and crevices crisscrossing. Where the firelight reached, various sizes of stone frogs could be seen jumping around to avoid the light. In the shallow water channel at the cave's base, one could see the ink-black baby fish, resembling large salamanders, slowly swimming into the crevices.

Xiangbei intentionally stayed behind. When the torchlight passed by, she quietly extended her hand towards the cave wall, swiftly collecting several groups of stone frogs and various-sized baby fish, placing them into the cave within her space. The lead, Uncle Li, and Tong Dingshan had already extinguished their torches. They gestured for the others to move silently, spreading out and hiding in the forest outside the cave.

The valley was not large, surrounded by steep cliffs. Only on the northeast side did a stream extend from the mountain. Exiting the cave, on both sides were patches of mixed forests. In the middle, a clear and shallow waterway flowed into the cave. A natural path formed in the grassy area, and looking out, about five to six hundred meters away was a large meadow and a pool of water, connected to a waterfall hanging from the front cliff. There was no obvious hot spring source or warm creek, but the valley was warm and humid, and the northwest corner emitted steam, indicating geothermal activity. At this early hour, the valley was filled with fresh plants, and by the pond, various animals gathered, including groups of yellow sheep, horned sheep, mountain goats, roe deer, muntjac, and sika deer, leisurely drinking water and grazing. Swift foxes darted through the forest, and greyish-brown wild rabbits occasionally stopped to eat grass or looked around. Pheasants with long, beautiful tail feathers glided over the water...

Silently, everyone returned to the cave. This time, they didn't light torches, simply relying on the faint light from outside the cave to retrace their steps. A few experienced men now had completely different opinions, and an intense debate erupted around Tong Dingshan and Uncle Li.

Uncle Li suggested deploying a few individuals with bamboo thorn nets to block the northeast exit, then simultaneously shooting arrows. In this valley resembling a cloth bag, the prey would find it difficult to escape. On the other hand, Tong Dingshan believed this would be like draining a pond to catch fish, and the consequences of such large-scale hunting would deter animals from returning to the valley for a long time. Observant Tong Chen, amidst a dense thicket of tuberous plants at the forest edge, discovered signs of wild boars digging and feeding on yams, kudzu roots, and wild yams. He proposed that if they remained undetected, there was a good chance of hunting boars, especially in the evening. Boar, an ancient term for pigs, opened up possibilities for various fresh culinary creations like smoked meat, braised ham, sausages, and delicacies such as phoenix-eye liver. Upon hearing the prospect of a wild boar group arriving, Xiangbei couldn't contain her excitement.

"Dad, Uncle Li, may I share my thoughts a bit?"

"Xiaobei, you discovered this valley. If we follow the true rules of mountain people, you should be the one to decide the distribution of all prey. It's not just about hearing your opinion." Although the Tong family wasn't native to these mountain areas, they often encountered situations where they joined local hunters in hunting expeditions. The customary rules known to the mountain people were well understood, so when Tong Dingshan spoke, everyone agreed.

"We are all family here; we don't need those rules. I just heard from Chen brother about the traces of boar groups digging for food. I believe their numbers will increase in the evening. These sheep and deer prefer coming to the water in the morning and usually leave by noon, returning again tomorrow morning. Let's seize the opportunity tonight and cover the entire boar group. Afterward, we can tidy up the traces here without disrupting this essential watering spot for animals."

"Miss Bei's suggestion makes sense. Let's get prepared and wait for tonight's boar hunting." Uncle Li immediately approved the proposal, while Jingjing looked disappointed, saying, "Oh? We were looking forward to honey-glazed venison tonight."