Set Large Traps for Ambush

Six hunters, along with the Tong brothers, make up a team of twelve hunters. Due to the increased number of people, North adjusted the plans for tomorrow. Combining traps with fences, they can turn the bag-shaped valley into a sturdy enclosure, potentially becoming a natural sheep pen. Any wild boars that appear this time won't have an easy escape. Once they deal with these troublesome creatures, the future safety of this pasture can be ensured.

After digging the traps, heavy wooden boards are needed to cover them, followed by topsoil and grass, allowing wild boars to pass through. Once the boars enter, they'll raise the nets, lift the boards, and close the wooden fences. The main challenges here are speed and strength. To withstand the brute force of the charging boars, they'll need to use thick wooden logs for everything. For the northeastern exit, they plan to pre-install a fence along the creek using stakes, and on the land route, approximately twelve to thirteen meters, they'll embed interlaced wooden stakes. To seal it with wooden gates, they need a minimum of four gates, each three meters wide, requiring eight strong individuals. To quickly open the trap covers, North thought of using pulley hoisting. Assigning two young men for the job, along with the two handling the nets, they have exactly twelve men ready for action. For added safety, they also need to set up clear trench traps and barriers near the cave entrance. After discussing these ideas with experienced hunters, everyone prepares under Uncle Li's coordination.

North handed the blueprint of the wooden pulley system to Uncle Li for construction. In a corner of the carpentry workshop, he took a few thin bamboo strips from the pile, wove them into a small bamboo basket, and retrieved a small bamboo tube of honey and salt from his pocket. Using the fragrant Chinese medicinal herbs that Tong Chen intended to sell, he mixed them into a seasoning with ingredients such as peppercorns, star anise, and astragalus, and placed them in the bamboo basket. Adding a dried red chili, he sealed the opening. Going to the kitchen, he grabbed a jar of sesame oil and soy sauce, a bowl of old wine, and returned to the stone platform.

The women had already divided all the game, and some were now carrying torches to the terraced fields below to clean the intestines by the running water. Although no one understood why Miss Tong wanted these smelly offal, the generous hospitality from the Tong family, catering to so many people, ensured they would do an excellent job, no matter how dirty or foul-smelling the task.

North poured the seasoning basket, old wine, honey, salt, soy sauce, and sesame oil into a pot of boiling water. The rich, spicy aroma filled the air. Calling for assistance, they brought over hearts, livers, bones, and other leftover materials, placing them into the pot one by one. After covering the pot, Aunt Li led a team to bring a large copper pot, a covered wooden barrel, and saltpeter.

"Miss Bei, this is the only seldom-used copper pot in our house; the others are in use across various homes. If you need more, I can rearrange things."

"That's fine. Let's try using saltpeter ice for preservation today. If the method works well, we can consider acquiring more in the future. Please help me cut the backstrap meat and loin meat into one-inch thickness each, then arrange them in this copper pot. Layer by layer, sprinkle some refined salt," North and a few others filled the copper pot. They lifted it and placed it inside a large wooden barrel. Thick layers of saltpeter powder surrounded the pot. Slowly, they poured a bucket of clear water into it, covered it with a wooden lid, and white vapor overflowed. Standing beside, one could feel the chill. Everyone waited quietly until the white mist dissipated. North then uncovered the lid, and it was done. The surrounding saltpeter water had all condensed into ice.

"I'll trouble a few aunties to help me carry it upstairs. I need to observe how long this ice can stay frozen overnight." Seeing the stunned faces of the people, North had to interrupt their amazement.

"No trouble at all, we'll do it together. Just show us the way. Miss Bei, you're like a fairy. Coming up with preservation methods like this!" Young Aunt Xia spoke quickly and enthusiastically.

"I'm no fairy. This preservation method was taught by the Fuhai Pavilion shopkeeper in the town. They usually transport fresh ingredients like this for long distances, so I thought I'd give it a try. If it works, we won't have to worry about the game going bad immediately. No need to rush to sell it in town," North, not knowing how people nowadays preserved food during transport, decided to borrow the name of Uncle Zhong.

"Fuhai Pavilion? That's the biggest restaurant in our Yunmeng Country. Miss Bei, you have quite a connection with the shopkeeper. What a stroke of luck!" The women praised North with excitement and admiration. North felt a bit overwhelmed; in the modern world, she never faced such straightforward and sincere compliments. However, there was no resentment; these people were genuinely admiring and happy for her.

"Well, if you all trust me, in the future, don't bother sending the game down the mountain to sell. Bring it here, and we'll process it. Follow their inventory list, and we'll deliver everything to Fuhai Pavilion. They have a big business and demand a lot."

"Really? That's fantastic! We trust Miss Bei completely. It takes us only an hour or two to get to your place. Going down the mountain would take more than ten hours, and we couldn't make it back the same day. While Fuhai Pavilion pays well, they are picky about the items they accept. If we can't deliver to their place, we have to pay taxes when selling in the market." North's words were like a sudden windfall for these women, making them ecstatic. They even began to secretly fantasize about the harvest of tomorrow's hunt.