Opportunity for Change of Mountain Hunters

"The valley echoed with shouts, roars, arrows, and cries as the ground trembled. A large group of wild boars and other animals, caught off guard or rushing to the northeast valley entrance, faced obstacles at the pit and were hunted down by bamboo spears and sharp arrows from the trees. Blocked at the wooden gate, they turned towards the cave entrance. Perhaps guided by the wind in the cave or driven by an instinct to find an escape route, these creatures, despite having two exits on the circular valley, instinctively rushed towards these two passages, trying to escape the impending danger.

Most of those who reached this side were either pushed into the deep trench trap by the surging crowd from behind, or stopped in front of the trench and were shot down by arrows from Jingjing and the hunters standing in front of the wooden gate. The entire trapping process lasted nearly three hours, and the sounds gradually subsided. Thanks to the assistance of the foreign golden flower, when counting the prey, most of them were already stiff and unconscious. North estimated that the wild boar herd that local hunters had been chasing for several days must have come here for food. Among the adult wild boars, there were nine males and fifteen females, along with twenty-eight young pigs that were just or not fully grown. Additionally, there were five yellow sheep, five horned sheep, five spotted deer, and one musk deer.

The team split into two groups, with one responsible for removing the gate, dismantling the nets, and covering the trap with the wooden board, grass, and soil for camouflage. Any areas with excessive bloodstains were covered with soil. After three to five days, once the valley environment naturally restored, those animals accustomed to drinking water here would return. The other group was in charge of transporting the prey back, making multiple trips until everyone in the valley came out to help, and all the hunted animals were moved back to the stone platform in the yard."

"At home, the old herbalist and the women had already set up a fire to boil water. Even the two injured individuals were carried out and placed on makeshift beds under the eaves. The mountain-like prey piled up in the courtyard, and no one could control the volume of conversation. Laughter, chatter, and playful sounds filled the mountains with the joy of the harvest. Following the local customs, Tong Dingshan took half of the twenty-four adult wild boars, four males and eight females, and fourteen piglets. He also separated five sheep and three deer. Standing in the courtyard, he spoke, 'As this valley was discovered by my daughter, following our mountain traditions, I've decided to give her half. The other half belongs to everyone here as today's harvest. Jingjing, mainly here to observe during her first hunt, will be awarded the first piglet and musk deer she shot as a reward. She won't be involved in the distribution. Let's have Brother Chen distribute the rest equally among the twelve hunters.'

'Tong Lord, you're too polite. The hunting plan was well-prepared by your family, and with or without us, it would be the same. Helping out here and each of us getting a wild boar is already a kind assistance from you. There's no need to talk about equal distribution. What do you think, Brother Xia?' This statement from Old Chen represented the sentiments of the other families. The hunter Xia immediately agreed, 'Brother Chen is right. Receiving a wild boar each is already beyond our expectations. Additionally, we would like to ask Miss Bei to sell the distributed game to Fuhai Building. Would that be possible?'

'Uncles, as the saying goes, "Near neighbors are better than distant relatives." Since we all live in this mountain, I consider everyone here as family, so let's not bother with too much formality. If I say too much or make a mistake, please don't mind my impertinence.' Bei Bei already had some thoughts about the future development of the Tong family. This was the time when they needed help to implement their plans, so she took over the conversation. 'With so much game these days, it seems the whole town won't be able to consume it if we send it down the mountain. I propose that everyone stay here for a few more days. Let's process it according to Fuhai Building's inventory. Regardless of the size of the game each person gets, we can buy it at the price of three taels of silver per pig, which is the price of middle pigs in town. Then, let's work together for a few days. Everyone will be paid a daily wage of half a tael of silver. Old Uncle Lin and Brother Lin can't rest easy either. You two, with your injuries, need to sit up and help us watch the fire.'"

"The hunters were so grateful for these words that tears were about to fall, especially the old Lin family. This was a clear indication of supporting them regardless of cost. Everyone wanted to express their thanks, but for a moment, no one spoke. Too many thoughts created an extreme moment of silence. It was Old Chen who broke the silence: 'Miss Bei, you tactfully expressed your considerations for everyone's face, but we understand your care and support for us inside and out. Mountain people may not speak much, but their hearts are clear. Sending game here and helping with processing will trouble you. There's much to be done, but we won't say more. We're all here, and we won't leave until the work is done. Don't worry about wages. It would take time and effort to send it to town, and it's uncertain if it will sell. In the future, no matter what you send, we'll process it according to your requirements.' The people from those families nodded and agreed wholeheartedly.

'Good, let's follow Uncle Chen's lead.' Bei Bei knew that the road ahead with these simple mountain hunters was still long. She didn't say much and pulled Aunt Li to go eat."