Chapter 32: Teaching Hand by Hand

The moment Zhang Yang appeared, Gao Wen and Gao Wu, who had been squatting at the base of the wall, sprang to their feet.

They called out in unison, "Brother!"

"Don't bother with that; just call me Yangzi," Zhang Yang corrected them, handing over the long spears he had prepared for them.

"Our village militia squad is currently being reorganized, and the roster hasn't been finalized yet. Rifles and ammunition are limited, so as reserve members, everyone is using spears for now. Once the team is set, I'll teach you all how to handle firearms."

The Gao brothers didn't hesitate; they nimbly took the spears and weighed them in their hands. They looked as if they had just been handed a priceless treasure.

Gao Wu chimed in, "Even if we were empty-handed, I’d still follow you into the mountains today, Yangzi! I never expected us to be issued gear—this is just too good!"

Zhao Dong chuckled, "We couldn't have you going in empty-handed; that would be far too dangerous."

As they headed toward the foot of the mountain, Zhao Dong caught up to Zhang Yang, who was leading the way, and remarked in a hushed tone, "The people from Gao Village are truly fearless, aren't they? Daring to head into the mountains without weapons? Honestly, there’s no comparison—compared to them, those few who backed out of our team yesterday were absolutely useless."

Zhang Yang didn't seem bothered. "You’ll find all kinds of people in this world. The more people you meet, the better you’ll understand what I mean by that today."

Zhao Dong had grown to love listening to Zhang Yang speak. He always felt like he was learning something new from him every time.

Zhang Yang did indeed have plans to have his brother learn marksmanship first, so that they could both train new recruits more efficiently later on. As they walked toward the mountain, he took the hunting rifle off his back and began explaining the basics to Zhao Dong. The Gao brothers followed closely behind, ears pricked, trying their best to memorize the key points even if much of it went over their heads.

Before long, they arrived at the foot of the mountain. After meeting up with the rest of the temporary squad, Zhang Yang took a headcount and led the group into the woods.

Today, Zhang Yang specifically led them toward the west. "Uncle Lao De said that they used to catch civets at Sheep’s Head Gully over to the west. Let’s go check it out and try our luck."

"You got it!"

Encouraged by last night's successful hunt of a hefty wild boar, the temporary squad members were full of energy today. Seeing this, Zhang Yang, afraid that they might be blinded by the prospect of another big win, issued a stern reminder:

"Don't assume Sheep’s Head Gully is perfectly safe. If there really is game there, the wolves remaining in the mountains would likely know about it before we do. We still haven't located the wolf pack's den, so they could be lurking in any corner of these hills. Everyone, stay alert!"

The team members whispered among themselves:

"That gray wolf we killed in the village last time was huge... wasn't that the old wolf king?"

"If the wolf king is gone, hasn't the pack dispersed? If we run into a lone wolf, we have so many people, we shouldn't have anything to fear, right?"

"Now that you mention it, I’m actually looking forward to running into a wolf. I've never killed one; my hands are itching for it!"

Zhao Dong shuddered at these words. "Wake up, you guys! Killing a wolf isn't that easy—those things are incredibly fast..." He had been so terrified last time he nearly wet his pants, and he had no desire to encounter another wolf.

Zhang Yang looked back and noticed Zhao Dong’s cowardly demeanor. Thinking he was worried about running into beasts as they had yesterday, he quickly called for the team to halt.

"The mountain terrain is complex and it's hard to see clearly in the dark. We got separated once yesterday, so let's split into two groups today. Members of each group should stay close together to avoid getting lost." Zhang Yang looked at the group, "Has anyone been to Sheep’s Head Gully before? If you’re familiar with it, you can lead the way."

Everyone shook their heads. They were all people accustomed to scratching a living from the soil, heads down in the fields year-round. While the nearby mountains looked close, nobody dared to venture in without weapons.

Zhang Yang had to pin his hopes on his brother. "Dongzi, why don't you lead one group separately? Regardless of what happens, as long as the members of each group stay tightly united, every extra person adds a bit more strength."

With that, he divided the group into two teams. Since the Gao brothers weren't familiar with the others, Zhang Yang had them join his own team.

The two groups headed into the mountains one after the other. Zhang Yang’s team brought up the rear, as he was not only responsible for patrolling but had also brought along homemade animal traps. Whenever he spotted a suitable spot, he would clear away the tree roots and bury a trap.

Gao Wen was a quick learner. After watching Zhang Yang set traps twice, he had already mastered the technique. When it came time to set the third one, he offered to help.

"Yangzi, I think I’ve got the hang of it. Mind if I give it a try?"

Zhang Yang waved his hand, handing over the trap. This batch of traps wasn't large—just a bit longer than a palm. They were easy to bury: dig a small hole, place the trap, and lightly cover it with dead leaves and leftover snow, making it virtually undetectable.

As Gao Wen buried it, Gao Wu watched the details closely. But every time he saw the small traps, he couldn't help but be curious.

"Can something this small really catch anything? A wolf would probably shake it off in two seconds, wouldn't it?"

Zhang Yang laughed at him. "Didn't you say earlier that you were happy to catch anything? Why the complaints about the size now? These are effortless to set. If we can bag a pheasant, rabbit, or squirrel, it's still a gain."

Gao Wu looked enlightened. "That’s true! We should make some at home and litter the mountains with them!"

Zhang Yang chuckled again. "You want to clear out all the game in one go? That won't do. Hunting is like fishing—you have to keep the big ones and let the small ones go. If you wipe them all out at once, what are we going to eat later?"

He had, in fact, been considering the idea of sustainable development. He hoped to find wild pheasant eggs or catch a hen. Once the weather warmed up, he could breed them with domestic roosters. Wild pheasant meat was delicious, though a bit too fatty and thick-skinned. If he could crossbreed them with domestic poultry, he could produce hybrid chickens with plenty of succulent meat and high nutritional value. These hybrids would likely be hardy, less prone to disease, and easier to raise. Once successful, he could sell them at the market or the black market—that would be a substantial source of income.

Just as he was envisioning the future, a few distant gunshots echoed from a far-off ridge.

"Did you hear that?" a team member asked, peering toward the direction of the sound.

The group speculated, "Looks like the Wulipu militia squad isn't slacking off today; they’ve actually headed into the mountains!"