Chapter 181: Pack of Wolves

This journey is primarily for gathering, not hunting. The wilderness teems with creatures, so small game can be easily hunted on the way. Fierce beasts will naturally present themselves, requiring defense, skillful shooting, and fierce combat!

Surrounded by uncharted mountain peaks and with the safety of the Zhou family paramount in their minds, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan swiftly reached a consensus. They proceeded along the area where the Zhou family resided, sweeping horizontally towards the opposite side.

Perhaps this place is uninhabited, the vegetation runs rampant, and after truly entering autumn, the mountain produce in these hills is far more abundant than they had anticipated—indeed, vastly so. Sang Luo didn't even bother to revisit the specific mountain where she had previously spotted wild grapes; instead, merely combing through two nearby peaks belonging to the Zhou family, she managed to uncover a dozen or so clusters of wild grapevines, each with tendrils sprawling in every direction.

By this time, compared to their previous outing, more than half of the wild grapes had ripened. They left the unripe ones be and focused on picking the ripe ones. Silver ear mushrooms, black mushrooms, fungi, and hawthorn berries – they would find something every now and then, their hands never ceasing their work.

Zhou Lazi and Zhou Erliang were both ecstatic; they had indeed searched for items in the mountains before, but those were only in the outskirts. They had never come across such abundance.

With Shen Lie and the others leading the way, even with limited food supplies, the father and son knew that their family would survive.

You say it's all just vegetables and fruits?

What a joke! In times of desperation, people would eat anything, even grass roots. Wild vegetables and grass seeds were treasures. These were already remarkable finds.

A basket was filled with silver ear fungus, black fungus, and various mushrooms, while hawthorns, which could withstand pressure, were packed in a burlap sack. Grapes were placed in a separate basket. When they encountered mountain chickens or wild rabbits, it was a matter of skill, and each catch was also bagged separately.

As for the concern that the scent of blood might attract wild beasts, it was actually part of their plan, sparing them the effort of actively searching. The more experienced Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, and Lu Erlang kept a watchful eye on their surroundings while foraging and hunting. However, in this kind of terrain where they had to clear a path every dozen steps with machetes and hoes, large wild animals would rather not linger. They preferred areas that allowed for easy movement while providing cover.

With more people, the picking of wild fruits and mushrooms progressed much faster than when there were only four of them. As they descended from the fifth mountain and prepared to explore the sixth, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan simultaneously spotted a wolf lurking in the woods along the edge of the forest.

No, it wasn't just one.

Both froze, raising their hands to signal the others to stop. Shen Lie whispered, "There's a wolf ahead." He then glanced at Sang Luo, gesturing for her to hide.

Chen Dashan and Lu Erlang immediately scanned the surrounding woods for any hidden wolves. Understanding the situation, Sang Luo quickly surveyed her surroundings and saw three wolves about 40 to 50 feet away from their group.

Taking advantage of the moment while the wolves were sizing them up, Sang Luo swiftly fixed her gaze on a large tree a few yards behind her. She gently tugged on Erlang's wife, who was startled, and slowly and carefully set down the sack in her hand and the basket on her back. She then retrieved the bow and quiver that had been resting on top of the basket and slung them over her shoulder.

ErLang's wife had experienced similar situations before. Swallowing her saliva, she finally snapped out of her shock and began to follow Sang Luo's actions.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan already had their bows drawn and arrows nocked. The skilled archers followed suit, while those unfamiliar with archery gripped their weapons tightly. At this point, the wolves had resolved to attack, leaping towards them with ferocity.

The moment the pack moved, Sang Luo and ErLang's wife dashed for the tree, climbing up with incredible speed. One after the other, they each secured a branch, watching the unfolding battle. Two of the charging wolves stumbled and fell, pierced by arrows.

For the wolves that were too close for archery, arrows wouldn't do. It was too late for that. Shen Lie retracted his bow and, together with Chen Dashan, charged forward with their blades. The rest of the group, as if responding to an unspoken command, also rushed forward, turning the encounter into a fierce melee.

San Luo and Shi Erlang's wife could now discern the situation clearly. There were originally eight wolves, two of which had been swiftly taken down, leaving six remaining.

Both women held their breaths, drawing their bows that no longer felt as familiar. With both humans and wolves in constant motion, it was a chaotic battlefield. Given their archery skills, they dared not release an arrow just yet, choosing instead to wait patiently.

One wolf spotted San Luo and the other woman. However, assessing the height difference, it decided to attack the people on the ground. Along with another wolf, it circled behind the crowd, positioning itself closest to San Luo and her companion. Spotting her chance, San Luo took aim and released an arrow.

The first arrow missed its target, predictably, due to the moving pack of wolves.

The second, third, and fourth arrows followed, until finally, the fourth one hit!

The arrow pierced the wolf's hind leg, but due to the limited force and the nature of the bamboo arrow, it was impossible to kill the wolf instantly like Shen Lie and his companions could. Instead, the wolf was enraged and turned its attention to the two women, attempting to leap up the tree.

Shi Erlang's wife was so terrified she nearly screamed, but she knew she couldn't distract the men at this critical moment, so she held back.

San Luo, however, understood that from their high vantage point, it was unlikely for the wolf to successfully pounce. Observing the wolf's focus on them, she reached into her bosom, pulled out a small porcelain bottle, dipped the tip of a bamboo arrow into it, replaced the lid, and then notched the arrow. Ignoring the wolf's howling and charging, she focused solely on her target, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!

The wolf was in mid-leap, close enough for the arrow to find its mark!

Though the initial wound was shallow and would likely only draw blood without being fatal, the poisoned arrow was a different story. As the wolf lunged at the tree once more, its body stiffened slightly before losing balance and crashing to the ground. It could no longer stand, let alone fight back, only able to emit a mournful cry as it struggled before finally succumbing to its fate.

Second Son Shi's wife!!

She wanted to howl in exhilaration! She held back, grasping Sang Luo's arm excitedly. "A' Luo, you're incredible!"

Eagerly, she looked towards the pack of wolves, wishing there were more so she could shoot a few arrows too! Ahhhhh!!!!

But obviously, her wish wouldn't come true. With eight wolves at the start, two had been killed immediately, one by Sang Luo's poisoned arrow from up close. The remaining five were taken down by a dozen men with hoes and axes in less than half an hour. Two managed to escape but were later shot down by Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, and Lu ErLang.

These creatures held grudges, so they couldn't be allowed to escape.

Uncle Xu and Big Brother Zhou had minor injuries, while the rest were unharmed.

When Shen Lie confirmed that there was no more danger nearby, he lifted his head and saw Sang Luo in the tree. During the battle, he had glanced up to ensure she was safe in the tree. Now, seeing her smile at him from above, he couldn't help but laugh. He strode over, gesturing for her to come down.

Sang Luo carefully descended the tree. As soon as she landed and turned around, she saw Shen Lie examining her. He asked, "Were you scared?"

Before she could answer, Second Son Shi's wife, who was still on the tree, hurriedly spoke up. "No, no. Did you see that wolf? A' Luo shot it."

Her excitement was no less than if she had shot the wolf herself.

Shen Lie also spotted the wolf lying not far from the tree, a bamboo arrow still embedded in its body, the blood appearing slightly black.

Sang Luo herself was somewhat excited, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she asked, "Wasn't my archery practice worth it then?"

After joking, she seriously added, "In reality, I was very close, so I was fortunate enough to hit the target. Otherwise, my strength and accuracy wouldn't have been enough; it was luck."

Shen Lie, however, was overjoyed, his face beaming with smiles. "That was impressive."

Just this quick thinking and courage were remarkable.

...

Zhou Laizi and his son stood in stunned silence, staring at the fallen wolves. The two of them had let out a series of fierce cries during the fight, and only now, after the chaos subsided, did they realize the gravity of the situation.

There were so many wolves near their home!

What surprised them even more was how swiftly Shen Lie's group had reacted to encountering the pack.

The father and son turned to look at Sang Luo, who had descended from the tree, and Shi Erlang's wife, and then at the wolf that Sang Luo had felled. They were genuinely dumbfounded and incredibly stirred up.

Chen Dashan glanced at the array of wolves on the ground and then at the half-filled baskets carried by everyone. He turned to Shen Lie and proposed, "Should we send these items to Uncle Zhou's place first before setting off again?"

It was still early, only midday. It would be a pity to head back home just yet.

Shen Lie shared the same sentiment. Carrying the spoils further into the depths would be impossible, and turning back now would waste time. Thus, he turned to Zhou Laizi and asked, "Uncle Zhou, can we leave our belongings with you? If we're worried about the scent of blood attracting wild beasts, shall we leave a few people behind to deal with it?"

Zhou Laizi had no objections and nodded eagerly. "Of course, of course."

The subsequent task was the distribution of the prey. Whoever shot the animal claimed it, while those that were collectively hunted were evenly divided among the hunters. In the end, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan each got one and a half wolves, Lu Erlang got one, Sang Luo got one, and the remaining three wolves were divided among Zhou Laizi's son, Zhou Cunzheng's two sons, Chen Youtian, Lu Sanlang, Uncle Xu, Xu Wenqing, and Shi ErLang – nine individuals in total.

Three people sharing one wolf!

The Zhou brothers, Zhou Laizi's family, and the Xu family – all of them seldom had the chance to eat meat – were overjoyed.

Aside from the Zhou family, every household had brought medicinal herbs for injuries. However, as both victims only sustained scratches that tore their clothes but not their skin, they didn't feel the need to use the medicine. Instead, they relied on their experience to find some herbal remedies nearby, chewed them, and applied them to their wounds.

Given that the wolves were still bleeding, they didn't carry them directly. The group found thick wooden sticks and used vines to bind the eight wolves before carrying them back.

In less than two hours, they returned home with their baskets full. Zhou Laizi's wife and children were stunned, rushing down the mountain in disbelief. They were both frightened and astonished by the sight of so many wolves.

"Are they uninjured?"

Both mother and daughter turned their gazes towards Zhou Lai's father and son, then looked around at the others.

Zhou Lai's face split into a wide grin as he repeatedly said, "No, no injuries."

Then, he remembered Xu Shu and Zhou DaLang, adding, "Brother Xu and Changming sustained some minor injuries."

Changming was Zhou DaLang's name. Hearing his mention, he smiled at Zhou Lai's wife and said, "Auntie, it's alright. It's just a scratch, and we've already applied medicine."

Only then did Zhou Lai's wife smile. "As long as it's nothing serious."

Looking at the many wolves, she felt a surge of excitement, unsure if her family would receive a share.

Seemingly aware of her thoughts, while everyone was setting up supports by the forest edge to prepare for skinning, Zhou Lai whispered to his wife, "Together with Second Lang, we'll probably get about sixty to seventy pounds of meat."

This was a conservative estimate, taking into account the removal of the skin, draining of blood, and discarding of internal organs.

His wife and daughter's mouths gaped open in a perfect circle, as if a pie had fallen from the sky. Both held their breath, barely daring to believe their luck.

Zhou Lazi chuckled and went to assist Shen Lie and the others.

The wolves needed to be skinned and divided first. The wild chickens and rabbits would also be handled by the experienced hunters like Shen Lie, but they wouldn't have time for the gathered items right away. Shi Erlang's wife discussed with Sang Luo about combining everything and storing them in burlap bags in Zhou Lazi's wooden-fenced courtyard until they could free up a backpack to continue exploring with the hunters.

Sang Luo observed the Zhou family pounding stakes around an area outside their small yard, which Shen Lie said was for planting. However, there was still plenty of space beyond what the Zhou family intended to fence. Recalling the patches of cattails near the water source and considering the countless unexplored mountains around, she had another idea.

Just as Zhou Lazi's wife approached, Sang Luo promptly called out to her, "Auntie Zhou, I have something to discuss with you."

Zhou Lazi's wife hurriedly walked over with her daughter and asked, "Xiaolei's wife, is there a problem? You can tell me."

Sang Luo replied, "We'll likely spend the entire autumn searching for mountain produce in the area, probably around here. I've been thinking that transporting fresh mountain goods or freshly hunted meat directly back isn't very convenient. Today, for instance, if we go hunting again this afternoon, we'll waste a lot of time transporting them. Would it be possible for us to cut some cattails and weave mats to dry our goods at your place first before bringing them back when they're dry?"

The sunlight exposure in the valley was much shorter than outside, and there was limited open space for drying items. It wasn't as convenient as doing it outside. It might work for a small amount, but it would be challenging with more. Besides, they didn't plan on frequent trips in and out of the village. Drying things outside the village would require someone to guard them, wasting manpower, and the time spent on transportation would be excessive.

Sang Luo figured it would be much cheaper to handle everything at the Zhou residence first. Of course, if the Zhou family disagreed, they could choose a nearby plot, fence a secure area, and dry the items outside as well.

In the future, when they moved out of Zhou Lazi's area, they could do the same elsewhere. They could find a spot to set up a drying area, leaving a few people in a safe zone to oversee and manage the drying process. It would be the same scenario.

This way, they would have a safe place to stay at night, far from the valley, without the need for constant return trips that wasted time. It would be much more efficient.

The more she pondered, the brighter Sang Luo's eyes became.

Moments after her inquiry, Zhou Laizi's wife promptly agreed, "Of course, what's difficult about that? It's just right for you to empty your baskets and venture deeper into the mountains. You can leave your items here to dry, and let us know if there's anything else to be done. We've got nothing but time on our hands."

Both Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had been kind enough to safely guide their family to this place, giving them shelter and a livelihood. She was eager to repay their kindness and would be more than willing to lend a helping hand.

Moreover, since Shen Lie and his group had only arrived half a day ago, not only did they obtain an abundance of mushrooms and fruits, but also sixty to seventy pounds of wolf meat. Sang Luo and the others would continue their work in the vicinity, which meant they would be accompanied by these skilled hunters – a blessing they couldn't have hoped for.

Considering another perspective, eight wolves were no small matter. If they hadn't been hunted today, it was uncertain when these wolves might have encircled their home. Zhou Laizi's wife now felt fortunate, and wished for Shen Lie and his companions to hunt in the area for a while longer, ensuring a safe and well-fed winter for all.

Seeing her agreement, Sang Luo smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie. If there's a sudden rain, please take care of things for us. We'll handle everything else ourselves."

"Auntie's not tired at all, not tired at all. It's my duty. I haven't even thanked you for looking out for our family." She then instructed her eldest daughter, "Go tell your father, big brother, and second brother to cut some reeds for weaving mats."

Eyes shining, Shi Erlang's wife overheard this and chimed in, "I'll ask my husband Shi Er to join them too. He's not good at skinning, so he'd just be standing around uselessly."

Sang Luo laughed and told Zhou Laizi's wife, "I'll go along as well."

He shared his thoughts with Shen Lie.

Chen Dashan, Uncle Xu, and Chen Youtian, who were nearby, overheard the conversation. Their eyes lit up as they said, "That's a great idea. In the future, when we go hunting, we should first choose a spot to process the game. It'll be much easier to carry them after they've been prepared."

Could fresh grapes, dried grapes, fresh hawthorns, and dried hawthorns be treated the same way when carried back? Of course, it was more convenient to dry them, as they took up less space and didn't have that strong bloody smell that might attract larger creatures.

Moreover, they were well aware of their own situation. There weren't many flat areas left in the valley for such activities, let alone enough space to dry large quantities of game.

Chen Youtian immediately rummaged through his basket and pulled out a sickle. "I'll go cut some reeds too."

Uncle Xu, Brother Da Lang Zhou, and Brother Er Lang Zhou all followed suit.

Upon seeing this, Shen Lie glanced at Chen Dashan and said, "I'll take care of this side. You follow me. The area with the Long Grass is quite a distance from here; we don't want them to encounter anything they can't handle."

In an organized flurry of activity, the group divided into three tasks. Chen Dashan led a band of men to harvest reed grass, while Shen Lie, accompanied by Lu Er, Lu San, and the eager-to-learn Xu Wenching, set about skinning the wolves and portioning the meat. Meanwhile, Sang Luo and Shi Erlang's wife borrowed two earthenware basins from the Zou family, filled them with mountain spring water, and began washing their own grapes and hawthorn berries. The Zou household, too, retrieved their own baskets and proceeded to clean their harvested grapes.

No one here had ever sun-dried grapes before, so they were all rather cautious. Zhou Lazi's wife asked, "Do we need to pick them off one by one and wash them?"

Sang Luo shook her head. "No need. We clean them in bunches and dry them in bunches. When they're sufficiently dried, they'll fall off on their own. Moreover, hanging them up to dry saves space and effort."

Soon, Zhou's mother and daughter, along with Shi Erlang's wife, learned the meaning of 'hanging for drying.' Didn't their house have a wooden fence all around? With its numerous protrusions, Sang Luo paid Shen Lie a visit, and after they went out together, they returned with many thin bamboo poles, all of which had their branches cut off. After a quick cleaning, they were directly set up as drying rods on the wooden fence.

Just the grapes from their three households could fill up one rod each, looking absolutely stunning!

There were still plenty of bamboo poles left. Shen Lie helped to set them up, leaving several empty rods.

Chen Youtian and his group had yet to return. Sang Luo called out to the others, "Let's help them dry their grapes too."

When Chen Youtian and the others came back with the reeds, several rods of wild grapes were already hanging outside the Zhou family's courtyard. The strings of purple grapes were arranged in rows, forming a small wall of grapes. It was a magnificent sight.

"Did you guys take care of everything for us?"

Sang Luo smiled. "Yes, the bamboo rods have markings similar to your arrows. You can identify which ones belong to your households."