bookrandom Chapter 484 is now more like a hobby.
Chapter 484 is now more like a hobby.
The next morning, Li Xiangyang brought the seeds he had bought the day before to the field.
He first used a hoe to dig shallow furrows in the prepared land, then carefully sowed the seeds, and finally covered them with a thin layer of soil and watered them.
"Alright," Li Xiangyang said with satisfaction, looking at the fruits of his labor. "Now we just wait for them to sprout."
Wang Ergou walked over, looked at the neatly arranged medicinal herb field of Li Xiangyang, and praised, "Brother Xiangyang, you've done a really good job with this land, it's so tidy."
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Is your work almost finished too?"
"Yes, we just finished sowing the seeds," Wang Ergou said. "I just don't know if these medicinal herbs will actually work."
"Don't worry," Li Xiangyang patted his shoulder, "I think it'll be fine. These medicinal herbs are very adaptable; as long as the basic conditions are met, they'll grow well."
In the days that followed, the two would take time each day to check on the condition of the medicinal herb field.
Half a month later, tender green seedlings finally sprouted in the ground.
Looking at the new greenery, Li Xiangyang was filled with anticipation.
Although it was just a small experimental plot of land, he knew it could be an important source of income for his family in the future.
At the same time, Li Xiangyang did not give up hunting.
He would go into the mountains with Wang Ergou once or twice a week.
That evening, Li Xiangyang was preparing his prey, getting ready to go into the mountains early the next morning.
"Are we going hunting again tomorrow?" Li Xiaoyun asked while cooking.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, we spotted quite a few roe deer tracks on the mountain a couple of days ago, and we were planning to try our luck."
"You have to farm, hunt, and manage the mountain produce collection point all at once. Aren't you tired?" Li Xiaoyun asked with some concern.
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "I'm not tired. Now is a good time to work more, save more money, and prepare for the future."
Li Xiaoyun sighed softly, "Alright, take care of yourself."
Li Wangchen ran in from outside: "Dad, you're going hunting tomorrow, can I come with you?"
Li Xiangyang patted his son's head: "Not now, you're too young. When you're a little older, Dad will definitely teach you how to hunt."
Li Wangchen was somewhat disappointed, but still nodded: "Alright then, I'll wait."
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Xiangyang shouldered his hunting rifle and set off with Wang Ergou.
The two followed the familiar mountain path and soon entered the deep mountains.
"Brother Xiangyang, what are we mainly going to play today?" Wang Ergou asked in a low voice.
Li Xiangyang pointed ahead: "We found roe deer tracks in that ravine a few days ago. Today, we'll see if we can run into them."
The two of them tiptoed and carefully made their way into the ravine.
The mountains and forests in spring are full of life, with birdsong rising and falling.
Li Xiangyang took a deep breath, feeling the breath of nature, and felt incredibly refreshed.
Suddenly, a slight rustling sound came from the bushes ahead. Li Xiangyang immediately stopped and gestured for Wang Ergou to be quiet.
The two held their breath, staring intently in the direction from which the sound came.
Gradually, an adult roe deer emerged from the bushes. It cautiously looked around, then lowered its head and began to graze.
Li Xiangyang slowly raised his hunting rifle and aimed at the roe deer's head.
"Bang!" A crisp gunshot shattered the tranquility of the mountain forest.
The roe deer fell to the ground with a thud, struggled a few times, and then remained still.
"Great marksmanship!" Wang Ergou exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.
Li Xiangyang stepped forward and examined the roe deer's wound: "Clean and swift, a single shot is all it took."
The two tied up the roe deer and continued deeper into the mountains.
By noon, the two had already hunted a roe deer and three rabbits.
"A good haul," Li Xiangyang said. "Let's find a place to rest and get something to eat."
The two sat down on a flat rock and shared the dry rations they had brought.
Looking at the distant mountains, Li Xiangyang suddenly said, "Ergou, tell me, how is hunting different now compared to before?"
Wang Ergou thought for a moment: "Before, it was about survival; now it's more like a hobby..."
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang chimed in, “Now we not only have enough to eat and wear, but our aspirations have also become higher.”
Wang Ergou nodded: "That's right, these are things we never dared to dream of before, but now they're slowly becoming a reality. Take the household responsibility system, for example, who would have dared to think of that before?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Times are changing, and we have to change with them. Only by keeping up with the times can we avoid being left behind."
After resting, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou packed up their things and prepared to continue deeper into the mountains.
"Brother Xiangyang, look over there!" Wang Ergou suddenly lowered his voice and pointed to a clump of bushes not far away.
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the branches of the bush swaying slightly, as if something was moving inside.
The two exchanged a glance, then raised their hunting rifles in unison and slowly approached the thicket.
As the distance decreased, a strange "clucking" sound entered my ears.
“Pheasant!” Li Xiangyang whispered, his eyes lighting up.
Wild pheasants in spring are known for their tender and delicious meat, making them a rare delicacy. The two slowed their pace and approached cautiously, careful not to disturb their prey.
When the distance closed to about twenty meters, the pheasants in the bushes seemed to sense the danger and suddenly darted out.
"boom!"
Li Xiangyang fired his gun, but the pheasant was too fast, and the bullet grazed its feathers.
Startled, the pheasant flapped its wings and flew up the hillside.
"Oh no, they got away!" Wang Ergou said with some regret.
Li Xiangyang didn't give up. He quickly chased after the pheasant in the direction it had fled: "Don't worry, it can't have flown far. It should be in that pine forest up ahead!"
The two of them, one in front of the other, quickly crossed a grassy hillside and climbed upwards.
The hillside wasn't steep, but the loose soil and weeds made walking difficult. Li Xiangyang's boots sank into the soft mud from time to time, but he maintained a steady pace, his eyes always fixed ahead.
"Brother Xiangyang, slow down, I see it!" Wang Ergou suddenly whispered.
Li Xiangyang stopped and looked in the direction Wang Ergou pointed. Sure enough, the pheasant was perched on a low branch of a pine tree, warily looking around.
"Don't let it get away this time," Li Xiangyang said softly, slowly raising his hunting rifle and aiming at the pheasant.
He took a deep breath, held it, and slowly pulled the trigger.
"boom!"
With a sharp gunshot, the pheasant fell to the ground.
Li Xiangyang strode to the pine tree, picked up the plump pheasant, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
Wang Ergou came over and took a look: "Goodness, it's quite plump, enough for my sister-in-law to make a good soup."
The two tied the pheasant to the hunting rope, checked the hunting rifle and ammunition again, and decided to venture deeper into the forest while it was still early.