Reborn in 80: Starting with hunting in the mountains to get rich

Chapter 213 Iron Hammer Makes Another Contribution

Li Ju'an knew that once the policies were fully liberalized in a few years, he could expand production on a large scale, for example, by opening game arcades, billiard rooms, video arcades, etc., and then quickly transform into the internet industry.

In the years that followed, people made a fortune by opening internet cafes, getting involved in the gaming industry, and investing in stocks and real estate. Treasury bonds were introduced in 1988, and many people made their fortunes by trading them in different locations. As long as you had enough initial capital, you could buy and sell treasury bonds, earning at least 10-20 yuan per bond. Once you had enough capital, you could buy and hold houses in big cities, hoarding them for the long term, and then selling them before 2018.

But before the policy is fully liberalized, the best way to steadily rise to prominence is to avoid buying and selling and instead quietly earn your first pot of gold in the mountains.

Li Ju'an patted Lu Zhiqiang on the shoulder and told him to hurry up and set the traps: "Take it easy and do it step by step. Set the first batch of traps after the New Year. When you want to start a breeding farm, you'll still need these traps to deliver the traps to you."

Lu Zhiqiang slapped his forehead, grinned, and thought to himself that it really made sense. He replaced the snare he had used on the jumping cat with a clip—not a wooden clip, but a wire clip, specifically for clamping its legs. He planned to patrol the area more frequently, going into the mountains every day or two, hoping to catch a live jumping cat.

Setting three hundred traps would take a long time, so Li Ju'an, Lu Zhiqiang, and Lu Jinyang split into three groups and went separately. He told Lu Zhiqiang to take Hua Er, Bai Danzi, and Tie Chui, and Lu Jinyang to take Bai Ao, Hua Guniang, and Hei Hu. This was in case anyone encountered an accident along the way, and also so that the hunting dogs could bark and give a warning.

The number of barbarians in the Xingan Mountains is increasing, and no one can guarantee that they won't be targeted by them when venturing into the mountains alone. If a barbarian launches a deliberate act of revenge and you fall into their trap, even if you just fall into a snowdrift they've chosen, you're doomed.

Lu Zhiqiang complained to Tie Chui: "Who would want this slippery dog? It's the one that keeps watch for me, but it's the one that makes me keep watch for it like I'm serving a mistress. If it gets lost, I have to go to the shrew's den to look for it. Isn't this just making things difficult for me?"

He didn't want to bring Iron Hammer, and Iron Hammer didn't want to go with him either. Lu Zhiqiang led Flower Ear and White Egg toward the wild boar forest behind the ridge, muttering to himself that he had to catch a few more jumping cats to feel satisfied, and that he would run the breeding farm all by himself.

Lu Jinyang laughed and said, "Farming is expensive, so let him do whatever he wants."

Everyone has their own ideas. In this materialistic 80s, everyone has their own agenda, wanting to seize the opportunity to make a fortune.

Lu Jinyang walked towards Changchong Gully, followed by the white mastiff, the flower girl, and the black tiger.

Li Ju'an trusted the Lu brothers. One of them, Lu Zhiqiang, was all bark and no bite, a coward at heart. The other, Lu Jinyang, had never actually gone hunting in the mountains before. Given Lu Jinyang's cautious and meticulous nature, he wouldn't venture too far alone. He didn't go far either, crossing the hillside to find bushes and shrubs with seeds on a gentle slope, setting traps in the snow-free areas.

Behind him followed three small wolfhounds: Big Tiger, Iron Hammer, and Little Steel Cannon, making a total of five hunting dogs. He rummaged through the woven bag and suddenly noticed an extra bundle of rope, nylon rope at that.

He realized that Lu Jinyang had indeed taken his woven bag. He had initially thought Lu Jinyang was asking him for more clothespins, but he discovered that Lu Jinyang had brought him the Lu family's nylon rope as a thank you. If he wanted to buy nylon rope, he would have to go to town to buy it; this was leftover from the Lu family in Kunshan after they repaired their shed last year.

He was pleased. Lu Jinyang was a loyal and honorable man; he would reciprocate without taking advantage of him. The two Lu brothers were indeed good people.

"Big Tiger, go search the area."

Nylon rope can be used to make roe deer snares. Roe deer snares can be used to snare roe deer and also sika deer; they can snare most medium-sized mountain animals. But they won't work for wild boars, as it's difficult to snare them.

He led Da Hu for a stroll on the gentle slope. He found the area too flat, consisting entirely of gentle ridges. If there were wild boars here, it wouldn't be suitable for hunting; if they charged, the dogs wouldn't be able to hold them. He looked around and noticed two mounds on the eastern gentle slope, with a depression in the middle, forming a sheltered area where livestock might be lying down.

He glanced at the sun; it was around noon. By this time, even the deer or roe deer that were still urinating should be awake. These animals are incredibly fast after their first urination of the morning, making them difficult for dogs to catch. If he could arrive earlier, before the roe deer had finished urinating, it would be still nestled there. He could then take the dogs and surround it before it even woke up, making it easy to shoot it every time.

The roe deer lasso made of nylon rope requires No. 8 thread, braided into three strands. But No. 8 thread is very stiff, so he heated it over a flame to soften it before braiding. He also had to leave a gap at the joints so that the last thread could be threaded through to form a slipknot.

He used half a bundle to make four snares for the roe deer, used pliers to fix the hard tails to the trees, and then covered them with snow and leaves.

This place where they're lying in wait—that's where the trap is set.

He looked at the roe deer footprints on the ground and figured the roe deer had been out for about an hour and would be returning to its den when it got dark. He figured he could set a trap here in a couple of days and the success rate would be very high.

He placed all four traps near the hideout, spaced about ten meters apart.

He had just gotten up to look for other footprints when he suddenly spotted Iron Hammer barking a hundred meters away, running towards him.

When did the hammer run away again?

He looked up and, wow, it really was a slippery dog! There were wild boars on the hill, just getting up from their burrows at midday to look for food. Wild boars get up late, much later than roe deer; they've been holding their urine all night and haven't urinated yet, so they can't run fast. When wild boars do get up, they root around in the soil looking for roots and stems to eat, and they don't defecate or urinate in their burrows; they know how to keep things clean.

At this time of year, there are no more larvae in the wild boar herd, as the breeding season has passed, leaving only sows and yellow-haired pigs. It's the perfect time to drive away the wild boars.

Iron Hammer wandered around and actually found a wild boar's den. It then grunted and snorted as it herded two yellow-haired beasts toward it.

The hunting dog was a bully who preyed on the weak. There was clearly a 260-pound old sow nearby, but Hammer knew the sow wasn't easy to bully; he might give it a good beating if provoked. On the other hand, the two blond-haired dogs next to the sow looked to be only around 80 pounds each, small and easy to bully.

Hammer was already strong and agile, and his large size meant he wasn't much less imposing standing next to the two blond dogs. This really boosted Slippery Dog's morale. Hammer, who had initially looked timid, now became smug and arrogant, howling as he chased after the two blond dogs.

The two blond-haired lads were so scared they were pissed off while running, not knowing where to go, and ran straight toward Li Ju'an.

Li Ju'an excitedly unslung his hunting rifle from his back, held it to his face, and exclaimed, "Iron Hammer, what a fine girl!"