Chapter Fifteen On The Road

  A team of people emerged from the distant mountains, appearing on the plain. From a distance, they looked like small black dots jumping on the vast snowy expanse. As they drew closer, it became clear that they were a large group of young people, including several girls, pulling five large sleds, with several big dogs following behind. The white snow reflected off their youthful faces, and the golden sunlight shone down on them. Their light footsteps moved quickly through the thick snow, showing no signs of heaviness, revealing the vitality of life. Two rows of deep footprints and a sled track stretched out far behind them, indicating the direction they had come from.

  After a few hours of pleasant march, we walked twenty miles of mountain roads, and our completely young winter hunting team finally arrived at the river bank. Why is it said that the march was pleasant? Book friends who have experienced walking on snowy roads in the north know that walking on thick snow-covered roads is not an easy task. It's not just a matter of slipping with every step, but even pulling your feet out of the thick snow requires a lot of effort. You need to use all your strength to pull your legs and take another step, repeating this process over and over again. Isn't it tiring? But our team didn't feel tired at all. We've been living in these mountains and forests since we were young, so we're used to walking on snowy roads. If the snow was small that year and you couldn't see the big snow on the mountain slopes, you wouldn't be used to it yet. Besides, this is our first time doing something so big, and we're excited about it. Our spirits are high, so this little bit of effort is nothing!

  And, isn't there several girls in the team? The boys have to show off their heroic spirit in front of them! This is a common psychology, especially for boys at this age. They all seem like little fighting roosters. In this situation, they can pull it off (don't laugh, gentlemen who have gone through this age, think back and see if you've ever made such a heroic move). I feel quite proud of myself for bringing these girls along, it's a wise decision to configure human resources reasonably, which helps improve combat effectiveness! It's worth promoting. Ah, there are several guys with quick thinking, they came up with a good idea - let the crawler lead the way in front, and everyone follows its tracks. That's fast and effortless, but poor guys who pulled the crawler were miserable, and Shantou was one of them. Not that he wanted to show off in front of the girls, I don't think he had that intention! With his strength, how could he forget? He's the best candidate for this pioneering work, who else can do it?!

  A few guys with ulterior motives pulled him to the front to lead the way, and several tractors followed, creating a path. This mountain tiger was at the forefront, like a bulldozer, while the tractors behind changed hands several times, but this guy didn't change once, looking very relaxed. I'm starting to admire him now; if it were me, without using internal force, pulling such a large tractor with many loads on top would be impossible! This far away, I estimate he's panting heavily and rolling his eyes right about now. This brother, his strength is incredible! If he had a six-barreled fire god cannon on his back, that would be an ultra-killer, the little devils' nightmare! Hmm, I need to pay attention and choose a suitable weapon for Tiger.

  Finally, everyone in this team has grown up together since childhood, and they are very familiar with each other. Once they are familiar, there is no more awkwardness or strangeness, and they chat and laugh as they walk, talking and walking at the same time. Along the way, laughter continues, and they don't feel that the road is too long or difficult to walk. This has been proven through actual experience. If you don't believe me, try traveling with a stranger and not saying a word to each other - it feels like the road will never end! Of course, this doesn't apply when dating or shopping, as those trips always feel too short - that's relativity in its simplest form! And I, the team leader, keep bringing up new topics to liven up the atmosphere (this is experience gained from past lives; during military marches, unless it's for covert reasons, people will try every way to boost everyone's mood - long-distance marching is most afraid of dullness). Amidst all the chatter and laughter, half of the journey has already passed.

  On the way here, I turned over a mountain pass and came to a leeward slope. The snow here was thicker than elsewhere because of the strong winds two days ago. In Northeast China, especially in forested areas, there is less windward snow but more leeward snow. If you're not from around here or familiar with the terrain, you might accidentally fall into a deep snow pit and lose your life. The snow isn't just one or two meters deep; sometimes an entire mountain valley can be filled with it. You might say, "What's the big deal? It's just snow!" But this snow is no joke - it can take lives! If you fall in, you won't be able to climb out easily. At best, your clothes and shoes will get wet, but that's not all. I'm warning you: if you come to Northeast China, especially the forested areas, don't wander around randomly. If you want to go up a mountain, find a guide who knows the way. Don't risk losing your life because of ignorance. The snow-filled valleys can be tens or even hundreds of meters deep. On sunny days, the surface might melt and become thin, but as soon as the temperature drops at night, it will freeze again. You'll need special tools to cross these snow pits; if you step in without them, you'll sink right in. The more you struggle, the faster you'll sink, and before long, you'll pass out from lack of oxygen. Then, when the wind blows again, it will cover up your tracks and fill in the hole where you fell. By the time someone finds you next spring after the snow melts, you might be lucky to have a complete corpse left - or unlucky, with only a skeleton remaining. Why? Because the wild animals in the mountains will get to you before humans do!

  This effort has brought unexpected gains. For several days, the heavy snowfall had blocked the mountain, and the wild animals on the mountain hadn't eaten for a long time. They were forced to move towards areas with human habitation. On the snowy path ahead, there were two large wild rabbits. When they saw someone approaching, they turned around and ran away. However, the snow was too deep, and the rabbits' short legs couldn't run fast enough. Several large dogs saw them and immediately became excited, as if they had taken a stimulant. They let out loud barks and pounced on the rabbits like the wind. It seemed that this group of dogs also had a lot of pent-up energy. The two rabbits turned around and ran away frantically, but they couldn't outrun the long-legged and sharp-toothed dogs. In just a few bites, the dogs caught up to them, and with one bite, their teeth closed in, and fresh red blood splattered onto the pristine white snow. The contrast between the red and white was shocking and disturbing. When the dogs smelled the bloody scent, they became even more ferocious, tearing apart the already lifeless rabbits. What a pity! If they were torn to shreds, wouldn't that have been a delicious dish for noon?

  I and several partners rushed forward, exerting a lot of effort, chasing and shouting, to snatch the food from the dog's mouth, and finally managed to grab two rabbits. Fortunately, it was just in time, except for the rabbit skin being torn apart, they were basically intact. What luck! However, those big dogs seemed unhappy, their gaze at me felt a bit chilly, was I feeling guilty? It seemed like they knew that snatching the prey from their mouths was my idea, and indeed it was. Snatching food from someone's mouth is never pleasant, and dogs are no exception. I quickly ordered the team to stop, we had to take advantage of the fact that the rabbits hadn't frozen yet, and hurry up to skin them. If they froze, it would be difficult to skin them. Several people worked together, and surprisingly, their technique was quite clean and efficient, apparently this was a skill they had honed over time.

  In the blink of an eye, two white rabbits became a snack, and I personally delivered them to the mouths of those big dogs. It was a bribe, or else these beasts would hold a grudge and might sneak up behind me and take a bite out of my leg. How unjust would that be? Where could I go to complain? Although it's not certain that this would happen, it's better to prevent it from happening in the first place. Taking the opportunity, I showed them some goodwill and improved our previously strained relationship with the dogs. This is called being considerate, applicable to both humans and animals (don't worry about it). As expected, once those big dogs had food in their mouths, their mood changed. Their fluffy tails wagged at me like fans, bringing up a gust of wind. Looking into their eyes, they seemed so affectionate and enthusiastic towards me. I succeeded! It turns out I really have a talent for socializing! I'm dizzy!

  On this road, Ling's performance has opened my eyes wide. She doesn't say much, at most just two or three sentences, but her pleasant laughter is not rare. As we walk, she suddenly leaves the group and runs towards a nearby mountain slope. Her slender figure, like a small deer, lightly jumps up and down, making my heart skip a beat. The bright red scarf around her neck, with her running, seems to be a flame that is vividly jumping and burning fiercely on the pure white snowy field. This girl is really too charming, I feel like my resistance to her and immunity are getting lower and lower! Control, control, it's really hard. After a while, she runs down the mountain, holding a frozen wild chicken in her hand. Her small face still has a calm smile, not showing off at all. Maybe due to the intense exercise, there is an exceptionally bright red glow on her cheeks, but in her eyes, there is an excitement that cannot be suppressed. She glances at me, doesn't say anything, and casually throws the wild chicken onto the sled, continuing to walk with everyone else. Maybe everyone has gotten used to it, they let out a cheer, without showing any particular surprise.

  I'm not the same, this is the first time I've seen another side of Little Ling, I thought she was a quiet and inactive girl, serene and peaceful. But this time, it really opened my eyes, especially when she ran, how good-looking she was! This is still in winter, if it were summer, not like now wearing thick cotton clothes, that would be thin shirts, full and full of energy body... Don't think about it anymore, don't take my life away! I estimate that at the scene, my nosebleed could have sprayed out. Suddenly, I'm looking forward to the arrival of summer. Along the way, Little Ling ran up the mountain four or five times, picked up six frozen wild chickens, how? Once she even picked up two! It's strange, everyone was stunned, but only Little Ling saw it, her eyesight, how did she train? I, a super master with internal power, also feel inferior. At noon, there was another delicious dish! Happy! Really happy, just thinking about eating, pig?! When people are in a good mood, everything looks smooth.

  The terrain in front of us suddenly dropped, and we arrived at the Songhua River. This is our destination, a great river that has flowed for countless years, quietly lying on the vast expanse of white snow and ice-covered land in eastern Liaoning Province. The thick snow covers its body, silent and wordless, carrying the ancient desolation and eternal loneliness, sleeping soundlessly like this. But beneath this silent exterior, there is an invisible torrent surging and churning under the icy shell. Is it just like the people living on the vast expanse of eastern Liaoning Province, a reflection of their current mood? Mother River of Eastern Liaoning, I have come. Although I cannot see your majestic appearance rushing and surging in the summer now, I have come to listen to your unyielding heart under the thick snow...

  （）