wrapped several layers of newspaper around his ankles, worried he might get bitten by a snake or have some insects crawl in.
But he wasn't sure if it would actually protect him from a snake's teeth.
After the earlier incident, the three of them walked more cautiously, constantly probing the bushes with their sticks.
After walking for over an hour, they arrived at the place where they had set up the traps and snares the day before.
"Let's check the snares first."
The traps were a success.
All three traps were triggered; one was empty, another had caught a hedgehog, and the third had a field mouse trapped inside.
The hedgehog and the field mouse were still alive, and upon seeing people approaching, they struggled frantically. The field
mouse writhed wildly in the snare, its tiny claws scratching the rope with a rustling sound, squeaking sharply, its round body trying to squeeze into the rope's gaps, only to be tightened even more.
The hedgehog curled into a spiky ball, rolled halfway around startled, its quills hooking onto the snare, unable to break free.
Qin Ziwen simply removed the snare along with the rope and put the hedgehog in his bag.
Then he caught the field mouse, pinched it by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up, and put it into his and his brother's backpacks respectively.
Having witnessed the snare trap work, Old Deng admired Qin Ziwen even more; he truly had skill!
He wanted to ask him for advice, but felt that he couldn't be so shameless as to ask about such a skill that earned his living.
Old Deng's face didn't lie; Qin Ziwen saw through his preoccupation at a glance.
Qin Ziwen chuckled: "I'll teach you."
Old Deng suddenly looked up, his face full of surprise.
"Is that okay?"
"Of course, in such a big forest, I can catch a few, but just don't tell anyone."
Old Deng patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I'd rather die than tell anyone what you teach me."
"Die? What do you mean, die? Everyone needs to live."
Qin Ziwen looked closely; it appeared to be a furry animal, not very large, about the size of a medium-sized dog, but very fast, disappearing quickly into the bushes.
Compared to these medium-sized animals, upright apes like humans were quite intimidating.
Especially since upright apes prefer to travel in groups.
After walking for less than half an hour, they encountered several animals that were not small.
Unfortunately, the animals detected them from a distance and quickly fled.
This reminded Qin Ziwen of a hunting game he used to play—a pot of tea, a pack of cigarettes, and a deer chasing each other all day—turning the hunting game into a running simulator.
Suddenly, the bushes ahead shook violently.
The three stopped, their faces grave.
A black wild boar emerged,
nearly waist-high.
The three remained on guard the entire time. Upon seeing them, the boar showed no fear, standing still, its dark eyes fixed on them, ears erect. After a moment, the boar flicked its tail, turned, and continued deeper into the forest.
Watching its retreating figure, Qin Ziwen narrowed his eyes and gripped his weapon tightly. "What a huge boar." It must weigh at least two hundred pounds.
If they could hunt this boar, their rating would be excellent.
And its meat would be enough to last a month.
But could the three of them hunt it?
(End of Chapter)