Gray rats—that's what they called squirrels. Also known as gray doggies.
Winter or summer, they were always active in the morning. By the time the sun hit the ridges, they were back in their nests.
So, to hunt squirrels, you had to get up early and head for the mountains. You'd leave home around five or six in the morning and come back down after nine.
Zhao Jun was a lazy man, but for the sake of a good meal, he did the unheard-of and woke up bright and early. He even put on the white overcoat used for hunting in the snow.
After slinging the rifle over his back, Zhao Jun took an elm slingshot from the heated-bed cabinet. Along with it was a small paper packet filled with lead pellets, each slightly smaller than a peanut.
You couldn't use a semi-automatic on a squirrel. One shot would blow it to smithereens, making it impossible to eat and ruining the pelt.
