Zhang Guoqing and his second brother had just finished tidying up the backyard when they saw Mr. Zhang coming over. The two of them exchanged glances and smiled, with a knowing wink, as it was rare for their father to get up late. Mr. Zhang looked around, curiously peered towards the pigsty, but there was still no sign of anyone. "Strange, why hasn’t your older brother gotten up?" Zhang Guoqiang chuckled and said, "Big brother is up, there’s nothing much to do in the backyard so he went outside. He probably asked sister-in-law to prepare breakfast and some provisions for when we head up the mountain later." "You’re going to the mountain, will you still make it to the city today?" Mr. Zhang hesitated as he spoke. Zhang Guoqiang waved his hand helplessly and said, "We agreed on this a few days ago, we can’t just back out. We’re just going to check out the path and will be back by eight to handle business. My brother and I have already eaten, just waiting for big brother to finish eating so we can go to their house early." "Then go, everything here is tidied up and there’s nothing else to do. It’s already light out, head out early and come back early." Mr. Zhang said, waving them off before he himself went to check the woodshed, the pigsty, and the chicken coop to put his mind at ease. The three brothers, wearing patched-up old jackets, took Qing Shan and a few others toward Daqing Mountain. The group kept a distance from passersby, and soon arrived at the foot of the mountain. Zhang Guoqing looked around; there was a light snowfall last night, which made the road treacherous, but it was actually beneficial for hunting. After discussing with everyone, they prepared their tools. Zhang Guoqing led the way, heading west with everyone well aware of their surroundings. As time passed, the sky grew brighter. It was easier to spot animal tracks on the mountain. The group split into small teams and slowly moved into the dense forest. On the way, the wild pheasants were sluggish, unable to fly high. No one paid much attention to them and continued as planned toward the creek. The trees in the outskirts were mostly yellowed, and the wild grass and vegetables by the roadside were old and withered. With the wind, dry leaves fell from the trees. As they got closer to the dense forest, the temperature seemed unusual. In some corners, mushrooms could still be found. In dark and damp places, black fungus could be seen clinging to deadwood. In the grass, wild rabbits and pheasants, startled, dashed around chaotically. Zhang Qingshan looked ahead and repeatedly marveled, "Xiao Wu, you sure know how to find spots. This area hasn’t been discovered by others. Look at the difference in temperature here. You can only find wild rabbits midway up the mountain on the north side, but here you see wild pheasants and rabbits everywhere. There’s a plethora of traps everywhere. This place is great; besides game, there are mountain products to harvest. Look at these wild fruits. Even if we don’t catch any of the big ones, all this stuff is plenty good for us." The most update n0vels are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩 Zhang Guoqing estimated there might be hot springs nearby. He didn’t plan to with outsiders; he’d find time to bring Zhou Jiao over to explore, hoping to discover the secret. At this moment, he lay on the ground, listening quietly. Not detecting any large animals, he then stood up, "I think we should go to the creek ahead first; everyone, keep your voices down. Animals always go there to drink water, let’s sneak over." After speaking, he picked up a large bag of stones, loosening the opening so he could throw them out whenever needed. As for the bow and arrows on his back, he didn’t plan on using them unless they encountered big game. Zhang Qingshan took the lead by drawing his bow and signaling the group to get ready. Once everyone was set, he signaled Zhang Guoqing to proceed as planned. He knew Xiao Wu had mastered ten out of ten of his grandfather’s skills. Zhang Guoqing divided the group into three teams, branching out left, center, and right, stealthily approaching the creek. Zhang Qingfeng positioned himself behind and close to Zhang Qingshan. When he saw several wild deer and other animals drinking at the creek yonder, he got excited and was about to shout. Zhang Qingshan quickly covered his cousin’s mouth; he had been keeping an eye on him, worried he might act rashly. When he saw Zhang Guoqing signaling from the left side, indicating their target was the two at the back, he nodded immediately. He gestured with his hands to those beside him, indicating one deer for himself, and the rest were for the others. The rest was up to luck. They quietly waited for Zhang Qingya and the others on the right to get in position. Everyone held their excitement, drawing their bows. Soon, with the signal given, arrows shot out swiftly. In an instant, animals at the creek cried out, and the fallen deer startled the others, causing a frenzy. The Zhang family brothers from the left, center, and right released a volley of arrows toward the center. Any animal that tried to escape was promptly brought down by Zhang Guoqing, who hurled stones with precision, bringing down one after another.