Chapter 292: Ah Meow, The Little Helper
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Mr. Martin and Li Du started talking; he introduced him to the environment of the forest park and recommended some good spots for hunting.
"Walk straight down this path for about a mile, you’ll see a small trail. Follow the trail and you’ll see a small lake. I’m not telling you what it is, but there’s a surprise there.
"Did you see the small mountain? That’s the deer territory—you’ll see a lot of them if you’re lucky.
"If you’ve brought a hunting dog with you, I would recommend you to enter the deep forest. That’s where the fun is—you might see a wolf pack."
As he mentioned about the last point, the old man beside him said, "Are you sure, James? Do you think he should look for the wolf pack? That’s risky—it’s not every day that Sophie will meet a good man…"
Mr. Martin thought about it and said, "Alright, don’t go to the deep forest. It’s better that you come home safely."
Li Du laughed, "I’ll be careful. But if I see any beasts, I don’t think I’ll be afraid. They should be scared instead."
The old man patted his shoulder. "Good guy, you are a brave young man."
"Thanks for the compliment."
They talked for a while before they left; Hans popped his head out of the car. "Can I talk now?"
"Yes, but no one is listening. Come on, G.o.dzilla. Let’s go!" He grabbed his quiver and started walking. Ah Meow and Crispy Noodles walked beside him, looking prestige.
They followed Mr. Martin’s introduction and went toward the small lake.
Water was the source of life. They could find animals wherever there were lakes and rivers.
Everyone knew this. Therefore, many hunters were waiting nearby the lake. Li Du saw some of them had laid a picnic cloth on the ground and planned to have a picnic.
They shook their heads and left when they saw this, instead walking toward the deep forest.
Li Du saw some wild vegetables along the way; he squatted down and picked them using his knife.
Crispy Noodles became energized when it saw him picking the vegetables. It used its front claws to dig the vegetables out, and it managed to collect many of them in a short time.
Li Du took some cherry tomatoes from his bag and gave them to the animal. He stroked its head gently and said, "Well done, Crispy Noodles. You did a great job."
Crispy Noodles proudly held his head high; it grabbed the cherry tomatoes and performed the was.h.i.+ng action. Then, it put them into its mouth and enjoyed the food.
Ah Meow looked at him with disdain, thinking, What’s the big deal? Look at me, I’ll show you who the king of the jungle is!
The ocelot went into the bush quickly. When Li Du finished digging the vegetables, he saw that Ah Meow held a bird in its mouth and was showing it to the others. It looked fierce and proud.
The cute pheasant was plump and short, only about 20 centimeters long. Its fur was grey, white, and brown.
There was a weird, curly black feather on its head; it almost looked like a hook.
Li Du was shocked when he saw it. "What bird is this?"
Hans glanced over and said, "This is a Californian quail. It’s fleshy and delicious if we roast it."
Li Du said, "Is this a protected animal?"
American laws emphasized the protection of wild animals. The laws were very strict: if anyone hunted and killed a protected animal, they could be fined or jailed.
Hans shook his head. "No, they are good at surviving, and can live in almost any environment."
Li Du felt relieved after he heard this. He gave the fat Californian quail to G.o.dzilla so he could bag it.
They continued their journey while Ah Meow followed them by jumping from one tree to another. It went missing for a few minutes and returned with another bird in its mouth.
Li Du recognized this type of bird: This was a ruffed grouse, which was often seen in American woods. It would taste delicious if they used it to make soup.
He gave Ah Meow a piece of dried fish and put the grouse away.
Hans said, "We’re silly, aren’t we?"
Li Du said, "You’re silly, but we’re not."
G.o.dzilla nodded.
Hans said disdainfully, "You’re sillier than I am. At least I know how we’re being silly."
"Spit it out!"
"Why did we hunt for food ourselves? Why don’t we let Ah Meow lead the way? Look, it found two birds in a short period of time!"
After he heard what Hans said, Li Du had to admit that they were silly.
Under the lead of Ah Meow, soon they saw many high mountains. Two weird-looking wild animals were looking for food in the brush.
Both of the animals looked strange; it seemed like they had thorns in their b.u.t.t. The feathers at their tail were long and sharp, looking like well-arranged needles.
Moreover, they had long feathers. The feathers at their belly grew until their toes, making them look slow and clumsy.
Ah Meow ran toward them and Hans shouted immediately, "Stop right there, Ah Meow!"
The wild birds were frightened when they heard the loud voice. They ran immediately, but not quickly. They looked even more clumsy and silly.
Hans said, "This is a greater sage-grouse. They are extinct in Canada and rare in America. I can’t believe we saw them. The law forbids us from hunting these birds. "
Li Du was holding Ah Meow and this made Ah Meow unhappy. It threw a tantrum by rolling on the ground and making angry sounds.
He had no choice but to give Ah Meow another piece of dried fish. He stroked its head and kissed it until the ocelot finally calmed down.
Ah Meow led the way again. It was fast when it climbed up the trees on the mountain; while it was leading, the others fell far behind.
Hans had a weak body; he felt tired after walking in the mountains for a while. He was panting, "D*mn it! I can’t do this anymore. I feel like my lungs are going to explode, ask Ah Meow to stop."
Before Li Du asked Ah Meow to return, he looked up and saw Ah Meow running toward them.
Hans saw it too. He laughed, "This little cat is very intelligent. Did it hear what I said?"
Li Du was shocked, "No, I think Ah Meow saw something scary!"
A few seconds later, a wild boar with tusks ran from the bush. It turned its head and saw Li Du and the others.
The sitting Hans jumped from the ground immediately and shouted, "Sh*t! What were the odds of meeting this fellow!? Run!"
Li Du shouted, "Why should we run? Let’s kill it! We can’t run faster than a wild boar."
They were in the wild forest. It was difficult enough for them to walk, let alone run, in the woods. So turning their back on the wild boar would be the worst choice ever.
But it would also be difficult for Li Du to attack. There was a magazine containing steel b.a.l.l.s in his crossbow, but that was not lethal enough.
After all, they thought they would see small animals like pheasants and hares, but they didn’t expect to see a big wild boar.