novelslam Chapter 142 The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Chapter 142 The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Chen Tuo reminded him, and Wu Laowai then suppressed his regret and said to Su Dao:
"Su Dao, go tell old man Qinggele, don't let the pasture be attacked by wolves right after you've just enclosed the gazelles!"
After sending Su Dao away, Wu Laowai then gave Chen Tuo some instructions:
"Kid, we don't care how they do things, but we need to be prepared. Keep the horses tied up, keep your guns on your shoulders, and take turns on night watch!"
Although Wu Laowai's arrangements were good, everyone encountered a very awkward problem.
Su Dao exchanged all the water-based bullets and ammunition he brought, leaving only one hundred bullets per Berek gun.
They circled the yellow sheep, blocked their canes, and intercepted their canes; each person fired twenty or thirty bullets.
Although the old Buick is a single-shot rifle with a slow reload and low rate of fire, it must have been capable of holding off a pack of wolves with more than a thousand gazelles.
It would be fine if the wolf pack could raid the winter pasture, but if they were to ambush or ambush everyone on their way back, a few dozen bullets would definitely not be enough.
At this moment, both Chen Tuo and Wu Laowai were hoping that the wolf pack would come tonight.
In this way, the two hundred guns and tens of thousands of bullets on the winter ranch can truly be put to use.
When Su Dao returned, he brought back news that the herders would not let their guard down, and also talked about the harvest of this large-scale hunt.
In addition to more than 1,200 live gazelles, the herders also hunted dozens more during the hunt, and tonight they will have a gazelle feast.
The herders planned to exchange fifty gazelles for ten pots of wine from Chen Tuo's side, preparing to drink to their hearts' content tonight.
Fifty yellow sheep can be exchanged for ten pots of wine, which is roughly the price of one sheep for a few bottles of wine.
This would be impossible outside the grasslands, but on the grasslands, it's common to exchange a bottle of wine for a horse.
"Uncle Su Dao, where are the wolves? They're all drunk. Are they feeding themselves to the wolves?"
Chen Tuo was worried that the herdsmen would get into trouble if they drank too much, so he didn't need Su Dao to contact them; Xiao Kai gave him a suggestion.
"Chen, it's simple! Give them the first batch of wine, and the rest of the time, just give them molasses water!"
There are some things that Xiao Kai knows better than Chen Tuo and Su Dao.
This winter pasture is home not only to livestock managed by herders, but also to cattle, sheep, and horses belonging to various production teams and livestock groups.
If the camp is attacked by wolves, the person in charge and the herdsmen will face legal trouble, and might even be executed.
Wolf attacks are also known as wolf scourges on the grasslands. Just hearing about them, let alone seeing them, makes one extremely cautious.
If something really happens at the winter ranch, everyone present will face legal trouble.
Just as Xiao Kai had expected, the herdsmen did not take Su Dao's warning lightly.
Although a bonfire was lit and gazelles were roasted, every herdsman sitting on the hides was fully armed.
Five or six pieces of water beads were also hung on the saddle, and the horse was tied behind the herdsmen.
After the first batch of genuine liquor was brewed, Chen Tuo, who kept glancing at the sky, smiled.
As soon as night fell, a bright moon the size of a millstone hung in the sky.
On a moonlit night like this, the visibility is much better than on a cloudy day.
On the vast snow-covered plains, under a bright moon, even a pack of wolves would only be hunted down.
But things always take unexpected turns. As soon as the first batch of wine was poured into the copper pot and sent out, the howling of wolves echoed around the pasture.
"Hey kid, we can't afford to be sluggish this time, or the wolf pelts we get will be a hot potato..."
Hearing the wolf howl, Wu Laowai, who was seething with anger, suddenly stood up. He was no longer going to be that stupid goose who blocked the cane or cut the cane.
"Uncle Wu, don't worry! Section Chief Xiao, Uncle Su Dao, go and talk to Uncle Qinggele about whether we can fight another encirclement and annihilation battle?"
Chen Tuo, who had succeeded time and time again in Songling Mang, was still somewhat resentful about the daytime experiences of chasing and intercepting the staff.
Although I learned to ride a horse and was assigned a gazelle, my participation was too low, and I had no material to brag about...
"How can we fight? Chen, this isn't Songling. Command errors will have legal consequences! The cattle, sheep, and horses on the ranch belong to the public!"
Chen Tuo wanted to seize the initiative, and Xiao Kai gave him a reminder.
Hunting wolves in Songling is different from hunting wolves on the grassland.
Wolves are extremely vengeful. If they were to sneak into a pasture and slaughter flocks of sheep and horses, even if the wolf pack were wiped out, someone would still have to take responsibility.
"The elderly and weak stay behind! Those with good riding skills will cover for us! Those of us with average riding skills and who are a bit older will be responsible for hunting wolves. It's the same job no matter who comes!"
Once outside Songling, with Wei Juncheng and Chu Mingshan no longer suppressing him, Chen Tuo wanted to try establishing himself.
He also had ready-made role models. Sun Changkui had given him instructions twice, and he had also followed Wu Laowai to fight bears and kill wolves, so he was already very experienced.
If this succeeds, he will be considered a young intellectual with certain organizational skills...
"What you said is right, kid. That's how it works when you're on a large siege. Those who can run and jump are responsible for chasing the enemy, while those with good marksmanship and experience are responsible for blocking and intercepting the enemy!"
Xiao Kai wanted to hold Chen Tuo back, but Wu Laowai was the first to stand up and support him.
Following Wu Laowai, Su Dao also stood up.
"Chen, you brew some warming wine, I'll go tell them!"
The minority should obey the majority. Seeing that everyone was eager to try, Xiao Kai did not try to dissuade them any further.
How many of them are there?
No more than ten!
If something really goes wrong, it's not their place to take responsibility for a pasture that even a hundred or so good herders couldn't protect.
Even if something goes wrong, they can just pack up and go back to Songling. Xiao Kai doesn't believe that the people of Hulunbuir have the ability to go to Songling and bring them back.
"Section Chief Xiao, since you're staying at the ranch with Brother Wu... Zhang Er, can you manage the organization and coordination effectively?"
Chen Tuo originally wanted Wu Laowai to stay behind with Xiao Kai, but as soon as he uttered the word "Wu," his sleeve was grabbed.
"Guarding the pasture is easy. There's plenty of firewood and piles of cow dung. If the wolves come, just light a campfire outside the sheep and cattle pen, and that'll hold out for a while!"
It seems that this large-scale hunt on the grasslands was one of the few times in his life, and Wu Laowai also showed off his skills.
"There are two earthen slopes outside the ranch, which are perfect for one team to trap a group of enemies on each side."
Like Wu Laowai, Guan Dunzi was also racking his brains to find a way to secure a gunner's position.
"Section Chief Xiao, how will we know the result if we don't try? Let's do as the two uncles suggested, and remember to use crossfire when making the arrangements!"
Seeing that Chen Tuo and the others were speaking with great confidence, Xiao Kai had no choice but to get up and go talk to Qinggele.
In terms of official rank, as the head of the logistics department of Songling Forestry Bureau, he was a person of proper status.
This is because Songling Forestry Company is a government-enterprise combined entity.
With Xiao Kai acting as the mediator, the skilled young herders, just like during the day, prepared to charge into the snowfield with two horses and two guns.
There was roasted mutton on the table, and Chen Tuo also brewed several pots of high-proof cocktail liquor, with each person receiving a jug of water.
Xiao Kai and Qinggele led the elderly and weak herdsmen to defend the pasture.
As the main force in the wolf hunt, Chen Tuo and his group split into smaller teams.
Wu Laowai and Su Dao were on the left; Guan Dunzi and his son, along with Morigen, were on the right, working with the able-bodied herdsmen to ambush them on two earthen slopes outside the pasture.
The rear guard of the ranch, besides protecting the ranch, also had to act as the bottom of the pocket, tightly holding back the wolves that had been driven into the encirclement...