NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50 - Hunting the Tiger
Chapter 50: Hunting the Tiger
It wasn’t hard to catch a tiger. The hard part was overcoming the fear of ferocious beasts.
Most hunters didn’t catch tigers, because it was enough to hunt small game. If they had to fight a tiger, many hunters would do it together. The inexperienced ones would never fight a tiger.
With Su Sanlang asking so many questions, Zhou Anding and his son could guess that if he had not been forced into a corner, he would not be going into the mountains to hunt tigers.
Su Sanlang watched as Madam Zhao smeared the blood. He swallowed and hid the two children. He said, “Chong, Hua, when the tiger comes later, don’t be afraid, okay? When Father asks you to hit it, just hit it hard.”
Su Chong and Su Hua nodded. “Okay.”
They had always been obedient.
Su Sanlang stroked their hair and hid quietly.
The fresh blood was carried far by the snowy wind.
There seemed to be something attractive in the smell of blood.
The tiger came sniffing the blood and stood still in the distance.
When the golden figure of the tiger walked into sight, Su Sanlang pressed Su Chong and Su Hua down without making a sound.
The tiger was very vigilant. It looked at Madam Zhao from afar and did not approach or pounce on her immediately.
Madam Zhao also saw it. She was trembling, her teeth were chattering, and her scalp was numb. However, she still calmed down and seemed to be struggling to prop herself up to escape, but was powerless to escape…
Because of her struggle, blood flowed from the wound on her wrist. The smell of blood was pungent.
The tiger also approached slowly. Its steps were steady, like the arrival of a king. Its cold and heartless eyes stared at Madam Zhao. When it was three meters away from Madam Zhao, it circled around her. The rope was hidden in the snow and there was Madam Zhao’s blood covering it. The tiger did not notice anything unusual.
It licked Madam Zhao’s blood on the ground and looked at her with a dangerous gaze.
In its eyes, Madam Zhao had undoubtedly become a delicious meal.
Madam Zhao’s tongue pressed against her upper jaw as she grabbed a handful of snow and threw it towards the tiger. She was provoking the tiger.
As expected, the tiger was enraged. It pounced towards Madam Zhao and opened its bloody mouth to bite her. Madam Zhao reached out to block it, and the tiger pounced on her and activated the trap.
The rope cage tightened and hung Madam Zhao and the tiger up.
“Chong, Hua, hurry up.”
Su Sanlang also rushed out at this moment. Su Chong and Su Hua also ran quickly to keep up. The two mentally retarded children were actually not frightened at this moment. Instead, they charged forward fearlessly like kamikaze warriors.
The tiger knew that it had been tricked the moment it was hung. It has only bitten Madam Zhao’s arm. Without hesitation, it gave up the food in its mouth and jumped. Although it couldn’t jump out, the rope cage didn’t completely trap it. It only trapped the tiger’s hind legs.
It struggled with all its might. At the same time, it swiped at Su Sanlang with its huge claws.
Su Sanlang slashed at the tiger’s head, and the tiger clawed at his face.
“Hit it. Hit it hard. Kill it.”
Su Sanlang ignored the pain. The tiger’s claws had scratched his eyes. He couldn’t see clearly anymore, but he continued to slash at the tiger with his machete.
Su Chong and Su Hua also smashed the tiger on its head and body with their big clubs.
The young and strong male tiger gradually stopped breathing.
Its claws also scratched Su Chong and Su Hua, but they did not seem to feel any pain. Even when they were injured, they did not stop.
When the tiger stopped breathing, Su Sanlang and the two children were still hitting it. The tiger’s skull and bones were shattered.
“The tiger is dead. We did it, Sanlang.”
Madam Zhao spoke weakly.
Su Sanlang came to his senses and stopped. So did Su Chong and Su Hua.
Su Chong’s chest was scratched. His clothes were torn, and four bloody wounds were bleeding.
Su Hua’s shoulder was hit, and his wound was also bleeding.
The left side of Su Su Sanlang’s face was covered in blood and his left eye was swollen shut. Only his right eye was open.
There were also a number of scratches, some deep-skinned and open, some shallow but still bloody.
Su Sanlang staggered and untied the rope net. He tore off a piece of cloth and tied it tightly around Madam Zhao’s bleeding arm. He said, “Darling, let’s go home. We have a home now.”
Even though they had paid a painful price, they had a home now. No one could snatch their home away from them in the future.
The tiger’s body was still warm. Su Sanlang cut open the tiger’s neck and said to Madam Zhao, “Darling, drink some tiger blood. Let’s all drink some. Then we’ll go home.”
Madam Zhao leaned on the tiger’s neck and drank its blood. She drank big mouthfuls and tears flowed out.
Su Chong and Su Hua also drank the blood. Even though the tiger blood was disgusting, they drank it when their father told them to.
Su Sanlang also drank some.
Then it was time to carry the tiger back down the mountain on a stretcher that had been made.
After walking for a few hours, they finally returned to Southern Mountain Village at night.
As they passed by the end of the village carrying the tiger, someone saw them and immediately exclaimed, “Everyone, come out and take a look. Su Sanlang has returned with a big tiger…”
Su Sanlang did not stop. He took his wife and children back to Old Wu’s house at the village entrance. He knocked.
The moment Su Sanmei heard the sound, she ran out to open the door. When she opened the door, she shouted in surprise and worry, “Father, Mother…”
After the surprise, Su Sanmei cried and shouted into the courtyard, “Grandpa Wu, come out quickly. Save my parents…”
Su Sanlang and Madam Zhao carried the tiger into the courtyard and sat limply on the floor, panting heavily.
Behind him, many villagers had already followed him into the courtyard to observe the big tiger’s corpse.
No one had expected Su Sanlang to go into the mountains to fight the tiger, and he had succeeded.
Only Su Sanmei ran to the main room and cried as she pulled Old Wu out.
There was no big tiger in her eyes, only the blood of her parents and brothers.
Old Wu did not expect Su Sanmei’s family to return alive. He immediately followed Su Sanmei out. Seeing the people surrounding a tiger corpse and discussing it, Old Wu frowned and walked over. He shouted coldly, “Move aside.”
The crowd moved aside and Old Wu saw Su Sanlang’s family. None of them were good.
“Sanlang, you’re really impressive. I heard that tiger bone wine can treat illnesses. After you sell the tiger meat, can you give Auntie a tiger bone?”
“Sanlang, can you give my family one too?”
Given the size of the tiger’s carcass, it was hard not to want a piece of it. Someone was already speaking to Su Sanlang.
Su Sanlang said very coldly and calmly, “I’ll sell it all. There’s none for you.”
Old Wu also mocked, “I think you’re all getting old and don’t even want your dignity anymore. When their family was at their wits’ end, why don’t I see you guys giving them a single bowl of rice? When they had nowhere to go, why don’t I see you guys helping out? All of you, get out. Don’t dirty my courtyard.”
1