Chapter Sixty-Nine - The Hunter in the Mountains (Part Two)

“What exactly is going on? Tell me. If I think it’s truly serious, I’ll agree to let you kill this musk deer!” I could sense the old hunter was hiding something, that there might be more to this than he let on.

“Alright, you said it yourself.” The old hunter lowered his shotgun, his face contorted with pain. “Ah, I’m Old Wu from Song Family Village on the outskirts of Lishang Town. People in our village have hunted for generations. Life wasn’t luxurious, but we managed to get by. Who would’ve thought that last year, a stranger came from outside, claiming to be the adopted son of our village chief, Old Xue. His name is Wang Changshun. Old Xue has always been our chief because he’s the most respected elder, but he’s nearly seventy now, barely able to speak, let alone distinguish right from wrong. We kept him as chief out of respect. But once his godson Wang arrived, everything changed. At first, Wang was on his best behavior, but soon he started up something called a 'village defense squad.' Officially, it was to protect the villagers, but in truth, it was just a gang of his thugs. He became more and more overbearing, bullying the locals. He has powerful connections—somehow, he even got in with people at the town government. After that, he became absolutely lawless, a tyrant over hundreds of miles. He lends at usurious rates, runs illegal gambling dens, forces deals—he’s ruined many villagers, and even honest folks like us can barely survive. My son, who likes to study and knows a bit about the law, couldn’t take it anymore. He went to Lishang Town with a few others to report Wang. The town accused them of 'inciting unrest' and arrested them. My son was handed straight over to that Wang Changshun… He’s my only child. To save him, I begged Wang, but he demanded five thousand yuan for his release. Where is a hunter supposed to get that kind of money? So I came deep into the mountains to hunt this musk deer, planning to sell it on the black market and use the money to save my son.”

“Lishang Town? We’re already in the Lishang Town mountains?” I was a little shocked. Lishang Town was one of the seven counties under City C, more than a hundred miles from the city itself. I hadn’t realized I’d come so far. After thinking over the old hunter’s story, I said, “Old Wu, even if your son was arrested for inciting unrest, his life shouldn’t be in danger, right? The town government wouldn’t dare kill someone, would they?”

“You’re too young to understand. Those bastards would dare kill a man. Even if my son survives, he’ll be half dead. Just last week, Er Gouzi from the village lost a gambling bet and argued with Wang Changshun. Wang’s men broke both his legs; he’s still bedridden. If I’m not saving a life, what am I doing this for?”

“This is outrageous! To abuse power as a village official like that—he’s nothing but a gangster!” I was furious. “Old Wu, you should trust that the country has laws. If the town won’t hear your complaint, go report him in the city. Why didn’t you go to the city government?”

“Of course we want to. But after my son was taken, everyone in the village was terrified. If the city doesn’t take our side, who knows how many more will end up like my son.” The old hunter sighed. “All I want now is to kill this musk deer, give it to that bastard, and get my son back. That’s enough for me. Even if I go to prison, it’s better than letting my son die…”

Hearing Old Wu’s bitter words and seeing his furrowed brow, I couldn’t help but understand this man, already over sixty, who only wanted to save his son—a human life. Still, I couldn’t agree with his actions. “Old Wu, since you so deeply hate that black-hearted Wang Changshun, how are you any different from him, doing this? It’s still breaking the law, still doing what shouldn’t be done. Say you save your son, but have you thought about how he’d feel, knowing you did it this way? Musk deer are a protected species, nearly a national treasure. What makes you any different from Wang Changshun if you do this?”

“That…that’s not the same! I’m just killing a beast. I’ve hunted all my life—how is killing this deer the same as his crimes? He hurts people. At most, I’m just killing the wrong animal. It’s not the same, absolutely not.” Old Wu shook his head, then said to me, “Enough, boy. I’ve told you everything. I really have no choice. Step aside—I’ll kill the deer, then take you out of the mountains.”

I hurried to say, “Wait, Old Wu, I don’t think your situation is dire enough to justify killing this musk deer.” What a joke! If I can’t help in other ways, at least I have money! Spending a little to save a national treasure’s life is more than worth it. I went on, “Old Wu, listen. Don’t kill the deer. Take me out of the mountains—I’ll call someone to send you five thousand yuan right away. That way, you can save your son, and the deer lives. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?”

“What? Did I hear that right? You, boy, can come up with five thousand yuan?” Old Wu looked at me skeptically. “Don’t try to fool me. At your age, where would you get that kind of money? You’re just saying that to trick me into letting the deer go, then you’ll disappear and I’ll have no proof.”

I looked wryly at my tattered clothes. My phone and wallet had long since fallen into that hot spring—I had no proof of wealth. And for someone my age, it was indeed fanciful to claim to have five thousand yuan. So I tried to explain, “Old Wu, sir, I’m not lying. I don’t have the money, but my parents do. I’m actually a tourist from City C who got lost in these mountains for days. My parents must be worried sick. If they knew you saved me, they’d be grateful and pay you with both hands. We’re a middle-class family, so five thousand yuan isn’t a big deal for us city folk. Trust me—I absolutely wouldn’t lie about this. If you want, I’ll write you an IOU as a guarantee. Would that do?”

“This…” Old Wu looked uncertainly at the musk deer behind me, then back at me, and finally squatted down to light his pipe, lost in thought. After a while, he tapped out the ashes, slung his shotgun over his shoulder, and nodded. “I’m not an animal. I can see you’re not doing this for yourself, but for me and the deer. Alright, you’ve convinced me. If you really give me five thousand yuan to save my son, I’ll treat you as a benefactor. I’d repay you with my life, if need be. You’re a good person—I’ll be grateful all my days.”

Hearing him agree, I was elated. “Sir, let’s talk about gratitude later. It’s getting dark—we should leave the mountains quickly. Once we find a place with a phone, I’ll call home. I promise I won’t cheat you.”

“Alright, I’ll set the musk deer free, and then we’ll go.” Old Wu was a straightforward man; once he made up his mind, there was no dithering. He didn’t even ask for a written IOU. He just took his hunting dog and walked over to the musk deer, pried open the heavy trap on its leg, and let it go.

The musk deer, feeling the trap loosen, let out a cry and hobbled quickly into the forest, soon vanishing from sight. I smiled in relief and followed the old hunter toward the distant foot of the mountain. Now, at last, I could relax—with a local guide like him, it wouldn’t be long before I could return to civilization.