Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1199

Chapter 1199: A Pity
Accustomed to their habit of speaking in unison, Li Chenze nodded and reminded them, “You two mustn’t tell anyone about this.”

They nodded and replied solemnly, “Father, we won’t tell anyone.”

Since her husband only went to slaughter the prey, Zhang Dongmei was reassured and said, “Be careful in the mountain and come back as soon as you are done.”

Li Chenze smiled at his wife and nodded,”If you feel unwell, have the children inform the Third Sister-in-law or my third brother.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Zhang Dongmei replied.

Before leaving, Li Chenze turned to his sons and said, “Behave and don’t trouble your mother.”

Hearing his father’s words, Li Jingxu patted his chest and replied, “Father, I will keep an eye on my brother.”

When he heard his second son’s words, Li Chenze felt more at ease. His eldest son often caused trouble, but with his younger brother watching him, he wouldn’t get into trouble.

After storing the vegetables in the warehouse, he took several sacks, ropes, a shoulder pole, a dagger, and a boning knife. He put everything into his bamboo basket before rejoining Zhang Ermu. “Ermu, let’s go.”

The two left through the backyard and headed into the mountain. Taking a shortcut, they reached the location in forty minutes.

Initially, Li Chenze assumed the wild boar and bear were just a boarlet and a cub. But when Zhang Ermu uncovered the trap, the size of the animals left him speechless.

Judging from the tusks, the wild boar should be an adult male boar and weigh over 300 kilograms. The brown bear was over two meters tall and seemed to weigh nearly 600 kilograms.

Looking at the huge pit, Li Chenze asked, “Ermu, why did you dig such a huge pit?”

While preparing the tools, Zhang Ermu replied, “Since my prey kept getting eaten by larger beasts, I decided to dig a bigger, deeper pit so I can catch a wild boar. I never thought it would actually catch not only a wild boar but also a brown bear.”

Li Chenze went silent for a moment before saying, “Ermu, why didn’t I know you had such good luck?”

Hearing his friend’s words, Zhang Ermu chuckled and replied, “I also doubt my luck. Actually, I was able to catch more prey thanks to your third brother.”

Li Chenze raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why do you say that?”

Zhang Ermu took a small jar out of his clothes and showed it to his friend while saying, “It’s because I mix this powder with the bait. Your third brother told me to add a pinch of it whenever I prepare the bait. I don’t know what this powder is, but every time I use it, I manage to catch at least one or two prey.”

The moment Li Chenze saw the jar, he recognized it as the medicinal herb powder made by his third sister-in-law.

“Since my third brother gave it to you, he must trust you,” he said.

Hearing this, Zhang Ermu immediately understood the meaning behind his words and replied, “I will never betray your family’s trust in me.”

The two of them had been friends for years, trusting each other like brothers. There was no need for further reminders, so Li Chenze said, “We should start now so we can return before sunset.”

“Okay.”

When the sun set, Li Chenze built a campfire to illuminate the surroundings. Not only did it provide warmth, but it also deterred wild beasts such as wolves.

The two of them worked for more than four hours before they finally finished slaughtering the wild boar and the brown bear. After cleaning up, the total weight they needed to carry back was more than 600 kilograms.

Since Li Chenze was stronger than Zhang Ermu, he carried six sacks, each weighing 50 kilograms, along with another 50 kilograms in his bamboo basket. As for Zhang Ermu, he carried four sacks and a bamboo basket, totaling around 250 kilograms.

Before leaving, Li Chenze ensured the campfire was completely extinguished to prevent forest fires. He also made two torches to light their way.

This time, they headed directly to Zhang Ermu’s house. Due to the weight they were carrying, they had to stop and rest frequently which slowed down their movements.

Two hours later, they finally reached the Zhang family’s house. As soon as they entered the backyard, the two of them put down the sacks and bamboo baskets, slumping to the ground while gasping for breath.

Even with his daily training, Li Chenze’s face turned pale from carrying such a heavy load. As for Zhang Ermu, he carried less weight but was in worse condition.

He had nearly fainted during the trip. Fortunately, he managed to steady himself. Otherwise, he might have fallen into a cliff.

After a long rest, Li Chenze’s breathing finally became steadier. He looked at his friend and said, “Ermu, it’s such a waste to throw away those bones and blood.”

Hearing this, Zhang Ermu also felt it was a pity to discard them. After all, blood also has a high value on the black market.

But after considering the risks, he said, “Brother Chenze, it’s dangerous to enter the mountain after sunset. With so much blood, wild beasts would be attracted. If we try to carry it back, we might lose our lives, and it’s not worth it.”

Li Chenze nodded in agreement and asked, “What do you plan to do with all of this?”

Zhang Ermu thought for a moment before replying, “I plan to find Bajie and see if he wants to buy the brown bear. As for the brown bear fur and wild boar, I will process them first.”

Hearing this, Li Chenze asked, “Ermu, do you know how to process the fur?”

Shaking his head, Zhang Ermu replied, “I don’t, but I can find someone who does.”

When he heard this, Li Chenze suggested, “My third brother learned a lot in the military. How about I ask him? Maybe he knows how to process the fur.”