Xu Mingxuan also nodded and replied, "From the time we burned the mandrake powder in the latter half of the night until now, the commotion outside was only loud at the beginning. After that, there has been no sound outside until now. I suspect the wolves outside are either dead or stunned from the smoke. However, Lan'er, as the saying goes, 'Caution makes for a safe journey!' We should still be extra careful when we go out later!"
Chen Lan felt that what Xu Mingxuan said made sense and nodded in agreement.
After the couple had eaten their fill and finished breakfast, it was even brighter outside the cave, and the mist was gradually dissipating.
Chen Lan used her mind to activate the system's search function and checked the weather forecast for the past few days. The system indicated that it would be sunny for some time to come.
Chen Lan estimated that the sun would also come out soon. So, the couple packed up simply. Chen Lan stored the bedding, luggage, gas masks, and mining lamps from the ground mat into the system's warehouse.
Then, each of them held a crossbow with six high-quality carbon steel arrows. Chen Lan also held a chopping knife, and Xu Mingxuan held a sickle. They got up and used sticks to push the unburned firewood from the bonfire to the other side. Chen Lan walked to the cave entrance and used her mind to store all the wooden boxes in the system warehouse.
The couple stopped at the cave entrance, looked around outside, and found many grayish-yellow-furred wolves lying on the ground in the weeds, bushes, and small dirt slopes not far from the cave. They didn't know if they were dead or stunned by the smoke.
The couple exchanged a look. Xu Mingxuan whispered, "Lan'er, we don't know if these wolves are dead or stunned. To be absolutely sure, we should give them another blow to confirm they are truly dead, so we can be at ease."
Chen Lan whispered back, "Mingxuan, there's no need for so much trouble. Let my father-in-law help us collect them and keep them temporarily. They won't survive."
So, the couple started from one side of the cave and walked towards the other side, collecting a total of twenty-three fat and strong wild wolves. One of the wolves was exceptionally robust, and Chen Lan thought this must be the pack leader.
Of the six carbon steel arrows shot out yesterday, only three were found on three wolves. The other three were missing, which was a bit troublesome. Without finding the other three carbon steel arrows, the crossbow could not exert its full potential. So, the couple estimated the approximate location of the three missing arrows and headed in the direction from which the crossbow had fired yesterday.
Each of them held a crossbow, and in their other hands, they held sickles and choppers. They walked with their heads down through the forest and grass. Not far away, they found one carbon steel arrow on a tree trunk and another in the grass. The last arrow was still missing. The couple walked further into the forest to continue searching and suddenly saw a huge, brown-black furred creature lying on its back in the grass not far ahead. The last carbon steel arrow they were looking for was stuck in its forehead.
The couple cautiously approached, and Chen Lan couldn't help but laugh. This was an unexpected gain! It was truly a pleasant surprise. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little scared. She never expected that the six carbon steel arrows she had shot out in a hurry last night would coincidentally hit this huge brown bear that was preparing to sneak attack the wolf pack from behind. No wonder the wolf pack had made such noises last night; they had encountered their formidable enemy.
To encounter a pack of ferocious wild wolves and a fierce brown bear on their first night on East Mountain, what rotten luck they had!
Fortunately, with the system as a cheat and her good luck, otherwise, her small life would have been lost in this deep mountain forest last night.
Xu Mingxuan quickly stepped forward with his crossbow. To avoid any accidents and to ensure everything was safe, he quickly pressed the launch button towards the bear's heart. Then he pulled Chen Lan away a good distance. After waiting for a while and confirming that the brown bear was indeed dead, they walked forward and pulled out the two carbon steel arrows from the bear's body. He turned back and asked, "Lan'er, what are you planning to do with this brown bear?"
In her previous life, Chen Lan had only seen brown bears on television and had never seen one up close. So, she followed behind Xu Mingxuan and stepped forward to examine the brown bear carefully.
The brown bear was robust, with dense, thick, and smooth fur. Its head was truly large and round. The bear's limbs were thick and strong, like a human's. Its fore and hind paws each had five toes. The forepaws were very wide and thick, much larger than the hind paws. It was said that a bear's paw could kill a ferocious pack leader with a single blow, showing how thick and powerful its paws must be!
Chen Lan thought to herself that bear paws were considered one of the eight delicacies in ancient times. As Mencius said, "Fish is what I desire; bear's paw is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up fish and take bear's paw." This shows how delicious bear paws must be!
In her previous life, she had only heard that when eating bear paws, one should eat the front paws because the bear's front paws were thicker than its hind paws. Unfortunately, she had never eaten them and didn't know if they were as delicious as she imagined.
Chen Lan was pondering the deliciousness of bear paws and did not immediately answer Xu Mingxuan's question. Xu Mingxuan thought Chen Lan hadn't heard him, so he took Chen Lan's hand and asked again, "Lan'er, have you decided? What are you going to do with it? Take it back to the valley, or sell it to the 'old Russians' here for some rubles to buy things?"
Chen Lan snapped back to reality and immediately replied, "No, we're not selling it. Such a rare thing, we'll keep it for ourselves. Mingxuan, I've thought it through. The conditions in the team are currently quite difficult. The bear skin will be made into a bear skin mattress for you. I'll take the bear gall back to the valley and give it to Doctor Guo for medicine. The bear meat will be for the soldiers to improve their meals!"
After saying this, she sighed. She felt it was a pity about the plump and juicy bear paws. Just thinking about them made her mouth water, but unfortunately, she didn't know how to cook them! Alas! She felt depressed and sighed again.
Xu Mingxuan noticed Chen Lan's unusual behavior and asked, "Lan'er, what's wrong? Why are you sighing continuously?"
Chen Lan replied a little sheepishly, "Mingxuan, it's nothing! It's just that I feel it's a pity about these plump and juicy bear paws. I've heard that bear paws are a tonic and are particularly delicious. I really want to try them, but I don't know how to cook them."
Hearing Chen Lan's words, Xu Mingxuan couldn't help but chuckle and tease, "So, Lan'er, you're just craving food! However, if you know how to cook them, you can teach the head chefs in the mess hall to try making them. Perhaps their bear paws will also be delicious?"