American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 101 New Rules of the Wilderness

Stan's approval was like an official stamp, affixed to Lin Yu'an's choice.

Jack and David exchanged a glance, both seeing relief and excitement in each other's eyes.

"So, it's settled then? Plot A?" Jack confirmed.

"That's it."

Lin Yu'an's tone left no room for argument.

He also had his own considerations. The most important reason he chose plot A was because it was near the river, which would give him more possibilities for future development and survival.

Of course, no angler can resist the temptation of living by the river.

"I'll contact the real estate agent immediately and start the purchase process!"

Jack immediately took out his phone to handle the follow-up matters.

During the days while waiting for the transaction to proceed, Lin Yu'an was not idle.

He made a request to Stan—to gain a deeper understanding of the land that was about to become his.

And learn about the new wilderness rules of this region.

Stan did not refuse; the silent old hunter seemed to have developed a genuine interest in Lin Yu'an, and he agreed.

The next morning, they set out again.

This time, their team was even more streamlined, consisting of only Stan and Lin Yu'an, each driving a snowmobile.

Director David gave Lin Yu-an a small action camera that could be fixed to his helmet and instructed him to keep it on as much as possible throughout the shoot.

The two drove one after the other into the vast snow forest once again.

Today's goal is no longer macro-level site selection, but micro-level resource exploration.

Under Stan's guidance, Lin Yu'an learned about the composition of this forest.

"Look over there."

Stan pointed to a grove of tall trees: "Those are white spruce. The wood is hard and is the best material for making the main beams of a log cabin."

"You're lucky; there are quite a few large trees here that are over a hundred years old."

He then pointed to some birch trees with mottled bark: "And these. Their wood, though not as sturdy as spruce, is the best fuel."

"There are plenty of snowshoe hares, ptarmigans, and moose here, all of which are rich sources of protein, and that will be your main target for storing meat for the winter."

"Of course, there are wolves, bears, and lynxes here. This is never a place where you can let your guard down."

Just as they ventured deeper into the forest, Lin Yu'an's snowmobile suddenly made a strange noise, then its power decreased sharply, and after a few sputtering sounds, it stalled completely.

The surroundings instantly returned to a silence so deep you could hear a pin drop, with only the mournful sound of the cold wind whistling through the treetops.

Stan, who was following behind, slowly stopped, but did not immediately go forward. He simply sat in his car, watching Lin Yu'an quietly from a distance of more than ten meters.

Lin Yu'an remained calm and composed as he got off the snowmobile and opened his toolbox.

He first checked the fuel system and ruled out a fuel problem.

Then he listened intently, trying to recall the source of the strange noise. The sound was short and muffled, unlike an explosion inside the engine.

His attention eventually settled on the transmission system.

He brushed away the thick snow with his gloves and quickly discovered the problem—the drive belt was broken.

In such extremely cold weather, rubber and composite materials become very brittle, and high-intensity operation can easily lead to their breakage.

"The belt broke."

Lin Yu'an looked up and shouted to Stan, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the open forest.

Stan remained still, only nodding, as if to say, "I know, and then what?"

Lin Yu'an rummaged through the toolbox and found a spare belt and special tools.

Replacing a drive belt is a technical job, especially outdoors in temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius, where the metal tools are icy cold and the dexterity of the fingers is greatly affected.

Without taking off his gloves, he began disassembling the transmission system's protective plate with extremely steady and precise movements.

Every screw, every turn, appears unhurried and deliberate.

Stan just watched as the young man methodically removed the remnants of the old belt, cleaned up the debris, and carefully put the new belt onto the drive pulley.

About twenty minutes later, Lin Yu'an reinstalled the protective plate, stood up, and turned the ignition key again.

The snowmobile let out a crisp roar, its power restored. Lin Yu'an climbed onto the vehicle and looked at Stan.

Finally, a barely perceptible "smile" appeared on Stan's weathered face.

“That’s right, I deliberately replaced the old belt on this snowmobile. This is the first lesson I’m teaching you.”

"When you're out in Alaska, the first thing you should do is check all your equipment and have backup solutions ready."

He waved to Lin Yu'an to signal him to follow, then turned the car around and continued forward.

This little incident made Lin Yu'an even more important in Stan's heart.

In an open area near the riverbank, Stan suddenly raised his arm and clenched his fist.

This is a silent gesture that means "stop and be quiet".

Lin Yu'an immediately understood, slowly brought the snowmobile to a stop, and turned off the engine immediately.

The surroundings instantly returned to a silence so deep you could hear a pin drop, with only the mournful sound of the cold wind whistling through the treetops.

Stan pointed to a grove of willow trees not far ahead.

Following the direction of his finger, Lin Yu'an saw an awe-inspiring scene.

A huge female moose is struggling through waist-deep snow with a half-grown calf.

That adult moose was taller than a horse, with prominent shoulder muscles that exuded a primal power.

Stan continued in a low voice, “You have to understand, in Alaska, what gives you the biggest headaches isn’t bears or wolves, but these guys, especially mother moose with their calves.” “They’re the most emotional animals in the forest, more unpredictable than the most irritable grizzly bear.”

He taught Lin Yu-an how to judge a moose's emotions by observing the posture of its ears and the movement of its lips.

“When her ears stand up naturally like this, it means she is relaxed.”

"But if her ears suddenly snap back, pressed against her head, and her lips start smacking incessantly, that's the final warning."

“You must retreat immediately, without hesitation. Otherwise, she will attack.”

This kind of local experience is more profound than any knowledge from books.

They waited quietly for nearly ten minutes until the mother and calf moose slowly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Over the past few days, Stan has taken him to many places in the surrounding area, and Lin Yu'an has gained a general understanding of the surrounding environment.

On the fourth day, the real estate agent made a video call to Lin Yu'an.

Lin Yu-an opened his phone, and a woman in a suit appeared on the screen. She was Susan Miller, a real estate agent hired by the program team.

"Good news, Lin! Things are going much more smoothly than I expected!"

Susan smiled and explained the current progress of the process to Lin Yu'an.

"Lin, we have submitted a fully cash Letter of Intent to Purchase to the seller, and it has been accepted. A legally binding Purchase and Sale Agreement has now been formed."

“After that, we deposited a ‘good faith deposit’ of 5% of the total price into the escrow account of a third-party property rights company.”

"Now, the title company has begun the most critical title investigation to ensure that the land is free of any legal defects."

"At the same time, we will also hire licensed surveyors to conduct precise measurements of the land boundaries."

“Once all investigations and measurements are completed, Ms. Arya can remotely sign the documents in Montana and transfer the final payment into the escrow account.”

"Finally, once the land title is registered with the government, this land will officially belong to you!"

Susan explained things clearly and thoroughly, making a complex legal process easy to understand.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu'an looked out the window at the snow-covered forest and valley, and a sense of anticipation he had never felt before gradually welled up in his heart!

That evening, Lin Yu'an made another video call to Ailiya.

He described in detail the land he had chosen, its rivers, forests, and the beautiful moose.

“It’s perfect, Arya. I can feel it, this is where we are.”

Arya held her daughter Anan, listening quietly, her eyes sparkling.

"I trust your feelings, darling. Wherever you choose is the best place."

On the screen, little An'an waved her pink little fists and made babbling sounds, as if she was cheering for her father's decision.

After hanging up the phone, he noticed that the dark sky outside seemed a little different. He walked out of the cabin and looked up at the night sky.

at this time!

A pale green band of light, like the hem of a muse's skirt, appeared silently on the northern horizon.

Immediately afterwards, the band of light began to dance and transform, expanding into a huge, shimmering expanse of interwoven pink and green hues.

It enveloped the entire sky in a magnificent display that defies description!
It's the Northern Lights!

Lin Yu'an was completely stunned by the scene before him. He looked up, appreciating the beautiful and magnificent natural scenery.

The door to the cabin was pushed open, and Stan came out.

He didn't look at Lin Yu'an, but just like him, he looked up at the dancing starry sky.

"The elders say that this is the torch dance performed by the souls of our deceased ancestors in heaven."

"They are welcoming a new family member."

Stan's voice sounded particularly deep in the quiet night.

Lin Yu'an remained silent, simply absorbing the gentlest welcome ceremony from this land.

The site scouting trip has been successfully completed; all that remains is to wait for the relevant formalities to be finalized.

On the eve of his departure, Jack prepared a sumptuous dinner in the rented cabin and invited Stan over.

Unexpectedly, Stan not only came, but also brought a gift.

A packet of dried moose meat and a small bottle of his own homemade birch wine.

This was undoubtedly the highest level of courtesy for Stan, who was usually serious and reserved.

Lin Yu'an raised his glass: "Thank you, Stan. For our future survival."

Stan raised his glass and clinked it lightly with his: "For this land."

The atmosphere at dinner was more harmonious than ever before.

The next day, Lin Yu'an and his group set off back to Fairbanks.

At the start of the Dalton Highway, they said goodbye to Stan once again.

"See you in spring, Stan." Lin Yu'an extended his hand.

This time, Stan didn't hesitate. He gripped Stan's hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Kid, when you come back, bring your best. There's always work to be done on this land."

Lin Yu'an nodded heavily.

On the plane back to Montana, Lin Yu'an gazed at the endless snow-capped mountains outside the window, her heart filled with anticipation.

In his mind, a clear blueprint had already been drawn: in the spring, he would bring Arya and the children back to this place.

On this vast and pristine land, he will build a home that belongs to him!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(Updated to Sanjiang! 1.4 words today, please give me a monthly vote~)

(End of this chapter)