Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

"Come on, let's not talk about those unpleasant things. Let's drink." Ma Laosan poured wine for everyone, his tone tinged with emotion, "I've really learned something today. You guys are all capable men..."

He paused, his eyes deepening. "To be honest, over the years I've run this lumber mill, I've been targeted by many. Take that old man Han from Caimen, for example. If he'd taken money that could kill me, I'd probably be dead."

“Since we’ve been through thick and thin together and are now paying each other, I’ll be frank,” Ma Laosan took a sip of his drink. “If you guys are interested, you can come work for me. Money isn’t the issue; the main thing is to be on good terms.”

Faced with Ma Laosan's blunt offer, Li Xiangyang, holding his wine bowl, said somewhat apologetically, "I appreciate Mr. Ma's kindness. However, I'm used to being free, and I'm afraid I might disappoint you. But if you ever need anything in the future, just ask, and I'll never refuse."

Although he hadn't managed to recruit them, Ma Laosan was quite satisfied with the guarantee he received. He nodded to Li Xiangyang and turned his gaze to Altay and Langke.

“Mr. Ma,” Altai said after a moment’s thought, “from now on, your business is our business. Although we can’t work here every day, just let us know if you need anything, and we’ll be there immediately.”

Langko quickly nodded in agreement.

Ma Laosan looked at the three of them and smiled knowingly, "Alright, I won't force you. It's settled then. I'll come to you if I need anything, and you can come to me if you need anything. It's a win-win situation."

“That makes sense,” Li Xiangyang raised his wine bowl. “Come on, let’s toast Boss Ma.”

The group clinked glasses and drank heartily. Just as they were getting into high spirits, they heard a sound outside, presumably the bear meat had been butchered.

“Let’s go,” Ma Laosan stood up, “let’s go check on that bear meat. Have the kitchen pack two large pieces for each of us to take back. It’s good stuff.”

The four men arrived at the backyard, where the bear meat had already been neatly cut and arranged on a wooden rack. Several experienced chefs were processing the remaining parts, and a complete bear skin, glossy black, lay on another wooden rack.

"This hide was peeled quite well," Ma Laosan said, taking a closer look. "Not a single hair was wasted."

An experienced worker wiped the grease from his hands: "Boss Ma, the bear bile has been extracted, weighing a good half-pound. Such a large bear bile is quite rare."

“Yes,” Ma Laosan put away the bear gall and turned to the kitchen staff, “stew the four bear paws so everyone can have a taste. Give Brother Li and the others two large pieces of the rest of the meat to take home.”

A fire was quickly lit in the kitchen, and a large iron pot was placed on it. Bear paws and some medicinal herbs were put into the pot. Before long, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

The workers packed up the rest of the bear meat. Li Xiangyang and his companions each received two large pieces of hind leg meat, wrapped tightly in oil paper.

"Come, come," Old Ma said, "let's have some soup to warm ourselves up. We can't take this bear paw back. We have to eat it while it's hot; it won't taste the same when it's cold."

The group returned to the house and sat down around the stove. Soon, a steaming bowl of bear paw soup was served, its rich aroma making everyone's mouths water.

"Try it," Old Ma said, serving everyone a bowl. "This is good stuff."

Li Xiangyang picked up the bowl, took a sip of the soup, and found it incredibly fragrant and delicious. No wonder people say bear paw is a top-quality delicacy.

After a hearty meal and drinks, it was already late at night.

Li Xiangyang stood up to take his leave: "Boss Ma, it's getting late, so I'll take my leave now. My family knows I came here to hunt bears for you, and they're understandably worried."

"Dahai," Ma Laosan called out, "start the car and take Brother Li back."

Dahai put down his chopsticks and bowl: "Okay, I'm going now."

Altai, Langko, and Qimugele also stood up: "Boss Ma, it's time for us to go too."

"Old Liu," Ma Laosan called again, "you take them in the other car."

Ma Laosan instructed his men to distribute the dried wood ear mushrooms and mushrooms to everyone, and also told the two drivers to be careful on the road.

Li Xiangyang carried his share of bear meat into the car driven by Dahai, and the black cat nimbly jumped onto his lap.

On the other side, Altai and the others also got into Lao Liu's car.

Old Ma saw him all the way to the gate of the courtyard: "Come visit often when you have time."

The engines of the two cars roared in the cold night, starting one after the other.

The beams of the car headlights illuminated the snow-covered ground before gradually disappearing into the night.

The black cat curled up in Li Xiangyang's arms, looking tired.

The Dongfeng 140 moved slowly through the swirling snow, its headlights illuminating the vast white world before it.

As Dahai drove, he couldn't help but glance back a few times at the black cat on Li Xiangyang's lap.

"Brother Li," Da Hai rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, "do you think that shaman really has psychic abilities?"

Li Xiangyang played with the black cat's ears, thought for a moment, and said, "It's really hard to say. But think about it, our Northeast region has produced countless shamans throughout history. It wouldn't be fair to say they had no skills at all."

"That's true. What about Old Man Han?" Dahai yawned. "Besides his animal taming skills, which we've seen, what else does he have that makes Boss Ma so deferential?"

Li Xiangyang, who was playing with the black cat on his lap, looked up when he heard this: "There are many more. Let me tell you, even if I had a gun to their head, I'd just back down if there was anything to talk about. Have you seen how old man Han walks?"

"I've looked at it, but I can't figure it out. Can you explain it to me in detail? What's wrong?"

"You didn't look closely. If you looked closely, you'd see it. His lower body is as stable as an old tree rooted to the ground; he's practiced stance training for at least decades. If he were to kick me, I doubt I could dodge it."

"Besides, what's so special about animal taming? That's all just for show. Think about it, these itinerant magicians used to perform tricks in the market, with people watching from all sides. They couldn't just have a weasel run around a couple of steps and do a somersault and that was it, could they?"

“Of course,” Da Hai said, equally intrigued, “When I was a kid, I saw a traveling performer who stuffed himself into a huge vat; it was really something else.”

"Yes, yes, I've heard some veteran performers even know bone-shrinking techniques. This old man Han is the head of the Cai Men sect; who knows how many kinds of skills he possesses? We can't afford to mess with someone like that, we really can't afford to mess with him."

“No wonder,” Da Hai clicked his tongue, “I was wondering why Boss Ma gave in so easily.”

The car drove over a pothole, and the black cat meowed in dissatisfaction.

Li Xiangyang suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh: "Oh dear, my memory!"

"What's wrong?"

"I promised Xiaohua I'd bring her a little rabbit back when I left, but now I've been too busy hunting bears."

Li Xiangyang scratched his head in frustration.

Dahai laughed: "How about we go to my house instead? My dad used to be a carpenter, and he's very skilled. We have a lot of wood carvings at home, and the workmanship is exquisite. If you don't mind, you can take a few back for your little sister to play with. It's better than going back empty-handed."

"this......"

"Alright, it's settled then," Da Hai said abruptly, turning around. "It'll only take a little longer to walk, no matter which way you go."

Looking at this straightforward man, Li Xiangyang felt a warmth in his heart: "Then I really won't stand on ceremony."

"Don't mention it," Dahai laughed heartily. "We're all family. We've become friends through this little misunderstanding."