Chapter 211: Wild Boar

"Hahaha, I'm really lucky! We've got a great harvest!" Will shouted as soon as he saw the big deer lying on the riverbank. The blood flowing from its body had turned this section of the river red.

The fish in the river, drawn by the scent of blood, couldn't resist coming out and greedily sucking it up.

"What should I do now?" Jiang Hai asked, seeing that the deer he had hunted wasn't completely dead. He scratched his head and looked at Bell with some uncertainty. Everyone else was busy cleaning their deer, leaving only Bell with time to spare to pay attention to him.

"It doesn't matter if you shoot or stab them again. Here's the heart of the deer, and here's the lung. If either of these areas is hit, the deer will die quickly." Bell replied, squatting down and casually pulling out his tactical knife, gesturing towards the deer. Seeing his movements, Jiang Hai also squatted down carefully.

It had to be admitted that what Bell had learned was useful not only for people but also for animals.

Under Bell's guidance, Jiang Hai quickly found the heart of the moose. As Jiang Hai's dagger sank into the heart, the moose, which had been gasping for breath, breathed its last.

After all, in the manor, Jiang Hai had seen Robbins and others kill cattle, so he didn't feel as bad as he had imagined about killing this deer.

As a country boy, Jiang Hai had read many novels in the past. In them, whenever a newcomer killed something, they would inevitably feel nauseous or like vomiting. But when it came to him, he didn't feel that way.

He wasn't sure if it was because he had a tougher constitution or if his killing experience was too limited. Many people feel sick after killing someone, but Jiang Hai had only killed cattle and deer, and he never wanted to kill anyone else.

"Cut off the head of the deer. When we get back, you can go to the outdoor goods store in town, spend some money, and have them make a specimen for you to hang in your room. As for the meat and internal organs, it's up to you. If you want to keep them, you can. If not, just leave them here. The foxes and coyotes will come out and eat them. They're natural scavengers." Paul came over when he saw Jiang Hai kill the deer. In his hands, he also held a huge male white-tailed deer. As the organizer of this event, he naturally had the right to claim the best one.

"Hey? Don't you want the venison?" Jiang Hai was stunned when he heard this.

As a true foodie, Jiang Hai knew that venison was a real delicacy.

The taste was somewhat like donkey meat, but even more delicious and lean, with less connective tissue and a firmer, more flavorful texture. It was also rich in protein, fat, salts, sugars, and certain vitamins, which aided digestion and absorption.

And according to Chinese medicine, venison is very nourishing. It's mild, helps strengthen the spleen, replenishes energy, warms the kidneys, and boosts yang.

Although venison in China isn't exactly cheap, it's certainly not something that ordinary people can easily afford.

While the deer commonly eaten in China are sika deer, which are different from the moose, elk, or white-tailed deer Jiang Hai and his team had hunted, they were still deer. When Jiang Hai heard Paul say they were just going to throw the deer away, he couldn't bear it.

"Yeah, generally speaking, we don't eat these things." Paul, seeing Jiang Hai's shocked expression, hesitated for a moment before speaking. Jiang Hai let out a sigh upon hearing this.

"How about this—since you don't want the deer, just give them to me. If you'd prefer, I can pay for them." As he spoke, Jiang Hai noticed that everyone else was already discarding the internal organs. While he wasn't keen on eating them, the venison and deer penis were good things.

"Pay for them? Oh, no need. But if you want them, I can give them to you." Paul smiled. Given Jiang Hai's contribution to fishing at noon, everyone was happy to let him take the deer bodies they didn't want. When Paul spoke, the others, who had already finished cleaning the deer heads, exchanged looks and agreed that it wouldn't matter to give them to Jiang Hai, because they considered the deer worthless—even the deer penis.

"Thank you so much, everyone! But I can't take these deer for nothing. I've got some beef from my farm. I'll trade it for the deer!" Jiang Hai said, feeling a bit embarrassed now that everyone was willing to help him bring the deer down the mountain. He suddenly remembered his backpack—he had brought 20 pounds of beef, anticipating that he might need extra food during the trip. He had already used about half a pound during lunch, leaving him with 19 pounds, which made the exchange much easier.

Hearing Jiang Hai's offer, the group didn't mind. It was just a small favor, and getting some beef in return wasn't a bad deal.

However, when Paul took the first piece of beef from Jiang Hai, his smile faltered.

"This is… marbled beef!" Paul stared at the steak, which was covered in fine marbling and sealed in vacuum packaging. The others who had taken some beef were also a bit confused. They hadn't noticed the details at first, but after Paul pointed it out, they all realized how special it was.

In China, people tend to eat more pork, and only some people eat beef or mutton due to ethnicity or beliefs. Most don't know much about different cuts of beef—many can only identify brisket or shank. Only in recent years have beef supermarkets or large stores begun to offer specific cuts.

But even so, beef prices in China are still quite similar across the board, and there's a noticeable difference in beef labeling compared to the U.S.

Americans have long demanded high-quality beef, and while they might not have had marbled beef before, they've at least seen it. Large steakhouses or premium supermarkets often have refrigerators dedicated to it, both to promote it and to sell.

These people were well-off enough to take time off for hunting, proving they weren't lacking in money. Many had eaten premium marbled beef before, so when Jiang Hai pulled out his beef, they were surprised by the quality.

"This beef… is too expensive. We're exchanging it for a deer, but you're definitely at a disadvantage." Despite the U.S. not being particularly concerned about things like this, the group could recognize that this beef was worth far more than the deer. In the U.S., deer were cheap—there were forests outside every city, and you could easily hunt one. Even if you put a price on a whole deer, it wouldn't exceed $600, and this one was probably worth even less. Meanwhile, this marbled beef, depending on the grade, could be sold for over $400 in top restaurants, or at least $330 from the Meat Association.

"Don't worry about it. This beef is from my own farm, so it doesn't really count by outside prices. It's enough that you like it. And besides, you're still helping me get the deer down." Jiang Hai shook his head, genuinely not concerned about the value of the beef. When they heard him, the others happily raised their thumbs in approval. They felt it was worth trading a deer they didn't even want for such high-quality beef.

"I don't want the internal organs, but I'll take the whip. And don't bother skinning the deer. I can do it myself when we get back." After everyone agreed to the trade, Jiang Hai made a small request. As the saying goes, those who eat someone else's food or accept their help often feel indebted. These people had eaten Jiang Hai's lunch, and now they were taking his beef. Naturally, they were more than happy to oblige. They cut open the deer's belly and threw out the internal organs.

As for the venison and whip Jiang Hai wanted, they kept them aside.

The internal organs were discarded, either left there or thrown into the stream. The fish in the stream would feast on them—no harm done to the environment, as they were a delicacy for the fish.

Once everything was cleaned up, the pile of headless deer was a grim sight.

"Alright, it's about time to head out." As the group cleaned up, the sun was gradually setting. They weren't planning to stay overnight in the mountains, so Paul clapped his hands and signaled for everyone to prepare to leave.

Although they had driven for three days to get here and only spent one day in the mountains, everyone agreed they had a great time. Most importantly, they had achieved their goal: hunting deer. What could be more fun than that?

Everyone began packing up in pairs, pulling the deer they were helping Jiang Hai with, and getting ready to head back.

But just as they were preparing to leave, a rustling noise interrupted them. When Jiang Hai and the others looked up, they saw a huge wild boar emerging from the upper reaches of the stream. As its long fangs and fierce eyes scanned the group, the already cool air seemed to drop even further.