Chapter 127: Tolling the Bell

Han Li’s accuracy with the short javelin was quite impressive; with a single throw, he pinned the badger to the ground. Before he could even get a closer look at his catch, four more burst out from the burrow. It appeared he had stumbled upon their den.

These four badgers charged at Han Li, baring their teeth and claws, which genuinely gave him a start. They truly lived up to their namesake; their "fight first, ask questions later" philosophy was identical to that of the African honey badger.

His belt-mounted javelin was no longer suitable for such close quarters, and Han Li had no desire to be bitten or scratched. He instinctively grabbed the wooden spear he had left at the burrow's entrance and swung it, knocking the two lead badgers aside. Then, with a forward thrust, he drove the spear through the mouth of the third one, piercing the back of its skull. With a powerful tug, he retracted the spear and gave it a sharp flick, tossing the carcass to the side. Immediately, he thrust the spear forward again, and the fourth badger met the same fate.

The wooden spear, however, had reached the end of its service life and snapped. By now, the two badgers he had knocked aside were being circled by his dogs, who were snarling and baring their teeth. Although the dogs were smaller than the badgers, they didn't retreat, letting out low, rumbling growls. The Yun sisters stood trembling behind him, clutching their own wooden spears, watching the standoff.

"You two, stay back," Han Li said, pulling another wooden spear from the burrow entrance and dragging it as he moved toward the fray. In one fluid motion, he pulled a short javelin from his waist and hurled it at one of the remaining badgers. The weapon whistled through the air, pinning the creature closest to the sisters to the ground. While they didn't scream, they couldn't help but shiver visibly.

Han Li reached the last badger. Initially, he intended to finish it with a thrust, but seeing the dogs nearby, he switched to a low, horizontal sweep.

*Thump! Crack!*

A pained cry followed; Han Li had broken at least three of the badger's legs. The Yun sisters crossed their legs and shuddered again. It wasn't over yet—Han Li brought the wooden spear down onto the badger’s snout, shattering its teeth. He pulled his final strike, leaving the badger alive but completely incapacitated.

Han Li tossed the spear aside and commanded his dogs, "Finish it."

The dogs swarmed forward. Without even looking back, Han Li walked over to the Yun sisters and asked with a smile, "Are you two alright? Not too frightened, I hope?"

Yun Yingying finally snapped out of her daze. She pointed to the pinned, still-twitching badger and said, "I read in Mr. Zhou Shuren’s 'My Old Home' that the *cha* he mentioned was a badger. The one in the book didn't seem this ferocious."

Han Li replied, "Knowledge from books is always superficial; seeing it for yourself is much more real. Besides, there are many types of badgers. As far as I know, there are hog badgers, ferret badgers, wolverines, honey badgers, and dog badgers. The one Mr. Zhou wrote about might have been a different species entirely."

Yun Yingying said with admiration, "You know so much, Han Li! Which kind did we encounter today?"

"Look at their heads—there are three white longitudinal stripes, one on each cheek and one running from the nose to the crown. Their fur is stiff and dense, mostly white on the back with a touch of black at the tips, while their mouths and bellies are black. These are dog badgers. They like to move in groups and are just as destructive to crops as field mice."

"And what about the others?"

Han Li chuckled. "I only know that hog badgers look similar to dog badgers, and wolverines are larger and more vicious. I’m not entirely sure about the rest."

Yun Jingjing tugged on her sister’s sleeve. "Let’s finish cleaning up; we don't want the smell of blood to attract other animals."

By then, the dogs had finished off the crippled badger. The only pity was that the pelt was quite ruined. Han Li cut a few chunks of meat from the carcass and tossed them to the dogs as a reward, giving the largest portions to those who had worked the hardest. Three of the five badgers weighed about twenty pounds, and the two smaller ones were over ten pounds each—though they would be significantly lighter once skinned and gutted.

Han Li cut a sturdy branch to serve as a carrying pole and tied the badgers to either end. Without lingering, the three of them quickly headed toward a small creek deeper in the mountains. Since many villagers were out in the hills, Han Li kept a sparrow scout overhead to avoid any chance encounters.

On the way, Yun Yingying couldn't stop looking at the dogs, and eventually, she couldn't hold back her question. "Han Li, why did you cripple that last badger and let the dogs finish it off?"

"These dogs need to accompany me on hunts when they get bigger. Letting them finish off a badger builds their ferocity. I crippled it because it was bigger than the dogs. Look at those long, sharp, curved teeth and claws—they’re razor-sharp. One strike could severely injure a dog, and if it clamped down on one of them, that dog would be finished."

After several turns, they arrived at a secluded creek. Han Li hung the badgers from a tree and began his first-ever attempt at skinning an animal. Since the subcutaneous fat would be rendered into oil, he worked with great care. "Every part of a badger is a treasure," he explained while working. "The meat is highly nourishing, especially for those with a weak spleen, stomach, or poor blood circulation. And these five will yield quite a bit of badger oil, which is excellent for treating burns without leaving scars. As for the pelts, they are even better—they’re great for insulation and moisture protection. Once they’re tanned, you can use them as seat cushions; you won't feel a thing even if you sit on the snow."

Yun Yingying beamed. "One pelt can make several cushions! Can we make small blankets out of the rest?"

"It’s up to you. Whatever you want is fine."

"Han Li..."

Yun Jingjing watched her sister standing so close to Han Li, the way they interacted making her feel as if she had just swallowed a mouthful of something bitter. She quickly interrupted their flirtatious moment. "Won't it be too conspicuous if we bring these back now?"

Han Li thought for a moment. "We’ll bring the smallest one back openly. If anyone asks, we’ll tell them we found it while digging for field mice. I’ll bring the rest back after dark."

As Han Li skinned them, the sisters washed the pelts and meat in the creek until they were spotless. Once hung to drain, they wrapped the meat in leaves, tied it with grass, and placed it in their baskets. Nothing was wasted; the meat and skins were kept for use, and the offal was fed to the dogs.

Han Li took four of the badgers and went his own way, while the sisters carried the smallest one and all the rendered fat back to the village. Their concerns proved unnecessary—the villagers were far too busy to care about their haul.

Back home, Yun Jingjing trimmed all the fat from the badger meat and had her sister wash it thoroughly. She chopped the lean meat into small pieces and soaked them in a large basin to draw out the blood. She then had her sister light the stove to begin rendering the badger oil.

The process was similar to rendering lard, requiring a slow, steady heat. As Yun Yingying tended the fire, her eyes remained fixed on the basin of meat. "Sister, doesn't this meat look a lot like beef? Do you think it tastes good?"

Yun Jingjing replied, "I don't know about the taste, but I've heard badger meat is incredibly effective. Besides what Han Li said, I’ve heard it can even treat female infertility."

"Really? Who did you hear that from?"

"Auntie Qin in our courtyard once tried to find some for her daughter-in-law."

"But didn't her daughter-in-law fail to conceive anyway? Their family fights about it all the time."

"I just overheard it back then. I don't know if it's true. But even if it works, how much meat could they have possibly gotten? If it’s just a tiny bit, it wouldn't even fill the gaps in your teeth—how could you expect it to cure a disease?"

"That's true. No matter how good a folk remedy is, it’s not a miracle cure. Without enough, it won't have an effect. But we have five whole badgers. If we eat all of this, any issues should be sorted out."

Yun Jingjing looked at her sister for a long moment and said earnestly, "Pregnancy is something for after marriage. You need to be careful; don't go doing anything shameful."

"Sister, you've got it all wrong..."

As the sisters bickered, the badger oil was finished. Yun Yingying picked up a piece of crackling and popped it into her mouth, but immediately frowned. "Sister, try this. The flavor is too strong, even as crackling it has a lingering taste."

Yun Jingjing tasted a piece and sensed the same heavy, earthy odor. "Go and change the water for the soaking meat a few more times. We won't eat it until all the blood is drained."

"Can't we just add more chili?"

"It’s our first time eating badger; if we add too much chili, we won't be able to taste the meat itself. Let's just soak it a while longer."

Just then, the village bell began to ring. Han Li, who was still out with his dogs, had not yet returned.

"Why are they ringing the bell at this hour?"

"I don't know. Let's go see."

The sisters washed the oil from their hands and headed out. No sooner had they stepped out of the door than they bumped into Hao Hongmei and He Mi, who were also heading toward the threshing floor.