Chapter 26

The tree roots by the stream were so large that they blocked the deer's body. If it weren't for the deer's head bobbing up and down while drinking water, Qin Yi wouldn't have noticed it at all!

Deer usually live in groups, so he wondered how this big one ended up alone.

Ye Fang, who was pulled down to crouch, knew that Qin Yi had found something. Following his gaze, he was instantly delighted to see a large ten-point deer about 50 meters to the left, behind the tree roots.

Damn, he thought they would only be able to tease small animals on this hunting trip, but they unexpectedly encountered a big one!

The two discussed in low voices.

"Did you see that, Third Brother? Such a big deer, I didn't expect to actually run into one today!" Qin Yi was very excited. If they could hunt a deer, it would be much more satisfying than hunting a dozen rabbits!

"I thought we wouldn't have the chance this time in America!" Ye Fang's face was full of longing. Compared to hunting mountain chickens and wild rabbits, this was much more exciting!

"You take the shot. I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future, but you might not be back for months!" Qin Yi handed over the hunting rifle. If his aim wasn't very accurate, he shouldn't use the Remington; it would be a pity to damage the deer's hide!

On the way, Ye Fang had been talking about hunting a deer. Now that he had the chance, he didn't hesitate. He crouched and carefully moved forward about ten meters, hiding behind a thick tree, raised the gun, and aimed at the deer's head!

Looking at the deer not far away, Ye Fang took a deep breath and pulled the trigger!

"Bang!"

Hearing the gunshot, Qin Yi's heart leaped, and he stood up. He saw the deer suddenly jump up and run away!

He missed?

Ye Fang also stood up, turned around, and the two exchanged a glance. They both thought the same thing: he must have missed, the deer ran away!

Ye Fang's left hand, which had turned white from gripping the gun, relaxed. He shook his head with a bitter smile and started to walk back. Ah, what a pity!

Qin Yi continued to watch the deer, seeing where it was running. He planned to follow and search for it. If it didn't run far, they could try again! But suddenly, the deer, which had run about 20 meters, fell to the ground. It struggled to stand up, swaying as if drunk!

What's going on?

Although Qin Yi was confused, his reaction was quick. If you can't run, you're my meal! He ran forward, shouting to Ye Fang.

"Chase it, Third Brother, it can't run anymore!"

Ye Fang was dejectedly walking back, disappointed at missing the deer. Hearing Qin Yi's shout, he perked up. If it can't run, there must be a reason. He turned around and ran after it. Indeed, the deer was swaying, as if it could fall at any moment. Ye Fang's heart leaped with joy. It must have been hit, just not in a vital spot. It looked like it was losing a lot of blood and couldn't hold on much longer!

"It must have been hit, it can't run. Third Brother, you've at least hit a deer, no regrets!" Qin Yi also saw that it was losing a lot of blood. If the rifle had a scope, they would have known immediately if it was hit, instead of almost missing it!

"Haha, that scared me. If I had missed after all this anticipation, I would have remembered it for a lifetime!"

The two chased quickly, and in a short time, they were about 50 meters away. The deer had already fallen, its legs twitching, breathing heavily, with a blood hole in its neck, slowly bleeding dark red blood, staining the front half of its body. The two were stunned by the sight!

They had never seen such a bloody scene before!

They stared for a moment, suppressing the discomfort in their chests, and exchanged a glance. Qin Yi pulled out his pistol, approached, and shot the deer in the head, ending its suffering. Calming down, they each grabbed a front leg and dragged it out of the forest. The first time seeing such a scene, they felt a bit queasy and needed time to adapt. They would have many more hunting opportunities in the future.

On the way, they gradually recovered from their initial shock, and their spirits lifted. They started discussing the deer's head as a trophy and the complete hide.

"This is probably a white-tailed deer. When it ran, its tail was white. I've never tasted deer meat before. Today, we'll ask Ryan to help us prepare it. We'll keep a leg to try it out." Qin Yi was focused on the deer meat. As a foodie, he had to be thorough! He thought to himself.

"Deer meat is pretty good!" Ye Fang added, then looked at the antlers with regret. "You keep the head, you can't take it out of the country!"

"Let's see. I'll take the head to the Augusta fur shop. If they do a good job, I'll keep it for you. When you buy a house in America, you can take it back! The hide is for me; I'll make my mom a pair of leg guards!"

There were several deer heads in the main house, each with more antler points than this one. They were no longer rare unless he had hunted them himself.

"Alright." Ye Fang agreed. If he ever bought a house in America, the deer head would be a great decoration for the study, especially since it was his first hunted deer!

Back at the camp, with such a big catch, they lost interest in continuing the hunt. They tied the white-tailed deer to the black horse and headed home!

On the way back, they didn't hunt anymore. They rode their horses at a gallop and returned to the main house in less than an hour. They placed the deer on the lawn, and Qin Yi called Ryan to help prepare it. After the call, Ryan arrived with a set of tools. Qin Yi invited him in for a cup of coffee before starting.

"Yi, you did well. A ten-point white-tailed deer, not easy to find in the lowlands this season!" Ryan put his tools behind the door, sat down, and took a sip of coffee.

"This is Ye's catch! We didn't expect to get such a big white-tailed deer, it was a pleasant surprise."

Ryan congratulated Ye Fang, who beamed even more.

"Ryan, Ye wants to make the deer head into a trophy. Is there anyone in Augusta who can do it?"

"Old Joyce at the fur shop can do it. It's a family tradition. The trophies in your house were all made by him!" Ryan pointed to the trophies in the corner of the living room, then remembered Qin Yi was using a spare saddle. "Yi, you can also choose a saddle for yourself. A cowboy without his own saddle is no cowboy!"

Qin Yi nodded and would take care of it later.

Ryan finished his coffee, took out his skinning knife, and went outside. Qin Yi helped him bring out a frame from the warehouse and hung the deer. Ryan worked quickly, the hide was intact, and the meat was smooth, which Qin Yi admired.

After about ten minutes, Ryan skinned the deer, took it down, cut it along the neck, wrapped it in the hide, and handed it to Qin Yi. He then started cleaning the innards.

Finally, Qin Yi kept a hind leg and gave the rest to Ryan to share with the cowboys.

Back in the house, Qin Yi took a shower and drove Ye Fang to Augusta to find Old Joyce at the fur shop to make the deer head trophy and prepare the hide.

At the fur shop, they saw saddles, bridles, sweat pads, and other horse gear, as well as cowboy clothes and boots. A slightly overweight old man, wearing a black baseball cap, was working on a saddle. Seeing them, he greeted them with a strong voice, "Hey, guys, pick what you like!"

"Old Joyce? Hello, I'm Yi. I have a deer head and would like you to make a trophy." Qin Yi said, taking out the hide and head from the bag. Ye Fang was already drawn to the cowboy clothes!

"Yi? Ha, looks like I have a big customer!" Old Joyce joked. "Put them here. The trophy will take a month, the hide a week. If you're not in a hurry, you can come back together!"

"Together. Thanks, Old Joyce!" Qin Yi was lazy and didn't want to make an extra trip!

"No, no, thank you for the business! Yi, are you interested in any saddles or cowboy gear?"

"Of course!"

First, they looked at the saddles, mostly made of cowhide, some of deer hide, and a few of moose and antelope hide.

Qin Yi chose a fine cowhide saddle, a set of bridle, sweat pad, and girth, then went to the cowboy gear section and picked two pairs of chaps and a pair of cowhide boots. Ye Fang also chose a set of gear.

After paying, they left the shop. It was already 5 PM, so they drove back to the ranch, where a piece of deer meat was waiting!

Driving on the road, seeing the farms on both sides, Qin Yi thought about how he had been there for half a month and hadn't met any neighbors. They should visit and get to know each other since they would be living there for a long time. He decided to visit and host a neighborhood gathering to get everyone acquainted.

Qin Yi's mind jumped to the deer meat in the fridge. How should he cook it?

Thinking about it all the way home, he finally decided on wraps. He didn't care if it was too casual for such a high-end ingredient; what mattered was enjoying it!

Qin Yi didn't waste time. He let Ye Fang play with the dog while he started making dough. While the dough was resting, he cut two pounds of deer meat, boiled it, and sliced it into strips. He also prepared green and red pepper strips and chopped ginger and scallions. Once the dough was ready, he rolled out six pancakes and cooked them on a flat pan without oil.

After about ten minutes of flipping, the pancakes were done. A few more minutes, and the steaming deer meat was ready. He brought it to the living room, where Ye Fang, who had been waiting, started eating immediately!

Unfolding a pancake, Ye Fang added the deer meat, rolled it up, and took a bite. The pancake was chewy and slightly sweet, the deer meat tender and juicy, with a fresh and delicious flavor. The combination of the two was irresistible!

He couldn't resist another big bite, giving a thumbs-up and praising, "Amazing, this thing looks simple, but the taste is incredible!"

Without saying more, he buried his head and ate. In less than a minute, he finished one, and in the next three minutes, he ate two more, leaving Qin Yi, who had just finished his second wrap, speechless. You're not afraid of choking!

PS: Thanks to everyone for the recommendations!