Wild 1979: From Fishing and Hunting to Becoming a Literary Master

Chapter 124 Blue Wolf Hat

Thinking of the logging area across the river, Chen Tuo raised an eyebrow. This might actually be feasible!

With a middleman like Su Dao around, and the almost endless primeval forests of the Far East, there was something for everyone.

Given the increasingly heavy steps of the elder brother and the increasingly chaotic system, his plan is not worth a try.

Having the opportunity to try, Chen Tuo began to count the resources at his disposal.

Najiwu was just a female shaman in the Dobukur settlement, and there was not much urgency for her to continue the fishing and hunting culture and the shamanic tradition.

Su Dao and Bai Long have vision and an urgency to continue the tribe's heritage, making them his natural allies.

Although the hunters in the mountains live a free life, their lives are inevitably difficult, making them good partners.

The two banners, Ejin Horo Banner and Dali Banner, served as a place to replenish personnel.

The forestry bureau at the foot of the mountain...

That was the biggest obstacle to his hunting ground plan.

To overcome this obstacle, going through the forestry system is definitely not an option.

Beyond Songling, there are other forest areas with hunter settlements such as Huma, Huzhong, Tahe, and Xinlin.

Besides being an obstacle, the forest farms and forestry bureaus in various places are also a major guarantee for the livelihood of hunters.

In Chen Tuo's view, turning hunters into forest rangers was nothing short of a stroke of genius.

Even if the hunters had the means to remove the obstacles set by the Forestry Bureau after the cooperation was established, the higher-ups would not agree.

The question returned to its origin, and Chen Tuo looked at his own hands.

If I could write a book that could change the way production is done in forest areas, I might get some support.

Chen Tuo, this Mergen, drifted off into thought as he spoke. Su Mo tried to wake him up, but was stopped by Najiu's stern gaze.

After stopping Sumo, Najiu continued humming her shamanic tune, and the girls and women in the room also resumed their work.

Listening to the intermittent sounds of the forest, Chen Tuo gradually solidified his resolve.

It seems that the writing direction of sustainable development is a perfect match for creating the Xinganling hunting ground.

He simply wanted to write an influential novel, "The Right Bank of the Ergun River," but he lacked the ability to resonate with contemporary readers.

Without even needing to see the reactions to the works, Chen Tuo knew that the three works, "Blood Wolf Dog," "Blood Wolf Plain," and "Wolf Totem," were not enough to change anything.

The protection of grassland ecology, as depicted in "Wolf Totem," will not be on the agenda for another ten or twenty years.

Foreign experiences are insufficient for reference; only a powerful force that resonates with most people can have such an impact.

Writing reflections and writing about one's wounds is not enough.

Thinking of the title he had written, "Both Sides of the Heilongjiang River," Chen Tuo shook his head.

Although the book Xiao Kai sent contained themes of war and peace, it would take more than a year or two to create an epic masterpiece in its likeness.

He doesn't even understand the historical origins, so how can he write it?

The more you think about it, the more problems you encounter, and the more difficult it becomes.

Chen Tuo was not discouraged; instead, he became more competitive.

"Words have to be typed out one by one..."

After a sigh, Chen Tuo looked at Najiwu, who had a kind expression on her face, beside him.

Seeing that Chen Tuo had come to his senses, Najiwu took out a birch bark box with a patina from beside her.

"From now on, you'll be Mergen of the Dobkul settlement. This is the blue wolf hat we made for you!"

Najiu's ceremonial words and actions made Chen Tuo's expression turn serious, which might be the opportunity for him to seize the initiative.

"The Blue Wolf Hat? Shaman Najiu, what does this symbolize? Does wearing the Blue Wolf Hat give me the power to call the shots in the settlement?"

Seeing an opportunity, Chen Tuo disregarded whether the Blue Wolf Hat had any symbolic meaning and directly gave it to Najiwu and Bailong.

How could a settlement of just over two hundred people possibly have any ancient traditions?

Even if they existed, just as Su Dao said, they were lost in the years of war...

Oral cultural transmission is easily affected by external factors, and Chen Tuo doesn't mind becoming that external factor.

"In the past, the hunters in the tribe would wear roe deer horn hats, and the most skilled hunters would wear lynx hats and tiger head hats..."

Chen Tuo's question plunged Najiu into memories.

The shaman's deer antler hat, the hunter's roe deer antler hat, lynx hat, and tiger head hat seem to have become distant memories of the settlement.

New designs feature fewer and fewer roe deer horn hats, while warmer hat styles such as mountain dog fur hats and three-eared hats are becoming more and more common.

Looking at the wolf hat in the birch bark box that didn't fit the symbolism, and at the five-pronged roe deer horn hat on Najiwu's head, Chen Tuo took out the hat and started redesigning it.

"Najiu Shaman, could you recreate the wolf's head shape like the roe deer horn hat? The wolf fangs should be attached!"

The wolf hat in the birch bark box was simply a wolf's head skin hanging on the hat.

Chen Tuo vaguely remembered the image of the wolf-headed overlord hat.

Although that hat was just a hypothetical design, it would definitely suit hunters and would further highlight their ferocity.

Having described and drawn the image of the wolf-headed overlord's hat, Chen Tuo looked at Najiwu and Bailong, his meaning clear: do it now.

For Najiu and the others, who had experience making roe deer horn hats, recreating the wolf head shape was not difficult.

The difficulty lies in Chen Tuo's eagerness to see the finished product immediately.

The original wolf hat already had birch bark used to support the ears, so making wolf kisses and fangs on the spot would be technically challenging for them.

Najiwu was in a difficult position, but Chen Tuo did not compromise or back down and made arrangements for them directly.

In reality, the production process wasn't as difficult as Najiu had imagined.

Find a ready-made wolf tooth, carve the shape of a wolf's muzzle out of dried birch wood, and then use birch bark to support the wolf's head.

The wolf-head overlord hat that Chen Tuo wanted had taken shape.

If it could be fitted with realistic eyeballs, the Dobukur settlement would have a blue wolf hat that could be passed down through generations.

The basic shape of the hat was complete, and the effect was quite good. Only then did Chen Tuo say to Bai Long:

"White Dragon, keep all the wolf heads from last time. Combine them with the leather scraps from making wolf-skin coats, could you make a hundred blue wolf hats?"

The problem of making the wolf-head hat passed from Najiuna to the white dragon, who said with some difficulty:

"Chen Zhiqing, didn't we still need to make hunting boots? We've already made two pairs based on the design you gave us. All the wolf leg pelts combined can only make twenty or thirty pairs!"

In addition to the slingshot and hunting gear, Chen Tuo had also designed hunting boots for the settlement.

Najiu and his men made several alterations to the design that Bailong brought back.

Now that they want to change it again, Bai Long isn't angry; what's annoying is that he didn't get enough wolf pelts last time.

"I came here today to talk to Uncle Su about going to the grasslands. I'm not in a hurry to make the hunting boots. I'll go to the grasslands and see if they can be modified."

At this point, Chen Tuo finally brought up the real reason he was going up the mountain.

Sewing machines and shoe-making machines were used to make hunting boots and hunting clothing.

Originally intending to bring actual hunting boots and clothing down the mountain, they now have Najiu's meaningful "Blue Wolf Hat".

The actual hunting boots and hunting clothing are no longer important.

In Chen Tuo's view, is there any object that can better showcase the hunting and fishing culture of hunters than a realistic wolf head hat?

Compared to the wolf-head hat, which exudes a fierce aura and is decorated with real wolf teeth, the roe deer horn hat pales in comparison...