Wild Boar Eats Man

Chapter 19

Ming Wen was pregnant.

Was Ming Wen, a university student from the city, really going to be trapped here until she died?

Despair washed over Sha Niu’s mother, yet she still picked up the unconscious Ming Wen.

Her gaze fell upon the other woman’s stomach. She felt a surge of bitterness in her heart, thinking how much better it would be if this child were lost right now.

Her hands trembled, but in the end, she did nothing.

It was only then that Sha Niu’s mother noticed the madman’s face was also a mess of torn flesh.

At this moment, the madman was glaring at them with pure malice, looking like a cornered, raging wild boar.

Sha Niu’s mother wasn’t afraid of him. The Zhang family members kept pulling at him, preventing anyone from getting closer.

Sha Niu’s mother carried Ming Wen back toward her own home.

Sha Niu kept staring intensely at Madman Zhang until her mother called out to her, prompting her to follow them home.

It was after midnight by the time Ming Wen woke up. She could feel bruises all over her body, though fortunately, nothing was broken this time.

“Get some rest,” Sha Niu’s mother said. “You’ll stay here with me for the next couple of days.”

Ming Wen shared a room with Sha Niu.

She spent three days recovering at Sha Niu’s mother’s house. The Zhang family came by occasionally to check on her, muttering a great deal of nonsense and bringing eggs for her nourishment.

The Zhang men didn’t come looking for trouble. According to Sha Niu’s mother, the madman had run out that night and hadn’t returned, which was quite strange.

Even stranger was the way Sha Niu’s mother kept looking at her, appearing as if she had something on the tip of her tongue but couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Ming Wen didn’t ask what was on her mind until the third day, when the Zhang family arrived to take Ming Wen back.

Since Ming Wen didn’t speak the local language, Sha Niu’s mother naturally acted as the translator.

Ming Wen expressed her desire not to return for a few more days, and the Zhang family didn’t make a scene about it.

Once the Zhang family left, Sha Niu’s mother asked Ming Wen, “What are your thoughts on the future?”

Ming Wen was confused. What was she asking? Hadn’t they already reached a silent understanding? The mother and daughter would help her during this time, she would find a way to escape, and once she was out, she would find a way to get them out too.

Sha Niu’s mother said, “The child in your belly… what do you plan to do?”

What child?

Ming Wen had to work very hard to keep from showing her panic. On the surface, she maintained a thoughtful expression, but her mind was racing. What child? Where did a child come from? Why would there be a child?

Seeing her stunned silence, Sha Niu’s mother assumed she was simply frightened. Thinking that a university student from the city certainly wouldn’t want this child, she said, “It’s best not to keep it. It would be best if Madman Zhang hits you again; you should find a way to use that chance to miscarry. Afterward, we’ll say he beat you and caused the miscarriage.”

Ming Wen remained silent. Feeling uneasy, Sha Niu’s mother began to explain further.

“You definitely can’t keep this child. You’re young and don’t realize how serious this is. There was another woman from outside the village who tried to get help from people coming from above. Once, the police even showed up.”

Ming Wen listened intently. She had regained her composure.

“But she had three children. She didn’t want them originally, so she wasn’t close to them. But the children’s grandparents filled their heads with lies every day. When the police arrived, the children listened to their grandparents, crying and making a scene. One even took a knife to threaten the police. The police couldn’t take the woman away; they could only help her contact her family. When her family finally came and saw she already had three children, they could only let it go.”

Sha Niu’s mother didn’t mention her own situation. Hadn’t she also slowly given up on the dream of escaping after having a child?

If Ming Wen was pregnant and gave birth, even if she escaped later, it would be useless. Everyone would say that since there was a child, she should just make the best of it for the child’s sake.

Even if they truly managed to separate, the Zhang family would use the child to harass her for the rest of her life.

Ming Wen finally understood. They all thought she was pregnant?

She finally realized why Madman Zhang had suddenly gone into a violent frenzy and attacked her even after taking the medicine.

She also understood the Zhang family’s attitude toward her over the last two days.

Wait, didn’t Madman Zhang tell his family about the “child” issue?

Ming Wen recalled her observations. A man like Madman Zhang indeed wouldn’t say anything.

He couldn’t exactly admit he had a physical problem and was completely incapable of fathering a child, could he?

Ming Wen understood what was happening to her, but she was still concerned about what Sha Niu’s mother had said. “That woman you mentioned… how is she now? What’s her name? Where is she?”

“She’s still locked up, they won’t let her out. Last time when we went to the Village Chief’s house, we passed a house with a chestnut tree in front. That’s their place.” As for the woman’s name, she didn’t know.

Ming Wen made a mental note. Since she wasn’t being locked up lately and went out often, she thought she should find time to visit.

“Don’t worry about other people’s business. Your own child… what are you thinking?”

“About that,” Ming Wen said, enduring the pain in her body. “I don’t speak their language, so I might need you to help me tell them something.”

Before Sha Niu’s mother could process the core of Ming Wen’s sentence, Sha Niu came running in from outside.

With a single sentence, she drew all of her mother’s attention.

“Mom! Immortal Lady! Quick, come outside! Something happened to Madman Zhang! A wild boar ate more than half his body! He’s dead!”

What?

A wild boar? What did that mean?

It wasn’t that Madman Zhang ate a wild boar?

But that a wild boar ate Madman Zhang? A pig eating a person?

As the reality of the situation dawned on Sha Niu’s mother, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

There were indeed wild boars in their mountains, but this was the first time one had eaten a person. She thought back to what she had just said about aborting Ming Wen’s child and broke into a cold sweat. It was a good thing Sha Niu ran around everywhere and was well-informed, otherwise things would have been disastrous.

Ming Wen was also shocked. Born and raised in the city, she knew very little about creatures like pigs. She only knew that people ate pork; this was the first time she had ever heard of a pig eating a person.

This was especially true since she had encountered a wild boar here before, and that boar had seemed quite intelligent. This made the idea of a wild boar eating a human seem even more incredible.

Sha Niu’s mother listened to this and realized what had happened.

She looked at Ming Wen, then at her flat stomach. Her original feelings of resentment instantly transformed into relief as she said, “This child came at just the right time. Thank goodness you’re pregnant! Right now, we absolutely cannot lose this child.”

“Hmm?” The shift in attitude was quite drastic. Ming Wen asked, “Why do you say that?”

Sha Niu’s mother explained, “They spent so much money to buy you. Now that their son is dead, if you weren’t pregnant, they would definitely sell you to someone else. But since you’re carrying a child, it’s different. You’ll be safe until the baby is born and through the nursing period.”

As for what would happen after the child was born, it was hard to say. Sha Niu’s mother didn’t want to mention those terrifying, inhumane possibilities for the time being.

The most important thing now was to get through the immediate crisis; they could deal with future problems later.

Ming Wen understood. She patted her stomach and said, “Then this child really is timely.”

Sha Niu’s mother asked again, “You said you wanted me to help explain something to them. What was it?”

Ming Wen lowered her head and replied, “Just a small matter. It’s fine if I don’t say it.”

Sha Niu was standing nearby. She didn’t understand the conversation between her mother and her Immortal Lady, so she continued talking about the wild boar eating Madman Zhang.

“Everyone is watching the excitement. They say it’s terrifying. I wanted to go inside and look, but they wouldn’t let me.”

Ming Wen also wanted to see, so she stood up, but a sharp pain radiated from her back.

Sha Niu’s mother said, “Don’t get up. What if the baby is lost? Lie down and rest properly.”

Ming Wen touched her stomach and said, “It’s fine. I’m a doctor, I know my own condition. The baby will be okay.”

“I want to go see what’s going on with this wild boar eating a person.” Nothing could stop an adult’s curiosity.

She was a medical student and wasn’t afraid of bloody scenes.

More importantly, as a city person who had never seen a wild boar, she was genuinely curious about how exactly a wild boar ate a human.

–

In the city, the old lady once again secretly flushed her medicine down the toilet.

These medicines were used by that pair of scammers to control her. On the surface, the couple cared for her and treated her well, enduring her hits and scoldings, but she knew the truth in her heart.

They were taking advantage of the fact that something had happened to her granddaughter. Seeing her as a lonely old woman, they wanted to swindle her out of her money.

She wanted to call her old colleagues for help, but they were all dead. She was the one who lived the longest. She had to live for a few more years; she had to wait until her granddaughter returned.

In the dim light, the old woman heard her granddaughter’s voice again.

“Grandma, it turns out wild boars can eat people.”

“That Madman Zhang was eaten by a wild boar.”

“While he was still alive, he was dragged into a cave by the wild boar and watched clearly as he was eaten bit by bit.”

The old woman felt a bit of comfort in her heart. It was good that Madman Zhang was dead. He deserved it!

She even made a decision: she would never eat pork again.

As soon as Sister An walked in, she heard the old woman suddenly ask, “Little An, do you know where they make those silk banners¹?”

Sister An didn’t know, but she could go out and ask, so she said, “I know. Ma’am, do you want to have a banner made for someone?”

The old woman nodded.

Sister An said, “I’ll find someone to make it for you. Who do you want to give it to? What words should be on it?”

“Presented to the Wild Boar.”

Wild Boar? Was someone actually named that? Sister An wondered if it was just her own lack of education. Should she ask? If she asked, would it expose her ignorance?

“Is it that wild boar? A wild pig?”

The old woman nodded and said, “The words should be: Enforce Justice on Behalf of Heaven², Eliminate Evil for the People.”

Sister An really didn’t understand, but since her employer wanted it, there must be a reason.

Thus, a day later, a silk banner hung in the living room.

“Presented to the Wild Boar: Enforce Justice on Behalf of Heaven, Eliminate Evil for the People, Consummation of Merits.”

Translator’s Notes