Chapter 153: Night Watch for Boars—Going Home Empty-Handed?

Golden rooster meat already had an incredible flavor, but once braised, it was taken to another level.

The meat fell off the bone, tender yet springy, infused with both its natural aroma and the rich spices of the marinade. The two flavors blended beautifully, leaving a distinct aftertaste that lingered on the palate, making it impossible to stop at just one bite.

You could always tell how good something tasted by watching the kids. Both Xiaoxia and Lin Heng’s nephew had their eyes glued to the platter of braised golden rooster in the center of the table, completely ignoring the stir-fried version.

“Daddy, I want more~” Xiaoxia finished one piece and tugged at Lin Heng’s arm for another.

Lin Heng chuckled and passed her some vegetables. “Have some veggies too—can’t eat too much meat.”

Xiaoxia turned her head away in protest and ran to cling to Grandma’s leg.

“Don’t give her too much, Mom,” Lin Heng quickly said, stopping his mother from giving Xiaoxia a big piece of chicken. “She’ll have trouble digesting it tonight.”

Xiaoxia only got a tiny bite and clenched her little fists in frustration, glaring at Lin Heng. “Daddy’s mean~”

Lin Heng gave her a look and handed her off to Xiulan. That only made her pout more.

“Open your mouth,” Xiulan said as she offered her a little bok choy.

Xiaoxia looked up at her mom, then obediently opened her mouth and chewed, leaning into Xiulan’s arms as she tried to charm her way into getting more chicken.

“Xiulan’s the best. Not like my second son,” Lin Heng’s mother said with a satisfied smile.

“…Thanks, Mom,” Lin Heng replied dryly.

He picked up a large piece of chicken and placed it in his father’s bowl. “Here, Dad. Eat more.”

“I’ve been eating this whole time, no need to serve me,” his father said, half-laughing.

“I was going to give it to Mom, but she keeps picking on me, so you’re getting it instead,” Lin Heng said with a grin, helping himself to a sip of yellow wine. It was a family dinner—no need for formality. Eat when you want, drink when you like.

“Hmph, like I’d want it,” his mother scoffed.

Lin Heng didn’t bother responding to that. He looked around at everyone enjoying the food and said, “The cabin on Red Maple Mountain is done. Once I finish the surrounding area, let’s have a barbecue up there.”

“I’m in!” his nephew Lin Wei immediately voiced his support—he was always Lin Heng’s number one fan.

His brother Lin Yue nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll slaughter a chicken and roast it ourselves.”

Their father chimed in, “The rabbits at home are getting big too. They’re always fighting—might as well cook one.”

“Great, we’ll pick a date and invite some more folks to come hang out,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

A big group cookout with grilled meat and laughter—it was bound to be a good time.

Dinner was served with rice too, but everyone was too full. After clearing the table, only the adults managed a few bites of rice.

After the guests left, Xiulan looked at the half pot of leftover rice and said, “Guess we’re having fried rice for breakfast.”

She got no response after a while and looked up—both Lin Heng and Xiaoxia were gone. She spotted them in the yard, running around catching fireflies.

“Daddy, there’s one here too!” Xiaoxia pointed to the air, her soft little voice full of excitement.

“Got it, got it!”

A bunch of fireflies had suddenly appeared in the yard. Lin Heng ran around and managed to catch four in a glass jar for Xiaoxia.

She stared wide-eyed through the glass, fascinated by the blinking lights, clearly trying to figure out how something so tiny could glow like that.

Lin Heng then took her to the backyard, where there was water—and even more fireflies than in the front. Xiaoxia tried using her fish net to catch some, but no matter how many times she swiped, she couldn’t catch a single one.

She was like the monkey in the fable, grabbing at one corn cob after another, unable to hold onto anything.

Finally, she clung to Lin Heng’s leg, whining and pleading: “Daddy, catch them for me~”

“Fireflies are living creatures. You can play with them for a bit, but we have to let them go afterward, okay?” Lin Heng said as he caught two more for her.

He didn’t shy away from letting his daughter see him kill chickens or fish, but when it came to animals that weren’t for eating, he wanted her to develop kindness and respect for life.

He didn’t want her to be overly sentimental, but a basic level of compassion was important.

“I’ll let them go later~” Xiaoxia nodded obediently. She was usually quite well-behaved, likely thanks to Xiulan’s calm nature—and Lin Heng’s own careful guidance. She wasn’t like most village kids who could be loud and moody one moment, then clingy the next.

After playing for a while, she got tired. She opened the jar, watching with fascination as the fireflies flew out, lost in thought.

“Daddy, tell me a story!” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

Lin Heng scooped her up and laughed. “Alright, alright, let’s go inside for a story.”

Xiaoxia gave him a kiss and pressed her cheek against his, clingy and spoiled.

Lin Heng lit two candles and held her in his arms as he casually flipped open a storybook. Xiaoxia couldn’t understand most of the stories yet—except Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The rest were just background noise to her. What she really wanted was to fall asleep to Lin Heng’s voice—and preferably in his arms.

Lin Heng had memorized all the stories by now. He rocked her gently while reciting them, and she soon fell asleep curled up in the crook of his arm.

Once she was sound asleep, he laid her in her little bed, tucked her in, and closed the mosquito net.

“Hey, is there any water in the kettle?” Lin Heng called out as he walked into the house. His wife was in the heating room that hadn’t officially been used yet, taking a bath. He pushed the door open and stepped in.

By “kettle,” he meant the thermos—they’d always called it that around here.

Xiulan looked up, exasperated that he had barged in. “Ever heard of knocking?”

Lin Heng grinned shamelessly. “I was just thinking about testing the new wooden soaking tub. Wanna try it out?”

“No thanks. I’m not bathing with a pig,” she huffed, shooting him a glare.

Lin Heng leaned in closer. “Come on, let’s give it a try. Please? Or do I have to bully you into it?”

Xiulan couldn’t win against him—mostly because he “threatened” her. She threw on some clothes and helped him move the half-filled wooden tub into the room.

The water was clean and had been warmed by the sun. Lin Heng added a bit more from the buckets inside and poured in two thermoses of hot water.

And then, with a wife who grumbled with her mouth but didn’t resist with her body, the two of them soaked in the bath together.

The tub was big—more than enough for both of them.

Taking a bath is truly a wonderfully relaxing experience, especially when the water is nice and warm, wrapping your whole body in a cozy heat that seems to melt away the day’s fatigue into the water.

The sauna room was only about six square meters. Inside, a single red candle flickered, its gentle light dancing through the slight steam rising from the water. Xiulan rested her head on the edge of the wooden tub, half-dozing. Her slender neck and pale skin shimmered faintly through the mist, captivating Lin Heng’s gaze.

Thanks to him not making her suffer this summer, his wife’s beauty had surpassed before—her skin had become even fairer.

Just as Lin Heng was about to move playfully, Xiulan fixed him with a look and said, “Behave in the bath. If you mess around, I’m getting out.”

“Okay,” he nodded obediently, then began playfully pushing water against her body with strong splashes, earning an eye roll from her.

After dozens of splashes, Xiulan couldn’t hold back and splashed water back onto his face. “You’re really cheeky, huh?”

Without reason, they started playing and teasing each other. Eventually, the two were completely relaxed from the bath; Lin Heng held Xiulan tenderly in his arms. Her cheeks were flushed red, her whole body soft and limp, as if a little annoyed at his shamelessness.

“This is truly paradise on earth,” Lin Heng sighed, feeling this was the happiest moment for him.

Despite her teasing and shyness, Xiulan secretly loved leaning against Lin Heng—it gave her a wonderfully different feeling.

After about half an hour, the water started to cool. Xiulan gave Lin Heng a quick rub-down, and then they both got out and dressed.

“I’ll carry you,” Lin Heng said with a slight smile after putting on his shorts, lifting his wife in his arms.

“Why do you always have so many little tricks up your sleeve?” Xiulan blinked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Lin Heng smiled at her. “Don’t you like it?”

She thought for a moment and replied, “I do, but it has to be all the time… mmm~”

Before she could finish, Lin Heng laid her gently on the bed, then, like a big bad wolf showing his fangs, he was about to ‘devour’ the little white rabbit.

“Mmm~”

Though the white rabbit was delicious, it could be hard on the body.

About half an hour later, Lin Heng, feeling a little empty in his lower back, fell asleep holding his wife’s smooth, moisturized skin.

The next morning, Lin Heng was woken up by his daughter’s noise. After getting up, he went to the backyard to practice the “Eight Vajra Fist,” a martial arts routine he often trained in his previous life.

When he returned, Xiulan had already brought out the fried rice and was watching him with a slight smile.

Lin Heng held his head high—no shame here, just a bit of a late morning rise.

After breakfast, he snacked on some dried chestnuts and mulberries, and brewed a tea of wolfberry and epimedium for a sip.

Then he grabbed a wooden stump as a target and practiced archery to improve his skills.

Xiaoxia sat under the eaves eating Schisandra berries and enthusiastically played cheerleader, clapping and cheering every time Lin Heng shot an arrow, regardless of whether it hit the target.

When he finished practicing, Xiulan asked, “I’m going to do laundry. Are you coming?”

“Sure. Or you could go wash over at Red Maple Mountain and keep me company while I build,” Lin Heng suggested.

“That works too,” Xiulan didn’t refuse, grabbing her things and going along.

Lin Heng took some work tools and his bow and arrows, then headed to Red Maple Mountain with his wife and daughter.

His father and older brother were planting wheat today, so it was just the three of them.

“The little cabin isn’t bad, right? This will be our vacation home. If we don’t want to stay in the village, we can come here. It’s quiet and beautiful,” Lin Heng said, showing them the newly built wooden house.

“It’s really nice,” Xiulan smiled, her eyes shining with a mix of happiness and nostalgia.

Before, building a new house was just a dream. Now they even had time to build a vacation cabin.

“Haha, once it’s fully finished, I’ll bring you to stay for a few days.”

Lin Heng grinned, then went to the creek to set up a stone washing board for Xiulan to do laundry.

“Look at all these shrimp!”

While setting up the washing board, Lin Heng noticed lots of black-shelled shrimp under the grass in the stream. With a bamboo sieve, he scooped up a big handful.

“You can catch some to fry for us. They’re delicious and also make good seasoning,” Xiulan said, looking at the shrimp.

“Okay,” Lin Heng took the bamboo sieve and started catching.

Xiaoxia, wearing sandals, clapped nearby. She carefully inspected each shrimp before dropping them into the bamboo basket and proudly told her mom she caught them herself.

After a few ponds, they had nearly half a pound of shrimp. In autumn, mountain streams are full of shrimp, so catching them was easy.

After about a pound, Lin Heng stopped to focus on his cabin again.

He worked all morning digging holes for wooden stakes, planting them, and leveling the ground.

Working alone was tough, and the progress was thanks to Xiulan helping out for a while.

They didn’t rest there at noon, but went back home. The freshly painted cabin still had high formaldehyde levels, which wasn’t good for them.

At home, Xiulan made corn and red date porridge, which they let cool before eating. Sweet and tasty, it was a real treat for midday.

Though the corn had already been harvested, they had planted some late-maturing corn specifically for eating fresh, so they could still enjoy it.

After the meal, Lin Heng pulled up the last dried bean stalks in the garden. Xiulan had wanted him to plant some radishes in the afternoon, but he didn’t.

He planned to tidy up the vegetable garden soon because the front yard looked too messy as it was.

Also, he intended to renovate their earth house while digging the fish pond, plastering the walls inside and out with white gypsum.

He wanted to upgrade the floors to either wood or marble, which would not only extend the house’s lifespan but make it cozier and more beautiful.

Even when they eventually built a big villa, they could still come here to experience this simple life.

He told Xiulan his plan, and she nodded. “Sounds good, but won’t that interfere with planting radishes?”

“Definitely. The courtyard walls need plastering, and I want to enclose the garden with wooden boards, reorganizing the soil with compost. That’ll help the vegetables grow better. Besides the garden, I’ll pave the rest with stone floors, so after it rains we won’t have muddy feet when picking veggies.”

Lin Heng nodded and said he just wanted to make their home beautiful and live a leisurely life.

“I’ll help you,” Xiulan said with a wink. She could see the determination Lin Heng had for building their home.

“I’ll help too!” Xiaoxia chimed in in her cute little voice.

“Great, we’ll build our home together,” Lin Heng said with a smile, then poured himself a glass of herbal tea and took a sip.

As they chatted, the front gate creaked open, and Lin’s father and Lin Yue walked in.

“Little brother, are you going to go watch for wild boars and white weasels tonight? The soybeans on the ridge have been rooted up by boars again, and there are marks on the nearby persimmons too,” Lin Yue said as he entered the yard, looking at Lin Heng.

“Sure,” Lin Heng replied without much thought. He wanted to catch some big game for a change.

He hadn’t explored deep into the mountains lately because the weather hadn’t gotten cold enough yet. Once more leaves fell, he thought it would be time to go.

“Then we’ll get ready and you wear something warm tonight. Let’s go try to catch those wild boars,” Lin’s father said with a nod.

After they left, Lin Heng quickly packed some simple gear.

Hunting near home didn’t require much, so once ready, Lin Heng went to help cut some pig grass.

By just after six in the evening, the three of them and a dog met up. All three wore thick jackets; Lin’s father and older brother had also cut two bamboo sticks for protection.

“Do you want to bring my old bow and arrows?” Lin Heng asked.

“No, we’re not accurate anyway,” Lin’s father shook his head.

“Yeah, you’re enough on your own,” Lin Yue smiled.

“Alright, then let’s go,” Lin Heng said, rubbing Xiongba’s head as the four of them set off for the ridge.

Soon, they arrived at the soybean field on the ridge. There were fewer wild chickens here and hardly any hunters.

Lin Yue pointed to the damage in the soybean field and said, “Look, little brother, these wild boars probably came from the Tongshu Valley direction. Do you think we should wait there?”

Lin Heng said nothing but went over to inspect the damage.

The soybeans here were small and late-maturing, not yet fully ripe. About ten square meters were trampled flat, with a small portion eaten but most wasted.

From the footprints, it wasn’t just one wild boar but a group. The smaller ones weighed maybe a few dozen pounds, the larger ones a hundred or two hundred.

“Xiongba, sniff around and find the path they took,” Lin Heng said, patting the dog’s head. The dog had grown strong and majestic.

“Howl~”

Xiongba gave a call and started searching the ground.

Thanks to Xiongba’s tracking, they confirmed the wild boars’ route.

“Basically right, they came over the ridge from the Tongshu Valley direction,” Lin Heng nodded.

“I think staying right here is fine, about sixty or seventy meters away, that’s a good spot,” Lin’s father suggested.

Lin Heng shook his head. “Too close. Let’s go find a spot lower down to wait. When we hear something, we can sneak up quietly. Sometimes the boars don’t follow the same path. It’s not safe near the ridge; we might scare them off.”

“Alright, we’ll follow your lead—we don’t really know,” Lin’s father grinned.

“Then let’s find a spot to wait. It’s almost dark,” Lin Yue nodded.

The three went down and found a suitable place to settle in.

As night fell, the forest was swarming with mosquitoes, so they had to cover their hands, heads, and necks with thick clothes.

It was the seventh day of the ninth lunar month. When it got fully dark, a half-moon appeared in the sky, casting a silver glow that made everything clear even without a flashlight.

Lin Heng checked his watch—it was nine o’clock. They’d been waiting for three hours without any sign of wild boars.

Their backsides were sore from sitting, and the mountain wind was strong and cold, even through thick clothes.

Occasionally, there were small noises in the woods—maybe mice or hedgehogs.

Before they knew it, it was midnight. Lin Heng was cold and hungry, already missing his wife’s warm embrace.

“What’s going on? No boars yet,” Lin Yue muttered.

“They’ll come, just keep waiting,” Lin’s father was patient.

“If nothing shows up, we wait until morning. We can’t come back empty-handed,” Lin Heng said firmly—he wouldn’t accept a failed hunt.

After one, the men leaned against an oak tree and dozed off. When Lin Heng woke, it was already past four in the morning.

Fortunately, he could cuddle with Xiongba for warmth. The mountain nights were really cold. Glancing at his father and brother, they were still asleep.

He petted Xiongba’s head quietly, staying alert.

But even by seven o’clock, no wild boars had appeared. The three knew they had wasted the night, returning empty-handed.

Lin Heng remembered the painful time he spent fishing all night once without catching a single fish.

“Let’s go home and rest. We’ll come back tonight. I don’t believe we can’t catch wild boars,” Lin Heng said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, let’s go. These damned wild boars must be good at dodging,” Lin’s father shook his head.

Back home, Xiulan could tell from Lin Heng’s expression what happened. She poured water for him to wash his face, then cooked him some sauerkraut noodles.

After eating, Lin Heng went to lie down and slept until two in the afternoon.

“Going again tonight?” Xiulan asked as she picked vegetables at home and saw him come out.

“Yes, I’m going again,” Lin Heng nodded. He was determined to teach those wild boars a lesson for leaving him empty-handed.

“I made you some soft flatbread. Eat some now and take the rest with you,” Xiulan said.

“Okay,” Lin Heng agreed and went to the kitchen for lunch.

Xiulan packed the dried black-shelled shrimp they caught earlier into jars. Lin Heng took some out and put them in the flatbread, adding a fresh shrimp flavor.

After eating and playing with Xiaoxia for a while, Lin Heng went to find the village secretary, Tian Dongfu, to ask him to find workers. He planned to start digging a fish pond in a couple of days.

The project was originally scheduled to start tomorrow but got delayed two days because of the wild boar watch. The tenth day of the ninth lunar month, October 24th on the solar calendar, was a good day.

“How many people are you planning to hire this time?” Tian Dongfu asked while playing chess with Lin Heng.

“About sixty people. Still no meals provided, eighty cents a day. This time, the work will last at least two months. I plan to dig up all twenty acres of the fish pond. If that’s not enough, I’ll call in more workers on the spot,” Lin Heng told Tian Dongfu.

“That many? If you’re sure, I can start arranging the workers,” Tian Dongfu said, a bit shocked. Sixty people for two months—just the wages alone would be nearly three thousand yuan.

“Of course I’m sure, Uncle Tian. The wages will be paid in full on the day the work is finished,” Lin Heng nodded.

“All right, I’ll spread the word this afternoon and pick out sixty strong laborers for you,” Tian Dongfu agreed.

“Thanks for the trouble,” Lin Heng nodded. He could have hired the workers himself, but it was just too much hassle.

Tian Dongfu was an honest man, so there wouldn’t be any problems finding workers through him. If anything went wrong, he could also help resolve it.

After finishing the chess game, Lin Heng went home, fed Xiongba, and then went up the mountain with his father and older brother to watch for wild boars.

“There shouldn’t be a problem today. The boars can’t go two days without being hungry,” Lin Yue said confidently.

Lin’s father nodded as well. “Exactly, we just keep watching, they’ll have to show up eventually.”

Lin Heng nodded, “Right, if they don’t come, we’ll keep waiting. I just don’t believe they’re not hungry.”

He and the boars had just started their watch.

Mostly, waiting in one spot was more effective than wandering all over the mountain, so it was much easier.

The three of them chose to continue watching from the same spot as yesterday.

Sitting still without talking or moving was torturous—it really tested their patience.

They kept watch until dark, but still saw no sign of the boars.

Lin Heng checked his watch; it was already ten o’clock. He felt a bit discouraged. “Damn, could it be we’re going empty-handed again tonight?”

Just as Lin Yue was about to speak, Lin’s father suddenly pressed a hand over his mouth and whispered, pointing toward the distance, “Look, something’s there, by the persimmon tree.”

Lin Heng and Lin Yue quickly looked in that direction. Under the moonlight, a slender figure was climbing up the persimmon tree.

“It’s a white weasel!” Lin Yue whispered excitedly.

“I’ll take Xiongba and try to get it. Let’s see if we can hit it,” Lin Heng said, deciding to teach that white weasel a lesson first.

With Xiongba by his side, he crept quietly along the stone ledge below, crouching low to stay out of the white weasel’s sight.
(End of chapter)