Chapter 90: Carrying the Wild Boar into the Village

“Roar!!”

As soon as Lin Heng returned to the shelter, the little wildcat tied to the pillar let out an angry hiss at him, trying to drive him away.

“Oh, got quite the temper, huh?” Lin Heng grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and examined it carefully, noticing that the kitten had heterochromatic eyes.

One eye was golden, the other blue, and combined with its reddish-brown fur, it looked rather peculiar.

After a quick glance, he casually tossed it back onto the ground and turned to pack up the shelter. There were only some ropes, a pot, a tea jar, and other miscellaneous items, all of which could fit in his backpack.

Looking at the hog badger cub in his pack and the wildcat cub outside, Lin Heng hesitated for a moment before deciding to take them both back.

“Howl~”

As soon as he threw the wildcat cub into the pack, it furiously tried to escape, refusing to stay inside.

“Yowl yowl!!”

After much effort getting it back in, the wildcat immediately started attacking the hog badger cub, biting at it viciously.

“You really have a death wish, huh? If you keep messing around, I’ll just kill you.”

Losing his patience, Lin Heng grabbed the wildcat by the neck, narrowed his eyes, and roared in anger, slapping it hard.

Maybe it was scared by Lin Heng’s glare and voice, or maybe it was just stunned by the slap, but the wildcat finally quieted down.

Lin Heng tossed it to the bottom of the pack and used some branches to create a divider, placing the shelter’s miscellaneous items on top.

Once everything was packed, he left with Xiongba following obediently beside him, occasionally glancing up at him.

“Still, dogs are better.” Lin Heng glanced at Xiongba. When that wild boar charged at him, Xiongba had been fearless.

Even though the boar weighed five or six times as much as it did, Xiongba still dared to attack. Lin Heng figured all the food he’d given the dog hadn’t gone to waste.

By the time he was done packing and heading toward the spot where they had taken down the boar, it was already close to 1 PM.

“Looks like they’ve already started heading back. Xiongba, lead the way.”

When Lin Heng arrived at the spot, he saw that his companions had already left. The bloodstains on the ground had dried.

Calling out to Xiongba, he picked up his pace to catch up. It was about 14 or 15 kilometers back, and since they were carrying a wild boar, they wouldn’t be moving fast. No need to rush.

Besides, he was fine with slacking off a bit. That wild boar was massive—if he had to carry it, it would probably kill him.

It took him two hours to catch up, and along the way, he picked up three chanterelle mushrooms.

“Ah, let’s rest for a bit. This thing is heavy as hell!”

After walking a while, Li Baiquan couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Yeah, let’s take a break,” Lu Honghai agreed, and the two men set the boar down.

“Lin Heng, finally! Hurry up and take over for me,” Li Baiquan called out as soon as he saw him.

“Uncle, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” Lin Heng laughed.

“You mean to say you can’t even carry this? You’re already twenty, been married for over two years. When I was twenty, I was carrying over a hundred pounds up the mountains!”

“I don’t know, let me give it a try.”

Lin Heng shook his head, then looked around and asked, “Where’s Old Man Tian?”

Lu Honghai wiped his sweat and sighed, “That old guy tried to help carry it and almost threw his back out. I told him to go back and get reinforcements.”

“Fair enough.”

Lin Heng sighed—he had been thinking about going back to get help himself.

“How’d your snare traps go? Catch anything?” Li Baiquan asked as he rolled a cigarette.

“In my pack—just a little hog badger cub. Pissed me off.”

Lin Heng pointed at the hog badger cub inside his pack.

He still couldn’t figure out why, in a place full of animal tracks, after setting up over thirty snares, he only caught one little cub and a hare.

How could he have failed this badly?

“Haha, that’s not too bad! Two live ones—you can raise them back home.”

Li Baiquan laughed, trying to console Lin Heng.

“Uncle, do you think my snare and hanging traps are set up wrong?” Lin Heng asked.

Li Baiquan lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said, “There’s nothing wrong with them. That’s just how hunting is—sometimes you see plenty of animals, but they just don’t get caught.”

“Yeah, it’s nothing unusual. I’ve set up plenty of snares behind my house, but I hardly ever catch anything,” Lu Honghai added while smoking.

“Alright, then.”

Lin Heng sighed—seemed like his uncle and cousin were used to getting nothing.

It was like a new fisherman asking old-timers at the river why they could sit there all day with just one fishing rod.

Whether it’s fishing or hunting, after enough empty runs, you just get used to it.

After resting for a while, the three of them got up and continued walking. Lin Heng took over for his uncle, helping carry the boar.

“Shit!”

As soon as he lifted it, he felt like a mountain had slammed down onto his shoulders. Every step was painful, and his feet felt like they were filled with lead.

After barely making it four or five hundred meters, he cried out, “I can’t! I can’t, Cousin! Let’s take a break, I can’t hold on!”

Lu Honghai looked at Lin Heng like he was a weakling. “That’s all you’ve got? We haven’t even gone far.”

Lin Heng grinned. “I can’t help it—it’s just too damn heavy.”

“Sigh, fine, I’ll take over.”

Li Baiquan had no choice but to swap in for Lin Heng, and the three of them continued walking.

After less than two hours, they were struggling again. They re-adjusted their method—now three people carried it together, with two in front and one in the back.

Going uphill, they carried it; going downhill, they built a makeshift sled and dragged it.

“Woof! Woof!!”

By the time it was past five in the afternoon, the three of them had only managed to cover about half the distance.

Hearing Xiongba’s warning barks, Lin Heng immediately perked up and said excitedly, “Someone’s coming! There’s definitely someone coming.”

Before long, a voice called from ahead. “Little brother, is that you?”

“It’s me, big brother! Hurry and help, this wild boar is too heavy!”

Lin Heng quickly called out.

Soon, three people emerged from the distant forest—it was Lin Yue, their father, and Tian Baishun.

“My god, such a huge wild boar!” Lin Yue was stunned at the sight.

“I told you it’s over 250 pounds, and you still didn’t believe me?” Old Tian shot him a look.

Their father’s face was filled with joy. “It definitely is! This is incredible—what a massive boar!”

“Father, big brother, come help us quickly. I can’t lift it anymore.”

Lin Heng said with a grin.

The two of them circled the boar, examining it over and over before finally sighing in admiration. “Unbelievable.”

The group adjusted the bindings on the boar, placing it on a plank for four people to carry.

“How did you manage to take it down?”

Their father asked curiously as they walked.

The four of them took turns recounting the event, leaving both newcomers shaken—the experience had been incredibly dangerous.

“Old Tian, that was too reckless! You nearly got Lin Heng killed.” Their father scolded Tian Baishun.

If Lin Heng hadn’t dodged in time, he could have been bedridden for months—just one hit from those tusks would have been devastating.

Old Tian gave a bitter smile. “I didn’t expect the boar to be this ferocious… I’ve never hunted such a large male boar before either.”

“Little brother, are you okay?” Lin Yue turned to ask.

“I’m fine, not a scratch on me.” Lin Heng shook his head.

“You all have to be extra careful when hunting. Wild boars are far too dangerous.” Their father warned, now fully aware of just how fierce these animals could be.

“We probably won’t come across another wild boar this big again.” Lu Honghai shook his head. The size of this one had completely exceeded their expectations.

Typically, wild boars weighed just over a hundred pounds. Anything over two hundred was rare.

“If we get another chance like this, I’ll definitely trust Lin Heng’s archery next time.” Tian Baishun laughed.

But Lin Heng didn’t care for that remark—there wouldn’t be a next time.

With their father and big brother helping, the burden on Lin Heng was significantly reduced. Now, he only had to occasionally switch shoulders, which was far easier than the three-man carry before.

“Lin Heng, you also caught a hog badger cub? And… is this a wildcat kitten?”

When swapping shoulders, Lin Yue finally noticed the little animals in Lin Heng’s basket.

“Yeah. My trap didn’t catch any big ones, just this hog badger cub. The wildcat kitten, I found.” Lin Heng nodded.

“This is great! Alive, you can raise them yourself—it’s much better than just killing them.” Lin Yue said.

“I think so too. Rearing them and having extra meat for New Year’s is much better than taking down a single wild boar.” Li Baiquan added.

“I don’t think it’s bad, I just find it odd that I only got this little one. I was expecting something bigger.”

Lin Heng shook his head, his disappointment coming from the fact that he’d been aiming for a big catch from the start.

It was like going fishing with the goal of catching a ten-pound carp, only to end up with a tiny two-ounce goldfish—not exactly thrilling.

If he had caught a big hog badger along with this little one, then he’d be grinning from ear to ear.

As dusk approached, the six of them entered the village from the west side. The news of their big hunt had already spread, and a large crowd had gathered under the big ginkgo tree, eagerly awaiting their return.

“My god, that wild boar is huge!”

“Incredible! Absolutely incredible!”

“This will last so many days—what unbelievable luck!”

“Look at its balls! Way bigger than a domestic pig’s—fried up, they’ll be a real delicacy.”

Everyone chimed in excitedly, and some even stepped forward to help carry the boar, surrounding the group as they made their way to the Lin family home. The admiration in their eyes was unmistakable.

Lin Heng, walking at the rear, felt immensely satisfied as he watched the crowd’s mix of shock and envy.

Just as he was basking in the moment, he spotted his uncle Lin Xuping and aunt Li Ping approaching from afar, carrying their hoes. Unable to resist, he called out, “Uncle! Aunt! How’d you know I took down a two-hundred-plus-pound wild boar?”

Lin Xuping: “…”

Li Ping: “…”

Li Ping’s face darkened as she let out a cold laugh. “What’s there to brag about? It’s not like you killed it alone. You probably won’t even get a leg.”

Lin Heng nodded in agreement. “True, I only get second-class merit—probably just sixty or seventy pounds. Not much, really. Just enough for two or three months of meat at every meal.”

Li Ping: “…”

She was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t tasted meat in over a month.

“Lin Heng, you’ve got so much meat now. Even if you don’t give us any, at least give some to your grandmother. She’s old and hasn’t eaten much meat in her life.” Lin Xuping shamelessly said.

Lin Heng lifted his head, paused for a second, and replied, “No.”

Lin Xuping immediately roared in anger, “You unfilial brat!”

Then, grumbling and fuming, he left with his wife.

Watching them go, Lin Heng spread his hands, looking quite pleased.

“Lin Heng, you’re really bad! You never intended to give them any, but you still deliberately hesitated just to mess with your uncle. I never knew you were like this before.” A woman’s voice called from behind.

Lin Heng turned and saw Jin Yan—the youngest daughter of the Jin family, one of the wealthiest in the village.

She wasn’t married yet and was known as the village beauty, with a stunning figure and a beautiful face, comparable to Caiyun, another local beauty.

“Can’t help it, that’s just how scoundrels are.” Lin Heng spread his hands in mock self-deprecation.

He didn’t want to talk too much with Jin Yan.

His father had once tried to arrange a marriage between them, but it hadn’t worked out—probably because her family thought they were too poor.

Now that he was married, chatting too much with her would easily lead to gossip.

But he was actually quite glad that the engagement didn’t go through. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have met Xiulan, and his whole family would have been thrown into chaos.

Although this woman was indeed beautiful, she was cold-hearted and flirtatious. In his past life, she had married into the Wang family, another wealthy household in the village, causing a rift between the brothers—one ended up in prison, and the other broke a leg and had his family fall apart.

As for her, she took the money and remarried in another county, living a carefree life.

Jin Yan glanced at Lin Heng and smiled. “With your skills now, no one dares call you a drifter anymore.”

She found it hard to believe how capable Lin Heng had suddenly become. Rumor had it that he had made at least a few hundred yuan from hunting recently, so she came today to see for herself.

“It’s nothing much. You’re here to see the wild boar too?” Lin Heng asked indifferently.

“I’m here to buy pork. My dad heard you guys caught a wild boar and wants some fresh pork. How much per pound?”

Jin Yan looked at Lin Heng, a little displeased by his cold attitude.

“I don’t know. Go ask Old Man Tian Baishun. I can’t decide that alone,” Lin Heng said, then slung his basket over his shoulder and headed home.

“Hey, wait up!” Jin Yan still wanted to chat, but Lin Heng just left. Did he think she was ugly or something?

“Lin Heng, you guys really pulled it off this time.”

“I heard you even saved that old man Tian. You’re going to get a big share of the meat this time, right?”

As he walked through the village, people were envious of him, their words tinged with a hint of jealousy.

“Haha, it was a team effort,” Lin Heng said with a smile before quickening his pace.

The old house’s courtyard was packed with people. The village butcher had already been called over, a large wooden barrel had been brought out, and several pots of water were boiling, ready to scald the pig.

Old Man Tian and the others were sitting in the courtyard, chatting and boasting—starting with the wild boar, then moving on to black bears, bragging about all the game they had caught over the years.

Lin Heng didn’t join them. Instead, he went straight home.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Xiulan and their daughter were indeed home.

“Daddy, hug!”

Xiaoxia was playing with rocks under the eaves. When she saw Lin Heng, her eyes lit up, and she broke into a bright smile. She tossed the stone aside and ran toward him.

“Come here, give Daddy a kiss!” Lin Heng scooped up his little girl, showering her with kisses and lifting her high in the air.

Smooch!

His adorable daughter kissed him on the cheek, wrapped her little arms around his neck, and said in a sweet voice, “Daddy, I missed you!”

Lin Heng hadn’t expected her to say that, and his heart melted instantly. “Daddy missed you too. Give me another kiss.”

He kissed her soft little cheeks and lifted her up again. “Who taught you to say that, little sweetheart?”

“Mommy did. Mommy said it herself too.” Xiaoxia’s voice was crisp and clear. She was getting better at talking each day.

Hearing this, Xiulan, who was boiling water in the kitchen, quickly said, “I taught her that—I didn’t say it myself.”

“Hahaha.” Lin Heng laughed heartily and pulled a small bundle wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket. “Here, this is for you. Eat up.”

Xiaoxia had never eaten brambleberries before and was hesitant at first. Lin Heng picked one and fed it to her. Soon, her eyes curved into little crescent moons. “Sweet! More!”

She opened her mouth, waiting for her dad to feed her again.

As he continued feeding her, Lin Heng walked into the main room and set the berries on the table before putting his daughter down for a moment.

“Wife, I caught a big wild boar today—over 250 pounds!” Lin Heng grinned.

“I know. I also heard you almost got gored by it. You need to be more careful when hunting,” Xiulan said as she looked at him.

Lin Heng took her hand and patted it, smiling. “Don’t worry, I won’t be going hunting with Old Man Tian anymore. That guy is way too reckless.”

“That’s good. Just be careful even when you hunt alone,” Xiulan said, relieved after making sure he wasn’t injured.

“I know. Look, I also brought back two little ones—a wildcat cub and a hog badger cub.” Lin Heng showed her the two little creatures.

“The hog badger cub is great! We don’t have piglets, so we can raise it for New Year’s. It’ll be even better than a pig,” Xiulan said, clearly pleased with it. She wasn’t as interested in the wildcat cub.

“That’s what I was thinking. And this one’s a male. Once it grows a bit, I’ll castrate it. The meat will be even better by then.”

Lin Heng chuckled.

“Besides that, I also brought back two fish. Look.” He took out two Schizothorax fish. Since they had been salted, they weren’t spoiled yet, but they wouldn’t last beyond tomorrow noon.

It would be best to eat them tonight for the best taste and freshness.

“Is this plum blossom fish? You caught these in the mountains?” Xiulan was surprised. These were expensive at the market—back in Lushui County, she had seen people selling them for 1.5 yuan per pound.

Schizothorax fish were called “plum blossom fish” in their area.

“Yep, I saw a few and brought these back for you and our daughter.” Lin Heng grinned.

Xiulan’s face lit up with joy. Lin Heng often brought little gifts home for her.

“I’ll store them in the well water. We’ll have them for breakfast tomorrow,” Xiulan said with a smile.

The mountain spring water in the well was just over ten degrees Celsius—perfect for preserving the fish’s freshness.

“Daddy, more!”

While Xiulan went to store the fish, Xiaoxia finished her brambleberries and was tugging at Lin Heng’s leg, asking for more.

“There’s none left. I’ll pick more for you tomorrow, okay?” Lin Heng said.

“No, no! Want more, want more!” Xiaoxia shook her head furiously like a little rattle drum.

Lin Heng had no choice but to spread his hands. “Really, there’s no more. I’m not lying. I’ll pick more tomorrow. If you keep fussing, I won’t like you anymore.”

Then he scooped her up again, lifting her high in the air and playing with her for a while. Only then did she momentarily forget about the berries.

“Doggy!”

Lin Heng put her down, and she ran off to play with Xiongba again, unable to stay still.

“Woo~”

Lying on the ground, Xiongba looked helpless. Why was he suddenly the center of attention?

(End of Chapter)