Chapter 114: Allow Me to Listen In

“Uncle, can’t we practice? If we start earlier, we’ll definitely be stronger than the adults when we grow up!” Yan Yu waved her little fists.

Yan Huaiwen responded patiently, “What do you mean by ‘strong’?”

Yan Yu answered quickly, “Uncle is strong, Father is strong, Uncle Hu is strong, Second Uncle Hu is strong, and also Uncle Qi, Fourth Uncle Qi, Fifth Uncle Qi…”

“Am I strong too? In what way?”

“Uncle reads a lot, knows a lot, and always says reasonable things. Father and the villagers all listen to you—you’re the strongest!”

A little flattery—Uncle, did you receive it?

Yan Huaiwen was indeed pleased.

He chuckled. “You know quite a bit. Did you eavesdrop?”

Oh no!

Uncle actually knew her little secret!

Yan Yu’s face turned red. Eavesdropping was even less ladylike than wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

“Why do you want to listen to adults talk? Can you understand?”

Yan Yu thought seriously before replying, “Sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t. When I don’t understand, I ask Father and Mother, and they explain it to me.”

Yan Yu: I’m still a baby. How could I understand everything? Of course, I have to ask the grown-ups!

Yan Huaiwen felt a headache coming on regarding Tianyou and his wife’s parenting methods.

Such a bright child, yet instead of carefully guiding her, they let her listen in on conversations without reprimanding her and even explained things to her.

He wasn’t sure whether to call them open-minded or indulgent…

“Eavesdropping is bad. It’s a bad habit. You mustn’t do it again,” Yan Huaiwen said sternly.

Yan Yu lowered her head. “Got it, Uncle.”

“However,” he softened his tone with a hint of amusement in his eyes, “from now on, when I speak with others, you may stand openly by my side. Listen, observe, learn, and remember. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me privately.”

Yan Yu’s head shot up, her little eyes shining like a sky full of stars.

“Really, Uncle?”

Yan Huaiwen nodded, his smile deepening. “If it’s inappropriate, I’ll ask you to step aside.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “You may still ask your parents. Our answers may be the same or different. You should judge for yourself and, when you’ve made up your mind, tell me what you think is right.”

—

Hunting Wild Boars!

Second Uncle Yan led the Qi brothers deep into the mountains.

They had been walking for a long, long time…

He was starting to doubt—was the cat broken?

Why hadn’t they found anything yet?

Had he gone the wrong way?

No way!

He had followed his daughter’s instructions exactly—left paw, right paw. He wasn’t Old Yan; he could tell directions just fine!

The three Qi brothers had no complaints.

No one could guarantee they’d run into wild game as soon as they entered the mountains.

It was all about luck.

Yan Er wasn’t wrong—just pick a direction and keep walking.

Whether they encountered anything was up to fate.

At least the journey hadn’t been completely fruitless. The deeper they went, the more wild fruits they found. They picked the ones they recognized, ones they had traded from mountain folk before, shaking the branches to collect them.

Climbing trees was out of the question. The Qi brothers were self-aware.

Their builds were too bulky—they weren’t as nimble as the village boys.

Shaking the trees was much easier.

Judging from the signs around the wild fruit trees, there were definitely animals in these mountains. The fruits had been eaten, claw marks were on the trunks, the ground had traces of movement, and some wild fruits had been trampled…

“Yan Lao’er, I think I hear something up ahead,” Qi Si said.

He wasn’t wrong. Yan Er was still walking straight ahead, unaware that just ahead of them, a male wild boar was resting with its family.

Several piglets—bigger than the ones they had hunted before.

Two sows lay nearby.

A thicket of brambles stood between them and the pigs.

If not for that barrier, Yan Er might have ended up face-to-face with the wild boar.

His legs nearly gave out.

Fortunately, Qi Da was right behind him and caught him with a steady hand.

They had spotted the wild boars—and the boars had spotted them.

No chance to escape.

No time to react—battle was inevitable!

Panic surged in Yan Er’s chest.

What now? Right, shoot it!

While he fumbled with his crossbow, the Qi brothers had already charged forward!

The sows were nothing—they had fought them before. The male boar was the real challenge.

Look at its sturdy frame, sleek black hide, massive tusks, and fierce little eyes.

One glance, and it grunted aggressively, charging straight at the Qi brothers.

The beast’s instincts were sharp!

To the male boar, they were the real threats.

As for the weakling in the back—he didn’t even matter.

Qi Wu swung his club—missed the head but struck its body.

The boar screeched in pain.

Qi Si let out a battle cry and smashed down hard.

A direct hit.

The boar wobbled, its charge slowing.

Qi Da seized the moment, grabbed its tusks, and with a low grunt, forced the boar down, pinning it in place.

It struggled wildly—lunging forward, pulling back, twisting its body, trying to roll…

All in vain.

Qi Da held it down tight!

Qi Si and Qi Wu were pumped!

Bam! Bam! Bam!

They rained down blows on its head and body.

The boar’s screams grew more desperate.

The two sows, in a panic, charged at them.

Yan Er finally had his crossbow ready.

He shouted, pushed his fear aside, stepped forward, and shot the pinned male boar.

The iron-tipped bolt sank deep into its flesh.

The boar stopped struggling.

Qi Da barely had time to catch his breath.

The two sows were still coming!

Qi Si and Qi Wu swung their clubs hard, knocking them to the ground.

Qi Da, running on instinct, threw himself on one and pinned it down.

He shouted urgently, “Hold that one down!”

Qi Si reacted fast, tossing his club aside and following suit.

Two men, two pigs—no matter how the sows thrashed, they couldn’t move an inch.

Yan Er was stunned.

Qi Wu was frantic. “Yan Lao’er, shoot! Don’t let them escape!”

Yan Er gave him a complicated look.

And at his two brothers.

Dude… look at those sows. They’ve already given up.

Escape? How?

You three really don’t know your own strength, do you?

If this proved anything, it was that wild boars were nothing in front of them.

Or, more accurately, wild boars were their little brothers…

Qi Da and Qi Si were still waiting for him to finish the job.

Under their expectant gazes, Yan Er expressionlessly fired two more arrows.

The sows—finally freed from their suffering!

The three brothers cheered like monkeys.

No—gorillas!

Jumping and waving their arms in excitement.

They ran toward him, grinning, clearly wanting to hug him but remembering his earlier warnings.

So instead, they smacked each other around.

Ouch!

Yan Er swore—next time, he’d keep his distance when they celebrated.

It was definitely too much for him to handle!