Chapter 75

The Zhuang Family set off in a grand procession, their gate already locked while others were still busy with breakfast.

Aunt Su watched them leave and quickly came out to ask, "Where are you going?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "It's rare for the whole family to have a holiday together, so we're going for a spring outing. With such beautiful spring weather, it's best to get out and enjoy it."

She added with a hint of sarcasm, "You're not planning to stay indoors, are you? I think it's important not to stay cooped up at home all the time; it can lead to all sorts of problems. The kids are always playing in the alley, so they should get out and stretch their legs too."

Aunt ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‍Su weakly smiled and said, "We still have a lot of work to do at home; we can't compare to your family."

Zhao Guihua replied, "Oh, come on, we're all in the same boat. Besides, a day or two off won't make much difference to your workload."

With that, they left. Aunt Su watched them go, her lips pressed together in envy. She couldn't understand why Zhao Guihua's life seemed so much better than hers. Zhao Guihua had a husband who hadn't passed away, and her son was thriving, while her own situation was... She clenched her fists tightly.

She cursed under her breath, "I hope they trip and die on their way out!"

"Aunt Su, what are you doing? Oh, isn't that Zhao Guihua's family? Where are they going?"

Aunt Su replied, "They're going for a spring outing."

She sighed and said, "When you're living well, everything seems easy. They can do whatever they want, while I can't even decide what to do. They have holidays to go on outings, while we have to keep working at home."

Old Man Bai heard this and quickly said, "It's just an outing; it doesn't cost much. Come on, gather your kids, and let's go too. What's so special about a spring outing? It doesn't cost anything. You shouldn't feel bad about it."

Old Man Bai thought Aunt Su was just a simple and honest person who felt bad because of Zhao Guihua's bragging. He didn't think it was a big deal.

He said with a smile, "Don't think it's such a big deal. Wait for me to get ready, and we'll go to the pond. I'll bring a fishing rod, and we can go fishing. What do you say?"

Aunt Su hesitated, "Won't that be too much trouble for you?"

"What trouble? We don't need to be so formal with each other."

This touched Aunt Su's heart, and she said, "Well... alright then."

Just as they finished talking, they saw Aunt Wang leading her daughter and two children out the door. Aunt Su quickly stopped them and asked, "Are you going out too?"

Aunt Wang replied, "Yes, Hutou is going for a spring outing, and my sons, Li Junjun and Li Weiwei, got so excited they insisted on going too. Kids love to compare, and if everyone else is going, they'll feel left out if we don't take them. My husband and son-in-law don't have the time; they have to work overtime at the factory during the holiday. The boss is hosting a banquet, so they can't miss it. So, my daughter and I will take these two rascals to the zoo. It should be fun."

Her gaze fell on the gate of Zhao Guihua's house and she said, "Oh, Guihua's already left? They left pretty early."

She added, "Well, we're off too."

The four of them left, and soon Uncle Lan and his wife also came out.

Aunt Su was shocked, "You two are going for a spring outing too?"

She thought to herself, "Spring outings are for kids, aren't they? What's the deal with old folks going on outings?"

Lan Sihai wasn't too keen on greeting Aunt Su, but his wife, Luo Xiaolian, said, "We're going to the park to paddle boats."

It wasn't exactly a spring outing, but it was close enough.

Aunt Su was relieved she had agreed to go out with Old Man Bai; otherwise, everyone would be out, and only her family would be left at home, making them look out of touch. Although their circumstances were modest, Aunt Su still believed they were no worse off than anyone else.

Just as she was about to boast that her family was also going out, Zhou Qun's family of three came out. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "You're not going for a spring outing too, are you?"

Madam Zhou Li was dressed in her newest outfit, her hair neatly combed, and even had a faint scent of face cream.

She snorted and said, "None of your business," before strutting out proudly.

Zhou Qun whispered, "Why do you even bother talking to her?"

He looked down on the people in the courtyard; they were useless except for gossiping. He thought such neighbors weren't worth having.

He snorted coldly and said, "Let's go."

They weren't actually going for a spring outing. Zhou Qun's recent troubles had become quite the talk of the town, and Jiang Lu's parents were pushing for a divorce, which Zhou Qun knew. He was deeply unhappy about it but also knew he had to stop his in-laws from pursuing this.

Not only did he need to stop them, but he also had to ensure they continued to support him. Without their help, his career would suffer greatly.

This time, he even brought his mother along, knowing that an old woman could be quite effective in playing the victim. So, Zhou Qun didn't hesitate.

Zhou Qun's family didn't explain why they were going out, but Aunt Su firmly believed they were also taking advantage of the holiday to go out and enjoy themselves. This made her even more envious.

Originally, she thought only Zhao Guihua's family was going out, but it turned out almost everyone in the neighborhood had plans. She wondered how they had all decided without letting her in on it.

Luckily, her family had also made a last-minute decision to go out; otherwise, they would have looked out of place.

Aunt Su raised her voice, "Old Man Bai, are you ready? We need to go too."

Old Man Bai rarely saw Aunt Su so openly expressing her closeness, and it made him quite happy.

"Almost ready, almost ready. We can go soon."

He asked, "Fendou, are you coming with us?"

Bai Fendou rolled over and said, "I'm not going."

He had been feeling quite down lately, and his mood wasn't great. It wasn't that he was being melodramatic; he genuinely felt bad. His search for a partner hadn't yielded any results, and that was weighing on him.

In fact, his recent coldness toward Wang Xiangxiu wasn't because she had treated him poorly. He understood Wang Xiangxiu's situation; she had to consider their reputations. He knew that, despite some unsavory rumors, Wang Xiangxiu was a good woman, a very good woman. She was virtuous and proper.

Yet, he still distanced himself from her. Sometimes, it wasn't that he didn't love her.

It was that he couldn't.

He wanted to make things work with Wang Xiangxiu, but it was extremely difficult.

Just like Old Man Bai had issues with Wang Xiangxiu, Bai Fendou had issues with Aunt Su, feeling that she as a mother-in-law was holding Wang Xiangxiu back. It was hard for him to be with Wang Xiangxiu, and he didn't want to fall behind Zhou Qun, who was also from the same courtyard. If he ended up with a divorced woman with kids, he would feel inadequate.

So, even though he didn't want to, he still kept his distance from Wang Xiangxiu, hoping that someone would introduce him to a nearly perfect woman.

He didn't need perfection, just near-perfection. Surely, that wouldn't be too hard to find?

Bai Fendou covered his face and lay on the bed, feeling gloomy about his lack of a partner. Old Man Bai called out to him a couple more times, but seeing he didn't move, he said, "You're really not coming? We could go fishing together, maybe even improve our lives a bit. Look at the courtyard—everyone's out, and you're the only one staying home. Don't you feel embarrassed?"

Old Man Bai had also overheard their earlier conversation.

Bai Fendou replied, "Don't bother me."

Old Man Bai snorted, "Fine, I don't want to bother you either."

Since Bai Fendou wasn't going, Old Man Bai didn't bother with his son anymore. He just said, "Give me the bike."

"Here, take it," Bai Fendou tossed the keys to his father and continued to daydream.

Old Man Bai quickly left, humming a tune, heading towards his lovely lady... or rather, his old lady.

Wang Xiangxiu was still feeling down the day after Ming Mei had splashed her with water. As she watched her three sons hopping and skipping, ready to head out, she said, "Go ahead, I won't be joining you. It's rare that I have a holiday, so I'll tidy up the house and clean the windows."

Aunt Su: "That's fine."

After a pause, she added in a whisper, "Bai Fendou isn't going either. Go and comfort him, make sure he doesn't slip out of our control."

Wang Xiangxiu nodded and agreed.

This was something she had to do. Without it, how could her sons live a good life, eat well and use the best? That required money, and she had no other options. Other men weren't as selfless and generous as Bai Fendou, so she had to keep him in her grasp.

At this moment, she also felt a bit of resentment towards the ghost rumors. If it weren't for those, she would still be doing fine with Zhou Qun.

Although Zhou Qun was a three-second man, she didn't expect any pleasure from him. Money was enough.

She sighed softly, wondering how likely it was to win Zhou Qun back. She didn't like him, but she had to admit that Zhou Qun was the most generous man she had ever met. Others just weren't as good.

She did have some interest in Zhuang Zhixi, but he wasn't easy to deal with either. And such a young man probably didn't appreciate the charms of a fuller-figured woman like her. She was well aware of this, as she always paid attention to whether a man's eyes were on her.

Clearly, Zhuang Zhixi wasn't interested.

She felt so frustrated.

"Put in some effort. You could control Bai Fendou in a heartbeat if you wanted to," Aunt Su said, thinking her daughter-in-law was upset about Bai Fendou.

Aunt Su also had some discomfort. She was most afraid that her daughter-in-law would really fall for Bai Fendou. But for the sake of this fat sheep, she had to encourage her daughter-in-law. Although Wang Xiangxiu had broken off with Zhou Qun just a few days ago, Aunt Su could already feel the strain on the household budget. Bai Fendou was generous.

Zhou Qun was the same; losing him was a loss. Zhou Qun might not be great in other ways, but he was truly generous with his money.

He earned a lot and kept his money tightly in hand, with over ninety yuan a month.

Oh, how could they ever spend all that money? As long as they said the right things, the money would be theirs.

For a moment, Aunt Su even thought about seducing Zhou Qun herself. Wang Xiangxiu had broken off with him, so maybe she could step in. After all, Zhou Qun liked older women; he might even like her.

But this thought quickly passed. She couldn't afford to lose face like that.

Besides, Zhou Qun was a bit ruthless, and she didn't want to provoke him.

"Anyway, try to get more money. The weather is warming up; the kids will each need a new set of clothes," Aunt Su kept pressuring Wang Xiangxiu.

Wang Xiangxiu nodded, "I know."

Seeing that she had taken it to heart, Aunt Su smiled and went out.

It was the second day of Labor Day, a rare holiday. Almost no one was left in their courtyard; everyone had gone out, even some young wives weren't home tidying up. Wang Xiangxiu suddenly felt the quietness of the courtyard.

Normally so lively, even this morning it had been bustling with life, now it was so quiet.

She sat alone in the house, lost in thought...

People in the courtyard gradually left, and at this time, Zhao Guihua and the others had already arrived at the outskirts. On holidays, there were more people coming into the city, but fewer going out. So the bus wasn't too crowded.

Zhao Guihua and Old Man Zhuang led the children off the bus. Old Man Zhuang carried a bucket with a smaller bucket inside. Zhao Guihua held one child's hand in each of hers, holding them tightly. Hutou and Xiao Yanzi were both wearing short-sleeved shirts. The two kids had been listless on the bus, and even after getting off, they still didn't have much energy.

Zhao Guihua led the two kids to the shade of a tree and said, "Feeling unwell? Did you get car sick?"

The kids softly hummed in agreement. Hutou and Xiao Yanzi leaned against Zhao Guihua. She said, "They haven't arrived yet, let's sit down and rest for a while, just in time to wait for them."

There was still a ways to go up the mountain, so it was good to rest a bit.

She sat down and poured water from her flask for the children. The two kids each drank some and sighed softly.

Hutou was listless and said, "Grandma, it's so far out here."

The child had always thought going out was great, and it was unfair that the adults never took them. But now, they didn't think that way anymore. The kids were so tired they almost wanted to lie on the ground. Hutou: "Riding the bus is so tiring."

Zhao Guihua: "What did you think? Do you think we don't take you out on purpose? We're taking the bus, and you're like this. If we were riding bikes, it would be even more tiring, probably hot and thirsty."

Actually, if the two kids had come on bicycles, they might not have been in worse shape than now. They were mainly a bit car sick, not tired, but the kids couldn't explain that.

Zhao Guihua knew they were car sick, but she didn't say anything. If they knew it was just car sickness, they'd definitely want to come next time. Kids needed a little trickery now and then.

The two kids sat listlessly on the small stones. At this moment, Xiao Yanzi suddenly called out, "Mom and Dad!"

From afar, they saw Zhuang Zhiyuan and Zhuang Zhixi riding bikes with their wives, already arriving. The weather was a bit hot today. Even though they had left early and not gone out in the sun, they were still sweating.

Zhuang Zhixi waved from afar, "Hello, comrades!"

Zhao Guihua's mouth twitched. This rascal, did he think he was three and a half?

Hutou and Xiao Yanzi, however, were very responsive to their uncle and immediately jumped up and down, shouting, "Uncle! We're here!"

Zhuang Zhixi, with his long legs, quickly rode over. He put his foot down to steady the bike and said, "How are you feeling?"

Hutou complained, "Little Uncle, we don't feel good, I feel nauseous and want to throw up."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Ah, then if we catch something delicious on the mountain, you'll be too nauseous to eat it, right?"

Hutou immediately said, "Then I'm fine, I can still eat a little."

This kid, no consistency at all.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "You greedy little thing."

Xiao Yanzi muttered, "We're kids, kids are all greedy. If we weren't greedy, we wouldn't be kids."

This child, she even had a logical explanation.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Oh, you're better at arguing than your brother."

The little girl didn't understand what arguing meant and scratched her head, saying, "Little Uncle, don't scold me, I'm very well-behaved."

Ming Mei couldn't help but laugh, "Everyone's here, shall we continue up the mountain?"

Hutou and Xiao Yanzi looked at the lush forest and said, "Do we have to walk?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Of course, what did you think?"

He looked at the mountain path and said, "It'll take quite a while."

This path up the mountain would take at least an hour. If they were riding bikes directly, it would be faster, but with the kids, they couldn't do that.

Zhao Guihua: "Alright, let's go."

"Let's go!"

Hutou and Xiao Yanzi echoed, "Let's go!"

The whole family, a big group, started up the mountain.

Hutou and Xiao Yanzi ran ahead, like little puppies let loose.

But puppies were just puppies, and they didn't last long. Luckily, there were bicycles, and the two kids sat on the back. Zhuang Zhiyuan and Liang Meifen each pushed a bike with a child.

Zhuang Zhixi held Ming Mei's hand and walked at the back.

Xiao Yanzi asked, "Little Uncle, why aren't you pushing me?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "You're your mom's kid, what? Feeling sorry for your mom and want me to be the labor force? Not a chance!"

Xiao Yanzi scratched her head in confusion, not understanding what her uncle meant, but she knew he didn't want to push, so she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, she preferred her mom to push the bike because when Little Uncle and Auntie Ming Mei were around, they always asked questions that were hard for little kids to answer.

Whenever the kids couldn't answer, they would laugh.

They were so mean.

Under everyone's concerted efforts, it took over an hour to reach the location of the mountain pond. Normally, they shouldn't have brought the kids along. However, Hutou and Xiao Yanzi were not too young, and these two children could still listen to the adults.

Generally speaking, if they were told not to speak about it, they probably wouldn't.

Even if they did talk about it outside, it's unlikely that anyone would believe them. After all, kids exaggerating is a common occurrence, right? Plus, it took a long time to get here, and even if the kids wanted to come, they probably couldn't find the way.

That's why Zhao Guihua decided to bring them along for a visit, to prevent these two little ones from constantly fantasizing about how great it was here.

Zhao Guihua led everyone to a familiar spot. Hutou and Xiao Yanzi jumped off the bicycle, their eyes wide with amazement: "Wow!"

There was a small lake in the mountains.

Both children were utterly astonished.

Hutou quickly asked, "Grandma, can we fish here?"

Over the past half year, their family had eaten fish more frequently, so Hutou had some idea about it.

Zhao Guihua replied, "Of course."

Old Man Zhuang proudly placed his hands on his hips and said, "Let me do it. Grandpa is very good at fishing."

Old Man Zhuang, who was usually unassuming, suddenly became more assertive.

When it came to fishing, he was undoubtedly the best in the Zhuang Family.

No contest.

Zhao Guihua snorted but didn't contradict Old Man Zhuang. She said, "Your grandpa is indeed good at fishing."

Old Man Zhuang added, "Grandpa will fish, and then we'll grill the fish. How about it?"

Hutou's eyes lit up: "Great!"

Xiao Yanzi also spun in circles, flapping her hands excitedly. She was simply overjoyed.

Zhao Guihua assigned tasks: "We'll split into pairs. I'll definitely be paired with your dad. We'll stay here. Our job is to fish and gather firewood. If we catch anything, we'll grill the fish here. Zhixi, you and your wife head east; Zhiyuan, you and your wife head west. There are plenty of ripe fruits now, so pick some if you see any. If you come across wild chickens or rabbits, try to catch them, but don't worry if you don't. Safety first."

This was the usual routine, but it was still necessary to remind everyone.

After all, she was the head of the family.

"Alright."

"Sounds good to me."

Everyone agreed without objections.

Zhao Guihua continued, "This is the mountains, not your cozy kang. There are unknown risks, so be careful of snakes, insects, and rodents. They're everywhere. Also, remember the way; don't get lost without finding anything and end up needing us to search for you."

"Mom, don't worry, we're not that clueless," one of them replied.

"Yeah, you're underestimating us," another added.

Zhao Guihua just chuckled in response.

"Grandma, what about us?" the children asked, unsure of their role.

Zhao Guihua replied, "You two shouldn't venture into the woods. Stay here, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'd rather stay with Grandma."

Zhao Guihua nodded, satisfied: "That's more like it."

The three pairs quickly split up. Old Man Zhuang didn't visit often, but he was quite experienced. After all, the fish here were plentiful, and he always had good catches. As soon as they separated, Old Man Zhuang's fishing rod moved.

Old Man Zhuang exclaimed, "Oh, a fish is biting the hook!"

"Where? Where?"

The two children immediately crowded around, watching as Old Man Zhuang pulled up a fish, about twenty centimeters long—a decent catch.

"Wow!"

"Grandpa is awesome!"

"Grandpa is the best!"

"We have a big fish!"

The children's praises were loud and enthusiastic, and they were thrilled.

Zhao Guihua remarked, "These two little rascals!"

She asked, "Do you want to come with me to gather firewood, or stay here and watch the fishing?"

"Watch fishing!" they chorused.

With a catch already, of course, they wanted to see more fishing.

Zhao Guihua reminded her husband, "Keep an eye on them. Don't let them go near the water."

"Okay~"

Things were going smoothly on their end, and the same was true for Zhuang Zhiyuan and Liang Meifen. They hadn't walked far when they spotted a wild cherry tree. The cherries, though small, were already red. Back in the days when black markets were more common, some farmers from the countryside would pick them and sell them in the city.

Although these cherries weren't particularly valuable, they still had a market. Kids would buy a bowl to snack on, while adults might use them to make wine. However, since the black markets were mostly shut down, they rarely saw such things anymore.

Liang Meifen was excited: "Quick, let's pick a lot to take back. They're a bit sour, but they're delicious. When I was a kid, having a bowl of wild cherries was a real treat."

Zhuang Zhiyuan suggested, "Let's have some now."

Liang Meifen replied, "We should pick some for the kids."

If she were with her sisters-in-law, she might have kept them for herself, but since her own children were with her, she wouldn't do that.

Zhuang Zhiyuan chuckled, "What are you saying? This whole tree of cherries, surely there's enough for everyone. We can have some now. Let me try one."

He plucked a few and popped them into his mouth, smacking his lips: "Hmm, pretty sour."

"Of course they're sour. If wild cherries weren't sour, they wouldn't be called wild cherries, would they?"

"True enough."

Meanwhile, Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei hadn't had much luck. The couple had walked quite a distance, and Ming Mei commented, "Today's not been very productive. We haven't seen anything."

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "That's normal. We can't expect to have a catch every time."

Ming Mei continued, "But I thought we'd at least see some rabbits. My grandpa told me that rabbits are very prolific. During the toughest years, they were the most common wild game people caught. Sure, they're fast and not easy to catch, but there are so many of them. With fewer people coming up the mountain now, you'd think we'd see some rabbits."

Zhuang Zhixi was also puzzled. Last time they had a great catch, but this time, they had nothing.

Not having anything was different from having something but not catching it.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Who knows what's going on. Let's keep walking and see. Be careful, though. Last time we encountered a big snake."

Ming Mei replied, "You think encountering one is easy? Sure, they're scary, but they're not exactly common."

That was true. Despite being dangerous, they weren't exactly everywhere.

Ming Mei added, "There's another possibility."

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "What?"

Ming Mei said seriously, "I think there might be some kind of fierce animal around here, which is why rabbits and wild chickens aren't coming this way."

This wasn't just her speculating; she had a real suspicion.

Last time they had such a rich catch, but this time, they had nothing, which didn't make sense.

Ming Mei continued, "I think there might really be a more powerful animal around, scaring away the smaller ones."

Suddenly, she said with a shiver, "What if there are tigers, lions, bears, or leopards?"

Zhuang Zhixi's mouth twitched, and he was momentarily speechless.

He had married a naive wife.

Was that even possible?

This was a small mountain near the suburbs.

Suburbs!

Small mountain!

Not Northeast China, not Southwest China.

Tigers, lions, bears, leopards?

Come on, what are you dreaming about?

Such rare animals wouldn't be found here.

This small mountain near the suburbs wasn't the kind of place where such creatures would roam.

Sure, they had been here for a while, but this area was still within the boundaries of the city. Places like this might hide a snake, but a tiger?

The nearby suburban villages would have reported it long ago if there were any.

Zhuang Zhixi's expression was so incredulous that Ming Mei pouted, "What, you don't believe me?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Do you believe it yourself?"

Ming Mei's eyes flickered, and she said, "Why shouldn't I believe it?"

She huffed, "I think..."

"Wait."

Zhuang Zhixi suddenly interrupted.

Ming Mei looked up, "What is it?"

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "Did you hear that rustling sound?"

Ming Mei tilted her head slightly, and Zhuang Zhixi said, "Listen carefully."

Ming Mei remained silent for a moment before softly replying, "I think I hear something."

This wasn't a joke; she genuinely heard a sound. Immediately, Ming Mei thought of her earlier words and whispered, "Don't scare yourself."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Let's find a place to hide first. Something might be wrong."

He still remembered the time they encountered that giant snake. Although they managed to sell it for money, he really didn't want to reminisce about it. The two exchanged glances and quickly found a more suitable hiding spot.

Yes, a position that would make it easier to escape.

"What do you think it is?" Zhuang Zhixi asked his wife in a hushed tone.

Ming Mei suggested, "Maybe I should climb a tree and take a look. I might be able to see something."

Zhuang Zhixi immediately objected, "No, what if a snake is coiled around the tree?"

Ming Mei: "..."

She carefully examined the tree and firmly said, "There's nothing."

This man sure knows how to scare people.

Without hesitation, she started climbing the tree. The trees here were much easier to climb than the ones in the city. Since no one usually came to such high mountains to cut trees, the forest was dense with plenty of branches. Ming Mei found a good foothold and quickly scaled the tree.

Zhuang Zhixi warned, "Be careful."

"I know," Ming Mei replied cheerfully, then placed her hand over her eyes to survey the area, focusing on the direction from which the sound had come.

"Did you see anything?"

Ming Mei replied, "Nothing."

From her high vantage point, her field of vision had widened considerably.

"If there's nothing, we should leave this area. Uncertain situations..."

"Holy crap!" Ming Mei suddenly exclaimed, her voice filled with shock.

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "What happened?"

Ming Mei stammered, "I-I saw... I saw a wild boar!"

No wonder there were no small animals around; they must have all fled to avoid this wild boar.

But do wild boars eat rabbits and pheasants?

She wasn't sure.

Still, it didn't stop Ming Mei from speculating.

She was utterly stunned, muttering, "Why would there be a wild boar in these mountains?"

Zhuang Zhixi quickly asked, "Is it far from here? Get down quickly; we need to leave."

If it was a wild boar, Zhuang Zhixi didn't dare to confront it. Although the venomous snake they had encountered before was dangerous, as long as they didn't get bitten, there was still a chance. But this wild boar was different.

Wild boars were not like domestic pigs. After years of roaming the forest, their hides were incredibly thick.

Even with a kitchen knife, they might not be able to cut through it. The blade could break, but the boar would remain unharmed. Moreover, wild boars had tusks. Zhuang Zhixi was firm: "Get down quickly; we need to leave."

He had no intention of hunting such a formidable beast.

Hunting required absolute dominance over the prey. Without that, he didn't approve of taking such risks.

Ming Mei didn't argue. She said, "Alright, let's hurry back and warn everyone. I think our mother, Zhao Guihua, needs to be more careful when she comes here. This place isn't very safe. I originally thought there was nothing, but now it seems there's quite a bit."

They had already encountered two dangerous animals.

It was strange, though. When Zhao Guihua came alone, she never encountered such beasts. But Ming Mei had only been up the mountain twice, and both times she had run into them. She muttered as she climbed down the tree, "Do I have some unresolved karma with them?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Who knows?"

He helped Ming Mei down and said, "Let's hurry."

Ming Mei reassured him, "Don't worry too much; it's still a bit far from here."

It was fortunate that they had sharp ears; if they had gotten closer before realizing, that would have been dangerous. As it was, there was still a considerable distance, and the trees in between might prevent the boar from reaching them.

Ming Mei sighed, "If only we had a hunting rifle. We could take it down in one shot. That boar looks pretty fat; that's a lot of pork."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "We don't. Don't get any ideas; just follow me."

Ming Mei smiled and followed. She hadn't really intended to take down the boar; she was just venting. But it seemed Zhuang Zhixi took her seriously. Had she been too bold in the past?

She hooked her arm through Zhuang Zhixi's and said, "Let's go back and spread the word, then find another spot to continue..."

"Bang!"

A loud noise echoed, followed by several more: "Bang bang bang."

Not only did the sound come from a distance, but there were also noises from the wild boar.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei froze in their tracks.

Someone was hunting the wild boar!

Ming Mei quickly realized what was happening. "Someone's using a gun," she said without waiting for Zhuang Zhixi to respond. She swiftly climbed the tree again, moving like a nimble monkey.

She immediately looked toward the direction of the boar, as it was obvious the sounds were aimed at it. She quickly climbed up and surveyed the scene. In the distance, she saw a group of teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen years old, surrounding the boar. Two of them were holding guns that made popping sounds, while the others carried long knives, clearly prepared for this hunt.

They were well-equipped.

The wild boar had already collapsed, killed on the spot.

Ming Mei exclaimed, "Wow, someone actually brought a gun up the mountain. I wonder whose mischievous kids these are."

Zhuang Zhixi began climbing the tree as well, though not as agile as Ming Mei. He wasn't entirely useless, but he wasn't as skilled. Still, he was determined to see the situation for himself, rather than relying solely on Ming Mei's reports.

Ming Mei continued to narrate from above.

She said, "They're really excited; they're jumping around. But they don't look like local kids; more like sons of officials from the city."

In this era, one could tell a lot about someone just by their clothes.

Zhuang Zhixi, while climbing, commented, "That makes sense. There are no hunters around here; you'd have to go deep into the mountains for that."

"They're making a stretcher to carry the boar down the mountain. That boar looks huge; they're in for a feast," Ming Mei said with envy, though not out of jealousy. Their family didn't have such advanced weapons. If they had only a kitchen knife, Ming Mei didn't believe they could succeed. It just wasn't realistic. She might be quick, but she wasn't invincible.

Ming Mei sighed, "That's nice."

Zhuang Zhixi consoled her, "We can't envy them. They have the tools to take down a wild boar. We're unarmed; do you expect us to punch it? We can't win. Honey, you're already very capable. Let's not dream about that big boar. Instead, we should focus on finding rabbits or pheasants. They still need our care."

Ming Mei nodded, "That makes sense. Hmm?"

She let out a questioning sound and said, "They're cutting off the pig's tail and trotters and throwing them away. What wasteful kids! That's meat; how can they just throw it away?"

She was heartbroken, as if it were her own pig.

Zhuang Zhixi was also surprised and asked, "Cutting them off?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ming Mei confirmed, "Yes, they're still cutting them. I can see it. Oh, they've re-tied the pig and are moving it. But earlier, one of the boys wanted to cut off the pig's head, but the others stopped him."

Zhuang Zhixi was puzzled and muttered, "Why would they do that?"

He finally managed to climb high enough to share Ming Mei's view. Upon seeing the group of teenagers, he chuckled and understood their reasoning. He said, "They're cutting those parts off to lighten the load as they carry the boar down the mountain."

He paused and added, "I guess they considered cutting off the head too, but they probably wanted to keep it as proof of their success in hunting a wild boar."

Zhuang Zhixi felt that his guess was probably right. These young boys didn't look like grown men at all; at first glance, they seemed to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. It was a tough situation for them to be staring down a massive wild boar weighing over 200 pounds as it came down the mountain. Even with a group, they would have a hard time handling it.

Admittedly, they were quite clever to cut some corners.

Instead of struggling for a long time, stumbling and barely managing to get the boar down the mountain, it was undoubtedly better to do it this way. If they could let go of the less meaty pig's head, it would be even better, but it was clear they weren't willing to part with it. So, they had to settle for discarding the tail and trotters.

Poor pig's tail, so tiny, what weight could it possibly add? It's like picking on the tail.

But then again, these fourteen or fifteen-year-old boys, even twenty-something adults like them didn't really understand either.

Zhuang Zhixi: "What a waste! Pig trotters are so delicious. Boiled and dipped in soy sauce, they're amazing; roasted until slightly crispy and sprinkled with chili powder, they're also fantastic. If you cut them into pieces and stew them with radish, the flavor is out of this world. Let me tell you, if we had pig trotters at home, we could make…"

Ah, can't keep talking, the more I talk, the hungrier I get.

Slurp!

Seriously, the more I think about it, the more delicious it seems.

He was already starting to drool.

Ming Mei whispered: "When my sister-in-law was nursing her baby, she used pig trotters. Stewed with soybeans, simmered over high heat, then low… Mmm, so delicious! Even the soybeans inside had a delicious meaty flavor, with a hint of the unique aroma of beans. It's not at all inferior to the meat."

The two gluttons exchanged a glance, and suddenly, Ming Mei said, "Let's go pick up the scraps."

Zhuang Zhixi spoke at the same time: "Let's go pick up the scraps."

The two of them, almost in unison, really were a couple with a mutual understanding.

They both burst out laughing simultaneously. Ming Mei playfully scolded, "I didn't expect you to think the same as me. So, shall we go now? They've thrown away the stuff, which means they don't want it anymore. We can pick it up and it won't go to waste."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Resources are quite tight right now. Since we've seen it, we can't be the ones wasting pig trotters. We have to cherish every grain of food and every piece of meat."

The two of them spoke so earnestly, but really, they were just hungry.

They both swallowed hard. Ming Mei urged, "Quick, quick, let's get down. Otherwise, if other animals take it, we'll have run all this way for nothing."

"Okay."

Despite Zhuang Zhixi's slow climb up the tree, the mention of food made him surprisingly agile. He slid down smoothly, plopped onto the ground, didn't even feel the pain, and quickly got up, brushing off the grass from his clothes. "Let's go, do you know the way?"

He wasn't as good at finding his way as Ming Mei.

Ming Mei proudly nodded. Was this not knowing the way typical of Ming Mei, who came from a family of drivers?

Of course not!

She waved her hand confidently, exuding a sense of boldness. "Follow me!"

The two of them didn't care about anything else and hurried toward the good stuff. These were items that couldn't even be bought at the grocery store. If they missed out, they'd be the biggest fools under the heavens.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei held hands, like a couple of mountain rangers, dashing forward without fear of fatigue or hardship.

Pig trotters, here I come!

Pig's tail, I'm coming!

Charge!