Zhao Wendong wasn’t sure how to phrase it. After a moment of thought, he just came out and asked.
"So, did you two take your clothes off?"
"We... we did."
"And then what happened?"
Zhao Wenwu blushed. But it was his third brother asking, and he didn’t want to refuse, so he answered in a low voice.
"First I helped her scrub... her back. Then she... she helped scrub mine, too."
"And then?"
"And then... then she helped me... helped me get dressed..."
Zhao Wendong slapped his thigh. "Hah!"
’So they just helped each other get undressed and dressed, making it sound like they’d already slept together.’ ’While a bit disappointing, it’s still good.’ ’In this day and age, for an unmarried man and woman to be that open with each other, it means his second brother’s bride is a sure thing.’
"Second Brother, do you think she’s serious about you?"
Zhao Wenwu paused, glanced at the other three in the distance, then said in a low voice.
"Yes. She’s a good person!"
Zhao Wendong nodded. ’His second brother might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has this innate, keen intuition—a sixth sense that’s almost supernatural.’ This had been proven true countless times since they were kids. Hearing his brother say that put Zhao Wendong’s mind at ease. He was just opening his mouth to speak again when—
Suddenly, General, who was leading the way, froze. His floppy ears shot straight up, his nose twitched rapidly, and a low whine rumbled in his throat. Zhen Shan and Zhui Feng instantly tensed, flanking General and staring intently at a stretch of woods ahead.
"Something’s up!"
Seeing their reaction, Zhao Wendong’s heart tightened. He quickly whispered a warning to the others, then crouched, rifle in hand, and crept forward, following the three dogs’ gaze toward the woods.
The others fell silent and raised their rifles. Zhao Wenwu’s shoulder was injured, so he had given his rifle to Jin Xiuying. The handguns from the two dead men had been buried with them; Zhao Ergou had even gathered as many of the spent casings as he could find to bury alongside.
"OINK OINK OINK!"
A few dozen meters ahead in the woods, several dark shapes were moving. Zhao Wendong held his breath and squinted, studying them. A sounder of wild boars. There were six in total. The leader was a massive boar with its hackles raised, its two curved tusks gleaming coldly in the reflection off the snow. It was a whole size bigger than the one they’d found dead after it ran into something.
Trailing it were two sows and three half-grown piglets, rooting under the snow for tree roots. Zhao Wendong’s heart began to race. He tightened his grip on the Type 38 rifle in his hands and commanded the others behind him.
"Wait for my signal, then fire together at the biggest one!"
They didn’t have any heavy firepower; there was no way to take down the whole sounder at once. The moment the shooting started, the boars would scatter. Their only choice was to kill the most valuable one. Besides, male boars were the most ferocious. An enraged one would be incredibly dangerous. ’Capture the thief by capturing the king; hunt the pigs by killing the boar.’
Four people, four rifles. They each found a comfortable shooting position, raised their weapons, and aimed, waiting for Zhao Wendong’s command. Zhao Wendong pushed down gently on the three dogs’ heads, signaling them to be patient. He then took a deep breath and aimed for the big boar’s flank. That was its soft underbelly; a direct hit could pierce the heart.
The sun was already starting to set, casting dappled shadows across the snow as its light filtered through the tree branches. Through Zhao Wendong’s sights, the massive boar occasionally paused to lift its head and look around, snorting softly. Zhao Wendong held his breath, his finger slowly squeezing the trigger.
"Fire!"
The instant he yelled the command, Zhao Wendong pulled the trigger. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Four shots rang out in quick succession, sending four bullets screaming toward the boar.
"RRREEEEE!"
The boar let out a piercing squeal. Its body convulsed as two bloody holes opened up in its side, blood instantly gushing out and staining the white snow crimson. It didn’t fall. Instead, enraged, it staggered around and charged straight for Zhao Wendong and the others.
Zhao Wendong and the others worked the bolts on their rifles and aimed again. This volley wasn’t as coordinated. Zhao Wendong fired first, followed by Jin Xiuying, then Zhao Wenjun, and finally Zhao Ergou. As the shots echoed, the two sows led the three piglets in a frantic retreat. In a flash, the Gouzis were off, BARKING as they tore after the fleeing sounder.
The boar’s bloodshot eyes were locked on them as it squealed and charged. A tusk grazed a nearby sapling, snapping it in two. Calmly, Zhao Wendong worked the bolt and fired again. More bloody holes appeared on the massive beast. Its charge slowed, and finally, its legs gave out. It collapsed with a THUD less than two meters away from Zhao Wendong. The rise and fall of its belly grew shallower, its pained cries fading to whimpers.
"Nice shooting, Second Sister-in-law! You two watch this one. Eldest Brother, Er Gou, with me!"
Zhao Wendong had seen it clearly. Jin Xiuying was definitely trained; her shots were fast and accurate. Most of the fatal wounds on the boar had come from his rifle and hers. Those first two shots to the gut were theirs as well. After the quick compliment, he left her and his second brother to watch the boar. Worried the Gouzis might get hurt, Zhao Wendong took off with Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Ergou in hot pursuit.
The fleeing sounder hadn’t gone far. General was a natural-born alpha, a canine genius. He and his brothers weren’t trying to kill the pigs, just harry their flanks and force them to run in circles until their master arrived.
When Zhao Wendong and the other two caught up, this was the scene that greeted them. Zhao Wendong yelled out a warning.
"Be careful! Take a shot if you have a clear one, but don’t let them charge you!"
With that, he raised his rifle, aimed at one of the sows, and fired.
BANG!
The bullet slammed into the sow, sending a spray of blood into the air. The sow squealed in pain and took off in a frenzy. General charged forward to block it, but seeing the pig wasn’t slowing down, he dodged nimbly out of the way before leading the other two Gouzis in pursuit. Zhao Wendong quickly followed, rifle in hand.
The three dogs shot after the frenzied sow like arrows from a bow. After a mile or two, the sow’s injuries began to tell, and it started to slow down. Seizing the opportunity, Zhen Shan leaped onto the sow’s neck, sinking its teeth into the soft flesh and holding on for dear life. General and Zhui Feng latched onto the sow’s hind legs, their jaws locking tight.
The sow shrieked in agony, thrashing wildly to slash at the pesky hounds with its tusks. The three Gouzis moved with its frantic bucking, skillfully avoiding its attacks.
Zhao Wendong sprinted to catch up. Without hesitation, he fired three quick shots into the sow, ceasing fire only when it finally collapsed and lay still. ’The Gouzis don’t have the same stamina as a boar,’ he thought. ’I had to end it before they wore themselves out. Otherwise, they could get exhausted and become casualties.’
This sow was a big one, too—at least two hundred catties. After bleeding it, Zhao Wendong had to tie a rope around it and start the slow drag back. Halfway there, he ran into Zhao Wenjun coming to help. Together, the two of them managed to carry the boar back. When everyone was gathered again, they all beamed with satisfaction at the sight of their haul: two large boars and one small one.
The small one was a piglet that Zhao Ergou and Zhao Wenjun had brought down, weighing around fifty or sixty catties. The sow Zhao Wendong and the three dogs had killed was over two hundred catties. And the big boar from the initial volley was at least three hundred and fifty catties. All told, it was a harvest of over six hundred catties!
This haul was enough to see a family of four through the winter. How could they not be ecstatic? Zhao Ergou was trembling with excitement. With this much food, he no longer had to worry about his family starving. Just a few days ago, he had been filled with despair, never imagining such a complete turnaround.
Jin Xiuying was happy for them, too. A good harvest was always a joyous occasion. She already saw herself as part of this big family. Her brothers-in-law were all so good to her; ’their parents must be wonderful people as well,’ she thought.
Her gaze swept over the four men before finally resting on Zhao Wendong. Zhao Wenwu’s younger brother was the clear leader of this group. There was something special about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.