Chapter 20 Wild Boar Zhou Ye hunted a wild boar from the mountains
"Second Uncle Lin!"
"Second Uncle Lin!"
Several boys from the village came running over happily, telling the news one after another.
"Uncle Lin, Zhou Ye came back from the mountains hunting a lot of game: a rabbit, two pheasants, and a big wild boar!"
"That wild boar was so well-fed and shiny, it weighed at least three hundred kilograms!"
"It's more than 300 kilograms. My father said that wild boar weighed 400 kilograms!"
Tianshui Village is poor, and people only slaughter pigs and eat meat during festivals. There are only a few households in the village that raise pigs. Some families have too many people to feed themselves, while others share the leftovers with other villagers. They don't necessarily have to pay for the meat, they can use grain or other things to exchange for it.
Zhou Ye carried such a big wild boar back. The wild boar was breathing more than breathing in, and could only last for a day or two at most. The meat would definitely be shared among everyone, and these greedy guys were all very happy.
Lin Dashan and He Guixiang were dumbfounded after hearing this. They thought that Zhou Ye had an accident in the mountains, but they didn't expect that not only was he fine, but he also came back carrying a wild boar?
"Sister, we have pork to eat!" Lin Xiaopu shouted with joy.
Lin Shu's eyes lit up when she heard this.
Pork! She's starving!
Zhou Ye was carrying a huge and strong black-brown wild boar on his shoulder, a sack of mushrooms on his arm, and a wild rabbit and two pheasants around his waist. As soon as he reached the village entrance, he was surrounded by enthusiastic villagers who wanted to help carry the wild boar.
Zhou Ye carried the wild boar weighing over 400 kilograms with ease. Moreover, he had just eaten a fat roasted rabbit in the mountains at noon. He was half full and had more strength. However, he did not refuse the enthusiasm of the villagers. He unloaded the wild boar and asked several villagers to help carry it back to his uncle Lin's house at the end of the village.
Someone on the road couldn't wait to ask, "Aye boy, can you give me two pounds of wild boar meat? I'll trade it with you for food!"
Those who wanted to exchange their meat also asked about it.
Zhou Ye replied calmly, "My dear uncles and aunts, I will kill the wild boar tomorrow morning. It's a big boar, so we'll keep half for ourselves. You can divide up the rest of the pork as you see fit. You can trade it for rice, coarse flour, beans, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, pots and pans as well."
"Is firewood ready?" a man asked.
Zhou Ye politely declined, "Uncle, please forgive me, I have too much firewood at home, so I won't collect it for now."
Some villagers laughed at the man, "With Zhou Ye here, he's strong enough to even hunt wild boars. Why would he need anyone else to do the work of chopping wood and fetching water?"
Another woman continued, "From now on, any girl who marries Zhou Ye will be marrying into a blessed home, where she will enjoy endless happiness for the rest of her life."
The aunt who said this was immediately poked by the man next to her, "What nonsense are you talking about, woman? Isn't the daughter of Lin Laoer's family back? Zhou Ye will definitely marry her."
The aunt was refuted by her husband and immediately spat at him, muttering under her breath, "You know shit! That girl is so beautiful, with a face whiter than snow, smoother than eggs, and speaks so softly, how can she look down on us country farmers? We think Zhou Ye is good, but that girl grew up in the capital and has seen all kinds of good things. Let's wait and see, in the future that girl will definitely marry into the town or even the county..."
Zhou Ye walked away and the rest of the words could not be heard clearly.
He looked calm and didn't seem affected at all.
He also felt that he was a rough man, and that such a delicate girl would definitely look down on a rough farm boy like him, so he had never considered it from the beginning. Besides, he had no intention of getting married, and Lin Yao's departure two years ago was exactly what he wanted. However, Uncle Lin and Aunt He had done him great favors, which he always remembered and was willing to serve them for the rest of his life. He would treat the delicate girl from the capital like Xiao Pu, treating her like a younger sister. As long as she didn't act like a troublemaker, he would try his best to meet her requests.
The wild boar was carried back to the end of the village with the help of enthusiastic villagers. Lin Dashan and He Guixiang were already waiting at the door.
What a big wild boar!
Lin Dashan was shocked and delighted when he saw the wild boar that required five or six strong men to lift.
The wild boars in the mountains can kill people, so villagers usually avoid them when they see them. But who would have thought that Aye actually went to the mountains to hunt such a big wild boar!
Several villagers carried the wild boar into the yard and agreed to come and help kill the boar early the next morning before returning.
After the others left, Lin Dashan and He Guixiang hurriedly asked Zhou Ye about what happened in the mountain, while Lin Xiaopu and Lin Shu surrounded the wild boar to watch it curiously.
This wild boar was very different from a domestic pig. It had a large head, a thick neck, a thin tail, and a row of stiff needle hairs on its back, making it look ferocious. Not to mention its open mouth, revealing its thick, curved tusks.
The huge wild boar fell to the ground like a small hill, no longer able to struggle, but its belly was still rising and falling, indicating that it was still alive.
Lin Shu looked for a long time but could not find any injuries, only the marks of being hit by a heavy object on the abdomen. She could not help but glance at Zhou Ye.
I’m afraid this guy is too strong and has shattered the wild boar’s internal organs?
Lin Xiaopu: "Sister, it's so big!"
Lin Shu: "That's right! This is the first time I've seen such a fat wild boar. How did it manage to get so fat? It's almost as fat as a domestic pig."
In addition to the wild boar, Zhou Ye also brought back a wild rabbit and two pheasants. He kept one of the pheasants for himself, and took the remaining pheasants and rabbits to the town to sell together with the wild boar meat that would be freshly slaughtered tomorrow.
The empty sack that Zhou Ye brought with him was also full, so he quickly opened the mouth of the sack to prevent the things inside from getting suffocated.
Lin Shu leaned over to take a look, and wow, it really was mushrooms, a sack full of fresh wild mushrooms!
"Uncle, aunt, we need to get these mushrooms out quickly. While the weather is good these days, we can dry them so I can take them to town to sell."
"Okay, okay!" He Guixiang responded while quickly taking out the bamboo mat from home.
Shiitake mushrooms cannot be stored for a long time, so they need to be dried and stored quickly, otherwise they will go bad.
While they were busy spreading the mushrooms on the bamboo mat, Lin Shu's eyes rolled around and she asked Zhou Ye, "Brother Ye, you've been busy for so long, haven't you had dinner yet? There's some rice in the pot, I'll heat it up for you. Xiao Pu and I also caught a lot of fish today, so we won't keep it overnight. We'll kill it all and serve it to you! I cook fish quickly, so you won't have to wait too long."
When Zhou Ye looked up, he met Lin Shu's smiling face. Her curved eyes were like crescent moons, so dark and bright that they could reflect his figure.
His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he replied, "You take a rest. I'll light a fire and heat up the food."
How could a lady from a noble family like a marquis know how to do such rough work as making a fire and cooking?
"It was agreed that I would be the chef, and Brother Aye could help me."
He Guixiang smiled and said, "Let her be. Ah Shu caught a lot of fish today and said she would cook it for you."
Lin Shu had already gone to the kitchen and scooped up a full bucket of water. "Brother Aye, come here, I'll rinse you, you wash your hands."
Zhou Ye glanced at her, walked straight towards her, and stretched out a pair of rough big hands, with black mud that had not been cleaned clean in the crevices of his nails.
He looked at Lin Shu inconspicuously, but saw that Lin Shu poured the water out slowly without changing her expression, and there was no trace of disgust in her eyes.
"Brother Aye, just wash it casually first, and then wash it carefully again before eating."
Afterwards, Zhou Ye was ordered by Lin Shu to kill the fish, scrape the scales, and remove the internal organs.
There were seventeen fish. Apart from the one given to Lin Yushu and the three eaten by the family, there were thirteen left, and they were all processed.
Zhou Ye couldn't hide his surprise, "You caught all these fish?"
"Of course not." Lin Shu moved closer to him and said in a soft voice, "Brother Aye won't be hungry anymore. I will definitely find a way to feed you well every day!"
The faint fragrance of a woman brought by the sudden approach made Zhou Ye feel a little uncomfortable, and he subconsciously turned his head away.
Thinking about the meaning of these words, he quickly looked at Lin Xiaopu, and met Lin Xiaopu's guilty gaze, but soon the little girl stuck out her tongue at him fearlessly.
She secretly told her elder sister that it was also for her brother A Ye's own good, so why should she feel guilty? She didn't feel guilty at all.
Zhou Ye looked helpless. Xiao Pu had helped him keep the secret for so long, so why did he tell her everything when this person came?
After all the fish are cleaned, the fish meat is sliced, the fish bones are cut off, and the fish heads are split in half.
Lin Shu asked Zhou Ye to finish the physical work, and she took over the rest.
Marinate the fish with salt for a while. Pour a little oil into the pan and fry the fish head and tail until fragrant. Grab two handfuls of pickled cabbage from my mother's pickled cabbage jar, chop them into sections, and stir-fry them in the pan. Add water and the fish bones. Once the fish broth reaches a milky white, remove the ingredients and place them on a plate. There's so much, it fills three large plates.
Once only the fish broth remains, add the previously cut fish fillets. Once cooked, remove them and place them in a large earthenware pot. Pour the fragrant broth over them and sprinkle with a handful of wild onions. Chop the garlic and wild onions and stir-fry them with the hot pepper grass. Pour the sauce over them.
A large earthenware pot of pickled fish was served directly on the table.
The pickled fish prepared by Lin Shu was much more delicious than the one He Guixiang made for breakfast. When Lin Dashan and He Guixiang smelled the aroma, they were tempted again even though they had just had dinner.
The two looked at the table full of fish and were shocked.
Ah Shu really killed all the fish?
However, thinking that these fish were caught by their daughter, the two of them didn't say anything. They just put the leftover fish in spring water and kept them there overnight so they wouldn't go bad. They could eat them for breakfast tomorrow.
Just as they were thinking this, they heard their daughter yelling to Zhou Ye, "Brother Ye, come quickly. All these fish are for you to eat!"
Lin Shu had specially prepared dry rice for dinner tonight. She poured two large bowls of heated brown rice and prepared chopsticks. Besides the fish, Zhou Ye had brought back a bunch of wild mushrooms mixed in with the shiitake mushrooms. Lin Shu picked some out and stir-fried them as a side dish.
Zhou Ye looked at the table full of fish and meat and felt quite flattered.
Lin Shu sat opposite her, holding her face and looking at him, smiling and urging him, "Eat quickly." Only after eating can you work better.
Zhou Ye, who had only eaten half of a wild rabbit at noon, was now hungry. He didn't care what the man in front of him was planning. He picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started eating.
"Brother Aye, you are not allowed to leave any leftovers. You must finish everything."
Zhou Ye thought that she knew everything anyway, and with her staring at him like that, he ate the entire earthenware pot of pickled fish along with several plates of fish heads and bones in a daze. Not a drop of the fish soup in the earthenware basin was left as it all went into his stomach.
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