After breakfast, before Jiang Zhi could even chat with Xiao Man, Xiao Man, who had gone out for a run that morning, came running back in a panic and excitement: "Grandpa, Aunt Jiang, the wild boars are back! They've ruined our wheat field!"
The wild boars came again, and they devoured a large patch of wheat that had grown to an inch tall, leaving pig footprints all over the field.
Following the trail, Jiang Zhi and her group chased the trail all the way to the mountain pass.
The water in the ditch has dried up, and the wild grass under the cliff has withered.
Six months later, the wild boars from the other side of the mountain did not go through the ditch, but instead crossed the slope and came through the grass.
Wild boars have excellent memories; they know where there is food, and once they muster their courage to cross the mountain pass, they head straight for this slope.
Moreover, after eating the wheat seedlings, they immediately ran over the mountain.
what to do?
The two families gathered together again, and without saying a word, everyone looked at Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi also knew that the problem was serious.
Six months ago, when wild boars were damaging the corn and sorghum, I used medicine to take down two large wild boars.
Later, I found three more plants of "Antiaris toxicaria" (also known as "blood-sealing throat"), but I couldn't bear to dig them up and decided to keep them as seedlings.
But after the refugees ventured into the mountains, Jiang Zhi dug up another tree and made more than a dozen javelins just in case, which are now kept in the medicine shop.
The problem is that the last time we successfully ambushed the wild boars with a trap, we had the advantage of timing and location. We injured the wild boars with a wooden fence in a narrow ditch, which allowed us to successfully inject the poison into their bodies.
Now that wild boars are elusive and traps cannot be set on the slopes, it is much more difficult to send people to fight them head-on.
Although Xiaoman was also worried, he was much calmer than before: "If we can't find the wild boar, we'll just use the old method to guard it. If we go a few more times, we'll find out where it came from, and then we'll figure out how to set a trap."
Now, we should hurry up and replant the wheat. Although it's more than half a month late, it's not a big problem.
Jiang Zhi also said, "Yes, we should replant seedlings first. We need to chase away wild boars at night during this period."
That's how troublesome it is to grow crops in the mountains. Basically, wild animals eat about a third of it, nature harvests about a third, and the rest is left for humans.
The solution hasn't been decided yet; you'll find out when Dejin and the others come for dinner.
"Grandpa, Aunt Jiang, why don't you kill those wild boars first?"
They knew that the meat soup they had been eating recently consisted of wild pheasant and pork, and that the quantity was running low. Now that they had discovered wild boar, it was a good opportunity to replenish their supplies.
But Jiang Zhi and Xiaoman only talked about replanting seedlings, without mentioning killing wild boars.
Upon hearing Xiang Dejin's question, Xiaomanye replied, "Those wild boars are difficult to kill."
I saw the size of the wild boar herd in the summer. Now the little wild boars that were once part of the pork belly group have grown up. Everyone knows that it will be very difficult to hunt them again, and we can't take the risk.
Xiang Dejin said, "You didn't have enough manpower before, but now that we brothers are here, it's a good opportunity to hunt wild boars and get some exercise."
They spent more than half a month recuperating on the mountain, and their bodies were almost fully healed. Although they exercised every day, they still wanted to see if they could return to camp.
Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and decided that she couldn't reveal her javelins for the time being; everyone needs to have some trump cards up their sleeve.
Now that Xiang Dejin and his group are here, even if they can't kill the wild boar herd, they can at least find the wild boars and see what's going on on the other side of the mountain.
She lived on the mountain for more than half a year, and she never once thought about crossing the pass.
"Then let's try to find out where wild boars usually sleep!" Jiang Zhi said.
Wild boars have their own territory and cannot be approached easily. First, you need to find traces of activity on the periphery to confirm their whereabouts.
The sooner the better.
Xiang Dejin and his three companions immediately became excited and prepared the weapons they were comfortable with.
Li Laoshi volunteered to stay and guard the house. Jiang Zhi did not expose his cowardice, but only told Qiaoyun and Chunfeng to be careful. If he made any dishonest moves, they should take out their javelins and kill him.
So, while the four of them, including Xiang Dejin, took their machetes and sticks, Jiang Zhi, Xu Errui, Xiaoman, and Peiqi, the seven of them and the pig, set off.
Bringing the baby wild boar was out of necessity; after all, the trip was to hunt wild boars, and bringing along someone of the same kind felt rather inexplicable.
But ever since the last time the refugees tied Peppa up when they broke into the mountains, it got really angry and couldn't move the rope anymore.
After that, I would immediately tense up whenever I saw a rope and stay far away.
If you secretly take a rope and put it around Peppa's neck, it's like hitting her Achilles' heel.
It immediately started jumping and running wildly, its strength was astonishing, and even two adult men could not control it. It didn't stop until it had caused chaos and turmoil.
This was the result of Jiang Zhi taking action; if it had been anyone else, it would have been bloody. Xu Errui, not believing in such things, tried it once and was almost knocked off the cliff by the fierce little wild boar.
Chasing it away is even more impossible; humans can't run as fast as it, and its thick skin allows it to squeeze through any kind of grass or bush. If a human tries to go around it, it will go in a straight line. They're simply not in the same league.
They couldn't chase it away or tie it up, so they had to take it with them. Now the little wild boar stays close to Jiang Zhi and doesn't run around, which is quite well-behaved.
The last time we ambushed the wild boar was in the ditch, after the wild boar had already crossed the mountain pass.
The low mountain pass was right in front of them, but it still took them half an hour to walk along the slope at the edge of the ditch.
Looking down from the thick tree trunk, one sees layered mountain peaks and lush green trees, with no rocks or soil in sight.
Compared to the old Yunya area where people burn charcoal year-round, the mountain pass is practically a primeval forest.
The little wild boar kept rubbing itself against the tree trunk, trying to scratch its itch.
Jiang Zhi suspected that its movement wasn't actually itchy, but rather a marking.
After all, wild boars that are groomed and kept clean every day are unlikely to get itchy after just one step.
Moreover, Peppa followed the rules along the way, but she inadvertently walked through some bushes where there were many patches of ground turned upside down by wild boars.
Xiaoman looked down at the oak forest and chuckled, "No wonder it can support so many wild boars; the fruit here is enough for them to eat."
He had barely finished speaking when a squirrel hopped over his head.
Xiang Dejin and Xiaoman had actually been here before, but they hadn't gone down the mountain into the valley.
Once you reach the mountain pass, you need to find a route down. Walking through the thick and thin weeds is very dangerous; one wrong step could send you tumbling down the mountain.
This time, the little wild boar grunted and walked ahead, with Jiang Zhi following closely behind.
Following the path Peppa Pig took, the once ordinary bushes and grasses immediately revealed traces left by many animals.
Broken grass stems, turned-up soil, and torn tree bark—these are all signs of a herd of wild boars passing by.
"Aunt Jiang, there are fresh footprints here! And water!"
Follow the slope all the way to the depression on the hillside, where the vegetation is most lush.
Xiaoman suddenly pointed to a depression in the ground.
When everyone looked over, they saw that it was indeed a spring and a mud pond.
Xiang Dejin and his three companions were very familiar with this scene; the little wild boar had made a mud pit right next to their hut.
Wild boars have a fixed territories: one place for eating, one place for sleeping, and another place specifically for defecating, urinating, and playing.
The mud pit is located on the outermost edge of their territory.
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