By the time the five members of the Xia family arrived at the village square, it was already full of people.
It's called a square, but it's actually a place for the elderly to cool off. There's a big tree there, and there's a slope underneath. Whenever there's an important event or activity in the village, the village chief will stand on it and speak to everyone.
The last time the village chief spoke here, the government office was still collecting taxes.
"Hey, old lady, why did the village chief call us here?"
"I don't know either. I don't know what to do when it's not a festival."
"Isn't it going to be another tax increase? There haven't been any tax increases in years. I hope not..."
"Pfft, pfft, don't talk nonsense, it might be something good."
"Has anything good happened to our village in these years?"
…
Xia Manni and the four children stood in the crowd, listening to the villagers' discussion. It seemed that no one knew what was going on.
However, Xia Manni observed the expression of the village chief above, and she felt that it was definitely not a good thing. It might also be related to the wild boar footprints that she had mentioned to the village chief a few days ago.
"Quiet, quiet." Seeing that most people had arrived, the village chief first struck the gong and drum and then shouted.
"My fellow villagers, I have called you all here today because I have something urgent to tell you."
"Something urgent?"
"What happened, village chief?"
"Don't ask for more taxes! We have no food left."
“That’s right…”
The village chief just said this and the crowd below was already in an uproar.
"I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you arguing? Stop talking and listen to me. This matter concerns the life and safety of each and every one of us. It cannot be compared with taxes." The village chief's face was full of worry when he said this.
"Village chief, please stop keeping me in suspense and tell me now."
"That's right, what could be more deadly than taxes? Village chief, stop joking."
"I'm wondering what's wrong with you guys. All you do is complain. Stop talking and let the village chief speak."
Xia Manni glanced at the person who spoke last, and it turned out that it was not "Li".
As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the audience fell silent.
"A few days ago, someone found wild boar footprints on our mountain. I had already arranged for people to check for any traces of the wild boar. But before I could get any news, I heard that someone had been injured by a wild boar."
As soon as the village chief finished speaking, the villagers below were in an uproar.
"Is what the village chief said true? We haven't seen wild boars here for some years."
"Wild boar? Is the wild boar going down the mountain?"
"Wild boars are beasts more powerful than tigers."
"No wonder I saw people coming in and out of the Sun family a few days ago saying someone was injured."
"Oh my God, how can we live like this?"
There was a chorus of discussion, wailing, and cursing from below. When everyone had finished speaking, the village chief at the top finally began to speak.
"I think everyone knows that if someone sees a wild boar, it means it's about to come down the mountain. Once it does, it will directly cause trouble to our Shizai Village, followed by other villages. Although I have also consulted with the village chiefs of other villages, no one is willing to wade into this muddy water."
There was another round of cursing from the next door village as inhuman, and the village chief raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.
Xia Manni was listening below and felt that the village chief was really a master at controlling the atmosphere. To put it bluntly, this matter was about organizing a group to hunt wild boars.
"Some people have already been injured, and if we don't find a solution, more people will be attacked by wild boars."
"Village chief, tell me what we should do? If all the men in our village, young and old, come together, I don't believe we can't kill that beast."
"That's right. We have no one to be afraid of in Shizai Village."
Xia Manni looked at the strong men who were set on fire one by one and said nothing. After all, they had never seen how big the wild boar's footprints were.
"Alright, that's what I want from you gentlemen. I declare that our village will immediately form a team to capture those wild boars, and we're calling for volunteers now. I'm also saying that anyone who participates in the roundup will get a share of the pork, and anyone who doesn't contribute is not allowed to gossip or cause trouble."
"Okay, I'll sign up."
"I'll sign up too."
…
At the end of the meeting, the village chief asked a teacher in the village who could write to register, and the registration office was set up under the old tree.
Xia Manni asked the second child to take the third child and the fourth child home first, while she took the eldest child to register.
There weren't many people queuing up to register; you could see the end at a glance. However, Xia Manni counted about fifteen people, and among them, she was the only woman.
"Oh, I'm telling you, it's not possible without a man. For that piece of pork, I have to fight hard and follow the men to hunt wild boars." Cui Yanzi has been feeling aggrieved ever since Xia Manni pushed her last time. She was about to go home when she saw Xia Manni queuing up at the place where people were signing up for wild boar hunting.
"Something is buzzing." Xia Manni said while waving her hand.
"Ouch, you dare to hit me." Cui Yanzi didn't expect that with so many people watching, Xia Manni would dare to attack her.
Xia Manni stopped Cui Yanzi from resisting and said, "Don't make trouble. I'm just chasing away mosquitoes. From now on, don't call me Cui Yanzi. Just call me Mosquito."
"Hahahaha." The crowd burst into laughter, and Cui Yanzi's face turned red with anger.
"The one at the back is still taking pictures but doesn't want to line up. If you don't want to line up, don't make trouble here." The teacher in front saw the argument between Xia Manni and Cui Yanzi. He didn't want to help anyone, he just wanted to finish writing quickly and go home.
"I'm coming, I'm coming right away." Xia Manni let go of Cui Yanzi's hand and took Da Wa to register.
"Bah, you are a woman and you have the nerve to do that? You are so shameless... Ouch... Who is it..." Cui Yanzi was just feeling relieved when someone patted her on the back.
"Your aunt, get out of the way." The person who came was Zhang Cuiling, the famous shrew in the village.
Zhang Cuiling has a delicate name but she is a bit burly. She married twice and both husbands died. Finally, she returned to Shizai Village with her two children. Her family members were gone, leaving Zhang Cuiling and her two children to depend on each other.
Everyone in the village said that she was unlucky and they didn't want to get close to her because they thought she was unlucky.
She is happy and comfortable with herself, and generally rarely communicates with others.
After all, she felt a headache when she saw those weak men and troublesome women. If there was no meat to eat from hunting wild boars, she would have gone home to chop wood long ago.
"Zhang Cuiling, don't bully me. I didn't provoke you." Cui Yanzi complained while rubbing her arm.
"I want to register. You are blocking my way. Go away." Zhang Cuiling would not listen to Cui Yanzi. It was unnecessary for the woman named Xia Manni to talk to her so much.
"Sister Cuiling, you are here too." Xia Manni greeted Zhang Cuiling warmly with a smile.
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