"They're all sold out, these are all that's left. If you don't mind, you can take them."
Xu Jianguo and Xu Jianjun's faces instantly turned a deep shade of liver! They were being told to use this pig feed?
But... looking at that pile of vegetable leaves, and then thinking about the empty rice jar...
"I'll take it!" Xu Jianjun's eyes reddened, and he didn't care about saving face. He rushed forward and started rummaging through the tattered basket he had brought.
Xu Jianguo was stunned for a moment, then realized that he was lucky to have anything to eat! He quickly rushed forward to grab some.
Hey! Don't take it all! Leave some for me!
"I saw it first!"
The two brothers almost got into a fight over a pile of rotten vegetable leaves.
"Hahaha!"
"Look! They're grabbing vegetable leaves!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, how embarrassing!"
The villagers burst into laughter at the comical scene, their laughter filled with contempt and schadenfreude.
After the farce, people gradually dispersed.
Xu Kuo had Niu Erbao and the others pack up their things, while he himself, with the money he had set aside as capital, walked slowly home with his hands behind his back.
Niu Erbao and the others, carrying heavy bags of banknotes, ran home excitedly, eager to tell their families this incredible news! Following Xu Kuo really could make them a fortune!
Xu Jianguo and Xu Jianjun, each carrying half a basket of rotten vegetable leaves, returned home in a sorry state amidst the villagers' disdainful gazes and whispers.
"You bastard! This is all you brought back?!" As soon as she entered the door, Xu Jianguo's wife pointed at the rotten vegetable leaves in the basket and shrieked, "Even pigs wouldn't eat this stuff! You might as well not have come back at all!"
Xu Jianjun's family experienced a similar situation, with his wife giving him a severe scolding.
The two brothers had been suffering all day, and now their wives were pointing fingers at them and scolding them. The resentment, jealousy, and anger in their hearts were building up like a volcano.
As night fell, Xu Jianguo secretly found Xu Jianjun.
"Brother, we can't just let this go!" Xu Jianjun's eyes flashed with a sinister light as he lowered his voice.
Xu Jianguo's face was ashen. He nodded heavily, gritting his teeth, "That brat Xu Kuo must have hidden even more vegetables at home! He made so much money today... Why does he get all the good stuff!"
“That’s right!” A fierce glint flashed in Xu Jianjun’s eyes. “He won’t give it to us, will he? Then we’ll go and ‘take’ it ourselves! Tonight… we’ll go to his house!”
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing greed and ruthlessness in each other's eyes.
As night deepened, the village, which had been bustling all day, finally fell silent.
Xu Kuo didn't go home immediately. Instead, he took Niu Erbao, carrying a lantern, and went to the old warehouse where the vegetables were stored. Sales had gone too smoothly today; they needed to quickly inventory the remaining vegetables to prepare for tomorrow's business.
"Brother Kuo, these vegetables are really in high demand! We're sure to get a good price tomorrow!" Niu Erbao exclaimed excitedly as he helped organize the vegetable baskets.
Xu Kuo hummed in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the rows of neatly stacked vegetables as he considered his next move. The warehouse was converted from an abandoned ancestral hall in the village; it was spacious, but somewhat dilapidated, with doors and windows that weren't very secure.
"Splash... Crack..."
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the innermost corner of the warehouse, as if something was gnawing on something.
"Who?!" Niu Erbao was startled, grabbed a carrying pole from the side, and nervously shielded Xu Kuo. It was pitch black; if a thief broke in, it would be a real problem!
Xu Kuo frowned slightly, signaling Niu Erbao to be quiet, while he picked up the lantern and carefully walked toward the source of the sound.
Under the dim light, several baskets of cabbages piled up in the corner were messed up, and a dark, fuzzy shadow was buried in the cabbage leaves, eating them with relish!
"It's...it's a wild boar?!" Niu Erbao gasped when he saw what the creature looked like, his voice trembling slightly.
Although they are not very big, weighing only about 20 or 30 pounds, wild boars are very wild. When they go berserk, their tusks can split a person's leg open!
"Master, what should we do? This beast is incredibly strong! Should we lure it out?" Niu Erbao asked in a low voice, his heart pounding. He didn't want to confront this little thing head-on.
A glint of excitement flashed in Xu Kuo's eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. It was like a pillow delivered right to his doorstep! He'd just been thinking about getting some meat to improve his meals during the day, and now it had come to him in the evening!
"What are you trying to entice? We're having extra meat for dinner tonight!"
"Huh?!" Niu Erbao was stunned. "Master, this isn't the wild boar that collapsed from exhaustion last time! This one just ate and drank its fill, and it's full of energy! You..."
Niu Erbao was so anxious he wanted to stomp his feet. Last time, Xu Kuo dealt with that big wild boar because it had been chased for ages and was exhausted. This little one, however, was full of energy! What if it hurt Xu Kuo…
He was about to try to persuade him again when he saw that Xu Kuo had already made a move!
Xu Kuo moved with lightning speed, like a cheetah, closing in before the little wild boar could react!
The little wild boar seemed to sense danger, suddenly raising its head, half a cabbage leaf still dangling from its mouth, revealing a pair of fierce little eyes. Just as it was about to charge, Xu Kuo's fist, whistling through the air, was already upon it!
"Bang!"
A muffled thud!
A solid punch landed squarely on the wild boar's forehead!
The little wild boar didn't even grunt. Its body went limp, its limbs twitched twice, and it collapsed into the pile of vegetable leaves, completely unconscious.
"..." Niu Erbao's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the carrying pole in his hand.
Is this...is this even human?!
He clearly remembered that Xu Kuo had dealt with that wild boar last time, and although it was formidable, it was definitely not this... this easy!
In just a few days, Xu Kuo's strength seemed to have increased by more than a little! Niu Erbao's gaze towards Xu Kuo had changed from admiration to complete awe and worship.
"What are you all standing there for?" Xu Kuo clapped his hands. "Find a rope and tie it up tightly! Hurry up!"
"Oh! Oh! Alright!" Niu Erbao snapped out of his daze, hurriedly threw down the carrying pole, and frantically found a thick hemp rope to tie the unconscious little wild boar up tightly.
Looking at the vegetables scattered on the ground, Xu Kuo frowned even more deeply. The warehouse's defenses were still too poor; even wild boars could sneak in and steal food. What about people...?
"Erbao, go find a few people and have them dig several deep pits in these hidden spots outside the warehouse to make traps! Cover them with branches and weeds to make them well concealed!" Xu Kuo pointed to several places around the warehouse that were easy for people to approach.
"Alright, Master! I'll be there in a bit!" Niu Erbao nodded repeatedly, his admiration for Xu Kuo growing even stronger. Not only was Brother Kuo incredibly skilled, but he was also so meticulous!
After processing the wild boar, Xu Kuo had Niu Erbao take half a piece of wild boar meat and some offal back first, while he carried the rest himself.
Niu Erbao also went to find people to dig traps.
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