Chapter 43 Rescue
Molly carried a basket on her back and two extra burlap sacks.
"Second sister, there are people everywhere in the mountains. Even if a lot of mushrooms grow, there won't be much for each person." Mo An tried to remind his second sister in a tactful tone, afraid that she would be disappointed and frustrated if she saw too many people and couldn't find many mushrooms when she arrived at the site.
"It's nothing." Molly waved her hand dismissively, without explaining that she was going deep into the mountains. "I'm just being prepared."
Many people go into the mountains, so Molly needs to sneak into the deep mountains, preferably without being seen, otherwise it will be difficult to explain and she might not be able to get away. She is fast and has no intention of going with anyone.
Her figure was like a ghost, or like a gust of wind; all that could be heard was the rustling of grass and trees, but when you turned your head, you found nothing.
She found quite a few mushrooms along the way, but only a handful, and she didn't stop to pick them. It wasn't until she had crossed four or five mountains and could no longer hear human voices that she slowed down.
As the sun rose, the mountain mist gradually dissipated, and visibility improved considerably. However, the lush vegetation and the dewdrops on the leaves quickly soaked one's clothes, leaving them clinging to the skin and feeling chilly.
Molly didn't care and disappeared into the dense woods.
Mo An's fears didn't come true. His second sister went to remote, secluded places, and apart from her, there wasn't a soul in sight. Moreover, there were plenty of mushrooms; Molly used both her hands and antennae, and soon both sacks and her basket were full.
Mushrooms are fluffy and take up a lot of space, but when compacted, they don't yield much. Molly plans to bring two extra sacks tomorrow to collect more mushrooms; some will be eaten fresh, some dried, and some made into mushroom meat sauce. It's the lean season, and there aren't many edible vegetables in the garden. If she gets back late from work, a mushroom meat sauce will suffice for a meal.
She plans to keep some for herself and send some to the farm.
When Molly returned, it was still light out, but she had no choice but to carry her things over several mountains, and as she walked, it got dark.
The area around the village became lively, with voices coming from all directions, and the main group of members were also heading out of the mountain in groups. Molly silently tried to find a secluded spot, but there were people everywhere, so she had to walk through the dense grass.
"Xiaoyong, thanks to you today, we had a good day."
"I told you I wouldn't lie to you. I discovered a cluster of mushrooms here two years ago, and I knew this was a mushroom sanctuary. When I came here today, sure enough, it was another mushroom patch. It's a pity Mo An didn't come today, otherwise he would have been overjoyed."
"Mo An didn't come, and the potatoes I roasted today weren't as good as yesterday's. His sister's chili powder is delicious, but I don't know how she makes it. I'll ask my mom to ask her when I get back."
"I really envy Mo An. Look at his rosy lips and white teeth, his smooth and shiny face. He must eat well every day."
"Her sister is capable. This year, the brigade leader asked her to raise pigs for the team. She said that by the end of the year, everyone will be able to eat big, fat pigs."
Slurp!
Someone is swallowing.
Molly listened silently, about to pass the boys, when she heard cries for help coming from not far away. Before she could react, Zhao Xiaoyong and the others put down their baskets and ran towards the sound.
Molly: "......."
What could she do? She silently put her things in the bushes and followed them.
"Oh my god, it's a wild boar!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
Molly spotted Zhao Taohua in the crowd. The wild boar knocked Zhao Taohua away, then turned and charged at Zhao Lihong, who was standing nearby in a daze. It opened its mouth wide, revealing sharp teeth, and was about to bite Zhao Lihong's leg.
"Hey, you beast!"
Zhao Xiaoyong grabbed a stone and threw it at the wild boar, hitting it squarely in the stomach. Enraged, the boar charged at the crowd repeatedly.
"Don't just stand there, run!" Zhao Xiaoyong shouted anxiously.
"Damn it, it's not one, it's two! This is terrible!"
In the mountains and forests, how could a person outrun a wild boar? Many people were knocked to the ground.
Zhao Xiaoyong threw several stones, but apart from hitting the target the first time, he missed the target several times afterward, successfully angering the wild boar, which charged at Zhao Xiaoyong.
"Climb the tree."
In the chaos, Zhao Xiaoyong heard a calm and familiar voice. Without thinking, he scrambled up a tree.
He usually comes in first place in tree climbing competitions, and in crucial moments, he unleashes his full power, climbing two or three meters up the tree in just a few moments.
Phew, we're safe for now.
He looked down at the tree and saw a slender figure holding a wooden stick, fiercely striking the wild boar's head.
Crack!
The stick snapped, blood streamed down the wild boar's head, and it let out a piercing scream. The figure gave the boar no chance to catch its breath, grabbing the remaining half of the stick and slamming it down again.
This time, the wooden stick shattered, and the wild boar was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow. Still not satisfied, the figure picked up a large rock from the ground and smashed it against the boar's head again.
Zhao Xiaoyong, who was in the tree, saw that the wild boar's head was dented, and blood was flowing out.
"Help!"
A piercing scream rang out.
Zhao Xiaoyong looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhao Taohua lying on the ground, a wild boar biting her thigh.
Oh no!
Zhao Xiaoyong slid down from the tree quickly, her feet barely touching the ground before she dashed off. But someone else was faster, that slender figure again. Grabbing a sharp stone, she pounced on the wild boar and swiftly and accurately plunged the stone into its eye.
Pfft!
Her eyeballs ruptured, and black and white fluid and blood sprayed all over Zhao Taohua's face. She was stunned, forgetting even to cry, and stared blankly at Molly in front of her.
The wild boar let out a piercing scream and released Zhao Taohua. Molly took the opportunity to roll over and throw the stone in her hand at the wild boar.
When Zhao Xiaoyong saw the man's face clearly, his eyes widened in shock.
"Sister-in-law, here you go!"
Zhao Xiaoyong snatched the wooden stick from his cousin and tossed it to Molly. Molly caught it and was about to thank Zhao Xiaoyong when she heard him shout, "Sister-in-law, the wild boar is about to escape! Quick, kill it!"
Molly: "......."
Wild boars are fast runners, but in Zhao Xiaoyong's eyes, his sister-in-law is even faster. She caught up with the boar in a few steps, struck it in the waist with a stick, and the stick broke. The boar was knocked to the ground. His sister-in-law threw away the stick and kicked the boar away. The boar crashed into a tree and then fell to the ground, where it lay motionless.
Molly, slightly out of breath, looked at Zhao Xiaoyong and then pointed at Zhao Taohua, "Don't just stand there, she's injured. Take turns carrying her out."
Zhao Xiaoyong snapped out of his daze, walked over, picked up Zhao Taohua, and looked at the wild boar again, "They—"
"There are so many people, let them carry them back." Molly clapped her hands and turned to leave before the others could react.
When Molly got home, it was already dark. She poured the mushrooms into a winnowing basket, spread them out, and said to the stunned Mo An, "You're going to be busy tomorrow."
Mo An: "We already have so many mushrooms, why are we still going?"
Molly: "Yeah, I'll be gone for two more days. I'll bring back a lot. I plan to dry some and use the rest to make mushroom meat sauce."
"Sister, where did you find so many mushrooms?" Mo An asked awkwardly. He had been so proud of himself yesterday, thinking he was quite amazing for finding so many mushrooms, but it turned out to be just a fraction of what his sister had found.
“They went deep into the mountains,” Molly said. She paused, then mentioned the wild boar that had appeared in the mountains earlier that day. “The wild boar must be hungry and came out to hunt for food. They should be carrying the wild boar past our house in a little while. If you want to go and see what’s going on, you can follow them.”
Mo An was stunned. What had he missed?
"Who killed the wild boar later?"
Molly: "...Your older sister."
Mo An blinked, even more regretful. So many people saw his sister fight the wild boar, but he didn't see it at all!
"Have dinner first. You can go to the cafeteria with everyone later. They should be distributing meat tonight. Take back our share. If it's dark and you're afraid to walk home at night, have Xiaoyong take you."
Mo An listened intently to the sounds outside while quickly stuffing food into his mouth. After he finished two bowls of rice, voices came from the foot of the mountain, and someone shouted, "Did they really hunt a wild boar?"
"It's true. Go tell Lao Tao to go to the canteen to boil water and slaughter the pig."
"Oh, I'll go right now."
How big is the wild boar?
"Not big, about 100 jin, two heads."
"After a long winter of hunger, a hundred pounds is not bad. Two wild boars, how many pounds of meat can a family get?"
Where was it found?
"It's behind this mountain. It probably came out looking for food because it was hungry, and it found its way here."
"Did anyone get hurt?"
"Several people were knocked down by the wild boar, but they weren't seriously injured. It was Peach Blossom who was in a bitten state."
"So who dealt with the wild boar later?"
"It was Molly. She killed both of them. I didn't quite believe it when she said she took down a few thieves, but after seeing her do it today, wow, she was so ruthless. Even I, a guy, got chills watching her."
"You're a grown man, and you didn't dare to go up?"
"They were terrified. Without any tools, they couldn't possibly defeat that wild boar."
"........"
"Sister, I'm going out." Mo An wiped her mouth and ran out.
Tonight is the 18th day of the lunar calendar. The sky is clear and cloudless, the moon hangs high, and the stars are twinkling. You can see the road clearly without turning on any lights.
Before Molly could ask Mo An if his leg still hurt, he had already disappeared.
After finishing her meal, Molly washed the dishes. Then she started chopping pig feed for tomorrow. The sweet potato vines had already been cooked, and the current feed consisted of sweet potatoes, radishes, and dried vegetables.
She's chopping up the pig feed now, so Mo'an can do less work tomorrow.
After she finished chopping the pig feed and took a shower, Mo An returned, carrying a large piece of wild boar meat tied with dry grass. It looked to weigh ten or twenty pounds and was all streaky pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat.
"You came back by yourself?" Molly asked.
"Brother Xiaoyong saw me to the door, but he didn't come in; he went back inside." Mo An smiled and handed the meat to Molly. "This was specially ordered by the brigade leader to be cut for our family by Uncle Tao. Nobody said anything when they saw it; they just praised you for being so clever, sister."
Molly took the meat. "It's good meat. I'll salt it and we'll use it to make mushroom meat sauce the day after tomorrow."
Molly plans to use the mushrooms she brings back today and tomorrow to make mushroom meat sauce, and then dry the mushrooms she finds later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
