Chapter 52 Hunting in the Rain
The morning mist carried the scent of damp earth. The flickering torches on the mountain path gradually dimmed, transforming into long, slithering gray-black snakes. Wu Yuetang's palms, gripping the reins, were sweaty. The chestnut horse's hooves flew, its wheels screeching over gravel. The village chief, standing behind, followed closely in his oxcart. He shouted, "Hurry up, girl! The black cloud is closing in!"
The midday light was suffocating under the weight of leaden clouds. Wu Yuetang swiftly dismounted from the cart, her coarse skirt sweeping across the dusty shafts. She squinted at the mountain path. The procession, once as continuous as ants, had suddenly broken in half—several groups had appeared on the mountainside, turning right. Aunt Sun and Chen Chunhe's family were among them.
"Let them go. It's hard to persuade a damned ghost with nice words." She threw the reins to her eldest brother, her eyes swept across Ye Jingchen's tense jawline, and said to the family: "Drive the car into the cave, and I will sort out the luggage in the car when I come back."
Before he finished speaking, Ye Jingchen had already followed closely. Because the mountaintop was at a high altitude, there was still a lot of water on the ground from the morning rain. Ye Jingchen stepped into the water, and the splashing water exploded into tiny silver flowers at their feet.
The crowd gathered at the cave entrance erupted in exclamations. Wu Yuetang looked at the women and children of Dayao Village huddled together and suddenly tugged at the village chief's sleeve. "Chief, take everyone into the cave and settle down first. Remember, there's water seepage in the southeast corner of the rock face, so move the elderly and the weak to higher ground." Without waiting for the chief to speak, she half-pushed everyone into the cave. As she turned, she met two poisonous gazes.
Wang Xiaobin and his family stood in the sunlight, their faces distorted like devil masks. The old woman dug her nails into the back of her husband's hand, her cloudy eyes almost popping out of their sockets. Wu Yuetang raised her eyebrows, the curve at the end of her eyes like a sharp dagger: "Have you seen enough? Do you think that just because you're older, your eyes are bigger than others?"
"Countryside bitch! How can you be so rude! Your uncle and aunt are your elders, after all, how can you be so disrespectful!" Zhao Linlin's scream pierced the sunlight. Wang Xiaobin held Zhao Linlin's wrist tightly, preventing her from moving forward. But as they passed, the murderous intent in his eyes suddenly turned to frost. His dark robe brushed against the back of Wu Yuetang's hand, bringing a piercing chill.
As dusk drifted over the mountain ridge, the path vanished into the distance. Wu Yuetang stared at the empty road she had come from. Ye Jingchen's shadow had overlapped hers without her knowing when. A faint rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and the first raindrops struck her shoulder, blossoming into a dark flower.
According to the time given by the system, the rain fell on time.
"Let's go." She kicked the gravel at her feet, sending up splashes of mud that spread across Ye Jingchen's trouser legs. "Some people are destined to rot in the rain." As she turned, the silver ornaments in her hair shone with a cold gleam, echoing the distant lightning streaking across the sky. From the depths of the cave drifted the sound of children's laughter, mingling with the crackling of firewood, brewing into a sour wine in the damp air.
As the two stepped over the dark moss at the cave entrance, the sky crackled with thunder. Raindrops as big as copper coins slammed into the rocks, and the splashing water shot into the air like countless silver arrows, instantly turning the open space outside the cave entrance into a surging mud pool.
The villagers who had already laid out straw mats in the cave jumped up in shock. The cries of children mixed with the screams of the elderly echoed between the cave walls along with the rumbling thunder.
Wu Yuetang raised her hand to block the rain curtain that was blowing in her face, and looked at the mountain path that was faintly visible in the rain, and suddenly thought of the groups of villagers on the mountainside.
A chill crept up her spine. She rubbed her arms, turned to Ye Jingchen and said, "We have to find a way to block the entrance of the cave." Ye Jingchen was already looking at the direction of the cave wall. His hunting knife unconsciously knocked against the wall, making a crisp sound.
The lights in the cave flickered, illuminating the village chief's gray beard.
The old man was standing on tiptoe, directing the villagers to relocate. "Mrs. Chen, take the children to the innermost part! Brother Zhang, guard the cave entrance and don't let the cold wind in!"
Wu Yuetang counted the densely packed figures and roughly estimated there were at least 230 people. The other 100 or so figures who should have been there were probably in the caves on the mountainside, listening anxiously to the approaching sound of water.
She lifted the curtain of the carriage, her fingertips brushed across the edge of space, and ten bundles of firewood fell silently into the carriage. She threw the firewood and the tent to her three brothers.
The eldest brother immediately grabbed an axe and chopped wood, sending sawdust splattering onto the coarse clay pots. The second and third brothers busied themselves setting up the tent. Wu Yuetang gazed at the winding caverns, his gaze lingering on the third fork on the right—the terrain there was higher, the entrance narrow, and with a little renovation, it could become an excellent storage room.
"The sound of rain isn't right." Ye Jingchen appeared behind him at some point, still stained with the dampness from outside the cave. "The northwest wind carries the smell of rain. I'm afraid there will be a flash flood soon." He spread out his palm, and a few drops of rain gathered into a small puddle in his palm. "The cave must be sealed within three days."
Wu Yuetang thought for a moment, then entered the carriage again and took out two sets of raincoats with a cold glow, and then took out two pairs of rubber shoes like magic. The unique pungent smell of rubber spread in the humid air.
"Fresh animal hides are the most waterproof. You can also hunt some game for your storage." She tossed the raincoat to the boy, the material drawing a neat arc in the air. "Come on, I'll go with you. We'll take advantage of a break in the rain."
The moment they stepped into the rain, another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. Wu Yuetang looked at the rolling rain in the distance and suddenly remembered the warning flashing in the space - this rain would last for two full months.
The rain poured down like a cascade, bean-sized raindrops pelting their shoulders and creating a fine spray on their raincoats. The mountain path beneath their feet had long since turned to mud, and every step required an effort to pull their feet out of the sticky mud. Wu Yuetang's past life's experience in the wild came in handy. She treaded on the alternating path of rotten leaves and stones, her movements as light as a deer in the woods.
Ye Jingchen led the way, his boots sinking deep into the mud, splashes of mud forming dark stains on his trouser legs. He occasionally used his short knife to push aside hanging vines, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "Over this valley, there's a wild boar forest. Normally at this time of year, they'd be wallowing in the mud."
Before he could finish his words, a burst of muffled thunder rolled across the sky, shaking the rubble on the rock wall to fall.
"Wild boar skin is the most practical." Wu Yuetang wiped the rain from his face, his eyes shining like sparks under the brim of his raincoat. "It's both waterproof and wear-resistant. Hanging it at the cave entrance will block the wind and keep out any uninvited guests."
Her voice, mixed with the sound of rain, reached Ye Jingchen's ears clearly. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife, his lips curled up unconsciously, and he took more determined steps in the rain.
The muddy mountain path grew steeper. In the flash of lightning, Wu Yuetang caught a glimpse of the gleaming dagger at Ye Jingchen's waist. The blade, barely a foot long, shone coldly in the torrential rain. "You're hunting wild boars with this dagger?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"There's nothing I can do." Ye Jingchen lowered his head to check the notch on the blade, his thumb unconsciously stroking the blade. "Wait until the rain stops, then go home and get the bow and arrow." His tone was flat, but there was a hint of helplessness in it.
Wu Yuetang lowered her eyes in thought, her consciousness instantly reaching the spatial mall. The points column in the special shop flashed with the number 670, while the coveted wooden bow and arrow set still had the high price tag of 850 points.
She sighed softly and turned to the space mall to find a new target - darts that cost thirty points per set, fifty pieces per set, small and portable.
With a flick of her fingertips, two bags of darts appeared out of thin air in her palm. She handed the heavy cloth bag to Ye Jingchen: "Try this." The cloth was soaked with rain, but it couldn't mask the crisp sound of metal colliding inside the bag.
Ye Jingchen took the cloth bag and untied the knot with his rough fingers. Lightning flashed across his face, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
Fifty willow-leaf-shaped darts were arranged neatly, with fine spiral patterns engraved on the dart bodies and triangular dart heads emitting a faint blue light.
"Good stuff!" He picked one up, brushed his fingertips against the blade, and felt the chill. "It's light and easy to hide, and makes very little noise when breaking through the wind. It's definitely more useful than a dagger."
As he spoke, he put the dart into the leather bag at his waist, his movements smooth and flowing, as if he had used it a thousand times before.
The rainstorm was still raging, but the two men, at the moment of exchanging weapons, tacitly quickened their pace. A dull growl came from the depths of the wild boar forest, intertwined with the thunder, foreshadowing that a hunt was about to begin. Chapter 53: Sharing the Wild Boar Meat
They slid through the slippery fern thicket, rotting leaves mixed with mud gurgling underfoot. Suddenly, Ye Jingchen grabbed Wu Yuetang's wrist and pinned her against a raised rock. Thirty feet away, the bushes shook violently. A dark figure, fangs bared, rushed towards them through the water. The fishy wind, swirling with mud, smeared their faces with it—it was a wild boar king, half a man's height, its mane still stained with mud, its cloudy eyes gleaming with a fierce glint.
"He's alone!"
Ye Jingchen whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing over her red earlobe.
His fingertips were already gripping three darts, and the coolness of the metal pierced through his raincoat. Seeing the Wild Boar King's thick skin and flesh, Wu Yuetang feared these small darts wouldn't be enough to kill him. The most frightening thing about hunting in the rain was dealing with wild beasts, so she held her breath, concentrated, and sank into space to exchange some gunpowder for it. She wrapped it in oil paper and quietly slipped it into Ye Jingchen's palm.
The wild boar king smelled a stranger and suddenly stood up, his fangs bared, rushing towards where the two were hiding.
Ye Jingchen roared, and three darts flew out in a triangular pattern, but they bounced off the wild boar's tough leather armor. At the critical moment, Wu Yuetang picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it into the wild boar's leg. The wild boar king seemed enraged, and rushed towards the two with its bloody mouth wide open. Ye Jingchen took the opportunity to stuff the gunpowder bag into its gaping maw.
Then he quickly lit a tinder under the cover of his raincoat and threw the gunpowder bag into its mouth.
"Cover your ears!"
The explosion shook the rock walls, sending rocks crashing down. The wild boar king let out a dying wail, its massive body collapsing to the ground. Ye Jingchen immediately rushed forward, stabbing the boar's throat with his dagger. Warm blood splattered in the rain, emitting a pungent odor.
“That was a close call.”
Wu Yuetang wiped the blood from her face and suddenly noticed a dark stain on Ye Jingchen's left shoulder—a wild boar's tusk had scraped his flesh while he was dodging. Before she could speak, Ye Jingchen had already torn off his shirt and hastily bandaged it, his pale face even more pronounced in the rain. "Thick-skinned beast! Two of his darts have been broken."
The torrential downpour washed away their mud-soaked raincoats. Wu Yuetang and Ye Jingchen gritted their teeth as they dragged the boar king's heavy body through the mud. Blood mixed with rainwater left a dark red trail behind them. Each step required an effort to free their feet from the mud. The fire at the distant cave entrance flickered in the rain, yet seemed to be separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.
When the boar king's tusks finally grazed the rock at the cave entrance, screams of surprise erupted from within. The elderly retreated hastily, and children sobbed timidly in their mothers' arms. Only a few strong young men immediately stepped forward to help, dragging the half-man-tall beast into dry ground.
"Good boy!" Hunter Zhang pushed through the crowd, stroking the wild boar's thick fur with his calloused hands, his eyes full of admiration. "This hide is three inches thick, even arrows can't penetrate it!" He turned to look at Ye Jingchen's blood-soaked bandages, and shook his head. "Even after being injured, he was still able to take down this beast. The young are truly formidable!"
Before Ye Jingchen could respond, Wu Yuetang had already pulled a sharp bone knife from the horse. The blade gleamed coldly under the torchlight, and she handed it to Zhang the Hunter. "Would you and Brother Ye please help skin it?"
The old hunter took the knife, weighed it, and raised his eyebrows at the young man: "Boy, do you dare to compete with me in skinning skills?"
The two exchanged a smile, their blades simultaneously slicing into the boar's neck. Hunter Zhang's technique was expert, the blade gliding along the flesh, lifting half the hide in the blink of an eye.
Ye Jingchen was calm and decisive, his hunting knife twirling nimbly in his hands, each cut carefully avoiding any blood vessels. The onlookers held their breath as the two blades flew like butterfly wings, completely peeling off the wild boar hide without damaging it in the slightest.
When the animal skin with body temperature fell heavily to the ground, Wu Yuetang squatted down and brushed the rough mane with his fingertips.
Raindrops dripped down her hair, creating tiny splashes on the hide. "Stretch it across the cave entrance overnight, and reinforce it with bone nails."
She turned to look at the mountain of wild boar meat and suddenly raised her voice, "Sister-in-law and Sister-in-law, please bring your people over! We'll divide this wild boar tonight!"
There was a rustling sound coming from deep in the cave, and women came rushing in with pottery jars and kitchen knives.
The firelight illuminated the busy crowd, and Wu Yuetang suddenly caught a glimpse of the cave entrance. Wang Xiaobin leaned against the rock wall, his eyes fixed on the mountain of wild boar meat, his Adam's apple rolling unnaturally. Beside him, Zhao Linlin, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, whispered with a few villagers, her cloudy eyes occasionally casting envious glances their way.
A torrential downpour poured outside the cave, yet inside, a bustling atmosphere permeated the air. Ye Jingchen and Zhang the Hunter stood beside a makeshift stone trough, working together to wash the boar hide with rainwater. Their rough hands rubbed back and forth between the folds, sending mud and blood sluicing down the grooves.
Hunter Zhang wiped the sweat from his face and smiled with a broken front tooth: "This leather is quite thick. If it's stretched out at the entrance of the cave, even the strongest winds and rains will force us to avoid it!"
The cleaned hides were dragged to the open space at the cave entrance, gleaming with a moist, oily sheen. Ye Jingchen grasped the bone nails hewn from the wild boar's leg bones. As the blade flew, the three forearm-long nails shone with sharp edges.
He picked up a nail and tested its hardness. It slammed hard against the rock wall, chipping away tiny stone chips. "Go call for help!" He turned and instructed the young men guarding the cave entrance, "Pick the five strongest men. We have to nail this leather to this wall!"
Five strong young men rushed forward, shouting, two of them grabbed the edge of the hide, and three of them coordinated to hammer with the bone nails. Ye Jingchen half-knelt on the ground, precisely wedging the nails into the rock wall, and every strike made his palms numb.
Rainwater dripped down his soaked hair into his neck, but it didn't affect his movements at all. When the last bone nail sunk into the rock wall, the entire boar skin was stretched tightly against the cave entrance like a shield, with a buckle at the edge for entry and exit.
Meanwhile, Wu Yuetang stood beside the wild boar carcass, her gaze sweeping across the villagers in the cave one by one. The candlelight flickered her focused profile. Amidst the murmur of conversation within the cave, she quickly counted the number of people: "Nine hundred kilograms of meat, two hundred and thirty people..." She abruptly stood up, her skirt sweeping across the pile of meat. "Grandpa, village chief!"
The old man came running when he heard the noise, and the soles of his shoes made a crisp sound as they rubbed against each other.
"Two pounds of fresh meat per household, and the rest will be pickled." She glanced at the faces in the cave, some tired, some excited, and lowered her voice. "Tell the village chiefs to maintain order and prevent any quarrels."
As the call for distribution rang out, the cave suddenly became bustling with activity. Women, carrying pottery jars, crowded the front row, children stood on tiptoe to peer, and strong men formed a queue. Wu Yuetang stood beside the pile of meat, his machete rising and falling with lightning speed, precisely dividing the bone-in pieces into equal portions.
Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Zhao Linlin at the end of the team whispering with Wang Xiaobin's mother. The jealousy and resentment in their eyes when they looked at her were almost bursting out.
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