Pigs definitely need to be controlled; Yin Lan was just thinking about the wild boars.
Suddenly, a sound of gongs and drums came from outside. What was going on so late at night?
From outside came the distant voice of the village head's son, "Gather! Gather! Meeting time!"
The sound echoed throughout the village.
Yin Lan had a gut feeling that it might be related to the wild boar incident.
She took her two sons out, and because this was a relatively remote part of the village, she only encountered a few villagers in twos and threes. Most of them didn't have a good relationship with Yin Lan, so some pretended not to see her, and others just nodded expressionlessly.
Soon, they arrived at an open space in the center of the village, where the surrounding people were buzzing with discussion.
"What are you doing so late at night?"
"Something big must have happened, that's why we can't meet up tonight?"
"What big deal could it be? It's winter, there's no grain and no crops. Could it be that they've found a way to stop the vegetable leaves from turning yellow?" someone wondered.
"What are we doing so late at night? It's so cold, why is it so cold today?" Several women, holding babies in their arms, were already asleep, and they were very reluctant to get out of bed.
I didn't eat anything last night, and if I get cold and start moving around, I'll get hungry, but there's nothing to eat.
The village head raised his hands and then pressed them down again. "Villagers, please be quiet and listen to me. This is a matter of great importance concerning your crops and the safety of your lives. Quiet!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the bustling noise gradually subsided.
The village head continued, “There are wild boars in the mountains behind our village. Last year, they came down and ruined our crops. Several families had several acres of land destroyed. And it was only four or five wild boars that came down.”
"But recently, the number of wild boars has increased again!"
The villagers were stunned for a moment, then gasped, "What do we do?"
"What should we do now?"
The vegetables in the field were already of poor quality; the ones that looked good were meant to be taken to the county town to exchange for grain. If they were also destroyed by wild boars...
“Chen Yourun’s wife from our village went into the mountains and saw a herd of nearly twenty wild boars. And this was just one; the real number could only be more or less. Moreover, Yourun’s wife saw wild boar droppings at the foot of the mountain, which means that the wild boars had already come down the mountain and could come down again at any time.”
What was supposed to be a very serious matter suddenly vanished for some villagers upon hearing this, replaced by disdain.
What? Chen Yourun's wife, isn't that the lazy, good-for-nothing woman?
How can you believe anything she says?
She would be terrified if she saw wild boars, let alone see so many.
She even saw wild boar droppings with her own eyes, which is even more absurd. How could someone who doesn't even grow crops know if the droppings were from a wild boar or some other animal?
Some families are already thinking of leaving; this is just a joke.
The village head continued, "Therefore, in order to protect our own food and homes, our Tiejian Village must unite."
Someone who cared about the matter spoke up, "Village head, what do you think we should do?"
The village head's expression turned serious. "We're going into the mountains to kill wild boars."
The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.
A moment later, the sound of rustling conversations arose again.
"That's too dangerous. A few years ago, two men from the next village encountered a wild boar and almost didn't make it back. If there are really more than twenty, or even more, that would be too dangerous."
“Village head, what Chen Yourun’s wife said might not be true. Maybe she’s mistaken.”
"And she said twenty heads is that many?"
"The wild boars haven't come down either. If we go into the mountains, aren't we just courting death?"
There was strong opposition from the villagers, and the village head was at a loss.
Yin Lan looked around, then stood up and walked to the front.
Upon seeing her, the villagers were all taken aback, and then some began to sneer. But when they met Yin Lan's indifferent yet imposing gaze, they could no longer laugh.
The villagers looked at each other, offering reminders, and finally stopped.
Yin Lan's voice rang out, neither humble nor arrogant, yet imposing: "If we wait, it's like sitting and waiting to die. Just like Aunt Wang said, the wild boars might not come down. Besides, who can guarantee they won't? Once they do come down, the vegetables in the fields will be ruined. If there are too many wild boars, they might even break into our own homes and eat the grain we've stored there. I ask you all, if the vegetables in the fields don't come, and the grain in our homes is running low, who can survive this winter?"
What Yin Lan didn't say was that the temperature this winter was actually very abnormal. In years like this, there could very well be blizzards or extremely cold weather, but it's not certain yet.
Yin Lan's words were forceful and clear, and she also explained the stakes involved, which made some people begin to waver.
Widow Ye stepped forward and said, "You make it sound so serious, but it's not that bad. Last year, wild boars only destroyed three acres of land. Going into the mountains to kill wild boars can kill people. You can't stand seeing the villagers doing well, can you? Your husband isn't home, so you want others to live like you, widows?"
Before Yin Lan could speak, Zhao Dashan stepped forward and said, "Widow Ye, your words are too harsh. I believe what You Run's wife says. I support going up the mountain to hunt wild boar. I'm signing up."
Yin Lan was somewhat touched that he signed up without even knowing what to do.
“I support it too, I’ll sign up.” The third son of the Chen family also stepped forward.
Several other people stepped forward one after another.
However, most people remain hesitant and wavering.
After all, if someone else does the killing, neither she nor her husband will have to take the risk, and she can enjoy the benefits of eliminating the crisis by killing the wild boar, so why should she be the one to stick her neck out?
The village head looked at Yin Lan and was surprised that this runner's wife was not afraid in front of so many people. She spoke better than him, and her eyes and demeanor even showed the style of a county magistrate.
"Don't worry too much about that, Chen Yourun's wife has come up with a way to kill wild boars."
The village head thought this method was brilliant, but the other villagers who were originally hesitant gave up immediately.
Yin, a mere woman, devised a method for slaughtering pigs. Was the village head too old, or had he been fooled by a woman, to actually believe her? Wasn't this pushing the villagers into a fire pit?
If others are willing to go and die, let them go. If they really kill the wild boar, the threat to their own land and homes will be gone. Why should they rush to go?
Some people gave up first for this reason, and others who were hesitant couldn't make up their minds.
The few people who signed up are simply not enough, and why would they risk their lives for other selfish people?
The village head was helpless. Although he thought Yin Lan's idea was really good, the villagers disagreed, and he couldn't force them to do it.
The crowd dispersed and went home.
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