A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

Ignoring the other one, Chen Mo ran towards the chicken coop. He picked up the wood-chopping knife from the ground and chopped straight at the wolf's leg.

The wolf's leg was in excruciating pain, forcing it to release its grip. The hen fell to the ground, its wings still flapping. Chen Mo grabbed the hen, shoved it back into the coop, and then tightly closed the coop's gate.

Chen Mo felt a lingering fear; if he had been a step slower, the chicken would have been gone.

The next morning, Chen Mo hadn't slept; his eyes were bloodshot.

[Daily information has been updated, please select:]

[First, in the manure pile behind the Zhao family's old house at the village entrance, there is a buried iron plowshare, weighing about five pounds, which can be used as both a farm tool and a weapon.]

[Second, in the valley near the bandit's den in Black Wind Ridge, there is an abandoned animal trap containing a wounded and weak adult wild boar. (Medium risk; handle the trap with caution, as other wild animals may approach.)]

Thirdly, in the upper reaches of the Qingshui River, there is a deep area with what appears to be artifacts from an ancient shipwreck beneath the ice, possibly including gold and silver. However, the current under the ice is very strong. (High risk, the water is icy cold, and there is a high risk of drowning.)

Chen Mo stared at the option: wild boar! That's real meat, more valuable than grass carp.

But a wounded and weakened wild boar is not easy to deal with, and other wild animals may also approach. Black Wind Ridge, the bandit's lair.

He thought to himself that wild boar meat could be eaten for a long time and could also be used to barter for goods, so the risk was worth taking.

Chen Mo chose [Information 2].

A scene flashed in my mind: in a secluded valley in Black Wind Ridge, there was a trap covered with withered grass. At the bottom of the trap lay a large wild boar, its front leg broken, blood flowing continuously, howling in pain, its voice weak. Several blurry figures approached nearby—a pack of wolves.

The next day, he called Sun Dazhu, and this time he didn't mention the wild boar, but only said that he was going to the mountains to look for something.

The two quickened their pace and headed towards Black Wind Ridge.

A cold wind howled through the valley, and even before getting close, one could smell a strong stench of blood.

A wounded wild boar lay on the ground not far away.

Chen Mo looked at Sun Dazhu and made a gesture to him. Sun Dazhu understood and tied one end of the rope to the tree while holding the other end in his hand.

Chen Mo handed him the bow: "If things go wrong, shoot the arrow and then run."

Chen Mo approached the wild boar, which roared, and the smell of blood grew stronger.

Almost simultaneously, several dark figures darted out of the bushes—a pack of wolves, at least five or six, all extremely hungry.

Sun Dazhu was startled. He sat down abruptly, barely managed to raise his bow, and aimed the arrow at the wolf charging at the front.

The arrow was shot, but the wolf reacted swiftly, turning its body to the side, and the arrow flew past it.

Chen Mo seized the opportunity to roll over and use the wild boar carcass to cover himself. He remembered the system's warning: a trap.

The trap was still there, but the wild boar had taken its place. He shouted to Sun Dazhu, "Pull!"

Sun Dazhu realized what was happening, pulled the rope, and the logs above the trap were pulled away.

The wolves were taken aback, not expecting the trap to still be there. One of them lost its footing and fell straight into the pit.

"Awoo!"

The pit echoed with the pit's screams of wolves.

Chen Mo was overjoyed; this was an opportunity! He quickly rushed to the edge of the trap.

The other wolves also realized what was happening and bared their teeth at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo threw stones at the wolves in the pit: "Thump! Thump!"

The stone hit the wolves; he knew he couldn't let them live.

Chen Mo then looked at Sun Dazhu: "Keep pulling!"

Sun Dazhu did as instructed, pulling another rope, and the trapdoor of the trap slowly closed.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the trap closed completely, and the screams from inside the pit immediately ceased.

Witnessing this, the wolf pack hesitated. One of their companions was gone. They looked at each other, fear in their eyes.

Chen Mo raised his wood-chopping knife: "Get out!" he roared again.

The wolf pack eventually left, letting out a few soft whimpers as they turned away reluctantly and quickly disappeared into the depths of the valley.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, his body went limp, and he was covered in sweat, his clothes soaked through.

Sun Dazhu also ran over, looking at the trap and then at Chen Mo: "Chen Mo, you're really something." His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

Chen Mo didn't say anything, and walked to the wild boar carcass. This wild boar was big, weighing at least two hundred pounds.

"We've struck it rich!" Sun Dazhu's voice was trembling with tears.

The two of them worked together to get the wild boar out of the trap. It was hard work, and Chen Mo's leg injury was throbbing again, but the allure of the wild boar meat made him forget about it.

They dragged the wild boar's carcass into a secluded cave and covered the entrance with withered grass.

Chen Mo divided the meat on site, keeping most of it, about 150 jin, and giving 50 jin to Sun Dazhu.

"That's too much, Chen Mo," Sun Dazhu declined.

"You did a good job, and your father needs to be nourished," Chen Mo said.

Sun Dazhu didn't refuse anymore. Looking at the fifty catties of wild boar meat, his eyes welled up with tears. This was wild boar meat! These days, this kind of thing is harder to find than gold.

Chen Mo and Sun Dazhu cleaned up the traps again and rearranged them properly to prevent any accidents.

On their way back home, the two traveled very discreetly. Chen Mo was thinking about how to use the wild boar meat: he would eat some himself, pickle some, and use the rest to exchange for salt, iron, and other necessities.

Now that his family has managed to get through the winter and still has the energy to do more things, he has more plans in mind.

Back home, Chen Mo carried the wild boar meat into the cellar. Chen Ling'er asked curiously, "Brother, what did you bring back?"

Chen Mo simply smiled and said, "It's a secret."

Chen Dashan looked at Chen Mo and saw the bloodstains on Chen Mo's body: "Mo'er, are you injured?" His voice was tight.

"It's nothing, I just got some wild boar blood on my skin," Chen Mo said.

Chen Dashan didn't ask any more questions. He knew Chen Mo's personality; if the other person didn't mention something, it was because he didn't want others to worry about it.

That evening, Chen Mo cut up a small amount of wild boar meat, cured it with salt, and wrapped the rest in coarse linen and put it in the cellar. He knew in his heart that the wild boar meat had to be hidden well, as it was the Chen family's livelihood.

Chen Mo pushed open the door. Two wolves were standing in the courtyard. One wolf's head was already stretched to the edge of the chicken coop, its nose twitching in the air. The other wolf was blocking the entrance to the courtyard, its pair of bright green eyes fixed on Chen Mo.

Fighting head-on is suicide.

Chen Mo's mind raced. In his previous life, he had heard an old hunter boast that wolves feared fire, loud noises, and things bigger than themselves. He backed away step by step, his hand touching the edge of the stove.

With a tinderbox in hand, he lit a pine torch.

"call"

A flash of fire, and shadows darted about in the yard. The two wolves simultaneously took a half-inch back, growling softly.

Chen Mo raised the torch high, picked up a wood-chopping knife in his other hand, and slammed it down hard on a broken iron pot hanging on the wall.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Startled by the piercing sound, the wolves retreated several steps, pawing at the ground with their paws, refusing to leave. The hunger in their bellies made them oblivious to their fear.