Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

Early the next morning.

Lin Nuo carried the cloth bag given to him by Zhang Ba Tou in his arms, along with the well-worn sketchbook. He also carried a crossbow on his shoulder.

They headed towards Song Village.

Song Village remained the same, with scattered houses nestled at the foot of the mountain. The gate to Zhang the foreman's courtyard was open.

Before Lin Nuo even reached the door, he heard a "whoosh" sound.

Zhang was squatting in the yard. In front of him was a blue whetstone, worn down to a crescent shape. He was holding a hunting knife, carefully sharpening it on the whetstone.

The knife was already sharpened to a high shine, reflecting a person's image. But Zhang was still sharpening the blade.

Lin Nuo stood at the gate of the courtyard, not in a hurry to go in, waiting for Zhang Batou to finish this round of grinding.

Zhang turned the knife over and lightly ran his thumb along the blade to check its sharpness. He nodded and inserted the knife into the leather sheath next to the whetstone.

"Come in."

He didn't even look up.

Lin Nuo went inside and squatted down next to Zhang Ba Tou. He took out the cloth bag from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Uncle Zhang, I recognize the medicinal herbs you gave me."

Zhang took the cloth bag, untied it, and poured the medicinal herbs inside onto his knees. Astragalus, Bupleurum, Platycodon, and that plant with roots as thin as threads.

Lin Nuo pointed at them and said

"This is Astragalus membranaceus, this is Bupleurum chinense, this is Platycodon grandiflorus, and this is Polygala tenuifolia."

"Please check if this is correct."

After listening, Zhang neither nodded nor shook his head. He put the medicinal herbs back into the cloth bag, tied it up, and tucked it into his coat pocket. He stood up, took the hunting knife from the whetstone, rubbed it a couple of times on his trouser leg, and then sheathed it in the leather sheath at his waist.

"good."

Lin Nuo breathed a sigh of relief. "Not bad" coming from Zhang Ba Tou meant it was a passing grade.

Seizing the opportunity, he quickly began to talk about the wild boar.

"Uncle Zhang, there's one more thing."

Zhang looked at him without saying a word.

"A wild boar came down from the back mountain. It destroyed the vegetable cellar of Wang Lao Er's family in our village. He said there were several boars based on the footprints, and the biggest one probably weighed 300 pounds."

Lin Nuo recounted how Wang Lao Er had informed them of the situation.

Zhang was silent for a moment. He walked to the courtyard gate and glanced towards the mountain. The mountain's outline became sharp in the morning light, and the green of the pine trees shone through the snow.

"A scourge."

Zhang thought for a moment, then turned and went inside. Lin Nuo was waiting in the yard.

It seems like this matter is settled.

After a while, Zhang, the foreman, came out. He had a cloth satchel at his waist, draped over his shoulder, bulging and full, its contents unknown. He was holding a musket in his hand.

The stock was made of wood, darkened and shiny from hand sweat. The barrel was made of iron, with a push rod underneath, secured by a copper hoop.

Zhang shouldered the musket and glanced at Lin Nuo:

"Walk."

Lin Nuo sighed.

Zhang Batou walked slowly, and Lin Nuo followed behind, carrying a crossbow on his shoulder. He wanted to help Zhang Batou, but he couldn't find an opportunity.

Wang Lao Er's cellar is outside the village; the wooden door is broken, like an open mouth.

Cabbage stalks and radish tops were scattered all over the ground. Footprints were densely packed.

Zhang squatted down and used his hand to measure the largest footprint, comparing the distance from the front to the back of the footprint.

"This one weighs over 300 pounds."

He stood up and walked deeper into the woods. Lin Nuo followed behind.

Zhang stopped beside a bush and pointed to the marks on the ground. A branch of the bush had been broken off, and the break was still fresh.

The withered grass on the ground was trampled and bent over, and there was a clear path extending out from the bushes and heading towards the mountainside.

"Wild boars passed through here. Not just one, but a whole litter. The big one led the way, followed by the smaller ones."

He pointed to several hoof prints on the ground:

"The big one is male and walks alone. The smaller ones behind it are female and their babies. It's a family."

Zhang straightened up and brushed the mud off his knees.

"Wild boars are creatures that know their way around. In winter, when food is scarce, they come down the mountain to root in cellars; in spring, they root in crops. Once they've been here once, they recognize the way and will come back again."

Lin Nuo asked:

"Uncle Zhang, how do we fight?"

Zhang, the foreman, didn't answer immediately. He looked towards the mountainside for a while, tapping his fingers slowly on a wooden stick, as if he were calculating something.

"Trying to trap them won't work. They're too thick-skinned and won't be caught; it'll only make things worse if they anger them."

He pointed with his stick to a steep slope halfway up the mountain. The location was between two pine forests, with sparse bushes, and a faint path led from the bottom of the slope to the top, made by wild boars.

"The slope is their only route back to their nest. Find a secluded spot and wait for them to pass by."

He turned to look at Lin Nuo:

"I have a gun. I'll shoot. You help me chase them down."

Lin Nuo nodded:

"Okay, Uncle Zhang."

Lin Nuo was returning from the mountains when he passed by Liu Jianguo's house. Liu Jianguo was just coming out of his yard, carrying a bucket of dirty water, preparing to pour it into the ditch by the roadside.

He saw Lin Nuo; the bucket was suspended in mid-air, the water sloshing around but not being poured out.

He hesitated for a moment, put the bucket down, and walked over. His voice was very low:

"Nuozi, be careful."

Lin Nuo looked at him.

"Qi Dayong and Yang Sanshun drank at my house. Qi Dayong said he would make sure Da Wu's wedding wouldn't happen on the 26th of the first lunar month. That guy Yang Sanshun had a sharp tongue and kept stirring things up, saying things like, 'You're so arrogant now, you won't even lend me a little money.'"

As Liu Jianguo spoke, he glanced behind him; there was no one in the courtyard.

"I'm just giving you a heads-up. Qi Dayong is capable of anything when he's drunk."

Lin Nuo nodded:

"Understood, thank you, Jianguo."

Liu Jianguo waved his hand, picked up the bucket, poured water into the ditch, and turned back to his yard.

When Lin Nuo arrived home, Lin Jiang was already waiting for her in the yard.

The older brother was squatting against the wall, with a basket in front of him covered with an old cloth. When he saw Lin Nuo come in, he stood up, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

"Second brother, you've got it!"

He lifted the old cloth, and inside the basket was a pheasant. It was male, with glossy feathers, a crest on its head held high, and looked very energetic. It circled around in the basket, its claws making a "tap-tap" sound on the bottom.

Lin Nuo squatted down to take a look; it weighed three or four pounds, a good product.

"Brother, you're amazing. I've set traps for you several times, and they've all died."

Lin Jiang chuckled twice, then covered the pheasant back with the old cloth, afraid of startling it.

Linno stood up, lowered the crossbow from his shoulder, and said:

"Brother, let's go dig some more windbreaks. There are still quite a few left on that slope from yesterday."

The two went to the sunny slope again. This time, Lin Jiang was more adept at using the pickaxe, striking quickly and accurately. Lin Nuo followed behind, picking up roots, shaking off the soil, and stacking them in a basket.

We dug up more than twenty plants in total, more than yesterday. The roots were thicker than yesterday's, some as thick as a little finger, yellowish-brown, and had a stronger medicinal aroma.

Lin Nuo gathered the windproof materials in the basket and stacked them neatly.

"Brother, let's sell them in town tomorrow, and split the money."

Lin Jiang was tidying up his pickaxe when he paused for a moment.

"Need not……"

"Big brother."

Lin Nuo interrupted him, her voice firm:

"You can't work for free if you work for me. We'll split it 50/50. That's fair. Even Pingzi and Anzi have to spend money."

Lin Jiang didn't say anything more. He stuck the pickaxe into the basket and muttered, "...Sigh."

Squat down and cover the basket with the old cloth again, tucking the four corners tightly.

Back home, Lin Nuo took out the medicinal herbs and cleaned them.

As it was getting dark, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

A boy, about half a teenager, stood at the doorway, wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket, with snot hanging from his nose. He sniffed.

"Brother Lin Nuo, Master Zhang asked me to pass on a message: Tomorrow morning, on that steep slope halfway up the mountain. Bring a crossbow and rope. He has a gun; he'll come and shoot."

Lin Nuo took a piece of candy out of his pocket and handed it to him.

"Okay. Thank you for making the trip."

The boy took the candy, unwrapped it, stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, and mumbled "Thank you, bro," before turning and running away.

Lin Nuo turned and went into the house. He took the crossbow down from the wall and carefully inspected the string; there were no burrs or wear. He then checked the arrows; they had iron tips and were polished to a shine. He laid them out one by one on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

He then rummaged through the storeroom and found a thick hemp rope, coiled it up, and stuffed it into the basket.

Lin Jiang came out of the main room and saw him packing his things:

"Want to go boar hunting tomorrow? I'll go with you."

Lin Nuo thought about it. More people means more help. Zhang, the foreman, would fire the gun, he would herd the wild boar, and the eldest brother could provide backup from the side. If the wild boar wasn't quite dead, he could lend a hand.

"Okay. Let's leave before dawn."

When Zhao Xiuying came out of the kitchen and heard that they were going to hunt wild boar, her face changed immediately.

"Hunting wild boar? Those things are ferocious! Last time someone from the next village hunted a wild boar, he got gored, and the flesh on his leg was torn off. It took him more than half a year to recover! And your dad, he didn't even stop him!"

As she spoke, her voice rose.

Lin Weiguo sat in the main room, holding a bowl of porridge in his hand. He took a sip and said slowly:

"With the old foreman here, everything's fine."

Zhao Xiuying opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Lin Weiguo's unhurried appearance, she swallowed her words back.

After returning to the east room.

The kerosene lamp was still burning; the flame flickered, a wick formed on the wick, and the light dimmed. Su Wanqing reached out and brushed the wick away, and the flame flickered back on.

Lin Nuo lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), his hands behind his head, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Su Wanqing sat beside him.

"We're going to hunt wild boar tomorrow."

Su Wanqing hummed in agreement.

After a while, she said again:

Be careful.

Lin Nuo turned to look at her. The light from the kerosene lamp shone on her face, softening her features.

I habitually reach out and hold her hand; it's warm.

"It's alright. Zhang is here; he has a gun."

Su Wanqing didn't speak again. Her fingers moved in his palm, holding it tightly.

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its cool light bathing the snow-covered ground and brightening the courtyard. A dog barked twice in the distance, then fell silent, and the village returned to quiet.

Before dawn, a sliver of pale light appeared on the distant horizon, hazy and indistinct, making it impossible to distinguish where the mountains ended and the sky began.

Lin Nuo, Lin Jiang, and Zhang Batou met at the village entrance.

Zhang, the foreman, was still the same—thin, with deep, etched wrinkles on his face. A musket slung over his shoulder, his cloth satchel bulging at his waist. He glanced at Lin Nuo and Lin Jiang, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Lin Jiang walked in the middle, carrying a basket containing hemp rope and a crossbow. He walked steadily, at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow.

Lin Nuo walked at the back, a crossbow slung over his shoulder, a hemp rope attached to the stock so it wouldn't irritate his shoulder as he walked. He touched the quiver at his waist, containing twelve iron-tipped arrows, polished to a gleaming shine.

The three people walked along the village road toward the back mountain, one in front and two behind, their shadows stretching long in the morning light.

In the distance, the sky slowly brightened with the pale light of dawn, as if someone were erasing the night bit by bit with an eraser. A faint orange-red hue appeared on the eastern horizon, as if lightly brushed with watercolors.

Lin Nuo touched the crossbow on his shoulder; his heart was beating faster than usual.

With some excitement.

A 300-pound wild boar. One hundred and fifty yuan.

The three walked until they reached a steep slope halfway up the mountain, where Zhang stopped. He crouched down, put a finger to his lips, and gestured for silence.

The three men crouched down into the bushes. The bush branches were dry and prickly, but none of them moved.

Zhang leaned forward, holding the musket horizontally in front of him, the barrel resting on a protruding rock. He pushed the musket forward, adjusted its position, and then, as if he had become a stone, kept his eyes fixed on the road below the slope.

Lin Nuo lay behind him, clutching a crossbow in his hand.

Time passed slowly. The sun hadn't risen yet, but it was already bright outside.

Zhang remained motionless.

Lin Nuo's legs were numb from squatting, but he dared not move. Lin Jiang, on the other hand, didn't care; farmers were used to squatting in the fields.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Lin Nuo almost doubted that the wild boars were coming.

Just then, Zhang opened his eyes, then slowly moved his hand toward the musket, placing his fingers on the barrel and gently gripping it. With his other hand, he pulled an iron pellet from his cloth pouch, a solid iron ball about the size of a thumbnail.

Lin Nuo paused for a moment.

I once heard a coworker brag that when hunting wild boars, you should aim for the side.

Zhang loaded the iron pellets into the muzzle, pressed them down with the push rod, braced the musket against his shoulder, placed the barrel on a rock, and aimed at the direction down the slope.

Lin Nuo looked in the direction of the gun barrel.

A dark shadow peeked out from behind the bushes.

Wild boar.

It's quite large.

Its head emerged first, revealing a long snout and fangs that flared out from its lower jaw. Then came its entire body, its shoulders and back high, its mane black and stiff, like an inverted brush. It stood at the foot of the slope, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air.

Lin Nuo held his breath. He felt Lin Jiang freeze on his right as well, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the rope.

The wild boar took two steps forward, stopped, and sniffed again. It tilted its head slightly and its ears perked up.

Zhang's musket remained motionless. His eyes were narrowed to slits, and his finger rested on the trigger.

The wild boar took two more steps, this time from the side.

Just as the wild boar lowered its head and rooted in the ground, its ears...

"Bang!"

The muskets fired. The sound exploded in the valley like a muffled thunderclap, startling a flock of birds. Smoke billowed from the muzzles, a white cloud that choked and made one's throat tighten.

The wild boar's body jerked violently. It lunged forward two steps, then its entire body tilted to the side and collapsed to the ground with a thud. It kicked its hind legs twice, then lay still.

Blood gushed from behind his ears, spreading a small patch of dark red on the withered grass, steaming hot.

Zhang slowly stood up, hoisted the musket onto his shoulder, and glanced at Lin Nuo.

"Let's go take a look."