Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

the other side.

Zhao Lei did not go home for dinner, but instead went to his father-in-law's house for dinner at the warm invitation of Qin Bowen and Qin Dashan.

During the meal, I learned that the two brothers were going to go hunting wild boars with their former son-in-law in Qingshuigou.

Qin Mancang: "Lei Zi, Bowen and Dashan both told me that you're planning to go hunting wild boars in Qingshuigou?"

"Yes, I'll go tonight."

"I have to ask you something about this. Hunting a group of wild boars is not as simple as fighting a single beast alone. The danger is almost doubled. How confident are you in your abilities?"

The mother-in-law, her face full of worry, said, "Leizi, listen to my advice. You shouldn't get involved in this job. A group of wild boars, when cornered, can break a person's bones. The risk is just too great. I'll be heartbroken if any of you kids get hurt. Even if we earn a lot of money, it won't make up for it. It's a complete loss!"

Qin Dashan's wife, Qin Dasao, gently advised her husband, "Dashan, I think we should call it off. Although our family isn't well-off, we can manage to eat and stay warm by being frugal. There's no need to risk your life. What will happen to the elderly and children if something happens to you?"

Qin Bowen immediately retorted: "Sister-in-law, parents, don't worry! With my brother-in-law here, what trouble could possibly happen to us?"

"My brother-in-law was able to handle that bear that attacked people on Qingfeng Mountain all by himself, so a few wild boars are nothing to worry about. You can all relax!"

The family members took turns trying to dissuade him, which made Qin Mancang sigh repeatedly.

Zhao Lei put down his chopsticks and looked at his parents with a serious expression. His tone was sincere and steady: "Father, Mother, I understand your concerns. Safety will definitely be my top priority. I would never joke about everyone's lives."

"This time, the four of us went into the mountains together. We were fully equipped with hunting rifles, gunpowder, and knives. We followed my instructions throughout the operation and did not rush in to fight recklessly. As long as we acted cautiously, there would be no major problems."

Zhao Lei repeatedly assured that he would keep a close eye on everyone and would never act recklessly or take risks.

Seeing his resolute attitude and looking at his two sons' longing for it, Qin Mancang couldn't stop him. He could only sigh heavily and reluctantly nod in agreement.

Dinner was quickly finished, and the four men packed up their hunting rifles, shot, gunpowder, long knives, ropes, sacks, and other items to carry the game.

They hurried towards the village entrance under the cover of night.

I arrived at the old locust tree at the village entrance at 7:30.

The sound of oxcart wheels rolling came from afar and grew closer.

Wang Zongbao drove a sturdy yellow ox pulling a flatbed cart and brought it to a steady stop in front of everyone.

He nimbly flipped off the car, grinning foolishly.

"Brother Lei, Brother Dashan, Bowen... I'm reliable, right? As soon as my grandpa heard that the militia needed an oxcart, he told me to come over right away."

Qin Dashan stepped forward and distributed the hunting rifles he had brought to Qin Bowen and Wang Zongbao, keeping one for himself. He then handed over the iron pellets and ample gunpowder in cloth bags to each of them, instructing everyone to take a couple more as spares.

The four men boarded the oxcart, the ox's hooves clattering on the dirt road as it slowly made its way towards the Qingshuigou area.

On the way, Wang Zongbao, driving the oxcart, turned to Zhao Lei and said, "Brother Lei, you specifically asked me to drive the oxcart over here. Looks like we're planning a big operation this time, and the harvest won't be small, right?"

Qin Bowen immediately chimed in, his eyes brimming with anticipation: "Of course! With my brother-in-law backing us up, we're guaranteed to hunt at least a thousand catties of wild boar meat! When we sell it, we can split it among ourselves and easily become millionaires!"

"Over a thousand kilograms? Wouldn't that make us rich overnight!"

Wang Zongbao's eyes lit up as he listened, and he couldn't help but rub his hands together.

Seeing the two young men's get-rich-quick scheme, Zhao Lei calmly poured cold water on their enthusiasm:

"You two shouldn't be daydreaming. Hunting in the mountains is unpredictable, and no one can say for sure how much you'll catch in the end."

But there's one thing I must make clear beforehand: once we're in Qingshui Gully and close to the wild boar herd, everyone must follow my instructions completely. No firing a gun without permission, no running off alone... and safety always comes before making money! Got it?

Qin Bowen immediately patted his chest and assured him, "Brother-in-law, don't worry, if you point west, I'll never go east. Following your command will ensure victory!"

Wang Zongbao nodded repeatedly in agreement: "That's right, Brother Lei, you're willing to take me on such a good job. I'll definitely follow your orders and never hold anyone back!"

Zhao Lei then gave detailed instructions on several ways to deal with an attack, disperse, and retreat.

I felt a little relieved after confirming that everyone had remembered it.

The oxcart bumped along the way and took more than an hour.

The soil beneath my feet gradually became damp, and in the distance, fields stretched out before my eyes; we had arrived at the Qingshui Ditch area.

Zhao Lei rarely came to this area and was not familiar with the roads.

Qin Dashan, who was standing to the side, said that he was fairly familiar with the place.

Because his wife was from the Qingshuigou Production Brigade, she often came to visit relatives in previous years.

Qin Dashan scanned the mountains and forests ahead under the bright moonlight, then pointed to the narrow mountain stream on his left.

"Lei Zi, the experimental crop field is over there at the bottom of the mountain stream. My dad said that wild boars gather there every day to eat the crops. We can't go wrong if we just head straight there."

"Alright, brother-in-law, let's follow this path."

The four jumped out of the car, led the yellow ox slowly towards the mountain stream and fields, and soon arrived at the perimeter of the experimental field where wild boars often appeared.

Looking from afar.

Numerous dark figures swayed and moved about in the open fields, their heads buried in the crops, and the crunching sounds of them devouring the crops could be heard from afar.

Qin Bowen lowered his voice, full of amazement: "Wow, brother-in-law, there are so many wild boars here, a whole black mass!"

Zhao Lei was secretly alarmed.

In the past, when hunting in Qingfeng Mountain, it was often necessary to search half the mountain to find one or two prey, which would take up most of the day.

But in Qingshuigou, wild boars are so abundant that you can see groups of them with the naked eye; the difference is truly stark.

He turned to look at Wang Zongbao, pointed to the thick old mulberry tree by the roadside: "Goudan, go tie the oxcart and the ox to this old tree stump. When the gunshots go off later, there will be a lot of noise. Don't scare the oxen into running around."

"Received from Brother Lei!"

Wang Zongbao immediately stepped forward and skillfully untied the cow rope, securing it firmly to the mulberry tree root.

They checked again to make sure the oxcart was securely fastened before turning back.

With everything ready, the four of them kept a low profile and stealthily made their way into the depths of the field.

The moonlight is exceptionally bright tonight. There's no need to venture into the dense forest; the fields offer a wide field of vision, so there's no need to use a flashlight, and the light would also disturb the wild boars.

As we explored further, we saw piles of wild boar droppings and hoofprints of varying depths scattered across the field ridges.

Judging from those wide and deep footprints alone, there must have been at least a dozen adult wild boars.

The tiny, scattered piglet footprints were so numerous that it was impossible to count them.

Qin Dashan looked down at the hoof prints all over the ground and couldn't help but gasp. He leaned close to Zhao Lei and whispered, "Leizi, the number of wild boars here is really frightening."