bookrandom Chapter 139 Hunting Wild Boars in Shanghe Village
Chapter 139 Hunting Wild Boars in Shanghe Village
Li Xiangyang rode his bicycle, carrying Wang Ergou, towards Shanghe Village.
Wang Ergou sat in the back seat, holding a gun in one hand and supporting Li Xiangyang's shoulder with the other.
"Damn, this is so convenient!" Wang Ergou exclaimed. "This bicycle is so comfortable to ride; it's much faster than walking."
Li Xiangyang chuckled as he rode, "Want to buy one?"
"I'd like to," Wang Ergou sighed, "but we'll have to wait until after the wedding."
"Then you'd better hurry," Li Xiangyang teased him deliberately, "When will the house be built?"
Mentioning this, Wang Ergou visibly frowned: "Hongxia said we don't need to build a house."
Li Xiangyang was somewhat surprised: "What?"
“She said to try to keep a low profile,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice. “If her father finds out I have money to build a house, he might try to take advantage of me. You have no idea, her father is heavily in debt and is hoping his daughter can find a rich man…”
As Li Xiangyang listened, his impression of Ma Hongxia improved even more.
It's truly rare for a girl to be so considerate of Wang Ergou.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Let's save up first," Wang Ergou laughed. "We'll find an opportunity later. Anyway, with you as my partner, I'm not worried about making money."
As they spoke, they arrived at Shanghe Village.
Looking from a distance, dozens of people, mostly young and middle-aged men from the village, stood in a dark mass at the entrance of the village committee.
Upon seeing Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou arrive, the crowd immediately stirred.
"They're here! They're here!"
"Is it them?"
"I've heard that Li Xiangyang is an exceptionally accurate marksman..."
Whispers rose and fell.
Zhao Dayong hurriedly came forward: "Li Xiangyang, we've been waiting for you for ages."
Li Xiangyang looked around; the scene was indeed quite grand.
Dozens of strong young men, each with a sickle at their waist and a spear in their hand, some even carrying hunting rifles, looked quite impressive.
The village party secretary and several other officials were also present, all with solemn expressions.
This situation reminded Li Xiangyang of the tribal hunts he participated in in Africa in his previous life.
Back then, the locals did the same thing; all the men in the village would go out together, but their target was the lion.
Today, they are dealing with a herd of wild boars, which is actually no less dangerous than dealing with lions.
"Everyone's here," the village secretary stepped forward, "We've been waiting for you."
The village secretary took out a simple map drawn with charcoal and spread it on the table: "This is a topographical map of our village. This area was reclaimed last year, and now wild boars frequently appear here."
Li Xiangyang carefully examined the map.
The newly cleared land is in the northeast of the village, near the foot of the mountain, with a small stream flowing through it; it is indeed a place that wild boars like.
"Now that the weather is getting warmer, if we don't wipe out these beasts, who knows how much land they'll ravage after spring."
Li Xiangyang looked up and surveyed the crowd: "What kind of equipment did everyone bring?"
“Twelve hunting rifles, and the rest of the crew have spears and sickles,” Zhao Dayong replied.
Li Xiangyang nodded.
This configuration is already considered quite good in rural areas, but the key is to use the right methods.
“With so many people, we need to divide into groups,” Li Xiangyang said. “Each group will have one gun, and the others will assist. We’ll split into three groups to encircle the wild boars and drive them towards this high ground.”
He pointed to an open area on the map and said.
"Why are we heading that way?" someone asked.
“It’s an open area with good visibility, and it’s uphill, so the wild boars will be slower to charge up,” Li Xiangyang explained. “More importantly, there’s a cliff over there; once the wild boars get there, they won’t be able to escape.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly satisfied with the arrangement.
“But I must warn everyone,” Wang Ergou interjected, “wild boars are very ferocious, and even more so when injured. If you can’t kill them, don’t try to force it; climb a tree immediately.”
Li Xiangyang glanced at the sky: "The sun has just risen; it's the time when wild boars return to their burrows. We need to hurry, lest they escape back into the mountains."
"Divide into groups!" the village party secretary ordered.
Soon, the thirty-odd people were divided into three groups.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou each led one group, while Zhao Dayong led the remaining group.
In each group, those with guns fired, those with spears guarded the flanks, and those with sickles covered the rear; they cooperated quite well.
"Remember," Li Xiangyang concluded, "when you hear gunfire, head straight for the designated location. Don't panic. If you encounter a herd of wild boars, take out the leader first. Without a leader, the others will be easier to deal with."
After saying that, the three groups split up and went their separate ways.
Li Xiangyang's group moved northeast to encircle the area. Along the way, the ground was covered with traces of wild boars, and in some places, the snow had been turned upside down.
For farmers, land is their lifeline.
Wild boars destroying crops is tantamount to cutting off their livelihood.
Therefore, everyone involved was full of enthusiasm.
The group hadn't walked far when suddenly, they heard a rustling sound ahead.
Li Xiangyang raised his palm, signaling everyone to be quiet.
He moved quietly behind a large tree, using the trunk as cover to carefully observe what lay ahead.
The snow was turned upside down and was still steaming, clearly indicating that a herd of wild boars had just passed by.
A gust of cold wind blew by, bringing with it a strong, fishy smell.
Li Xiangyang's heart tightened; he knew that smell all too well—a herd of wild boars was just ahead.
He turned around and made a gesture, and the people behind him immediately understood and dispersed.
A crescent-shaped encirclement was quickly formed.
Everyone moved extremely quietly, afraid of startling the prey ahead.
Suddenly, the bushes in front of us swayed.
A huge wild boar poked its head out, its mane standing on end and its tusks protruding; it was as big as a calf.
This was clearly the leader; behind it, seven or eight wild boars were rooting around for food.
Li Xiangyang picked up his gun and held his breath.
This shot is crucial. If it misses, it will not only alert the wild boar but may also enrage it, leading to an even more dangerous situation.
Just then, a gunshot rang out in the distance, followed by shouts.
The wild boar herd immediately became alert, and the lead boar suddenly raised its head and let out a low growl.
The situation changed, and Li Xiangyang didn't have time to think before decisively pulling the trigger.
With a loud "bang," the lead wild boar fell to the ground.
The other wild boars panicked and circled around in circles, unsure of where to run.
"Go!" Li Xiangyang gave the order, and everyone immediately sprang into action.
The spearmen quickly moved forward to block the wild boar's possible escape routes.
Those carrying sickles followed, forming a second line of defense.
Just then, another gunshot rang out from the right front; it must have been Wang Ergou's group encountering a wild boar.
Li Xiangyang knew that the other two groups had also begun their operations.
"Head to higher ground!"
At this point, the crowd no longer needed any commands; they brandished their spears and sickles, shouting as they charged towards the herd of wild boars.
As Li Xiangyang had predicted, the wild boar herd, having lost its leader, immediately panicked and fled in the predetermined direction.