The next day, Shen Xuanqing didn’t go out hunting. The gate had been loosened by the wild boar’s impact, so he hammered and nailed it back into place. He also carved a new long bolt from wood.
The gate actually had three bolts, but Lu Gu had been too panicked at the time. Besides, the boar had charged so suddenly that he could only think of grabbing the long wooden beam to brace the gate. He hadn’t had time to slide the other two bolts into place.
Lu Gu couldn’t help with these tasks, so he fetched water and washed the clothes Shen Xuanqing had changed out of.
Sitting on a small stool, he scrubbed the clothes while listening to the sound of Shen Xuanqing carving wood. He glanced at the vegetable plot in the front yard. If he left, Shen Xuanqing wouldn’t be staying in the mountains for more than a few days each month. He wondered if the vegetables would dry out. He shared this concern with Shen Xuanqing.
Shen Xuanqing said, “If they dry out, it’s fine. We can forage for wild vegetables to eat. Besides, there are loofahs and winter melons in the backyard. The vines are already so long—they don’t need much care. In another two months, with just the rain, they’ll probably bear some fruit.”
“Some things don’t need to be worried about too much. When you go home, just make sure you, mother, and the others eat well. We’ve planted plenty of vegetables at home. Just take care of those.”
Hearing this, Lu Gu felt somewhat reassured. A faint smile appeared on his face, and he nodded. “Mm, I understand.”
A peaceful day passed. The extreme fear of being chased by the wild boar had been alleviated by Shen Xuanqing’s return. Only when he went outside and saw the marks on the ground did he remember the danger of that day.
As he packed his belongings, Shen Xuanqing helped, putting all his clothes into the bundle. He didn’t plan to let Lu Gu stay in this place again.
After locking the gate, Lu Gu felt a sense of indescribable emotion. He took one last look at the yard before turning to follow Shen Xuanqing down the mountain.
——
Hearing about Lu Gu’s experience in the mountains, Wei Lanxiang’s eyes widened in horror. She exclaimed, “Heavens! Thank goodness you’re alright. From now on, don’t go up there anymore.”
Guaizi was playing in the yard. Wei Lanxiang looked at Guaizi and said, “You and Er Qing always say he’s smart. No wonder, he’s so clever. He knows how to protect his master. He’s truly a good dog.”
In the past, she had always felt it was a waste to feed the dog so much meat. But now, seeing how sleek and strong Guaizi was, how majestic he looked, and how he wasn’t afraid of a wild boar, she felt the meat hadn’t been wasted. From now on, they should raise him just like this.
“Brother Gu Zi, does that mean you’ll stay at home from now on?” Shen Yan asked.
“Mm, I won’t go up anymore,” Lu Gu replied, but then added, “But I’m not sure. If your Second Brother gets too busy and doesn’t have time to cook, I might go up for a few days to cook for him.”
The shadow of the wild boar had left him fearful, but after living in the mountains for so long, he knew that day had been an exception. Normally, there were no large beasts within two or three miles of the yard.
“It’s good to be at home. I’ll have company for needlework, and we can cut grass and herd the ducks together,” Shen Yan said happily.
Recently, Ji Qiuyue’s belly had grown larger, and she couldn’t accompany Shen Yan to the river. Shen Yaoqing and Wei Lanxiang were busy with work at the new house and the fields. In the mornings, when she took the ducks out, she could only bring Da Bai. When she met villagers by the river, she could only exchange a few words. Most of the time, she was alone.
“Mm, we’ll do it together,” Lu Gu agreed with a smile.
Shen Xuanqing stayed at home for seven or eight days, taking the three dogs into the mountains every day to catch rabbits alive. There were fewer rabbits here than in the deep mountains, but with some effort, he managed to catch enough. He even gathered another ten pairs of breeding rabbits. As for the extra few, he didn’t think they were strong enough, so he kept them in a pen in the backyard of the old house. The family could slaughter them if they wanted to eat rabbit.
Early one morning, he packed his things and said at the door, “Alright, go back. No need to follow me. I’ll be down in a few days.”
“Mm.” Lu Gu nodded, standing at the gate as he watched Shen Xuanqing walk up the gentle slope. Guaizi turned back and barked at him a few times, as if reluctant to leave. Only then did Lu Gu turn and go back inside.
Life at home was busy, but it was much more peaceful than in the mountains. There were also more people in the village, so he didn’t have to worry too much about wild beasts attacking.
What Lu Gu didn’t know was that after going up the mountain, Shen Xuanqing didn’t go looking for deer or sheep tracks. Instead, he dug out a cloth-wrapped package from a crack in the corner of the woodshed. Inside were three heavy iron arrowheads, larger than ordinary ones. Just these three were quite heavy.
He gently touched the tip of one arrowhead with his finger. Even after not being used for so long, it was still sharp. These were given to him by the old hunter years ago. Heavy arrowheads had strong killing power and were effective against thick-skinned beasts like wild boars.
Shen Xuanqing spent an entire day making arrow shafts and fletching. After testing the bow several times, he was satisfied. But this preparation wasn’t enough. He took the dogs into the mountains and spent half a day searching for numbing poison grass. He crushed it and extracted a small bowl of juice, soaking one of the arrowheads in it.
After soaking overnight, the numbing poison juice had turned the arrowhead a deep black. He wrapped his hands tightly in cloth before daring to wipe the arrowhead clean with a rag. Once dried, the arrowhead gleamed with an eerie black light under the sun, clearly something sinister.
The juice of the numbing poison grass caused paralysis wherever it touched, and the effects took four or five days to wear off. It wasn’t a lethal poison, but it was potent.
Even with the heavy arrowheads, if a several-hundred-pound wild boar wasn’t killed with one shot, the pain would drive it into a frenzy. In its rage, it would become even more dangerous, putting both him and the dogs at risk. Moreover, wild boars were vengeful creatures. That boar was large, and if it held a grudge, it might attack when he least expected it. It was better to strike first.
Although almost ten days had passed, and that boar might have wandered elsewhere, since it had come this far in search of food and there were no other boars in the area, it was likely to claim this territory. As long as he was patient, he would eventually find it.
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