After bringing down a wild boar, Li Xiangdong’s confidence soared.
He went another four or five li or so before reaching an oak grove. It wasn’t particularly dense, but the chinese oak saplings and shrubbery growing there were tangled and plentiful, making it hard to see very far.
Just as he was about to enter the oak grove, a gunshot rang out from somewhere on the other side.
At the sound, Li Xiangdong ducked behind a tree in a flash.
It was a natural reflex. In woods this dense, if you heard a gunshot and didn’t take cover, the hunter on the other side might mistake you for prey and shoot you. That would be trouble!
It had happened before. Many people had been shot after being mistaken for wild boar or roe deer while relieving themselves in the grass or gathering things in the mountains.
So he had to stay well hidden to avoid getting hit by accident.
After the shot, Li Xiangdong heard a wild boar squealing. He quickly took the old muzzleloader off his back, raised it, and aimed toward the sound.
He didn’t know whether the boar would come his way, but it was best to be prepared.
A moment later, he heard a rustling in the oak grove. Peering out, he saw a wild boar weighing around 150 to 160 jin charging wildly just 30 or 40 meters away.
It was coming at him incredibly fast.
Li Xiangdong had no time to think. He raised the muzzle and fired at the boar.
The old muzzleloader roared, belching black smoke from its barrel. The twenty or thirty iron pellets, each five or six millimeters in diameter, loaded inside sprayed toward the boar.
Iron shot came in different sizes.
Iron shot two or three millimeters in diameter, about the size of mung beans, could be loaded a hundred or so at a time. It was used to hunt small targets like pheasants and rabbits, where the goal was to cover a wide area.
Iron shot five or six millimeters in diameter, about the size of soybeans, could be loaded forty or fifty at a time. It was used for medium-sized targets such as foxes and badgers.
Iron shot eight to ten millimeters in diameter, about the size of corn kernels, could only be loaded a dozen or so at a time. It could be used to hunt large animals like wolves or wild boar.
Last came the slug: a single lead ball about the same size as the inside of the barrel, also used for large animals such as wild boar, wolves, and asiatic black bears.
Unfortunately, the gun Li Xiangdong had loaded wasn’t carrying slugs, but small iron shot meant for foxes and badgers.
He hadn’t expected to run into a wild boar, and this kind of ammunition could be used against a wider range of targets.
There was no time to change it now, so Li Xiangdong could only fire as he had. But against a tough-skinned, thick-fleshed animal like a wild boar, it wasn’t enough to bring it down with one shot.
Instead, the pain only enraged the boar.
The boar had originally been able to pass a dozen or so meters away from Li Xiangdong, but after being shot, it turned and charged straight at him.
It was moving incredibly fast.
That was the thing about wild boar: they were stubborn and single-minded. Wolves and asiatic black bears might be fierce, but when wounded, their first instinct was to flee.
Only when they had no other choice would they turn around and fight for their lives.
Wild boar weren’t like that. Even if you didn’t provoke one, it might still want to gore you. After being wounded, it was all the more determined to fight the person who had hurt it.
That was why hunters had the saying that pigs rank first, bears second, and tigers third. It wasn’t that pigs were especially powerful; wild boar were just fools, with truly stubborn tempers.
A typical hunter would have treated the gun in his hands like a fire poker and climbed a tree first, then continued tracking the boar after it left, to avoid getting hurt.
But Li Xiangdong didn’t see it that way. He hadn’t seen any game for days. Now that he’d finally run into a wild boar, he couldn’t just let it get away. Who knew how long he’d have to chase it if it escaped?
Besides, someone else had just fired over there. If he didn’t keep the boar here, who would it belong to?
And even if they split it, he’d get a bigger share if he was the one who killed it!
With that thought, Li Xiangdong tossed the old muzzleloader aside, grabbed the spear made from a machete, and shouted, “There’s someone here! Don’t shoot!”
Then he charged at the boar.
Still, he wasn’t foolish enough to meet it head-on.
Just as the man and boar were about to collide, Li Xiangdong suddenly sidestepped and thrust the spear in his hands toward the boar’s shoulder and ribs.
In those days, bayonet fighting was an important part of military training. Li Xiangdong had also taken part in Militia Training, so he was very familiar with the stabbing motions.
Besides, this wasn’t just about technique; strength mattered most. The stronger you were, the greater your advantage—and Li Xiangdong had strength in spades.
He thrust the spear accurately between the boar’s ribs, putting his full strength into it. The boar was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow.
The spearhead pierced through the ribs on the other side and stuck in the ground.
The boar naturally didn’t die right away. It squealed and kicked wildly on the ground.
No matter how hard the boar kicked, Li Xiangdong gritted his teeth and braced the spear shaft, refusing to let it break free.
Just then, someone came running through the woods with a gun in hand.
When the man ran up and saw Li Xiangdong’s position, he froze on the spot.
He thought, This guy’s incredible. He actually pinned a wild boar to the ground!
After a moment, he came back to his senses and hurried over. “You’re something else, brother! You actually ran a spear through such a big boar!”
Li Xiangdong turned to see the man and grinned. “Just lucky. The boar came charging this way, and I happened to run into it. That shot just now was yours, right?”
“Yeah. I came around from the other side of the woods and spotted a wild boar here, so I took a shot. I thought tracking it down would take some work, but you’ve already brought it down!”
Seeing the boar still struggling, the man drew a knife from his waist, went over, and stabbed it in the neck.
It wasn’t long before the boar stopped moving.
The man relaxed and looked up at Li Xiangdong. “Which village are you from, brother?”
“I’m from Shuangjing Village. Which village are you from?”
“I’m from Nantai Village, a dozen or so li west of here. Brother, you can let go now. That pig’s done for. Have a smoke!” The man pulled out a cloth pouch.
Li Xiangdong glanced down at the boar. It really was done for. The blood had almost stopped flowing, and it was breathing out through its nose but not breathing in.
He let go and walked over to the man, taking the cigarette he offered. “My name’s Li Xiangdong. What’s yours?”
“I’m Liu Dashan. Going by age, I should be older than you, so I’ll call you younger brother!”
“Sure. Then I’ll call you Brother Liu!”
“No need to be so formal, younger brother Li. You’re pretty handy! Most people wouldn’t dare take on a wild boar head-on.” Liu Dashan gave Li Xiangdong a thumbs-up.
Li Xiangdong gave a bitter smile. “I didn’t want to take it on head-on either. This lousy gun can only fire one shot before I have to reload, and I haven’t brought down anything in days. I was getting desperate!”