The moment Lu Zhaozhao heard this, she immediately understood what Gu Yan meant.
Looking at the blood all over the ground, it was indeed true. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and since they were on the mountain, there was no telling if other predators might appear. It was best for them to descend as quickly as possible.
So Lu Zhaozhao took Gu Yan’s firewood knife and, after scanning the surroundings, chose a tree of medium thickness that would be convenient to use as a drag board.
Once she made her choice, she immediately began chopping with the knife. Luckily, the blade was sharp enough, and before long, the tree was felled.
By the time she dragged the small tree back to Gu Yan, he had already rested for a while, gradually regaining his strength.
The two then worked together to drag the now completely dead wild boar onto the branches.
With Gu Yan in front and Lu Zhaozhao behind, each carrying their basket, they hurriedly began making their way back along the path they had come.
Looking at the bloodstains all over the ground, Lu Zhaozhao even muttered,
“All this blood is going to waste. What a pity. Stir-fried pig’s blood is so delicious!”
When she was a child, she had lived in a village for a while. Every New Year, they would slaughter a pig, catching the blood in large basins, which relatives and friends would take home.
She still remembered the taste of stir-fried pig’s blood—it was truly delicious.
Thinking of that now, Lu Zhaozhao’s mouth watered involuntarily. She wondered whether wild boar blood would taste even better than domestic pig blood.
Wild boar meat would certainly be more flavorful, so the blood would likely be better too.
Naturally, Gu Yan in front had overheard her comment and couldn’t help but smile wryly. This woman—unbelievable! Even at a time like this, she was thinking about pig’s blood!
After experiencing something so terrifying, she showed no fear at all. She was really brave.
It seemed he had underestimated her.
So, the two continued dragging the wild boar together, stumbling along the way, walking and stopping repeatedly, resting when exhausted before continuing.
Having already battled the boar for countless rounds, Gu Yan was nearly exhausted. Now, dragging a hundred-plus-pound boar down the mountain was a significant challenge. He felt this might be the most embarrassing moment of his life.
Even during past crises, when he had fled with his family, he had never been this helpless.
Fortunately, Lu Zhaozhao had been following behind. Though her strength was limited, she had indeed helped a great deal. Not only was she now using all her power to help drag the boar, but earlier, when he had fought it, if her dagger hadn’t pierced its rear and provoked it, he would not have been able to find the opportunity to strike the killing blow.
So he was grateful to her, though a bit embarrassed to say so aloud.
This woman had many admirable qualities.
…
Finally, after immense effort, just when they were about to collapse from exhaustion, they managed to drag the boar out of the forest and reached the foot of the mountain.
At this point, they had completed more than half the journey and could finally see hope.
Relieved, both of them sank to the ground, completely worn out, and rested.
Unexpectedly, after only a short while, a voice nearby exclaimed in surprise:
“Hey, isn’t this the new Gu Family boy? What’s this? A wild boar? You actually caught a wild boar! My goodness, you’re incredible! Is this your new wife? Why are you both sitting on the ground? Did you drag it down from the mountain?”
Turning his head, Gu Yan saw a familiar face—it was Uncle Niu, the ox-cart driver from Xinghua Village.
He quickly forced a polite smile and replied,
“Uncle Niu, what are you doing here? Yes, this is the wild boar we just hunted in the mountains. We’re exhausted and couldn’t walk any further, so we’re resting here.”
Having ridden Uncle Niu’s ox cart a few times on trips to the county, Gu Yan knew him fairly well. He was one of the few familiar people in Xinghua Village.
“Oh, I see! I came over to gather firewood. You two foolish kids—this boar must weigh nearly 200 pounds, right? Dragging it yourselves, no wonder you’re tired! Wait here. I’ll bring the ox cart to help you take it home. Hold on, you silly children.”
With that, Uncle Niu hoisted the firewood he had cut and hurried home.
With the ox cart, the boar could be transported easily, and the journey was short—it was just a few steps, all within the village. If he could help, he would.
He liked those two children in the Gu Family. They had sweetly called him Grandpa Niu before.
Since his wife had passed away a few years earlier, and their daughter had died during childbirth, he lived alone with his ox. He made a living by pulling the ox cart and cultivating the small two-acre plot of land. Life wasn’t luxurious, but he wouldn’t go hungry.
After doing this work for so long, everyone had forgotten his original name and simply called him Uncle Niu.
The Gu Family children had ridden his cart once before, and being so charming, he had grown fond of them. Seeing them now, he was eager to help.
Lu Zhaozhao hadn’t expected such luck. She was relieved—they no longer had to drag the huge boar themselves. It had nearly exhausted her!
This man was truly kind. Good people would be rewarded.
With hope in their hearts, the two sank to the ground, waiting for the ox cart to arrive.
Since the distance wasn’t far, it didn’t take long before they saw the ox cart slowly approaching.
Together, the three of them lifted the massive boar onto the cart.
Uncle Niu, seeing the boar, couldn’t help but praise,
“Gu Family boy, you’re lucky! That’s a lot of pork—you’ll make a nice profit, and the kids at home will have meat to eat. Good job! Now, hop on, and I’ll pull you both home!”
He then sat at the front of the ox cart, ready to drive them to the Gu Family home.
Hearing this, the two stopped pretending and climbed aboard. The ox cart clopped along toward the Gu Family residence.
Lu Zhaozhao sat comfortably, her legs swinging freely. She felt extremely relieved. Compared to her life in the 21st century, she would have probably despised riding an ox cart—but at this moment, after dragging a heavy load, it felt like heaven.
They had originally gone by a shortcut from behind the house to the foot of the mountain. It was quick, but the ox cart couldn’t take that path. They had to take a longer route along the main road back to the Gu Family.
There was only one ox cart in Xinghua Village. Everyone knew Uncle Niu well and would greet him. Seeing the boar on the cart, the villagers couldn’t help exclaiming:
“Wow, such a huge wild boar! Xiao Gu, did you catch it? That’s impressive!”
“Yes! Amazing! No one in the village has caught a wild boar in ages. Ever since that old hunter passed away two years ago, we haven’t had fresh boar meat.”
“Right, this wild boar will taste so much better than domestic pigs. Running around in the mountains all day, the meat must be firm and delicious!”