Venturing back into the forest, Jiang Yue felt like a fish in water. She headed straight for the water source, drawing her bow and taking down pheasants and hares along the way. She deliberately left them with a final breath of life to keep the meat fresh for as long as possible. By the time she reached the mountain stream, she was draped in various small games.
After securing her kills to a tree, she began a meticulous search for animal tracks. As she suspected, there were fresh droppings near the spot she had scouted before—exactly like the ones she’d seen last time. Her initial guess had been right; these were definitely from wild boars. The brown bear’s sudden appearance had simply thrown her off the scent.
She kept watch until dusk, but the boars didn’t show. Instead, she crossed paths with a roe deer. The creature wasn’t stupid; the moment an arrow pierced its haunch, it bolted in a frantic sprint. Jiang Yue gave chase for a good while before finally snaring it. It seemed luck was on her side because, while pursuing the deer, she stumbled upon a natural cave hidden behind a thick curtain of overgrowth.
The entrance was low and narrow, requiring her to double over to enter. It was so well-concealed that she never would have found it if not for the deer.
The space inside was modest—roughly six or seven square meters—but it was tall enough for her to stand upright. It was the perfect base of operations. Jiang Yue decided then and there that this would be her hunting lodge.
She bound the roe deer securely inside the cave and, as a precaution, rolled a large stone over the entrance before heading back to the stream to retrieve her other kills.
That night, Jiang Yue slept soundly. When she awoke, the sky was just beginning to pale. The forest was hushed; the animals hadn’t yet begun their morning rituals.
She started a fire to roast some meat. Between rabbit and pheasant, she preferred the latter. Selecting a bird that was near death, she plucked it, prepped it, and set it over the flames.
Her appetite was growing in direct proportion to her physical exertion. After devouring the pheasant, she still felt a lingering hunger, so she toasted a steamed bun until it was fragrant and crisp. Only then was she satisfied.
As the horizon turned white and the red sun crawled over the eastern peaks, the forest hummed to life with the chirping of insects and birds. Jiang Yue camouflaged her cave and returned to the water source.
On the way, she spotted more fresh tracks from the night before. Following the trail, she soon saw a massive sow leading a litter of piglets toward the water, grunting as they went.
Jiang Yue was ecstatic. She hadn’t expected the boars to be such “early birds,” coming out to forage and drink at the crack of dawn. No wonder she’d missed them twice before by waiting until later.
Drawing on her experience with the bear, she nocked an arrow and released it in one fluid motion.
The sow let out a pained shriek. Seeing the small human girl who had dared to strike her, the sow nudged her piglets into the tall grass and spun around to charge. Her tusks gleamed in the dim light; she moved with such momentum that she looked capable of goring through a sheet of solid iron!
But Jiang Yue was undaunted. Just as the boar reached her, she leaped into the air, pivoting mid-flight to land gracefully on a nearby tree. The boar, unable to stop, slammed headfirst into the trunk with a resounding thud.
“Hmph! Hmph!”
Refusing to back down, the boar began rooting and ramming the tree where Jiang Yue perched. Jiang Yue, agile as a monkey, leaped from branch to branch, mocking the beast’s rage while systematically sinking arrows into its vital spots.
Though the boar possessed great strength, it lacked endurance. By the time it grew exhausted and tried to retreat, it was too late. Jiang Yue dropped down and drove her blade into its neck, ending it.
Once the sow was dealt with, Jiang Yue scoured the brush for the litter. Following their trail, she managed to capture four live piglets.
The hunt had gone smoother than she could have hoped. The sow was massive—at least four hundred pounds—and with the unweaned piglets plus the game back in the cave, she had a haul. She hacked down branches to fashion a makeshift sled. The cave was well-hidden, so she decided to move the boar back first.
The piglets were less than a month old, their skin sleek and slippery. Jiang Yue figured raising them would be a much better occupation for Madam Cai than weaving straw sandals. To keep them safe, she lashed the sow to the sled and then tied the piglets—their front and back legs bound—across the sow’s flank. From a distance, it looked like four mottled little bundles resting on a grey mountain of fur.
The sun was high in the sky by the time Jiang Yue reached the village.
Unlike last time, she intentionally detoured to the village entrance, picking the most crowded route. It wasn’t long before a crowd of villagers swarmed around her.
Seeing the commotion, Jiang Yue came to a halt.
“Did you really kill that boar yourself?” one villager asked, voice thick with disbelief. They found it hard to believe a young girl could take down such a beast, yet seeing her haul the four-hundred-pound carcass with such apparent ease, their skepticism wavered.
Jiang Yue pulled out a spent arrow. “Of course. See this? It’s still stained with the boar’s blood.”
“Heavens! Jiang Youshan’s daughter is something else! She actually killed a wild boar?”
A few of the bolder villagers leaned in to poke at the bound piglets.
“Look at these four little ones! Their coats are so bright.”
“The Jiang family is coming into a fortune!”
“What Jiang family?” another interjected with a smirk. “It’s Jiang Youshan’s family now. Didn’t you hear? Old Man Jiang is splitting them off. The ancestral sacrifice is the day after tomorrow.”
The first speaker laughed. “Who doesn’t know that? It was just a slip of the tongue!”
“Are these four piglets for sale?”
One of the shrewder villagers called out to Jiang Yue. Wild boars were worth twice as much as domestic ones; these four healthy piglets would bring in a handsome profit once they were grown.
Jiang Yue was blunt. “I plan to raise these four myself. They aren’t for sale.”
The man sighed, disappointed by the missed opportunity.
The commotion had grown so loud that some busybody had already sprinted ahead to deliver the news to Jiang Ming. The entire family—save for the paralyzed Jiang Youshan—had rushed to the village entrance to meet her.
Jiang Xue was jumping for joy. She dashed forward and scooped up one of the piglets. “My sister is incredible!”
Jiang Lei’s eyes were crinkled with laughter as he hugged another piglet, refusing to let go.
Even Madam Cai had shed her timid demeanor. She beamed with pride as she grabbed two of the piglets, ready to head home.
In the back of the crowd, Old Man Jiang and his family stood with darkened faces. They had only just split the family, and here was Jiang Yue, bringing down a massive wild boar and a litter of piglets to boot? If they had known this was coming, they wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to cast them out!
Madam Qian eyed the piglets in Madam Cai’s arms, forcing a fawning smile. “Sister-in-law, your new place is still a mess. Our back courtyard has a perfectly good pigpen. Why don’t we put these little ones there for now?” Feeding the pigs was usually the second branch’s chore, but if the pigs stayed with the main family, the third branch would surely get a share of the meat later.
Old Lady Liu shot a glance at Madam Qian. For once, the woman was being clever. The ancestral sacrifice hadn’t happened yet, so legally they were still one household. She was determined to get those pigs.
Liu composed herself and gestured to her two daughters-in-law. “Your sister-in-law already has her hands full caring for your brother. Don’t worry about the extra work; just put these piglets in the family pen.”
As she spoke, Liu reached out to snatch the piglet from Jiang Lei’s arms. But the boy wasn’t slow; he darted behind Jiang Yue in a flash. “These are my family’s pigs! I’m not giving them to you!”
Liu’s hands grasped at empty air. She rubbed her palms together and glared at Madam Li and Madam Qian. “Don’t just stand there! Get them!”
Suddenly, Mother Han let out a cackling laugh. “Old Lady Liu, you certainly are a sharp one! If those four pigs ever set foot in your yard, would they ever come back out in one piece?”
Liu snapped at her. “Watch your mouth! What happens in my family is none of your business!”
“The family is split, and we’ve already moved out. We won’t be troubling my sisters-in-law with the pigs,” Madam Cai interjected.
It was the first time she had ever openly defied her mother-in-law. The moment the words left her mouth, her heart hammered against her ribs as if it might leap out. She fought back the urge to tremble; her daughter had risked her life for these animals, and she wouldn’t let them be stolen away!
The crowd fell silent, stunned to see the usually submissive Madam Cai stand her ground.
Mother Han, never one to shy away from a stir, looked at the flushed Madam Cai. “My pigpen happens to be empty. You’re welcome to use it. Put the piglets there for now. Don’t worry—everyone here is a witness. I won’t touch so much as a single bristle on their backs!”
Before her mother could hesitate, Jiang Yue spoke up. “Then we’ll trouble you, Grandma Han.”
With six strapping sons to back her up, Mother Han wasn’t afraid of anyone in the main Jiang house!
“Let’s go!” Mother Han declared. Like a victorious rooster, she led Madam Cai and the two children toward her back courtyard with her head held high. It warmed her heart to see Old Lady Liu look so defeated.
Liu’s face was like thunder, her eyes burning with resentment.
“Whoa—!”
Luo Douzi arrived, driving his ox cart. He had spotted Jiang Yue hauling the boar from a distance and pointed a finger at her, his expression a mix of scolding and concern—he was clearly unhappy she had snuck into the mountains alone.
Jiang Yue tossed him a cheeky grin in return. I’ll be needing that cart of yours.
Luo Douzi turned his cart around to prepare for the trip. While wild boar meat was delicious, the villagers couldn’t afford it; it cost twice as much as domestic pork. This beast had to be taken to a restaurant in the county seat.
The villagers worked together to heave the massive boar onto the cart. Knowing she still had game hidden in her mountain cave, Jiang Yue had to move fast. She instructed Jiang Ming to accompany Luo Douzi to the county to sell the meat. After a quick word with her father at home, she turned and headed back into the forest.