Chapter 35: A Wild Boar Hunt (Part 2)

On the narrow mountain path, two small figures struggled forward under the heavy load.

Mu Mian pulled from the front while Shi Xiaolian pushed from behind, also helping to direct their path.

The combined weight of the two boars was immense, and Mu Mian was soon panting from exhaustion.

Fortunately, the road was downhill. If they had to go uphill, they would have had to move them separately.

Even so, Shi Xiaolian was still shocked beyond belief. She had wanted to ask earlier—how could Mu Mian have so much strength?

It was beyond her understanding. She had assumed Mu Mian could only lift about a hundred pounds at most.

But now, this was several hundred pounds! Even though dragging and carrying were not the same, it was still terrifying.

Was this something a normal person could do?

Shi Xiaolian could not hold back her curiosity and asked aloud.

Mu Mian, feeling an itch to mess around, turned her head with a straight face. “How do you know I’m human? Now that you’ve discovered my secret, I have no choice but to—”

Before she could finish, Shi Xiaolian twitched at the corner of her eye and interrupted, “If you’re going to act, at least don’t smile.”

Mu Mian: “………………”

Was she smiling?

She thought she had looked pretty cool just now.

Unable to keep up the act, Mu Mian dropped it altogether. “I’m just a little stronger than normal, that’s all.”

She had long noticed that the strength from both of her lifetimes seemed to have stacked together, making her a bit beyond the ordinary.

But honestly, after experiencing something as bizarre as waking up and suddenly jumping backward by decades, was a little extra strength really that surprising?

Mu Mian simply saw her strength as her golden finger.

Other transmigrators got systems or space abilities. She just had a bit more strength—completely normal!

Besides, her strength was not limitless. It was not like she could stop a moving car with one hand.

These two boars were already at the limit of what her small frame could handle.

—

Deep in the mountains was not the best place to chat.

After a few short exchanges, they went back to grunting and hauling.

Mu Mian panted the whole way, dragging the boars along as she suddenly felt like a young calf, only a few months old, being forced by a cruel owner to plow the fields.

As they neared the small cave, Mu Mian stopped and leaned against a tree. She was utterly exhausted, yet she still found the energy to joke. “I really feel bad for myself, like a poor little Fat Tiger.”

Shi Xiaolian, too tired to care about cleanliness, leaned against one of the wild boars to rest. She looked at Mu Mian in confusion. “Fat Tiger? Why Fat Tiger?”

Mu Mian immediately understood—Shi Xiaolian had never watched cartoons.

She made up an explanation on the spot. “The aunties always say I’m like a tiger, and they also call me a chubby girl. Put them together, and doesn’t that make ‘Fat Tiger’?”

Shi Xiaolian, her brain too tired to function properly, did not find the explanation strange at all. She even offered an alternative. “Wouldn’t ‘Fat Panther’ make more sense?”

Mu Mian: “………………”

That sounded awful. No way.

After catching their breath, Mu Mian resumed dragging the boars forward. Although the path was rough, it was much shorter.

This time, she mustered all her strength and finally dragged them right up to the entrance of the small cave. Shi Xiaolian reached forward, pulling aside the wild grass and vines blocking the way.

Mu Mian pushed the wild boar into the cave. Although the entrance was small, the inside was slightly more spacious and could fit two wild boars.

After finishing everything, she moved a large rock to block the entrance. Their operation was as fierce as a tiger, leaving both of them drenched in sweat. They sat on the ground to rest, exhausted.

Mu Mian stared blankly ahead. This was even more tiring than searching for ginseng. It was pure manual labor.

Mu Mian said, “If something like this happens again, I’m not doing it.”

Shi Xiaolian had the same expression, her eyes unfocused. “There won’t be a next time.”

She clearly remembered that there were only a few things worth remembering.

The two of them rested for half an hour before they felt somewhat recovered. Then, Mu Mian carried her now-empty basket, which only held a butcher knife, and headed down the mountain.

That afternoon, her grandmother was at home. Seeing her granddaughter in such a state, she asked curiously, “Where did you run off to? You’re drenched in sweat.”

Mu Mian, her face flushed from the heat, grinned and said, “Hehe, I ran into something good. I’ll wait for Dad to come back before telling you.”

If she told her grandmother now that she had gone near the deep mountains, she would definitely get scolded. It would be better to wait for her father to return and let him take some of the heat for her.

Zhao Meihua chuckled. “What good thing? You can’t tell me but can tell your dad?”

Mu Mian pursed her lips and shook her head, her expression full of secrecy as if saying, “My lips are sealed no matter how much you ask.”

Zhao Meihua didn’t take it seriously, thinking that father and daughter were just fooling around again.

The afternoon passed quickly.

Not long after Liu Shuangcui came home from work, Mu Mian stood at the gate of their yard, watching as her father rode his bicycle back.

Taking a deep breath, she patted her face. It was time to test her acting skills.

So, the moment Mu Fugui arrived home, he was greeted by an overly enthusiastic daughter.

Mu Fugui chuckled. “What’s this? Do you need something from me? Big matter or small matter?”

“If it’s a big matter, I can’t make the decision. You know, in this house, big matters are usually decided by your mother.”

Mu Mian put on a serious face. “It’s not a big matter, and it’s not a small matter. It’s a good thing!”

Mu Fugui was intrigued. “Oh? What good thing?”

Mu Mian didn’t answer right away. Instead, she handed him two steaming cornbread buns from the pot. “Dad, eat first. I’ll tell you after you’re done.”

This made Mu Fugui feel uneasy. “It’s really a good thing? Why do I feel like something is off?”

Mu Mian nodded earnestly. “It’s true. Truer than gold.”

Their back-and-forth chatter amused Liu Shuangcui and Zhao Meihua.

Liu Shuangcui interjected, “So you can tell your dad but not me and your grandma?”

Mu Mian grinned. “I’ll tell everyone in a bit.”

After finishing the two cornbread buns and drinking several gulps of water, Mu Fugui set down his enamel cup and turned to his daughter. “Alright, now you can tell me?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Mian grabbed his arm and pulled him outside. “Let’s walk and talk.”

Mu Fugui was confused. “Where are we going?”

A minute later, he had his answer. His eyes widened in shock, and his voice rose. “What?!”

Mu Mian quickly stood on tiptoe and shushed him. Although her mother and grandmother would find out sooner or later, she wanted to delay it a bit longer.

Mu Fugui instinctively lowered his voice. “You went to the deep mountains?”

Mu Mian waved her hands frantically, already expecting this to be his first question. She guessed her mother and grandmother would ask the same thing later.

Mu Mian explained, “Not the deep mountains, just near those two crooked trees.”

Then she pulled out a very useful excuse. “I was just chasing a rabbit with Shi Xiaolian, and we accidentally went a little too far.”

Mu Fugui frowned. “A little too far? You ran all the way to the edge of the deep mountains! Do you know there are bears in there? They love eating tender little kids like you—one bite and you’re gone!”

Mu Mian: “…”

If that were true, those bears must have gained some kind of spiritual enlightenment.

She quickly clung to her father’s arm and tried to change the topic. “Dad, let’s hurry and check on the wild boars. It’s so hot. If they spoil, all my effort will be wasted.”

Mu Fugui had no way to deal with his daughter. Sighing, he followed her lead.

Inside the house, Zhao Meihua, who hadn’t caught a single word of their conversation, peeked outside and asked her daughter-in-law, “What are those two up to? Why did they just run off like that? Acting all mysterious.”

Liu Shuangcui replied, “Ignore them, Mom. Let’s eat first.”

By the time Mu Mian and Mu Fugui returned, night had already fallen.

Mu Fugui, who had only eaten a little earlier, wasn’t feeling hungry. Besides, he had no time to think about food. He grabbed a flashlight and prepared to leave with his bicycle.

Liu Shuangcui asked, “Where are you going?”

Mu Fugui had no intention of covering for his daughter. Without hesitation, he recounted the entire story.

This little girl was too daring. She needed to be taught a lesson by his wife and mother.

After he finished, he didn’t give them a chance to react. “I’m going to find Fourth Brother and the others. Don’t wait up for me tonight.”

Before his words had fully settled, he was already out the door, leaving Mu Mian alone to face her mother and grandmother, whose expressions kept shifting.

Feeling trapped under their sharp gazes, Mu Mian thought to herself, “…”

Her dad must have been born in the Year of the Rabbit—he sure ran fast.

—

A kerosene lamp flickered on the table in the courtyard, casting a dim glow. The night was quiet.

Mu Mian lifted her small face, revealing an innocent and obedient smile.

If an outsider saw her now, they would surely think she was a gentle and well-behaved girl, completely incapable of doing anything reckless.

Some people’s appearances can be really deceiving.

As family members, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were naturally not fooled.

Liu Shuangcui tapped her daughter’s forehead and scolded, “How did you get so bold? Were you trying to scare your mother to death?!”

The old lady’s gaze carried the same meaning.

Mu Mian quickly put on a flattering smile. “It really was an accident. I didn’t mean to run up there! Besides, we came back safe and sound, didn’t we? We didn’t run into any bears or tigers.”

She then added, “I promise I won’t do it again!”

That trip had truly worn her out.

Seeing that Liu Shuangcui was about to continue lecturing her, Mu Mian decided to play the pity card. “That pig was way too heavy! Mom, look, my hands are all red from carrying it.”

As she spoke, she stretched out her small hands for her mother to see. Under the glow of the kerosene lamp, her little hands appeared especially fair and tender, without a single mark in sight.

Liu Shuangcui, who had just been about to check: “……………”

Mu Mian, who had also just noticed: “……………”

She let out an awkward laugh, then quickly retracted her hands and rubbed them together. “When did they heal? That was fast!”

Her silly expression made both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chuckle.

But in the next moment, Liu Shuangcui quickly straightened her face again and sternly warned, “You were lucky this time, but don’t ever let it happen again.”

Fortunately, the wild boar had already fallen into the trap. If it had still been alive, it would have charged around wildly. Even an adult would have no choice but to run.

Let alone two little kids. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

Mu Mian nodded obediently. “I promise!”

Liu Shuangcui stood up. “Alright, go wash up and get some rest. Aren’t you tired after all that running around this afternoon?”

Mu Mian truly was exhausted. She hadn’t just been busy for an afternoon. If she counted yesterday, she had been going nonstop since the afternoon before.

After all, she was still in a child’s body. As soon as she washed up, she collapsed into bed and fell asleep instantly.

—

The next morning, when Mu Mian woke up, Comrade Mu Fugui had already returned.

With her hair sticking up in a mess like a bird’s nest, she rushed over to her father. “Dad! When did you come back? Did you get everything handled?”

Mu Fugui looked pleased. “You think your father would leave things unfinished?”

Mu Mian was curious. “How much money did we get?”

There was too much meat for them to keep, so they had to trade some of it.

Mu Fugui immediately started explaining, “I kept thirty pounds of meat. Later, I’ll send some to your aunt and uncle. Your fourth uncle and little uncle each took some too.”

“As for the money, we got a total of over 180 yuan. I gave your fourth uncle and little uncle 30 yuan each. Just like you suggested, I also gave that little girl from the Shi family 35 yuan.”

Mu Mian’s brain worked fast. “That means we still have about 90 yuan left.”

Mu Fugui grinned. “Exactly. To round it up, I counted it as 100 yuan and already had your mother put it away with the 300 yuan we got from selling that ginseng.”

Mu Mian didn’t bother acting polite with her father. No matter who was keeping the money, it all belonged to their family anyway.

Including the meat, they had made a clean profit of 100 yuan!

At that moment, she felt like all the hard work from yesterday afternoon had been worth it.

If another opportunity like this came her way, she would say…

She could do it again!

She had been too reckless yesterday. Next time, she could handle it even better!