Chapter 73: Zhaodi is a Blessing

The wild boar let out a tragic cry as it was repeatedly struck by Hu Zhaodi, but it couldn’t shake her off.

Riding on the boar’s back, Hu Zhaodi was also enduring some discomfort. Her legs were knocked several times, causing her to grimace in pain.

Moreover, her balance was difficult to maintain, so her strikes became weaker. After three attempts, she still hadn’t knocked the boar out.

But she was determined and didn’t let go, continuing to swing her axe fiercely at the boar’s head.

The boar, dazed from the hits and possibly blinded by pain, suddenly charged toward a pine tree as thick as a barrel.

“Wait! Are you trying to take me down with you?”

Hu Zhaodi’s eyes widened in alarm. She tightened her left hand, leaped into the air, and when she landed, she almost lost her footing, staggering a few steps before steadying herself.

With a loud bang, the wild boar’s head collided solidly with the pine tree, and its body went limp and collapsed to the ground.

“Ha…” Hu Zhaodi let out a long sigh of relief. “Finally, we’ve worn it out.”

With the Ji brothers around, she couldn’t use her family’s secret martial arts techniques, so she had to rely on her agility and brute strength to deal with the boar.

“Zhaodi, are you alright? Did you get hurt?” The eldest Ji brother ran up, his face full of concern as he carefully inspected her.

Hu Zhaodi shook her head. “I’m fine, Big Brother Ji. Go chop a couple of sticks, and let’s tie up the boar and carry it down the mountain.”

Third Brother Ji spoke up, “Zhaodi, why don’t you rest? I’ll go chop the sticks. But can you get the wolves to leave first? It’s a little unsettling.”

“No need,” Hu Zhaodi replied with a smile. “It’s safer with the wolves here. You don’t need to worry, I’ll make sure they don’t attack you.”

With that, she walked toward the lead wolf.

The alpha wolf promptly lay down, raising its legs, waiting for Hu Zhaodi to pet it.

She grinned and began to gently stroke the wolf’s belly.

The other wolves quickly gathered around, lying down beside her.

It was a scene of chaos as eight wolves fought to get a turn at being petted by Hu Zhaodi.

After a few strokes for each wolf, Hu Zhaodi finally spoke, “Alright, little cubs, time to go. Keep an eye on the forest, and I’ll come see you next time.”

Reluctantly, the wolves rose and, under the leadership of the alpha, walked away, frequently looking back.

Hu Zhaodi joined the Ji brothers, who had almost finished tying up the boar.

The four of them began carrying the boar down the mountain, with the eldest and third Ji brothers in front, and Hu Zhaodi and the fifth Ji brother behind.

The eldest Ji brother asked, “Zhaodi, how did the wolves not attack you? Why are they so friendly? How did you manage it?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and replied, “At first, I had to use my wits to deal with them, take them down one by one, and then just keep grooming them.”

“After doing this repeatedly, they have sensed that I’m not gonna harm them , and they trusted me, after that they stopped being hostile.”

“Sometimes, I also feed them some prey. Now, they trust me completely, so they won’t hurt me.”

Fifth Brother Ji remarked, “No wonder you used sleeping powder on them but didn’t harm them. You were planning to keep them around to guard the forest, weren’t you?”

“Exactly,” Hu Zhaodi confirmed. “I plan to plant some medicinal herb seeds here in the spring, letting them grow naturally. So, I need the wolves to protect the herbs for me.”

The eldest Ji brother nodded. “Zhaodi, you really think of everything. When you didn’t deal with the wolves, I was a bit disappointed. Eight wolves could fetch quite a bit of silver.”

“I don’t know if wolves are valuable, but if we plant medicinal herbs in this forest, that will be true wealth. With the wolves guarding it, I won’t have to worry about people secretly harvesting the herbs.”

Fifth Brother Ji gave her a thumbs-up. “Of all the people in Dawai Village, I respect you the most. You managed to tame the wolf pack in just over a month!”

Hu Zhaodi smiled shyly. “At first, I was very nervous and careful. There were a couple of times I almost got ambushed.”

Third Brother Ji marveled, “Zhaodi, you’re really bold. Taming wild wolves? You’re probably the first person in history to do that.”

“Third Brother Ji, don’t say it like that. There’s always someone better out there, more capable than me. We just haven’t met them yet.”

“Maybe, but here in Dawai Village, you’re definitely the first to tame wild wolves. I really admire you.”

The four of them continued chatting as they carried the boar down the mountain.

When they returned to the village, the sight of the boar made the villagers envious once again.

“Sigh! The Ji family is so lucky. Ever since Zhaodi went to live with them, the smell of meat is in the air every day. I’m so jealous!”

“Right? It’s all because of Zhaodi. She’s the one who built the private school and bought a carriage. The Hu family must regret it so much.”

“Zhaodi is definitely a blessing. When she was with the Hu family, everything was fine. But as soon as she left, all kinds of trouble started. No one even wanted to lend them grain.”

“I think Zhaodi really is a blessing. Ever since she went to the Ji family, they’ve been eating meat every day. I heard they’re even eating white rice. Who in our village can afford that?”

“Sigh! If only Zhaodi could come stay at my house for a few days.”

“…”

Hu Zhaodi listened to the villagers’ chatter, her lips curling into a small smile. She called out loudly, “Everyone, it’s time to harvest the grain!

To give everyone the energy for the harvest, the Ji family is killing pigs today.

Any household that helped build the private school can come to the Ji family and get a free pound of pork. If you need more, I’m selling it at half price. Please spread the news!”

The families that had helped build the school lit up with excitement.

On the other hand, those who prioritized their own crops and hadn’t helped with the school project hung their heads in regret.

Though a pound of pork wasn’t much, with over a hundred households in the village, nearly half of them had sent at least one person to help.

That meant Hu Zhaodi was about to give away over fifty pounds of pork.

And, with the half-price deal for more, it was like a windfall from the heavens!

Hu Zhaodi and the Ji brothers arrived at the Ji household just in time for lunch.

As soon as they entered the yard, Aunt Ji greeted them with a smile, “Wow, you caught such a big wild boar! Lucky you! Come, put it down, wash up, and let’s eat.”

After setting the boar down, Hu Zhaodi wiped the sweat off her face. “Aunt, wait a moment. Since the boar just died, let’s bleed it first.

Please bring a clean basin, add some salt, and fill it with water. We’ll collect the blood to make blood tofu. We shouldn’t waste it.”

“Alright, I’ll get the basin. How much salt should I add? How much water?”

“I’ll do the seasoning. You just get the basin ready.”

“Okay!”

Ji Chunhua spoke up, “I’ll boil the water. By the time we’re done eating, the water should be about ready.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded. “Alright, go ahead!”