“Wild boars, wild boars…”  

The shrill, panicked cries made Ye Zhoushan halt in his tracks.  

After listening carefully, he realized the sound was coming from the woods on the left “pant leg” of Pants Mountain.  

The forests on both “legs” of Pants Mountain weren’t dense, and children often went there to gather firewood or play—it was usually a safe place.  

But the screams this time were filled with terror.  

Could there really be wild boars?  

Without another thought, he sprinted toward the woods.  

As soon as he got close, he saw over a dozen wild boars of varying sizes rampaging through the trees.  

A group of kids was screaming in fear, several of them already injured.  

Spotting a sturdy, round-faced boy about to be trampled under a boar’s hooves, Ye Zhoushan swung his basket and hurled it at the beast.  

Seizing the moment of the boar’s confusion, he yanked the boy out from under its feet.  

“Dazhuang, are you okay?”  

Five-year-old Dong Dazhuang was frozen in shock, his wide eyes filled with terror, neither crying nor making a sound, completely unresponsive.  

Ye Zhoushan cursed under his breath.  

The frenzied boars charged wildly in all directions, and the children instinctively huddled closer to Ye Zhoushan, their faces streaked with tears and snot.  

With one hand gripping Dong Dazhuang and the other brandishing a wooden stick to distract the boars, Ye Zhoushan managed to get the kids to safety.  

Strangely, the boars didn’t seem to be targeting the children. After their chaotic charge, they bolted in one direction.  

Before the kids could even cheer, Ye Zhoushan let out a loud curse.  

“Dammit—that’s the direction of the crops! We can’t let them reach the fields!”  

If the boars got there, the sprouting crops would be completely destroyed.  

There was no one working in that section of the fields today—everyone was laboring in the fields on the right “pant leg.”  

Ye Zhoushan shoved Dong Dazhuang into the arms of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy.  

“Dongzi, take them down the mountain and get Brigade Leader Grandpa to bring people to stop the boars!”  

“Hurry!”  

Older kids who were used to roughing it in the mountains were more resilient. Now that the boars were gone, Dongzi wasn’t panicking anymore. Hoisting Dong Dazhuang onto his back, he led the other children in a mad dash down the mountain.  

Ye Zhoushan chased after the boars.  

The herd was running on pure instinct, as if fleeing from something terrifying.  

Just as they were about to descend into the fields, Ye Zhoushan roared and lunged at them.  

This time, he was truly fierce and reckless.  

The already panicked boars actually hesitated for a moment under his aggressive charge.  

Ye Zhoushan darted to the front of the herd, trying to block their path with his scrawny frame.  

The boars snarled, tusks bared, and charged straight at him.  

…

At the Ye household.  

Little Fuman suddenly jolted awake.  

Meeting her mother’s worried gaze, her big eyes blinked in confusion before she seemed to remember something urgent. Her tiny mouth opened, and she burst into loud, wailing cries.  

[Daddy, Daddy, bad! Don’t hurt Daddy!]  

…

As the 300-pound boar barreled toward him, Ye Zhoushan finally realized his mistake.  

Why had he been so reckless?  

In his panic, he froze, forgetting to react.  

The moment the boar slammed into him, an immense force yanked him backward, sending him flying several meters away. From a distance, it looked like the boar had flung him aside.  

His daughter’s cries echoed in his ears. When he looked up, he saw the boar, unable to stop its momentum, crash headfirst into a thick, crooked tree.  

Crack!

The tree snapped. The boar’s neck snapped too.  

But the beast wasn’t dead yet. Without thinking, Ye Zhoushan grabbed his stick and smashed it down.  

Another crack—the boar was finished.  

…

“Over there, quick, hurry!”  

Zhao Qianjin led a group of men armed with hoes and shoulder poles, panting as they rushed over.  

They intercepted the boars before they could reach the fields, shouting and waving their tools to scare the herd back.  

In the chaos, they even managed to take down a smaller boar weighing over a hundred pounds.  

Zhao Qianjin walked up to Ye Zhoushan, who was still dazed, and asked worriedly, “Kid, you alright? Hurt?”  

Ye Zhoushan exhaled sharply and shook his head. “I’m fine. Not hurt.”

The men gathered around, impressed.  

“Good job, kid!”  

“Didn’t expect you to be so tough.”  

“This boar’s gotta be over three hundred pounds, right? What a haul!”  

They showered him with praise—both for his bravery and the boar’s size.  

Ye Zhoushan scratched his head sheepishly. “Nah, it was just luck. I kinda stumbled into it.”  

Zhao Qianjin, rarely one to compliment Ye Zhoushan, gave a nod of approval. “Not bad today. Finally acted like a man. If it weren’t for you, the crops would’ve been ruined, and we wouldn’t have all this meat.”  

“The whole brigade owes you thanks.”  

“Still, you were reckless. With so many boars, one wrong move and you’d be done for. Don’t be so reckless next time.”  

Ye Zhoushan shuddered at the thought. If not for his daughter, he really would’ve been finished.  

“Won’t happen again.”  

As everyone excitedly discussed how to divide the meat, another boy came running.  

“Brigade leader! Someone’s here—they went straight to the shed!”  

Zhao Qianjin’s expression darkened. Ever since those people had been assigned to the shed, outsiders had been visiting every few days.  

Under the guise of “supervision,” they’d turned the village upside down.  

They’d just come before spring planting—why were they back so soon? What were they up to now?  

Planting had just ended; this wasn’t the usual time for inspections.  

Fuming internally, Zhao Qianjin ordered the men to carry the two boars back while he hurried toward the village.  

After a few steps, he noticed Ye Zhoushan sprinting past him.  

“Kid, what’s the rush?”  

Ye Zhoushan shouted over his shoulder, “I’m worried they’re here for the Chus! Gotta check!”  

Zhao Qianjin paused. That was possible.  

He’d long suspected that every brigade had informants working for those outsiders—how else did they always manage to strike with such precision, never leaving empty-handed?  

He just didn’t know who the mole in their brigade was. If he ever found out, that person would regret it.  

Picking up his pace, Zhao Qianjin muttered to himself. That kid’s barely keeping himself out of trouble—if he rushes in, he’s just asking for a beating. I’d better hurry. 

…

By the time Ye Zhoushan reached the shed, a group of men was already beating the Chu couple.  

The couple lay curled up on the ground, silently enduring the blows.  

They were used to this. They didn’t cry out, didn’t beg for mercy, didn’t even show any expression.  

They knew any reaction was pointless—just a waste of energy.  

The best they could do was endure quietly until it was over.  

Ye Zhoushan’s eyes darkened. He lunged forward, shielding the Chus, and wrapped his arms around the lead man’s leg.  

With an ingratiating smile, he said, “Comrade, don’t be angry—it’s not worth ruining your health!”  

“If there’s some misunderstanding, tell me. I’ll make sure it’s cleared up!”  

The Chus didn’t react to Ye Zhoushan’s voice, still curled tightly together.  

Wu Yong narrowed his eyes, looking down at Ye Zhoushan with disgust.  

“You’re from the Ye family?”  

Ye Zhoushan nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I’m Ye Zhoushan.”  

Wu Yong snorted. “Ye Zhoushan, you’ve got nerve. I hadn’t even gotten to you yet, and here you are, throwing yourself at me.”  

“What’s your business with these two counterrevolutionaries?”  

“Does your family have ideas again?”  

From the crowd watching nearby, Xu Guizhi hastily called out, “Comrade, Ye Zhoushan was kicked out of the Ye family long ago! He’s not one of us! Whatever he does has nothing to do with the Ye family—we’re all good, law-abiding folks!”  

Her voice was shrill and abrupt. Wu Yong hadn’t expected anyone to interrupt. Amused, he turned toward her.  

“Oh? And who are you? Can you speak for the Ye family?”  

Xu Guizhi met his gaze and instantly felt a chill crawl down her spine. She immediately regretted speaking up.  

“I—I’m the Ye family’s daughter-in-law, I—” She was so terrified she nearly wet herself. She couldn’t speak for the family.  

Ye Zhenzhen stepped forward with a sweet smile. “Comrade, I’m a daughter of the Ye family. My mother is the matriarch—what she says goes.”  

“Ye Zhoushan was disobedient, lazy, and disrespectful to his elders. He was disowned long ago. Nothing he does reflects on the Ye family.”  

Relieved to have someone backing her up, Xu Guizhi nodded fervently, tears in her eyes.  

Wu Yong’s gaze lingered on Ye Zhenzhen’s face.  

Blushing slightly, Ye Zhenzhen lowered her head demurely.