Xu Ning discovered that she could still use her space to catch prey. The day before, Xiao Mo and Grandpa Qi had gone to the village, and since the weather was nice, she planned to go up the mountain for a look. She stumbled upon a daft roe deer that, instead of running away at the sight of a person, stood still.

Recalling how she had tried putting a live chicken into her space before crossing over, she wondered if the roe deer would behave the same way. Quietly, she approached the deer, and as soon as she touched it, she pulled it into her space. When she saw the deer remain motionless, Xu Ning was overjoyed. With this, would she ever have to worry about lacking meat again? Even wild boars could be stored away and killed later.

After knocking the daft roe deer unconscious in her space, she brought it out to show her father and Uncle Lu. The two were surprised and asked if she had killed it. She told them that the deer had accidentally run into a tree. The skins they removed, along with the one from the deer that Lu Xiaotang had hunted last year, were just enough for Grandpa Qi to make a fur coat.

The meat weighed about thirty pounds. Xu Ning salted the four legs, planning to save them for future meals, while the remaining ribs and other parts were stewed in a pot. The family enjoyed a hearty meal together.

Xu Ning planned to take one more trip into the mountains while it was still early and before heavy snow fell, hoping to encounter some wild boars. She sent Xiao Mo to play with Grandpa Qi while she carried a basket and made her way up the mountain alone. The outskirts were mostly deserted except for a few villagers chopping firewood. Most families had stockpiled enough wood by now, though a few industrious ones were still out, hoping to gather more before the snow arrived.

After walking for another half hour, Xu Ning found the area increasingly empty, with no sign of larger animals. Only a few wild chickens and rabbits were around, but she couldn’t catch them. Her space required her to touch the physical object in order to store it.

Deciding to venture further, she thought that if she didn’t encounter any prey soon, she would turn back. Being alone in the mountains felt oddly unsettling. The deeper she went, the denser the trees became. Although it was winter and many leaves had fallen, some pine trees still offered a glimpse of green.

After about twenty more minutes of walking, she heard a rustling sound. She lightened her footsteps and quietly moved forward. Not far ahead, she spotted two wild boars rooting around beneath a tree.

Each boar appeared to weigh over 200 pounds. Upon hearing a sound, they turned their heads to fix their gaze on Xu Ning, who felt a lump in her throat and nervously swallowed. She readied herself, planning to pull them into her space as soon as they charged at her.

To her surprise, the two wild boars ignored her and continued foraging beneath the tree. Realizing they wouldn’t come to her, Xu Ning slowly approached them, hoping to take advantage of their distraction. However, reality took a turn when the boars noticed her advancing and charged at her instead.

Xu Ning’s legs trembled in fear. As the first boar lunged toward her, she quickly sidestepped and reached out to touch its belly, pulling it into her space just in time. The second boar, confused by the sudden disappearance of its companion, hesitated. Xu Ning seized the moment and quickly pulled it into her space as well.

Breathing heavily, she sat on a dead tree trunk, her legs still shaking. It took her about five or six minutes to calm down. She peeked into her space and saw the two boars lying there, motionless. As she started her way back, she pondered how to explain their sudden appearance; the last time, she had claimed the deer had accidentally killed itself.

These two wild boars couldn’t possibly have accidentally killed themselves, so could she claim they fought each other to the death? Xu Ning glanced at the time; it was just after three in the afternoon. In winter, it typically got dark around four or five. There were still people in the mountains at this hour, so she decided to chop some firewood while she waited for everyone to leave.

As the sun began to set, she took a moment to knock the two boars unconscious in her space and inflicted a few fighting wounds on them. Near the base of the mountain, she released the boars and attempted to drag them forward. Though she had been eating well this year and was a bit stronger than last year, pulling a 200-pound boar was still quite the challenge. Fortunately, going downhill made it easier. She would pull one a bit, store it in her space, and then take a break before retrieving it again.

After making some marks on the ground to suggest a struggle, she intended to head down the mountain to call her dad and Uncle Lu for help. Just as she was about to leave, she heard her father and Uncle Lu calling her name.

“Dad, Uncle Lu, I’m over here!” she replied. Upon hearing her voice, they hurried toward her.

When they saw her with the two large wild boars on the ground, they quickly asked, “Xiao Ning, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Dad, Uncle Lu! I was chopping firewood when I saw one wild boar chasing another down the mountain. I quickly climbed up a tree. The two boars started fighting, and when they were nearly out of breath, I climbed down and gave them a few more hits. Now they’re both dead.”

“Dad, Uncle Lu, let’s quickly carry these two pigs back! You two take one, and I’ll drag the other,” Xu Ning said, grabbing a pig’s leg and starting to pull it forward. Her father and Uncle Lu paused for a moment, taken aback by her strength as she dragged a 200-pound wild boar.

Xu Ning’s father was the first to react. “This girl has always been strong! Uncle Lu, let’s carry this one quickly; it’s getting dark. If wild animals smell the blood, it’ll be dangerous.”

Uncle Lu quickly nodded in agreement. They tied up the pig’s legs and, using a stick, lifted it as they made their way down the mountain. By the time they reached the bottom, night had fully fallen. Grandpa Qi, Xu An, and Xiao Mo were standing at the barn door, gazing toward the foot of the mountain.

When they spotted Xu Ning dragging a wild boar and her father and Uncle Lu carrying another one, they were all taken aback and quickly opened the door.

Xu Ning’s mother and Aunt Lu were distracted in the kitchen preparing dinner. Upon hearing the door open, they rushed outside.

Xu Ning’s mother anxiously called, “Uncle Qi, is Xiao Ning back?” Just as she finished speaking, she saw her daughter leading a 200-pound wild boar through the door.

Before anyone could fully process what was happening, they saw Father Xu and Uncle Lu coming up behind with an even larger boar.

Xu Ning quickly instructed, “Mom, Aunt Lu, grab two big bowls! These boars just died, and they’re still warm; we need to collect the blood!”

Without asking too many questions, Xu Mom and Aunt Lu hurried to the kitchen to fetch the bowls.

Grandpa Qi directed, “Take them to the backyard.”

They carefully carried the two boars to the back, where Grandpa Qi used a knife to drain the blood, filling two bowls to the brim. He then grabbed a large basin for the pig entrails.

Under Grandpa Qi’s guidance, Father Xu and Uncle Lu began skinning the wild boars. Meanwhile, Mother Xu and Aunt Lu washed the intestines and prepared to make blood sausage. Xu Ning and Xu An worked in the kitchen, boiling the blood sausage. By the time they finished processing both pigs, it was almost midnight.

Although Xiao Mo had long since fallen asleep, the adults were buzzing with excitement and had no intention of resting. They gathered around the table, enjoying the pork dishes while Xu Ning animatedly recounted how the two pigs had fought and how she had taken advantage of the situation.