Sharing The Spoils (Part 2)

She teased upon hearing this, "Who was too scared to come in? Just wait, you'll be the one too scared to watch the slaughter."

"I'm not scared at all. In a few years, I'll be able to slaughter pigs myself and cook for you."

The pigs were being bled, and a large basin was already half-filled with pig blood.

Zhihao who is brave as he was, had been watching the village slaughter pigs with his grandpa for a couple of years now.

All that good meat fascinated him, and he watched this scene with wide, eager eyes.

Wu Erlang was boiling water in the kitchen.

Hearing the commotion outside, he let someone else take his place and went out to see.

"Why are you here?" he asked Tao Xia, then glanced around the courtyard, "Dad, you came too."

"Just got back and had to come to take a look," Uncle Wu said,l while smiling as he eyed the wild boars awaiting slaughter.

The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened, "Last year, we made many fruitless trips into the mountains. This year, things are looking good. Very good."

Having pork was a bonus; the main relief was no longer worrying about the crops being ravaged.

Uncle Wu's pipe which was never far from his hand whether it had tobacco or not, now became a source of frustration as he longed to take a few celebratory puffs but had to settle for holding an empty pipe.

"Exactly," Wu Erlang pointed proudly at the largest wild boar, "Dad, see that hole in its head? I did that."

Tao Xia knew her husband's skills all too well.

Even his own father would doubt that claim.

"If you don't believe me, ask Xiaoyu. I was covered in blood. If I hadn't been worried about scaring people, I wouldn't have bothered to change clothes," Wu Erlang said, recalling his descent from the mountain covered in blood, trying to get Liang Hongyu to back him up.

Everyone turned their head to look at Liang Hongyu, she smiled and said, "Not only was he covered in blood, but he's also probably got bruises on his back that won't go away without some medicinal wine."

"Uncle, I want to hunt wild boars with you in the future!" Zhihao exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

If his uncle was that impressive, following him would surely mean plenty of meat for the family.

Wu Erlang could easily see through the boy's thoughts and seized the opportunity to set some conditions, "You have to study hard with your teacher at the private school. If you do well, I'll take you hunting."

"Did you hurt yourself?" Tao Xia asked, frowning as she looked at his back, "I'll check it when we get home."

"It's nothing," Wu Erlang dismissed her concern, "It's not from falling; it's from hunting the wild boar. It's a badge of honor..."

Liang Hongyu noticed Huo Tianzhou approaching, carrying a bamboo hat and a fish basket, with droplets of water still clinging to the bottom.

Surprised to see him since he hadn't gone to town, Liang Hongyu observed the mud on his clothes and figured he had been checking the rice seedlings in the field.

"You go fishing," Liang Hongyu commented while glancing at the fish basket.

"Tianzhou caught quite a lot of fish," Zhihao grumbled, remembering earlier, "If Aunt Tao hadn't interrupted me, I would have counted them all."

"Alright, Auntie apologize to you, is that okay?" Tao Xia laughed while patting Zhihao's head, "Do you want to watch the pig slaughter or keep counting?"

Zhihao's eyes lit up as he stared at the fish basket.

Huo Tianzho handed it to him, and he started counting with his fingers.

He hadn't brought a bamboo tube with him when he left the house, and seeing his dry mouth, Liang Hongyu handed him the bowl she was holding.

Under the eaves of the opposite house, a few villagers who had been injured during the hunt were sitting while chatting after their wounds were bandaged.

Huo Tianzho had noticed Liang Hongyu earlier; her clothes only had some mud on them, indicating that she hadn't been seriously injured.

Liang Hongyu handed over the water bowl as usual.

Huo Tianzho took it, drank the water, and handed the empty bowl back to her.

Liang Hongyu turned to refill it from the water jug.

Tao Xia noticed this and was momentarily stunned, glancing at them a few more times before turning back to continue teasing Zhihao.

Once the water was boiled and the pigs were cleaned, those people who were skilled in slaughtering took over.

Liang Hongyu and Wu Erlang went to help.

It took several people more than half an hour to handle one pig.

After counting the fish, Zhihao returned the fish basket to Huo Tianzho, stood next to him, and then watched the courtyard with great interest.

Huo Tianzho's gaze shifted from Liang Hongyu to the table beside her, where her bow and arrows lay.

One arrow was placed separately next to the quiver, its shaft still wet from cleaning.

He Bingwen and Uncle Wu started chatting in the courtyard, laughing heartily.

For farmers, the most important thing is their crops.

Now that the wild boars have been dealt with, they no longer have to worry about the animals that were suddenly coming down the mountain and ruining the fields, and they can finally sleep soundly.

The courtyard buzzed with the excitement of the pig slaughter, and the villagers gathered outside chatted animatedly, creating an atmosphere as lively as the New Year.

"Three wild boars and each one is quite large! No other village around here could catch this many!"

"The one in the middle is especially fat and strong. My father-in-law loves this kind of meat; I need to buy extra to take home."

"Don't buy too much, Xiaolin. Save some for the rest of us..."

The families with members who participated in the hunt were overjoyed, as the spoils from the hunt were evenly distributed.

With three wild boars, each person could get at least ten pounds of meat!