My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 573: The Beauty Trap

The light rain was falling quite heavily.

The sky was overcast. Looking out from the threshing ground at the village entrance, the tall, dense green corn stalks covered the fields under the shroud of rain and mist, obscuring the crisscrossing dirt roads.

The distant mountains were shrouded in a thick white mist.

It was all blurry and I couldn't see anything clearly, let alone find a pig. Finding anything else would be a struggle.

This is the worst time to go up the mountain.

Most people would be completely baffled.

Fortunately, Chen Ling wasn't afraid of this. He said to Chen Yongsheng, "Let Fourth Grandfather go back. The mountain road is slippery from the rain. We can go and look for him ourselves. Don't let him come along."

Chen Yongsheng nodded, then turned to Chen Gannian and said, "Okay, I'll listen to Fugui. Da, you can go back now."

Chen Gannian wiped the rain off his face: "Don't rush off yet. It's raining and it's pitch black on the mountain. We need to go home and get a flashlight."

Chen Ling thought about it and realized that it made sense. His eyesight was fine, but Shanmao's and Chen Yongsheng's were not.

Just as he was about to nod, by sheer coincidence, Chen Baoshuan heard the noise and came out to look around, holding an umbrella.

"Wealth and honor? What are you doing? Bringing a tiger out to run around in the rain?"

Chen Baoshuan was surprised at first, then laughed and said, "You have a really big addiction."

"What addiction? It's not what you think. Uncle Yongsheng's pig is missing and has run up the mountain."

Chen Ling explained, "Do you have a flashlight at home? If so, could you lend it to us? It's very dark in the mountains, and it would save us the trouble of having to go back to get it."

"Oh dear, the pig is lost. I'll go back and get it right away."

Upon hearing this, Chen Baoshuan didn't dare to say anything more and quickly ran back with his umbrella in hand.

He quickly took out a flashlight and handed it to Chen Ling, saying, "It's raining today, and Uncle Yongsheng's house isn't outside the village. How could the pigs have run so far? Did they run up the mountain?"

Chen Ling handed the flashlight to Lynx and shook his head, saying, "I don't know. Who can say for sure about livestock?"

Then he said, "Fourth Grandfather, we have the flashlight. You should hurry home; the rain is getting heavier."

Chen Gannian sighed, knowing that there was no use in rushing at this point, and that he wouldn't be of any help and would only be a hindrance. "Okay, then I'll go back and wait."

Seeing this, Chen Baoshuan looked at the group and said, "Fourth Grandfather, you should go back quickly. I have nothing to do at home, so I'll come along to look for them. Many hands make light work."

Chen Yongsheng moved his lips, wanting to politely decline.

Chen Ling nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together."

Baoshuan has been eager to show off this past year; he'll feel uncomfortable if you don't ask him for help.

So Chen Ling rode his horse, accompanied by dogs and tigers, and took the lead.

The three Lynx members hurriedly followed behind.

At this point, Chen Ling was the main one to find the pig. Riding a horse was faster, and if the pig hadn't run up the mountain, it might have gone into someone's cornfield, so they could find out the result as soon as possible.

So Chen Ling didn't wait for the three of them, and urged the little green horse forward and forward.

Unfortunately, Erhei, Afu, and Ashou's gaze remained fixed on the west mountain.

This makes no difference when running uphill.

At the foot of the mountain, Chen Ling finally discovered pig hoof prints in the mud.

It turns out that these pigs did go to the cornfield; after all, they had been hungry for two days and had eaten corn on the cob at home. They followed the smell and came to the outskirts of the village.

Then they went into the cornfield, eating as they went, and eventually made their way up the mountain.

Chen Ling dismounted and looked around. In the cornfield on the north side of the small dirt road leading west from the threshing ground, many corn stalks had been knocked down, forming a path about half a meter wide.

The cornfields and peanut and sweet potato fields along the foot of the mountain gullies also suffered minor damage.

There are many pig trotter prints inside.

Fortunately, domestic pigs are not as destructive as wild boars. Otherwise, if a few pigs had been starving for several days and had run into the cornfield, they certainly wouldn't have stopped until they had destroyed at least two acres of land.

"Fugui, why did you stop? Are the pigs around here?"

Chen Yongsheng and the other two hurriedly followed. When they saw Chen Ling stop, they perked up and rushed forward.

They were in a hurry to find the pig, so they didn't dare to delay.

Running all the way, even if it's slower than a horse, it won't be much slower.

"No, I didn't find the pig, but I did find it coming up the mountain from here."

Chen Ling pointed to the traces left by the pigs, and then showed them Erhei, Afu, and Ashou's reactions: "They weren't mistaken, these pigs must have run into the mountains."

This time there were hoof prints, and with dogs and a tiger leading the way, it would be much easier to find.

"Damn it, they really went that far."

Chen Yongsheng stomped his foot in anger, and seeing the corn that the pigs had knocked over and the sweet potatoes and peanuts that had been damaged, he became even more irritated: "Alright, it's not raining anymore, let's discuss how to compensate them."

"What if we end up not only failing to find the pig, but also having to pay compensation?"

"I don't think so, Fugui. It's raining, and I think the wild animals in the mountains should be curled up in their dens and sleeping soundly."

Chen Baoshuan said.

This was also to comfort Chen Yongsheng.

Chen Ling nodded: "As long as they don't run too far, they'll be fine. But if they run too far and enter the territory of other wild animals, they'll have to come out of their burrows and kill the pig, even if it's raining."

The wild animals in the mountains, especially wolves, have been appearing less and less this year.

That's just how wolves are.

Unless there is absolutely nothing left to eat in the mountains, and everyone is starving and desperate, they will not easily venture near human villages.

Just like the increasing number of wild animals in the mountains this year.

The wolf pack, on the contrary, moved further and further away from the village, heading deeper into the Qinling Mountains.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yongsheng hurriedly said, "Then let's go and look for it right away."

Chen Ling nodded and waved his hand: "Afu and Ashou, clear the way."

Then he put the weasel from Little Green Horse's side pocket into his own pocket, told Little Green Horse to wait at the foot of the mountain, and took Erhei with him, following behind the two tigers, to go up the mountain to find the pig.

As soon as we entered the mountains, the light dimmed considerably.

The light rain pattered through the trees and leaves.

Chen Yongsheng and Chen Baoshuan turned on their flashlights.

Two beams of light lit up, and Afu and Ashou suddenly leaped over a dense thicket and sped through the forest.

Erhei also started barking.

Chen Ling stuffed the weasel that had crawled out out of curiosity back into his pocket and said to the three of them, "Found it, it didn't go far."

The mountain forest was indeed difficult to walk in the rain; the path was extremely slippery.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yongsheng became so excited that he stumbled and fell flat on his back.

I almost slipped down the slope.

It's just that the western mountain isn't steep, otherwise scratches would be a minor issue.

Chen Ling and the lynx helped him up, while Erhei continued barking ahead, waiting for them to catch up.

So he didn't delay any longer and hurriedly followed.

This made things much smoother.

After crossing just one mountain ridge, the faint grunting of pigs could be heard amidst the patter of raindrops.

Of course.

In such an environment, it's not so easy to find something just by hearing the squeals of pigs.

In other words, it's about two tigers, Ah Fu and Ah Shou, going to find a pig.

Erhei leads the way, taking people there quickly.

However, when they found a ditch in the mountains where a lot of rainwater had accumulated, the scene inside startled Chen Yongsheng and his companion.

Two tigers, one in front of the other, stood in the rain, eyeing a puddle menacingly.

This puddle is actually a mud pit.

The surrounding vegetation is lush, and there are protruding rocks for cover.

Chen Yongsheng's four black pigs were hiding there, and in front of the pigs was a large wild boar with its hair standing on end, red eyes, panting heavily, and ferocious tusks, confronting two tigers in the drizzle.

"What's going on? Where did this wild boar come from?"

Chen Baoshuan's flashlight trembled, and he couldn't help but let out a strange cry.

The lynx was also surprised: "Goodness, these few local pigs are quite capable. They found a backer as soon as they entered the mountains."

At this moment, Afu and Ashou roared.

They weren't afraid of wild boars; they were waiting for Chen Ling's orders.

Chen Ling waved his hand: "Let's chase it away."

He couldn't be bothered to care how the wild boar had gotten mixed up with the domestic pigs, and he wasn't in the mood to hunt wild boars today, so he might as well just chase them away.

We still need to drive the domestic pigs down the mountain.

Upon receiving the order, Afu and Ashou pounced fiercely.

Seeing that there were many people around, the lone pig obviously didn't dare to fight head-on.

It whimpered in panic, pushed aside clumps of dense vegetation, and ran away along the side of the ravine.

The rest, driving away the domestic pigs, was much simpler.

Domestic pigs are not very brave.

Compared to wild boars, they weren't as aggressive or unruly. With tigers and dogs around, they were completely surrounded and couldn't escape anywhere. After some effort, they were driven down the mountain.

Chen Yongsheng's family didn't lose a single pig, and everyone was happy.

After returning, they insisted on keeping Chen Ling and Shanmao, and slaughtered a sheep to eat mutton hot pot on a rainy day to thank them.

Chen Ling and the lynx couldn't refuse, so they stayed and ate and drank to their hearts' content.

Ah Fu, Ah Shou, and Er Hei also got to enjoy the delicious food.

After eating and drinking my fill, I thought the matter was over.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, while Chen Ling was training a few weasels in the backyard, Chen Yongsheng came over again despite the rain.

He said that yesterday, a wild boar from the mountain somehow came down and ran into his pigsty.

It mingled among several local pigs and couldn't be driven away.

Chen Yongsheng's family was terrified that it would hurt them.

He rushed over to find Chen Ling, wondering if he should ask the tiger to chase the wild boar away.

This wild boar is a lone boar, meaning it's a large male boar that lives alone in the mountains without joining a herd, and it usually weighs over 350 pounds.

The pigpen fence at home can't stop it; it can easily jump over.

Without a gun in hand, one really wouldn't dare to provoke someone rashly.

Even if there are many people, it won't work.

Once a wild boar charges, no one cares how many people there are; no one can stop it.

Chen Ling took the umbrella and led Afu and Ashou to take a look. Sure enough, it was the same big wild boar they had encountered yesterday.

During the day, it was even clearer than yesterday. Although this boar was large and imposing, it was obviously quite old. Its two tusks were yellowed and severely worn, proving that it had a wealth of fighting experience.

At the same time, the scars all over its body also indicate that its glory days are over.

Standing between the four black pigs, he warily looked at the crowd outside the pigpen.

"This is a male boar."

Chen Ling knew that, considering the lifespan of a wild boar, it wasn't that old, but compared to the younger and stronger male boars in the mountains, it was already quite old.

"A male pig? Male pigs are supposed to be slippery, so how did it end up in the village and follow me to my pigsty?"

Chen Gannian asked in bewilderment, "Yongsheng, go and call Lishan over too. His big black pig from two years ago ran up the mountain during the flood and got mixed up with the wild boar herd."

Call him over and see what's going on.

We can't keep troubling Fugui when something happens.

"It's alright, Fourth Grandfather. It's raining, and I usually don't have much to do when I'm not busy."

Chen Ling quickly replied.

However, Chen Yongsheng still called Wang Lishan over.

During this time, the neighbors living around Chen Gannian's old house also came to see the rare sight and join in the fun.

That old pig was strange too.

With so many people watching it, even the domestic pigs in the pens hid in a corner, but it still wouldn't run away, instead squeezing in with the four domestic pigs.

The domestic pig grunted, and the dog grunted along with it, glaring at the onlookers.

This sparked a buzz of discussion among the crowd.

When Wang Lishan arrived, he took one look and said, "This old boar came down the mountain with the sow. It wants to mate with a pig. As long as domestic pigs and wild boars are together, there's nothing else."

"Wow, so this old pig has fallen for a honey trap."

The villagers made a commotion, and then said to Chen Yongsheng, "Yongsheng, you've really struck gold! The pigsty collapsed, but you didn't lose a single pig, and you even brought back a big wild boar."

Chen Yongsheng shook his head and said, "No, that's definitely not it. I only have one sow, and the other three are boars."

Wang Lishan chuckled: "Is that still a boar? It's all castrated."

Chen Yongsheng was taken aback and remained silent.

In the countryside, pigs are often castrated when they are young in order to make them grow fatter and stronger quickly.

Generally, if you want your own piglets to be born, you should keep the sow so that the breeding pig can mate with her.

All male pigs were castrated.

So, in the eyes of this male wild boar, eunuch pigs are no longer considered males and pose no threat whatsoever. They might even be mistaken for sows if they were mixed together.

Chen Ling then exclaimed "Oh!" and laughed, "So that's how it is. This old boar is probably too old to join a proper wild boar herd, so it's set its sights on these domestic pigs."

Coming down the mountain sounds strange, but it's actually like a boar joining a herd.

Look at it, it doesn't even hide when there are a lot of people, it even dares to glare at us. It's starting to learn to protect its group.

Everyone who looked at it realized it was true.

Male wild boars in the mountains don't usually enter groups this season, but for such old boars, who cares about those things?

"Anyway, Fugui, you should still help me get rid of this guy."

Chen Yongsheng rubbed his square face, looking troubled.

"Hey, Yongsheng, why don't you take this pig that's been delivered to your door for free? Why are you chasing it away? Aren't you just messing around?"

"Yeah, it's practically delivered to your door, even crawling into your pigsty. Isn't it your pig now? You made a lot of money slaughtering it during the New Year."

The villagers chattered amongst themselves, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Afu and Ashou disliked noisy environments, so they hid behind Chen Ling like two big cats, burying their big heads between his legs.

Seeing the tiger acting cute, Chen Yongsheng quickly moved away from Chen Ling and complained, "This pig is like a living ancestor. You can't hit it or scold it. With this pig around, we can't feed any pigs at home. No matter how much we feed it, it will eat as much as it wants. Only after it's full can the other pigs eat... If we're not careful, it might even hurt someone."

Whoever wants to raise them can do so.

(End of this chapter)