Chapter 75

"Hurry up and follow!" Da Huang turned his head to look back; Ling Yue was on the small path, the dense forest lush and green—if it weren't for them, Ling Yue truly wouldn't know there was another small path here.

Xiao Huang followed beside her, sticking out his tongue happily: "Hehehe, this is our brothers' secret passage, the mountain path—there are lots of local specialties, no one else knows about them."

Xiao Bai slowed down at some point and said: "You're the first human we've ever brought up the mountain!"

Ling Yue couldn't help laughing: "Then why did you invite me up here?"

Xiao Huang had the most say, laughing heartily: "Because, because… you're our good friend, you'll feed us sweet, milky cubes!"

Ling Yue was very doubtful; the important part was that last sentence. Soon she ruffled the dog's head, and before she could say anything, Da Huang from up the mountain jumped down: "You guys are so slow!"

He twisted his butt, shoved aside his two little brothers, and his sturdy, strong body rubbed against Ling Yue: "Those two are utterly useless—plainly… plainly disgracing Da Huang's face!"

The more he spoke, the firmer he became: "Let Da Huang take you up the mountain!"

Ling Yue looked at him with a smile: "Are you jealous?"

Da Huang widened his eyes: "How could that be!"

Ling Yue: "Really?"

The dog flicked its tail arrogantly: "Don't guess what's on a dog's mind—no matter how you guess, you won't figure it out!"

They walked over the rugged small path; even with Ling Yue's physique, she could barely endure it—only the dogs could find such a path.

A breeze blew by, and the leaves on the mountain rustled.

Da Huang suddenly stopped, his paws digging wildly into the rotting leaf pile: "I found it!"

Ling Yue blinked in surprise—it was a fresh cluster of chicken fungus mushrooms, prime season for eating fungi; Da Huang proudly lifted his head, his ears perked up more than anyone's.

"Look, this is the freshest mountain bounty—our dogs roam the hills every day, and we know these fungi's growing spots better than anyone."

Xiao Huang shouted: "I found one too—bigger than the boss's!"

Xiao Bai exclaimed: "Bigger than your chubby face!"

Ling Yue didn't realize either—the little mushroom-picking game suddenly turned into a size comparison.

Not long after, with the dogs' teamwork, Ling Yue had gathered a big pile—besides chicken fungus, there were other fresh mushrooms; she hefted it, about several dozen catties.

That's because Ling Yue had the strength; otherwise, an ordinary person would have given up long ago. As she picked, she suddenly said: "Da Huang, if I keep picking, will the villagers of Dahe Village be unable to gather any?"

Da Huang shook his head: "Impossible!"

"We're taking the mountain's small path; this is the other side of the mountain, usually no one comes—it's our brothers' secret little base."

Ling Yue gave a thumbs-up: "Awesome, Da Huang!"

Da Huang especially enjoyed the new friend's praise, feeling pleased inside; seeing this, Xiao Huang couldn't help but pout: "I know there's a chestnut grove here, full of big chestnuts—Yueyue, keep up, I'll take you there!"

As it ran, wagging its tail, it already imagined Yueyue praising it, unable to help grinning widely: "Hehehe~"

Suddenly, it stalled; Ling Yue had just steadied herself when she heard the dog let out a pained howl: "Yelp!"

Xiao Huang's limbs flailed uncontrollably, he jumped straight into a tap dance; Xiao Bai anxiously wanted to run over, but Da Huang blocked him: "Look up—what's that?"

A chestnut tree forest.

Ling Yue's face grew solemn, as if facing a formidable foe, she walked over still wondering: "Could it be a snake?"

No wonder she thought so much—up here, snakes, bugs, rats, and ants abound. Ling Yue hurried closer and saw the dog's paw had stepped on a large chestnut; to be precise, an unpeeled chestnut.

She scooped Xiao Huang up in one motion; within seconds his paws had swollen, and he whimpered into Ling Yue's embrace: "My paws hurt QAQ"

Ling Yue hurriedly rubbed the dog's head, soothing him like a child, then took out some milk cubes.

"Crunch—crunch—"

Xiao Huang, cheeks full from eating, wagged his tail; his two brothers looked on enviously, Xiao Bai suddenly felt a twinge of regret—just then the big boss Da Huang dog lunged to Ling Yue's side, placed his head in her palm, and spoke falsely: "My paws hurt too."

Xiao Bai: "……"

Before it could say anything, Xiao Huang shouted: "Shameless!"

Ling Yue worried they'd keep arguing and get angrier, and the sky was darkening, so she quickly pulled out her small hygiene pack—unused, the dog was already frightened and yelped as he ran off.

Next came gathering chestnuts, shelling them, keeping only the big, reddish ones inside. According to Da Huang and the others, this chestnut forest yields plenty every year—unfortunately, no one has discovered it, so it's cheap for them, though they can't eat much more.

Da Huang didn't know what he was listening to; he lay on the ground silent.

Xiao Huang lowered his head, embarrassed: "I know, it'll make me unable to poop QWQ"

Ling Yue curled the corner of her mouth, not yet laughing, when she suddenly heard a noise and frowned: "What sound?"

Da Huang darted over: "Everyone run, I sense a big creature coming!"

Xiao Huang, the greediest with the best sense of smell, sniffed and suddenly clamped his tail: "It's a wild boar!"

"Uh…" Ling Yue stared blankly ahead: "You mean it's that—"

At the edge of the chestnut grove, a stout, sturdy wild boar glared at them, its body brownish-yellow, a tuft of untamed long hair on its head, its mouth opening to reveal two rows of white, menacing tusks.

They came face to face; instantly, the wild boar reacted, dug its hooves in, and charged: "Ah!"

"Who? Who dares steal on my Wild Boar King's turf?"

"My goodness, the wild boar's coming—Yueyue, let's run!" Xiao Huang shot off like a slip, diving into the woods; in the blink of an eye, Ling Yue saw the dogs had vanished.

She furrowed her brows, looking at the enraged Wild Boar King, ultimately choosing not to fight but to step lightly and nimbly climb an old chestnut tree.

Ling Yue looked down from above as the boar charged; the chestnut shells cracked underfoot—this guy truly lived up to his thick skin and tough hide, stepping right over them without effect.

The Wild Boar King seemed to have singled her out, actually slamming straight into the tree—bang bang bang—chestnuts rained down, and he merely shook his head: "Human, it's definitely you! It's all your fault, my wife won't die!"

Ling Yue raised an eyebrow: "What's going on?"

The Wild Boar King kept striking and then burst into tears, his pig‑like howl echoing through the mountains, startling a flock of birds.

"I'm not worthy of being a Wild Boar King—I can't even protect my wife…" he sobbed.

It seemed to vent all its anger on Ling Yue, locking horns with her; a faint bloody smell lingered in the air, and Ling Yue realized its skull had been cracked open.

"What grudge? What hatred?"

Ling Yue resignedly lowered her gaze, looking at the tree beneath her—growing that big wasn't easy either—and she asked: "What exactly happened to your family?"

The Wild Boar King stalled, hearing the voice from above—it was this human; could it be that she isn't afraid of him?

It let out a miserable howl; Ling Yue covered her ears: "Enough, stop shouting—will this ever end!"

What on earth is wrong with your wife?

The Wild Boar King backed away in fright, stammering: "I-I've run into a monster!"

Ling Yue picked up a chestnut and threw it at it to snap it to attention: "Look closely—I'm human, I just understand a bit of beast language and know some medicine. Right, Wild Boar King, what's wrong with your wife?"

What she didn't expect was that, as soon as she finished speaking, the several-hundred‑jin Wild Boar King thumped down on its knees, unaware whether it was a monster or not, but it heard Ling Yue's words: "Are you a doctor? Doctor, please save my wife—I'll make it up to you!"

Ling Yue jumped down; at that moment the Wild Boar King stood frozen, its tiny eyes watching her warily: "My wife can't go on like this—if you're a doctor, you must save her!"

Ling Yue: "Could it be poaching?"

Wild boars are also a state‑protected second‑class animal.

The Wild Boar King shook its head: "No, no—my wife can't give birth to piglets; can you help?!"

"If you can help my wife, I'll give you the entire chestnut grove!"

Ling Yue touched her nose—she really could.

As for the chestnut grove, she didn't want it; one person couldn't eat it all.

At that moment, the hidden earth‑hunting dogs were employing a pincer tactic; they weren't weaklings—it was just that the boar's charge had been too strong.

Now there was no movement—the boar had either stopped or already fled; Da Huang immediately led the dogs back at full tilt, hoping to regain the situation.

Unexpectedly, they ended up witnessing this scene.

Xiao Huang blinked: "Mom, is my vision playing tricks on me?" Otherwise how could it see its good friend perched on the wild boar's back!

Ling Yue had just finished preparing when she noticed the puppies behind her; she opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the goofy Wild Boar King beneath her said: "Doctor Ling, get ready—I'm about to run!"

No sooner had the words left its mouth than the boar shot forward like a small cannonball.

The seeing dogs: "!!!"

Da Huang lost his composure for the first time, jumping up in agitation: "What did I see? Ling Yue was snatched away by the big wild boar!"

Xiao Huang felt dazed: "Am I not dreaming?"

Bai Bai gave it a paw: "What kind of dream is this? Hurry up and go save Ling Yue!"

The dogs summoned all their strength and sprinted wildly; Ling Yue was jolted uncontrollably, it was so exhilarating—like riding a motorcycle, wind howling, her body running on the ground while her soul chased behind!

Before long they reached the vicinity of the boar's den deep in the barren mountains and thick forest; even before entering, they heard a mournful wail.

"Sister! Sister, wake up!"

"My sister, the piglets haven't even been born yet—how could you just leave?!"

"Sister, sister, open your eyes and look!"

Ling Yue stood still, then surveyed the scene: a group of slightly smaller sows surrounded a large sow lying on its back, its belly bulging high, the area beneath it a mess, completely still.

Dystocia.

Ling Yue drew a deep breath, strode forward, and checked the sow's breathing and pulse, as well as its swollen belly.

The Wild Boar King stared dumbfounded, unable to believe it: "When I left, it was still able to howl and cry!"

"Wife, wake up—don't scare me!" It tried to nudge her with its snout, but Ling Yue stopped it: "If you keep touching it, it might never wake again."

The Wild Boar King instantly froze, motionless.

The other pigs looked at her: "Your Majesty, why did you bring back a human?"

"What is she here for?"

After examining it, Ling Yue finally concluded: "It fainted from sheer exhaustion."

While speaking, she rummaged through her medical kit, relieved she had prepared alcohol swabs, styptic pads, and the like for emergencies; as for restoring the sow's strength, she looked at the Wild Boar King: "Do you have any medicinal herbs like ginseng? Something nourishing to give it a boost."

"Ginseng? What's that?"

It panicked: "I've got a big radish—will that work?"

Without waiting for Ling Yue's reply, the Wild Boar King rushed wildly into the depths of the den; while she fiddled with her supplies, it emerged clutching a large radish.

Ling Yue gazed at the long rootlets and handsome hue: "You call this a big radish?"

That's clearly a wild mountain ginseng!

And it's top‑quality, perfect in appearance!

She quickly sliced it, pried open the sow's mouth and placed it under the tongue, then tossed in a few milk curds; in an instant a fragrance spread, making the boars blink and regain their senses—then they saw Ling Yue raise her knife!

The boars: "!!!"

Seeing her move, they huddled together, trembling; in that instant, to them Ling Yue became the most terrifying demon!

Ling Yue had no choice either; from her observation, the piglets inside the sow were too large, causing the dystocia—if she didn't perform a cesarean promptly, both mother and young would likely die.

Midway through the surgery, the earth‑hunting dogs finally arrived; Da Huang stood at the den's entrance, fierce and imposing: "Big boar, quickly give Ling Yue back to me——"

Suddenly, the dog's voice cut off, shocked as it beheld Ling Yue half‑kneeling before the sow's huge belly, one hand gripping a blood‑stained knife—this sight was as frightening as could be!

"Ling Yue, I'm coming to save you too——"

Xiao Huang shouted at the top of his lungs, then jumped in fright upon seeing the situation.

The Wild Boar King also roared in anger: "What the hell are you yelling, you bastard? Don't you see Doctor Ling is operating on my wife? Shut up!"

If it weren't for the wife being the priority, it would have immediately gone to fight those stupid dogs!

Ling Yue's hand didn't shake as she listened; the more tense she grew, the steadier she became—result of countless drills on the operating table.

She instructed the Wild Boar King to find anesthetic herbs, breaking down each plant's traits and crushing them, telling them otherwise the sow would wake up in agony.

Now it has remained unconscious, likely for that reason.

Half an hour later, eight sticky‑little piglets were extracted; Ling Yue wiped them clean, wrapped them in gauze, then placed them on the soft grass mat the boars had prepared.

They hadn't opened their eyes, their bodies pink all over, resembling tiny mice.

The Wild Boar King gazed at them, his heart melting: "Hehehe, these are my piglets~"

Immediately thereafter, it thought of its wife, and tears burst forth in an instant.

Ling Yue turned a deaf ear, continued suturing the wound, splashing all the remaining alcohol onto the knife; the alcohol disinfected, and with each breath she took, her nasal passages and chest were filled with the sweet, bloody smell.

The anesthetic herbs were crushed and applied to the sutured wound; the tense nerves eased a little, and Ling Yue finally let out a sigh of relief: 'All right.'

The Wild Boar King looked; his wife was already wrapped like a mummy, and tears burst forth again.

He turned his head; only the little dog stared at her in shock, jumped up instantly, his face full of disbelief: 'Yueyue, you actually helped a wild boar give birth?!'

Isn't she the master the villagers invited?!

Ling Yue also looked dazed: 'Ah? My main job is a pet consultant; I've also worked as a pet vet.'

While speaking, the sow giving birth finally woke up, discovered her four limbs splayed and unable to move: 'I——'

The sow suddenly stopped chewing; her mung-bean-sized little eyes lit up instantly. 'Delicious! The more you chew, the more fragrant it gets!'

Beside, the Wild Boar King saw his wife's condition, instantly let out a sigh of relief, and then immediately looked at Ling Yue—

It was moved to tears: 'Doctor Ling, you truly have the miraculous hand that brings pigs back to life, a savior of pigs!'