Chapter 37: Sturdy Men Gather

Lu Qingshan drew a deep breath of the icy morning air, and the turbulent emotions in his chest gradually calmed.

He suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart, turned, and walked into the courtyard.

A storm is imminent.

He needed to prepare himself to face the enormous upheaval that was bound to arise.

The village rumor, having grown wings, instantly spread to the Lu family's neighboring households.

Next door, Zhao Wenwu's wife, and the Zhao family sister-in-law from diagonally across the street, craned their necks at Lu Qingshan's gate, peering and whispering in low voices.

"Have you heard?! Lu Qingshan is going to give the biggest wild boar to the team!"

"A wild boar over three hundred jin! Free for real?! Is it true?!"

"How could it be fake?! Team Captain Zhao said it himself to the village head! His family hunted six yesterday! Exactly six!"

Qian Guafu, who was feeding chickens in the courtyard, heard the exclamation from next door, and her corn scoop clattered to the ground with a clang.

Golden corn kernels scattered everywhere!

"Is he crazy?!"

"That's three hundred jin of meat! What makes him so generous?!"

"Fake! It must be fake!"

Qian Guafu's face turned ashen; her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys felt as if soaked in venomous jealousy, throbbing with fiery pain.

She spat bitter curses, her voice sharp and harsh, drawing contemptuous glances from the equally shocked neighbors nearby.

Zhao Dazhi's speed in rallying manpower was astonishing.

Compared to the usual dawdling and dragging when the team went out to work, this was completely opposite extremes!

Who could still sit calmly on the kang when hearing that three hundred jin of wild boar meat was waiting to be divided?

Who could still stay seated?!

Not long after, under the bare old locust tree at the village entrance, eight or nine sturdy fellows gathered with a rustle.

Each was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, exuding a capable, energetic vibe.

Their eyes sparkled with excitement, like wolves that had been starving for a long time spotting fatty meat.

They gripped thick hemp ropes tightly in their hands.

On their shoulders they carried smooth-polished hardwood carrying poles.

Also brought over were two simple sled plows the village used specially for dragging timber in the mountains.

The sled plows scraped against the frozen hard ground, emitting a dull "shasha" sound.

The whole scene exuded an unprecedented, impatiently efficient energy!

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui also arrived early at Lu Qingshan's courtyard gate.

Both faces bore uncontainable excitement and anticipation.

Yesterday's trek over ten-odd li of mountain road, shouldering a dead-heavy wild boar, was truly unpleasant.

Today their very bones still ached with soreness.

Especially Liu Fugui.

Last night he carried back a seventy- to eighty-jin wild boar; at home, his two skinny-as-monkey siblings swarmed the pig, shouting and jumping.

The light in their eyes could almost illuminate the pitch-black night.

Liu Fugui spent the night meticulously processing the pork, and inside he harbored an unprecedented drive to work.

He was utterly convinced and admiring of Lu Qingshan.

When Lu Qingshan said he would produce the biggest wild boar to share with the team in exchange for manpower, Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui nodded in agreement without hesitation.

They knew that without the village's help, those three huge beasts in the mountains could not be brought back at all.

Rather than let the mountain's livestock go to waste, it was better to produce them in exchange for real assistance.

"Qing Shan, everyone's here!"

Zhao Dazhi led the group, marching over in mighty numbers.

Seeing the wild boar corpse in Lu Qingshan's courtyard, already frozen solid, he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"We've brought all the gear; look, shall we set out?"

Zhao Dazhi rubbed his hands, his face showing unrestrained excitement and urgency.

Lu Qingshan nodded, glancing at the faint fish-belly white just appearing on the horizon.

"The sooner, the better."

"Let's try to get those three big fellows back before dark."

He turned his gaze to Lin Yue'e's face as she stepped out the door.

Her eye sockets were slightly red, obviously she hadn't slept well last night.

Seeing the lingering worry deep in her eyes, Lu Qingshan's heart softened, and his voice grew much gentler.

"Yue'e, I, Tiezhu, and the monkeys are heading into the mountains."

"Lock the courtyard gate from inside, don't come out, don't be afraid—we'll be careful."

"When we return, we'll butcher this pig together and cook meat for you."

Lin Yue'e's eye sockets red, she nodded firmly.

She looked at the sturdy men outside, at the sled plows and thick ropes they brought, and her heart settled a little.

But that worry ingrained in her bones was not easily dispelled.

In the end, thousands of words boiled down to a single trembling admonition.

"Hmm, you… you all need to be careful."

"Go!"

Lu Qingshan fell silent, gave a low call, and stepped ahead first.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui closely followed behind.

A group of over ten sturdy men, plus Lu Qingshan and three people, marched mightily toward the dry rice basin behind the village.

This spectacle drew even more attention than yesterday when Lu Qingshan and his three companions carried the pig back to the village.

Many villagers put down their chores and followed from afar to watch the excitement.

Voices of discussion surged like a tide through the morning village.

The entire Shanwan village boiled over.

"Good grief! They're really going to lift those three big ones! Look at this momentum!"

"Over ten strong laborers, and we have to bring the sled plow too! Good heavens, how big must that pig be!"

"Lu Qingshan has really made it this time! Look at how he walks, his back ramrod straight—nothing like the former listless, droopy‑shouldered Lu Lazizi!"

"Hmph, what's so great? He just got lucky with dog‑shit luck—I doubt he can stay pleased for long."

Qian Guapu blended into the crowd behind, far off watching Lu Qingshan's upright back.

She felt her heart and lungs churning with acid, as if they might burst from her eyes.

She muttered foul words under her breath, but dared not shout them out.

She feared being talked back to by those nearby whose eyes burned with envy of Lu Qingshan.

The mountain road was rugged and hard to travel.

Especially under the thick snow cover, each step was deep then shallow.

A moment's inattention could send one sliding down to eat mud like a dog.

But this time was different.

Many people, great strength.

They also had a clear goal.

Moreover, the huge profit of a three‑hundred‑jin wild boar ahead drove them forward!

Everyone's mood was unusually high.

They helped each other, shouting encouragement, and their pace was not too slow.

Lu Qingshan still walked at the very front.

Mountain Wild Heart turned silently.

The path under his feet, hidden ice, and inconspicuous depressions all appeared clearly in his mind.

He always seemed to choose the safest, least‑effort route without appearing to try.

He led the team forward steadily.

This made Zhao Dazhi and the villagers following behind secretly marvel.

In their hearts, toward that former mixed‑ball educated youth, they unconsciously gained a hard‑to‑describe awe.

"Brother Qing Shan, your eyes are truly sharp!"

A sturdy man named Zhao Dakui, panting heavily, couldn't help but voice his praise.

"How can an educated youth from the city know this old forest better than we natives?"

"Following you, our footing feels much steadier!"

Lu Qingshan merely gave a faint smile, offering no further explanation.

"Just from running around the mountains, I figured it out."

Zhao Tiezhu followed close behind, chest out.

He felt the envious, even admiring gazes of the villagers behind him, filling his heart with unprecedented pride.

Thinking of his sick mother lying on the kang at home, he felt his whole body brimming with inexhaustible strength.

Liu Fugui looked ahead at Lu Qingshan leading the way, then at the burly men beside him.

He secretly rejoiced that he wouldn't have to lug that dead‑weight thing himself today.

His admiration for Lu Qingshan deepened a bit more.

They had walked for about an hour and a half.

They finally neared the concealed gully where they had ambushed the wild boar yesterday.

The air still carried a faint smell of blood.

Although last night's wind and snow had washed it away considerably, Lu Qingshan's Mountain Wild Heart could still detect it clearly.

He sensed it carefully.

Nearby there were no signs that large predators had been drawn in.

His mind eased somewhat.

"It's right in that gully ahead!"

Lu Qingshan pointed to the gully entrance ahead, blocked by jagged rocks and dense dry branches, and spoke in a low voice.