Upon hearing this womanâs words, Zhu Xiuxiuâs eyelids couldnât help but twitch.
A... wild boar?
She unconsciously stopped in her tracks, waiting for the woman and the village chief to approach.
"Honestly, Yanchenâs mother, I canât help you either! Wild boars are ferocious, and there are no hunters in our village. You want me to ask the young and strong men of the village to help catch it? Thatâs really not feasible! If I were you, Iâd listen to your in-laws and figure out a way to move!"
The village chief was impatient; this daughter-in-law of the Zhou Family was truly troublesome. The Zhou Family had deliberately assigned her this dilapidated house at the foot of White Cloud Mountainâwasnât it a thinly veiled attempt to drive her and her son out of the village?
It would be one thing if he didnât help her today, but if he did, he feared the Zhou Family would never let the matter rest.
"Move? Where could we possibly move to? Our roots are here. Our Dalang is on the Battlefield, defending our country. Heâll return eventually. If we leave the village, where will he find us when he comes back?"
The woman started crying as she spoke.
The village chief sighed and advised, "Yanchenâs mother, we donât even know when Yanchenâs father will return! You might as well move out of the village. Just let me know where you go. When Yanchenâs father returns, Iâll tell him where to find you!"
"If we move, then the army pay my father arranges for people to bring back from the Battlefieldâit wonât reach my mother, will it? Grandpa Village Chief! When the time comes, can you ensure that every bit of the money my father sends back is handed over to my mother and me, without a single cent missing?"
Zhou Yanchenâs voice suddenly rang out, and a hint of embarrassment crossed the village chiefâs face.
The money Yanchenâs father had people bring back was always pocketed by Old Madam Zhou. Basically, only after Yanchen and his mother raised a fuss would the Zho us reluctantly part with any of it. As for whether they gave it all, the village chief couldnât say.
"Sigh! Yanchen! Who receives your fatherâs money is your familyâs affair! Iâm just a humble village chief; I canât make decisions for you. Your mother told me a wild boar came down from the mountain yesterday and even reached your doorstep. She wants me to ask the young and strong men of the village to help catch it, but I really canât do that. That wild boar is ferocious; no one is willing to risk their life. This is for your own good; thatâs why Iâm telling you to move!"
With that, the village chief turned to leave.
What rotten luck,
he thought,
being dragged by this woman under the scorching midday sun just to look at her house. She expects him to find people to catch a wild boar? In this day and age, who would expend effort without any reward?
"Village Chief! I beg you, please help my son and me! If you help us, we will be grateful for your kindness for the rest of our lives!"
Seeing the village chief about to leave, Yanchenâs mother quickly blocked his path, tears streaming down her face once again.
The village chief forcefully shook off her hand. "Let go, Yanchenâs mother! Donât be pulling and tugging at me in broad daylight. Iâm warning you, if my wife sees this, sheâll surely misunderstand. Besides, look, there are strangers watching! You may not care about your reputation, but I certainly care about mine!"
The village chief, quite incensed, kept trying to sling mud at Yanchenâs mother.
Yanchenâs mother, being a refined and reasonable woman, naturally valued her reputation. Hearing the village chiefâs words, her face instantly paled.
Her hand loosened unconsciously. Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from not far off. The sound was somewhat deafening. Everyone looked up, bewildered, their expressions changing drastically.
Speak of the devilâa large wild boar was barreling towards them at the speed of an eight-hundred-meter sprint.