Chapter 61: Felling the Wild Boar with a Single Punch

Bang! The rabbit was knocked to either side and fell at Lin Jingyue's feet.

Xie Yunzhen: "…!"

Sun Jiabao: "…?"

Zhou Yan and Jiang Xun were already used to it—after all, Lin Jingyue would occasionally stumble upon wild pheasants or rabbits.

"I finally understand why we had to bring Comrade Lin," Xie Yunzhen suddenly sighed. This luck defied the heavens.

"Why?" Sun Jiabao asked in a daze.

"Are you dumb? Because with her, we run into the big catches!"

"…"

By noon, they’d gathered five wild pheasants, five rabbits, and a roe deer.

Most of them had ended up at Lin Jingyue’s feet, some were shot by Jiang Xun, and the other three only picked up the leftovers.

"Brother Jiang, if we go any deeper, it’s the heart of the mountains," Sun Jiabao said, gulping down water and wiping his mouth.

People in the brigade feared the deep mountains.

A few years back, some families, desperate for food, had been forced to venture in and ran into wild boars—gored so badly their guts spilled out.

No one ever spoke of that scene except in hushed tones.

"Let’s not go any further," Jiang Xun said, glancing at the quiet forest.

They had plenty already.

Lin Jingyue, thinking of her own skills, didn’t think she could handle wild boars, wolf packs, or tigers, so she didn’t object.

Xie Yunzhen felt a bit regretful but didn’t dare protest.

As they prepared to head down, Jiang Xun’s face suddenly darkened. "Be careful. Something big is coming."

The next moment, they all heard heavy, chaotic steps and snorting.

Wild boars!

Sun Jiabao’s pupils dilated. "Bro—Brother Jiang, what do we do?"

"It’s probably more than one," Lin Jingyue said with a frown.

Moments later, three wild boars burst from the forest—the largest weighing over three hundred pounds, the smallest around two hundred.

We're done for!

Sun Jiabao looked on the verge of tears, his legs leaden and trembling.

"Bro—three wild boars…" Xie Yunzhen swallowed hard. This was bad.

No matter how capable his brother was, could he handle three wild boars?

"Jingyue, be careful." Jiang Xun pulled Lin Jingyue behind him, eyes fixed on the boars baring their fangs.

"I’ll handle the biggest one. The three of you—"

Boom!

Before he finished, the three wild boars charged, sending the three young men’s hair on end.

"Don’t panic! If you can’t fight, dodge as best you can!" Jiang Xun yanked Lin Jingyue behind a tree, then turned to face the largest boar.

Crack!

At the first clash, his hatchet struck true, leaving a bloody gash on the boar’s back. The beast roared, enraged.

Jiang Xun, having landed a blow, pressed the attack. Dodging the boar’s onslaught, he swung his blade again, carving another wound.

He slipped away, using a tree for cover, circled around, and, coming up on the boar’s left front, brought his hatchet down hard on its neck.

Meanwhile, Lin Jingyue, hidden behind the tree, glanced over to see Jiang Xun handling his end with ease. She withdrew her gaze and checked on Xie Yunzhen and the others.

The three had been scattered, their baskets of game strewn across the ground.

Sun Jiabao and Xie Yunzhen were being chased through the trees by the smallest boar.

"Dear heavens, save us!" Sun Jiabao, caring nothing for his basket, ran with all his might.

Xie Yunzhen fared little better.

Zhou Yan was holding his own, skilled enough to keep the boar at bay for now.

Lin Jingyue sighed and stepped out from behind the tree.

"Comrade Lin, don’t come over here!" Xie Yunzhen and Sun Jiabao’s faces changed as they saw her approach.

Please, don’t add to the chaos—if anything happened, Brother Jiang would have their hides.

Ignoring their pleas, Lin Jingyue picked up a stone and hurled it hard at the boar. It struck home, enraging the beast, which immediately changed course and charged at her.

"Good heavens, Lin Jingyue!" Xie Yunzhen’s eyes bulged.

"Comrade Lin, be careful!"

Lin Jingyue kept her eyes locked on the oncoming boar. It was her first time dealing with such a creature—she was nervous.

But recalling her own strength and skills, she steadied herself. As the boar charged, she twisted swiftly aside, dodged, then spun back and landed a punch straight to its neck.

The boar staggered from the blow, reeling back several steps.

Xie Yunzhen and Sun Jiabao: "!!"

Excitement flashed in Lin Jingyue’s eyes. Instead of retreating, she pressed the attack.

The boar, infuriated by this reckless human, roared and charged, its ivory tusks flashing coldly in the forest gloom.

Bang! Lin Jingyue struck again, her fist smashing into the boar’s neck.

This time she used all her strength. The two-hundred-pound beast flew backward, crashing to the ground.

A brief silence fell over the woods.

Seeing the boar still twitching, Lin Jingyue strode over and landed another punch, only stopping once the animal lay still.

Xie Yunzhen and Sun Jiabao, watching her take down a wild boar barehanded, swallowed hard.

Dear lord, would his brother end up battered at home?

"She’s… she’s incredible…" Sun Jiabao stared in awe. Hearing was one thing; seeing was believing.

Comrade Lin, stronger than any man.

Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan finished off their boars as well and came over, having caught glimpses of what happened.

Zhou Yan gave Lin Jingyue a thumbs-up. "That was amazing!"

Jiang Xun gently took Lin Jingyue’s hand. Her knuckles were red and abraded. His eyes flashed with distress. "Does it hurt?"

"It’s nothing. I’ll just put some medicine on when we get back," Lin Jingyue replied, her eyes shining. Real combat really built a person—she even felt she could take on another boar.

Seeing her expression, Jiang Xun shook his head in exasperation. "That was too dangerous. Next time, hide properly."

Let the others be.

Lin Jingyue understood, nodding. She wasn’t being reckless—she simply had some confidence in herself.

Jiang Xun blew gently over her scraped knuckles, heart aching.

Watching their loving exchange, Xie Yunzhen cautiously asked, "Brother, what do we do with these three wild boars?"

The blood would attract more predators.

Jiang Xun shot him a cold look. "Once we’re back, you’re training with me. If this happens again, I’ll throw you to the wolves."

A grown man, running from wild boars and hiding behind a girl—what a fine example.

Xie Yunzhen and Sun Jiabao both shrank and chuckled sheepishly. Instinct had taken over at the time.

Zhou Yan chuckled. "What do we do with the boars?"

"What do you think?" Jiang Xun asked.

The brigade had rules: small game could be overlooked, but big catches had to be handed over. If caught hiding them, it was considered undermining socialism—a serious offense.

But three wild boars? No one wanted to surrender them.

Lin Jingyue smiled. "Enough teasing—let’s find a hidden path, carry the boars down, and figure out a way to sell them in the city after dark."

Jiang Xun would surely have connections.

"But we must keep some to eat."

At her words, everyone’s eyes lit up. Sharing with others was not on their minds.

"I know a way," Sun Jiabao piped up, raising his hand. "My family has a cart—we can use it to take them to the city."

At last, he’d get to eat some meat.

He was starving—hadn’t had a drop of oil in his stomach in ages.

P.S. Lin Jingyue: Dream on if you want a share of my meat!

Jiang Xun: Your meat? You mean wild boar meat, right?

"…"