Chapter Twenty-Two: Catching Wild Boars

When Banxia entered the house and saw the chaotic state of the bed, her irritation grew. She climbed onto the bed and yanked off the sheets, determined to wash everything. Gan Sui watched her furiously scrub the quilts, feeling a chill down his spine, but thought it was better this way—if she were fierce, she’d be less likely to be bullied.

He greeted Banxia with his books and headed into town.

Meanwhile, Su Jinyu and his wife hurried home, trembling with fear that the soldiers would come to arrest them. Just then, someone knocked at the door—it was Master Huang, come to collect his silver. Su Jinyu insisted they had no money, but Master Huang was unmoved and ordered his men to search the house. Su Jinyu fought desperately but failed to protect the silver; he was beaten half to death by Huang's men, and the whole family wailed in anguish. It was, perhaps, a fitting retribution.

Gan Sui delivered the books and settled the account, then went to the county office to see Magistrate Lin. The guards recognized him and led him inside.

Magistrate Lin assumed Gan Sui was there for a letter of recommendation and was about to write it, but Gan Sui explained he wanted to postpone his studies at the academy until the second half of the year.

"This will delay your progress by half a year. The imperial exams are crucial; any delay could be costly..."

"I understand your concern, sir, but my young wife is still very inexperienced. I can't leave her alone at home. Besides, academic study accumulates over time, and I can continue my learning at home."

"As long as you know your priorities. Do not let domestic distractions ruin your studies."

"I will remember your advice, sir."

"So, what brings you here today?"

"The village where I live has wild boars in the southwestern woods. Recently, someone was injured by one. I hope you can send two experienced men with proper tools. I'll gather some able-bodied villagers, and together we can rid ourselves of this threat, so the people can live more safely."

"Wild boars? Where? I want to go too!" Lin You, bored and eager for excitement, had heard Gan Sui was visiting and thought of joining him, but he hadn't expected wild boars—he'd never seen one.

"If you want to go, let Chief Lin select two men to accompany you. He has experience hunting wild boars. But there are rules: first, follow Chief Lin's instructions and do not act recklessly. Second, take care of your safety; if you get hurt, your mother will be heartbroken."

"Understood, understood. I'll find Chief Lin right now."

Taking advantage of the moment, Magistrate Lin discussed some current county affairs with Gan Sui. Having seen many modern cases, Gan Sui offered several suggestions that enlightened Magistrate Lin, who became increasingly convinced that Gan Sui would achieve great things in the future.

Chief Lin soon arrived. Lin You sidled up to Gan Sui, whispering, "Chief Lin has served on the frontier and even killed men. Isn't he impressive?"

Gan Sui sized up Chief Lin again. He was dark, robust, with an ordinary face but stood with military bearing—clearly a man with experience, exuding a certain heroic air.

"Thank you, Chief Lin."

"No trouble. Scholar Gan, please wait at the entrance while I select two men."

With a brief word, he departed to find his team.

"Father, I'm off. I'll bring you wild boar meat tonight!" Lin You declared loudly, slinging his arm around Gan Sui's shoulder as they walked out. "Don't worry, when we meet the wild boar, I'll protect you."

Gan Sui shook him off. "Thanks, but that's unnecessary."

Chief Lin soon reappeared, holding thick ropes and a large net. The two men behind him were muscular, clearly skilled. None of them planned to walk—they led a few horses from the county office.

"Scholar Gan, do you know how to ride?"

"No worries, if you don't, I'll teach you," Lin You said, eager to assert himself.

"I can ride," Gan Sui replied, mounting the horse with practiced ease.

The group rode swiftly and reached South Village in less than half an hour, just in time for a meal. Banxia hadn’t expected Gan Sui to return so soon, much less with guests. With nothing decent to serve, she quickly steamed some rice, boiled water in another pot, and instructed Gan Sui to watch the fire.

With no choice, she went next door to Aunt Gan’s house to buy a young chicken and a piece of cured meat, ignoring Aunt Gan’s gossiping look, and hurried home.

Chief Lin glanced at the small courtyard and realized Gan Sui’s household was not well off. Seeing Banxia go out to buy chicken and cured meat made him uneasy, wishing they had simply eaten in town before coming. With his stern demeanor, he couldn’t say anything polite, only gruffly remarked, "No need for such formality; a simple meal will do."

"How could I not treat guests well, especially those who are helping our village? One meal is nothing," Banxia replied, picking up the knife to slaughter the chicken.

The men were taken aback—how could a woman be expected to kill a chicken? Chief Lin took the knife. "Let me do it."

Banxia didn’t protest and went inside to wash the cured meat. Chief Lin was adept at slaughtering chickens: a swift twist of the neck, a cut, and Lin You felt a chill in his own throat. So terrifying!

The two minor officials fetched hot water, and together they plucked the chicken. Many hands made light work, and soon the courtyard was filled with the aroma of food. Lin You hovered near the kitchen door, pitifully asking, "Is it ready yet? I’m starving."

Banxia prepared spicy chicken, tossing a handful of dried chili into the pan. The pungent scent sent Lin You running into the garden, coughing. Banxia seemed unaffected, adding ginger and garlic, then the fried chicken pieces, stirring briskly. Before serving, she added a pinch of sugar for flavor, then brought out the dish. She also cooked a mushroom soup in a small pot.

There weren’t enough stools in the house, but the men didn’t mind, squatting in the courtyard to eat.

"Banxia, I didn’t expect you to be such a good cook," Lin You said, full and tipsy, then eyed Gan Sui with a mischievous smile. "Such a wonderful girl—it’s your good fortune."

"Enough nonsense. Get up and wash the dishes," Banxia said, yanking his hair.

"What? You want me to wash dishes? A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, don’t you know?"

"Everyone who eats here has contributed. What have you done?"

Apparently nothing. "But I don’t know how."

"Then learn. Break one, pay for five."

"You money-grubber!"

After resting in the courtyard, the group discussed heading to the woods. None of them were familiar with the terrain, so Gan Sui led them to the village chief’s house. The chief, cooling off in the courtyard after lunch, stood up hurriedly when he saw the officials.

"Is there something you need, sirs?"

"Chief, these men are here to hunt wild boars in the woods. We don’t know the area well, so we’d like your help finding a few people, preferably some strong young men, to join us."

"Of course, I’ll find some right away. Please sit and make yourselves comfortable, Scholar Gan will entertain you." The chief hurried off, marveling at how Gan Sui, once invisible in the village, had become steady and responsible since marrying. Truly a different man.

The chief’s influence was strong—soon six or seven able-bodied men arrived. Chief Lin instructed them to bring hoes and machetes, and gathered supplies favored by wild boars, then led everyone into the woods.

Chief Lin took the lead, with Banxia and Lin You following; Banxia carried a small basket. It had rained recently, and the soil was damp, making wild boar tracks easy to spot. Chief Lin crouched to examine the marks.

Lin You, unable to stay quiet, asked, "Well? What did you find?"

"These tracks split two ways—one is the main path, the other is a foraging trail. The freshest marks show where it recently passed; we should follow the direction the grass is bent." He led the way. "Mud spots here are still round, indicating the boar passed not long ago—it could be hiding nearby. Everyone, be careful."

The men behind began nervously swallowing. Lin You worried Banxia might be afraid, but she was picking mushrooms with Gan Sui under a tree. Hmph, nothing special. Someday I'll find an even prettier wife.

"The footprints vary in size, meaning there are two or three boars, one weighing less than fifty pounds. They forage at dusk or midnight. Let’s start by digging traps," Chief Lin said, inspecting several spots before instructing everyone to dig and camouflage the traps. When finished, they gathered at the forest edge to wait. About half an hour passed, and Lin You was losing patience, repeatedly wanting to charge in, but Chief Lin held him back. Just as Lin You tried again, a wild boar’s cry echoed, startling the birds.

"A boar has fallen into the trap. Follow my lead," Chief Lin commanded.

"You wait here; we’ll be back soon," Banxia said to Gan Sui, deciding his slight build would be little help.

"Be careful."

Chief Lin had the two minor officials take bows and arrows, then cut leaves for cover. The group entered and found, as expected, two wild boars by the pit and one trapped inside.

The two outside were agitated, digging fiercely with bloodshot eyes. Among the villagers, some began to panic; a careless step snapped a dry branch, and the sensitive boars immediately noticed.

In a rage, the boar charged at them. Chief Lin and Banxia gripped their knives. Ahead lay a trap; the boar stepped into it and screamed. The young boar, startled by the noise, ran forward. The villagers quickly surrounded it. The boar in the trap, wounded, dragged itself forward.

"Raise the net!"

Lin You and Banxia retreated to the sides; the others quickly followed instructions and unfurled the net. The boar was caught but struggled fiercely, nearly breaking free. Chief Lin stabbed its neck with all his strength, blood spraying as the boar fought to escape, charging straight at Banxia. She leapt aside, swung her machete, and struck again at its neck. The minor officials shot arrows; at last, the boar collapsed, twitching.

The young boar cried pitifully, and the trapped boar fought harder, impaling itself deeper on the bamboo spears, blood pooling.

The pit was deep, ensuring it couldn’t escape. Chief Lin had someone use a long spear to stab several times.

At last, the boar in the trap slumped.

"Is it dead?" Lin You asked, circling the pit. "Should we tie it up and haul it out?"

"Not yet. It’s still alive; anyone who goes down will be attacked. Wait a bit longer."

After another half hour, the boar was silent.

Finally, they tied it with ropes and hauled it out.