pdf-ebookys Chapter 419 Let's not get involved.
Chapter 419 Let's not get involved.
The wild boar stood there warily, its nose constantly sniffing the air, seemingly assessing the level of danger posed by the humans before it.
"Back off slowly, don't disturb it," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice, steadily holding his hunting rifle as he directed the two men. "Follow me, retreat behind that big tree over there."
Chu Qingxuan gripped Li Xiangyang's clothes tightly and moved her feet carefully.
Zhao Minghui, on the other hand, seemed to be frozen in place, his legs went weak, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he stood there motionless.
"Zhao Minghui, get moving!" Chu Qingxuan whispered, her tone filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction.
Zhao Minghui then seemed to wake from a dream and shakily backed away.
The three retreated slowly, while the wild boar warily observed them, but made no move to attack.
Just as the situation seemed to be easing, a crisp "snap" broke the tranquility of the forest.
Zhao Minghui accidentally broke a dry tree branch.
Instantly, the wild boar's ears perked up, and a fierce glint flashed in its eyes.
It pawed the ground fiercely, then suddenly lowered its head and charged towards the source of the sound, Zhao Minghui!
Startled, Zhao Minghui stood rooted to the spot, watching helplessly as the enormous creature charged toward him.
"Get out of the way!" Li Xiangyang shouted as he rushed forward and shoved Zhao Minghui aside.
At the critical moment, Zhao Minghui finally regained his senses and lunged to the side, avoiding the wild boar's head-on charge.
Upon seeing this, Li Xiangyang pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"boom!"
The bullet hit the wild boar directly in the head.
The wild boar's charging body jolted violently, then it collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitched a few times, and then lay still.
"Zhao Minghui! Are you alright?" Chu Qingxuan ran out from behind the tree, her expression a mix of worry and mockery.
"I...I'm fine." Zhao Minghui's voice trembled, and the fear on his face had not completely subsided.
Li Xiangyang walked over and checked his leg: "Luckily, apart from falling, you weren't hurt."
Zhao Minghui slowly stood up, dusted himself off, looked at the wild boar lying on the ground with a complicated expression, and then looked at Li Xiangyang.
His eyes gradually shifted from fear to shame and admiration.
"Brother Li... thank you for saving me." Zhao Minghui's voice was choked with emotion. "If it weren't for you... I might already be..."
"Alright, don't think about it too much," Li Xiangyang interrupted him. "It was just an accident. Just be more careful next time."
Chu Qingxuan's expression was quite complicated at this moment.
She originally intended to use this opportunity to embarrass Zhao Minghui, but she didn't expect it to cause such a commotion and almost lead to a disaster.
"Brother Xiangyang, I'm sorry, it's all my fault." She apologized sincerely, "I shouldn't have insisted on going deeper into it."
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "It's nothing, it's all in the past." He turned to Zhao Minghui, "How are you feeling? Can you walk?"
Zhao Minghui stood up and tried to take a few steps. Although his legs were still a little weak, he could walk without any problems: "I can walk, it's fine."
Li Xiangyang nodded, walked over to the wild boar, and examined it carefully: "Perfect, since we've hunted a wild boar, let's take it back. This is an unexpected bonus."
Zhao Minghui hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said, "Brother Li, let me carry it."
Li Xiangyang and Chu Qingxuan both looked at him with some surprise.
Zhao Minghui took a deep breath and straightened his back: "I... I really chickened out just now. As a man, I was so scared that I couldn't move when faced with danger. But... but I just... I..."
"Alright, stop with the 'you' stuff. I wasn't much better off than you when I first encountered danger." Li Xiangyang smiled. "I believe that after this experience, you'll have the courage to stand in front of your loved one if you encounter danger again. Since you want to, let's go together. This wild boar is no joke."
He skillfully handled the wild boar, tied it up, and then lifted it up with Zhao Minghui.
Chu Qingxuan walked to the side, her eyes no longer filled with the previous contempt, but with a hint of guilt.
The three of them walked back the way they came.
Although Zhao Minghui was panting heavily the whole way, he gritted his teeth and persevered without uttering a single complaint of being tired.
When they returned to the village, it was already afternoon.
When the villagers saw them carrying a wild boar back, they all gathered around.
"Xiangyang, you caught a wild boar again?"
"That wild boar is really big!"
"Is this young man Qingxuan's boyfriend? Not bad, he managed to hunt a wild boar on his first trip into the mountains!"
Faced with the villagers' praise, Zhao Minghui didn't take credit, but told the truth: "It was Brother Li who did it. I... I was almost injured by the wild boar, and he saved me."
Upon hearing this, the villagers all looked at Li Xiangyang, their admiration evident in their expressions.
The old Party Secretary's home.
"Qingxuan, where are the wild rabbits today?" Old Party Secretary Zhang asked with a smile.
"Grandpa, we didn't find a rabbit, but we shot a wild boar!" Chu Qingxuan said excitedly.
Old Party Secretary Zhang glanced at Zhao Minghui standing to the side: "Minghui, why are you so downcast? Did you encounter any danger?"
Zhao Minghui nodded, his face filled with shame: "Yes, Grandpa Zhang. I... I was terrified when I saw the wild boar charging straight at me. If it weren't for Brother Li, I might already be..."
Old Party Secretary Zhang waved his hand: "Young man, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone would be scared the first time they encounter something like this. The important thing is what you can learn from it."
Zhao Minghui nodded earnestly: "I understand, Grandpa Zhang. I will definitely be braver in the future and will not let the same thing happen again."
Old Party Secretary Zhang smiled with satisfaction, then turned to Li Xiangyang: "Xiangyang, you've really worked hard today. How do you plan to distribute this wild boar meat?"
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment and said, "Old Party Secretary, I'll take the skin. As for the meat, our two families can each take a portion, and the rest can be distributed to those in need in the village."
A hint of approval flashed in Old Zhang's eyes: "Good lad, you've got the guts. We'll do it your way."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Minghui's eyes lit up with admiration, and his respect for Li Xiangyang deepened even further.
That evening, Li Xiangyang bid farewell to the old Party Secretary's family and returned home with the wild boar skin and a hind leg.
"I heard there was some trouble today?" Li Xiaoyun asked with concern.
Li Xiangyang nodded and briefly recounted what had happened that day.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyun instantly broke out in a cold sweat for him: "You, you were saying you knew what you were doing when you went out, what if that wild boar hurt someone..."
"Alright, alright, it's nothing now." Li Xiangyang put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said softly, "Besides, how can a man protect his loved ones if he doesn't encounter some real danger? Even if he were really hurt, Zhao Minghui should thank me, not cry and go home to tell his parents like a child."
Li Xiaoyun rolled her eyes at him, but still leaned on his shoulder: "That Zhao Minghui, he should back down now, right?"
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "No, that won't do. I think this time, I didn't help Chu Qingxuan, but rather he did. When the wild boar charged at him, although he was terrified, he was only afraid; he didn't panic or run away. That's actually quite remarkable. I believe that after this experience, he will be able to face any danger calmly in the future."
Li Xiaoyun pondered for a moment, then nodded: "What about Chu Qingxuan? Has her attitude towards Zhao Minghui changed?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Who knows? Let's not meddle in young people's affairs."