To be honest, Zhang Ergou was tempted.
He had always been unhappy with Xu Dalu's reputation in the village.
Even though Xu Dalu had passed away, it did not stop the villagers from praising him.
The reason was that Xu Dalu had once killed two wild boars and married Liu Cuilan with them as a betrothal gift.
The villagers often talked about this incident during their leisure time.
What Zhang Ergou disliked was that when people talked about Xu Dalu, they didn't just mention his bravery.
They would also compare Xu Dalu with Zhang Ergou.
As a hunter himself, Zhang Ergou could only hunt small game like pheasants and rabbits. Although he always shared some with the villagers after each hunt,
he still couldn't avoid being looked down upon by them.
The simple villagers of Xinshan Village valued a person's bravery more.
At this moment, an opportunity to hunt a wild boar was right in front of him, and it was a lie to say Zhang Ergou wasn't tempted.
This was a great chance to prove his abilities to the villagers, and Zhang Ergou didn't want to miss it.
"Wait a moment, I'll change my gear. I'll be ready soon."
Zhang Ergou agreed without hesitation. Opportunities to encounter wild boars were rare.
A moment later, Zhang Ergou changed into his hunting gear and came out, following Li Dazhuang towards the back mountain.
Li Dazhuang and his brother had already agreed to meet at the entrance of the back mountain.
When they reached the entrance of the back mountain, Zhang Ergou saw Li Dayong and a young man already waiting there.
"Isn't this the ruffian Zhang Ergou? Dazhuang, why did you call this guy?"
The young man standing next to Li Dayong spoke first.
"What can this guy do besides stealing chickens and dogs? Why would you look for him!"
The young man looked at Zhang Ergou with disdain, speaking without any regard for his feelings.
Li Dazhuang looked at Zhang Ergou with a troubled expression.
He hadn't expected his brother to call Zhang Ergou's sworn enemy – Lin Zicong.
Lin Zicong had also harbored improper thoughts about Liu Cuilan, the village beauty, but Liu Cuilan had never given him any attention.
Instead, she had a good relationship with Zhang Ergou, who grew up relying on the charity of others.
Although Liu Cuilan eventually married Xu Dalu, Lin Zicong's dislike for Zhang Ergou never ceased.
"Lin Zicong, it's as if you're so capable. Who was it that was chased all over the mountain by a wild goat?"
Zhang Ergou wouldn't indulge him and retorted sarcastically.
"You!" Lin Zicong was so angry he was speechless. This was a stain on his life.
Every time he argued with Zhang Ergou, this guy would use this incident to shut him up, and he could do nothing about it.
Because it was the truth, even though Lin Zicong was only ten years old at the time.
"Alright, stop arguing. Since everyone is here, let's set off. If we're late, we might not see the wild boar." Li Dayong said.
In this group, Li Dayong held absolute authority.
Not only was he the oldest, but he was also one of the most skilled hunters in the village.
At this time, some villagers were busy with farm work and couldn't get away.
Li Dayong then called Lin Zicong, who had nothing to do. Usually, he wouldn't call people like Lin Zicong and Zhang Ergou.
Clearly, Li Dayong's words had absolute deterrent power.
Zhang Ergou and Lin Zicong obediently shut their mouths and followed Li Dayong towards the back mountain.
"Shhh! Don't move!" Li Dayong, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and said.
Zhang Ergou stopped and followed the direction Li Dayong was pointing.
They had already walked to the center of the back mountain, and the wild boar Li Dazhuang mentioned was not far ahead.
The wild boar was lying down, and the early morning sun shone on its body. The wild boar was motionless, enjoying the warmth of the sun.
"What do we do now?" Zhang Ergou asked, looking up at Li Dayong.
Li Dayong didn't turn his head. He stared at the wild boar not far away and slowly crouched down. "Everyone squat down quietly. Don't make any noise and don't startle the beast."
Zhang Ergou and the others listened and slowly squatted down, following Li Dayong's movements, preparing to crouch.
"Crack!" Someone accidentally stepped on and broke a dry twig, making a sound.
Li Dayong and the others immediately looked nervously at the wild boar. The wild boar stood up instantly upon hearing the sound and looked around.
Everyone's hearts tensed up. Zhang Ergou felt cold sweat trickle down his neck.
But he dared not raise his hand to wipe it, for fear of being discovered by the wild boar.
The wild boar looked around for a while. Finding no sign of enemies, it turned around in confusion and then returned to where it was lying.
The wild boar lay down again, and Zhang Ergou and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Crack!" At this moment, a louder sound than before rang out.
It turned out that Lin Zicong, seeing the wild boar lie down again, sighed in relief and lifted his foot that was on the dry twig, making the sound again.
"Quick, Dazhuang, you and Ergou hold this end of the rope and run up the slope!"
The wild boar, startled again, had already charged towards Zhang Ergou and the others.
Li Dayong quickly assigned tasks. He and Lin Zicong ran in the opposite direction from Zhang Ergou and the others.
Zhang Ergou and the other quickly grabbed the special rope used for hunting.
They ran up the slope quickly, looking back at the charging wild boar. The wild boar had now spotted Zhang Ergou and the others.
Panting heavily, the wild boar bared its sharp tusks and changed direction, charging towards Zhang Ergou.
The wild boar was displeased by the intrusion into its territory and the disturbance of its rest, so it charged with all its might.
Seeing that they were about to be caught by the wild boar, Zhang Ergou quickly signaled Li Dazhuang to drop the rope.
The rope was now useless, as the wild boar did not chase in the direction Li Dayong had predicted.
Saying this, Zhang Ergou dropped the rope and took out the iron fork he had prepared, ready to stab the wild boar when it got close.
Li Dazhuang also quickly dropped the rope. In his hand was an iron bar.
Swinging it high, Li Dazhuang and Zhang Ergou stood ready, retreating as they waited for the charging wild boar.
Li Dayong and Lin Zicong, seeing the wild boar charge towards Zhang Ergou and the others, also quickly turned back. Sudan Novel Network
"This beast, why did it have to charge at us two!"
Zhang Ergou cursed angrily, feeling somewhat resentful about the wild boar's choice.
Fortunately, they were now on the mountainside. The wild boar was charging up from below, and its speed had slowed considerably.
Seeing the wild boar rushing towards them, Zhang Ergou thrust his fork forward.
But this wild boar was cunning. Seeing Zhang Ergou's fork, it braked sharply and dodged Zhang Ergou's attack.
The two were surprised by the wild boar's agility.
Missing the strike, they became more cautious. The wild boar also stopped, staring at Zhang Ergou and the others.
Zhang Ergou took a tentative step forward, and the wild boar cautiously retreated.