The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 31: The Stubborn Herd of Wild Boars

The next day, when Fang Yun woke up, Niuniu and her daughter were still fast asleep. Last night, the group had stayed up late playing with the Chinese giant salamander—which they’d named “Wa Wa”—and only went to bed after Fang Yun persuaded them to do so. As for the salamander, Fang Yun had released it back into the stream, planning to bring it back when he left the mountains. For breakfast, Fang Yun simply cooked some rice porridge. He searched the area, dug up some purslane, and tossed it in a light dressing to serve as a side dish—it was best to eat something light first thing in the morning. However, Fang Yun used the spring water from his ring to cook the porridge. Just as the rice porridge was finished cooking, the mother and daughter, drawn by the aroma, rubbed their eyes and got out of bed. Following the scent, they made their way to the pot and sat down. Seeing the mother and daughter still half-asleep, Fang Yun chuckled. “Go wash up—it’s time for breakfast.” With that, he took the two—who were still groggy—to the stream to brush their teeth and wash their faces. The splash of icy-cold stream water finally jolted them awake. Watching the mother and daughter eat with such relish, Fang Yun felt deeply satisfied. Having her family appreciate the meal she’d prepared with her own hands was truly a joy. Suddenly, Fang Yun’s expression changed—a group of uninvited guests was approaching from the end of the canyon. It was a herd of wild boars, likely out foraging at this hour, but to their surprise, their path led straight toward where Fang Yun and the others were. Wild boars are omnivorous and will eat anything edible. Grass and worms in the soil are among their food sources, and they sometimes even steal bird eggs—especially those of grouse and pheasants—as well as their chicks. Once they’ve had their fill, they like to bathe in muddy water. Fang Yun looked around and couldn’t help but smile wryly. With lush grass, an abundance of birds and animals, and a small stream nearby, this was exactly the kind of foraging spot wild boars loved most. Just then, the herd of wild boars spotted Fang Yun and his companions. After a moment’s hesitation, they decided to circle far around the group and head to the stream to drink. “What cute little piglets!” Niuniu, with her sharp eyes, spotted the herd of wild boars trying to make their way around them to the stream. When fully grown, wild boars are pitch black, with two long tusks. Their fur is a tangled mess from rolling in mud year-round, making them look rather unsightly. The little piglets, however, were quite adorable. Their slender bodies were covered in yellow-and-black markings, and as they ran, their four short little legs wobbled, making them look utterly endearing. At Niu Niu’s shout, the herd of wild boars stopped and turned to look in their direction. Fang Yun carefully examined the wild boars. The herd consisted of three adult boars—one male and two females—and eight piglets. The male was the largest, weighing an estimated two hundred plus jin; the females were slightly smaller, around one hundred fifty jin; and the piglets, likely only about a month old, were huddled around their mothers, grunting and squealing. “Fang Yun, what should we do?” Feng Xiu’er was getting a little panicked. The two adult boars were staring straight at their group, and their long tusks were enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine. “It’s okay. Wild boars don’t attack humans on their own. Only injured ones will attack any animal in sight without hesitation,” Fang Yun hurried to reassure her. Under normal circumstances, wild boars are quite timid and usually go out of their way to avoid humans. But an injured wild boar is terrifying—as soon as one is wounded, it goes berserk. When in a frenzy, it charges recklessly at any animal in its path, using its long tusks to rip open their bellies. Even predators like tigers would flee in panic if they encountered a wild boar in such a state. Originally, Fang Yun had simply hoped that both sides would coexist peacefully, leaving each other alone. But he’d forgotten just how much trouble his precious little girl could stir up. “Little piggy, come here! Niuniu has something yummy for you,” the little girl coaxed the wild piglets, holding up a bowl with half a bowl of porridge left in it. The little girl’s extraordinary affinity for animals, combined with the allure of the congee cooked with spring water, stirred up a commotion among the little wild boars. One by one, they tried to run toward Niuniu, but two large wild boars quickly rushed to block their path, herding the restless little ones back. When one of the most mischievous little wild piglets dodged the mother boar’s block and scampered toward Niuniu, the whole group went wild, swarming over in a frenzy. The two big boars grunted in frustration as they chased after them. But when Fang Yun, at Niuniu’s pleading, poured the rest of the porridge into a nearby stone pit, the two large boars could no longer hold back. Fang Yun looked helplessly at the herd of wild boars grunting and whining behind him. After breakfast, Fang Yun packed up their things and led Niu Niu and her mother further into the mountains. The terrain deep in the mountains was actually much easier to navigate than when they first entered, sparing Fang Yun the trouble of clearing a path with his machete. However, even after the three of them had been walking for over an hour, the herd of wild boars was still closely following behind them. The little piglet kept playing right by Niuniu’s side, refusing to leave, forcing the parent boar couple to walk alongside their child. Frankly, if they couldn’t even keep their own child from tagging along with strangers, these two boars were truly terrible parents. But if they had to follow, so be it—every time Fang Yun spotted some mushrooms or something, before he could even reach out to pick them, the whole family of wild boars would swarm in and root around wildly, leaving the ground looking as if it had just been plowed. Fang Yun was grinding his teeth in frustration; he really wanted to kick those potbellied creatures right out of the way. But seeing Niu Niu and the little wild boars playing with beaming smiles on their faces, Fang Yun could only sigh. When Fang Yun saw Niuniu pick up a mushroom from the mud the wild boars had dug up, he suddenly felt that these creatures weren’t so detestable after all. “Niuniu, give Daddy the mushroom you’re holding. Keep an eye on these wild boars—if you see any more mushrooms like that, don’t let them eat them.” Niu Niu was the only one who could snatch food right from the pigs’ mouths. At her little shout, the wild boars obediently handed over the food they’d been about to eat. “Matsutake!” Feng Xiu’er was overjoyed when she saw the mushroom Niuniu handed to Fang Yun. As the daughter of a multimillionaire, Feng Xiu’er had eaten matsutake a few times at Western restaurants and had never forgotten its exquisite flavor. “Mm-hmm, they’re matsutake. These guys are actually pretty useful. Let’s see if we can find some more—we’ll make matsutake soup for lunch,” Fang Yun said with a smile. By midday, they had actually found about ten of them—more than enough for the soup. The matsutake soup at lunch had everyone raving about how delicious it was. Niuniu drank two bowls in a row before reluctantly putting down her bowl; rubbing her round little belly, she still wore a look of reluctance, which made Fang Yun shake his head. But when he saw the wild boar beside him, Fang Yun’s mouth began to water again. After drinking thin porridge that morning, these creatures had apparently developed a taste for cooked food. They kept staring at the group the entire time the three of them were eating. At Niuniu’s pleading, a reluctant Fang Yun cooked a pot of porridge with wild greens and rice. But to his surprise, even after finishing it, the wild boars continued to eye the group hungrily—clearly not satisfied. Now they were still circling the trio, grunting incessantly. “Go on, go on—go find your own food,” Fang Yun said irritably, waving his hand to shoo the wild boars aside so they’d go root around in the grass. These creatures—with food available everywhere—insisted on waiting for him to cook it for them. Was he supposed to pamper them like royalty? After eating their fill, resting a bit, and continuing on their way, the trio was, as usual, followed by a pack of wild boars. Fang Yun was at a loss for words. It seemed these creatures had decided to stick with them for good. Maybe bringing them home wouldn’t be such a bad idea—he was sure his parents would be thrilled. Whether they raised them for breeding or slaughtered them for meat, it would be a nice bit of extra income. As for whether Niuniu would let him slaughter this herd of wild boars, well, that was a headache for his parents to deal with. Glancing at Niuniu, who was bouncing along beside him, Fang Yun thought to himself with a rather unscrupulous grin.