The soldiers on patrol at the mountain pass were delighted to see the Captain and Uncle Meng returning together, greeting them warmly. They were especially astonished by the large wild boar being dragged behind Uncle Meng's donkey cart. Such a prize meant plenty of meat.
Grandpa Meng, familiar with them all, smiled at their enthusiastic young faces. "We'll butcher the pig tonight. Your Captain will bring you some pork later."
At Uncle Meng's words, the young men's eyes lit up like lanterns, and they shouted in unison, "Thank you, Uncle Meng." The eleven voices were loud enough to shake snow from the surrounding trees.
Qi Yuanshan: I can't bear to watch.
Grandpa Meng: Such poor lads.
After bidding farewell to the group of young men, Grandpa Meng urged his donkey cart onward. The wild boar, though barely alive, occasionally grunted as it was dragged along. When they passed Mengjia Village, people heard the commotion and came out to see.
Grandpa Meng Wu, having heard from his eldest grandson that his second brother had brought back a large wild boar, was as excited as if he had hunted it himself. "Second Brother, where did you get such a large creature?"
"My grandson and I were returning from town after buying supplies. Ci'er heard a noise on the road, so we went to investigate. We found this wild boar, it must have fallen from somewhere, and all four of its legs were broken."
"Oh my, Ci'er has such good luck," Grandpa Meng Qi, hearing the commotion, also came to see the spectacle.
Qi He and Yu'er were playing by the entrance when they saw his father's russet horse and the donkey cart approaching. Knowing Grandpa Meng was back, Qi He pulled Yu'er along. When they spotted the wild boar being dragged behind the cart, they let out excited "wa wa" cries. Yu'er, in particular, exclaimed, "Qi Ge, wild pig." The little one was so excited, his tongue couldn't keep up with his words.
"Yes, a big wild boar," Qi He's heart pounded. He regretted not insisting on going to town with Grandpa Meng and Sister Fu. Alas, he had missed the moment they encountered the wild boar. Qi He was filled with regret. However, no one heard his thoughts; his Sister Fu was smiling at him.
As the donkey cart reached the courtyard gate, Fu Yu and Madam Fang, having also received the news, hurried out. Fu Yu looked at the large wild boar with more trepidation than joy. "Father, Ci'er, are you alright?"
Madam Fang rushed over, first taking her daughter's hand and examining her. Noticing the jacket her daughter was wearing was different from the one she had on that morning, she lowered her voice. "Ci'er, your jacket?"
"Mother, Grandfather and I bought this from a traveling merchant. Isn't it pretty? It's very warm, and everyone in the family has one."
Madam Fang heard her daughter and then glanced at her father-in-law's thick jacket, realizing it was indeed the same. Seeing everyone bustling to untie the nearly dead wild boar, Fu Xinci called out to Madam Fang, "Mother, let's move these things into your room first, and then we can talk."
Madam Fang, also worried about too many people handling the goods, agreed with her daughter. The bundles contained cotton-padded clothes, and she would be heartbroken if any were lost.
Madam Zhong, Madam Tian, and the sisters Nuan Xin, who had been following Madam Fang, all stepped forward to help when Fu Xinci indicated they should move the bundles from the donkey cart. Qi He also took the bundles his father was carrying and moved them to the room where he and Yu'er were staying. With many hands, the work was done quickly. Fu Xinci felt relieved once all the items were safely in her parents' room and went out to watch the commotion.
A large crowd had gathered at the main gate, with almost everyone from Mengjia Village turning out, along with the young men from Wujia Village. The sight of such a large wild boar filled them with envy. Qi Yuanshan directed several strong young men to carry the wild boar onto a newly flattened table, then instructed Madam Fang and the others to heat water.
Qi Yuanshan looked around and knew that the task of butchering the pig had fallen to him. Grandpa Meng's face, creased with a thousand smiles, had been stretched taut for some time. Seeing Qi Yuanshan look his way, he seized the opportunity and broke free from his brothers' embrace. "Yuanshan, this pig is yours to butcher today. No one else knows how."
"Uncle, don't worry, I'll butcher the pig today. But everyone should watch and learn; it might be useful later."
The villagers of Mengjia were somewhat confused by Captain Qi's words. Why would so many of them, men, women, old, and young, need to learn how to butcher a pig? A clever young man from Wujia Village, seeing that the Mengjia villagers hadn't understood Captain Qi's underlying meaning, offered a hint. "If the Tatars attack, everyone here, regardless of age or gender, will have to fight."
"Women have to fight?" Liu Shi asked, her voice trembling.
The young man shrugged. "What's wrong with women? When those Tatars come at you with their swords, are you just going to stand there and let them cut you? Or when the Tatars come to take your women, are you not going to resist?"
Mentioning the immediate threat of death didn't elicit much of a reaction from Liu Shi, but when the young man spoke of women being taken, her response was fierce. She replied coldly, "We would fight to the death rather than be taken."
"Exactly. If you want to survive in this region, you not only have to grow more grain but also be able to defeat the Tatars and bandits."
"There are bandits here too?" Fu Xinci found it hard to believe.
"Of course, there are bandits. They come from the sea."
"From the sea?" Fu Xinci's mind suddenly conjured images of the Japanese.
Qi Yuanshan, catching the hint of doubt in the young girl's tone, explained, "Those Japanese come from the sea. Although they are small, they are extremely ferocious. They loot whatever they see and kill whoever they encounter. Villages near the coast have been completely massacred."
Fu Xinci's brow furrowed, and her expression turned extremely grim. She remained silent. Qi Yuanshan mistook her reaction for fear and quickly tried to comfort her. "Don't be afraid, Xinci. While towns east of Jincheng have been more or less harassed by the Japanese, we haven't found any Japanese landing here yet."
Fu Xinci knew that Uncle Qi had misunderstood, but she said nothing. In her heart, however, she was secretly determined. The next time she traded with Longcheng, she wouldn't ask for gold and silver; she would ask for weapons.