mtl008 Chapter 431 is not finished until it's finished.
Chapter 431 is not finished until it's finished.
Early the next morning, all the men in the village began setting up traps along the path the wild boars were sure to take.
Standing on high ground, Li Xiangyang directed the operation, selecting several optimal locations: "Here, and there, these are places where wild boars frequently appear."
The villagers worked with great enthusiasm; some dug pits, some sharpened wooden stakes, and some moved branches and leaves to make camouflage. By evening, five more traps had been added.
"Xiangyang, how many wild boars do you think we can catch this time?" Li Daqiang asked with great interest, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Li Xiangyang looked around, then shook his head with a smile: "It's hard to say, but every trap adds to the hope."
Back home, Li Xiaoyun had already prepared dinner: a steaming bowl of shredded pork noodles.
"You must be tired after a long day, eat up." Li Xiaoyun gently wiped the sweat from Li Xiangyang's forehead.
Li Xiangyang sat down and began to eat his noodles heartily: "Mmm, so delicious! With so many traps laid, we'll have to take turns guarding them tonight."
Li Xiaoyun frowned slightly: "Another all-nighter?"
"It's alright, we'll take turns. Wang Ergou and I will take the first half of the night," Li Xiangyang comforted him.
After dinner, as darkness fell, Li Xiangyang slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder, took a flashlight, and headed to the trap area with Wang Ergou.
The two found a big tree, climbed up, and hid there.
"Brother Xiangyang, do you think those wild boars will fall for it again?" Wang Ergou asked in a low voice.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, after all, those who fell into the trap yesterday are not the same batch as today."
Night fell, the moon hid behind the clouds, and the forest was pitch black.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from afar.
"Shh—" Li Xiangyang made a shushing gesture.
The sound grew closer, and in the dim moonlight, several dark figures could be vaguely seen moving among the trees.
"They're here!" Wang Ergou whispered excitedly.
Li Xiangyang stared intently at the dark figures: "Hmm, there seem to be five or six."
The wild boars slowly approached the fenced-off area, following the route they had taken yesterday.
They were completely unaware of what had happened to their companions the day before, and were still drawn by the scent of the wheat field.
The lead wild boar stopped in front of the fence, tentatively sniffed it, and then walked along the fence, looking for the entrance.
Soon, it found a gap and carefully stepped inside.
The wild boars behind them followed.
With a sharp "crack!" the lead wild boar fell into the trap, followed immediately by another "crack!" as the other wild boar also fell into the trap.
The remaining wild boars were startled and scattered in all directions.
Li Xiangyang raised his hunting rifle, about to take aim, but Wang Ergou grabbed his arm.
"Brother Xiangyang, there's someone here!" Wang Ergou pointed into the distance and said in a low voice.
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction he was pointing and indeed saw several dark figures rapidly approaching.
"Huh? Who is this?" Li Xiangyang squinted, trying to see who it was.
By the moonlight, he could vaguely see that the men were all holding hunting rifles or clubs.
"They don't seem to be from our village," Wang Ergou whispered.
Li Xiangyang gestured for Wang Ergou to remain quiet and carefully observed the movements of the newcomers.
When the group arrived at the trap and saw the wild boar inside, they immediately became excited.
"Haha, look at this, two fat pigs!" a tall figure shouted, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
“This is a huge profit! Hurry up and bring it up!” another person added.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, nodded in tacit agreement, slid down from the tree, and quietly approached the group of people.
As they approached, they could see the faces of the people who had come closer by the moonlight.
“They’re hunters from Yangjia Village!” Wang Ergou whispered to Li Xiangyang.
Li Xiangyang nodded, then deliberately stepped on a tree branch, making a sound.
The men immediately became alert, turned around, and raised their shotguns and clubs.
"Who's there? Come out!" the tall leader shouted.
Li Xiangyang, holding a hunting rifle, emerged from behind a tree, followed closely by Wang Ergou.
"What are you doing in our Xiaoliang Village in the middle of the night?" Li Xiangyang asked calmly.
The tall man's face darkened immediately upon recognizing Li Xiangyang: "Li Xiangyang? This wild boar is our Yangjia Village's prey; we chased it all the way here!"
"Oh?" Li Xiangyang raised an eyebrow. "This trap was set by our Xiaoliang Village. The prey that fell into our trap is naturally ours."
"Bullshit!" a short, stocky man nearby cursed. "We clearly chased this wild boar down from the other side of the mountain. If you hadn't set a trap, we would have caught it long ago!"
Li Xiangyang sneered, "We dug these traps with great effort to protect our crops. If the prey falls into our traps, it's only right that they belong to us."
"Enough with the nonsense!" the tall man snapped. "We're taking this prey! If you disagree, let's see who has the stronger fist!"
As they spoke, the group of men assumed a fighting stance.
Wang Ergou instinctively took a step forward, gripping the stick in his hand tightly: "Are you guys looking to die?"
Li Xiangyang reached out to stop Wang Ergou, his eyes calm: "Don't rush."
He turned to the hunters of Yangjia Village: "Gentlemen, I don't want to make a scene. How about this, since you've chased us for so long, we can't be unreasonable. One of these wild boars is yours, and the other is ours, how about that?"
The tall man scoffed, "Don't even think about it! Both of them are ours!"
Li Xiangyang's face gradually darkened: "It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
He raised his shotgun, pointing it directly at the tall man's chest: "Are you sure you want to do it here?"
The tall man stared at the dark muzzle of the gun, his expression changing slightly, but he still refused to back down: "You dare to try shooting?"
Li Xiangyang's lips curled slightly upward: "Why wouldn't I dare? This is our territory. You trespassed and tried to steal our prey. It's perfectly legitimate for me to shoot you."
The air froze for a moment, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
The tall man and his companions looked at each other, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes, followed by the appearance of several figures.
"Who's making noise over there?" a familiar voice called out.
It was Li Daqiang and several villagers who came to check after hearing the commotion.
Seeing this, Li Xiangyang felt a little relieved. With more people on his side, the other side would definitely back down.
"What happened, Xiangyang?" Li Daqiang asked, looking warily at the stranger.
Li Xiangyang briefly explained the situation.
Li Daqiang immediately retorted angrily, "So, you're trying to steal our prey?"
Seeing the situation was turning against them, the tall hunter from Yangjia Village finally relented: "Alright, one head each, we'll take the big ones."
Li Xiangyang shook his head: "No, the big one is ours. You either take the small one, or you don't get either."
The tall man gritted his teeth, but seeing the growing number of villagers from Xiaoliang Village gathering around him, he finally nodded reluctantly: "Fine, we'll take the smaller one."
He glared fiercely at Li Xiangyang: "Li Xiangyang, don't be so smug, this isn't over!"
Li Xiangyang remained unmoved: "If it's not over yet, then it's not over yet. If you want it, take it now and don't stay on our village's territory any longer, or I'll change my mind."