Volume One, Chapter 16: I'll Beat You to Death, You Scoundrel

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“The wild boar was driven by everyone; I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and accidentally shot it. So, the credit doesn’t belong to me alone—the boar belongs to the whole village,” Li Chen shook his head.

“Brother Chen, what you said earlier might be true, but the latter part is wrong. What do you mean by ‘accidentally’? Everyone saw those two arrows—you were like a marksman hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces, truly miraculous. Plus, we were all blinded by greed, thinking we got lucky catching two small boars, but who expected the big boar to show up, causing such a huge mess and injuring several people? If you had met that boar alone, you would have been enough. So, that boar is yours. Don’t keep refusing, or it means you look down on the men of our village!” Xu Jiang said firmly.

“The village chief is right. Brother Chen, the boar is yours! We should be thanking you, so how can you have the face to say this boar belongs to the whole village?” The surrounding villagers erupted in agreement.

Seeing he could no longer refuse, Li Chen nodded. “Alright, since everyone agrees the boar is mine, I have the right to decide what to do with it, right?”

“Absolutely!” The group of village men laughed.

“Then let’s carry it down the mountain and distribute it by household,” Li Chen said, pressing his hand down.

“What?” Everyone looked at Li Chen in shock.

This was a huge wild boar. Taking it to the county town to sell could fetch forty or fifty strings of cash. And he was just going to divide it among the whole village?

“Brother Chen, you can’t do that…” Xu Jiang said anxiously.

But Li Chen waved his hand. “Uncle Xu, I’ve made up my mind. It’s settled. You decide how to distribute it. I only have one request—all the bones must be given to me. I have some use for them.”

Seeing his determination, Xu Jiang couldn’t argue further. He nodded heavily. “Alright, Brother Chen, we’ll do as you say.”

Turning to the elders and youngsters, Xu Jiang became emotional.

“Last year we suffered famine due to drought, and this year the autumn harvest is yet to come amid war. You all know what kind of life we’re living. You know better than anyone how long it’s been since we ate meat. Now Brother Chen has brought us this huge boar but won’t even share the meat, only asking for the bones—that’s such a blessing! From now on, regardless of age, if any man dares to show Brother Chen disrespect, I, Xu Jiang, will be the first to oppose it! Did you hear me?”

“Of course! Brother Chen has done a great kindness and earned great virtue. Anyone who dares to look down on him again isn’t a man!” The first to speak was a man with the surname Zhou, who had been saved from the boar’s tusks by Li Chen.

The other villagers cheered in agreement, their eyes now filled with respect and gratitude toward Li Chen, no longer looking down on him.

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Li Chen nodded silently to himself—these villagers had simple customs and good hearts; they were trustworthy and easy to get along with.

Then he remembered something and said to Xu Jiang, “Uncle Xu, I’ve heard the battle at Beiyan Pass is getting intense, and I’ll be twenty soon. I don’t want to be cannon fodder at the front line. So, also tell everyone that if anyone asks about this boar, say it was just a lucky, blind shot, alright?”

Xu Jiang laughed heartily and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Brother Chen. Everyone will keep your secret—that you’re a master archer.”

Then, addressing the group of villagers, he said, “Did you all hear that? If you don’t want Brother Chen to go to war, don’t spread rumors. Otherwise, we won’t let it go.”

“Of course! I saw Brother Chen shoot wildly and still get lucky.”

“Ha, exactly. Brother Chen just got lucky by accident this time.”

The villagers laughed out loud but their words showed their true intentions—they wouldn’t gossip.

“Thanks, everyone. I’m heading back up the mountain to hunt. Please take care of things at home,” Li Chen said without delay, saluting everyone with a bow. He pulled out the arrows from the boar and leisurely ascended the mountain.

Turning away, he left behind a broad and sturdy silhouette.

“With Brother Chen’s archery skills, even if wolves or tigers come, we won’t be afraid anymore,” a villager sighed.

“Shh, Brother Chen asked us to keep low profile. We mustn’t spread it around,” someone nearby reminded.

“We’re all family here, what’s there to fear?” The group laughed.

“Let’s go down the mountain and divide the meat!” Xu Jiang waved his hand.

The villagers responded with a roar, some carrying the boar, others helping the wounded, all heading down.

Women waiting at the foot of the mountain looked up eagerly. Around noon, under the blazing sun, they saw the villagers struggling down the mountain path with the wild boar, all smiling as if it were the New Year.

“Oh my, that’s a wild boar! Such a big one—must weigh over five hundred pounds,” Wang Caifeng exclaimed excitedly.

“We’ll have meat tonight!” The burly Zhou Jiao licked her dry lips, also cheering.

The women eagerly lifted their skirts and rushed forward.

Approaching, they saw the huge boar and their eyes lit up with joy.

But some women saw their injured husbands and immediately wiped away tears.

“Dad, that boar is huge. We must get quite a bit of meat, right?” Zhou Jiao asked happily—the lame man previously saved by Li Chen, her father Zhou Dahai.

“Of course, my dear daughter. Tonight your mother will stew plenty of meat for you!” The lame man smiled. He had his daughter at thirty and loved her like the apple of his eye. She always got the best food first, which is why she was so strong and sturdy—everyone in the village knew that.

“Your daughter’s big enough already. If she eats more meat, she won’t find a husband,” someone nearby joked, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

“Who’s gossiping nonsense? Believe it or not, I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Wang Caifeng spun around and cursed.

“Husband, you’re just in time. I have to tell you something. That brat Li Chen beat your precious daughter today, whipped her with a vine, and she’s covered in blood. When you get home, you must stand up for her!” Wang Caifeng exaggerated to Zhou Dahai.

“Who beat her?” Zhou Dahai was stunned.

“That little troublemaker Li Chen,” Wang Caifeng said angrily.

“Why? Brother Chen isn’t like that,” Zhou Dahai frowned.

“Uncle Zhou, there’s been some misunderstanding. It was Xiaojiao who first tore the clothes Li Chen bought for his servant wife and didn’t admit it. Then Li Chen got angry and hit her...” Xu Xiu’er spoke up nearby. Liu Jincui wanted to stop her but only glared—what was wrong with this girl? Stirring up trouble for no reason?

“Xiaojiao, is what Xiu’er saying true?” Zhou Dahai stood there, his expression darkening.

“Dad, I—I didn’t mean to... but he really hit me. You have to help me beat him, beat him to death...” Zhou Jiao clung to Zhou Dahai’s arm, whining.

Just then, “smack”—a loud slap came down on her face, knocking her to the ground.

“Husband, are you crazy? If you have guts, go hit Li Chen. What kind of man hits his own daughter?” Wang Caifeng shouted, shocked, trying to stop him.

“A doting mother spoils her child. Get out of my way. Today I have to punish that bastard,” Zhou Dahai roared like an enraged lion, pushing Wang Caifeng aside. He grabbed a branch and fiercely whipped Zhou Jiao, cursing as he struck.

“You bastard, why would you do such a despicable thing? You want me to beat Brother Chen? Don’t you know Brother Chen just saved my life by shooting down that boar?” The mixture of wails and furious curses echoed along the mountain path.

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