Chapter 9 The Wen Family's Thoughts
Chapter 9 The Wen Family's Thoughts
After shooting all his arrows, Zhang the hunter charged toward his prey. Wen Yuxia leaped into the air and landed in front of Zhang the hunter in a few bounds.
He grabbed a goat by the tail, threw a quick punch, and shouted, "Uncle Zhang, tie it up with a rope!" Then he continued searching for his next target.
Zhang, the hunter, stared in disbelief as Wen Yuxia punched the running goat to the ground, and sluggishly replied, "Understood."
Wen Yuxia swept through the flock of sheep, first knocking down two wild goats that had been shot with arrows, then knocking out a pregnant ewe carrying a lamb, and then followed the flock into the woods.
Wen Yunhong slid down from the tree in a flash, and with his short little legs, ran towards the pregnant female goat lying on the ground.
The mother goat had just struggled to her feet when Wen Yunhong tackled her to the ground again. "Uncle Zhang, come quick, it's trying to run away!" Wen Yunhong shouted.
Hunter Zhang had just finished tying up the two injured goats when he turned around and saw Wen Yunhong pounce on the mother goat who had stood up. Wow, these two siblings are both fierce!
Hunter Zhang quickly went over and tied the ewe up securely. Then, looking in the direction Wen Yuxia had left, he shouted loudly, "Da Ya, Da Ya!"
"Uncle Zhang, I'm here," Wen Yuxia deliberately followed the goats for a while, and after getting out of Zhang's sight, she quickly put the two goats into her spatial storage. Hearing Zhang's call, she quickly responded.
Looking at the four goats in front of him, Zhang the hunter looked troubled: "Da Ya, I can only carry two at most. What about the other two?"
Wen Yuxia pointed to the smallest goat and said, "Hong'er, try to lift it."
The smallest one should weigh around 80 or 90 pounds, and the heaviest is the pregnant ewe, which weighs at least 170 pounds.
Wen Yuxia planned to have Wen Yunhong carry the smallest sheep, while she would carry the ewe herself, and the other two, each weighing around a hundred pounds, would be given to Zhang the hunter.
"Sis, wouldn't it be better to lead it with a rope? Why carry it?" Wen Yunhong picked up the goat from the ground, lifted it with both hands, and threw it over her shoulder, grinning foolishly, "I can carry it."
Wen Yuxia had considered tethering the wild goat with a rope and letting it follow its own path, but the weather didn't allow them to linger there.
It takes at least an hour and a half to get back to the foothills from here, and then from there back home. Instead of spending time training the goat, it's better to just carry it home.
"Uncle Zhang, those two goats are yours now," Wen Yuxia said, stacking the two baskets on top of each other on her back. Then, she carefully hoisted the ewe onto her shoulder and called to Wen Yunhong as they headed out of the mountain.
Without hesitation, Zhang the hunter tied the two goats together, hoisted them onto his shoulder, and left.
When Wen Dashan returned home and didn't see Wen Yuxia and her brother, he hurriedly went out of the courtyard to look for them at the foot of the mountain.
As they walked, they muttered to themselves, "What's wrong with Daya today? It's already dark and she hasn't come back yet. She usually comes home right around mealtime. Could something have happened to her?"
The siblings, whom Wen Dashan had been thinking about, had just emerged from the deep mountains when Wen Yunhong said pitifully, "Uncle Zhang, let's rest for a while before continuing. I can't walk anymore."
Hunter Zhang had wanted to rest for a while, but with two children with him, he was worried about safety in the deep mountains, so he mustered his energy and continued exploring.
"Alright, let's rest for a bit," Hunter Zhang put the two goats on his shoulders down and quickly went to take the goat that Wen Yunhong was carrying.
Of the three, only Wen Yuxia still had the strength left. Looking at Zhang the hunter and Wen Yunhong who were collapsed on the ground, Wen Yuxia said crisply, "You two rest first. I'll go dig some wild vegetables and cut some grass for the goats while I'm at it."
When Wen Dashan arrived at the foot of the mountain, he didn't see Wen Yuxia and her sister. So, he hurriedly started walking uphill, calling out loudly as he went, "Da Ya, Xiao Qi..."
As Wen Yunhong set off again, carrying his goat, he heard Wen Dashan's voice. Excitedly, he shouted, his childish voice echoing throughout Dawan Village: "Grandpa, I'm here! Come quick, help me carry the goat!"
In Dawancun, every household preparing for dinner was stunned by the child's broken voice.
"Old man, whose child is shouting? What sheep are you carrying?"
"Dad, it's Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi is calling Grandpa to go carry the goats."
"Brother Song, it sounds like Xiao Qi is calling,"
……
Suddenly, even the food lost its appeal. Every household opened their courtyard gates, with the elderly and women standing on tiptoe to peer towards the end of the village, while children and men excitedly ran down the mountain.
Men are boys until they die; no amount of darkness can stop their thirst for excitement.
The three Wen brothers, along with their sons, followed the villagers to the end of the village. While others went to watch the commotion, they went to help.
When the group reached the end of the village, Wen Yuxia and Hunter Zhang were having a heated discussion about the ownership of the goats.
Wen Yuxia meant that the money from selling the goat should be split equally between the two families, while Zhang the hunter meant that since there were three of them going up the mountain, the money from selling the goat must be divided into three parts.
Seeing Wen Zisong and Wen Zibo staring intently at the goat on the ground, Wen Yuxia suddenly felt there was no need to argue. So, she stepped forward and hoisted both the baby goat and its mother onto her shoulders.
He said to Hunter Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, I'm not selling my sheep for now. I'll take these two back with me, and you can have the other two. I'll take the wild eggs, wild vegetables, and fodder with me."
Turning to Wen Dashan, he said, "Grandpa, there are wild eggs in the basket, be careful," and then strode off towards home.
She knew exactly what her uncles were thinking without even guessing. They wanted to use the excuse of helping out to openly and legitimately divide the goat meat. Haha, she carried the goat away herself. Let's see who dares to come knocking on her door asking for meat now.
In the Wen family courtyard, everyone gathered in the backyard to watch two wild goats. The goats, frightened by their noise, cowered in a corner of the woodshed, refusing even a sip of water.
Wen Yuxia, with a stern face, said seriously, "Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Grandma, please take the firewood we need for tomorrow morning to the front yard in advance. Tonight, the woodshed must be locked."
She then explained why the door was locked: wild goats are good runners and can escape if you're not careful, so locking the door is to prevent them from running away.
"Lock them up, they must be locked up!" Wen Dashan was the first to voice his support. Regardless of whether the two wild goats would ultimately be eaten by his family or sent to town to be exchanged for money, the immediate priority was to ensure that the wild goats did not escape from the woodshed.
Wenlin was beaming with joy. Da Ya had caught two wild goats. The pregnant ewe could be sent back to her parents' home, and the smaller one could be given to each of her sons' families, so they could also have a taste of the meat.
She had such wonderful thoughts in her mind that she couldn't help but blurt them out.
The once noisy backyard suddenly became quiet.
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