Volume 1, Chapter 31: Hei Zi Has Made Something of Himself

"Who called?"

Meng Xiaohan, who was eating, noticed Guo Dong's grim expression and instinctively feared something had happened at home.

"It was Tianhu. Hei Zi killed a wild boar!"

Guo Dong sat at the table, chopsticks in hand, a piece of pork belly still gripped between them. Hearing this, Meng Xiaohan froze, maintaining her posture as she stared at him.

"Hei Zi? Killed a wild boar?"

The claim sounded highly suspicious. "You mean a piglet, right?"

Anyone who has lived in a mountain village knows how ferocious wild boars can be. Forget about dogs; even a wolf wouldn't be a match for a wild boar in a one-on-one fight. And Hei Zi was just a dog, not a wolf.

"He didn't specify, but it shouldn't be small. He said the boar was raiding the vegetable patch and got bitten to death."

At this point, Guo Dong lost all interest in his meal. He grabbed Meng Xiaohan and prepared to leave. It was the second time he had held her hand; she glanced at him with a smile and allowed him to lead the way.

"It’s fine. With my dad around, the villagers won't be picking it up to eat."

A few years ago, eating wild boar would have been normal. Who in the village hadn't? But things had changed; hunting wild boars was now illegal. Of course, if Hei Zi killed one while guarding the crops, it was generally a non-issue.

The two rode off on their electric tricycle, leaving thoughts of today's vegetable delivery behind. Sitting on the cart, Meng Xiaohan intentionally nudged closer to Guo Dong, a wave of sweetness washing over her heart.

When they arrived back at the village, a large crowd had already gathered around the hillside plot Guo Dong had leased. Everyone was animatedly discussing the scene of Hei Zi’s battle with the boar. Meanwhile, Hei Zi lay on the ground, eyes squinted, acting as if the day's events had nothing to do with him.

Modesty. Killing a boar was nothing worth mentioning for "Brother Dog."

"Where's the pig?" Guo Dong shouted as he arrived at the hill.

"Tianming took it away. He hauled it to town!"

Guo Dong let out a long breath and walked over to Hei Zi. Only then did the dog slowly rise, panting as it rubbed against Guo Dong’s leg, as if asking for praise.

"Guodong, your Hei Zi is something else. That boar must have been over two hundred pounds. Before we could even react, he had it pinned down."

"More than two hundred pounds. Looking at the size of it, I’d say it was at least three hundred!"

"Doesn't matter what it weighed; it's a shame we can't keep it."

Guo Dong looked down and checked the dog over. Satisfied that there were no injuries, he finally relaxed.

"Were you all there when it happened?"

"Not really. We were over at the fish pond watching Tianhu feed the fish. We came over when we heard the noise to help, but by the time we got here, the pig was already dead!"

Guo Dong nodded and patted Hei Zi on the head. "It’s a good thing your crops are safe, otherwise you'd be the one crying."

"Tell me about it. The wild boars in the mountains are getting too crazy; they come down all the time. That’s why nobody else wanted to farm this hill—it’s the boars."

The villagers chimed in, leaving Guo Dong with a bitter smile.

"It’s not like we can’t hunt them; we organize a hunt every year. Alright, everyone, let's disperse!"

As Guo Dong spoke, some began to leave, but others stayed behind. Looking at the lush vegetables covering the hill, one villager chuckled.

"Guodong, these bok choy look great. I’m going to pick a couple to try!"

"I was just about to head to town to buy some greens; I might as well buy them from you!"

Guo Dong shook his head. "Forget about buying or not buying. If you want to eat them, go ahead and dig them up; no need to pay."

Everyone in the village knew Guo Dong had money. A couple of bok choy wouldn't hurt. The thick-skinned ones started picking immediately, while the shy ones just stood by, looking on with envy. As for Guo Dong, he didn't care how many vegetables were in the patch. With so few people, it didn't matter if everyone took a little. Besides, his vegetables weren't even sure to sell.

With that thought, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. He took Hei Zi and headed toward his small wooden cabin. Meng Xiaohan wanted to follow a few times, but there were too many people around, and she felt shy.

The cabin was sparsely furnished: a bed, a straw mat, and a small wooden table. Beyond that, there were only a few farm tools. There wasn't even electricity; the only lamp ran on a power bank. If one were to stay the night, there wasn't even a place to charge a phone.

"Guodong, I heard you went to the county town to sell vegetables this morning. How did it go? What was the price per pound?" A familiar voice drifted in as soon as he entered.

"I didn't go to sell; I went to deliver. I wanted people to taste them first—once they know the quality is good, they'll offer a fair price!" Guo Dong wouldn't admit he’d been kicked out. That would be too embarrassing.

"So, did they try them? What did they say?"

Guo Dong chuckled. "They didn't like them! I’m planning to head to town tomorrow to sell them myself."

Silence fell outside. Farming was sometimes a game of luck. His peaches had sold for a good price because he’d met a kind soul. But luck doesn't last forever; you can't hit the jackpot every time.

"It's fine. Selling in town is the same. Your greens look healthy enough; at the same price, why wouldn't they sell?"

"Exactly. Selling vegetables can be profitable. My second cousin's brother-in-law makes enough to drive a car now."

"A car? That's nothing. My cousin's nephew bought a house in the city just by selling vegetables."

Listening to the chatter outside, Guo Dong found it amusing. Little did he know, the very vegetables he thought people didn't want were currently causing quite a stir.

After Liu Lan brought the vegetables to her father, Liu Yang, he was ecstatic. "Lanlan, where on earth did you get these vegetables?"

Liu Lan had expected this reaction. Looking at the two plates of stir-fried greens, she smiled. "Dad, just tell me, how do they taste?"

"That goes without saying! They’re better than any vegetable I've ever seen!"

Liu Lan felt proud. "So, I’m not just some rich girl who only knows how to loaf around!"

"Get to the point," Liu Yang said. "Where did you get them?"

"I didn't buy them; I'm here to talk business. It depends on what price you can offer, as I have someone waiting for an answer."

"Who?"

"Sister Min, of course."

"Which Sister Min?"

"Xie Minmin! Who else would I know?"

Liu Yang took a deep breath, put down his chopsticks, and stared at his daughter. After a long silence, he asked, "The Xie family owns a supermarket, right?"

"So what if they do? Can’t they sell vegetables?"

Before Liu Lan could react, Liu Yang had already stood up, grabbed his briefcase from the bedroom, and headed for the door.

"Hey, Dad, where are you going?"

"To the Xie family, to talk to Xie Jingrui about a partnership!"

In the living room, Liu Lan stood dazed, looking at the two plates of greens. She picked up a piece and tasted it. "It’s just a little tasty. Is there really a need to be so dramatic?"