Chapter 789: Asking for Pig Fodder

“If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them.”

Chen Beiguo immediately brought up the matter of the hogweed. Zhang Tianming was a little confused. He didn’t know about the piglets yet; someone else had handled that matter, so he couldn’t help but ask.

“Doesn’t your Qingshan Team have hogweed? Surely you’re not short on it?”

Chen Beiguo took the opportunity to curry favor.

“Leader, I’m just trying to save us some trouble. To be honest, we don’t really care about the hogweed itself. But we can’t let them use the machinery for free. Otherwise, the next time there’s a good opportunity, won’t they just make a habit of taking advantage of us?”

“If we were to ask for money, well, we’re all so familiar with each other, it would be awkward to ask. Besides, we can use the hogweed anyway. If they deliver it, our team members can get some rest.”

Zhang Tianming had a gut feeling that Chen Beiguo wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he didn’t press the issue. It wasn’t a difficult matter anyway, so he agreed right away.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have each team send a cartload of hogweed over every day, delivered by the county tractor.”

After seeing Zhang Tianming off, the hogweed issue was resolved.

The busy farming season was over. Aside from working on the pigsty, many people in the Qingshan Team found themselves with free time.

They were busy all year round and had never had such an easy time during the farming season. For a moment, they could hardly believe their good fortune was real.

It was precisely because this ease had been so hard to come by that everyone became even more grateful to Gu Jiaojiao.

Chen Xiaoli had nothing to do during the day, so she brought some of Xiao Ni’s clothes and came over to chat with Gu Jiaojiao.

Xu Chongfeng, Xu Chongshan, and a few others had gone up the mountain with Leng Yuan.

From the looks of it, they were out for a big haul.

Gu Jiaojiao and Chen Xiaoli paid them no mind. Chen Xiaoli made clothes for Xiao Ni, while Gu Jiaojiao sorted through the medicinal herbs Leng Yuan had brought back.

Chen Xiaoli was sharing gossip from the next village with Gu Jiaojiao.

“Yesterday, one of the aunties from our village went back to her family home in Li Family Village. She said her family’s neighbors, a couple who’d only been married for about half a year… well, she heard the wife ran away.”

“Apparently, it’s because she hadn’t gotten pregnant after more than half a year. Some people say it’s the woman’s fault—that she’s infertile. Her in-laws were unhappy and tormented her, scaring her off. But others say it’s the man’s problem. The woman wanted a child, but the man couldn’t… you know… so she ran off with someone else.”

But this was all just hearsay from that auntie. No one really knows what the truth is. Anyway, there are all sorts of versions of the story going around the village.

But Chen Xiaoli thought it was because the woman looked down on the man’s family for being too poor and couldn’t stand the hard life, so she left.

Gu Jiaojiao fell silent. That added another theory to the mix.

Meanwhile, Leng Yuan and his group were hunting on the mountain. Before they had even reached the deep woods, they saw a man with a panicked expression running toward them, covered in blood.

When the man saw Leng Yuan and his group, his eyes lit up. He quickly shouted, “A wild boar is chasing me! Help me!”

Before him were six or seven tall, sturdy men, each holding a sickle. The man instantly felt a renewed will to live.

“Holy cow, a wild boar! Everyone, scatter!”

The man: …

He was on the verge of tears. “Help me! Help me!”

As his words faded, the grunting and snorting of a wild boar could be heard from behind him.

This wild boar was huge, with terrifying tusks. It was definitely an adult boar.

Boars are more aggressive than sows, and a single one can charge a bull to death.

The group braced themselves as Leng Yuan took command.

“Rope.”

Leng Yuan assessed the terrain and shouted. Chen JianShe immediately threw the rope over.

Just as the man ran past, Chen JianShe and Chen Jie pulled the rope taut. The wild boar, charging straight ahead, was immediately tripped by it.