A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 73 The Photography Team Goes to the Countryside

Old Wang and his group walked along the small path on the mountain road full of gravel.

Old Wang and his group are a photography troupe from the provincial capital. Every spring, a small group of them goes to the villages to take photos. The year before last, they took some very touching photos in Zhangjia Village and won an award, so this year they drove down early in the morning. A group of about ten people walked forward, chatting and laughing.

The mountain path leading to Zhang Niu's place was full of loose stones. Zhang Niu, fast asleep at Happy Cottage, was unaware that someone was already approaching. Little Black, lying on the ground at his feet, was also there, its tongue lolling out.

"Old Wang, look, aren't those four characters 'Happy Abode' nice? Vigorous and powerful." Old Li, wearing a hat and a pair of black glasses, excitedly pointed to the boulder.

"Yes, this handwriting was probably done in the village. It's just as good as the handwriting done by professional calligraphers in the city. There are quite a few extraordinary people in the village."

Although they usually do photography, they also have some knowledge of calligraphy and painting. They can tell the difference between good and bad at a glance.

The men and women following behind were also discussing it.

"Huichao, don't you think this name sounds a bit corny? Happy Little Abode. It just sounds awkward..." he said with a smile to the girl with long braids next to him.

"Zhizhi, stop talking. Let people write whatever they want. We'll just take a look." She took a few pictures of the boulder.

Feeling awkward, Zhu Zhi stopped offering her opinion and turned to talk to others. Hui Chao found it somewhat amusing; this Zhi Zhi really was... still so disrespectful.

If Zhang Niu saw her now, he would know that the girl with the ponytail was the one who got injured in the car accident last time. Last time she had long, flowing hair, but this time it was tied up. She looked even more delicate.

Life is full of unexpected encounters. Well said!

The group passed by a huge rock by the roadside, and several girls took some group photos there, saying it would be a pity not to take one before going back.

The environment is nice. "I hope we can get good results this time," Old Wang muttered to himself, looking at the other crew members filming beside him.

After passing the giant rock, two small bamboo pavilions come into view. In the distance, there are cycads and Buddha's hand citrons. There are also rustic bamboo houses.

What a great place! Looks like we can capture a lot of subjects here. Old Wang and Old Li both seemed very happy.

While they were still watching, a sharp-eyed girl in the crowd exclaimed, "Look everyone! Isn't that a domestic pig in that little bamboo pavilion?"

On the small bamboo pavilion, several playful wild boar piglets were splashing around, leaping into the water. Zhang Niu noted that only these few wild boars behaved this way. Domestic pigs stayed in their pens all day, only venturing out in the evening.

They saw the pigs as domestic animals, raised their cameras, and snapped a few photos.

Old Wang, who had some knowledge of the subject, said to the filming crew, "That's not a domestic pig on the small bamboo pavilion. If I'm not mistaken, it should be a wild boar piglet."

A chorus of exclamations erupted below. "How could it be a wild boar cub? Didn't the teacher say that wild boars rarely come out these days and stay hidden in the mountains?" Several students questioned, seeking an explanation from the teacher.

"That's why I brought you out on this trip, to broaden your horizons and help you capture every shot when you're taking photos. It's also a valuable life experience for you. Look closely, don't you see those short fangs at the corners of their mouths?"

Old Wang's explanation was well-received by the group members. Even the first person who called it a domestic pig was a little embarrassed. That was a huge embarrassment.

Three wild boar piglets, seeing the flashing lights in the distance, huffed and puffed as they ran back. The ones that had just jumped into the water and reached the shore also hurriedly ran back to the front yard.

Everyone was a little worried as they watched the wild boar cubs run away. Weren't these guys supposed to be fierce? Maybe they were just too young and shy. Everyone was pondering this.

"Why don't we go take a look at that little bamboo pavilion?" someone suggested quickly. After discussing it, Old Wang and Old Li agreed. "Okay. Just don't cause any damage." The family didn't come out. It was just for taking a few photos; the honest villagers should agree.

Everyone rushed towards the small bamboo pavilion upon hearing this. Old Wang and the others, following behind, laughed and said, "It's still too small."

Walking on the bamboo bridge studded with wooden nails, Old Wang adjusted his glasses. "This place is nice, with mountains, water, and buildings. Especially the bamboo bridge and the small bamboo pavilion; it would be quite poetic if it rained."

"Look, there are black fish in this water too."

One of the boys, pretending to know what he was talking about, started explaining. "This is the main thing. It's just that the lighting is a bit off, that's why it looks like a shadow."

As soon as he said that, Old Wang and the others burst into laughter. "Don't listen to his nonsense. Bighead carp aren't black. The fish in this pond are clearly blackfish. Isn't that what you ate just a few days ago?"

Old Wang is really having a headache dealing with this group of members. They're fine in other places, but they just don't understand anything from the smaller towns. It seems he'll have to take them to the countryside more often in the future; it's like he's eaten pork but never seen a pig walk.

Green leaves have already begun to emerge from the water, adding a touch of liveliness to the otherwise quiet pond.

While they were still discussing it, the wild boar cub that had just run away came running back, grunting. It ran onto the bamboo bridge and started grunting, startling them who were still taking pictures.

But when they saw the three bluish wolves behind the wild boar cubs, Old Wang and the others' expressions changed instantly. Aren't those wolves? How come there are wolves here?

Fearing that his team members might mistake it for a pet dog and rush at him, Old Li quickly said, "Everyone, don't move! Stay put. That's not a pet dog you see, it's a wolf from the deep mountains."

Upon hearing this, several timid girls huddled together, almost in tears. In their minds, wolves were terrifying and ferocious.

The wild boar cub that had just run away soon returned with a capable helper. This was something they hadn't expected.

"Huihui, do you think something might have happened to us?" Zhu Zhi's face turned pale, as if she were in a major hospital.

Hui Chao's expression was similar, but he wasn't panicked. "It's alright. Didn't you see that the three wolves are just staying there and haven't come over? Once the owner comes out, everything should be fine."

These words reassured their team considerably. Yes, the family was alright after they returned. Everyone was thinking about that as well.

The wolves stared at the group of people in front of them, their cold gazes sweeping over everyone present.

The wild boar cubs ahead attracted the help of the wolves. They grunted and ran towards them.

They didn't understand what the approaching wild boar cubs meant. They could only watch and see.

The wild boar cubs entered the crowd and sniffed everyone's trouser legs. When they smelled Huichao, they circled around her incessantly, making noises from time to time.

"Huichao, is there something attracting guys to you?" A boy's question caught my attention.

Yeah, others just moved on easily. Why is everyone focusing on me? Could it really be something from my bag?

Reaching into her bag, Huichao felt a long, narrow object. She realized it was the Dove chocolate she'd bought that morning. Could this be it? She tossed the three chocolates she'd taken out onto the ground.

And they were right! The moment the chocolates were tossed onto the bamboo planks, the wild boar cubs grabbed the wrappers and ran to the bamboo bridge, one after another. Old Wang and the others were stunned. What was going on? Were they here to rob us of our chocolates?

The pig's trotter pressed down on the packaging bag a few times and bit it off, revealing the chocolate inside.

Watching the wild boar cubs' movements, Old Wang and his companions initially wanted to film them. However, seeing the three wolves watching them intently, they feared that making a move would invite an attack from the wolves, which wouldn't be worthwhile.

Huichao watched as the three piglets shared her chocolate. She was a little puzzled; were wild boar piglets these days all so intelligent?

After finishing eating, the piglet rubbed against the blue wolves a few times before running away, leaving the three blue wolves behind.

After taking a nap, Zhang Niu got up, washed his face, and prepared to go for a walk. At the front gate, he spotted a blurry figure on the bamboo pavilion.

Could someone have come without even saying hello?! Zhang Niu has been telling Big Wolf and the others to keep watch around the big house recently, as there have been a lot of thieves lately, so they need to keep a close watch.

This also explains why the wild boar cubs ran back to wake the sleeping wolves after Old Wang arrived. The wild boar cubs have become sentinels now.

Zhang Niu, walking out of the courtyard gate towards the small bamboo pavilion, was seen by Lao Wang and the others. At least someone had arrived. The sight of the blue wolf before them filled them with fear. They cheered, "Our master has arrived!"

As Zhang Niu walked across the bamboo bridge, he realized it was a photography group on a field trip.

Hu Huiqing stepped forward, ready to ask questions.

"It's you again, you brat! Last time you used the car, and this time you're releasing wolves!" Zhu Zhi had already seen Zhang Niu when he came up, and before he could even speak, she asked him with a belly full of anger.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Niu recognized her as the friend who had bumped into the girl last time. Looking further to the side, he indeed saw Li Huichao, who now appeared somewhat pale.

Old Wang, who was leading the group, and Zhang Niu, who had seen it once before, said, "Sorry. I was busy just now. I hope those wolves didn't scare you."

"Fellow villager, this wolf is terrifying! It scared my team members half to death!" Seeing the newcomer, Old Wang finally got his rant out. The young man in front of him seemed ordinary, and he figured he'd be easy to talk to. After all, they were the ones who barged in first.

"There have been a lot of thieves in the village lately, so I'm worried. But these wolves don't usually bite people, so don't be afraid. Come sit over in the bamboo house and cool off."

So the group headed towards the bamboo house. As they passed Zhang Niu, Zhu Zhi glared at him a few times, her face full of anger. Calling her a fiery woman wouldn't be an exaggeration.

He went inside and placed a pot of tea over the large tile.

Old Wang and his companions, sipping their tea, finally calmed down. He recalled encountering wolves when he was working in the countryside, and was surprised to see three of them again.

The boy realized that the person in front of him, who was about the same age as them, was the owner of this place and even raised the three wolves. Although he was quite frightened earlier, he soon started chatting with Zhang Niu. They were all about the same age, so there was no generation gap.

Zhu Zhi, standing to the side, hadn't given Zhang Niu a friendly look all along. She already had a bad impression of him from last time, and now that a wolf had appeared, she was even more annoyed.

Zhang Niu didn't intend to argue with her; he figured he could just let her have her way with a girl.

"Fellow villager, this place is newly built, isn't it?" Old Wang started talking after taking a sip of water.

Sitting on a newly made bamboo chair, Zhang Niu said, "Yes, I saw your field research group last year. It seems like all these are new faces this year."

Old Wang was pleasantly surprised to hear this. "Oh, you knew that? Last year's batch has all finished graduating, and this batch just arrived. They're leading a team to the countryside. They saw you on the back hill of your area before coming here. I didn't expect..."

What Old Wang didn't say was, of course, what the wolf was watching.

The boy next to him asked, "Did you catch that wolf in the mountains?"

This question made Zhang Niu almost laugh; the wolf was practically a bonus. "Yeah. I caught it when it was a puppy. It's out on the mountains every day now, just don't attack it with firewood or anything."

"What about these little wild boars?" Looking at the wild boar piglets running around the house, they asked a new question.

"And that wild boar cub even stole things earlier, that's really going too far," one of the girls in the group said, mentioning the stolen chocolate.

Zhang Niu was utterly bewildered. When did this piglet become so arrogant? It even went so far as to rob someone. Touching the piglet under the chair, he said, "I'm really sorry. It's usually very well-behaved at home. I didn't know it would turn out like this; I guess it was just some wild boar causing trouble." Zhang Niu felt a little embarrassed as he spoke.

"It's alright, this is the first time we've ever seen a pig that would actually rob someone."

After resting for a while, Lao Wang and his team members prepared to take some photos here as a way of getting Zhang Niu's opinion.

"Sure. Maybe I could be a guide or something," Zhang Niu suggested.

Old Wang nodded. "That would be best. Otherwise, if another animal pops out, it'll be troublesome again."

After going outside, everyone took many photos in front of the bamboo house. A flash of light captured a fleeting moment of brilliance. Even Zhang Niu, watching from the side, couldn't resist taking a picture himself.

Old Wang and the others were instructing some beginners on framing, focusing, and other technical terms. Bored, Zhang Niu ran off into the distance. Oh well, it's better to just have someone take some pictures. Looks like I don't have many solo portraits yet.

Zhang Niu only dared to approach after seeing Li Huichao holding a camera and searching for the focus. The fiery woman wasn't around.

"That person is busy, I wonder if they have time to take a few pictures for you."

Hui Chao turned around and saw Zhang Niu behind her. "Oh, it's you. Not bad."

Zhang Niu simply took a few photos without posing, since they were studying and it wouldn't be good to disturb them.

"Thank you. Is your leg injury from last time alright?" Zhang Niu thought of what happened the week before.

"Okay. Don't worry. Look." She even jumped a few times as she spoke.

"Your car is still at my house. Take it back when you have time," Zhang Niu casually brought up the car.

Li Huichao was a little surprised. "It's with you? I thought you left it at the hospital and someone stole it. I couldn't find it." She then smiled sweetly a few times.

Zhang Niu, who was still chatting idly, suddenly felt a sharp pain on his shoulder. "What are you doing here? You're not trying to pick up our Huihui, are you?" came the fiery woman's voice from behind.

After the fiery woman arrived, Zhang Niu moved to another spot. A boy taking photos nearby said to Zhang Niu, "You'd better watch out for that girl; she's famously fiery. She's studied martial arts," while chuckling to himself.

"So she's trained in martial arts, no wonder her slap was so powerful. I really underestimated this fiery woman. I bet even Zhang Niu himself couldn't beat her in a fight. Let's see who marries this fiery woman in the future." He muttered under his breath.

I led Lao Wang to a place where the peach blossoms were in full bloom. "You guys can take pictures, but be careful, there are beehives over there."

Old Wang took out a cigarette and handed it to Zhang Niu. Zhang Niu took it but didn't smoke it; instead, he clipped it directly to his ear.

"How many days will it take you to do this photo shoot?"

Old Wang, smoking a cigarette, squinted. "Well, it depends. Things are better this year, especially in places like yours. It'll allow them to learn more."

"Look at what you're saying, my place is just so-so. There's construction going on on that barren mountain across the street, it should be quite beautiful when you come back."

"I imagine your orchard is quite large outside the county. Especially the bamboo house you built. There are very few like that outside the mountain resorts. Are you planning to do that too?"

Zhang Niu laughed heartily, "No way, it's just built up for people to see, for friends to sit down... Look at this place, hardly anyone comes here."

As Zhang Niu was speaking, a red figure flew out of the peach blossom grove, and the team members quickly snapped a picture of that moment.

A red figure fluttered out of the flower grove and landed on Zhang Niu's shoulder, pecking at its feathers. It showed no fear of the stranger before it.

"This is a red pheasant I raised. It often goes to the flower grove to catch insects," he introduced to Old Wang.

"That bird is beautiful. That fiery red color is really rare." After pecking for a while, Erhong flew to another treetop.

Erhong, perched on a treetop, attracted many nearby crew members to take photos.

They left their footprints all over Happy Little Abode. Even the wild boar cubs caught everyone's attention. And then there was the wild boar cub they'd robbed from Huichao. It was recognized early on.

As noon approached, everyone's stomachs started rumbling. Since going back to the county town was quite a hassle, they usually ate at villagers' homes.

The environment at Happy Cottage was better than in the village. After discussing it for a while, Old Wang and Old Li went to Zhang Niu's place, who was still chatting with others. "Young man, I wonder if you could use the kitchen here for lunch?"

"Borrow the kitchen?" Zhang Niu was a little confused. Could a kitchen really be borrowed?

"Yes. In the past, when we went to the countryside, we would eat in the village. Everyone would buy a lot of vegetables in the morning, so we would borrow the kitchen to cook," Old Li explained.

Zhang Niu understood and said, "Okay. I'm just worried you won't be able to use this."

After Zhang Niu agreed, the young men went downstairs and drove up. The others followed Zhang Niu to the kitchen in the front yard.

There were only a few piglets in the yard; King Kong had been taking two sows to the mountains these past few days. Zhang Niu was relieved; everyone in the neighborhood knew King Kong belonged to Zhang Niu and that he wouldn't attack anyone.

He invited everyone to sit in the small pavilion in the courtyard. Old Wang, sitting there, noticed that the flowers on the trees in the courtyard were more vibrant than those outside. The Buddha's Hand citron had already formed claw-like shapes. There were also many wild orchids growing on the ground in the corner of the house.

What surprised Old Wang most was that the pigsty built in the corner didn't smell bad. They didn't smell anything bad sitting in the front yard. The yard was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers.

Sitting there, I saw "Little Dot" leading several big white ducks, wagging its tiny claws. The big white ducks following behind were quacking in unison.

Standing there, Zhang Niu saw the bright red "Little Dot" enter. These past few days, the bored "Little Dot" has started to mingle with the ducks again and become their leader. He has recruited quite a few followers who often come into the yard with him.

"Did you raise that one too?" many girls asked.

Zhang Niu knew he was talking about Little Dot. "Yeah, it hatched from a strange egg we found in the mountains." That was something Zhang Niu had just thought of. There were so many strange animals in the mountains, who would know if he just mentioned it casually?

Old Wang listened and said "Oh," then looked at the little one more carefully.

The little guy who led the ducks in also noticed the group of people at the pavilion. He hopped onto Zhang Niu's shoulder in a few swift movements and waved his paws at the girls who were showing affection, something he'd only picked up after Zhang Ting arrived. He's starting to look like a little pervert.

The tiny little one, up close, blinked its big eyes and stared intently at them, occasionally squeaking. This drew laughter from many girls.

I could hear a car outside the courtyard; it seems they were bringing back groceries.

Several boys were carrying a lot of vegetables and meat. Zhang Niu put down "Little One" and led them into the house.

"You can use this gas stove for cooking."

After everyone heard the announcement, they all started washing or chopping vegetables.

When Zhang Niu came out, he saw the little guy suddenly in the arms of several girls. Wow... This kid always makes a pitiful face whenever a girl is holding him.

The little one was nestled in the fiery woman's arms, its snow-white belly exposed. The fiery woman was scratching itself with her hand. The little one squeaked occasionally, seemingly enjoying itself immensely.

Seeing Zhang Niu come out, Old Wang also told the girls outside to go in and help. The fiery girls put the little one down before slowly going inside.

The little guy, who had just left without anyone to tickle him, ran back to Zhang Niu's place. He's such a mischievous fellow.

Lunch was also served in this pavilion, with all the utensils replaced with disposable chopsticks and plates. This saved Zhang Niu a lot of effort at lunchtime; he could eat for free.

Zhang Niu, having enjoyed a hearty lunch, is still savoring the meal. It was delicious! Much better than the porridge he ate for lunch. The little one also ate quite a bit of food at lunchtime, and now he has a chubby little belly.

After resting for a while, Zhang Niu led them to the top of Maotou Mountain. From there, they could see the distance better, as well as the newly built bamboo houses opposite.

After greeting Zhang Niu, Lao Wang led his team to check out the other side. Zhang Niu didn't follow; he just sat on the hillside to rest. He was quite full after the meal and needed to relax.

In the afternoon, Zhang Niu carried a hoe to weed. The weeds, watered by his spatial abilities, had grown tall and dense, covering the base of the trees. Seeing their rampant growth, Zhang Niu finally came over to clear them away.

While weeding the side, I also cleared the drainage ditch to prevent water from accumulating in the pit during the summer rains and causing root rot.

Spreading weeds under the tree is like adding fertilizer.

After cleaning up quite a bit, Zhang Niu prepared to go back; things couldn't be finished in one day, so he'd take his time... To put it nicely, he was a lazy bum.

As soon as I got back to the yard, I saw that Old Wang and the others had already returned, but each of them was covered in mud.

"Where did you fall? You're all in this state," I asked, somewhat surprised.

"It's nothing, it's just that we all stepped into a pit on that barren mountain..." Zhang Niu knew from the unspoken part that they must have fallen into a pit, probably an old animal trap on the mountain!

"I forgot to tell you when you went there, there used to be a lot of wild animals on those mountains. The village wanted to get rich, so they dug a lot of pits but never filled them. A while ago, the village's little yellow ox fell into one of them and almost no one knew." Zhang Niu told you all about the village in one breath.

"You should have said so earlier! You made us fall, how awful!" Without even listening, I knew it was that fiery woman's voice again.

Now Zhang Niu is even a little afraid of her. She's a fierce girl; thinking about it, the village girl is much better.

Before leaving, Old Wang said, "Come back tomorrow, we need to film some more short videos. Keep an eye on your wolf."

"It's okay... You can call them outside tomorrow."

A group of people got into the car and sped away.

Second update. 8,000 words today. A few donations would encourage Corn to write more tomorrow. I originally planned 4000 words today, but it's difficult to split this chapter, so I'm posting it all at once.