CHAPTER 361: BATTLE WILD BOAR (2659)

Tian Sangsang was discussing with Xiaocui about how to weave a prettier sweater. Xiaocui was a completely rural girl, much more skilled than her.

"Where’s your Yanyan?" Xiaocui suddenly asked.

Tian Sangsang glanced toward the yard and said, "Probably out playing. Just now he was playing here with Xiaohu. These two kids."

Speak of the devil. Right then, Meng Shuyan came running in from outside.

Tian Sangsang saw his little legs pumping, his sweaty head, and she put down the yarn she was holding to catch him with her arms full. "Why are you running, Yanyan? Where’s Xiaohu?"

Meng Shuyan’s big eyes mirrored his alarm. "Mom, Xiaohu went into the forest."

"Yanyan, who did you say went into the forest?"

"Xiaohu." Meng Shuyan’s childish yet deliberate tone came through: "Xiaohu said he saw someone in the forest, so he went in. I couldn’t stop him." His dad had previously warned him the forest was dangerous, so deep down, he didn’t dare enter recklessly.

Suddenly, the scene erupted in chaos. A few Military Wives nearby, upon hearing this, were as anxious and frantic as ants on a hot pan.

"That Xiaohu, such a mischievous kid..."

"How could he go in there? It’s so dangerous!"

"Where’s Xiaohu’s mom? I’ll go find her."

Xiaocui exclaimed repeatedly, "What to do? That forest has big predators, even wild boars! This kid is truly fearless..."

"Don’t panic, it’s not as serious as you think. We need to go and check." Tian Sangsang reassured her. "Sister Xiaocui, try contacting someone from the unit or Xiaohu’s dad."

"Sangsang, are you really going to go?" one of the Military Wives asked nervously, "Sangsang, don’t go! Wait for the men to come first."

Tian Sangsang felt helpless. It was just a forest—what’s there to be afraid of? They could wait, but the child couldn’t.

She calmly took charge. "It’s fine. Let’s go check first; maybe we’ll find Xiaohu immediately."

No reason to assume they’d have such bad luck to encounter a tiger in a forest, right?

The others exchanged uneasy glances, but they dared not follow her.

"Mom, I want to go too. I can hear Xiaohu’s voice," Meng Shuyan tugged at her sleeve, softly pleading.

"Alright." Tian Sangsang thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

With Meng Shuyan by her side, Tian Sangsang headed toward the forest.

"Xiaohu—Xiaohu—" As they approached the forest’s edge, she shouted several times, but Xiaohu didn’t come out.

"Son, can you hear anything inside? Are there any dangerous creatures?" She furrowed her brow slightly.

Meng Shuyan perked up his ears, listening carefully. After a while, he shook his head. "Not for now."

"Alright, then we’ll go in to find Xiaohu. Are you scared?"

Meng Shuyan gripped her hand tightly, his little face determined. "If I’m with Mom, I’m not scared."

The forest was eerily quiet, the ground still holding patches of unmelted snow. The deeper they ventured, the denser the trees became. These trees had shed all their leaves, leaving bare branches dusted with snow. However, along the trail, you started seeing wild undergrowth thriving relentlessly, through spring, summer, fall, and winter alike.

From afar, Tian Sangsang spotted a shadow.

"Xiaohu—" she called out.

It seemed like someone was calling "Aunt Sangsang," their voice drawing closer. Xiaohu came running over, rubbing his eyes. "Aunt Sangsang! Yanyan!"

A child after all, his first time in the forest had left him crying with a runny nose and tear-streaked face.

"I got lost, Aunt Sangsang. I thought I couldn’t make it out."

"Don’t cry, it’s okay now. See, Auntie’s here to find you." Tian Sangsang gently patted his head, took out some tissues to wipe his tears, and said, "Alright, let’s go back now. Think you’ll still dare to be so naughty next time?"

With tearful resolve, Xiaohu shook his head: "I’ll never do it again!"

Leading the two young ones, they headed back, the atmosphere finally calm. Tian Sangsang breathed a sigh of relief—they were almost out of the forest.

Suddenly, Meng Shuyan stopped in his tracks, making Tian Sangsang’s heart skip a beat.

"Son?"

In a hushed tone, Meng Shuyan lifted his gaze. "There’s a noise, Mom."

Tian Sangsang froze in place.

The silent forest was abruptly punctuated by faint rustling sounds. Her nerves welled up with unease. She clutched the hands of the two children tightly, scanning the nearby trees. Whatever it was, they had to hide behind the trunks.

Before they could move, an alarming siren rang nearby. The piercing noise spiraled into the air, unmistakably originating from the military base.

Tian Sangsang’s mind raced—what was happening? There was no reason for a missing child to trigger an alarm; so then...her eyes narrowed in tension.

Through the underbrush ahead, two men dressed in dark, military-style attire stood up. They carried packs and were foreigners. One of them spoke, then pulled out a gun aimed toward them.

Tian Sangsang understood their question, translating into Mandarin: "What the hell are you?"

She raised her hands, trying to communicate. However, one of the men appeared impatient, his finger pulling the trigger. And then—things took a worse turn—her peripheral vision caught sight of a feral black boar charging in their direction.

Every fiber of her being surged with adrenaline. Clutching the two children, she retreated to the left.

A gunshot sliced through the air, tangled with the boar’s blood-curdling screech. It turned out the bullet meant for Tian Sangsang and the children hit the boar instead.

But the boar didn’t fall immediately. It reared its head, bellowing in rage, before changing course and charging at the two men. One of its tusks plunged into one man’s abdomen, tearing it into a bloody mess.

The men displayed trained precision, even when downed. One of them executed a smooth roll and began heading toward Tian Sangsang, seemingly intending to draw the boar along.

Tian Sangsang shouted behind her, "Yanyan, Xiaohu, hide behind the trees!"

Meng Shuyan and Xiaohu dared not hesitate, quickly ducking behind the nearest trees.

No sooner had her words left her mouth than a hand clamped onto her throat. She instantly couldn’t speak, struggling to breathe as the boar ominously shifted its focus back toward them.

Tian Sangsang’s chest heaved violently as she stared at the boar in fear. She knew this man was using her as bait, planning to escape while the boar attacked.

Struggling, she reached into the space where her electric baton was stored, flipped the switch with all her might, and jabbed it into the man’s hand. Instantly, his body convulsed wildly, his eyes wide with disbelief. His gun dropped to the ground.

Through gritted teeth, Tian Sangsang gave a bloodthirsty smirk, swiftly snatching his gun and dodging aside. A sharp spurt of blood painted her, and in that moment, the man met his demise. The boar then fixed its gaze once again on her and the two children she held.

All three shivered as the boar collapsed with a mighty thud.

"Yanyan, Xiaohu, get up—we need to go!" With legs trembling, Tian Sangsang gasped for air, pulling the children to their feet. She slipped the electric baton back into her storage space, walking unsteadily forward.

A troop clad in green approached swiftly. Tian Sangsang spotted Jiang Jinghuai in the midst of them, releasing a relieved smile. As Jiang Jinghuai strode forward and fired a shot, Tian Sangsang turned to see a man slowly toppling over.

There was another accomplice!

The green-clad troop dispersed and formed a protective encirclement around them.

Xiaohu ran into Captain Shen’s arms, crying, "Dad, Aunt Sangsang saved me!"

Earlier, Jiang Jinghuai had eliminated one of them, and when the troop arrived, two corpses and one dead boar were already on the ground. Captain Shen looked at Tian Sangsang, admiration shining in his eyes: "You’ve done well, sister-in-law!"

He patted Jiang Jinghuai’s shoulder. "According to the intel we received, three hostile individuals carrying explosives were approaching our camp. Seems like these are the three. This credit goes to you, Jinghuai."

Jiang Jinghuai pressed his thin lips together, his expression grim and lethal.

Captain Shen understood what he was thinking. He silently carried his son away, determined to discipline him properly with a firm hand! Such young age, already causing trouble!

Listening to their conversation, Tian Sangsang pieced it together—their attackers were dangerous suspects? So those three were hostile operatives!

The credit belongs to Jiang Jinghuai? Does that mean he might get promoted? Back then, her reckless mistakes had caused him to be demoted; now this might finally make things right!

She gleefully glanced toward him, but he simply walked over, looked at her with a cold, distant glare, picked up Meng Shuyan, and silently walked ahead without saying a word.

Meng Shuyan in his dad’s arms looked at his father’s tense profile, lowering his little head without daring to speak.

Uh-oh, dad’s angry.

Tian Sangsang also noticed his intense demeanor, as cold as icicles. Treading carefully beside him like a chastened wife, she dared not utter a word. He had previously emphasized repeatedly: avoid entering the forest.

Originally, she had wanted to brag a little.

"Are you hurt?" His deep, frosty voice came from beside her.

Tian Sangsang’s heart leaped with joy, shaking her head furiously. "No, no. Yanyan and I are perfectly fine. Except...our appearance might be a bit scruffy. Don’t worry."

While speaking, she peeked at him with her beautiful blossom-like eyes.

He paused briefly. "That’s good."

Other than that, he didn’t spare her another glance.