38: Notes from a Paranoid Educated Youth 7

Deep in the dense forest of Xishan Gully, tree shadows swayed, and the only sound was the wind.

Wen Ci followed behind Zhou Linchuan, clutching a sickle in her hand, vigilantly surveying her surroundings.

“Captain Zhou, will there really be wild boars here?” she asked softly, her voice trembling just enough.

Zhou Linchuan didn’t look back, his voice low, “Stay close, don’t run around.”

No sooner had he spoken.

“Crunch!”

The bushes not far away suddenly shook violently, and then, a massive wild boar charged out!

Its tusks were stark white, its bristles stood on end, thick snorts puffed out white mist, and its bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at them.

It was an adult male boar, at least two hundred jin!

Wen Ci gasped, instinctively taking a step back.

Zhou Linchuan’s eyes sharpened, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her sharply to the side, “Climb a tree!”

Before Wen Ci could react, he lifted her directly by her waist. She scrambled to hug the tree trunk, and just as she climbed up, she heard a furious roar from below.

The wild boar had already charged in front of Zhou Linchuan!

Zhou Linchuan didn’t flee.

He stood his ground, his gaze sharp as a knife. The moment the wild boar was about to hit him, he suddenly dodged to the side and swung a shovel, striking the boar hard on its side neck!

“Bang!”

The wild boar cried out in pain, letting out an ear-piercing shriek, and turned to charge again.

Zhou Linchuan’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly drew a short knife from his waist. This was a weapon he had brought in advance, its blade glinting coldly.

“Zhou Linchuan!” Wen Ci exclaimed from the tree, momentarily attracting the wild boar’s attention.

But the wild boar had already charged in front of Zhou Linchuan, its tusks aiming for his trousers.

In a flash, Zhou Linchuan leaped to the side, simultaneously plunging the short knife precisely into the wild boar’s neck!

Blood splattered!

The wild boar struggled wildly, flinging Zhou Linchuan several meters away. His back hit a tree trunk with a heavy thud. He grunted but immediately scrambled to his feet, glaring fiercely at the still-raging wild boar.

He couldn’t retreat.

Wen Ci was still in the tree.

Wen Ci looked at the wound on Zhou Linchuan’s arm, gashed by the wild boar’s tusks, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

Damn beast.

She narrowed her eyes, then suddenly pulled out a small cloth bag from her in my arms.

“Captain Zhou! Duck!” she shouted, fiercely scattering chili powder into the wild boar’s eyes!

Caught off guard, the wild boar’s face was covered in chili powder, and it immediately began to howl in pain, shaking its head frantically.

Zhou Linchuan seized the opportunity, charging forward in a single bound, plunging the short knife into the wild boar’s heart and twisting it forcefully!

“Pfft!”

The wild boar finally crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then became completely still.

Wen Ci quickly climbed down, astonished by his stamina.

“Zhou Linchuan!”

She stumbled towards him, cupping his face in her hands, her eyes incredibly bright.

“You’re amazing!” Her voice had a trembling lilt, her fingertips still covered in tree bark debris, yet she quickly reached for the wound on his shoulder, “Oh my god, it’s bleeding so much!”

Zhou Linchuan frowned, about to push her away, but then he heard her next sentence, “You clearly could have just run away.”

He paused.

Wen Ci had already torn off a piece of her cotton clothing and deftly pressed it onto his wound. Her eyelashes were lowered, casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, and her voice was as soft as a sigh,

“You did it to protect me, didn’t you?”

The blood quickly soaked through the cloth strip.

Zhou Linchuan looked down at the swirl of hair on top of her head, where a rebellious strand curled up, swaying gently with her movements.

She was too close.

He should have denied it coldly, but his Adam’s apple bobbed a few times, and in the end, he only managed to squeeze out a stiff, “…Shut up, stop the bleeding.”

Wen Ci suddenly looked up, smiling at him, “You’re so fierce, Captain Zhou.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a small cloth bag from her in my arms, shaking it open to reveal dried herbs, “Luckily, I brought some for stopping bleeding.”

The moment the herbs were applied to the wound, Zhou Linchuan’s muscles tensed sharply.

Wen Ci suddenly put something in his mouth.

Sweetness exploded on his tongue, and he instinctively frowned, “…What is it?”

“Brown sugar.” She winked slyly, “I’ve been hiding it for three days, don’t waste it.”

Her fingertips still lingered by his lips, carrying a slight coolness. Zhou Linchuan, as if possessed, lightly pursed his lips.

Sweet.

Just like her.

The moment this thought appeared, he himself was stunned.

The wild boar was too big; they couldn’t move it. They had to go back and call for help.

On the way back to the village, Wen Ci walked beside him, occasionally glancing at his wound.

“Zhou Linchuan,” she suddenly called him softly.

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

The mountain wind swept through the treetops, her voice mixed in, almost inaudible, “…It’s the first time anyone has protected me like this.”

Zhou Linchuan’s footsteps paused slightly.

He remembered her standing alone on the stage during the struggle session, her face pale with cold in the cowshed, the tears she shed during nightmares…

He turned his face away, his voice stiff, “…Watch where you’re going.”

Zhou Linchuan called some people, and when they carried the wild boar back to the production team, everyone was stunned.

Lin Hongying stood at the front of the crowd, her face ashen.

Zhou Linchuan and Wen Ci actually came back alive?

And killed a wild boar?!

The record keeper stammered, “C-Captain Zhou, did you kill this?”

Zhou Linchuan coldly grunted, about to speak, but Wen Ci suddenly leaned weakly against his shoulder, saying feebly,

“Thanks to Captain Zhou… He was injured by the wild boar while protecting me…”

Her eyes were red, her voice choked, looking utterly terrified.

Only Zhou Linchuan glanced down at her, the corner of his mouth twitching.

She’s quite the actress.

The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar, looking at Zhou Linchuan with admiration.

So Captain Zhou is so brave!

“Oh my god! Captain Zhou really killed a wild boar?!”

“Those tusks, if you got hit by those, you’d be dead or crippled!”

“Captain Zhou is too amazing…”

The villagers looked at Zhou Linchuan with awe, instinctively taking two steps back.

This man was even more terrifying than a beast.

Lin Hongying stood at the edge of the crowd, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

It was bad enough that he didn’t die, but why was that bitch also fine?!

The record keeper timidly approached, “C-Captain Zhou, this wild boar…”

“Record it as collective work points,” Zhou Linchuan said coldly.

The crowd immediately cheered, looking at him with even more reverence.

Wen Ci stood to the side, head bowed, looking utterly terrified, her fingers still

The translated_sentences property must be an array of strings, where each string is a translated sentence. Here's your translation:

Deep in the dense forest of Xishan Gully, tree shadows swayed, and the only sound was the wind.

Wen Ci followed behind Zhou Linchuan, clutching a sickle in her hand, vigilantly surveying her surroundings.

“Captain Zhou, will there really be wild boars here?” she asked softly, her voice trembling just enough.

Zhou Linchuan didn’t look back, his voice low, “Stay close, don’t run around.”

No sooner had he spoken.

“Crunch!”

The bushes not far away suddenly shook violently, and then, a massive wild boar charged out!

Its tusks were stark white, its bristles stood on end, thick snorts puffed out white mist, and its bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at them.

It was an adult male boar, at least two hundred jin!

Wen Ci gasped, instinctively taking a step back.

Zhou Linchuan’s eyes sharpened, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her sharply to the side, “Climb a tree!”

Before Wen Ci could react, he lifted her directly by her waist. She scrambled to hug the tree trunk, and just as she climbed up, she heard a furious roar from below.

The wild boar had already charged in front of Zhou Linchuan!

Zhou Linchuan didn’t flee.

He stood his ground, his gaze sharp as a knife. The moment the wild boar was about to hit him, he suddenly dodged to the side and swung a shovel, striking the boar hard on its side neck!

“Bang!”

The wild boar cried out in pain, letting out an ear-piercing shriek, and turned to charge again.

Zhou Linchuan’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly drew a short knife from his waist. This was a weapon he had brought in advance, its blade glinting coldly.

“Zhou Linchuan!” Wen Ci exclaimed from the tree, momentarily attracting the wild boar’s attention.

But the wild boar had already charged in front of Zhou Linchuan, its tusks aiming for his trousers.

In a flash, Zhou Linchuan leaped to the side, simultaneously plunging the short knife precisely into the wild boar’s neck!

Blood splattered!

The wild boar struggled wildly, flinging Zhou Linchuan several meters away. His back hit a tree trunk with a heavy thud. He grunted but immediately scrambled to his feet, glaring fiercely at the still-raging wild boar.

He couldn’t retreat.

Wen Ci was still in the tree.

Wen Ci looked at the wound on Zhou Linchuan’s arm, gashed by the wild boar’s tusks, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

Damn beast.

She narrowed her eyes, then suddenly pulled out a small cloth bag from her in my arms.

“Captain Zhou! Duck!” she shouted, fiercely scattering chili powder into the wild boar’s eyes!

Caught off guard, the wild boar’s face was covered in chili powder, and it immediately began to howl in pain, shaking its head frantically.

Zhou Linchuan seized the opportunity, charging forward in a single bound, plunging the short knife into the wild boar’s heart and twisting it forcefully!

“Pfft!”

The wild boar finally crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then became completely still.

Wen Ci quickly climbed down, astonished by his stamina.

“Zhou Linchuan!”

She stumbled towards him, cupping his face in her hands, her eyes incredibly bright.

“You’re amazing!” Her voice had a trembling lilt, her fingertips still covered in tree bark debris, yet she quickly reached for the wound on his shoulder, “Oh my god, it’s bleeding so much!”

Zhou Linchuan frowned, about to push her away, but then he heard her next sentence, “You clearly could have just run away.”

He paused.

Wen Ci had already torn off a piece of her cotton clothing and deftly pressed it onto his wound. Her eyelashes were lowered, casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, and her voice was as soft as a sigh,

“You did it to protect me, didn’t you?”

The blood quickly soaked through the cloth strip.

Zhou Linchuan looked down at the swirl of hair on top of her head, where a rebellious strand curled up, swaying gently with her movements.

She was too close.

He should have denied it coldly, but his Adam’s apple bobbed a few times, and in the end, he only managed to squeeze out a stiff, “…Shut up, stop the bleeding.”

Wen Ci suddenly looked up, smiling at him, “You’re so fierce, Captain Zhou.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a small cloth bag from her in my arms, shaking it open to reveal dried herbs, “Luckily, I brought some for stopping bleeding.”

The moment the herbs were applied to the wound, Zhou Linchuan’s muscles tensed sharply.

Wen Ci suddenly put something in his mouth.

Sweetness exploded on his tongue, and he instinctively frowned, “…What is it?”

“Brown sugar.” She winked slyly, “I’ve been hiding it for three days, don’t waste it.”

Her fingertips still lingered by his lips, carrying a slight coolness. Zhou Linchuan, as if possessed, lightly pursed his lips.

Sweet.

Just like her.

The moment this thought appeared, he himself was stunned.

The wild boar was too big; they couldn’t move it. They had to go back and call for help.

On the way back to the village, Wen Ci walked beside him, occasionally glancing at his wound.

“Zhou Linchuan,” she suddenly called him softly.

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

The mountain wind swept through the treetops, her voice mixed in, almost inaudible, “…It’s the first time anyone has protected me like this.”

Zhou Linchuan’s footsteps paused slightly.

He remembered her standing alone on the stage during the struggle session, her face pale with cold in the cowshed, the tears she shed during nightmares…

He turned his face away, his voice stiff, “…Watch where you’re going.”

Zhou Linchuan called some people, and when they carried the wild boar back to the production team, everyone was stunned.

Lin Hongying stood at the front of the crowd, her face ashen.

Zhou Linchuan and Wen Ci actually came back alive?

And killed a wild boar?!

The record keeper stammered, “C-Captain Zhou, did you kill this?”

Zhou Linchuan coldly grunted, about to speak, but Wen Ci suddenly leaned weakly against his shoulder, saying feebly,

“Thanks to Captain Zhou… He was injured by the wild boar while protecting me…”

Her eyes were red, her voice choked, looking utterly terrified.

Only Zhou Linchuan glanced down at her, the corner of his mouth twitching.

She’s quite the actress.

The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar, looking at Zhou Linchuan with admiration.

So Captain Zhou is so brave!

“Oh my god! Captain Zhou really killed a wild boar?!”

“Those tusks, if you got hit by those, you’d be dead or crippled!”

“Captain Zhou is too amazing…”

The villagers looked at Zhou Linchuan with awe, instinctively taking two steps back.

This man was even more terrifying than a beast.

Lin Hongying stood at the edge of the crowd, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

It was bad enough that he didn’t die, but why was that bitch also fine?!

The record keeper timidly approached, “C-Captain Zhou, this wild boar…”

“Record it as collective work points,” Zhou Linchuan said coldly.

The crowd immediately cheered, looking at him with even more reverence.

Wen Ci stood to the side, head bowed, looking utterly terrified, her fingers still “frightenedly” clutching Zhou Linchuan’s clothes.

The record keeper couldn’t help but comfort her, “Comrade Wen, you must have been scared, right? Thanks to Captain Zhou…”

Zhou Linchuan suddenly spoke, “No.”

Everyone froze.

He glanced at Wen Ci, and said lightly, “If she hadn’t thrown the chili powder, I might have been killed by the wild boar.”

The entire scene instantly fell silent.

Everyone looked at Wen Ci in disbelief.

That delicate-looking capitalist young lady?

Saved Captain Zhou?!

Wen Ci blinked, seemingly a little embarrassed, but a faint smile spread in her eyes.

The villagers exchanged glances, and their gazes towards Wen Ci had changed from “fragile capitalist young lady” to “clever person with hidden depths”.

“Comrade Wen, I didn’t realize you were so capable!”

“That wild boar was fierce, and you dared to get close to throw chili powder!”

“Captain Zhou even praised you, incredible!”

Wen Ci’s cheeks flushed from the praise, and she secretly glanced at Zhou Linchuan.

Several people were gathered around him, looking down and examining the wild boar’s wounds. Sensing her gaze, Zhou Linchuan, who was in the center of the crowd, looked up and swept a cold glance over her.

Their eyes met.

Wen Ci winked at him, her eyes sparkling.

Zhou Linchuan turned his face away, his ears slightly red.

So annoying.

Why was she looking at him? He was just telling the truth.