Chapter 1, Pine Forest Hall.

As He Zheren's gaze inadvertently swept over, his face suddenly twitched slightly. He seemed to sense a faint and strange aura emanating from the body of the eight-browed earth piglet.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks and stood up, standing in front of the doorway, asking in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Since leaving the top of Xifeng and heading south, I have been suffering from hunger and cold all the way, feeling like a lost dog. Along the way, I have been chased by vicious dogs and surrounded by mischievous children. Fortunately, I am clever and resourceful, and managed to overcome the difficulties and arrived at the territory of Langzhou along the ancient Shu Road.

"The witch pig is indeed well-deserved of its reputation," He Zheren chuckled, "This is the aged Ya Ning pressed wine, with a history of over 300 years. The wine starter is made from over a hundred Chinese medicinal herbs such as Tianma, cinnamon, wolfberry, pinellia, and amomum, solidly fermented in steamed red sorghum to produce 60-degree raw liquor. It is then sealed in an earthen jar in an underground cellar with rock sugar and pollen, known as 'pressed'. Only after a year can it be opened from the cellar, yielding a 26-degree amber-colored wine. Even non-drinkers can raise a glass, no wonder the great poet Lu You of the Southern Song Dynasty praised it as 'Liangzhong's brew yields an extraordinary fragrance'."

He walked forward, his eyes staring tightly from behind the glasses, and yes, it was a rare "witch pig" in the world.

The old man's name is He Zheren. He was originally a member of the Wen Shi Committee of the Langzhong County Political Consultative Conference and has been a widower living at home since retirement. This person has a dark complexion, yellow teeth, and a strange temper. People in the village call him "Old Coffin Box" behind his back.

Baoyu avoids revealing his true nature, for revealing it is like dust. Pine and cypress trees avoid leaving the mountains, for leaving them is like becoming firewood. A nobleman hides behind a stone wall, with books as his neighbors. In contemplation, he finds the true taste of simplicity. In the early morning, a few lines of poetry were heard within the old mansion. With a creak, the heavy wooden door opened, and an elderly man wearing black-framed glasses stepped out and stood on the porch, gazing deeply at the nearby Panlong Mountain.

Outside the house, the fine rain drizzles incessantly. Inside the old house, one person and one pig drink heartily and unknowingly it's already late at night.

Uncle Fei enjoyed soaking in warm water, his whole body covered in soap bubbles. Not bad, this is the fragrance of Liulan, his favorite scent.

After the simple memorial ceremony, people are ready to start enjoying the "Cold Food Festival".

The farmer's wife lit up the scattered banknotes in her hand. The couple smiled at each other. In the early 1990s, this was a considerable income.

Is it a wild boar?

He Zheren was greatly astonished. How could a pig actually understand human speech? So he got up and brought an empty bowl, poured half a bowl of wine and pushed it in front of it.

He Zheren frowned, it was late at night and raining again. He secluded himself here and rarely interacted with the villagers. Who could this person be?

Uncle Fei sniffed the air with his nose, and the wine appeared amber in color, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. He had not had a drop of alcohol for over half a year, but just smelling it made his mouth water.

Compatriot, we are passing through this place, can we stay for one night?

He Zheren looked at it and couldn't help but be surprised, saying, "Can pigs drink alcohol?"

Uncle Fei pondered in his heart that he couldn't reveal that he could speak human language. Nowadays, the world is treacherous, and one must guard against the unpredictable human hearts.

This guy stole the sacrificial offerings and offended our ancestors. Catch him and slaughter him.

Oh," He Zheren raised his gaze and looked at the farmer couple who approached him, and said lightly, "I bought this little piglet."

Go somewhere else. He Zheren refused decisively.

Uncle Fei quickly nodded his head and forcefully smacked his lips.

He Zheren began to rub the scabs for the witch pig, scratching its belly, making Fei Shu uncomfortable with a "hmm" and "hmm". This old man is not bad, it thinks.

※※※。

A faint wisp of smoke rises in the mountains, amidst the clamor of people and the laughter of children and barking of dogs. The Cold Food Festival is the largest folk festival in the Central Plains. During the Qingming period, people from nearby villages go up the mountain to sweep graves, offer sacrifices to their ancestors, or relocate graves.

Suddenly, a dirty and scruffy black piglet rushed out from the woods and viciously pounced on the meat in the dish in front of the grave, devouring it recklessly.

Qingming vegetable, scientifically known as Stellaria media, grows most vigorously before and after the Qingming Festival. It clusters together in clumps on the muddy riverbanks. Once the season passes, the yellow flowers bloom at the top, and it becomes less tasty. People harvest it before it blooms, then chop it up and mix it with flour, glutinous rice flour, or cornmeal. They add salt or sugar and pan-fry it into cakes. The cakes are soft and chewy, with a unique fragrance, making it a beloved food among farmers in the Shu region.

The Shu Road starts from Jiange and heads southeast, winding for hundreds of miles to reach Langzhong in northern Sichuan. Along the ancient post road, tall cypress trees line the way, with a rest house every twenty miles and an inn every forty miles. In the past, there were post stations set up to facilitate the transportation of official mail.

Uncle Fei has been frightened and exhausted for several days. At this moment, he is already physically and mentally exhausted, and falls into a deep sleep as soon as he turns over. It was not until after dark that he woke up and glanced at the clock on the wall, only to find that it was already past nine o'clock at night.

In the northern part of Langzhong City, several miles away, there is a small village called "Songlin Hall" with more than ten households. Ancient pines cover the sun, and the mountain streams converge at the foot of the mountain to form a deep pool, which the locals call "Black Water Pool". Under the shade of the lush pine and cypress trees by the pool, there is an old mansion with high walls and a deep courtyard. The blue bricks and tiles are tightly closed on ordinary days, and there is very little interaction with outsiders.

What was caught on the mountain, it stole the ancestral offerings.

Finally, he bought the witch pig for 200 yuan. He Zheren completely ignored the pig dung on his body, turned around with his hands folded in his arms, and "clang" closed the door.

The children became furious. With a whistle, a scruffy large mongrel dog nearby suddenly leaped up and firmly held down the piglet with its front paws. It opened its sharp teeth and bit down on the back of its neck, causing it to cry out in pain.

"No, the wild boar has red eyes and fangs," the children discussed.

Wu Zhu, can you understand human's intention? From now on, you will be my assistant, but you need to have a name to do so... He Zhe pondered for a moment, then said, "Let's call you 'Xiao Wu'. What do you think?"

In the sky, there is a drizzle falling, the lights in the living room have all been turned on, and a meal has been placed on the table, including water-cooked sliced pork, mapo tofu, and local spicy dishes such as Zhang Fei's beef.

He gently arched his nose into the bowl and took a sip, unexpectedly drinking half a bowl of wine into his stomach. It was really good wine, with a sweet and mellow taste. "Gulp, gulp" went his mouth, and the aftertaste lingered in his mouth for a long time.

A family of farmers came down from the mountain. The children happily carried the piglets tied with bamboo poles in front. When passing by the Black Water Pool, they caught a glimpse of "Old Coffin Core" standing with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the old house.

People were shocked and hurriedly rushed forward to beat and drive away, but that little piglet was busy gnawing away, and those two plates were already empty.

So we went home and killed some meat to eat. The children were talking excitedly with each other.

Back inside the house, He Zheren quickly brought a wooden basin and filled it with warm water, then untied the rope to give this witch pig a bath.

He Zheren smiled slightly, picked up Fei Shu and placed him on a chair, and kindly asked, "Are you hungry?" Then he opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass full from the one on his own table.

A vast expanse of bamboo forests on the mountain, with a gentle spring breeze, emanating a faint fragrance of tender bamboo in the forest.

At this moment, there was a knocking sound at the door outside the courtyard.

I am Secretary Xing of the County Party Committee. The person said in a loud voice.

The children got some pig feces on them when they were catching pigs just now, so they put down the bamboo pole and ran to the edge of the pond to wash their hands.

"Wait a moment," He Zheren asked them, "Where did this piglet come from?"

We don't have this kind of black pig with arched eyebrows around here," the farmer's wife carefully observed.

After taking a shower, dry your body with a large towel, then Fei Shu was carried to bed and covered with a blanket. "Have a good sleep," the old man said satisfied.

The children washed their hands and prepared to lift the bamboo pole to go home.

This old man is a bit strange. He actually refers to himself as "Wu Pig", which confuses Mr. Fei.

Uncle Fei nodded again.

Whose pig could this be?

In front of a grave, a villager is burning incense, paper, and candles to worship ancestors. After kowtowing, the children stare at the braised chicken and duck in the plate. They can have a hearty meal at this time every year, while the light green "Qingming vegetable cakes" are only for the adults.