The following days passed by with the same routine. Tian herded his goat, occasionally playing with his friends, but his determination to buy a female goat never wavered. He kept brainstorming, looking for ways to make his dream come true.
One day, on the 4th of Aquaday, in the month of Solmora, which marked the beginning of summer, Tian was in the meadow with his goat as usual. A gentle breeze blew, making the grass sway softly. After tying his goat to a tree trunk, Tian sat under the shade of a large tree. The warm sun and the soothing sounds of nature made him feel drowsy. Slowly, his eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Time passed unnoticed. The sun had set in the western horizon, leaving a trail of golden light that gradually faded into the horizon. The sky darkened, adorned with stars that began to appear one by one. The sound of crickets filled the silence of the night, blending with the whispers of the wind that gently blew through the trees.
Tian suddenly woke up when the cold night air touched his face.
"Umm... it's cold..." he murmured, shivering a little while rubbing his arms.
However, as he fully regained consciousness, his eyes widened.
"Eh?! Uaaah... it's already night!" he exclaimed in panic.
He quickly stood up from his seat, looking around in every direction. The surroundings were now only illuminated by the moonlight hanging high in the sky.
"Oh no... Mother must be worried. Ahh... not just worried, she must be furious with me for coming home this late!" he murmured anxiously, tapping his forehead.
Without waiting any longer, Tian immediately moved to wake his goat, which was still lying peacefully, looking comfortable on the grass that was starting to get wet with the night dew.
"Hey, let's go home," Tian said softly while petting the animal's head.
The goat raised its head and bleated softly,
"Mbeee..."
As if understanding Tian's invitation, the goat stood up and shook off its fur a bit. With quick movements, Tian tied the rope around its neck and gently patted its back.
"Come on, don't be slow. I don't want to get scolded even more," he said half-jokingly.
Although it was still summer, the cold at night was still piercing.
Tian tightened his clothes, rubbing his arms while shivering slightly.
"Brrr... it's so cold... why does it feel colder than usual?"
Suddenly, Tian's ears caught an unfamiliar sound coming from the bushes.
"Crisp... crisp..."
His steps halted instantly. He held his breath and sharpened his hearing, trying to locate the source of the sound. His eyes narrowed, observing carefully. The moonlight filtering through the leaves revealed several small shadows moving near the edge of the forest.
"That's..."
A group of wild boars appeared, sniffing the ground in search of food. Their small eyes glimmered in the moonlight, occasionally emitting soft "oink oink" sounds.
Tian remembered something. Tomorrow, a traveling merchant would stop by the village for three days.
Tian's expression turned serious. "If I can catch some of these wild boars and sell them, I can definitely buy a female goat!" he thought with hope. However, doubt began to creep into his heart as he realized the size of the wild boars. They were quite large, almost as tall as he was!
He swallowed hard. "Can I catch them...? What if they attack me?" he murmured to himself, feeling hesitant.
But his determination soon overcame his fear. He clenched his fists. "I can't waste this opportunity! If I can't defeat them, I can just run as fast as I can!" he thought resolutely.
Carefully, Tian led his goat to a large tree at the edge of the path and tied its rope tightly there. He crouched down, gently patting the animal's head while whispering, "Wait here for a moment, okay? Don't go anywhere."
The goat bleated softly, "Mbeee..." as if understanding its master's command.
Tian took a deep breath, then cautiously began to approach the bushes where the wild boars were. His heart raced, filled with adrenaline and anticipation.
Tian searched for a sturdy stick to use as a weapon. After a while, his eyes caught sight of a large branch that had fallen among the grass. He bent down, gripping the wood tightly, feeling its rough surface in his palm.
"Alright, I have to be careful," he whispered to himself, trying to calm his racing heart.
With slow steps and held breaths, Tian crawled closer to the wild boars. The sound of dry leaves rustled beneath his feet, nearly drowned out by the pounding of his heart.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
When he was close enough, Tian took a deep breath. "Now or never!" he thought.
With a small shout, "Hemmpp!", he ran fast and swung the stick with all his might at one of the wild piglets.
"THUD!"
"CRACK!"
The hard hit landed squarely on the animal's head. The wild boar fell immediately, its body shaking violently before finally lying still. However, at the same moment, the stick broke into two!
"Ah! My stick broke!" he exclaimed in surprise, staring at the half of the stick still left in his hand.
Suddenly, a loud "Squeal! Squeal!" echoed. The other wild boars screamed in panic, realizing Tian's presence and the threat he posed. They began to run in all directions, trying to escape.
Tian gritted his teeth, thinking quickly. "What now? I don't have any weapons left!" But his eyes were still fixed on one of the wild boars that had not managed to escape far. "At least, I have to catch one more!"
Without hesitation, he ran as fast as he could, chasing one of the wild boars that was trying to flee into the bushes.
"I won't let you go!" he shouted.
The wild boar darted between the trees, but Tian was not far behind. Even though the distance between them had stretched to about 50 meters, Tian managed to catch up. He clenched his right hand tightly and swung his fist toward the wild boar's head with all his strength.
"THUMP!!"
The hard punch landed squarely on the animal's forehead. The wild boar staggered, its body wobbling before finally collapsing to the ground, writhing for a moment before going still.
However, at that moment, Tian was so focused on his prey that he didn't notice the large tree in front of him.
"AAAHH!!"
"CRASH!!"
His body collided hard with the tree trunk, causing him to sit on the ground while rubbing his throbbing forehead.
"Ouch... ouch...!" he groaned softly, his eyes watering a bit from the impact. He held his slightly reddened head.
Once the pain subsided a little, Tian shifted his gaze to the side, seeing the wild boar he had just hit still lying on the ground.
Tian stared at his hands, breathing heavily.
"A... I can't believe I managed to defeat it... And with just one punch?" he whispered in disbelief.
However, that shock quickly turned into joy. His eyes sparkled, and a wide smile formed on his face.
"YOSHAAA!! With this, I can sell it and save up to buy a female goat!" he shouted with enthusiasm.
His awareness quickly returned when he noticed the sky growing darker. The night wind began to blow, bringing a chill that pierced his skin.
"Oh no! It's already too late; I have to get home quickly!" he exclaimed in panic.
However, when he saw the two wild boars lying motionless on the ground, Tian began to hesitate.
"How am I going to carry them? I can't bring them home... Mother will surely be angry," he murmured, biting his lip, thinking hard.
After a while, he finally made a decision. Tian gathered dry twigs around him.
"Crisp... crisp..."
His hands quickly arranged the twigs and leaves to cover the wild boars he had subdued. He worked carefully, ensuring that no part of the animals was visible. Once finished, he stood up and looked at the pile of twigs.
"Tomorrow morning, I will come back here," he whispered to reassure himself.
He then hurried back to where his goat was still patiently waiting.
"Sorry for making you wait so long," he said while stroking the goat's head.
"Mbeee..." The goat bleated softly, as if understanding.
Without wasting any time, Tian untied the rope and began to walk home. His steps were quick, but he remained careful as he navigated the dark path along the edge of the forest. The faint moonlight illuminated his way, accompanied by the distant sounds of crickets singing.