On the way, Zhang Erlai had already given Zhao Youcai a rough summary of what happened. However, he didn't mention that he and Su Qing had run into the wild boar together. Instead, he claimed he was being chased by the boar and had inadvertently involved Su Qing, who ultimately saved his life.
Zhang Erlai told the story this way mainly to protect Su Qing's reputation, worried the villagers might get the wrong idea.
Seeing Zhao Youcai and the three villagers staring blankly at the boar, Zhang Erlai quickly spoke up again. "Captain Zhao, you see? It was this huge wild boar. It chased me the whole way, and I was nearly trampled to death. When I ran into Su Qing, I thought, 'It's all over. I'm going to get her into trouble, too.' I never imagined she'd be the one to save my life in the end."
Zhang Erlai repeated his story, mainly as a reminder for Su Qing.
