Chapter 126
“Da Hui found him?”
Lu Gu’s eyes widened in surprise. As he spoke, he reached out to rub Da Hui’s head. Unlike the excitedly wagging tail of the puppy, Da Hui only nuzzled his hand, but his fluffy tail was also wagging constantly, clearly showing his happiness.
“Mm.” Shen Xuanqing nodded. Seeing that it was getting late, he took the lead and started walking up the hill. “At noon, I was thirsty and tired, so I rested by the stream and ate some dry rations. Da Hui ran off on his own, and I couldn’t call him back. I had to let him go. I followed behind, calling his name and Guaizi’s name as I walked, so he could hear me and know where I was.”
“A dog’s nose is sharp, and they run fast. I don’t know where Da Hui went to find him, but I heard him and Guaizi barking together from far away. I was afraid of getting lost, so I stood still and called their names, waiting.”
Back in the yard, Lu Gu broke two steamed buns for Guaizi, who had been hungry all day. The dog devoured them without complaint, not minding that it wasn’t meat. Da Hui also ate steamed buns and drank water.
Seeing that Shen Xuanqing’s hair and clothes were dirty, Lu Gu said, “Wash your hands first. I’ll go cook, and after we eat, I’ll boil water for you to wash your hair.”
“Mm.” Shen Xuanqing said, “I’ll take Da Hei to retrieve the bamboo basket. Yesterday, I caught two pheasants and a clumsy mountain sparrow alive. I don’t know if they’re still there.”
Lu Gu went into the kitchen to busy himself. The water celery he had chopped yesterday afternoon hadn’t been stir-fried, and there were two bowls of leftover steamed water amaranth noodles that could be reheated. He took all the bamboo shoots soaking in the basin and cut them into strips. Since Guaizi and Shen Xuanqing were back, and they hadn’t eaten properly last night, he decided to cook more dishes today.
In the woods, Shen Xuanqing and Da Hei found the bamboo basket. The hatchet was still inside, and the two pheasants with their feet tied were not far from the basket. Both were still alive. As for the injured clumsy mountain sparrow, Da Hei followed the bloodstains on the ground and found it in the grass half a mile away.
The clumsy mountain sparrow was larger than a pheasant. It couldn’t fly, but its claws and beak were exceptionally sharp. Shen Xuanqing had used a feathered arrow to catch it yesterday, hitting its wing and injuring it. After a night, the sparrow, with its beak tied shut, couldn’t make a sound. As it struggled to escape, its wings flapped wildly, causing it to lose a lot of blood. It was already dead.
Shen Xuanqing picked up the clumsy mountain sparrow and tossed it into the large bamboo basket, thinking that he would kill it when he got back and feed it to Guaizi and the others.
It was also because this area wasn’t far from the yard. Over a decade ago, the old hunter and some of his peers had joined forces to hunt extensively in the mountains, driving the beasts deeper into the wilderness. Otherwise, these few prey would likely have been eaten last night.
Compared to the gloom of the morning, both Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing had smiles on their faces during the meal.
The sun hadn’t yet set. Guaizi lay on the ground while holding a large piece of sparrow meat in his front paws and gnawing on it. Da Hui and Da Hei were doing the same, though they weren’t as lazy as Guaizi, they stood while eating.
A wisp of smoke rose as Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing boiled water for a bath in the kitchen.
Shen Xuanqing added firewood to the stove and said, “We’ll rest tomorrow. The day after, I’ll take you home.”
Lu Gu was startled and looked at him without speaking.
Shen Xuanqing sighed softly and said, “There are many wild beasts in the mountains, especially in summer. They’re more active than usual. Not to mention tigers and bears, wild boars are fierce. It’s better to stay at home.”
“But if I go back, what will you eat?” Lu Gu frowned.
Shen Xuanqing smiled and said, “I’m not completely helpless in the kitchen. I didn’t starve when I was in the mountains before. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Now that we’ve started raising rabbits at home, after I take you down the mountain, I won’t rush back up the mountain. I can hunt rabbits in the foothills. It’ll take a few days, but I’ll catch another ten pairs of breeding rabbits. You can take care of feeding them at home, and when I come back up the mountain, I won’t have to bother with small prey like that. I’ll save my energy for hunting deer and sheep. Forget deer, just one sheep can sell for at least one tael of silver, which is more profitable than selling rabbits and pheasants.”
“If I only hunt big game, I’ll drag it down the mountain to sell as soon as I catch it. Even if I only sell one sheep a month, that’s still one tael of silver. This way, I won’t have to stay in the mountains for long. I’ll probably only need to stay a few days before coming back down. When I’m home, I’ll still be eating your cooking.”
As Shen Xuanqing spoke, he chuckled. “In the first two years after I finished my apprenticeship, when my skills weren’t yet polished, I managed to catch a sheep. But that was because I got lucky. This year, my luck in the mountains hasn’t been as good, and with all the work at home, I’ve only caught one black-hoofed sheep. But as long as I don’t get distracted hunting other things and follow the tracks, I’m sure I’ll catch something.”
Hearing this, Lu Gu, who had been listening attentively, nodded firmly. He had always believed in Shen Xuanqing’s abilities.
“If you go down the mountain, I won’t have to worry about you anymore. Da Bai will stay home to guard the house, and I’ll bring Guaizi up with me. With three hunting dogs, I’ll be even more secure.” Shen Xuanqing added, “We have a lot of land and livestock at home. Sister-in-law is pregnant, and only Mom and Elder Brother are taking care of everything. They’re busy every day. If you go back, you can help out. I’ll be home for more than ten days a month. If we split the work, it won’t be so exhausting.”
With things put this way, Lu Gu had no choice but to nod in agreement. However, having grown accustomed to being with Shen Xuanqing, he felt a bit down, and his frown hadn’t yet eased.
Seeing this, Shen Xuanqing grabbed his hand and held it tightly, smiling as he said, “If you’re down the mountain, I’ll definitely hurry back.”
These words made Lu Gu’s ears turn red instantly. He stammered for a while, unable to form a complete sentence. Amidst such intimate and teasing words, he finally smiled again.
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