Coming up this time, as before, was simply to ensure Shen Xuanqing had hot meals after days of exhausting hunts.
But like last year, foxes were nocturnal, and tracking them took time. It wasn’t until dusk the following day that Shen Xuanqing returned.
The sun hung low in the west. Lu Gu had barred the gate early and was just about to brace it with the log when distant barks reached him. He hurried to open the gate and step outside.
Guaizi dashed ahead, reaching him first. His tail wagging furiously as he rubbed against Lu Gu’s legs in excitement.
Da Hui and Da Hei followed close behind, four legs were simply faster than two. Shen Xuanqing trailed further back, but even from a distance, he could see his fulang's eager gaze. Unconsciously, he smiled.
“You’re back.” Lu Gu barely registered Guaizi, stepping forward with a face full of joy.
“Mm, I found a honeycomb on the way and brought it back to make you honey water. Got lucky this time, I caught two foxes on the first hunt, both with good fur,” Shen Xuanqing said, eager to share his two days’ worth of stories.
Inside, he unpacked his bamboo basket. Lu Gu hovered nearby, inspecting everything with satisfaction.
“There’s food in the pot, still warm. I thought you might not make it back tonight, so I just banked the fire,” Lu Gu said, ladling water for him to wash up before heading to the kitchen to fetch the meal.
It wasn’t anything elaborate, just reheated flatbreads and a soup of wild vegetables with dried meat at the bottom.
For Shen Xuanqing, being able to enjoy a hot meal after returning home was the perfect reward after two days of grueling travel.
Lu Gu had already eaten. Sitting beside Shen Xuanqing, he watched him eat while the dogs crunched on steamed buns. The sounds of eating filled the house, making it feel lively again.
The gate was securely barred, no fear of anything intruding.
“Keep eating. I’ll add water to the pot so you can soak your feet later,” Lu Gu said, staying busy. Dusk had fallen, and after two days of hunting, Shen Xuanqing deserved an early rest. A foot soak would ease his weariness. After refilling the pot, Lu Gu stoked the clay stove’s fire and lit a candle with a slender twig.
The hot soup warmed Shen Xuanqing’s stomach. The dried meat and wild vegetables were hearty, and he downed two bowls of soup with three flatbreads before feeling satisfied. Setting down his empty bowl, he exhaled contentedly.
“I saw some fat doves in the woods yesterday. I’ll catch a couple next time for soup. With your hand still healing, fish soup will have to wait. I’ll catch some when I have time,” he said with a smile.
“Alright.” Lu Gu nodded, the candlelight dancing in his eyes, reflecting his quiet happiness.
____
Life in the mountains was quiet yet busy. When Shen Xuanqing returned from his second fox hunt, true to his word, he brought back two plump doves, and even six mountain sparrow eggs.
Today, he had returned early. After their meal, the sun hadn’t yet set, so he plucked the doves in the yard, asking Lu Gu to boil the sparrow eggs for the dogs.
Imperial law forbade hunters from recklessly harvesting bird eggs for sale. Thus, aside from chicken and duck eggs. The market saw no trade in bird eggs, even prized species circulated only in secret, rarely surfacing openly.
Knowing he had no powerful backers, Shen Xuanqing never targeted rare birds, sticking instead to colorful mountain sparrows for the pet trade.
As for eggs, deep in the mountains, where no officials patrolled, and with no intent to sell, he occasionally gathered them to supplement meals in leaner times. Now that life was more stable, he rarely bothered. This time, having failed to catch prey for the dogs, he’d climbed a tree to raid a sparrow nest as a treat.
These sparrows were common, their nests often clustered in trees. Since they weren’t protected, he saw no harm in taking a few eggs.
Though the authorities were distant, Shen Xuanqing respected the law. For a man with no connections, breaking it could spell disaster.
He’d heard tales of rare birds fetching fortunes among nobles, selling them could make him earn quick money. But he wasn’t tempted. With a family to care for, he preferred steady earnings. A few dozen copper coins at a time added up.
Dreams of wealth weren’t for him, so he didn’t dwell on them.
The dove feathers fluttered in the breeze. Glancing at Lu Gu boiling the sparrow eggs in a small pot, he asked, “I’ve eaten these before, they’re decent. Want to try one? They’re not strange or anything.”
The mountains teemed with odd creatures, and not all were safe to eat.
Lu Gu shook his head. “I have an egg every day. These can go to the dogs, six is just enough for the three of them.”
Fair point, they weren’t short on food now. Shen Xuanqing chuckled and returned to plucking the doves.
Lu Gu joined in after adding the eggs to the pot.
Working together, they finished quickly. “These make good soup, but the meat’s nothing special. If you don’t want it, the dogs can have it,” Shen Xuanqing said.
“Alright, they’ll appreciate the treat.” Lu Gu rinsed the dove meat before storing it in the kitchen. They’d already eaten, so the soup would wait for tomorrow.
Guaizi whined at the sight of meat, but Lu Gu didn’t relent, sealing it in the steamer.
Retrieving the boiled sparrow eggs, he cooled them briefly in water to peel.
Two small eggs were barely a mouthful for Guaizi, who wolfed them down and immediately eyed Da Hui’s share. But a growl sent him slinking away. Da Hei was equally unwelcoming. With no handouts forthcoming, Guaizi stood watching, licking his chops, tail uncharacteristically still. Finally, he turned to Lu Gu, nuzzling his leg with plaintive whines.
Lu Gu stifled a laugh. Though all three dogs were loyal, especially the perceptive Da Hui, Guaizi which was raised by his own hands, was like a spoiled child, earning his soft spot. Yet even he couldn’t rob the others for Guaizi's sake. With the eggs gone, he could only pat the dog’s head in consolation.
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