Chapter 21: Someone Else’s Wild Boar

Su Ruan was a bit worried—
And also a little afraid.

Ever since yesterday, when Lu Chuan dragged back a wild boar, Su Ruan had realized that the mountains were far from being the treasure trove she had imagined.

They were filled with danger.

And wild boars were far from the most dangerous.

There were also bears, tigers, and even leopards.

Every one of them was deadly.

Today, besides asking around for work opportunities, she also inquired about the situation in the mountains.

It turned out many hunters had died there.

And the ways they died were varied.

Some people’s remains weren’t even found—they had been completely devoured by wild beasts.

When Su Ruan heard this, she was utterly terrified.

So she became more attentive—not only asking questions, but also observing, exploring, and constantly thinking about how to increase the household’s resources so they wouldn’t have to rely on hunting every day.

Even if they did hunt, they should avoid the most dangerous places as much as possible.

“Hm.”

Lu Chuan smiled.

“Don’t worry.”

Looking into Su Ruan’s eyes, Lu Chuan could already guess what she was thinking.

And he couldn’t help but feel touched. Despite both Su Ruan and Bai Siyu being born into prestigious families, neither of them had even a trace of arrogance.

Maybe it was because they were raised with good manners.

Or perhaps, after the downfall of their families, they were humbled by reality.

They would rather live simply and humbly as ordinary people.

Either way, Lu Chuan felt fortunate.

No doubt about it—he had won big.

That said—

Chen Miaomiao’s cooking was actually quite good. These days, there weren’t many spices or seasonings, yet with just some plain ribs stewed with cabbage, she made the dish taste especially delicious.

After the meal was prepared,

She brought it to the table and then stood quietly off to the side.

Her eyes held no spark.

She looked almost like a robot.

Lu Chuan glanced at her strangely. “Why are you just standing there? Eat. Do I need to formally invite you?”

Only then did Chen Miaomiao slowly come back to her senses.

She looked at Lu Chuan with a dazed expression.

Seeing her awkwardness, Bai Siyu quickly pulled her to sit down.

“Sit, there aren’t that many rules in this house.”

“It’s livelier when we all eat together.”

Chen Miaomiao still seemed a bit out of place. Holding her bowl and chopsticks uneasily, she sat there overwhelmed with emotion, not knowing what to say.

At that moment, Bai Siyu looked up.

“Head of the house, we don’t have many rooms or extra bedding left.”

“What do you think we should do with Dieyi?”

Lu Chuan looked up and thought seriously.

Right now, there were only two rooms in the house.

Bai Siyu had already progressed in her relationship with him, but Su Ruan hadn’t yet.

“How about letting her temporarily stay in your room?”

Lu Chuan looked at Su Ruan and smiled. “You can look out for each other. Tomorrow, I’ll start building a simple brick kiln to fire some bricks. Whether it’s for building a house or doing anything else, we’ll need bricks.”

“Alright.”

Su Ruan nodded.

She understood what Lu Chuan meant—he was probably worried that Chen Miaomiao might try to escape.

After dinner,

Lu Chuan began working on his second bow.

The first one was too basic. Although it had decent aim and range, Lu Chuan wasn’t fully comfortable with it.

To make a good bow, you had to put in the effort.

Previously, because he was in a hurry to hunt in the mountains, he had just thrown together something usable.

Since he had already given that bow to Su Ruan, Lu Chuan needed to craft a new one for himself.

But that night,
Lu Chuan was busy twisting cord.

This time, however, he wasn’t using grass fibers—he was using rope.

There’s a real technique to making bowstrings. A proper bowstring can’t be too thick or too heavy.

It needs to be light, elastic,
And strong enough to hold.

Luckily, this wasn’t difficult for Lu Chuan.

Su Ruan watched him from the side, her eyes filled with surprise.

“Where did you learn this craftsmanship? Even military craftsmen might not be this skilled!” Su Ruan exclaimed. “It’s honestly a waste for you to be just a hunter. If you joined the army, you’d definitely shine!”

“Forget it,”
Lu Chuan chuckled. “I have no interest in killing or fighting.”

He was joking, of course—his past life was as a mercenary. In this life, he just wanted a warm home, a wife, and children.

Since he’d transmigrated, he might as well enjoy life for once.

Finally, he soaked the rope in tung oil, and then climbed into bed with Bai Siyu.

…

The next morning, after Lu Chuan woke up,
He started his day by practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

It had already become part of his daily routine.

Then he went down to the river to gather some river sand and yellow clay.

After preparing everything he needed for the day’s work,
He suddenly saw a figure running breathlessly up the hill.

“Brother Chuan! Brother Chuan! Something’s happened—something big!”

The voice was full of urgency.

The person who came was Li Yanjun, who was the same age as Lu Chuan, and the two had always been close.

Li Yanjun came from a butcher’s family, so they had a bit of money.

They even sent him to private school for a few years, but Li Yanjun wasn’t cut out for studying—he made the teacher so angry that the old man nearly collapsed, and he never went back after that.

A few days ago, during the matchmaking event,
Li Yanjun chose a woman who was big and strong.

Apparently, they went straight to the bridal chamber after returning home.

It seemed like he had quite a good time, since he hadn’t come to find Lu Chuan for days.

“No rush, take your time.”
Lu Chuan looked at the panting Li Yanjun. “What happened?”

Li Yanjun said, “The village chief—our village chief—was beaten up by people from the neighboring Zhao Family Village! Now those guys from Zhao Village are storming over here looking for you! You better hide somewhere!”

“Zhao Family Village?”

“What do they want with me?”

Lu Chuan found it strange.

Li Yanjun explained, “I was some distance away, so I only caught bits and pieces. But did you hunt in their hunting grounds and take down a wild boar? The hunters from Zhao Village said they had been tracking that boar for days!”

“They said you stole it from under their noses!”

“Of course they’re pissed off, and now they’re coming straight for you!”

When Lu Chuan heard this,
He actually laughed.

“Heh, now that’s a new one.”

“When did the mountain become Zhao Village’s private hunting ground? So now we need their permission to hunt?” A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Lu Chuan’s lips as he gave a sharp snort.

“Hey, this isn’t the time for sarcasm!”
Li Yanjun said anxiously, “You know how it is—our village’s population has dwindled. There aren’t many men left, much less hunters. It’s been years since anyone regularly hunted in the mountains!”

“But Zhao Village put together a hunting team. They’re in the mountains all the time.”

“Now that you’ve hunted their wild boar, of course they’re furious!”