Chapter 20: Does It Take Effort to Catch a Few Wild Chickens?

Su Ruanruan stood still, not daring to move recklessly. She only carefully turned her head, peeking forward from Fu Wenjing’s side.

About ten meters ahead, six or seven wild chickens were strolling around.

The feathers of the wild chickens were vastly different from those of domesticated chickens, especially their tails, which were large with long, colorful feathers—so vibrant that they were impossible to ignore.

No one knew where these wild chickens had come from, but each one looked plump and well-fed. They strutted proudly, their heads held high, while their tiny greenish eyes darted around alertly. From time to time, they let out soft clucking sounds.

Seeing these wild chickens, Su Ruanruan instinctively swallowed.

They were so big—there must be plenty of meat on them!

If they could bring all these wild chickens back, even with so many people in the Fu Family, they would still be able to enjoy a proper meal with meat for once.

However, Su Ruanruan only entertained the thought in her mind and did not truly expect to take all the wild chickens back.

Due to their different living environments, wild chickens had developed a very different temperament compared to domesticated ones.

Growing up in the mountains, they constantly faced various natural predators and were frequently hunted by humans. As a result, they were extremely cautious.

Even the slightest disturbance would send them flapping their wings and flying away.

That’s right—wild chickens could fly. Their wings were larger, and their feathers longer, allowing them to lift off the ground.

Although they couldn’t fly very high or for very long, it was more than enough for them to escape danger.

Su Ruanruan wanted to ask Fu Wenjing how he planned to catch these wild chickens, but she was afraid that speaking would startle them.

Just as she was hesitating, she saw Fu Wenjing reach a large hand into his pocket. A moment later, he pulled out a slingshot.

Then, he reached into his other pocket and retrieved a smooth, round stone.

Seeing the stone, Su Ruanruan suddenly recalled how, on their way here, Fu Wenjing had occasionally bent down to pick up small stones from the ground. At the time, she hadn’t understood why, but now, it all made sense.

As Su Ruanruan was processing this realization, Fu Wenjing had already drawn back the slingshot and launched the small stone.

With a sharp whistling sound, the stone flew through the air and struck one of the wild chickens right on the head.

It seemed like a simple feat, but witnessing it firsthand, Su Ruanruan knew that this was far from easy.

Wild chickens weren’t stationary targets—they were constantly moving.

Moreover, their heads were small, and the distance was quite far, making it difficult to aim accurately.

And then, there was the matter of force.

After all, it was just a slingshot, and the projectiles were merely stones. Hitting a wild chicken from more than ten meters away in a single shot—while ensuring that the impact was strong enough to knock it unconscious—was no easy feat.

Yet, Fu Wenjing succeeded on his first attempt.

As the wild chicken collapsed, the rest of the flock was startled, flapping their wings in a panic and scattering in all directions.

Fu Wenjing did not stop there. He swiftly pulled out another stone and launched it without hesitation.

His speed was astonishing—one shot after another, each stone accurately striking a wild chicken.

Some were hit directly on the head and collapsed instantly, while others were struck on the body. Those hit on the body wobbled for a moment but ultimately managed to flap their wings and fly away.

Watching the wild chickens escape, Su Ruanruan felt a bit regretful.

It was the same feeling as having a duck that was almost in her grasp suddenly fly away.

However, she did not have time to dwell on that feeling for long. Her eyes lit up as she fixated on the fallen wild chickens. She turned to Fu Wenjing and urged excitedly: “Hurry, hurry! Let’s go over there before they wake up and run away!”

Fu Wenjing chuckled at Su Ruanruan’s anxious expression. “Don’t worry, wife. They won’t be waking up anytime soon.”

With their tiny brains and the force he had just used, they had probably suffered concussions. Even if they did regain consciousness, they wouldn’t have the strength to escape.

Still, seeing Su Ruanruan’s eagerness, Fu Wenjing quickened his pace and walked with her to collect the fallen wild chickens.

In total, they had caught four wild chickens, while another four had managed to escape.

To have successfully taken down four wild chickens in such a short time was already an impressive feat.

Fu Wenjing tore some vines from a nearby plant, stripped off the leaves, and used them to tie the chickens together.

Once the wild chickens were securely bound and tossed into the basket, there was no need to worry about them waking up and flapping around chaotically.

Su Ruanruan’s gaze never left the chickens. Her face was beaming with joy.

They had only just entered the mountains, yet they had already made such a great harvest—it was impossible not to be happy about it.

After staring at the wild chickens for a while, Su Ruanruan finally shifted her gaze to Fu Wenjing’s face. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she exclaimed: “You’re amazing!”

No wonder he was a soldier. No wonder he had served for so many years.

With just a slingshot, he could achieve such remarkable results. If he had been using a gun, wouldn’t all those wild chickens have been taken down?

But using a gun to hunt wild chickens would indeed be excessive. It was just a fleeting thought in her mind.

Fu Wenjing raised his hand and ruffled Su Ruanruan’s hair. “You think catching a few wild chickens is impressive?”

“Of course!” Su Ruanruan answered without hesitation. “I wouldn’t be able to hit even one!”

Fu Wenjing was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

His voice was deep and pleasant, and when he laughed sincerely, it became even more melodious.

“If my wife says I’m impressive, then I must work even harder.” he said with a grin. “Otherwise, how could I deserve such praise?”

Su Ruanruan blinked, hesitating before voicing her suspicion. “Wait… are you saying you weren’t even trying just now?”

“Does it take effort to hit a few wild chickens? That was just a casual shot.” Fu Wenjing replied naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Su Ruanruan: “…”

The two of them stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment without speaking.

Finally, Fu Wenjing was the first to break the silence. “Alright, let’s keep moving. If we go a bit further in, I have a feeling today’s harvest will be quite good.”

Obediently, Su Ruanruan followed behind him as they ventured deeper into the mountains.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—she really had underestimated Fu Wenjing’s skills.

The further they went, the more desolate and untouched the surroundings became.

After all, the mountains weren’t only home to wild chickens and rabbits. There were also rumors of wild boars and other fierce animals, making it quite dangerous.

Anyone who wasn’t skilled enough wouldn’t dare venture this deep into the mountains.

If she weren’t with Fu Wenjing, Su Ruanruan wouldn’t have had the courage to come this far on her own.

But the deeper they went, the greater the rewards.

Because few people ventured into this area, wild vegetables grew abundantly, untouched by human hands.

At a single glance, she could see a variety of edible plants—wild amaranth, purslane, ground moss greens, and bitter herbs—an abundance of choices.

There was a saying: “June amaranth is as good as an egg; July amaranth is worth more than gold.”

The amaranth in this saying referred specifically to wild amaranth greens.