Chapter 32: The Competition

“Really? Then I’m definitely going to be first!” Zhao Hu shouted confidently.

A Dou rolled his eyes and pouted, “You haven’t even started yet. That’s just blind confidence.”

The chubby kid wasn’t happy. “I don’t agree. They’ve been training for so long, and I just arrived. I definitely can’t beat them.”

“Exactly, exactly! It’s not fair! I’m a girl—how can I compete against boys?” Shen Zhiyuan also started complaining.

“Then how about you newbies compete among yourselves?” Zhao Hu suggested.

Since Xiaojiu rescued a few kids last time, and thanks to the loud boasting by Shuanzi, Hei Wa, and Zhuzi, Xiaojiu had become the idol of the kids in several nearby villages.

Today, a bunch of kids had come down the mountain early, eagerly waiting to join the training.

At the signal, Zhao Hu dashed off like an arrow from a bow, shouting, “I’m definitely taking first place!”

A Dou and the others weren’t willing to be outdone.

“Charge! Charge!”

Their shouts echoed through the valley and drifted far away.

Startled, a flock of resting birds in the forest flapped their wings and chirped noisily, flying to higher and farther branches, as if cheering on the kids’ enthusiasm and energy.

Zhao Hu and Tieniu ran neck and neck. Although A Dou was the youngest among them, his speed was not slow at all. Panting heavily, he stayed tightly behind Zhao Hu and Tieniu.

Xiaojiu flew to a distance, arms crossed, watching them like a little grown-up, feeling very pleased inside.

She asked the system, “Do I look extremely composed now?”

The system looked at the smug kid waiting for praise and said, “Yes, very composed.”

Xiaojiu was satisfied and returned to the starting point to wait for them.

Minutes ticked by, and soon everyone reached the finish line.

Among the kids who had trained for months, it was no surprise Zhao Hu came first, Tieniu second, and A Dou third.

Among the newcomers, Hei Wa was first, Shuanzi from Xiahe Village was second, and to Xiaojiu’s surprise, the chubby kid came in third. Despite his round figure, his speed was not lacking.

“Didn’t expect you to come in third,” Shen Zhiyuan gasped, catching her breath while leaning against a tree.

The chubby kid puffed out his chest.

What a joke.

Do you think I’ve been running away from my dad chasing me all these years for nothing?

That skill was honed from being chased around since childhood.

Xiaojiu exchanged prizes from the mall.

First prize was a bow and arrow, second was a dagger, third was a slingshot.

All these were from the mall, with quality and craftsmanship far better than those in this era.

Everyone was extremely happy holding their prizes. Zhao Hu immediately tried the bow and arrow, but his skill was so-so. He aimed at a tree trunk ahead but only shot air.

The chubby kid held the slingshot, a bit clueless about what it was. This era had no rubber-like material, so nobody had ever made or seen a slingshot before.

Xiaojiu picked up the slingshot, grabbed a small stone from the ground, placed it in the leather pouch, pulled back the elastic band, aimed at a bird flying above, and released.

With a “swoosh,” the stone flew like an arrow, unerringly hitting the bird.

The little bird fell straight down.

Everyone gaped—such a small thing called a slingshot had such power.

The chubby kid was so fond of his slingshot that he danced with joy.

“I like this!”

People nearby were jealous and swore to train hard.

Xiaojiu encouraged everyone, “Don’t lose heart. There will be other competitions later, with more prizes.”

Everyone’s enthusiasm for training soared.

They all promised to win next time.

After finishing the heavy morning tasks, the kids went home in small groups to eat.

Hungry and breathless, Xiaojiu dashed home like an arrow to find Sister Xu, followed by a bunch of freeloaders.

Xu Xiaoxiao saw everyone sweating as they returned and hurriedly told them to wash their hands.

“Sister Xu, what good food do we have this morning?” several curious kids peeked into the kitchen.

“Wash your hands first, it’ll be ready soon!” Sister Xu urged.

When everyone returned to the table, it was already filled with all the delicious foods Xiaojiu had been craving.

Chive pockets, fried dough sticks, buns, dumplings…

The chubby kid’s eyes went wide as he reached eagerly for a fried dough stick, but Xiaojiu slapped his hand and said, “Use chopsticks!”

Everyone giggled and picked up their chopsticks, devouring the food.

Xiaojiu took a bite of a chive pocket; the familiar flavor spread in her mouth, making her eyes squint in satisfaction.

“Sister Xu’s cooking is simply amazing!” A Dou’s mouth was so full he could barely speak.

They all ate and praised the food, and soon the dishes were almost empty.