Chapter 13 Looking for Easy Pickings

The group stopped by the pond. Qin Ruo took the opportunity to wash her face and clean the blood off her hands. Then, she began to count their spoils.

Including the three wild chickens she had shot earlier at the mushroom picking spot, Qin Ruo had hunted a total of twelve wild chickens, six wild rabbits, and a roe deer.

Oh, and a wolf.

“Dazhu, Erzhu, take these chickens and rabbits back. You saw the situation over there today, don’t go in alone.”

Qin Ruo finished speaking and picked out two wild chickens and a plump rabbit weighing about five or six pounds, handing them to the Zhou brothers.

She wasn’t stingy with these things, considering the Zhou brothers had helped carry the loot and picked mushrooms.

She had seen everyone’s baskets. Qin Zimu’s was as full as the Zhou brothers’, about twelve or thirteen pounds.

Needless to say, it was the Zhou brothers who had given him some.

Besides, the Zhou brothers had dared to come looking for her knowing there were wolves. She appreciated their kindness.

The Zhou brothers wouldn’t dare accept it.

Meat was precious, they knew that very well.

They were already satisfied with the amount of mushrooms they had picked today.

If it hadn’t been for Qin Ruo, they wouldn’t have had this harvest.

“Qiuxi, we can’t take this. It’s too valuable…” The two brothers said in unison, waving their hands frantically.

“Don’t be silly! Take it, it’s for you. I don’t like going back and forth.” Qin Ruo had spoken, and the Zhou brothers dared not refuse.

“Thank you, Qiuxi.” Zhou Dazhu was already thirteen years old and understood things.

His eyes were slightly moist, and he bowed to Qin Ruo.

Zhou Erzhu, quick-witted, followed suit, his voice crisp as he said, “Thank you, Qiuxi.”

The Zhou family had a large population, eight people in total.

Zhou’s father and mother had four children, two boys and two girls.

There were also two elderly people, Zhou Laotai and Zhou Laoda. Eating meat was a luxury for the Zhou family.

Qin Zimu stood beside them, grinning foolishly, feeling like his elder sister was radiating light.

So many wild chickens and rabbits, and even a wolf killed. He felt like his elder sister had suddenly become powerful.

After distributing the things, Qin Ruo and the others went down the mountain. As for the wolf, they had to notify the yamen.

They simply left it near the pond, covering it with dry grass as camouflage.

Qin Ruo planned to go to the county tomorrow, sell the wild game, and then notify the yamen.

Not long after Qin Ruo left, two people came from another path, heading straight for the place where she had left the wolf.

The two were Wang Laoer, the elder brother of the headman of Changhe Village, and his son, Wang Fugui.

“We’re in luck! We’re in luck! It’s a wolf. Two taels of silver are ours, haha.”

Wang Laoer pushed aside the weeds, his eyes shining as he stared at the wolf’s corpse. Wang Fugui was equally excited, dancing with joy.

Wang Laoer had originally planned to go into the mountains with his son today to pick up some leftovers, to be blunt, to take what others had already trapped.

The father and son walked around for a while, but found nothing.

As they grumbled and turned back, they saw Qin Ruo and the others in the grass by the pond, seemingly hiding something.

After Qin Ruo left, the two sneaked up to check, and unexpectedly found such a big surprise.

“Quick, quick, go. Go back and get the donkey cart, and immediately go to the yamen to ask them to come.” Wang Laoer was afraid that someone would come and find the wolf, so he quickly told Wang Fugui to go and ask the yamen to come.

He then quietly moved the dead wolf to another place and tampered with it.

Worried that someone else might come and find the wolf, Wang Laoer simply stayed there.

Qin Ruo didn’t know that the wolf she had fought tooth and nail to bring down the mountain had already been targeted.

After Qin Ruo and her group went down the mountain, the Zhou brothers didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they helped deliver the wild game Qin Ruo had hunted back to the Qin family.

Qin Laotai was in the courtyard, grumbling as she washed clothes.

She was complaining about Qin Ruo and Qin Zimu, saying they had learned to be lazy.

Usually, even if they went into the mountains, they would wash their clothes first.

Hearing the commotion of Qin Ruo and her group, Qin Laotai was about to scold her niece and nephew.

She looked up and saw the Zhou brothers carrying a large sack into her courtyard. She could faintly smell the scent of blood.

Qin Ruo and Qin Zimu were carrying baskets and hunting tools, following behind them.

The baskets looked heavy. Had Qiuxi hunted something good?

Qin Laotai’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she forgot about scolding Qin Ruo for not washing her clothes.

She quickly stood up and walked over. The Zhou brothers had just put down their things when she couldn’t wait to open the sack.

“Wild chickens, wild rabbits, roe deer…” Qin Laotai became more and more excited as she looked.

She was already thinking about what to add to  Qin Zian’s diet.

She didn’t even bother to acknowledge the Zhou brothers when they greeted her.

The Zhou brothers were used to it, so they just scratched their noses and stood there silently.

“Dazhu, Erzhu, thank you. Just leave the things here, you can go back now.” Qin Ruo ignored Qin Laotai and told the Zhou brothers to go home.

“Qiuxi, you’re welcome, it’s no trouble.” Zhou Dazhu scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

The wild game Qin Ruo had given them was nothing compared to the little effort they had put in.

“Qiuxi, when are you going into the mountains next time? Can we go with you?”

Zhou Erzhu’s eyes were filled with eagerness, and he didn’t blink as he looked at Qin Ruo.

Every boy has a natural admiration for strength.

Today, he was completely captivated by Qin Ruo’s skills.

Not only Zhou Erzhu, but Zhou Dazhu and Qin Zimu also had the same longing in their eyes.

For a moment, all three pairs of eyes were fixed on Qin Ruo, waiting for her answer.

“If I go into the mountains again, I’ll have Erlang tell you in advance.” Qin Ruo smiled faintly and agreed on the spot.

The Zhou brothers and Qin Zimu cheered.

Qin Laotai had already finished counting the pile of game on the ground.

She just stood up and noticed a piece of chicken feather sticking out from the top of the heavy basket behind Zhou Dazhu.

“Dazhu, where did you get these wild chickens and rabbits?”

Qin Laotai walked behind Zhou Dazhu and, without a word, pulled away the layer of wild grass covering the top of the basket.

When she saw what was inside, her heart ached.

Usually, this stinky girl would secretly give things to the Zhou family whenever she hunted something. She had told her so many times, but she still did as she pleased.

Now, she had actually given them two wild chickens and a wild rabbit.

Being generous wasn’t like this. How much money did she have to waste like this?

Wouldn’t it be better to sell these things for money and spend it on Dalang?

Qin Laotai’s brows were furrowed so tightly they could kill a fly, and her tone unconsciously took on a questioning tone.

“Qin Grandma, this is…”

Zhou Dazhu regretted his carelessness, afraid that his negligence would cause trouble for Qin Ruo.

He knew Qin Grandma’s personality all too well. She would definitely make things difficult for Qiuxi.

“I gave it to Zhou Grandma’s family. Do you have a problem with that?” Qin Ruo’s tone was cold, and she didn’t even bother to explain.

The Zhou family also lived at the end of the village, not far from the Qin family.

After Qin Huaizheng’s accident, Zhou Grandma had secretly helped the original owner and Qin Zimu when they were hungry.

Sometimes it was a wild vegetable pancake, sometimes it was a coarse grain bun.

Even when the original owner caught a cold, Zhou Laotai had sent her grandson, Zhou Erzhu, to deliver a few eggs to help her recover.

Although those eggs ended up in Qin Zian’s stomach.

Qin Ruo didn’t mind returning the favor for the help the Zhou family had given the original owner, especially since she was using the original owner’s body.