Chapter 3 – Third Trip into the Mountains

Chapter 3 - Third Trip into the Mountains

Impatience achieves nothing, Qin Xiaoyao reminded herself. As an experienced hunter, she needed to be patient.

Upon hearing that Qin Xiaoyao was truly leaving, Song Que's handsome face registered surprise. She hadn't tried to pester him just now.

That surprise swiftly transformed into disdain.

He then rolled over, got up, and started eating.

He couldn't give up on himself.

After all, if he died, that wicked woman would surely sell Yun'er and Ye'er. His mother wouldn't fare well either in that scenario.

As long as he remained alive, at least that wicked woman wouldn't dare go too far.

After leaving Song Que's room, Qin Xiaoyao returned to the kitchen.

Upon entering, she found all three individuals in the room looking directly at her.

Then, upon noticing her gaze, they promptly averted their eyes.

Moving to the table, Qin Xiaoyao observed that neither her mother nor her two sisters had touched their chopsticks.

She sighed inwardly once more.

Pulling out the sturdiest stool in the house, Qin Xiaoyao sat down and smiled at the trio.

"Mother, Yun'er, Ye'er, let's eat," she said, initiating the meal.

Silence persisted.

It wasn't until almost three seconds had passed that Liu Shi mustered the courage to glance fearfully at Qin Xiaoyao.

"Um..." she replied softly.

Qin Xiaoyao smiled and finally picked up her own chopsticks.

Then, the three of them finally picked up their chopsticks.

The wild vegetables were boiled in plain water with just a pinch of salt, while the porridge was merely rice water.

Qin Xiaoyao, however, didn't show any dissatisfaction and ate heartily.

In this post-apocalyptic world, food was precious; even wild vegetables were hard to come by.

It was solely because she was a team leader, coupled with her formidable abilities, that her life was slightly better than the average person's.

Despite this, going hungry was not an uncommon occurrence.

After sipping a bowl of rice soup, Qin Xiaoyao put down her bowl, noticing that there were only a few remaining dishes on the table.

It wasn't that she didn't want to eat anymore; if left to her own devices, the small amount of wild vegetables left on the table would hardly satisfy her appetite.

But if she continued eating, there would be nothing left for the mother and her two children.

She had grown accustomed to hunger in the post-apocalyptic world; skipping a meal or two was no big deal for her.

Upon seeing Qin Xiaoyao set down her bowl, the three women also paused their eating.

"Uh, carry on. I... I'll take a stroll outside." Realizing the impact she had, Qin Xiaoyao decided to make a discreet exit.

Without paying attention to the trio's reaction, she got up and left.

In the courtyard, Qin Xiaoyao noticed a basket beneath the shed.

After some thought, she walked over and picked it up.

Next, she spotted a sickle and a small hoe nearby.

She took both tools and placed them inside the basket.

Then, she stepped out of the yard, preparing to venture into the mountains.

Given the situation at home, she needed to find a way to secure some food first.

Her handsome spouse was injured and needed nutrients; wild vegetables and rice soup wouldn't suffice.

Furthermore, she needed to figure out a way to earn money swiftly and find a physician for her handsome husband. Otherwise, there might be serious consequences if time dragged on.

The Song family resided at the foot of a great mountain, making it convenient for them to venture into it.

This is ancient times; surely the mountains held more bounty than in the apocalypse.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiaoyao's steps involuntarily quickened.

Regrettably, her current physique was too cumbersome, making the mountainous terrain a challenging endeavor.

On several occasions, she nearly stumbled, only barely managing to regain her balance with the aid of her mental power.

Yes, her power from her previous life had unexpectedly followed her.

Though not at the fifth level as before, it was now at the third.

In other words, her current body possessed abilities too.

The advantage was that with her present strength, casually lifting five or six hundred pounds would be no issue.

Furthermore, her ability could gradually mend her body, restoring it to its optimal condition.

In other words, even if she didn't deliberately diet from now on, she would gradually slim down until she returned to her optimal condition. (Author: I'm envious, I'm envious~~)

Furthermore, as her body regained its strength, her abilities might improve, eventually returning to their peak state during the apocalypse – the Fifth Tier.

Certainly, further advancement beyond that is most likely unattainable.

After all, in this world, there were no zombie crystals that could advance her rank.

Yet, that was more than adequate.

With her capabilities, it should be highly unlikely for anyone in this timeline to harm her.

Qin Xiaoyao proceeded into the mountains, bypassing the outermost range until she reached the depths before finally coming to a halt.

She found a relatively flat area, set down her basket, and began foraging for wild vegetables.

It was springtime, the season when wild vegetables in the mountains grew abundantly. Thus, they weren't difficult to locate.

However, this was limited to the deeper parts of the mountains, farther away from the village.

Winter had just passed, and many farming households had depleted their winter reserves.

Villagers also ventured into the mountains to forage for wild vegetables.

For safety reasons, their activities were mainly confined to the area around the mountain closer to the village.

As a result, there weren't as many wild vegetables in that region.

Qin Xiaoyao, on the other hand, had a different perspective. With her strength-based ability, she hoped to encounter some oblivious wild beasts.

They would serve as perfect prey to bring back for a hearty meal.

Thus, she had ventured deep into the mountains.

Excited by the abundance of wild vegetables after the apocalypse, Qin Xiaoyao dug with great enthusiasm. Before long, she had filled nearly half of her bamboo basket.

Suddenly, a rustling sound made Qin Xiaoyao pause her actions.

Fixing her gaze, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, she instantly zeroed in on the source of the noise.

It was a dense thicket of grass.

The rustling continued, growing louder by the moment.

A small smile tugged at Qin Xiaoyao's lips as she picked up two pebbles lying nearby.

Rising to her feet, she stared straight at the grass, her body poised and ready.

"Chirp!" Qin Xiaoyao suddenly called out.

Following that, two clucking sounds echoed as two wild chickens burst out from the undergrowth.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Qin Xiaoyao threw the two pebbles she had imbued with her power-based ability.

Two more clucks, this time filled with pain, and the two birds plummeted to the ground. Their wings fluttered briefly before falling still.

Qin Xiaoyao's face lit up with delight as she waddled towards where the pheasants had fallen, her plump figure swaying.

After picking up the two birds, she turned her gaze back to the spot where she had first spotted them.

"Might these two be a male and female pair? Hmm, perhaps there could be some wild bird eggs around?" Qin Xiaoyao mused aloud to herself.

With a hopeful heart, she made her way towards the nearby bushes.

Upon parting the grass, she was overjoyed by what she saw.

Sure enough, there was a nest of wild bird eggs hidden within!

Qin Xiaoyao counted them carefully, and to her surprise, there were twelve eggs in total.

"There are five of us at home. Two eggs each, and since my handsome husband is injured, he can have an extra one!" Qin Xiaoyao said happily.

She then set down the pheasants, lifted the hem of her skirt to create a makeshift pouch, and carefully collected all twelve eggs into it.

Holding the corner of her skirt to secure the eggs, she carried the two pheasants in the other hand and returned to where she had left her basket.

depositing the two wild chickens aside, Qin Xiaoyao sat down hard on the ground.