Chapter 55: Hunting and Foraging in the Mountains

Chapter 55: Hunting and Foraging in the Mountains

All the men in the Gu family volunteered to accompany Ye Qing into the mountains.

Ye Qing couldn't help but feel amused:

"Uncle, Brother Zhida, you don’t need to come along, do you? We're entering the mountain to collect some herbs. We won't go deep into the forest, so there won't be any danger."

"And as for you, Gu Weidong, you know the state of your leg, don’t you? You don’t want it to heal properly?"

At this point, Ye Qing looked at Gu Weidong and Gu Weibei:

"You two are familiar with this area, right? Leading the way shouldn’t be an issue, right?"

Gu Weidong and Gu Weibei immediately nodded:

"That's definitely not a problem. We've been roaming these mountains since we were kids. Since two years ago, we've even been hunting in the deep forest with the military. We could navigate this mountain range blindfolded."

That was good enough. Ye Qing didn’t give anyone else a chance to object and directly made the decision:

"It’s decided then. Just the three of us, plus Meng Jia, will take a quick trip around the back mountain and come back tomorrow."

Seeing that the others left in the room still seemed to want to object, Ye Qing couldn’t help but display the box of silver needles she was holding:

"Really, it's fine. If we encounter any danger, they can certainly protect themselves. With my box of silver needles and a knife, I can confront a group of wild boars. Any beast that comes our way is just offering itself up as prey. Trust me, we'll all return safe and sound."

If someone else said this, it would sound arrogant, but when Ye Qing said it, it carried immense conviction.

Gu Weidong recalled how Ye Qing had picked wild fruits in the dense forest of She Mountain late at night and had single-handedly defeated two vicious spies. He didn’t know what to say.

Miao Cuilan also remembered the scene not long ago when Ye Qing had taken down five wild boars single-handedly. With Ye Qing’s agility and exceptional combat skills, entering the mountain is like a fierce tiger returning to its forest. Wild animals would have to stay far away from her, or they'd risk losing their lives.

The Gu family members exchanged glances and found no reason to object further. Only Gu Zhenxing still felt uneasy and quickly emphasized:

"I'll go borrow a hunting gun from the old party secretary's house. Tomorrow, both of you siblings should carry a gun into the mountain. Stay focused and remain vigilant. Regardless of whether you find the herbs, make sure to head back down the mountain by three or four in the afternoon. Remember, don’t linger in the mountains, understood?"

Gu Weidong and Gu Weibei nodded vigorously.

This season is when animals fatten up for winter. The forest is full of wild fruits, and animals forage day and night to stock up on food. Therefore, entering the mountain at this time could indeed be dangerous.

Ye Qing's eyes lit up at the mention of bringing a hunting rifle, and she was about to ask Gu Weidong if he could borrow one for her too, as she was eager to try hunting in the forest with a gun.

Seemingly noticing the eagerness in Ye Qing's eyes, Gu Weidong cleared his throat and quietly leaned over, asking in a low voice:

"Do you know how to use a hunting gun?"

Ye Qing was taken aback for a moment but didn't try to hide it. She honestly shook her head and explained:

"No, but I’ve used a pocket cannon, the Desert Eagle. Have you heard of it?"

During the chaotic times of the apocalypse, some survivor bases had seized official armories, and guns had inevitably ended up in circulation. Ye Qing had been fortunate enough to find a weapon while out hunting and learned how to use a handgun from a soldier stationed at the hospital.

Because of her awakened wood-based abilities, Ye Qing's five senses were significantly sharper than those of ordinary people. With her years of practice throwing needles, she easily mastered gun accuracy. While she couldn’t guarantee hitting every time, she succeeded nine times out of ten.

However, due to the scarcity of ammunition, Ye Qing rarely used the gun during the apocalypse, reserving it as a last resort.

Gu Weidong was genuinely surprised. He had indeed heard of the Desert Eagle, which was often featured in newspapers. It was known for its formidable appearance and immense power, though the recoil was not something just anyone could handle.

The Desert Eagle, a powerful hand cannon, was highly sought after by gun enthusiasts worldwide, and Gu Weidong was no exception. However, he had already retired by the time he saw reports about the Desert Eagle in military newspapers, so he never got the chance to handle it.

To his surprise, Ye Qing had actually used it. Gu Weidong was filled with envy and admiration. As an elite special forces soldier, he became instantly intrigued and couldn't wait to engage Ye Qing in a discussion, eager to learn more about the Desert Eagle and extract every detail from her.

As a medical worker, Ye Qing had never paid much attention to such things. The gun had been an accidental find, and she had kept it hidden, rarely using it. She was certainly not a firearms enthusiast and had no interest in disassembling the handgun or delving into its specific parameters and design details.

So, when Gu Weidong looked at her expectantly and asked a series of questions, Ye Qing's eyes turned into spirals, and her mind went blank. She couldn't answer a single question.

"I can only share my experience using it and what the instructor who taught me mentioned about the gun’s design principles and data. I vaguely remember some of it, but not completely."

In truth, Ye Qing had a good memory. For things she was interested in, she rarely forgot if she paid attention. But guns were something she had never really focused on, especially given her unexpected journey back in time.

Though Gu Weidong had never handled the Desert Eagle himself, he had privately collected many related reports out of interest. As he chatted with Ye Qing, he casually found a pen and paper and began sketching in his notebook. By the time Ye Qing had finished recounting her experience, Gu Weidong had completed his diagram, including the external design of the gun and the internal structure, with detailed parameters added.

Ye Qing watched in astonishment, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

Wow, he even drew a design diagram? Had she just shared her user experience or actually provided specific details and parameters?

His skilled sketch had captured the essence of the Desert Eagle on paper. It was a shame that this guy had ended up as a security guard at a steel mill, watching over a warehouse in his previous life. What a waste of talent!

Ye Qing could hardly hold back from kneeling before this bigwig. She swallowed and asked,

"With this schematic of yours, do you think we could actually replicate this equipment?"

Gu Weidong shook his head with a hint of regret.

"We’re still missing several crucial internal parameters. It’s a pity you’re not in our field. You had the real thing in your hands—how could you not think to take it apart and have a look inside?"

Though he spoke with a tone of grumble, his eyes were still flashing with keen insight as he looked at the schematic he had just drawn. After a while, he rubbed his chin and gave a self-satisfied chuckle.

"Forget it, let the higher-ups deal with this schematic. I’ve drawn it in such detail. If they can’t find an expert to crack those core data points, then it’s their own fault that we miss out on this equipment!"

Ye Qing nodded, finding his words quite reasonable.

At this time, all industries in the country were in a phase of "feeling the stones to cross the river." Especially in the military sector, many pieces of equipment were reverse-engineered and improved from outdated models discarded by other developed countries.

Once submitted, Gu Weidong’s schematic might not result in an exact replica of the equipment, but it could inspire the development of Xia Country’s unique equipment, or even allow them to overtake on a curve.

Thinking of this, Ye Qing felt a surge of excitement and couldn’t help but give Gu Weidong a thumbs-up.

"You can take my hunting rifle into the mountains tomorrow. I’ll take the rifle out tonight for maintenance and fine-tune the accuracy. You can come and get it early tomorrow morning."

Gu Weidong suddenly said to Ye Qing.

Ye Qing was stunned and hadn’t said anything yet when Gu Weinan, having overheard his brother's words, immediately came over, giving them a few knowing glances. He gave a meaningful click of his tongue and said with a smirk,

"Oh, did I hear wrong, big brother? Isn’t that rifle of yours the one you cherish the most and never let anyone touch? When we were kids, I just touched it a few times, and you beat me until my butt was bruised. Now you’re offering it to Master Ye? Don’t you think you’re showing a bit of favoritism?"

It wasn’t just Gu Weinan; everyone in the room looked over in surprise at Gu Weidong.

Who in the family didn’t know that the hunting rifle in Gu Weidong’s hands had been passed down from the late Grandpa Gu? Gu Weidong valued that rifle immensely, and no one except himself was allowed to touch it. Ever since he joined the army, the rifle had been locked away in a box, and no one in the Gu family even knew where the key was hidden.

And now, Gu Weidong was generously offering to lend his hunting rifle to Ye Qing. It was as if the sun had risen from the west.

Gu Weidong glared at Gu Weinan, who was raising a ruckus over nothing.

"What are you making a fuss about? When you were a kid, you were always so careless and impatient. How could I let you handle a gun? If you had accidentally fired it and hurt someone, what then? I beat you to teach you a lesson, to ensure you wouldn’t endanger yourself or others due to your recklessness!"

Not buying his brother’s explanation, Gu Weinan sneered and retorted.

"Now that I’ve grown up, and over the past two years, I’ve gone hunting in the mountains several times with Dad and Brother-in-law. Can you finally feel at ease? Could you lend me your gun, and let Master use the old party secretary’s gun?"

Gu Weidong immediately and unequivocally replied, "No!"

Seeing the look of "as expected" on her face, Gu Weidong added:

"You already have plenty of experience with guns. You can quickly get familiar with any hunter's gun and handle any issues on your own."

"But Ye Qing hasn’t touched a hunting gun before. Tomorrow morning, after I adjust the gun, I’ll teach her a few tricks so she can handle it. Using someone else’s gun, she won’t be able to adapt quickly."

Gu Weinan was left speechless. She felt that her older brother was clearly making excuses, but she couldn’t find any evidence to refute him.

Her gaze darted back and forth between Gu Weidong and Ye Qing, sensing something odd about the atmosphere between them.

Especially her brother’s overly attentive attitude toward her master seemed out of place.

Was this still the cold and stern older brother she knew? This was very strange!

Ye Qing paid no attention to the subtle tension between the siblings. The thought of going hunting in the mountains tomorrow filled her with excitement and anticipation. She hurried home to prepare for the next day.

The next morning, Ye Qing had just gotten up to prepare breakfast when Gu Weidong showed up.

He was holding a hunting gun that was shiny and well-polished. After he arrived in the yard, he hung a straw target on a nearby fence post and began demonstrating how to shoot the hunting gun.

"This is a double-barreled hunting gun; the recoil can be quite strong, so you need to pay attention to the technique, or it might hurt your shoulder," he warned.

Gu Weidong loaded a blank cartridge into the gun and aimed at the red board in the center of the straw target, firing a shot that hit the red board in the center.

"Give it a try!"

Gu Weidong handed the gun to Ye Qing, who nervously took the gun.

After Gu Weidong adjusted her stance and the gun’s position several times, Ye Qing finally took her first shot.

As Gu Weidong had said, the recoil was indeed stronger than she expected, and she struggled to keep the gun steady, missing the target entirely.

"There are six blank cartridges; you have four shots left," Gu Weidong reminded her promptly.

Ye Qing wasn't one to give up easily. Even though her shoulder throbbed severely from the recoil of the gun stock, she didn’t wince. Instead, she drew on the lesson from her first attempt and learned to use her core strength to steady her arm, avoiding losing accuracy when shooting.

The second shot, she missed the target again, but this time it nearly hit the straw target.

The third shot struck the target but missed the center.

For the final two shots, Ye Qing hit the target perfectly. Two consecutive bullets hit the bullseye, impressing Gu Weidong with her aptitude and adaptability.

"You're truly a natural-born shooter. Have you ever considered a career in the military? I believe you'd make an outstanding sniper. With your exceptional talent, you'd have a promising future in that field!" Gu Weidong couldn't help but suggest.

Ye Qing's face went blank. Even without pulling up her clothes, she knew her shoulder blade was probably bruised already. As she quietly used her wood-element powers on her shoulder, she said expressionlessly,

"Thank you, but I’ll stick to being a doctor."

While the hunting gun was fun, it definitely wasn’t suitable for her.

Seeing Ye Qing grimace while rubbing her shoulder, Gu Weidong couldn't help but smile. He reached into his pocket and handed her something.

Ye Qing was startled. "What?"

"A shoulder pad, to cushion and reduce shoulder recoil," Gu Weidong succinctly replied.

Ye Qing felt a wave of embarrassment. It seemed Gu Weidong had already noticed that her shoulder had been injured by the recoil, and she had been pretending to remain calm while putting on a brave face. He was probably laughing at her internally.

She quickly changed the subject and forced a nervous laugh. "I've never seen anything like this before."

With that, Ye Qing picked up the shoulder pad and examined it closely, then tried it on her shoulders.

To her surprise, the shoulder pad was quite well-made. The stitching was fine and neat, it was just the right size, and it was soft. It fit Ye Qing's small frame perfectly.

Ye Qing assumed Aunt Gu had made it especially for her, and her embarrassment dissipated as she exclaimed happily, "This is really well-made! Aunt Gu is really good to me. How did she come up with this idea? This shoulder pad is perfect for someone as weak as me!"

Now it was Gu Weidong’s turn to feel embarrassed. He rubbed his nose and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Um, I made this myself, so no need to thank me. If you find it useful, that's enough."

Ye Qing: ???

Imagine a 1.9-meter tall, burly man seriously engaged in embroidery—the scene was so strange that Ye Qing couldn't help but think of Zhang Fei doing needlework. She almost burst out laughing on the spot.

Seeing the unmistakable amusement in Ye Qing's eyes, Gu Weidong, who was usually calm and composed, rarely showed a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"It's basic training for soldiers to know how to sew. In the military, you have to learn to do your own chores. Sewing buttons is a mandatory part of the training. It’s common practice to keep a sewing kit in your wartime pillow. Back in the war days, soldiers would mend their own clothes while fighting."

His explanation quickly wiped the smile off Ye Qing's face, and she hurriedly apologized to Gu Weidong.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of you. It's just that it's the first time I've seen someone as big as you doing needlework, and I found it surprising and funny."

"But I really think you're amazing. This shoulder pad may be small, but you can tell from the stitching that your basic skills are solid. You're much better than me; I can’t even sew a sock."

Flattered by Ye Qing's praise, Gu Weidong felt a bit smug, lifting his chin slightly as he spoke.

"A shoulder pad isn’t worth boasting about. I can make cotton clothes, quilts, and shirts. My skills are no worse than Ms. Miao Cuilan’s. If you don’t mind, I can make a set for you to try!"

Ye Qing realized that this man couldn't handle compliments well. She felt that if she flattered him a bit more, he might offer to handle all her future sewing needs.

"Big brother, we don't mind at all. How about you make a set for both my brother and me?"

Just as Gu Weidong was basking in the praise, two troublemakers chimed in. Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei, grinning cheekily, peeked over the fence and joined in uninvited.

Gu Weidong's smug expression vanished in an instant, reverting to his usual stern and serious demeanor—faster than a Sichuan opera face change.

"Pfft."

This time, Ye Qing really couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, doubling over with laughter.

After breakfast, Meng Jia, as usual, finished her chores of feeding the pigs and cows before coming over. Ye Qing filled her water flask, grabbed the meat pies she had fried that morning as rations, and prepared the hoes, machetes, and other tools. Then, the four of them each carried a woven rattan basket Ye Qing had made herself, and with the hunting guns in hand, they headed into the mountain.

Kaoshan Village was located at the southeastern tail end of the Changbai Mountains, considered just the remnants of a fault-block mountain range. It was dozens of kilometers away from the main peak's southern slope and the Heaven Lake of Changbai Mountain. As they ventured deeper into the mountains, endless ridges stretched out before them, and the vast sea of forest seemed endless.

As they walked, they told Ye Qing stories and legends about Changbai Mountain.

According to them, after the busy farming season, the various production teams in the area would send hunters into the mountains every year. After hunting prey, they would return to the village and distribute the meat to every household.

One year, their older brother went into the mountains with the hunters from the village but unfortunately got lost inside. It took him a full half-month to find his way out. According to the story, he finally managed to descend the mountain with the help of the Fox Spirit guiding him.

This isn't surprising, given that the primitive mountain forest spans over two thousand square kilometers. The deeper you go, the more desolate it becomes. In winter, when heavy snow blocks the mountain passes, losing your way is quite common.

This is also why Ye Qing dares not enter the mountains lightly and needs a local inhabitant as her guide. The vegetation in the mountains is so dense that if you get lost, you could wander for months before finding your way out.

Fortunately, the complex vegetation in the forest also means abundant resources. There are countless types of mushrooms, wild vegetables, and mountain fruits, as well as various small animals like rabbits, pheasants, badgers, and foolish deer. In short, the mountains are full of treasures, both animal and plant, with a variety that exceeds Ye Qing's imagination.

As soon as they entered the mountain, Ye Qing seemed to slow down as if she had hit a speed bump. She wanted to dig up and collect everything she saw, as if she were watching those internet streamers who went into the mountains to forage. She hardly ever stood up straight.

Within an hour or two, their baskets were filled with various things: mushrooms, wood ear, wild berries, and the medicinal herbs Ye Qing was searching for. Ye Qing used both her flying needle and rattan whip to catch a fat pheasant weighing three to four jin (around 1.5 to 2 kilograms).

However, after searching for a couple of hours, Ye Qing realized she had found most of the herbs she needed, but two rarer ones were still missing. Just as she was about to decide whether to venture a bit deeper, the Gu siblings discovered a rabbit hole in the forest. The two of them crouched down, intending to dig up the rabbit burrow.

Perhaps startled by the noise, the rabbit darted out from another hole and bolted into the low shrubs.

Seeing this, Gu Weinan slung his gun over his shoulder, clearly frustrated, and gave chase without hesitation.

The others had no choice but to follow him.

After about seven or eight minutes of pursuit, Gu Weinan emerged from the forest, dangling a fat wild rabbit. As soon as he reached the group, he laughed heartily:

"I was planning to use my gun, but this stupid rabbit ran headfirst into a tree stump and knocked itself out. I got lucky and caught it!"

Grinning, Gu Weinan waved the rabbit in front of the trio and said:

"Look, this rabbit is so fat. I happened to bring a clay pot. How about we roast rabbit meat in the mountains? The internal organs can be used to make mushroom soup. As for the rabbit skin, I’ll keep it. Once it's tanned, Master, I’ll make you a rabbit fur scarf or gloves. They’ll be really warm in winter!"

With that, Gu Weinan headed off to find a mountain stream to slaughter the rabbit.

But just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, stopping her:

"Wait, let me see the rabbit for a moment!"

Not knowing why, Gu Weinan obediently handed the rabbit to Ye Qing.

Ye Qing examined the rabbit’s abdomen, then shrugged regretfully at Gu Weinan:

"This rabbit has a hard lump in its abdomen; there are probably several babies in its belly, and it's about to give birth."

As soon as these words were spoken, the three who were eagerly awaiting a feast felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads.

Although they were all hungry, they weren’t so desperate that they would slaughter a pregnant rabbit for food.

"So… should we release it?"

Gu Weinan was somewhat disappointed. The rabbit they had worked so hard to catch couldn’t be eaten after all.

"Why must we let it go?"

Just as Gu Weinan was about to release the rabbit, Ye Qing suddenly spoke up again.

The three of them looked at Ye Qing in surprise. Isn’t the rabbit pregnant? Were they really going to be so cruel?

Seeing their expressions, Ye Qing could tell they had misunderstood. She smiled and said,

"Just because we can't eat it doesn't mean we have to let it go right away. We can take it back and raise the kits once it gives birth! These critters grow and reproduce very quickly. Within a year, we’ll be able to enjoy rabbit meat whenever we want!"

With that, Ye Qing began listing rabbit meat dishes,

"Braised rabbit, spicy rabbit head, cold-spiced rabbit, hand-shredded rabbit, spicy rabbit hotpot, Kung Pao rabbit..."

The list of dishes made the three of them stare wide-eyed, their mouths watering.

Thinking of all these delicious dishes, the three looked at the pregnant rabbit in Ye Qing’s arms, their eyes gleaming with greed, and immediately shouted,

"Take it back! We’ll take full responsibility for raising the rabbits!"

"Sure, I feed the cows and pigs every day anyway. A few more rabbits won’t be any trouble. It’s just an extra basket of grass!"

"I’ll help too, and I’ll dry some extra hay during the holidays to stockpile food for the rabbits!"

Enticed by the prospect of delicious food, the three were surprisingly united, volunteering to feed the rabbits with great enthusiasm.

Ye Qing couldn't help but laugh, feeling very satisfied that these three were so on board. Not to mention herself, she had been craving rabbit meat like crazy. The last time those yellow weasels brought some rabbits, she made cold-spiced rabbit and spicy rabbit head dishes but hadn’t had her fill.

Wild rabbits are more lively and have much stronger jumping abilities than domestic rabbits. This pregnant rabbit had been dazed from hitting the tree stump earlier, but now it had come to its senses and was struggling in Ye Qing’s arms, trying to escape.

If no one noticed, this thing would probably bolt into the woods right away, so Ye Qing had to hide it under the basket, covering it with dry branches to keep it securely in place, leaving just enough room for it to move slightly.

"There, now it can’t escape."

Ye Qing patted the back basket, then looked up at the three people and suddenly had an idea. Smiling, she suggested, "We can no longer eat the rabbit meat, but don't forget I also caught a pheasant. Pheasant meat would make a great 'beggar’s chicken.' And we could stew the giblets with mushrooms."

Her words made their eyes light up instantly.

Ye Qing realized that these three treated the outing like a fall picnic, going into the mountains just to get some meat.

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out the small knife she had taken from Song Huilian, then gestured for Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei to lead the way. "We need to find a place with water. We need to slaughter the pheasant and pluck its feathers before we can make 'beggar’s chicken.'"

Gu Weinan immediately said, "There's a mountain stream nearby, I'll take you there!"

The group hurried toward the stream and soon heard the sound of trickling water.

After being in the woods for over two hours, they were starting to feel tired, so seeing the clear stream, they got excited and quickly knelt down to wash their faces.

"There are fish in here too!"

Ye Qing spotted several fish in the stream. Startled by their presence, the fish darted away swiftly and vanished.

Gu Weinan laughed, "They likely came down from the mountain. If you follow this stream upstream for about ten kilometers, there's a mountain pond. The stream flows down from that pond. The fish you saw are 'Huifa salmon,' a unique species in our Changbai Mountain area. They grow very slowly, but their meat is exceptionally delicious. It's said that they were once tributes for the imperial court."

Hearing this, Ye Qing immediately perked up.

She was determined to find out just how delicious these Huifa salmon were, to make even the emperor crave them so much!

Without a word, Ye Qing rummaged through her bag for her fishing gear, handed the task of slaughtering the pheasant to Gu Weinan and Meng Jia, and prepared to find a good spot to cast her line.

However, just as she found a protruding large rock by the stream and was about to put a grass stalk on the hook, she inadvertently looked up and felt a flash in front of her eyes. It seemed like something had flashed by in the opposite forest.

Ye Qing frowned slightly and instinctively turned around, wanting to ask the three behind her if they had seen anything.

As she turned her head, she saw Gu Weibei silently staring at a muddy patch by the stream.

Seeing Gu Weibei's furrowed brows and grave expression, Ye Qing immediately sensed something was wrong:

"Is something wrong, Gu Weibei?"

Gu Weibei crouched down, touched the muddy footprints, and after looking around the vicinity, he walked over to the others and said,

"After we clean the pheasant, let's move to another spot to make the fire. We shouldn't go any deeper; these footprints look off. I think they might be jackal or coyote footprints. This is probably their water source. We've inadvertently entered their territory."

Ye Qing immediately thought of the shadow she had seen flash by the opposite side of the stream and nodded.

"It's very possible. I think I saw one dart into the woods over there, but it was too fast, and I couldn't tell for sure what it was."

Hearing that they might have encountered wolves, Meng Jia's hand trembled, and she slowed down plucking the feathers, her face paling, and her eyes growing tense.

Seeing this, Gu Weinan couldn't help but laugh,

"No need to get so nervous. We're not venturing deep into the mountains. There's no danger in this area."

"This is Changbai Mountain; what kind of wildlife can't be found here? Not to mention jackals and coyotes, we've even spotted bears before. My elder brother used to go hunting with local hunters and saw Siberian tigers and leopards roaming freely in these mountains. There are all kinds of strange and rare animals here. At this time of year, there's plenty of food in the mountains. As long as we don't provoke them, they definitely won't confront us on their own."

Gu Weibei, noticing Meng Jia's fear, quickly added to comfort her:

"Yes, it's fine. Jackals and coyotes are social animals that live in packs. This might be their hunting ground, and they'll target prey that is more familiar and less threatening to them. They won't attack humans unless it's absolutely unavoidable. Besides, we're well-prepared today. If any beast dares to ambush us, we have three guns. Handling a few wild animals won't be a problem!"

Despite the reassurances, the group remained on high alert. Meng Jia and Gu Weinan quickly resumed plucking the pheasant, and Gu Weibei went upstream to fetch water in the sand jar. Ye Qing hurriedly baited her hook, planning to catch a few more Dolly Varden trout for grilling.

Ye Qing was highly efficient at catching fish. Within ten minutes, she had caught seven or eight.

The Dolly Varden trout were small, only about 30-40 centimeters long. Their backs were greenish-brown, their sides darker, and they had orange-red spots. They did look quite different from the freshwater fish Ye Qing was used to seeing.

Thinking they had enough to eat, Ye Qing packed up her fishing gear. As she picked up the fish to take to Meng Jia and the others for cleaning and grilling, she was shocked to find that more than half of the fish were gone!

Stunned, Ye Qing was dumbfounded. Did she only catch two? No, she was sure she had counted correctly. What happened to the rest of the fish?

After searching around and finding no trace of the missing fish, Ye Qing was at a loss. It was like seeing a ghost!

Two Dolly Varden trout weren't enough for everyone, so Ye Qing sat back down, took out her fishing gear, and cast her line again. Just as she was about to remove another fish from the hook, she found herself staring into a pair of dark, gleaming, almond-shaped eyes.

A small fox with yellow-brown fur was creeping out of the grass, a trout dangling from its mouth—the same fish that Ye Qing had just placed beside the grass.

Probably not expecting Ye Qing to turn around so suddenly, the little thief, caught in the act, immediately bolted, still not willing to drop the fish from its mouth.

"Hey! So it was you, little rascal, who stole my fish!"

Ye Qing was furious and was about to give chase when a sudden gunshot rang out from the other side.

The little fox trembled for a moment and then darted into the forest, vanishing without a trace.

The gunshot startled several birds in the forest, which took flight.

Soon, silence returned, with only the gentle sound of the stream remaining.

Ye Qing, Meng Jia, and Gu Weinan rose in unison, looking in the direction of the gunshot.

Gu Weibei, who had been upstream getting water just moments ago, was now gone. Clearly, it was he who had fired the shot.

"Little North, what happened?"

Gu Weinan asked anxiously.

The silence made them even more anxious. They stopped what they were doing, worried that something had happened to Gu Weibei. Hastily grabbing their bags, both Gu Weinan and Ye Qing slung their rifles over their shoulders, safety catches off, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

As they prepared, rustling sounds came from the forest, followed by Gu Weibei's excited shout:

"Second Sister, Ye Qing, come see what I've hit!"

In no time, Gu Weibei emerged from the forest, his face alight with excitement, carrying a huge animal over his shoulder that was over a meter long!

"A silly roe deer?!"

As soon as Gu Weinan saw the prey on Gu Weibei's back, he could barely contain his excitement and hurried over.

Gu Weinan dropped the roe deer on the ground and began animatedly describing the entire sequence of events that led to him shooting the animal, his face beaming with pride:

"I was getting water when I heard some movement in the forest. I peeked in and saw this fool peering cautiously at me, probably curious after hearing our voices by the stream.

"This guy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, still looking around, and bang! I took the shot and brought it down!"

Gu Weibei pointed at the neck of the shot foolish deer and lifted her chin, a smug expression on her face as she said:

"See, how's my marksmanship? One shot, one kill! No wasted bullets!"

Gu Weinan wasn't about to indulge her:

"Foolish deer are very curious and don't run away when they see people. Otherwise, why do you think it's called a 'foolish deer'? There's nothing to brag about hunting one of these. Try hunting a serow or a sika deer if you're so good!"

However, this foolish deer was quite large, probably weighing fifty or sixty pounds, which was indeed their biggest catch today.

"So, are we still going to have roasted beggar's chicken? Or should we just head down the mountain?" Ye Qing looked at the foolish deer and couldn't help asking.

Gu Weinan immediately objected, "What time is it? Why go back so soon? We've already come this far, so why leave now? Didn't you say there were a few more herbs you hadn't found yet? After we eat the roasted beggar's chicken, we'll definitely find them!"

Gu Weibei and Meng Jia also nodded eagerly. Clearly, all three were still thinking about the roasted beggar's chicken Ye Qing had mentioned. They were determined not to leave without trying this new dish.

Faced with these three food lovers, Ye Qing shrugged and said:

"Alright, let's keep going then!"

As she spoke, Ye Qing was about to pick up the remaining trout the fox hadn't taken. But when she returned to the spot, she was so angry she almost exploded.

Oh man, in just a short while, even the remaining three trout were gone!