Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Upon hearing Harvey's words, the people present all perked up. If it weren't for the inappropriateness of laughing out loud in such a situation, their reactions would certainly have gone beyond just smirking.

"Good, good, such a good boy. I must tell them—Mother was right, you’re not bad at all." Harvey's mother hugged him and patted his back, showing her joy.

Hearing his mother's praise, Harvey also broke into a smile. "Mm."

"By the way, once you’ve hunted, I’ll take the game to Pa Bo’s family so they can build up his strength. I’m sure he’ll recover soon. When that time comes, if he still wants to see you, his family won’t stand in the way anymore."

"Yes, I will. Should I go now?" Harvey, thinking of Pa Bo’s injuries, wanted to send as much game as possible—both to help Pa Bo recover sooner and to prove to everyone that he wasn’t a bad person.

"Not now. You’re still injured. Rest for a day first." Though they were eager for Harvey to hunt immediately, they also feared that his current obedience might be an act—that once released into the mountains, he’d run off and hide.

Sensing his mother’s worry, Harvey’s eyes welled up with tears, and he couldn’t help but bury his face in her embrace. "I—I’m fine, really."

"Listen to me. Rest here for a while. Also, I need to tell your father about you. He’s still out in the fields, but I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to hear you’ve returned. Then you can go home. Here, drink this medicine to help you recover, then get some sleep."

Watching Harvey drink the medicine, the woman affectionately patted his head before turning to leave.

The thought of going home filled Harvey with warmth. Though reluctant to see his mother leave, he still let go, watching her figure disappear as the opened door closed again.

Just a little longer, and he’d meet the others. He’d go home. He wondered what home was like.

Under the medicine’s effect, Harvey slowly closed his eyes. When he woke again, he heard a commotion outside.

"You really brought that devil back?"

"You’ll all be cursed!"

"Village chief, banish their family! Don’t let us suffer for it!"

There seemed to be many people outside—young and old—and from their words, none wanted him to stay. Harvey scowled, bewildered. Hadn’t they already agreed? Just as he was about to respond, other voices cut in.

"No! You can’t do this! He’s our child, my son—not some devil!"

Hearing that gruff voice, Harvey’s eyes lit up. Dad—was that his dad? He must like him too, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t defend him like this.

"That’s right! He’s promised to hunt for the village. He can do many things—he’s good!" Harvey’s mother also raised her voice, her voice edged with panic, as if afraid no one would believe her. "Kenya, Kenya, you heard him too, didn’t you?"

The man addressed hesitated before replying uncertainly, "Yeah, he said it, but whether it’s true... I don’t know."

"What do you mean? A child this young wouldn’t lie! I believe him. If you don’t—if you don’t, then tie him up and take him with you! *Sob*... He’ll prove it!" Her voice rose to a shriek, and by the end, it seemed her spirit had broken, breaking into sobs.

"And I’ll go with him. Our child—I know him. Even if we’ve never lived together all these years, he must take after his mother. He’s a gentle boy." The man softened his tone, trying to sound as fond of Harvey as he did of his other children.

"That’s just your word. He’s roamed wild in the mountains—how could he ever allow us to do this?" Another voice, rough with skepticism, challenged her.

"No, I can! I’ll do anything—I’ll obey!" Hearing his mother’s distress and his father’s defense, Harvey could hold back no longer. His limbs shaky, he stumbled to the door and shouted outside, then, remembering his mother’s words, lowered his voice.

"Are you really willing?" Silence fell outside before the man named Kenya spoke again.

"Yes. Just don’t drive my parents away." Harvey leaned his head against the door, sliding down slowly. The moment he agreed, he felt something inside him shrivel. His body, whether from lingering injuries or something else, felt leaden.

"Alright. You’ve given your word in front of everyone, so we’ll give you one chance. Show us tomorrow. As for ropes... no need. We trust your parents. Don’t let us down."

"Okay... thank you." Harvey didn’t understand why, though he’d felt happy when Pa Bo taught him this phrase, saying it now left him hollow. Only thoughts of his parents soothed the hurt.

Most of the crowd outside dispersed. Harvey’s parents came in to speak with him briefly before being led away by others. Knowing the village didn't trust him yet, Harvey could only hope tomorrow would come quickly. Once he proved himself with game, surely they’d accept him.

The next day, Harvey met his father, who was slightly shorter than him and had a bit of a belly. He looked just as kind as his mother.

"Dad, what kind of prey do you want? I’ll try to track it down." At this moment, Harvey only wanted to give his best to his family. He felt the warmth of home yesterday and wanted to do something for them in return.

"Anything is fine. I’m just worried you might get hurt. But if you can hunt something bigger, they’ll really think you’ve got skill." Harvey’s father stiffened his face, forcing a gentle smile. Fortunately, his thick beard covered half his face, hiding his bad acting.

"Okay, I’ll do my best to catch a wild boar." Harvey’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the mountains. Being back here made him feel lighter, as if his body had regained some strength.

"How about this? Remember the pit where we saved Pa Bo? If you find a wild boar, herd it into that pit. Then we can all work together to catch it. That way, you won’t get hurt easily, right?" Harvey’s father glanced into the depths of the forest, refusing to go any deeper.

Though the mountains were teeming with game, they were also full of dangerous beasts. The villagers only dared to roam the outskirts, hunting pheasants or rabbits. If they encountered a wild boar, even if they all rushed in, someone was bound to get hurt—and he certainly didn’t want to be one of them.

As for this child, maybe he really was a devil, just as the missionary had said. Even after being abandoned in the mountains at such a young age, he hadn’t died. Taking on wild boars was nothing to him—nothing would happen.

Hearing his father’s words, Harvey only felt concern in them. Clutching his bone knife, he rushed into the forest to hunt the boar.

Once Harvey disappeared from sight, the men accompanying his father gathered around. "Aren’t you afraid he’ll run away?"

"What if he does? We’re just playing along—it’s no loss. But if that kid really brings back prey, we’ll strike it rich." Kenya chewed on a blade of grass, shooting a greedy look in the direction Harvey had gone.

Another man nudged Harvey’s father with his elbow, smirking. "Hey, that’s your own son. How can you do this to your own flesh and blood? Doesn’t it bother you?"

Harvey’s father wiped the sweat from his brow, leaning against a rock. "I believe in him. He’ll be fine."

"Ha, he’s gone now—no need to keep pretending. You haven’t raised him all these years. It’s like getting him for free. Even if he’s no good at hunting, you can still make him farm for you. Look at his build—he’s much stronger than you. You could finally take a break." Another man took a swig from his waterskin, his eyes darting around. Though they weren’t deep in the mountains yet, they could still run into something dangerous. They had to stay alert—no one wanted to be the unlucky one.

Harvey’s father snatched the waterskin and took a drink. "You’re right. If he dares to run, I’ll drag him home to farm and chop wood for me."

"You’ve got your own water, yet you drink mine. You’ve always been stingy."

As the men joked around, a loud commotion erupted from the forest. Instantly alert, they pressed against the trees, ready to climb at any moment.

*Crash!*

With a heavy crash, the wild boar chasing Harvey stumbled, its front legs giving way as it tumbled into the pit.

Seeing the boar snarling in the pit and Harvey panting with his hands on his knees, the men immediately focused on the boar.

Harvey wiped the sweat from his forehead. If he weren’t still worn out, he wouldn’t have been chased so pathetically. He could’ve killed the boar right there and dragged it out himself.

"Damn, kid, you did it!" Kenya grinned ear to ear at the sight of the massive boar. Just think of how much pork they’d get to divide!

One success led to another. After leading them to the boar, Harvey was sent out to hunt again and again.

Though exhausted, seeing the pride and joy on his parents’ faces and the smiles of the villagers, Harvey felt he could keep going.

But this good thing fell apart when a tiger appeared.

"Why did you let that tiger go? It’s a beast—a man-eater!" The men accompanying Harvey on the hunt were practically eyes gleaming with greed at the sight of its striped fur. Just imagine how much money it could fetch!

"I know her. She raised me. You can’t hurt her." Though overjoyed to have found his family, Harvey hadn’t forgotten who had raised him. In his heart, this tigress was also his mother.

At Harvey’s words, the group fell silent, then gaped at him like he’d lost his mind.

Under their gaze, Harvey slowly lowered his head, repeating, "You can’t hurt her."

Seeing his resistance, the men let it go and just took their kills and left.

And Harvey, who had finally returned home to live with his family, was thrown back into that dark little room.