Chapter 149: Wilderness Fun

Chapter 149: Wilderness Fun

Zhou Ye didn't consider himself selfish for eating alone. With his enormous appetite, he was often hungry and could only find food when no one was around. Usually, he'd forage for edible roots and bark in the hills behind their home after dark. Only when venturing deep into the mountains for wild delicacies could he occasionally hunt rabbits or pheasants to add some much-needed sustenance to his diet. That's why, despite frequent encounters with wild beasts, he was always willing to go.

If Lin Xiaopu hadn't been there, Zhou Ye might have shared this with Lin Shu. But as it was, he remained silent.

Lin Shu, ever perceptive, immediately grabbed his arm and pressed, "Are you *sure* you haven't been secretly eating behind our backs?"

Zhou Ye: ……

Zhou Ye replied, "I've never hunted wild ducks behind your backs."

Lin Shu secretly chuckled.

*So, he hasn't hunted wild ducks, but he has hunted other wild game—is that what he means?*

Before she arrived, Zhou Ye worked in the fields with her father every day. It was easy to guess when he'd sneak off to eat: it must have been during his foraging trips deep into the mountains.

But that was perfectly understandable. With A Ye's insatiable appetite, the few flatbreads her mother packed for him were nowhere near enough.

As they walked, Lin Xiaopu, who was ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed surreptitiously toward the river, frantically mouthing: *Wild duck, wild duck, wild duck!*

They hadn't even reached the stretch of river Zhou Ye had mentioned, yet a wild duck had already appeared on the water up ahead.

The duck floated serenely on the surface, seemingly in no hurry to leave.

Zhou Ye gestured to Lin Xiaopu, signaling for her to use this duck for practice. However, they were still a bit too far and needed to get closer.

Lin Xiaopu nodded eagerly and, moving with the utmost stealth, crept behind a thick patch of grass.

Using the waist-high grass for cover, she carefully concealed herself, then aimed her bamboo slingshot at the duck’s head.

She took a deep breath, telling herself to stay calm.

It was just like shooting leaves from trees. Even those small, wind-blown, dancing leaves she could hit. How much easier should it be to hit a wild duck’s head?

The duck paused, dipping its head to preen its wings.

*Now!*

Lin Xiaopu’s gaze sharpened. Just as she had done countless times aiming at thin twigs, she aligned the bamboo slingshot with the duck’s head, pulled back the bamboo strip, and released it with force.

A small stone, pre-loaded into the slender bamboo tube, shot out instantly.

But just then, the duck unexpectedly lifted its head. The stone grazed its neck, startling it into spreading its wings and flying off from the river in the blink of an eye.

Lin Xiaopu sprang up, stomping her foot in frustration. "So close! Did you see, A Jie? I was *this* close to hitting that wild duck!"

Lin Shu had indeed seen it, and she was astonished by Lin Xiaopu’s accuracy.

She knew that ever since getting the bamboo slingshot, Xiao Pu had been inseparable from it, practicing daily by shooting at twigs. She'd even won a slingshot contest against Wang Yingen and the others.

But stationary targets were different from living creatures. Even swaying leaves followed a predictable pattern, while the movements of live prey were unpredictable.

Hitting a wild duck was far more challenging than hitting a leaf.

Yet Xiao Pu had nearly done it—this girl's aim was truly remarkable!

With that thought, Lin Shu slowly turned to the man beside her and asked, "A Ye, did you actually bring Xiao Pu here to hunt wild ducks?"

Zhou Ye nodded. "She's skilled with the bamboo slingshot. With a few more tries, she should be able to hit one."

"I thought you brought me and Xiao Pu here just for fun," Lin Shu said hesitantly. "The slingshot only shoots small stones. At a distance, it isn't powerful enough. Even if she hits the duck up close, it might not be enough to kill it."

She had taught Zhou Ye how to make the bamboo slingshot, so she knew its limitations best.

Within two or three *zhang* (about 10-12 feet), the bamboo slingshot could inflict a shallow wound on a person. But they were unlikely to get that close to a duck. The one Xiao Pu had just shot at was about four *zhang* away—and that was considered close.

Wild ducks were alert. Any closer, and they'd likely be startled and fly away.

Zhou Ye explained, "I never expected the slingshot to kill with one shot. But if she hits the head, and we follow up with a few more stones while the duck is briefly stunned, we can secure it."

He had already taught Xiao Pu the key: aim for the head, and if she hits, immediately fire additional stones without delay.

Lin Shu blinked. "That makes sense. But I thought you were going to take action yourself."

Zhou Ye paused, surprised. "How? I'm empty-handed."

"Like those martial arts masters? Take a small stone, throw it—whoosh!—and the stone hits the duck, killing it instantly?"

Zhou Ye looked into her dark, lively eyes, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try later."

Lin Xiaopu, who had just approached, closed her gaping mouth. She had overheard the conversation and was about to say that A Jie must have read too many storybooks—even the best martial artists weren't that skilled, and she'd never seen anything like it. Even if it were possible, A Ye wouldn't know how. No matter how strong he was, he was still just a farmer.

But then… A Ye had agreed to A Jie’s whims.

*Seriously? He's going to try hitting a duck with a thrown stone? How old is he, going along with A Jie's silly idea?*

Lin Xiaopu shook her head helplessly. "Don't get in the way of my hunting later. Let me shoot first. If I miss, then A Ye can try throwing stones."

Lin Shu laughed at her serious, grown-up demeanor.

Zhou Ye, however, said solemnly, "We'll each pick a spot to hide. Whoever is closest to the duck when it appears will take the shot."

Lin Xiaopu nodded gravely. "Okay."

The river here was still flowing swiftly. The earlier duck had only stopped briefly, so the three continued downstream.

About fifteen minutes later, even without Zhou Ye pointing it out, Lin Shu could see the stretch of calm, wide river ahead.

The banks were overgrown with weeds, and water plants floated on the water. As they approached, two wild ducks were swimming in the river. But the trio hadn't been particularly quiet, and the ducks took off in a flurry, leaving only ripples behind.

"A Ye, they flew away!" Lin Xiaopu frowned.

Zhou Ye said, "Don't worry, more will come. Find a good spot to wait, and shoot when they arrive. A Shu and I will find another place."

Hearing this, Lin Xiaopu immediately waved them off, as if she couldn't wait for them to leave her alone.

Lin Shu: …

This girl was more focused on hunting ducks than anything else.

Just as she was thinking this, Zhou Ye suddenly took her hand, startling her. She quickly glanced at Lin Xiaopu.

Lin Xiaopu had already hidden behind a cluster of knotweed plants, which were taller than her waist. Once she crouched down, she was completely concealed. After settling in, she didn't even look back at them, focusing entirely on the river, waiting for ducks.

Lin Shu gave Zhou Ye's arm a pinch. "There's someone else here, and you're still getting so handsy? Aren't you ashamed?"

But Zhou Ye didn't let go of her hand, whispering to remind her, "A Shu, keep your voice down. Xiao Pu didn’t know before, but if you call out like that, won’t you just let her know?"

Lin Shu chuckled lightly, teasing him, "Then if you’re so brave, why don't you have the guts to let go of my hand? If you’re holding me, why are you afraid of being seen?"

Zhou Ye replied, "I’m not afraid of being seen. I’m worried you’ll be embarrassed."

There were no villages nearby—who could possibly see them? Only Xiao Pu. And even if Xiao Pu saw, it wouldn’t matter much.

Lin Shu let out a dismissive snort. "If I were easily embarrassed, would I have let you taste my— mmph!"

Before she could finish the word "lips," Zhou Ye covered her mouth.

He released her after a moment. "A Shu, save that talk for when we’re alone."

Lin Shu raised her eyebrows challengingly. "You? All you dare to do is sneak hand-holding."

Zhou Ye didn’t respond.

He didn’t tell A Shu that even just holding her hand like this made his heart race faster than usual, let alone anything else.

If Xiao Pu weren’t here, he might do bolder things, but with someone around, it was absolutely out of the question.

Zhou Ye led Lin Shu further downstream, staying about fifty *zhang* (about 150 feet) away from Lin Xiaopu.

Here, the grass grew thick and dense, with cattails and reeds growing so closely together that even a tall, sturdy man like Zhou Ye could easily hide. Lin Shu, being petite, was even less of a problem.

Taking advantage of the cover, Lin Shu tugged Zhou Ye toward her as he crouched down and quickly gave his cheek a quick kiss.

"Silly man, with us hiding behind this grass, not only can Xiao Pu not see us, but even if anyone passing by looked this way, they wouldn’t be able to tell what we’re doing." Unless someone came close enough to see.

But if anyone got that close, she'd hear them coming, let alone A Ye.

Zhou Ye touched the spot on his cheek where she had secretly kissed him. Though he didn’t smile, his eyes held clear delight.

"Just a little peck on the cheek, and you’re this happy?" Lin Shu’s lips curved upward.

Zhou Ye stared at Lin Shu, his gaze fixed on her lips as they moved while she spoke. Her lips were like bright red mountain wildberries, wild and alluring, tempting him to taste them.

"A Shu, are you saying it’s okay here?" Zhou Ye asked, his eyes darkening in an instant.

"Okay for what? Ah!"

Before Lin Shu’s short exclamation could fully escape, Zhou Ye covered her mouth with his.

He pulled her into his arms so abruptly that Lin Shu ended up kneeling between his legs. Without another word, he captured her lips fiercely, kissing her deeply before parting her teeth and plundering her mouth passionately, leaving Lin Shu breathless and panting.

After what felt like an eternity, Lin Shu pushed him away slightly. Before she could catch her breath, she gave him a soft, chiding look. "Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t dare? How come you’re eating your words so quickly?"

Zhou Ye’s gaze was intense, his lips shiny and wet from the kiss, which only made Lin Shu more flustered. He explained shamelessly, "A Shu, it’s just the two of us here now. We can do this."

Lin Shu spat out disdainfully. "How is it just the two of us? Xiao Pu is still here!"

"She’s busy hunting wild ducks. She won’t have time to look over here, and even if she does, she won’t see anything." With that, Zhou Ye leaned in and kissed her again.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, almost completely enveloping Lin Shu in his embrace. Even without the thick grass, all anyone would see was Zhou Ye’s broad back. Anyone passing by might think he was dozing off, completely unaware that he was holding her tightly, kissing her until she turned to putty in his arms.

Fifty *zhang* away, Lin Xiaopu was patiently waiting for wild ducks to fly by.

Since she had chosen her hiding spot, she couldn’t move around casually.

She did glance in Lin Shu and Zhou Ye’s direction a few times but noticed they were well-hidden. From her angle, she could only vaguely make out their clothing, so she stopped trying to look. She had no idea that her dear sister was currently getting kissed senseless by Zhou Ye.

A short while later, Lin Shu docilely crouched beside Zhou Ye, her face flushed and her eyes glistening.

*Better focus on the task at hand—she didn’t dare provoke A Ye anymore. This man was becoming less and less able to resist her teasing.*

Zhou Ye had already calmed his breathing and was now fully focused on the river.

Wild ducks and various waterbirds occasionally flew overhead, but they didn’t linger, instead heading toward wider waters.

Just as Lin Shu could no longer maintain her crouch and sat down on the ground, a wild duck suddenly flew toward the water. It drank from the river for a while before swimming to an area with algae and pecking at it.

The spot where Zhou Ye and Lin Shu were hiding happened to have a patch of algae, enough to attract the wild duck closer.

Sure enough, the wild duck slowly swam toward them.

Quick as lightning, as the duck lowered its head to peck at the algae, Zhou Ye swung his arm sharply, lobbing a stone straight at the duck’s neck!

Lin Shu’s eyes widened in astonishment as she watched the duck, which had been pecking at the algae, get hit in the neck by the stone. After weakly flapping a few times, its neck went completely limp.

A Ye had actually hit the wild duck with a single stone, and with such force that he broke its neck in an instant!