Chapter 254

Chapter 254

The deep mountains were like an abyss, with ancient trees and a blanket of white snow as far as the eye could see.

After walking for half a day, they still hadn't spotted the Eagle Rock that the villagers had mentioned. Old Man Zhao started wondering if they'd gone the wrong way.

Seeing that it was getting late, they found a spot with a wide view. They took dry firewood from the Divine Land, set up a pot, and pulled out a small square wooden table. They laid out a chopping board, cut a large slab of cured meat hanging on the kitchen wall, first cooked a pot of rice, then neatly arranged thin slices of cured meat on top.

The firewood crackled, and the rice soaking up the rendered fat soon gave off a rich, savory aroma.

There was still plenty of vegetables at home. Zhao Xiaobao took her second brother to the Divine Land, and the siblings busied themselves in their kitchen, whipping up a big plate of hot mixed greens loaded with chili peppers to cut the richness.

Then they went to the orchard and picked some fruits, a bit of each variety. The wild fruits that were only available in summer, after careful nurturing in the soil of the Divine Land, had practically become a whole new kind—large and plump, juicy, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

The siblings filled a large bamboo basket with colorful fruits glistening with dewdrops, looking so tempting it made their mouths water. They were not only thirst-quenching but also hit the spot.

Amidst the smoke and fire, a simple yet hearty lunch was ready.

The aroma wafted far in the cold wind. They weren't worried about attracting wild animals. Each person grabbed a bowl and gathered around Zhao Xiaobao, who was perched on a little stool, eating happily and contentedly.

"It's been so long since I've eaten a proper meal like this," Zhao Dashan said. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to eat properly from a bowl. In winter, there was no shortage of water, unlike during the drought when they could make up an excuse about looking for water to sneak into the Divine Land for a meal. Although Xiaobao would find opportunities to stuff them with flatbreads and steamed buns, they hadn't gone hungry, but it wasn't the same as eating rice. "Now that we're in the mountains, let's steam more rice later, chop some meat into it, and make rice balls. We don't know how long we'll be down the mountain, and the womenfolk won't get a chance to enter the Divine Land. Let's give them some extra oil and a good meal too."

"Alright," Zhao Ertian nodded. He also felt sorry for his mother and wife. Women were physically weaker, and even with their donkey cart, they had suffered greatly along the way.

"There's still some venison in the kitchen. Let's stew a big pot later and let the family have some to nourish themselves," Old Man Zhao said.

Qing Xuan had hunted two deer; the second one was given to the village, and the first was for their family. They had eaten quite a bit on the road, and only a little was left.

"On this trip into the mountains, we must hunt two deer—one to share with the village, and one for ourselves."

"Mm!" Zhao Xiaobao held her bowl, sitting at the square table, swinging her legs. "Our kitchen is empty. Mom and sisters-in-law will only be happy if there's lots of meat hanging on the wall."

Qing Xuan silently noted: hunt deer.

The men ate like they were waging war. They refilled the huge pot of rice again and again, still not feeling full, as if they could eat several more bowls.

Seeing there was still rice left, Qing Xuan got up and scooped himself another bowl.

Their family ate with abandon. When scooping rice, they had to use a water dipper to get enough. Ever since learning about the Divine Land and touring the granary, Qing Xuan no longer held back at meals. Zhao Xiaobao had said that when the family got busy later, he would have to help with transplanting rice seedlings, harvesting, and threshing. Eat heartily when eating, work hard when working.

The men ate heartily. An entire pot of rice, a large plate of vegetables, and a basket of fruits—they finished it all cleanly, even mixing the leftover sauce with the crusty rice and eating it.

After lunch, Xiaobao let out Blackie.

The slender-legged hunting dog first warily scanned its surroundings. Once it confirmed there was no danger, it stretched, ran around in place, leaving a trail of paw prints in the snow.

It was a purebred hunting dog, far more skilled at hunting than the little native dogs. Some instincts were etched in its blood; even without a mother to teach it, being in this environment instantly awakened its innate abilities.

"Woof!" Blackie barked in one direction. Before they could react, it shot out like lightning. In a few bounds, it pounced and bit a badger that hadn't had time to escape.

Lured perhaps by the aroma of food, the plump badger had been hiding in a dense thicket, its gray-black fur blending into the surroundings. If not for Blackie's keen nose and sharp ears, it would have been hard to spot.

Qing Xuan reacted the fastest. While the dog and badger were locked in a standoff, he grabbed his knife, rushed over, and quickly slit the badger's throat.

First victory. Blackie proudly stretched its limbs, looking at Zhao Xiaobao as if seeking praise.

Since it was a stolen dog, it had been kept shut in the Divine Land since arriving at their home. Although it wasn't tied up as a guard dog, being able to frolic freely in the mountains—even Zhao Xiaobao could see how happy it was.

"Blackie!"

"Woof!"

The bond between them was strong.

Blackie wagged its tail vigorously, licking Zhao Xiaobao's hand with its warm tongue, making her dodge and laugh: "Stop licking, stop licking! Haha, it tickles! Good Blackie, you caught prey! I'll tell Dad to make you a hearty dog meal!"

"Woof woof!" As if understanding, Blackie jumped up and down, then rushed over to Old Man Zhao and licked him enthusiastically.

"Later, later. Don't rush," Old Man Zhao said as he dealt with the badger. They had this animal back in their hometown too, called a "ground pig." It was a creature that liked to ruin crops, and whenever the villagers caught one, they would kill it for meat.

Apart from its meat, badger fat was also valuable—effective for treating burns and scalds. Its bones were excellent for rheumatism. In previous years, whenever someone caught one, families with elderly suffering from arthritis would exchange eggs for the bones. It was truly a treasure from head to toe.

Blackie had caught such a prize on its first try. Old Man Zhao was overjoyed and quickly said, "Xiaobao, throw it into the wooden basin in the yard. Keep it separate from the rabbits!"

"Okay, Dad." Zhao Xiaobao nodded obediently, took a curious look at the lifeless badger. It looked somewhat like a pig but not quite. She wondered if the meat would be good.

With that thought, she grabbed the badger's fur, and the gradually cooling carcass on the ground vanished into thin air, reappearing in the wooden basin in the middle of the yard.

After covering up the bloodstains on the ground, the family of six continued on.

...

With Blackie scouting ahead, Zhao Dashan had an easier time. He didn't have to keep his eyes fixed on the ground and could observe the surroundings.

Whenever they saw footprints in the snow, whether they recognized them or not, they would stop and search the area. If lucky, they would catch prey that hadn't fled far—mostly wild rabbits and pheasants.

Reaching a stretch of tall trees and open ground, they spotted two roe deer foraging. But they were too far away, and the roe deer were alert. They fled before the family could get close.

Only a trail of messy footprints of various sizes remained in the snow.

This was the advantage of winter hunting. In remote, uninhabited deep forests, various traces were left on the ground that hadn't been completely covered by snow and wind. Experienced hunters could tell from these traces where prey had been active and when, allowing them to choose the best hunting method.

For instance, setting traps, digging pitfalls, or even tracking.

With Zhao Xiaobao around to retrieve items easily, Old Man Zhao and his sons tirelessly set snares and dug traps along the way. If they were lucky, they might find prey that had fallen into the traps on their return trip. This saved effort and added an element of suspense—whether they would return empty-handed or laden with spoils was left to fate.

They dug many traps and set simple snares, but they didn't place any leg traps.

Old Man Zhao said to the two youngest, "If you forget to remove a leg trap and someone accidentally steps on it later, they could seriously injure their leg. If a child steps on one, their bones are still soft and developing—it could affect them for life."

"Although we're hunting in the mountains, we kill for food, not for cruelty. Some stubborn beasts would rather gnaw off their own leg to escape. If they can't, they drag the trap around, suffering every day, in pain even when eating and sleeping, until the leg rots and they die in agony. We're hunting to survive, so it's hypocritical to talk about kindness. But if one cut can end it, we shouldn't stab several times needlessly. All flesh and blood feel pain, and beasts are no exception."

Take slaughtering a pig, for example. Which man from the countryside wouldn't dare to do it himself? But why pay a butcher to do it? Because they were not skilled enough, afraid they wouldn't kill the pig outright and would cause it unnecessary suffering.

Domestic animals raised by hand—eating their meat is one thing, but having fed them daily, it's hard not to feel some attachment. Tender-hearted women would even secretly wipe away tears.

"Leg traps are only for keeping pests from destroying crops, not for hunting in the mountains," Old Man Zhao said earnestly.

Zhao Xiaobao nodded obediently: "Dad, Xiaobao understands."

Qing Xuan also nodded, acknowledging the lesson.

As they chatted and walked, they stopped occasionally. The yard in the Divine Land now held over a dozen trussed-up wild rabbits and pheasants.

Blackie was completely ecstatic, running wild through the forest, releasing all the pent-up energy it couldn't expend in the Divine Land.

Perhaps bloodline really did play a part. It never fell into any of the pits or holes, chasing chickens and rabbits with some skill.

Following behind it, the men just helped to surround and intercept the prey, picking off the easy ones.

Time passed without notice, and the sky began to darken. Old Zhao kept muttering to himself, wondering if he had really taken the wrong way. Just as he was hesitating about turning back and trying a different route, Blackie, running ahead, barked. Following the sound, he looked up and spotted a huge boulder shaped like a flying eagle standing not far away.

"Pa!" Zhao Dashan saw it too, pointing, "Is that the stone? The one the villagers called Eagle Stone?"

"That's gotta be it." Old Zhao shifted the basket on his back. He didn't trust his daughter with her brothers to carry her, and after a whole day of it, he was getting tired. "Strange-shaped rocks are rare, and it does look the part. Come on, let's head over."

Zhao Xiaobao had dozed off along the way and was now awake, holding the edge of the basket with both hands, staring at the stone. How amazing—it really had two wings.

"How does something even grow like that? It's way too perfectly shaped," she whispered.

Qing Xuan, walking ahead, heard her and said with a smile, "Nature's pretty amazing."

He couldn't help but think about Qingxuan Temple. That earthquake shifted the ground and made it sink, turning the Taoist temple into a solitary peak. If he hadn't seen it himself, who'd believe it?

Old Zhao added, "Xiaobao, remember that razor-sharp cliff we passed earlier? That wasn't something humans could carve." They had been extremely cautious back then, with the adults tying the children to themselves with hemp ropes, losing a few carts loaded with firewood in the process, barely making it through that dangerous spot. Even now, thinking about it gives him the creeps.

"Nature is formidable. Who knows, a thousand years from now, the mountain behind our home might be flattened and filled with people."

Zhao Xiaobao shook her head, "Then our ancestors would have company, Pa. You can rest easy knowing they have company."

At these words, Old Zhao's eyes got all teary. His nose, red from the cold, sniffled, and his heart swelled with a thousand emotions.

He wanted to say, "Silly girl, if the mountain gets leveled, the ancestors buried up there are long gone—there's no such thing as lively or not." But the warmth in his heart made him feel a surge of joy. Little Treasure might be young, but she understood everything—she knew he missed his parents back in his hometown.

He laughed, blew his nose, and snatched a couple of leaves to wipe his hands, and joked, "After so many years, they've probably been reborn by now. Your grandparents might now be children as young as you. If they're born into a family with many siblings, it'll be lively enough."

After saying that, he couldn't help but add silently, "May they be born into a well-off family, so they can eat enough and stay warm."

Growing up in a farming family, having many siblings wasn't always a good thing. But having none was also bad. Life always seemed to have a void that could never be filled, so one just had to make do.

Zhao Xiaobao nodded as if understanding. She seemed to feel the strong emotions her father had when speaking of his parents. She stretched up on her tiptoes and put her little warm hands on the back of his neck, saying softly, "Pa, they will have siblings, and it will be lively."

The back of his neck felt a wave of warmth, and Old Zhao's heart softened. He let out a hearty laugh and said, "Then I'll take Little Treasure Fairy's blessing!"

While father and daughter were talking, Blackie had already reached the destination and was wagging its tail, waiting for them.

As dusk fell, they planned to settle here for the night.