“Grandma, there are too many people digging here. I want to walk a bit further into the mountains.”
“If you go any further, it’ll be deep mountains. There are wild boars there. If you run into one, you’ll lose your life. Yuanchun, don't throw your life away just for a bit of meat.”
Grandma Feng had seen through her eldest granddaughter's intentions long ago.
Ever since they stepped out the door today, she had been keeping a close eye on her.
Yuanchun glanced at Ding Chunli, who was not far away, and lowered her voice. “Grandma, I just want to improve the food for the family. Look at Sister-in-law; she’s almost five months pregnant, yet her belly is so small. The baby is definitely malnourished. Grandma, you wouldn't want to see Sister-in-law give birth to a skin-and-bones great-grandson, would you?”
Grandma Feng fell silent for a moment, but she still wasn't comfortable letting her granddaughter take risks. “Even so, I can't let you risk your life. When the women in our village get pregnant, their bellies aren't big either. When the babies are born, they all look like little kittens, but we still raise them just fine.”
“Grandma, just let me go. I want to go.”
When persuasion failed, Yuanchun resorted to acting spoiled and pestering her, giving Grandma Feng such a headache that she finally relented and let her go. However, “I’m going with you. Otherwise, you aren't going at all.”
Although bringing a burden was a bit inconvenient, it was better than not being allowed to go at all.
And so, Yuanchun led Grandma Feng into the deep mountains.
Before long, Yuanchun encountered a large rooster. She hissed a warning to Grandma Feng, then quietly crept up behind the rooster and lunged suddenly... pinning the rooster beneath her.
007 laughed, “Host, you’re being too fake. That rooster was immobilized by your energy restraint and couldn't move an inch. Only because Grandma Feng was too nervous did she fail to notice.”
“Even if she noticed, what could she do? No matter how much my grandma's imagination runs wild, she would never think I have the ability to restrain prey. She would only think I have incredibly good luck.”
Yuanchun was right.
After seeing with her own eyes that her eldest granddaughter caught three wild rabbits and five wild chickens without any effort, Grandma Feng lamented that her granddaughter's luck was too good—she must be the heavens' own daughter.
Otherwise, how could the small prey see her granddaughter and not run away, instead staying perfectly still to be caught?
It couldn't be that every rabbit and chicken her granddaughter encountered was an idiot.
At night, when darkness had fallen, the grandmother and granddaughter finally returned laden with their catch.
When the Feng family saw the two baskets overflowing with prey, the shocked looks they directed at Yuanchun were as if they were looking at a monster.
“Yuanchun, how did you hunt so much prey? Tomorrow, take Second Brother with you. Second Brother won't go chopping wood anymore.” Feng Guoan’s hands trembled with excitement.
If one were to say that the five pieces of prey his younger sister brought back at noon was just good luck, then these two baskets... were not just luck, but skill.
He hadn't expected his sister to be such a formidable hunter.
Even more formidable than the village hunters.
Feng Guoping pushed his brother aside and squeezed in front of his sister. “Yuanchun, there's me too! I'll go with you. I'm strong and can carry more.”
“Alright, stop pestering Yuanchun. We'll talk about tomorrow's plans in a bit. Let's eat first.” Once Feng Dasheng calmed down, he pulled his two sons apart, picked up one of the baskets, and headed toward the kitchen.
With so much prey, they couldn't just leave it carelessly in the courtyard; it would be troublesome if someone saw it.
“Right, right, right, eat first. Everyone has been tired all day. We'll discuss tomorrow's matters after we've eaten our fill.” As Qiu Guihua spoke, she picked up the other basket and entered the kitchen. She cautiously covered the two baskets of prey with wild vegetables before leading her two sisters-in-law to set the dining table.
Half an hour later, after the meal was finished, no one in the Feng family left. Over a dozen pairs of eyes, large and small, were all staring at Yuanchun.
(End of Chapter)