Chapter 5: 5. Chapter 5: The Wild Game is Roasted

Chapter 5: The Game is Roasted

After the man revealed his fierce expression, he kept watching Hong Xiaoduo’s reaction. He had assumed this would finally intimidate her, but to his surprise, she merely curled her lip in disdain. There was no other reaction—no panic, no fear.

Instead, the seven little beggars left the campfire where the meat was roasting and gathered around the young woman.

Looking at the seven children beside her, their faces all wore the same expression regardless of their age. Even though they were clearly terrified, they were all clutching stones and small twigs in their hands, ready to fight to the death alongside her.

Hong Xiaoduo felt quite surprised. Shouldn't these seven little ones be guarding their meat?

Earlier, starving and hungry, they had stared at the roasting game with wide, joyful eyes, as if they were afraid that if they blinked, the food would fly away.

She felt something in her heart being touched. She wondered if this could be considered being moved.

"Don't be nervous, it's alright. Look at this stick you're holding—what can you do with that?" Hong Xiaoduo asked, speaking gently to soothe the children who were in a state of extreme tension and panic, while looking at the little girl closest to her.

The little girl was only about five or six years old. Due to prolonged hunger, she was scrawny, and her small body was trembling slightly from nervousness.

Hearing Hong Xiaoduo’s question, she finally looked down at her hands.

Hong Xiaoduo gestured for her to show the stick, and only then did the little girl loosen her tightly clenched hand.

Hong Xiaoduo picked up the small twig and snapped it gently; the wood, eroded by wind and rain, broke instantly.

Uh, the little girl’s face immediately turned embarrassed. She didn't dare look at Hong Xiaoduo, as if she had done something wrong, but when she saw her older brothers looking for weapons, that was all she had near her.

Hong Xiaoduo looked at the oldest child. "Is that stuff about done roasting?" she asked.

The older boy, unsure why she would ask that, nodded.

Hearing him say this, Hong Xiaoduo looked up at the man on horseback.

The man on the horse wasn't far from Hong Xiaoduo, and since he had heard her question to the older boy, he thought to himself: *If you’re going to be sensible now, why didn't you do it sooner?*

According to his speculation, this young woman would now likely soothe these little beggars and then have them bring all the roasted game over to him.

Sitting on his horse, he had already smelled the aroma of the roasted game and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. It wasn't that he hadn't eaten, but he was truly famished.

Besides, the roasting skills of these little beggars looked quite good.

He imagined his master eating first, and then he would get to eat the fragrant roasted rabbit and pheasant. Every bite would be full of flavor. It was a pity they had to get back on the road soon and couldn't drink any wine.

He looked at his companion, Fan Wu, with a hint of smugness. *Heh, you’re riding my coattails today, aren't you!*

*Hm? What’s with that expression? Don't want to eat roasted meat?* Seeing the smirk on Fan Wu’s face again, the man was very dissatisfied, but since they were near their master, he couldn't bicker like a fishwife.

*Hmph, I’ll find a chance to deal with you later!*

"It's roasted, then? Alright, go ahead and divide it among your brothers and sisters. Be careful not to burn yourselves." Hong Xiaoduo looked at the man on the horse, but her words were directed at the older boy. She spoke loudly, perhaps to ensure everyone heard.

*What?*

Except for the person inside the carriage whose expression couldn't be seen, Fan Wu was the only one present who didn't look confused or surprised.

"Hurry up, it won't taste good if it gets overcooked and charred," Hong Xiaoduo said slowly, urging them on as she knew exactly what was happening.

"Oh." The older boy confirmed her intent. Although he was very surprised and a bit worried, he obediently led the younger ones back to the fire.

As the little ones walked over, they kept sneaking glances at the man on the horse. *Gosh, has that villain gone stupid?*

Hong Xiaoduo watched as the older boy took a bamboo knife out of a tattered cloth bag that seemed like a treasure chest, while the other children handed over large leaves they had prepared.

The older boy skillfully divided the rabbit into two portions and signaled for one to be brought to Hong Xiaoduo.

"Divide your own portions first, and give me mine last," Hong Xiaoduo said loudly, seeing the older boy’s intention.

The boy paused only slightly before continuing to divide the meat for the other children.

Finally, the older boy brought her a whole roasted rabbit and half a roasted pheasant on a leaf.

Hong Xiaoduo signaled for him to take back half the rabbit. Then, she tore off a leg of the roasted rabbit, held it to her nose, and sniffed it dramatically, nodding with satisfaction.

The seven children held their portions of the game, sat down behind Hong Xiaoduo, and began blowing on the meat with their little mouths, taking tentative, small bites.

*So fragrant, so hot, so delicious. Blow, blow, eat quickly.*

The children were afraid of the heat but couldn't wait to eat, and they kept looking up at the front, guarding against the man on the horse coming to snatch their food. It looked quite comical, but Hong Xiaoduo couldn't bring herself to laugh.

Seeing the man on the horse looking as if he had been struck by lightning, Hong Xiaoduo was very satisfied. She took a bite of the rabbit leg—the cooking time was just right, and the salt was perfectly balanced.

"Children, is the meat good?" she asked loudly while eating.

The seven little ones were eating happily. When their "mother" asked, they all stopped to shout in unison, "It's delicious!" Then, they went back to eating. *Wuwu, it's so good.*

Only the oldest one, after responding, glanced at the statue on the horse again.

Then, he looked at the "mother" on the rock. *So this is what Mother is like. This feels so good!*

"Eat slowly, it's fine," he whispered to his companions.

Even if the meat in their hands had been bitten into, the man on the horse wouldn't want it, let alone their master in the carriage. After all, those people weren't like them—poor wretches who usually ate the leftover slop others didn't want, which was often spoiled.

Even when they gnawed on bones, there was usually no meat left; they just sucked on the flavor and the residual meat scraps.

However, it wouldn't really be "fine." The people on the horse and in the carriage hadn't said a word, hadn't gotten angry, and hadn't left!

And that man named Fan Wu was watching the show with great interest.

There were no pedestrians on this mountain road. The scene was now: one adult and seven children happily eating roasted game, a carriage parked quietly, and two guards on horseback watching them eat with different expressions.

"Ahhh, I'm going to die of rage!" When he saw Hong Xiaoduo toss the bone in her hand away with satisfaction and look at him with a smile, the statue on the horse finally reacted—with fury.

"Mother, drink some water. It's clean." The older boy had finished eating and thoughtfully brought over a chipped little clay bowl.

"Mother, wipe your hands." A little girl also called out, handing over a piece of old cloth.

*Mother?* The two guards on horseback were stunned by the title. They looked at each other, thinking their ears had failed them.

But seeing the expression on the other’s face, they knew they hadn't misheard.

This simple, familiar word left the man, who had been furious and ready to charge over, completely bewildered. *This is too ridiculous!*

"Are you children all full?" Regardless, since the other party hadn't hindered their meal, Hong Xiaoduo was quite satisfied and asked the little ones happily.

"Yes, Mother, we're full," the seven little ones replied in unison, their childish voices filled with contentment.

They couldn't even remember the last time they had been full or eaten meat. They didn't fear the man on the horse as much as before; they were full, so if they were beaten to death, so be it.

*What? All seven of them call her Mother? What on earth is going on?*

*Did she use some kind of disguise? Is she actually a middle-aged woman?* The two guards were even more shocked!

"Judging by your attire, you aren't even married yet, so how do you have so many little beggars calling you Mother? Could it be that you're the lover of the Beggar Sect leader?" Having failed to buy the roasted game and having to watch them eat it with such pleasure—he had wanted to show off in front of his master, but now he was being mocked by a young woman, Fan Wu was watching the joke, and his master had been there the whole time. How would his master view him in the future?

The vicious words slipped out.

Fan Wu watched the smile on the young woman’s face gradually disappear and thought to himself, *This is bad...*