Chapter 14: Hunting in the Deep Mountains

  Jiuniang held a bamboo basket in one hand and looked at Yang Jinmei's back, where she had slung her bow and arrows. Feeling not reconciled, she gritted her teeth and walked to Chu Dongyang's side, asking: "Are you really unwilling to lend me your dagger?"

  Chu Dongyang was strolling in the courtyard with a long stick, digesting his food. Upon hearing this, he turned around and glanced at Jiu Niang, then raised an eyebrow with a cold and stern expression, as if saying "I really won't lend it to you, what can you do about it".

  Jiuniang ground her teeth and coldly laughed with suppressed anger: "You won't get any meat for dinner!"

  Chu Dongyang's eyes flickered with a hint of astonishment, feeling that Jiuniang had changed too much, and he didn't reject this version of her.

  He unknowingly softened his tone, even with a hint of a smile, saying: "With Yang Jin's brother accompanying you up the mountain, there's no need to worry. His archery skills are not bad, and he's carrying my bow and arrow, so even if you really encounter wolves, there's nothing to fear."

  Jiuniang gave him a sideways glance, and with a rough motion, she swung the bamboo basket onto her shoulder. The axe inside suddenly flew out, heading straight for Chudongyang's face.

  "You woman!" Chu Dongyang quickly caught the cleaver with his bare hands, his face sinking as he glared at Jiuniang and said, "Just because I didn't give you a dagger to play with, you want to murder your own husband? You're lawless! Luckily I'm trained, if it were an ordinary person, you would have chopped them to death with this cleaver!"

  "It's not like I did it on purpose." Jiuniang turned around and saw the hatchet in Chudongyang's hand, startling her. Her eyes scanned his hand, but she didn't see any injuries. However, his face was deathly pale, which made her feel a bit wronged as she softly defended herself.

  "If it's intentional, can you afford it?" Chu Dongyang said coldly: "You're so careless, if I really give you the dagger, I'm afraid you won't even know how to hurt yourself, I'm doing this for your own good!"

  Is it over yet?!

  Jiuniang glared at him with a scowl, snatched the cleaver from his hand and swung it vigorously but clumsily in the air several times before tossing it into the bamboo basket. As she walked out, she hummed: "You won't have meat for dinner tonight!"

  Chu Dongyang pressed his lips together and watched her walk away, one hand leaning on a long stick, the other pressing against his injured leg, his eyes gradually darkening.

  Will his leg be able to heal?

  Really rely on this frail and petite body to bear the heavy burden of this family?

  Chu Dongyang clenched his fist tightly on his leg and silently cursed himself for being a useless person, actually forcing a weak woman to become so tough.

  After a while, as if he had made up his mind, he took out the bloody dagger from his arms and held it in his palm for a long time, muttering: "From now on, there will be no more peaceful days."

  You can't have both fish and bear's paw at the same time; likewise, you can't have both wealth and honor, and a peaceful life.

  ——

  Jiuniang and Yang Jin, the couple, went up the mountain together. Passing by where she dug bamboo shoots yesterday, she thought for a moment, then said to Yunniang: "I was digging in that clump of bamboo yesterday, I'll go take a look if there's any left behind. Sister, you go ahead with big brother, I'll catch up with you soon."

  Actually, Jiuniang wanted to see if the crossbow she hid last night was still there today.

  "Alright!" The young woman nodded, then raised her hand and pointed ahead, saying: "Not far from here there is also a clump of bamboo, I'll go take a look if there are any shoots, you don't wander off alone."

  "Alright, sister-in-law!" Jiuniang carried a bamboo basket and headed in the direction of where they were yesterday.

  The bow and arrow were hidden by her in a clump of trees near the bamboo yesterday, and are still there now.

  She secretly put the crossbow into the bamboo basket and covered it with a handful of leaves before proceeding.

  "Sister, these few bamboo shoots are a bit old and taste a bit bitter, they're not good to eat anymore!" Jiuniang walked closer and saw Yunniang digging alone, while Yang Jin went deeper into the mountain. She had an idea and said to Yunniang: "Why don't we follow big brother into the deep mountains, maybe the bamboo shoots there are fresher."

  Only by following Yang Jin can there be prey! Her main purpose of going up the mountain is also not to dig bamboo shoots, but to hunt.

  The young nun thought for a moment and hesitantly said to Jiu Niang: "It's too dangerous in the deep mountains, I don't even dare go there on ordinary days."

  "Big Brother Yang's archery skills are impressive, we'll be perfectly safe following him, no need to worry." Jiuniang patted Yunniang's shoulder and then pulled her along as they followed in Yang Jin's direction.

  "Jiuniang..." Yunniang was still a little scared.

  Jiuniang shook her shoulder and said, "Sister, I have a secret weapon in my bamboo basket. If we encounter big prey, we'll make a lot of money."

  The nun looked at Jiuniang in surprise and asked: "What secret weapon? A hatchet?"

  When they went out, Yunniang saw that Jiuniang only had a hatchet in her bamboo basket. Wasn't Jiuniang going to use the hatchet to chop the big game to death?

  The nun's forehead was sweating, and then she heard Jiuniang say: "Cough, chopping down prey with a hatchet is quite an impressive skill, but it's not what I'm good at. My secret weapon is much more powerful than a hatchet, you'll see."

  Jiuniang originally wanted to keep it a secret from others, but now that she thinks about it carefully, she definitely can't keep it hidden for long, so she might as well take the initiative to tell Yunniang.

  The artist daughter is very kind and beautiful, she will definitely keep it a secret for her.

  Even with Jiuniang confidently patting her chest to guarantee it, Yunniang was still worried. Unable to persuade Jiuniang, Yunniang had no choice but to loudly call out to Yang Jin to wait for them.

  "Aren't you going to dig bamboo shoots? How did you end up following us?" Yang Jin looked at them in surprise, and upon hearing that they wanted to follow him into the deep mountains, he disapprovingly said: "No way, it's too dangerous inside."

  Seeing her husband's firm opposition, Yunniang didn't dare say more and pulled Jiuma's sleeve to leave.

  "Sister-in-law, if you don't dare to go, then just wait for us at the foot of the mountain!" Jiuniang patted Yunniang's arm and said to Yang Jin: "I'm not afraid, Brother Yang Jin will lead the way in front!"

  Jiuniang also knew that her current behavior in the eyes of others was probably too arrogant and reckless, almost to the point of being suicidal. In fact, she didn't want it to be this way either.

  But at home, the pot can't be opened, and there's no food for the next meal after eating the previous one. Life is so hard, if she doesn't become strong, it's no different from waiting for death.

  It's better to die fighting than to die waiting.

  Yang Jin thought for a moment, and said with a heavy heart: "Younger sister, my family's food is not much, but we can still spare some to lend you. You are a weak woman, there is no need to work so hard. When Dongyang brother's leg recovers, it will not be too late to make plans again."

  Jiuniang smiled gratefully at Yang Jin, still shaking her head. "Thank you, brother and sister-in-law. Jiuniang will definitely remember your kindness. However, your family's conditions are not good either, how can you afford to support me too much? I'm able-bodied, so I should rely on myself. Besides, my husband's leg injury won't heal in just a day or two..."

  " Ninth girl..." Yunniang looked at her husband and then pulled Jiuniang along, saying: "Let's go into the mountains together! Hopefully we'll have good luck and catch a few wild chickens and rabbits, so we can eat well for several meals."

  Jiuniang grasped Yunniang's hand tightly, smiled at her gratefully, and then looked at Yang Jin with expectant eyes.

  Yang Jin let out a sigh and said helplessly: "Then you can't run around randomly, you have to follow me closely at all times."

  "Good!" Jiuniang nodded happily.

  Three people slowly went into the deep mountains.

  Yang Jin often came hunting and was more familiar with this area, so he tried to walk in areas without large prey that were relatively safer.

  But he didn't expect that a place where only wild chickens and rabbits usually appear would actually show him the footprints of big game.

  Yang Jin's heart was both excited and worried.

  A great hunting target is not often encountered, and now that he has Chu Dongyang's bow and arrow in his hand, it's just right to try out its power.

  Now with two weak women by his side, if they really encounter a big prey, he can't guarantee their safety.

  Yang Jin did not want to take risks and was about to call them back when a rustling sound suddenly came from the front.

  Jiuniang also noticed the new footprints on the muddy ground, she calmly took out her bow and crossbow from the bamboo basket, vigilantly paying attention to her surroundings. When the faint sound came, Jiuniang swiftly raised her bow and crossbow towards the direction of the sound.

  She held her breath, raised one hand and made a silencing gesture to Yang Jin's couple beside her, her eyes fixed tightly on something not far away, still looking quite vigilant.

  It wasn't until then that Yang and his wife saw the strange object in Jiu Niang's hand.