Everyone quickly reacted and followed silently.

A wild pheasant, startled, leapt up toward a tree.

With a “twang,” the pheasant was struck and fell from midair.

“Such a fat chicken.” Xiao Yingtao, the fastest runner, dashed toward the plump bird.

Feng Jiu’er lowered her bow, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.

Xiao Yingtao picked up the pheasant and pulled the twig-made arrow out of its body.

“Jiu’er, your arrow,” Xiao Yingtao said, handing it back to her.

Feng Jiu’er took the arrow and glanced at the pheasant. “Quite plump.”

“There’s another one here.” Qiao Mu’s voice rang out, followed by another “twang.”

“Thump!” Something fell to the ground.

“I’ll go pick it up,” Gong Xing’er said, turning and running off.

Xing Zizhou carried the three catches and led everyone onward.

Before long, Yue Qinchun stopped walking.

“Jiu’er, we shouldn’t go any further ahead—Brother Yinan said there are beasts there.”

“If we just want to find some food, we can go this way instead.” Yue Qinchun turned and pointed in a direction.

“There’s a lake over there, full of fish, and there are sweet potatoes and wild vegetables all around it.”

“On the way there, if we’re lucky, there might even be wild boar—once, I even heard the sound of one.”

“But there are also snakes, very big and terrifying!”

“Why does everything you describe sound delicious to me?” Feng Jiu’er said, lips curving as she waved a hand.

“All right, let’s go check that way first.”

They didn’t need to eat anything in particular—as long as their stomachs were full, that was enough. There was no need to damage too much of the ecosystem, nor any need to take unnecessary risks.

Hearing Feng Jiu’er’s words, everyone followed her and Yue Qinchun.

“Qinchun, is that where you two dig your sweet potatoes?” Xiao Yingtao asked.

“Mm-hm.” Yue Qinchun nodded. “We also brought some back to plant, though Brother Yinan says sweet potatoes take a long time to grow.”

“These past days, since we’ve had nothing else to do, we planted some vegetables near our house.”

“The soil here is poor, but the vegetables we planted have at least managed to sprout leaves.”

“Brother Yinan and I have a wish—someday, to find a grove of our own, plant vegetables, grow flowers, and raise some small animals.”

“And raise a few children too,” Qiao Mu added, raising an eyebrow.

She looked at Yue Qinchun and smiled. “Little sister Qinchun, your mother still has expectations for you, doesn’t she?”

“I wonder if she’d be furious to death if she knew what your ideal life looks like now?”

“No, it’s not like that.” Yue Qinchun pressed her small pink lips together. “Brother Yinan and I are thinking about after we’re old.”

“Right now, we haven’t accomplished anything yet—what would we rely on to support our old age? What would we use to repay our parents’ kindness?”

“As long as you have a goal, work hard toward it!” Gong Xinyue said, gently patting Yue Qinchun’s shoulder.

“Besides, you’re still young—anything is possible!”

“Mm-hm,” Yue Qinchun nodded softly.

“My goal is simple,” Xiao Yingtao said, turning her head. “Wherever Jiu’er goes, I go. Whatever Jiu’er is busy with, I’m busy with.”

“My goal is simple too,” Xing Zizhou said, turning back to look at his girl.

The two exchanged a glance; Xiao Yingtao lowered her head, and Xing Zizhou looked away.

“Brother Xing’s goal is just Sister Xiao Yingtao, huh,” Gong Xing’er said as she walked.

She looked ahead and smiled. “My goal is to be able to eat meat every day.”

Some found Gong Xing’er’s words surprising, while others found them entirely expected.

Her own sister, for one—Gong Xinyue knew all too well how strongly her sister craved meat. Meat was practically her heaven.

Everyone had assumed Gong Xing’er’s true goal was Long Shiyi, but Gong Xinyue knew that even Long Shiyi couldn’t compete with meat.

Well, all she could do was console herself that her sister simply had her own kind of good fortune—there was no point worrying too much.

Feng Jiu’er found herself thinking more and more that having a few more little sisters in the family was rather nice—it livened up the atmosphere too.

Everyone chatted and laughed along the way, catching two more wild pheasants and three more hares along the road.

As they neared the lake, Feng Jiu’er’s gaze locked onto the base of a nearby mountain.

“Jian Yi, let’s go—tonight we’re having snake soup.”

Jian Yi nodded and followed.

Speaking of snakes, some of them were indeed afraid.

Except for Qiao Mu and Gong Xinyue, the other girls all showed some fear.

When Feng Jiu’er approached, she saw a large venomous snake—but one excellent for tonics—turn and flee back the way it came.

She wasn’t the only one who saw it; Gong Xinyue saw it too.

“Jiu’er, it got away.” Gong Xinyue grew anxious, seeing that Feng Jiu’er hadn’t made a move.

And in that brief span of time, the large snake had already vanished.

“No rush. One alone is nowhere near enough.” Feng Jiu’er quickened her pace.

Finally, she stopped beside a patch of weeds at the base of a cliff.

“I’d guess this is their nest. Jian Yi, what do you think?”

Jian Yi glanced at the mischievous face beside him and drew his long sword.

He pulled Feng Jiu’er back, shielding her behind him, and began clearing the grass with his beloved sword.

Xiao Yingtao hid behind Xing Zizhou, Gong Xing’er hid behind Gong Xinyue, Duan Liuyang stood beside Feng Jiu’er, and Yue Qinchun hid behind Qiao Mu.

“I saw a snake just now too, very big,” Yue Qinchun said softly.

“And Brother Yinan said this kind of snake is venomous.”

“Venomous, but excellent for tonics,” Qiao Mu explained gently. “The snake soup Jiu’er makes is perfectly safe to eat—nourishing for both yin and yang.”

Yue Qinchun swallowed, clearly not too enthusiastic about the idea.

“It really is delicious,” Xiao Yingtao’s voice chimed in.

She hugged Xing Zizhou’s arm and poked her head out from behind him. “But, just so it’s said in advance, I’m only in charge of eating.”

Xing Zizhou’s hands weren’t exactly clean; he lowered his eyes with a faint smile and didn’t touch her.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

“Mm-hm.” Xiao Yingtao kept her eyes fixed, unblinking, on the spot Jian Yi had just cleared.

With the weeds cleared away, several cracks in the rock, large and small, came into view.

“Smoke them out,” Qiao Mu said, turning around. “I’ll go find some firewood.”

“I’ll go too,” Gong Xing’er said, following after her.

Gong Xinyue said nothing, but followed along as well.

Feng Jiu’er approached the crevices and crouched down.

“Jiu’er, be careful!” Xiao Yingtao came over and crouched down to her right rear.

“Jiu’er, is there anything we can help with?” Duan Liuyang scurried over.

“Go find some rope-like grass we can use to tie things—we’ll need it later,” Feng Jiu’er said.

“All right.” Duan Liuyang nodded and turned to look elsewhere.

“I know where there’s some,” Yue Qinchun said, jumping up and pointing in a direction. “Over there, let’s go together.”

She wasn’t afraid of grass—but snakes, she was still quite afraid of.

Yue Qinchun led Duan Liuyang off to gather the grass.

Under Feng Jiu’er’s direction, Jian Yi cleared two more patches of weeds.

Qiao Mu, Gong Xinyue, and Gong Xing’er returned carrying dry firewood.

Xing Zizhou and Jian Yi laid out the dry wood and began lighting the fire.

Seeing the smoke rising, everyone stepped back.

Xing Zizhou took off his outer garment to fan the smoke, which billowed out from the various cracks in the rock.

Soon, the first snake slithered out of a crevice.

“Ah!” Yue Qinchun let out a small cry, gripping tightly onto the person beside her.

Jian Yi swept his long sword in a single stroke, and the plump, large snake was severed in two.