Predator

"There's no trick to it. The number of rabbits in the back hills has suddenly increased these past couple of days. I just went into the mountains and ran into several..."

"Really?" Xiao Yu interrupted Jin Feng excitedly. "I'll tell my father tonight and have him go up the mountain tomorrow. Jin Feng, thank you! You're such a good person!"

The other women were also thrilled, some nearly unable to resist rushing home to call their husbands over.

"Good person, my foot!"

Receiving an unexpected "good person" card reminded Jin Feng of the hardships from his past life.

Irritated, he swatted Xiao Yu on the head. "What I mean is, there might be danger in the back hills recently. You all should avoid coming here to dig for wild vegetables these next few days."

"What kind of danger?" Xiao Yu blinked her big eyes.

"You know there aren't usually many rabbits in the back hills. The sudden increase makes me suspect that a predator has entered the deep forest, driving the rabbits to the back hills," Jin Feng explained. "If my guess is right, it could be dangerous for you to dig for vegetables at the foot of the mountain."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't believe it. You're probably just afraid we'll catch the rabbits and leave none for you."

Xiao Yu's face showed disbelief, and the other women shared similar expressions.

Good advice is hard to give to those destined to perish. Jin Feng had already warned them, and if they didn't believe him, there was nothing more he could do. If he pushed further, they'd likely think he was exaggerating to keep them from profiting.

"Take care, then," Jin Feng said, glancing at the excited women before walking away with his prey.

Seeing Jin Feng's bountiful harvest, Guan Xiaorou was as excited as a child, marveling at the pheasant's vibrant tail feathers.

This was the kind of joy an eighteen-year-old girl should have. Jin Feng was pleased with the change in Guan Xiaorou and smiled as he asked, "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's beautiful!" Guan Xiaorou nodded eagerly.

"Good. We'll cook it for dinner tonight," Jin Feng said with a laugh. "You can keep the feathers."

"Cook it?" Guan Xiaorou was surprised. "Aren't we going to sell it?"

"Pheasants are mostly bones and feathers. Not many people are willing to buy them, and they don't fetch a good price. Let's just cook it," Jin Feng replied. "We're both too thin. We need to nourish ourselves, or I won't have the strength to hunt."

In modern times, people eat for flavor, but in this era, practicality reigns. When buying meat, people prefer fatty cuts, avoiding lean meat or ribs. A pheasant wouldn't sell for much, so it was better to eat it themselves. The host's body had been underfed for over a year and was in poor condition. It needed nourishment.

"Alright," Guan Xiaorou agreed reluctantly. Though she was reluctant to indulge herself, she couldn't bear to see Jin Feng go hungry. She obediently took the pheasant to prepare.

That evening, Guan Xiaorou enjoyed the most lavish meal of her life in the small courtyard. The rich, fragrant chicken soup and sweet, soft rice were more than she had ever dreamed of. She knew it was all thanks to Jin Feng, and her gaze grew even more affectionate and dependent.

"Why are you staring at me? Eat!" Jin Feng said, placing another piece of meat in her bowl. "Eat up, and you can stare all you want."

He winked mischievously at her.

"You're teasing me again..." Guan Xiaorou blushed, then picked up the piece of meat Jin Feng had just given her and placed it back in his bowl. "You're the pillar of this household. You need to eat more. I'm fine with just rice."

"It's just a piece of chicken. No need to pass it back and forth," Jin Feng said, scooping several more pieces into her bowl. "There's still rabbit outside. If you're not satisfied, we can cook that tomorrow."

"The rabbit should be sold for money. Even the county magistrate can't eat meat every day."

"Three years as a county magistrate, a hundred thousand taels of silver. Not only the magistrate, but many in the county office eat meat daily," Jin Feng said. "I'll work hard to make sure you can eat meat every day soon."

"Just being able to eat our fill is enough. I wouldn't dare dream of eating meat every day."

"Why not? If it weren't for the predator in the mountains, we'd never lack meat. Soon, you'll be sick of the sight of fatty meat."

"Predator? What predator?"

"I'm not sure," Jin Feng shook his head and explained his suspicions to her.

"Husband, please don't go into the mountains these next few days, okay?" Guan Xiaorou grabbed his hand, her voice pleading.

She had finally found someone to rely on and couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him.

"Alright, I won't go into the mountains. I'll stay home with you," Jin Feng agreed with a smile.

Guan Xiaorou's cheeks flushed, and she suddenly remembered something. "Husband, my cousin is also digging for wild vegetables in the back hills. Does she know about this?"

"Cousin?"

Jin Feng was momentarily confused.

While other women foraged leisurely in groups, Zhang Mancang's family had two disabled members, and wild vegetables made up the majority of their diet. As a result, Lin Yunfang and her sisters-in-law foraged quickly, and the other women avoided them. He hadn't seen Lin Yunfang's family that afternoon.

"I'll go to Mancang's house later and let her know."

After dinner, Jin Feng went to Zhang Mancang's house, but only Mancang's new wife was home, cooking. Lin Yunfang, her mother-in-law, and sister-in-law were still in the back hills.

Jin Feng didn't care much about others, but Lin Yunfang had shown him kindness, and he couldn't ignore her. He returned home to fetch his crossbow and a machete, then headed to the back hills.

As he left, Third Auntie, the village gossip, happened to see him with his strange bow. Soon, the entire village knew Jin Feng had gone to the back hills armed.

The women, already restless and unsure, now had their doubts dispelled. The village erupted.

"I knew Jin Feng was lying to us. He said there was a predator, but if there were, would he dare go into the mountains now?"

"Scholars are always so cunning, full of schemes."

"I don't think he's cunning—I think he's heartless. Not only did he scare us, but he also told us not to forage these next few days. If we don't forage, what will we eat this year?"

"Let's all go to the back hills with our husbands. We can't let him take all the rabbits!"

"Right, and we'll ask Jin Feng why he lied to us!"

...

The women were indignant. They abandoned their meals, called their husbands, and prepared to head to the back hills to hunt rabbits and confront Jin Feng.

By the time Jin Feng reached the back hills, dusk was falling. A few figures moved near the edge of the forest.

Jin Feng ran over and saw Lin Yunfang, her mother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

"Cousin, it's almost dark. Why haven't you gone back yet?"

"The plantain shoots are tender. We're trying to gather as much as we can while there's still light," Lin Yunfang said, glancing to the left. "Mancang is gathering firewood over there. He hasn't finished loading the cart yet, so we're waiting for him."

About a hundred meters away, near the forest, several bundles of firewood lay stacked. Zhang Mancang was loading them onto a cart.