∞

After busying themselves for half a day, the entire roe deer was finally fully butchered. The meat was chopped into pieces and placed in a clay basin to the side. As for the hide, it was practically unsightly—though the whole pelt was intact, the cuts were jagged and uneven, with numerous tears. Even if they tried to sell it, it wouldn't fetch a decent price.

"What a pity. If Zhang the butcher had handled it, this hide wouldn't have been ruined."

Zhong Lin sighed.

The only butcher in Xiahe Village was surnamed Zhang. He had been among the guests who came to eat earlier, but Zhong Lin couldn't be bothered to ask him for help.

"Go start a fire."

"Got it!"

Though he was exhausted and wanted to sleep, Little Stone obediently went to light the fire.

He knew the purpose of the fire was to smoke the roe deer meat, preserving it for a longer time.

While Little Stone tended to the fire, Zhong Lin ran outside to a small slope not far from the house to chop some pine and cypress branches.

The sun had completely set, and the afterglow had faded, leaving only faint starlight. The moon, however, was bright and pristine, its silvery-white light coldly blanketing the earth. This allowed Zhong Lin to barely see his way in the darkness.

Due to malnutrition, this body clearly suffered from night blindness. At night, he was practically as good as blind. This was also why the villagers of Xiahe Village believed Zhong Lin had died in Black Mountain.

To be unable to see at night and survive a single night in Black Mountain was already a miracle, let alone three full nights.

If it weren't for the unusually bright moonlight tonight and the short distance, Zhong Lin would never have ventured out.

Pulling the woodcutting knife from his waist, he hacked at the pine and cypress trees. Before long, he returned with a large bundle of branches.

Little Stone had already gotten the fire going and was sitting on a small stool, yawning as he waited for Zhong Lin. His big head bobbed up and down like a nodding insect, an oddly amusing sight.

"You go sleep first. I'll handle the rest."

Lack of sleep wasn't good for a child's development, especially since Little Stone was already severely malnourished. Zhong Lin didn't want to leave him with any lasting issues.

"Mm, Second Brother, you rest early too."

Little Stone stood up, yawning as he shuffled into the main room to sleep. Zhong Lin closed the door and tossed the pine and cypress branches onto the fire. Moments later, thick white smoke rose, seeping into the meat hanging from the rafters above.

Smoking meat was an ancient method of preservation. Adding salt to the meat and tossing some pomelo peels into the fire would make it even better, but unfortunately, they didn't have the means.

Half an hour later, Zhong Lin was yawning nonstop. Too tired to care whether the meat was fully smoked, he turned and went back to the main room to sleep.

As mentioned before, their mother had died long ago. Three men living together didn't bother with comfort—just surviving was enough.

Entering the main room, he saw a mud bed in the southwest corner, built from straw and clay. A layer of straw served as a "mattress." Little Stone was wrapped in a tattered hemp blanket from who-knows-how-many years ago, fast asleep. His body was curled up, mumbling something in his sleep—perhaps lost in a dream.

Thankfully, it was early autumn, and the weather had only just begun to cool. In a few more weeks, this setup might not even be enough to survive the winter.

Zhong Lin yawned and lay down on the straw "mattress." Amid the rustling sounds, he quickly fell asleep.

It had been an exhausting day—transmigration, hunting, fighting…

In his past life, he'd lived twenty or thirty years without experiencing even one of those things.

He was too tired.

…

The next morning, Zhong Lin was woken by the urge to pee. For some reason, he'd spent the whole night dreaming of rowing a boat in the sea, unable to escape.

"Damn, a grown man wetting the bed?"

Little Stone's face turned red as he loudly protested, "It wasn't me!"

"If it wasn't you, was it me? No wonder I dreamed of rowing all night—it was your doing! You little brat, still wetting the bed at your age. How are you going to find a wife? Don't end up scaring off your bride with a puddle!" Zhong Lin teased.

"You… hmph!"

Little Stone turned his head in a huff, ignoring Zhong Lin. But his ears, so red they were nearly translucent, only made Zhong Lin laugh harder.

After some playful bickering, the two got up, fetched a basin of water to wash their faces and rinse their mouths, and reheated yesterday's leftover "Golden Rooster Crowing at the Moon" to eat again.

Eating something so greasy first thing in the morning didn't bother them. Their bodies craved oil and meat—every cell was screaming for it.

"Stone, go chop some more pine and cypress branches later to keep smoking the meat. I'm heading out to take care of something," Zhong Lin said, setting down his bowl and chopsticks.

There were pine and cypress trees behind the house. Smoking meat wasn't a technical task—he'd done it himself as a kid.

"Mm, Second Brother, come back early."

Zhong Lin stood, hung the woodcutting knife at his waist, and stepped out the door.

"The knife, Second Brother, the knife."

"Oh! You can use the kitchen knife to chop. I need the woodcutting knife."

Of course he needed it. His scrawny arms and legs wouldn't bulk up from just a meal or two of meat. Yesterday, he'd offended half of Xiahe Village—going out without a knife felt too risky. He even slung the horn bow over his shoulder. Compared to the knife, Zhong Lin trusted his max-level archery skills more.

"Uncle Caihua, heading out?"

Right outside, he ran into Uncle Caihua, who lived nearby. He'd been one of the villagers who came to eat yesterday.

Uncle Caihua saw Zhong Lin too. His foot, mid-step, froze. He wasn't sure whether to keep going or retreat. But it was too late now, so he forced a smile and greeted Zhong Lin.

"Th-that… Dalinzi! Yeah! Heading… heading out to check the fields. You going hunting?"

The smile on his face was painfully awkward, caught between laughing and crying. Yesterday, Zhong Lin's unhesitant knife strike had scared him witless—not to mention the heartache of leaving behind that big copper coin.

"Not hunting. I'm going to Zhang Kun's place to check on things," Zhong Lin said with a cheerful grin.

Uncle Caihua's face paled, and he grew even more uneasy. His fear of Zhong Lin deepened.

Just yesterday, Zhong Lin had sliced open Zhang Kun's chest, and now he was heading to his house. Did he plan to leave him no way out?

Zhong Lin kept walking toward the west end of the village as he spoke, greeting every villager he passed along the way.

But the way everyone looked at Zhong Lin was no longer the same. Now, there was a hint of fear in their eyes, just like with Zhang Kun.