Chapter 066: Returning to the Island

Standing beside Qingjin, Qingzhen immediately responded before their eldest brother could say anything, “It’s possible, you know. I’ve heard that people who kill a lot carry a murderous aura. If someone slaughters pigs often, the pigs become listless at the mere sight of him. You eat so much fish, maybe you naturally carry the souls of vengeful fish, and that’s why—Ow… big brother, why did you hit me?”

“If you kill enough fish, you might acquire a trace of murderous energy. But Qinghu doesn’t kill fish.” Qingjin, exasperated, gave Qingzhen a light smack on the back of the head.

Qinghu nodded vigorously; she was only responsible for eating the fish.

“Then why did that fish flee the moment it saw her?” Qingzhen retorted, equally at a loss.

“Could it be I’m simply too beautiful, and the fish, feeling unworthy, just sank to the bottom in shame?” Qinghu asked, a touch self-absorbed.

Qingjin said nothing.

Qingzhen rolled his eyes. “Since when does a beauty have such chubby cheeks?”

“Fourth Brother!” Qinghu protested. “Are you calling me fat?”

“Not at all, you’re just well-padded,” Qingzhen quickly softened his tone. “If you had no flesh, you’d be all bones. Look, your fourth brother has a bit of flesh on his face too.”

Immediately, Qinghu pounced, pinching her fourth brother’s cheeks. “That’s for calling me fat, that’s for saying I’m all plump and squishy…”

“Ow, let go, let go, that hurts!” he cried.

Seeing the two start bickering again, Qingjin silently stepped back a few paces to remove himself from the fray. Jiuquan watched, secretly amused, then righteously pulled his young master back as well.

With a dull thud, the raft bumped against the shore once more.

The moment Qinghu sensed solid ground, she abandoned her grip on her brother and gave him a cold huff, stomping on his foot before calling to Xiaobai to follow her ashore.

Qingzhen sighed. “Little sister is getting more unreasonable by the day, just like mother.”

“If you dare say that in front of mother, I doubt the damage will be limited to your cheeks alone,” Qingjin remarked, glancing pointedly at Qingzhen’s now-swollen cheeks as he and Jiuquan passed by.

Qingzhen instinctively covered his backside.

Perhaps because he’d grown up playful and mischievous, Qingzhen never exuded the air of a young adult, unlike Qingjin, who at twelve or thirteen already seemed so mature that everything required his consultation. Even now, at eighteen, mother would still grab the feather duster and spank him whenever he stepped out of line.

A perpetual child!

Qingjin stepped off the raft, took a dozen strides, and, hearing no footsteps behind, called out, “Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh, right, coming!” Qingzhen’s footsteps hurried to catch up.

Previously, when they’d come to catch partridges, everyone had swept through the southern thickets and undergrowth. Now, returning, the partridge flocks hadn’t yet recovered; only a few remained. At night, partridges rarely leave their nests, making them easier to catch—as long as their beaks were sealed and no racket was made.

Once they’d cleared the thickets and low trees of partridges, the group ventured deeper into the forest.

In the big woods, there were all manner of shrubs and trees, large and small—thus, even more partridges. They caught them until their arms ached.

By the time the southern part of the island had been thoroughly scoured, they’d gathered more than enough partridges.

Still, this sort of thorough hunting shouldn’t be done too often, Qingjin thought; after such a sweep, the partridges might not repopulate this area for quite some time.

When everyone finally regrouped, Qingjin approached Qinghu, uncovering the big basket she had concealed with a cloth. Inside, he found a heap of leafy green plants, looking rather like lettuce.

Qinghu had dug up an entire basketful.

“What are these?”

“Delicious things,” Qinghu replied at once.

“Really?” Qingjin looked at her skeptically, then uncovered the other basket. This one held another green plant, resembling bitter chrysanthemum. “And what’s this?”

“Also delicious.”

“Everyone else was out catching birds, and you took Xiaobai to dig wild greens?” Qingjin noticed Xiaobai’s baskets were similarly brimming with wild vegetables.

“They really are tasty. If you don’t believe me, ask Xiaobai.”

Xiaobai nodded eagerly.

Qingjin thought to himself: Would Xiaobai dare not to agree?

“Big brother, these are truly good things. Why not try one?” Qinghu broke off a small piece of the bitter chrysanthemum and held it to his lips. Qingjin, resigned, tasted it. His eyes lit up immediately. “Where did you find these?”

“In the forest,” Qinghu answered.

“Excellent—did you bring back the roots?”

“If we brought them back, we wouldn’t be able to raise them properly. Best to leave them to grow wild over there. Whenever we want to eat, we can just go and harvest some,” Qinghu replied.

“But once the city is built and more people arrive, these plants so close to us won’t be safe for long. Better to dig them up and cultivate them ourselves. Come, take me to get the roots—both kinds.”

“Alright, there are plenty, both large and small. Big brother, you’ll need to bring more people,” Qinghu responded.

“Good.”

Qingjin called Qingzhen and gathered a few more people and tools. Guided by Qinghu, they returned to the forest.

Not until the sky began to lighten did they finally return to the raft.

Good heavens, digging in the dark in the dead of night for vegetable roots—what a thankless task.

Seeing everyone’s grimy, exhausted faces, Qingjin skipped any pleasantries. “All those who joined the partridge hunt tonight will be rewarded with three hundred red gold coins each. You’ve all worked hard—go back, have a hearty bowl of meat broth, then get some rest.”

The household’s broth was, of course, made from fierce beast meat.

And with three hundred red gold coins each, those who’d participated in both hunts had earned five hundred coins apiece—enough, with a little more saving, to redeem their entire family’s freedom and become free citizens of the territory. Tired faces broke into bright, joyful smiles.

“The young master is generous!”

“Thank you, young master!”

“If there’s ever such a good job again, don’t forget to call on us, young master!”

Everyone began enthusiastically discussing how they’d spend their money. Soon, the big raft docked once more.

Qinghu and Xiaobai went straight to wash up and sleep. As for breakfast, they’d eat whenever they woke. The greens they’d harvested were all taken by Qingjin, except for a small portion set aside for their relatives’ breakfast.

The remaining seedlings, half-grown greens, and many roots were entrusted to Jiuquan to plant in their backyard.

“Young master, what exactly are these? Why plant them in your own backyard?”

“They’re treasures, naturally,” Qingjin replied with a smile. “Qinghu has a sharp eye—even in the darkness, she can find such things.”

“Indeed, young miss is always lucky,” Jiuquan agreed.

Qingjin pursed his lips in a faint smile, hands clasped behind his back, spine straight—a picture of ethereal elegance, like an immortal untethered from the mortal world.

No one knew, though, that in his mind he was thinking: My younger siblings may be troublesome, but they’re truly endearing.