Chapter 305
Chapter 305
There were actually quite a lot of wild animals in these woods.
Not long after entering, they encountered a sounder of wild boars.
Milk Tea circled high overhead, keeping watch. The moment it spotted them, it called out to alert Jiang Yunsui.
Jiang Yunsui then told Ji Yan’an.
They were well prepared, so they killed the boars without anyone being injured.
“Wild boar does not taste very good. I wonder if we can find a deer.”
Venison was much more tender than wild boar and had far less of a gamey smell.
“Let us leave these boars somewhere for now and continue farther into the woods.”
In the end, they did not find deer, but they did find a herd of gazelles.
They brought down two of them.
While they were dressing the gazelles, Milk Tea sent another message.
“Ji Yan’an, Milk Tea found deer!”
Everyone looked at Jiang Yunsui.
Liu Huan said, “I just realized something, Little Yunsui. Can you understand Milk Tea’s calls? How do you always know what it is saying?”
Jiang Yunsui lifted her little chin. “Of course! I raised Milk Tea myself.”
Ji Yan’an said, “Let us go take a look.”
They found the deer, but did not take many. They brought down only one and let the rest go.
The family was not short of money and had no intention of selling it. They merely craved venison, and one deer was more than enough.
“Let us head back.”
They prepared to return with the wounded stag.
They had not killed it because deer blood was valuable too.
“Wait.”
Jiang Yunsui’s little nose twitched.
“Ji Yan’an, I think I smell a large beast nearby.”
“It smells like a bear.”
Little Mushroom pinched her nose in distaste.
The smell was awful.
Ji Yan’an did not doubt her, but his expression grew more serious.
Bears were difficult to fight. It would be best not to encounter one.
“Suisui, you are amazing! How can you smell that?”
Jiang Yunsui planted her little hands on her hips. “We ran into bears on the grasslands before. My nose is really sharp. Once I remember their smell, I can recognize it whenever I come across it again.”
Nanmo soon found bear tracks and droppings as well.
Jiang Yunsui said, “That is the smell. It stinks.”
With such a huge pile of poop, of course it stank.
Then Jiang Yunsui’s little nose twitched again.
“I think there is more than one. The smells are different.”
Ji Yan’an’s expression shifted. “We are leaving this place first.”
They had a chance against one bear, but several would be extremely dangerous.
Especially with so many women in the group.
After that interruption, no one lingered. They took their game and hurried back.
They had originally intended to stop where they had left the wild boars and bring those back too.
Overhead, Milk Tea and the other eagles all began to cry out.
Jiang Yunsui said, “Ji Yan’an, we cannot go back that way. There are three bears by the boars.”
Ji Yan’an immediately reined in his horse.
“It cannot be. What are the chances?”
Cold sweat broke out across Nanshu’s brow.
Against three bears, their group would definitely come off badly.
Ji Yan’an made the decision at once. “We will take another route.”
They abandoned the wild boars.
There was no reason to risk their lives against three bears for the sake of some boar meat.
After they changed course, the eagles flew ahead to scout the way, and the group encountered no further danger.
Everyone was immensely relieved when they returned to the estate.
“Thank goodness we had Milk Tea and the others. Otherwise, we really would have been in danger.”
Jiang Yunsui and Milk Tea had truly saved the day.
The outing had been dangerous, but after returning safely, several Ji women found the experience thrilling.
They became even more curious about and fond of the eagles.
“These eagles are incredibly useful. Of course, the most important one is still Little Yunsui. She can actually communicate with them!”
“Little Yunsui, how are you so amazing? How did you learn eagle language? Can we learn it too?”
Jiang Yunsui was surrounded by fragrant women who questioned her while pinching her little arms and cheeks, playing with her hair, and fussing over anything else they could reach.
Then the conversation gradually veered off course.
“Oh my, how did they raise you? Your skin is wonderful.”
“Children are prettiest when they are this plump. Look at these little arms, so fair and chubby, just like sections of lotus root.”
“Her little face is like a steamed bun. It is soft, and it even smells sweet.”
Then someone gave Jiang Yunsui’s cheek an affectionate little nibble.
Clutching her pinched and nibbled face, Jiang Yunsui hurriedly fled.
Terrifying. These women were terrifying.
As Jiang Yunsui ran, her little bottom waddled from side to side like a penguin, making all the women burst into laughter.
Old Madam Ji pointed at them. “You lot are nothing but wicked teasers.”
Jiang Yunsui ran off to find Ji Yan’an.
He was watching people prepare the venison and set up a roasting rack.
“Your face…”
Seeing the finger marks left on Jiang Yunsui’s soft, pale cheeks, he raised an eyebrow.
“You seem quite popular.”
Jiang Yunsui rubbed her cheeks with both little hands.
“Want them to fuss over you like that? You can have it.”
Amusement filled Ji Yan’an’s eyes. “I will pass. I am already grown.”
While the two chatted, Nanshu was telling the estate workers about the bears.
One man heard him and spoke up.
“This is trouble. We may face wild-animal attacks this year.”
The others looked worried too.
“There are more and more wild animals. When they cannot find food, or when creatures like bears have just awakened, they like coming into villages to forage.”
“We can hide in the cellars, but no one knows when those beasts will come. When they do, both the villagers and their livestock will suffer.”
“We need to be careful here at the estate too. We raise so much livestock now. I am afraid bears and wolves will follow the scent straight here.”
Nanshu’s face immediately creased with worry.
“That’s right. There are wild-animal attacks to worry about too. I’d forgotten all about them.”
Jiang Yunsui’s head popped out from behind Ji Yan’an.
“Are there a lot of those wild animals?”
Nanshu said, “Of course there are. Those creatures breed quickly, and in just a few years their young can start having young of their own. One large organized hunt can keep things peaceful for two or three years, but after that another huge wave appears.”
“Wild boars are especially troublesome. They do not live solely on meat, but they still cause plenty of damage, particularly to crops. Once they charge into farmland, they can ruin the whole place. And the worst part is that wild boars breed like mad.”
Jiang Yunsui smacked her lips.
She had never expected animals that would one day become protected species, some even nearing extinction, to be such an overwhelming menace in this era.
Ji Yan’an said, “I’ll write a letter and have a messenger eagle take it back. We’ll send several teams out to hunt them down.”
Now that he knew, he naturally could not sit by and do nothing.
They would also have to improve the estate’s defenses.