Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The moment they stepped out of the cave, the torrential rain outside showed no sign of letting up. If anything, it was even heavier than it had been two hours ago.

It was as if the heavens meant to pour down all the rain that had failed to fall over the past month, refusing to stop until they had punched a hole through the world.

Xiao Jingmo carefully shielded Jin Bao in his arms.

Jin Bao had been cooped up inside the cave for half a day and had long since grown restless. She wanted to come out and get some air.

The mountain forest in the rain held danger, but it also held opportunity.

They had not been out of the cave for long when Jin Bao saw, through her Heavenly Eye, two pheasants a few yards ahead of them. Their feathers had been drenched by the rain, leaving them unable to fly. They were huddled in a tangle of vines beneath a large tree, heads tucked under their wings, bodies curled into tight balls.

“Second Brother, pheasants! Two pheasants! Baby wants chicken. Baby’s tummy is hungry!”

Jin Bao’s big eyes sparkled, and an excited smile spread across her little face. The two deep dimples on her cheeks grew wider with her grin.

Xiao Jingmo followed Jin Bao all the way to the large tree. Sure enough, after pushing aside the vines, he found two pheasants hidden inside.

When pheasants encountered rainy weather, they usually reduced their movements to avoid predators.

On top of that, their wings had been soaked through, making them clumsy and too heavy to fly.

Xiao Jingmo set Jin Bao down and reached out to catch one of them. The other pheasant heard the commotion and immediately darted out.

Jin Bao had already been watching that other pheasant. Seeing that it was about to run, she instantly charged after it on her little legs.

The forest floor was covered in slippery fallen leaves. Jin Bao’s small bare feet stepped onto leaves washed clean by the rain, and without warning, she slipped and fell with a splat. But she was extremely fast, and by sheer timing, she managed to grab one of the pheasant’s legs.

The pheasant thrashed a few times in her hand, then stopped moving. The rain was too heavy, and even the pheasant no longer had the strength to resist.

Jin Bao opened her little mouth and laughed happily. Like she was presenting a treasure, her clear childish voice rang out through the curtain of rain.

“Second Brother, pheasant! Baby caught it!”

Jin Bao’s thoughts were very simple. Last time, when they had gotten a pheasant, they had needed to share it with the officers. This time, if they caught a few more, their family might be able to keep one for themselves and share it. She wanted everyone in her family to have pheasant to eat.

Xiao Jingmo hurried over, picked Jin Bao up from the ground, and took the pheasant from her hand. Together, the two pheasants weighed around ten jin.

But the officers had no dry rations left. They would definitely snatch away their pheasants. Whether they could keep these pheasants was still hard to say.

As Xiao Jingmo was deep in thought, he suddenly felt the little person in his arms trembling.

“Little Sister, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

What Xiao Jingmo feared most was Jin Bao catching a chill. Out here in this desolate mountain wilderness, catching a cold could mean death. Besides, she was still so young; she might not even be able to swallow medicine that bitter.

“Second Brother, so many… so many big piggies. Baby has never seen piggies with teeth that long. They look so fierce. Let’s go back quickly.”

Xiao Jingmo’s heart tightened. Could the pigs his little sister mentioned be wild boars?

“Little Sister, where are those pigs?”

Jin Bao pointed east. There was a low-lying valley over there, and quite a bit of water had probably gathered there. Could the wild boars have come out to bathe?

Judging by a pig’s habits, they loved rooting around in muddy wallows. Right now, they were probably frolicking to their hearts’ content. It would be best not to disturb them.

Xiao Jingmo carried Jin Bao and prepared to return to the cave. They had been out for a little too long. To prevent the officers from noticing their intentions, he had to hurry back.

At the same time, Xiao Jingmo had also figured out how to make the officers believe his reason for a wolf pack attack.

It was no longer merely a pretext; now, it seemed that the wolf pack’s arrival had already shown signs.

The wild boars must have scented danger and were moving with their whole families, just happening to pass through this place. That meant the wolf pack was not far away either.

On the way back, Xiao Jingmo discovered quite a few Datura plants. He was naturally someone who thought three steps ahead for every step he took, so he immediately gathered a good amount of Datura and brought it back to the cave.

Their family was resting near the cave entrance. As soon as he returned, he placed the Datura against the stone wall at the first opportunity, and the officers did not notice.

After they removed the rain gear from their bodies, neither Jin Bao nor Xiao Jingmo was wet, proving that Nanny Chen’s workmanship was truly excellent.
“Father, Little Sister found two wild pheasants. I’ve already cleaned them. Please roast them. I’ll take this one to the bailiffs and tell them what we found while I’m at it.”

Xiao Che nodded.

Jin Bao took the opportunity to crawl into Pei Wanqing’s arms.

The moment the little one snuggled in, Pei Wanqing woke. Jin Bao’s fluffy little head shifted against her chest, her big, bright eyes gazing up at her.

Pei Wanqing’s lips curved. She reached out and stroked Jin Bao gently.

“Good girl, you’re back. Did you get rained on?”

“No. Baby caught a wild pheasant. Mother can eat a chicken drumstick later.”

Like she was presenting a treasure, Jin Bao pointed at the skinned pheasant in Xiao Che’s hand.

Pei Wanqing lowered her head and planted a light kiss on her daughter’s forehead.

“My good girl is amazing. You’re already letting Mother enjoy such blessings when you’re still so young.”

Praised, Jin Bao was in high spirits, but she did not forget to share what she had just seen: the wild boars.

“Mother, there are wild boars in the ravine over there. Super fierce ones.”

Pei Wanqing’s hand, which had been gently patting Jin Bao’s little back, froze. Her spine straightened.

Her expression changed, and she quickly lifted Jin Bao into her arms.

“Good girl, was everything you just said true?”

Seeing the change in her mother’s expression, Jin Bao grew a little nervous. Her small mouth opened and closed, but she did not dare say more, afraid she had frightened her mother.

Pei Wanqing knew she must have scared her daughter. She took a deep breath, then asked again in a softer voice, “Good girl, did Mother scare you? Don’t be afraid. Just tell Mother what you saw so we can prepare.”

If there really were wild boars, there would certainly be a herd, not just one. Their family was right at the cave entrance now. If danger came, they would be the first to bear the brunt.

Jin Bao nodded her little head. Realizing that this matter seemed rather serious, her small face also turned tense.

“Mother, Baby saw lots and lots of wild boars. They were so big. They were playing in the ravine over there. Second Brother knows too.”

Pei Wanqing turned to look for Xiao Jingmo and found him speaking with the bailiffs. Judging from the situation, he was probably telling them about the wild boars.

Only then did she feel slightly more at ease.

Before long, Li Si had woken all the bailiffs.

They gathered together and talked for a while, each of their expressions grave.

“Brother San, if it’s really as Xiao Jingmo said and a wolf pack attacks, then we really should leave this place. A wolf pack isn’t something we can handle.”

Li Si looked at Zhu Laosan.

Even Cui Jin, who normally rarely spoke, looked solemn at this moment.

Zhu Laosan pondered for a while but did not answer immediately.

Zou Yong, however, let out a scoff. “I think you’re all taking the word of an exile far too seriously. In my view, who knows what rotten scheme they’re plotting? Maybe they want to use this chance to escape in the chaos.”

“Whether they’re trying to stir up trouble or not, we’ll know if we go and see whether there’s a herd of wild boars over there, won’t we?”

Li Si looked at Zou Yong and replied coldly.

Zou Yong felt they were all making a fuss over nothing.

“Then how do you know Xiao Jingmo isn’t luring the tiger away from the mountain? What if he’s deliberately tricking us into going out so that, with fewer men here and the watch weakened, they can escape?”

Seeing that everyone’s expressions seemed to waver, Zou Yong continued, “Don’t forget, back when the Xiao Family’s second young master was in the capital, he was said to have the talent of the Descended Star of Literature. Fooling us would be child’s play to him. As long as we don’t listen to him, his wicked plan won’t succeed.”

Zou Yong’s final words did manage to sink in with several of the bailiffs.

Li Si hesitated and looked toward Zhu Laosan.

Zhu Laosan’s brows were tightly furrowed as he stared into the fire, no one knowing what he was thinking.

“Brother San, I don’t think Xiao Jingmo would joke about something this serious. If a wolf pack really attacks, all of us could die here. Better to believe it than not. If Zou Yong thinks Xiao Jingmo is lying, then I’ll take one exile with me to verify it. The rest of you can stay here and keep watch.”

This was the best solution Li Si could think of.