The bamboo ring was made square and straight, the bamboo slats nailed neatly in place, the rattan bindings tied firm and tight. This girl might be young, but she really did have deft hands and a clever mind.
Though he didn’t know why she sometimes acted a little strangely, it was clear that she was not only kind-hearted, but also a girl who knew how to live well.
Humming an out-of-tune little song, Shen Nian made her way to the lakeside. With a crack, crack, she cut down a big bundle of reeds, tied them up tightly, and slung them over her shoulder. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a “gugu” sound not far ahead, tinged with misery.
Her heart stirred. She quickened her pace, quietly parted the reeds, and saw a plump wild duck. Somehow it had been injured—one leg was broken, and one wing seemed hurt as well. It flapped helplessly on the ground, struggling and crying out pitifully.
That plump body made one’s mouth water at first glance.
Shen Nian rubbed her own growling stomach. After chopping bamboo and building the duck coop all day, she’d burned a lot of energy and badly needed nourishment. Wild ducks were usually extremely alert; catching one was no easy task. Now this one had practically delivered itself to her doorstep.
She silently muttered, Sorry, brother—you smell too good. People die for wealth, birds die for food—no, wait, every man for himself. If I don’t live, I die. I can only wrong you for the sake of survival!
She stepped forward, grabbed the wild duck in one hand, and with a swift motion of the knife—crack!—ended its suffering cleanly and decisively.
“Blessings, blessings!”
She then deftly plucked the feathers by the river, set aside the innards, planning to weave a fish trap with bamboo strips later and use the duck offal as bait to lure in some big fish.
After washing the duck thoroughly, Shen Nian hoisted the reeds over her shoulder, carried dinner in her other hand, and headed back happily.
Back at the thatched hut, she rubbed salt all over the duck to marinate it, then lit a fire beside it. She found a bamboo pole of suitable thickness, ran it through the duck’s mouth, and propped both ends up.
“You in there! Stop waiting to freeload—come out and roast the duck!” she shouted toward the hut.
Gu Xiao hurried out when he heard her.
His clothes had been torn to shreds the day before by Shen Nian to use as bandages. As dusk fell, his eight-pack abs were completely exposed to the air. Bathed in firelight, his muscles were taut and well-defined, lines smooth and striking. Shen Nian felt her cheeks heat up and her heart skip a beat.
She quickly turned her face away and shouted awkwardly, “Can’t you put some clothes on? A man and a woman alone like this—what kind of propriety is that!”
Gu Xiao looked helpless and a little embarrassed. “You tore my clothes apart. I’ve got nothing to wear.”
Shen Nian rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, grumbling inwardly: Forgot about that.
Her two outfits definitely wouldn’t fit him, but there was a set Li Hong had sent earlier—big enough, at least. Though it was patched upon patched, it could at least cover up this walking mass of “hormones.”
“Wait here!”
She shoved the duck into Gu Xiao’s hands, turned, and dashed into the hut. Before long, she came back and tossed him an outfit so patched it could hardly be patched anymore.
“Make do with it for now. Tomorrow I’m going into town—I’ll buy you a new one when I’m back. But let me make this clear: it’s not free. Owe me even a single coin and see if I let you off.”
Gu Xiao was scolded out of nowhere. He looked at the patchwork clothes in his hands, then at Shen Nian’s fierce expression, but a long-lost warmth rose in his heart.
Sharp tongue, soft heart. She looked fierce, but she’d been taking care of him all along—treating his wounds, giving him clothes, feeding him. A tough-mouthed but tender-hearted girl, through and through.
“Thank you. Don’t worry—repay a drop of kindness with a spring in return,” he said quietly, a little awkward. This was the first time in his life a woman had taken such care of him.
The clothes were oversized on Shen Nian, but on Gu Xiao they fit tightly, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow waist even more clearly. And since they were women’s clothes to begin with, the sight of him wearing them was nothing short of ridiculous.
A man brimming with masculine energy dressed in women’s clothing—it was both hilarious and oddly charming.
Shen Nian couldn’t hold it in. “Pfft!” She burst out laughing, the more she thought about it the funnier it got, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over.
“Hahahaha… your look—oh my god! Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter! This is just too funny!”
Gu Xiao’s mouth twitched. He didn’t get angry, just looked helplessly amused, tugging the clothes down a bit, trying to cover the parts that were about to burst.
“That’s because you tore my clothes apart—and you’re laughing at me!”
Shen Nian rolled her eyes dramatically, finally managing to stop laughing. She pointed at the duck over the fire.
“Sit here. Keep your eyes glued to the duck and turn it slowly. The heat needs to be even—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. If you mess it up, we’re both going hungry tonight. Even if you’re injured, you still work. There’s no such thing as a free dinner. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Gu Xiao nodded obediently like a well-behaved child, sat by the fire, and began slowly turning the bamboo pole. His movements were a bit clumsy at first, but he learned quickly and soon got the hang of it.
Shen Nian found a stone to sit on nearby, picked up the reeds and hemp rope, and began tying them together with a swish, swish, swish.
She bundled the reeds together section by section, tying them to the right size, then laid them over the top of the duck coop, covering it tightly. It would keep out rain and block the sun.
After a whole afternoon of work, the duck coop was finally complete!
More than a dozen little wild ducklings were inside, quacking away happily, looking perfectly content.
Shen Nian brushed the dust off her hands and smiled in satisfaction at her handiwork.
With this duck coop, the ducklings could grow up safely. Once they were grown, she could either sell them for money or eat them herself—both were good options.
After finishing the roof, she picked up bamboo pieces again, split them into thin strips, and quickly started weaving a fish trap.
By the fire, Gu Xiao was focused on roasting the duck. The firelight outlined his sharp features, his eyes intent.
As Shen Nian wove the fish trap, she kept glancing at his profile, then at the duck sizzling with dripping fat over the fire. Her appetite was completely awakened.
Tonight, she would finally get a proper meal.
As the sky grew darker, the duck turned a rich golden color, crispy outside and tender inside, the aroma alone enough to make anyone drool.
By the time the fish trap was done, the duck was perfectly roasted.
On the way back yesterday, she had bought three large steamed buns. She took them out, split them in half, and placed them on hot stones by the fire. Before long, the buns were toasted golden and fragrant.
Just as Shen Nian picked up the buns, Gu Xiao kicked sand into the fire.
She frowned, displeased. “What are you doing? I still need this fire to light the stove so I can heat water to wash my feet and face.”
Gu Xiao said seriously, “After we eat, you have to leave this place. I’m afraid you’ll be in danger tonight.”
Shen Nian’s gaze darkened.
Could it be that those people would track the smell and find this place tonight?