Chu Xun quickly looked toward Bai Jiaojiao at the edge of the crowd.
He ran up to her and asked, “Jiaojiao, where are my sister and Second Aunt? Have you seen them?”
Bai Jiaojiao stared at the wild chickens and hares hanging from him, drooling so badly she could barely hold it back.
She swallowed hard and pointed toward the western side of the woods.
“Aunt went home to start the fire and cook. Chu Qing said she was going over there to see if she could pick some wild fruit. She should have been gone for about half a shichen by now.”
Gone into the woods to pick wild fruit?
Hearing Bai Jiaojiao say that, Chu Xun immediately looked in the direction she pointed.
People usually went there to pick wild vegetables and wild fruit.
And since it was near the edge of the woods, there was usually not much risk.
But something felt off today, and he was uneasy about Chu Qing going into the woods alone.
So Chu Xun promptly dumped the wild chickens and hares hanging from him into Bai Jiaojiao’s hands.
“Take this game home for me. I’ll give you some later. I’m going into the woods to find my little sister.”
After saying that, he grabbed his bow and arrows and hurried toward the woods.
His frantic rush left the group of older women staring at one another and whispering among themselves.
“Is he trying not to tell us where to catch so much game, so he made up an excuse and ran off?”
“That seems very likely. Anyway, we still need to dig up wild vegetables, so let’s just wait here.
When Chu Xun comes out, we’ll ask him then. We can’t let all the game in this old forest get eaten by the Chu family.”
“Exactly, exactly. Let’s just wait here for him to come out!”
Soon after, the whole group of old women sat down on the ground, looking as though they would not leave until Chu Xun came back out.
Meanwhile, Bai Jiaojiao followed his instructions and headed toward the Chu home.
…
At the edge of the woods, a rough beastly roar suddenly rang out, terrifying beyond words.
Qin Yue’er’s left foot was bleeding badly as she clung to a thick tree trunk and struggled to climb upward.
Below the tree, a huge wild boar weighing nearly three hundred jin bared its sharp tusks.
It charged straight at her.
At Qin Yue’er’s height, that impact would definitely smash her leg to pieces.
“Oink–!”
The wild boar stomped furiously on the ground, and just as it was about to slam into her leg,
Qin Yue’er’s face went deathly pale, her body stiff with fear.
At that moment, a hand reached down from above and grabbed her arm.
It was Chu Qing, who had already climbed to the top of the tree!
She yanked Qin Yue’er hard once. “Yue’er, hurry up! I can’t hold on much longer!”
Qin Yue’er came back to her senses and clamped her legs around the trunk, climbing upward just enough to gain a little more height.
Bang–
The wild boar’s massive body slammed straight into the tree trunk.
The whole tree shook violently several times, nearly throwing Chu Qing and Qin Yue’er off.
Fortunately, the tree was sturdy enough.
Qin Yue’er managed to climb up safely too and clung tightly to a branch.
Good thing she had practiced the monkey-hugging-tree technique with Brother Xun before.
Otherwise, she really might not have made it up in time.
Chu Qing looked down with lingering fear at the wild boar frantically clawing at the trunk and could not help swallowing in terror.
Before this, she had come to the edge of the woods to pick some wild fruit and take it home for her family.
Along the way, she ran into Qin Yue’er. Since they were both young women and already somewhat familiar with each other, they went together.
But unexpectedly, after only a short while, a crazed wild boar burst out from the woods and charged straight at the two of them.
If Yue’er sister had not reacted quickly and shoved her out of the way, she would probably already be dead.
Chu Qing then looked worriedly at Qin Yue’er’s injured ankle.
Tears blurred her eyes. “Yue’er sister, are you all right? It’s all my fault. I got so scared just now that I made you get hurt, and I almost couldn’t climb up.”
Qin Yue’er gave a bitter smile and shook her head. “No, it’s my fault. If I hadn’t walked with you, none of this would have happened.
“I’m a bringer of disaster, cursed by the White Tiger. If it weren’t for me, you never would have run into this mess.”
It was all her fault for insisting on going up the mountain today to pick wild fruit, just to thank Brother Xun.
Now look at what happened. She had not only failed to pick any fruit, but also almost got Brother Xun’s sister hurt.
If something happened to her because of this, how could she ever face Brother Xun again?
Chu Qing pressed her lips together, tears shimmering in her eyes, deeply moved.
She had only exchanged a few more words with Yue’er sister than usual.
And yet Yue’er sister was willing to risk her life to save her.
If they could get out of this alive, she would definitely visit Yue’er sister in person and properly thank her for her kindness.
She was just about to speak when Qin Yue’er suddenly cried out, “Bad! That wild boar is digging up the dirt under the tree!”
What!
Chu Qing quickly looked down, and fear instantly overwhelmed her.
The wild boar had lowered its head and was forcefully digging at the base of the trunk with its snout.
In just a short time, it had dug out a large pit, and the roots were faintly visible.
Both of them went pale with fear. If the wild boar kept digging like this, this tree would never be able to support the weight of the two of them, let alone withstand a wild boar ready to charge at any moment.
Qin Yue’er’s heart pounded violently.
But right now, she felt less fear and more guilt.
If she died, how would Xing’er survive all by herself?
And Brother Xun had been so good to her, yet she could not repay him at all. Sob sob.
Clinging tightly to the branch, Chu Qing was also terrified, even imagining what would happen after she died.
This tree was so tall. If she fell from it, would she end up dying in a terribly mangled state?
Would her parents and big brother still be able to recognize her then?
No, probably not.
She would definitely be eaten by the huge wild boar below, leaving only her clothes and bones behind.
Father, Mother! Your daughter can no longer stay by your side.
Big brother, I… I still have something in my heart that I never told you…
Bang–
Another loud crash came from the trunk.
It swayed violently, as though it could no longer withstand the wild boar’s digging and ramming.
Just when the two girls were about to resign themselves to their fate, the wild boar’s painful roar suddenly echoed through the entire forest!
The trunk also stopped shaking. Qin Yue’er and Chu Qing looked down in surprise.
There, on the back of that crazed, thick-skinned wild boar, an arrow had somehow appeared!
It was buried straight into its body, and the pain made it jump around on the spot!
Who shot the arrow?
The same question flashed through both of their minds at once.
But in their hearts, an all-too-familiar figure appeared without warning!
They looked toward the distance in disbelief, and when they finally made out that figure, both of their eyes filled with excitement, love, and all kinds of complicated emotions.
“Brother Xun!”
“Big brother!”