On the way down the mountain, a large group of women who had been gathering wild vegetables trailed closely behind Song Xiaoyu and her brothers. By the time they reached the center of the village, the crowd had grown considerably. News that someone had hunted a black bear had spread like wildfire, and villagers were eagerly passing the word around, calling others over to witness the excitement.
“Hey, have you heard? The people coming back from the back hill said that the Song family’s little fool killed a black bear with a single punch!”
“Is that true or not? Which fool is bragging so outrageously? At this rate, he’ll use up all the bragging rights in Tianshui Village by himself!”
“Exactly! I’d rather believe that the little fool’s crippled hunter father suddenly stood up this morning, ran into the mountains, and beat the black bear to death himself. That sounds more believable!”
A group of villagers who had hurried over from the fields gathered together, discussing the matter animatedly.
Although yesterday’s split from the old Song family had made many villagers realize that Song Xiaoyu was no longer foolish, the idea that a young girl could kill a black bear was simply too unbelievable.
As soon as Song Xiaoyu arrived at the thatched cottage, she called out brightly,
“Father! Mother! Brothers, and I are back!”
Hearing her daughter’s cheerful voice, as sweet as a singing lark, Zhou Rong immediately put aside the dough she had been kneading for steamed buns and helped her husband outside.
The moment the couple saw the scene beyond the gate, they were left completely speechless.
If they weren’t seeing things, their children had actually dragged home an enormous black bear.
Song Wen and Song Wu were soaked in sweat despite the cold winter weather. Their faces were flushed bright red from exhaustion.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, Song Wen said excitedly,
“Father, Mother, Little Sister hunted a black bear! We happened to meet Brother Daquan in the back hills. If he hadn’t helped us, we never would have managed to carry it all the way back!”
Still unable to believe it, Song Beichen turned to Wang Daquan.
“Daquan, you’ve worked hard helping us all this way. Uncle wants to ask you honestly, did this black bear really fall on my daughter Xiaoyu?”
Wang Daquan waved his hands modestly, admiration written all over his face.
“Uncle Beichen, you’re being too polite. The whole village already knows that Sister Xiaoyu inherited your hunting talent. For someone her age to kill a black bear alone is truly incredible!”
With Wang Daquan personally confirming the story, its credibility instantly increased severalfold.
The villagers who had followed them back immediately began showering the family with praise.
“Brother Beichen, you’re truly blessed! The deep mountains are dangerous, yet your Xiaoyu dared to enter a black bear’s den armed with only a bow and arrows. With such a capable daughter, your hunting skills finally have a worthy successor!”
Along the way home, Song Wu had enthusiastically told everyone exactly how his little sister had planned and carried out the hunt. By now, everyone knew that the black bear had been captured entirely through Song Xiaoyu’s own efforts.
“Xiao Rong, people used to say your Xiaoyu was a little slow-witted. In my opinion, they were all blind! Your daughter was clearly blessed by heaven. The heavens simply waited until the right moment before granting her wisdom. Now she’s become the first girl in our village who knows how to hunt. She’s truly remarkable!”
The endless stream of compliments made Song Beichen and Zhou Rong feel immensely proud.
For years, their family had been mocked and looked down upon throughout the village. Now they had become the object of everyone’s envy and admiration.
The contrast was so great that both husband and wife felt as though they were dreaming.
Trying hard to suppress the grin threatening to split his face, Song Beichen instructed his sons to move the black bear into the courtyard.
Then, beneath the jealous gazes of the villagers, he cleared his throat and proudly declared,
“My Xiaoyu has always been the most capable girl in the village. As for my legs, when I went to the county clinic, every physician told me there was no hope. Yet under the guidance of the immortal who appeared in Xiaoyu’s dream, she treated me with acupuncture, and now I can already walk on my own.”
To prove his point, Song Beichen refused his wife’s support and deliberately walked several steps using his crutches.
The crowd was stunned all over again.
The villagers were exceptionally good at drawing their own conclusions.
“Could it be that Xiaoyu’s medical skills were also taught by an immortal? That’s incredible! In the future, if anyone in my family has a minor illness or ache, we won’t bother going to Doctor Niu anymore. His consultation fees are far too expensive. We’ll come directly to Xiaoyu instead. Auntie trusts your medical skills!”
“Sister Rong, you’ve seen my nephew before. He’s eighteen this year, tall and strong, honest and hardworking. He’s excellent at farm work. I think he and your Xiaoyu would make a perfect match, a pair made in heaven!”
The moment Zhou Rong heard someone trying to secure her precious daughter as a daughter-in-law, she immediately pulled her hand away from the woman’s grasp.
Laughing awkwardly, she replied,
“My Xiaoyu is still young. There’s no rush for marriage. I plan to keep her at home for a few more comfortable years. Don’t concern yourselves with her marriage for now. Alright, everyone should go back to what you were doing. We’re about to butcher the black bear, and I wouldn’t want to frighten your children.”
As she ushered the crowd away, Zhou Rong shot Song Xiaoyu a meaningful glance.
Then, with a loud bang, she shut the wooden gate.
Left outside, the villagers could only continue chatting excitedly as they gradually dispersed.
Wang Daquan remained behind after being invited inside to watch and learn how to properly process the bear carcass.
Song Beichen personally directed his two sons.
Following the traditional method for handling wild-meat, they first carefully removed the black bear’s hide in one complete piece. Next, they opened the body and removed the internal organs, taking out the valuable bear gallbladder before separating the paws, bones, and meat.
By the time the entire three-hundred-catty black bear had been fully processed, nearly half an hour had passed.
Song Xiaoyu selected a large portion of premium head meat along with two hefty bear bones and handed them to Wang Daquan.
“Brother Daquan, thank you for helping us carry the black bear back today. Take these home and make some soup. It’ll help restore your strength. Village Chief Grandpa is getting older, so let him have more as well. It will be good for his health.”
Wang Daquan initially felt too embarrassed to accept.
However, when he heard her mention his father, Village Chief Wang, he gratefully accepted the gift.
His face lit up with joy as he repeatedly thanked the Song family before happily carrying the meat home.
Neither Song Beichen nor Zhou Rong objected to their daughter’s generosity.
On the contrary, both felt that their youngest daughter possessed remarkable social intelligence and understood human relationships far better than most adults.
The more they observed her, the more extraordinary she seemed.
In ancient times, there were no refrigerators. Ice cellars were luxuries reserved for the imperial family and wealthy officials.
Therefore, the bear hide, meat, and bones needed to be sold in the county town that very day.
By the time they finished processing everything, it was nearly noon.
Anxious to sell the bear meat, the family hurried through a simple lunch before heading to the village entrance to wait for a donkey cart.
Song Beichen and Zhou Rong did not feel comfortable allowing the children to travel alone.
Their greatest concern was that the youngsters might be cheated by buyers.
Besides, once the black bear was sold, they could purchase many necessities for the household.
The family still needed quilts, cloth and cotton for winter clothing, as well as pots, bowls, ladles, and countless other everyday items. With more people accompanying them, carrying everything back would be much easier.
After waiting only a short time, Wang Daquan arrived driving a donkey cart.
From a distance, he enthusiastically waved at them.
“Uncle Song, are you heading to town? Hurry and get on! I’ve spread a thick layer of dry straw on the cart. The road is rough, and I didn’t want the bumps to trouble you.”
Because of the bear meat Song Xiaoyu had gifted him earlier, Wang Daquan treated the family with exceptional attentiveness.
After returning home that morning, he had recounted the entire black bear incident to his family.
Village Chief Wang had been highly pleased and specifically instructed his son to maintain a good relationship with the first branch of the Song family, believing they had tremendous potential for the future.
Just then, members of the old Song family were also hurrying toward the village entrance.