Yun Qing did not stay at home for long. He went out through the gate again. Everyone else had left: Zhou Hongjun had gone to work, Zhao Hongmei had gone out to do odd jobs, and the two brothers still had not returned. To avoid awkwardness, he might as well go out for a stroll.
Seeing sparrows fly overhead, he was delighted. Was this not meat obtained openly and honestly? He could make a slingshot and shoot sparrows to eat. As for protecting animals, no one had such a concept at the moment.
With that thought, Yun Qing’s spirits rose again. Should he catch some wild game and raise it in his Space? He would not have another chance later. In this era, even if you killed a tiger, you would not be thrown in to operate a sewing machine. You might even receive a couple of compliments.
There were no tigers here, but roe deer, wild boar, and the like could still be found. The Yan Mountains lay directly north of the capital city, and there was plenty of wildlife there. Since he was not at home anyway and no one would control him, why not make a trip while school had not yet started?
He could not go to Northeast China right now. He would talk about it if he got the chance later. The areas nearby should certainly be fine. With that, the decision was happily made!
Dinner was still as thin and watery as ever, just like breakfast. Yun Qing still did not eat the steamed corn bun. He only drank a bowl of thin gruel, the kind you could see the bottom of.
Besides, he was not hungry and simply could not eat anything.
Zhou Yunxi glanced at his second brother, who still had not eaten the steamed corn bun, and his eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
As for everyone else, they did not pay any attention to him at all and simply ate their own meals.
Growing boys could eat their fathers out of house and home. The three Zhou brothers were all fifteen or sixteen, precisely the age when they could eat the most. A steamed corn bun only slightly larger than an egg was not even enough to line their stomachs.
When the steamed corn buns were not enough, cold water made up the difference. If you wanted to fill your stomach, drinking water worked just as well. Once you were full, you were no longer hungry.
After dinner, Yun Qing returned to his room. Through the window, he watched Zhou Yunlan clear the table and wash the dishes. The fourteen-year-old girl was thin and petite, looking no older than eleven or twelve. Her father ignored her, her mother did not dote on her, and her brothers did not care about her. Her life was truly full of hardships.
The Original Host had not felt much for this younger sister, but he did not dislike her either. Compared with those two brothers, she was much better. After all, she was the one who washed the Original Host’s clothes.
Unlike those two brothers, who were always ordering her around and making her work, he and she were both practically invisible. They did not band together for warmth, but neither did they make things difficult for each other.
After Zhou Yunlan finished the household chores, she came in to heat the kang. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yun Qing stuffed tonight’s steamed corn bun into her pocket.
“Second Brother…” Zhou Yunlan called softly, her voice choked with emotion.
“Don’t say anything. I don’t want to fight those two pieces of trash.” Yun Qing spoke in an equally quiet voice.
Zhou Yunlan nodded and lowered her head to tend the fire seriously. The fuel used to heat the kang was kindling as well. Watching the flames, Yun Qing thought of an excuse for entering the mountains. These little branches were certainly not as useful as large logs. Clever!
Yun Qing was certain no one at home would object. They might even be hoping he would enter the mountains and, preferably, never return.
The night passed without incident. Yun Qing did not remain idle either; he cultivated his internal energy throughout the night.
Early the next morning, as Zhou Hongjun was leaving for work, Yun Qing said, “I’m going into the mountains today to gather some deadwood. Branches do not burn for long, so I might not make it back tonight.”
Zhou Hongjun glanced at him, nodded, and replied, “Be careful.” Then he went to work.
Zhao Hongmei and the two brothers did not say a word. They merely glanced at him.
Only Zhou Yunlan’s eyes held deep concern.
Yun Qing changed into a ragged set of clothes, patch upon patch nearly covering the original fabric. He tied a rope around his waist and then left the house.
He gave this morning’s steamed corn bun to Zhou Yunlan as well. Seeing her worried expression, as though she was about to cry, he smiled.
The nearest mountainous area to the city was Mentougou. After leaving Xizhimen, one only had to keep heading west.
Yun Qing was only a half-grown child. Even without an introduction letter, the inspection would not be too strict. Even if he was checked, as long as he maintained a good attitude and explained the situation, they generally would not make things difficult for him. That was also why he dared to come out.
The Original Host had no private money; his pockets were cleaner than his face. Yun Qing was even worse off. He had only seen the money of this era online. He was so poor that he could practically hear coins rattling, yet not enough to disturb anyone. He could not take the bus and had to rely entirely on his own two legs.
There was a bicycle in the Space, but they were all mountain bikes, which did not exist in this era. The bicycles of this period were all the classic heavy-framed models, and even women’s bicycles were uncommon. On top of that, buying a bicycle required a ticket. That was the most difficult part.
Even with his fast pace, it still took him half a day to reach the foot of the mountain.
He plopped down on a rock, drank a cup of Spirit Spring Water, and ate three large steamed buns. Only then did he take the ax from his Space and enter the mountains.
Whenever he encountered deadwood, he chopped it down and put it into the Space, gathering firewood as he made his way toward the deep mountains.
After three years of drought, everyone had entered the mountains in search of food. The leaves and bark had all been eaten bare, but there was indeed quite a lot of deadwood.
The animals had hidden even deeper in the mountains. It was not until the disaster eased last year that scattered small animals began appearing again.
Wild pheasants and wild rabbits, for example, were now rarely seen even around the outskirts. They had long since been hunted away. Until the sun set, Yun Qing did not see so much as a single strand of animal fur.
He would stay in the Space at night, which would give him time to practice his Palm Technique and Lightness Skill. Strength always came first.
After entering the deep mountains, he began seeing more animal tracks. Wild boar, wild rabbits, and pheasants were the most common, along with wild goats and roe deer.
Whenever he encountered one, he captured it directly with his divine sense and placed it in the Space. He imposed a Restriction on each animal and designated its activity area. When he came across fruit trees, he dug up quite a few as well. Pear and apple trees, walnut trees, and chestnut trees—he did not let any of them go.
Yun Qing stayed in the mountains for two days and gained quite a harvest. He caught more than a dozen wild boar piglets, seven or eight roe deer, and even more wild pheasants and wild rabbits.
He did not descend the mountain until noon on the third day. By the time he reached the city, darkness had already fallen. He found an unoccupied place, put the prepared deadwood on his back, and concealed a beggar’s chicken made from a pheasant inside it.
If it had been raw, Zhou Hongjun would certainly have taken it to exchange for grain. It was better to bring it cooked; that way, it could also serve as his own dinner. There certainly would not be any food waiting for him at home.
Zhao Hongmei calculated the grain for every meal down to the last detail, never adding even a little extra. Yun Qing truly admired that ability. She was indeed a capable Steward.
It was not only Zhao Hongmei who was like this. The women in other households were the same. If they did not calculate everything carefully, the whole family would go hungry. Saving food for someone? What kind of dream was that? If someone was not proactive about eating, they deserved to go hungry.
He also encountered a patrol team on the road. Seeing that Yun Qing was only a half-grown child, they asked for his home address and his parents’ occupations. They did not make things difficult for him, merely reminding him to be careful on the road before letting him go.
By the time he returned to the siheyuan courtyard, every household had already finished dinner. Some had even gone to bed. Burning oil to keep the lamps lit was not a habit among ordinary people; it cost money, after all. If something could be saved, it was saved.
“Second Brother, you’re back? Why are you so late?” Zhou Yunlan was still washing Zhou Hongjun’s clothes. When she saw Yun Qing return with a large bundle of firewood on his back, she hurried over to help.
“Why are you still washing clothes this late?” Yun Qing asked in return.
“They’re Father’s work clothes. He got them dirty today, so I washed them while I was at it.” As she spoke, Zhou Yunlan wiped her hands on her apron and came over to help him put down the firewood. She muttered softly, “Why did you gather so much firewood? Carrying it all the way back must have been exhausting. You weren’t worried about hurting yourself. You’ll suffer for it later.”
Well, well. The little girl had grown bolder, hadn’t she? She had never dared say such things to the Original Host before. It seemed those few steamed corn buns had done the trick, making the little girl no longer afraid of him.