After successfully catching a chicken, Xia Qingyue’s confidence soared. She tied the chicken up with thin vines and set up a new trap in a different spot, using the same method.
But things didn’t go smoothly afterward. The wild ducks were clever—they would only poke their heads in to eat the bait. When one finally ran under the basket, she pulled the rope, but the wild duck was quick and agile, escaping immediately.
Refusing to give up, she tried another location—but still without success.
By noon, she decided to look for eggs instead. Before she could start, Heihei appeared.
Heihei stopped at a spot not too far, not too close, and raised his head toward her, his brown eyes shining with determination.
“Heihei, are you trying to lead me somewhere?”
Heihei raised his head again.
Following him, Xia Qingyue weaved left and right through the reeds.
After about ten minutes, Heihei stopped. Around his back legs, the weeds were messy—but through them, she could see something white.
“Could it be… eggs?” Xia Qingyue’s heart raced. She parted the weeds and found three chicken eggs and two duck eggs lying there.
“Heihei, you’re amazing! I’ll cook you an egg for lunch.”
She gathered the eggs.
The midday sun was high, glaring fiercely.
She and Heihei hurried back to their little home. Xia Qingyue sat for a while, gulping down plain water. Heihei ran straight to drink too.
After a short rest, she threw the captured hen into the pen where she had been keeping her chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
Some leftover rice bran from before was still around, which she had seen in the storeroom yesterday. She mixed it with some cut reed shoots and poured it into the feeder for the chickens. In the adjacent trough, she added water.
Hungry as they were, the chickens ate, and it was soon time to head back to the reeds for more hunting.
From her recent experience, Xia Qingyue drew a few conclusions:
1. The basket was too small—too cramped, making wild chickens and ducks alert.
2. They were familiar with the reed marshes where they had lived all year; traps, no matter how well-hidden, were still noticeable and made them wary.
3. Wild chickens and ducks were used to eating insects, reed shoots, and wild plants. Their diet was simple, so sweet potatoes and similar foods were especially tempting.
So, she decided to find a larger basket specifically for food and decorate it with reeds.
With a plan in mind, she quickly processed the dead wild chicken left from yesterday. Fortunately, it hadn’t spoiled in the cool weather.
She cleaned and cut some Chinese yam into sections for steaming.
The chicken fat was set aside, while the meat was dry-fried until it released its oil. Then she added mountain spring water to stew it.
No ginger, garlic, or spices—everything was kept simple.
Still, the aroma filled the house.
After stewing the chicken for half an hour, she added the semi-dried bamboo shoots from yesterday and continued cooking.
In total, it simmered for an hour.
She cooked a duck egg and a chicken egg specifically for Heihei, peeled some vegetables and added yam to his bowl.
She didn’t like boiled eggs or poached eggs, but could eat eggs fried, steamed, or stir-fried—so she saved the remaining eggs to steam for breakfast the next day.
The chicken was as delicious as ever. The bamboo shoots absorbed the rich flavor of the meat, and the texture was just right: crisp yet tender.
Once the bamboo shoots were completely dry, stewing them with meat would make them even more flavorful.
She peeled a thin layer from the Chinese yam, revealing the white flesh. She took a bite—soft, slightly sweet, and pleasantly chewy, making her squint in delight.
Finally, her meals had improved.
She ate until about 80% full as usual and left the remaining half of the dishes in the pot.
She washed a bowl of raspberries and sat on a large stone by the canal, enjoying them as a post-meal treat.
After resting for half an hour, Xia Qingyue retrieved a straw hat from the storeroom—she didn’t want to get sunburned in the midday sun.
“Heihei, let’s go to the reed marsh.”
With experience from the previous two attempts, she first cut some reeds with a sickle to decorate the basket. Then she carefully chose a spot under the reeds.
Prepared, she held the rope and hid in a shaded spot.
The afternoon sun was warm, a gentle breeze blowing, and the reeds rustled softly. After ten minutes, Xia Qingyue’s eyelids began to droop.
Suddenly, a series of cheeping sounds rang out.
A group of seven little wild chicks waddled toward the basket, likely attracted by the smell of food.
Xia Qingyue held her breath, eyes unblinking, watching the chicks peck at the sweet potato mixed with worm paste at the bottom of the basket. When the time was right, she yanked the rope with all her strength.
Clang! The basket fell.
The chicks’ cheeping grew louder, full of alarm.
“Ha! Got it!” Xia Qingyue sprang up and ran to collect the chicks into a carrying basket, covering it with a vegetable basket to prevent them from escaping.
She hid the basket with the chicks deep in the reeds and told Heihei to guard it.
Taking a deep breath, she moved to another spot and continued waiting.
After about twenty minutes, the quacking started.
Two wild ducks came first, followed closely by a few ducklings. It looked like a family.
The adult ducks were cautious, sniffing around the basket. The little ducklings saw the food and ran happily to eat, enjoying it thoroughly.
Seeing the young ones safe, the adult ducks relaxed and stepped forward to eat. At first, they only poked their heads, but as the edge bait disappeared, they unconsciously walked further inside—completely unaware that they had entered the trap.
The moment was perfect. Xia Qingyue pulled the rope. When the basket hit the ground, she ran out—no ducks escaped.
Inside the basket, a chorus of frantic quacking rose.
Overjoyed, Xia Qingyue ran to fetch the basket with the chicks. There were two adult ducks inside. She carefully lifted a corner of the basket, reached in, and first grabbed the ducklings, then finally the adults.
Once the last two adult ducks were in the carrying basket, space became tight.
Fearing the adult ducks might push open the covering basket with their strength, she tightly bound it with rope.
Counting carefully, there were five ducklings.
It had been a big catch today, and it had taken a lot of time. Looking at the sky, she guessed it was around four o’clock in the afternoon.
The day was getting late. She found some reed shoots and, guided by Heihei, also discovered three large duck eggs.
“Heihei, let’s go home.”
Xia Qingyue carried the basket in front, with Heihei following closely.
Back at the pit, she released the wild chicks and ducklings from the basket. In the unfamiliar environment, they were frightened and called out nervously.
The adult wild ducks tried to flap their wings to fly, but kept hitting the bamboo fence. After several attempts, they sulked and huddled in a corner with the ducklings.
The captured hen had already eaten the rice bran mixed with reed shoots she had prepared earlier, and had drunk some water.
Xia Qingyue replenished food and water in the pen and didn’t stay long. Over time, the wild chickens and ducks would get used to the new environment.
When the chicks and ducklings grew up, they would lay eggs, hatch chicks and ducklings, and continue the cycle.
She thought of this beautiful vision—and at the same time, another problem came to mind.