Early in the morning, before the sky had even begun to brighten, Qin Yue’e got up.
She quietly picked up some wild vegetables she had gathered the day before and tiptoed out of the room.
The two children were still asleep, and she didn’t dare make any noise. But the more than a dozen ducklings were already hungry.
She chopped the wild vegetables together with some shells she had dug out of the stream. After crushing the shells into powder and mixing in some tiny fish and shrimp, she had made duck feed.
The ducklings were growing incredibly fast. In just a few days, their yellow down had already begun to fall away, replaced by pale-yellow feathers.
Thinking that it would take only another month or two before they could start laying eggs, Qin Yue’e felt that her future was finally looking hopeful.
Huo Guangji, that scumbag, hadn’t appeared for several days, and strangely enough, Qin Yue’e had begun to feel a little unsettled about it.
Just as she was thinking about him, the camp gates in the distance suddenly opened.
A group of soldiers came marching through the gates, carrying something on their shoulders and shouting to one another. Even from far away, Qin Yue’e could hear Huo Guangji’s voice.
“Anyone who’s injured, go to the infirmary immediately! The rest of you, help me carry this animal to the mess hall. We’re having an extra meal today!”
Qin Yue’e stood there holding the little feeding bowl, completely stunned.
In the distance, Huo Guangji’s figure stood out sharply against the morning sunlight.
His usual neatly pressed green military uniform was nowhere to be seen. He was bare-chested, his bronze-colored skin glowing golden beneath the rising sun. His strong features were half-hidden in the shifting light and shadows.
The tree trunk on his shoulder appeared to have an animal tied to it, and fresh blood was still dripping steadily from it.
Qin Yue’e’s heart skipped a beat.
She quickly turned her head away.
Get a grip! It’s not like I’ve never seen a man before.
There were plenty of handsome men showing off their bodies on short videos in her previous life. So why was it that just one brief glance at Huo Guangji nearly made her heart race out of her chest?
Before she could calm down, she heard the rapid pounding of military boots.
When she looked up, the tall figure was already running toward her.
Huo Guangji was carrying three rabbits in one hand, with a rifle strapped to his back. As soon as he reached her, he pulled two furry little creatures from his military trousers pocket and tossed them directly into Qin Yue’e’s arms.
Qin Yue’e jumped in surprise.
When she realized what they were, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But she couldn’t help frowning.
“Why did you bring back two baby rabbits?”
The two little rabbits trembled in her arms in the morning breeze. They seemed terrified of Huo Guangji and kept burrowing deeper into Qin Yue’e’s embrace.
They were incredibly cute, though—snow-white fur, bright red eyes, long ears with two tufts of fur, and tiny, fluffy bodies that were impossible not to adore.
“Where’s the mother rabbit? Those things run so fast. It must have been hard for you to catch them.”
Qin Yue’e couldn’t help smiling faintly.
Huo Guangji then raised the three bloody adult rabbits in his hand.
“Here. The big rabbits. Those things ran incredibly fast. I had to chase and block them from both sides before I finally caught them.”
Qin Yue’e’s expression immediately darkened.
How could this man be so cruel?
……
Well, she supposed she couldn’t exactly criticize him.
It was a famine year, and she herself had been thinking about catching some wild ducks for food.
But she certainly wouldn’t have killed the adult rabbits and then brought the babies home just for fun.
She pursed her lips, and her dislike for Huo Guangji grew even stronger.
“What? You don’t like them? Then just give them to me. We can skin them at the mess hall and fry them. They’ll make another dish!”
Qin Yue’e finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“Are you a demon? These rabbits are so cute! How can you even bear to eat them?”
Huo Guangji didn’t seem bothered at all.
“You were asking about the mother rabbit. I thought you were worried we wouldn’t have enough food.”
“Humph!”
Qin Yue’e was furious and almost wanted to punch that handsome face.
But then, unexpectedly, Huo Guangji smiled.
“If you like them, then keep them.”
“Who said I like—”
Before she could finish, the culprit had already walked away with his long legs.
Qin Yue’e stomped her foot and ground her teeth as she glared at his back.
“I’ve never seen anyone so cruel. He won’t even spare two tiny rabbits. What meat could they possibly have?”
“Then why not raise them until they’re bigger and eat them?”
Huo Guangji suddenly came back.
He stood in front of Qin Yue’e, looking down at her with a teasing smile.
Qin Yue’e immediately turned her face away awkwardly.
Eat, eat, eat! That’s all this man ever thinks about!
Seeing her cheeks turn red and then pale as she angrily puffed them out, Huo Guangji couldn’t help feeling his heart soften.
“We hunted some wolves and badgers in the jungle. Remember to bring the children to the mess hall early for lunch. We’re going to render badger fat today. There’ll be cracklings to eat!”
Hmph! Badger fat? How good could that possibly taste?
Qin Yue’e pursed her lips as she watched his broad back disappear from view.
Then his voice drifted back from a distance.
“Don’t keep going into the mountains from now on. You won’t have to worry about food anymore!”
Qin Yue’e froze.
He… went into the mountains because of this?
The mess hall was bustling with activity.
Almost everyone in the company had come over.
Some were setting up the cooking stoves, others were lighting the huge pots, while others were busy skinning animals and plucking fur.
Qin Yue’e changed her clothes early and brought the two children over to help.
By the time they arrived, a fire was already burning in the courtyard outside the mess hall.
Large chunks of pale meat had been cut up and placed in huge basins beside the stove. There were two enormous basins filled with tender-looking meat.
Qin Yue’e was surprised and couldn’t help walking over to take a closer look.
“Sister Wei, what kind of meat is this?”
Wei Wenjie was smiling so broadly that her eyes had nearly disappeared.
“Sister-in-law, this is badger meat! You’ve never eaten it before?”
“No.”
Qin Yue’e honestly shook her head.
“There’s an old saying: one jin of badger gives you eight liang of fat! This is good stuff. It’s rich in fat and the nutrition is no worse than pork! Since your hometown is in the plains, it’s normal that you haven’t seen it before. These animals usually live in the mountains. They’re incredibly cunning and dig tunnels everywhere. They usually live in groups.”
“This whole group was as fat as little dogs! We have to thank Xiao Huo for this. Otherwise, where would the unit have gotten so much animal fat to improve everyone’s meals?”
“I’ll have the kitchen serve half a bowl to Xiaofeng and Xiaoyue later. Mix it with some coarse-grain rice. It’ll be delicious!”
When Qin Yue’e heard Wei Wenjie praising Huo Guangji, her eyes instinctively turned in his direction.
He had already put his clothes back on and was seriously skinning a wolf with a steel knife.
The firelight from the cooking area illuminated his face.
Then Qin Yue’e noticed a distinct scar on his neck disappearing beneath his collar.
He was injured?