Chapter 76: Unlocking New Species of Prey

“Time flies so fast. It’s already been a month in the blink of an eye.”

On the first day of the lunar fifth month, Lin Heng woke up and sighed while staring at the ceiling.

Today is June 18th in the Gregorian calendar, and it has been a month since he was reborn.

“Yes, it’s been a month already.”

Xiulan also looked at the ceiling, feeling a sense of unreality.

The changes in the family over the past month have been huge. Her husband, once a reckless man, had returned to hunting in the mountains, and now he had earned three hundred yuan, something she never dared to dream of before.

Now, there is meat to eat every day, and she has gained a lot of weight.

They had also built a new house, which her husband had made cozy and stylish.

Tomorrow, they would officially separate from her parents’ household and begin living together as a family of three. The future seemed filled with happiness and hope.

“It feels like a dream,” Xiulan said as she moved closer to Lin Heng. The two of them embraced, listening to each other’s heartbeat, saying nothing and making no other moves.

After a while, Xiulan got up when Xiaoxia woke up, dressed her, and took her in her arms.

Lin Heng lay for a while before getting out of bed.

While washing his face, he noticed that his mother had made tofu. Whenever something celebratory happened, his mother would make tofu.

“Tonight we get tofu pudding!” Lin Heng said with a sense of nostalgia, though it was nothing like the silky tofu pudding sold in later times.

Tofu pudding in this era was quite rough because the cloth used for filtering was coarse, and there was always some residue, giving it a distinct taste and texture from this era.

In a time of low productivity, a bowl of tofu pudding was considered a big meal.

“I last ate it during the New Year, I miss it too,” Caiyun said longingly.

“Who eats cicada nymphs?” Lin Heng asked as his mother brought out a bowl of cicada nymphs.

“Mom and I went to collect them. Once we had them, we loved them,” said his sister-in-law, Liu Juan, with a smile.

Clearly, they had been waiting for the carpenter to leave for a long time, and as soon as he did, they rushed out to gather them.

“There are many of them these days; we could eat them every day,” Lin Heng said, taking two nymphs and smiling.

After breakfast, Lin Heng took the lamb he bought yesterday and tied it outside to let it graze on the grass by the roadside.

It’s not hard to keep a lamb. You just need to move the rope every so often to change the spot.

The family didn’t work on the farm today. His father was out paving the road to the new house, leveling the road outside the yard.

Once the lamb was secured, Lin Heng and his wife tidied up the new house, mainly focusing on cleaning and placing furniture in order to prepare for their move tomorrow.

After finishing, Lin Heng said, “Let’s go back and cut some red paper, and I’ll write the couplets.”

“Okay,” Xiulan nodded.

Back at the old house, Xiulan took out scissors to cut paper, while Lin Heng found an old brush and soaked it in warm water. Since they didn’t have ink, he had to make do with Caiyun’s fountain pen ink.

After measuring it out, Lin Heng began writing.

The first couplet: “New home, unpolished jade shines brightly.”

The second couplet: “Old dreams, like golden sand, washed clean to shine.”

The horizontal scroll: “Great move, great prosperity.”

While Lin Heng was writing, Caiyun and Lin’s mother were watching.

“Brother, your calligraphy isn’t bad,” Caiyun said, surprised.

Although his writing wasn’t stunning, it was square and proper, quite decent for the rural area at that time.

In his previous life, as a sixty-year-old man, he had dabbled in calligraphy and painting as part of his hobbies.

He had taken classes in Chinese painting, though his skills were amateur, just for his own enjoyment. But in this rural era, his calligraphy was quite impressive.

“What does this mean?” Lin’s mother asked, not very literate. She could recognize each character, but couldn’t understand the whole phrase.

“I know. It means that the new home, like unpolished jade, will shine with time, and the second line compares old dreams to gold dust that, once washed clean, will shine,” Caiyun translated.

“Lin Heng, write one for me too,” Liu Juan, his sister-in-law, said.

“Of course, no problem.”

Lin Heng nodded and wrote a simpler couplet for his brother and sister-in-law.

The first couplet: “Moving house, joy shared by heaven, earth, and people.”

The second couplet: “New home, prosperity, happiness, and longevity.”

The horizontal scroll: “Great luck and great fortune.”

Once the couplets were finished, Lin Heng wrote a few more “Fu” (good fortune) characters and a few “Gongxi Facai” (wishing you prosperity) small banners.

After finishing these, the next task was to pack up everything in the old house to prepare for the move tomorrow.

By the time they finished packing, it was already noon. Lin Heng moved the lamb to a new spot, then went home for lunch.

In the afternoon, he took Xiong Ba up the mountain, hoping to catch some prey for dinner tomorrow during the move.

It was unclear whether it was due to the expiration of the beginner’s protection or the recent influx of mushroom gatherers in the mountains.

Lin Heng walked around the back mountain for a while. It was a little better than yesterday, but still, the squirrels he saw from a distance ran away immediately.

“This feels so familiar,” Lin Heng sighed.

It reminded him of fishing in his previous life.

“Woof woof!” Xiong Ba barked, not sure what he was trying to convey.

“We can’t get anything here. Let’s go to Sanye Valley. We must bring something back today,” Lin Heng decided, shaking his head.

They descended the back mountain and walked along the road for three kilometers. After another kilometer of mountain road, they reached a valley full of vines—this was Sanye Valley.

The valley was filled with various vines, forming small green mounds. Among them were Schisandra vines, kiwi vines, and the most abundant one, “guo tiao” vines, commonly used as ropes in rural areas.

Lin Heng didn’t know the exact scientific name of the “guo tiao” vine, but he knew it was incredibly strong, and rural people often used it for tying things. Its leaves could also be fed to pigs.

By the time they entered the valley, Lin Heng was drenched in sweat. The journey had been long.

“Good thing there aren’t many people here,” Lin Heng said, relieved after walking a few steps without seeing anyone.

He washed his hands in the mountain stream. The cold water felt refreshing, especially in the summer.

“Woof woof!”

When Xiong Ba saw Lin Heng finish washing, he dove in and rolled around, wetting himself completely.

“Let’s rest a bit more. It should be easier to spot some prey when it gets a little later.”

Lin Heng found some shade under a tree and enjoyed the rare coolness.

The branches above were tangled with Schisandra vines, and clusters of green Schisandra berries hung down. These were just beginning to ripen and would be ready around the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Looking up, Lin Heng estimated it was around 4:30 PM. He still hadn’t found anything.

“Let’s go. We’ll keep walking up and see what we can find.”

After resting for ten minutes, Lin Heng patted Xiong Ba on the head and they continued up the mountain, looking for prey.

After walking a short distance, Lin Heng suddenly heard the crisp sound of footsteps crunching on leaves.

“This is like music from the heavens,” Lin Heng whispered, trying to move quietly.

Soon, they spotted the source of the sound—a group of young wild chickens, about two to three months old, playing in the forest.

“Little chicks,” Lin Heng shook his head. He decided not to shoot; it wasn’t worth wasting an arrow.

“Howl~” Xiong Ba seemed eager to chase after them.

“No need. If we make a noise, it might scare the prey away,” Lin Heng shook his head, stopping Xiong Ba.

They continued climbing and reached the middle of the mountain. The bird calls became more piercing, which began to annoy Lin Heng.

He sighed and sat down. “Let’s rest for a bit. We’ll wait until later.”

He had a flashlight with him, so he wasn’t worried about it getting dark.

Just as he sat down, Lin Heng suddenly jumped to his feet, startled.

Because just beside the spot where he had sat, on a wild mulberry tree branch, was a beautiful green snake.

The green snake wasn’t venomous, but seeing it so suddenly still gave him a scare.

The snake was eating, and its meal was a nest of baby birds that had just hatched.

“No wonder the bird calls were so sharp. It turns out the whole nest got eaten,” Lin Heng shook his head, watching the scene quietly.

He had no intention of rescuing the baby birds. In fact, he found the green snake rather fascinating. He had even raised one as a child.

The snake slowly swallowed the baby birds and then slithered down the tree, disappearing into a crevice.

After the sharp bird calls stopped, Lin Heng knew that the birds had probably accepted their fate.

“Goo goo goo!!!”

The sky was gradually darkening, and it was a little past five o’clock when a crowing of a golden pheasant unexpectedly came from the mountain ridge not far across from Lin Heng.

At that moment, Lin Heng immediately stood up, startled. After waiting for so long, finally, a decent prey had appeared.

Grabbing his bow and arrows, Lin Heng quietly crept toward the sound. Listening carefully, he spent over twenty minutes before getting close enough.

By then, the sky only showed the fiery clouds; the sun was no longer visible.

Lin Heng saw the golden pheasant standing under the acorn tree.

It was a beautiful male golden pheasant, also known as the red-bellied pheasant, with a streak of golden feathers on its head. Its back was covered in peacock green, orange, and bluish-green feathers. Its belly feathers were all red, which gave the bird its name.

Behind it, the elegant tail feathers were over fifty centimeters long, with blue-green patterns woven in, standing there with an extraordinary aura, unlike anything of this world.

Measuring the distance, Lin Heng estimated it to be over thirty meters, and the pheasant had yet to notice him.

Creeping forward another five or six steps, he dared not move further. He raised his bow, nocked an arrow, held his breath for a second, and then released the arrow in one swift motion.

With a whoosh, the sharp arrow hissed through the air, and before the pheasant could react, the arrow pierced through its chest and struck the ground behind it.

“Ga-da!!”

Its legs and wings twitched once, then it fell lifeless.

“Wang-wang!!”

Xiong Ba excitedly ran over, circling the golden pheasant. This was another new species for them.

“Unlocked a new species.”

Lin Heng pulled the arrow out of the ground, and pheasant blood flowed down the shaft.

He weighed the pheasant, estimating it to be a little over a kilogram, and after plucking the feathers, it would likely be only about 350-400 grams of meat.

This was normal, as the adult red-bellied pheasant weighs at most two kilograms, and such a lightweight body helps it fly.

However, the meat was undeniably delicious, even better than wild pheasants, and the bones were soft enough to chew through.

After pulling the arrow out, Lin Heng picked up the golden pheasant and continued his search.

The hardest part of hunting in summer is the search, as the dense foliage makes it difficult to spot anything without relying on calls.

In the forest, you can only see about ten meters ahead.

It is only in winter, when the leaves have fallen, that hunting becomes easier.

After waiting for a long time, Lin Heng didn’t hear any more calls from pheasants or golden pheasants.

“Let’s head down the mountain,” Lin Heng shook his head, feeling there was no hope left.

With his flashlight, he walked down along the creek, hoping to find a soft-shell turtle or a tortoise in the mountain stream.

Unfortunately, the stream was much smaller than the one in Baishi Gorge, with hardly any fish, and no turtles or tortoises were found.

“I ran through two mountains and only got one golden pheasant. It’s really tough.”

After descending the mountain, Lin Heng rubbed his sore legs and complained. Hunting was truly no easy task.

He was better off than most, though; sometimes after running for two or three days, he returned empty-handed.

Of course, he couldn’t come back empty-handed; as long as he stayed positive and didn’t mind small prey, he wouldn’t leave empty-handed.

Back at Shiban River, Lin Heng continued walking down the river with his flashlight.

His only catch was a yellow eel lying on the riverbed, which he grabbed with one swift motion.

When he got home, he could already smell the fragrance of soybeans from afar, and he hurried to speed up his steps.

“Second Uncle, did you catch anything?”

When Lin Wei saw Xiong Ba had returned first, he ran out excitedly.

“Bad luck today, ran around all afternoon and only got one golden pheasant.”

Lin Heng lifted the golden pheasant in his hand.

“This is so beautiful, Second Uncle, you’re amazing,” Lin Wei said, examining the pheasant carefully.

“It’s fine, hunting isn’t easy. You’re lucky enough to get one today.”

Entering the house, Lin Heng’s father comforted him. He had expected Lin Heng to return empty-handed.

“Yes, that’s impressive enough. Quickly go eat the tofu pudding; we’ve already saved some for you. Leave the golden pheasant to us to handle,” Lin Heng’s older brother, Lin Yue, said, patting Lin Heng on the shoulder.

“Pluck all the feathers; I might need them later,” Lin Heng said.

“Got it, don’t worry,” Lin Yue nodded.

Before Lin Heng could enter the house, Xiulan brought out a large bowl of tofu pudding, topped with perilla leaves, garlic, and chili.

In this era, sugar was too expensive, so people ate savory tofu pudding. Sweet tofu pudding only appeared after life improved.

“It’s so delicious,” Lin Heng said after taking a bite, thoroughly enjoying it.

He thought that this coarse tofu pudding tasted much better than the smooth, creamy kind, especially when paired with the soul-stirring perilla leaves, garlic, and chili.

Lin’s mother glanced at him and said, “No matter how good it tastes, there’s only that one bowl left; the rest has all been made into tofu. Tonight, there are also bean dregs cakes to eat. Do you want some?”

Bean dregs, which in later years would be used for feeding pigs, were eaten by people in this era. Wotou (steamed cornmeal bread) was also a common food for humans, not to mention the bean dregs.

Naturally, some flour was mixed in, and the mixture was cooked into bean dregs cakes, and almost no oil was used.

“Give me one,” Lin Heng nodded. He hadn’t had this in a long time.

Lin’s mother handed him one, and Lin Heng took a bite, then reluctantly nodded, “As awful as ever.”

The coarse bean dregs, when eaten directly, had a faint sweet taste, but the texture was rough and unpleasant, making it hard to swallow. It was only bearable when paired with chili.

Lin’s mother rolled her eyes. “You should experience the life we had when we were young, eating tree bark. After starving for three days, even pig food tastes good.”

Lin Heng grinned. “I’m just complaining, but I’m still eating.”

For dinner, they had bean dregs cakes, with three dishes: sour and spicy potato strips, garlic and chili mixed with tofu, and stir-fried sour radish with cured meat.

There was also a potato dumpling soup.

With the dishes, the bean dregs cakes weren’t so hard to swallow.

After finishing one cake, Lin’s father put down his chopsticks and looked at his two sons and daughters-in-law. “Tomorrow we’re moving to the new house, but today let’s divide the family property.”

“There’s not much property to divide. Building the house cost over seven hundred yuan. Yesterday, I spent a hundred on buying things for you, and the money from selling the ginseng is almost gone. The family still has four hundred jin of rice, and I’ve set aside a hundred jin for each of you. We also have three hundred jin of wheat, and I’ve given each of you a hundred jin. That should be enough to last until this year’s harvest.”

“Other than that, there’s nothing much to give you. The main thing is to divide the mountain and the land.”

After a brief pause, he took a bite of tofu and a sip of potato dumpling soup.

Then Lin’s father continued, “Our family has six hundred acres of mountain forest and thirty acres of land. These were originally divided according to the number of people, so there’s already a share for you. You can choose now. Each of you can pick two hundred acres of mountain forest and ten acres of land. For the paddy fields, no family can take all of them; you can only choose one-third.”

“Think it over, I’m sure you’ve already thought about it. In a few days, we’ll separate the household registration.”

Lin Heng’s older brother, Lin Yue, nodded and looked at Lin Heng. “You choose first, little brother.”

These words made his wife, Liu Juan, unhappy. “You’re the eldest; why always let your younger brother choose first?”

Lin Heng was capable, and if he picked the best land, how would they live in the future?

Lin Heng looked at his older brother, then at his parents, and smiled as he spoke, “Xiu Lan and I have already decided.”

“What did you decide?” Lin’s father looked at him and Xiu Lan.

“We’ve decided on the entire Red Maple Mountain, which is a little over two hundred acres, and the ten acres of land at the foot of Red Maple Mountain,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

When he said this, everyone except Xiu Lan was stunned.

“Are you sure?” Lin’s father asked, thinking he was joking.

Lin Heng’s older brother and sister-in-law also looked incredulously at him. There were so many good places in the family, yet Lin Heng chose the lowest quality land?

“Yes, that one,” Lin Heng nodded.

“That area is all sandy soil, far worse than yellow or black soil. If you don’t pick two good plots, you’ll regret it later when you don’t have enough food,” Lin’s mother reminded him.

“It’s fine. We like that land. We’re sure we want the Red Maple Mountain one,” Lin Heng shook his head firmly.

“Alright, once you decide, there’s no changing it,” Lin’s father looked at him, unsure what he and Xiu Lan were thinking.

At this point, he couldn’t show favoritism. Whatever they chose had to be their own decision.

“What about the two of you?” Lin’s father asked again.

“We’ll take the eighty acres in the Water Well Valley, sixty acres in Erlang Valley, and sixty acres on the Great Beam.”

“For land, we want the three acres of sloped land across the river, the two acres of paddy field upstream, the four acres of land across from Red Maple Mountain, and the one-acre sloped land near my third uncle’s,” Lin Yue said, clearly something they had already discussed.

Compared to Lin Heng, their choice seemed much more normal. They had a mix of near and far forest, with a variety of trees—some mixed, others pure pine or oak forests.

As for land, they hadn’t taken all the good plots, instead selecting a mix of five parts good land and two parts less fertile.

Originally, they wanted to take another less fertile plot, but after Lin Heng took all of Red Maple Mountain, there weren’t many poor-quality plots left.

“Once you’ve picked, Lin Heng, bring me a pen and paper. Write it down and leave your thumbprint. I’ll take it to the village to get a stamp later, so there are no future disputes over this,” Lin’s father said to the four of them. Though he only had a primary school education, he was very clear-headed about these matters.

“No matter what, even brothers should make sure everything is settled properly to avoid any future problems.”

“Alright,” Lin Heng thought this was a good idea, and went to get paper and a pen.

(End of Chapter)