Chapter 19 - Following Brother Han Means Theres Meat to Ea (2/2)

Yu Xiaocao raised her voice in assent and followed Zhao Han closely. The three of them went deeper into the forest. The light dimmed perceptively the further they walked, and the underbrush became more thick and unruly. Fortunately, there was a worn path in the forest so they didn’t have to push through too much vegetation.

Little Shitou grabbed a long tree branch and used it to constantly whip the lush underbrush. Not only would this drive away any snakes but it could also startle some hidden pheasants to run out in the open.

“Wait a moment!” The handsome Zhao Han called out. He instructed the two siblings to stay where they were while he disappeared into the nearby brush.

The forest in the mountains was thick with trees and other plants. Branches criss-crossed against each other and blocked any sunlight from reaching the ground. Occasionally, some beams of light were able to escape through the cracks. There were a couple beams right now that lit up this little grove. Above them a bird suddenly spread out its wings and flew away. It cried eerily as it left. The two kids noticed that that a bush started shaking not too far away from them, as if there was something walking through there…

“Second Sister... are you afraid right now?” Little Shitou asked with a trembling voice. He scuttled closer to her and pulled on her hand. His eyes were large with fright as he scanned the area around him.

Yu Xiaocao deliberately teased him. “Little coward! Didn’t Brother Han tell you? We’re on the outskirts of the deep forest. Most big game won’t come here, let alone anything big and mean! Didn’t you just say you were going to ‘protect your older sister’? Why are you scared now?”

Little Shitou let go of her hand, ashamed, and started to tear a piece of grass apart with his fingers. He softly muttered, “When I grow up, I’ll make sure to protect Second Sister——oh, look, Brother Han’s back now!”

Xiaocao turned to face the direction that Zhao Han had left earlier. Sure enough, after the brush rattled a bit, Zhao Han’s tall and steady figure appeared in front of them.

“Look what I have! What do you two think this is?” The youth asked as he dangled something in his hands in front of the two little kids.

Little Shitou hopped up and exclaimed in a voice that echoed, “Pheasant eggs! Second sister, he has Reeves’s pheasant eggs! Eggs are so tasty, and they’re great for strengthening the body!”

“Here, take them. In a bit we’ll cook some eggs to eat!” Zhao Han grinned as he put five pheasant eggs into the two siblings’ hands. Afterwards, he continued to lead the way through the forest.

All of the traps he had set earlier were placed in the dense undergrowth. From time to time, the young man would walk off the dirt path to inspect his traps while the brother and sister pair stayed on the trail. After inspecting more than ten traps in the past two hours, Xiaocao was starting to feel exhausted.

Luckily, their trip was not in vain. One of the traps had caught a freshly killed wild hare, while Zhao Han was also able to shoot down a fat and plump turtledove.

“You guys must be tired now. I bet you both are also hungry. I know a good place for us to stop at and make some food.” Throughout the journey, Zhao Han had kept a close eye on the two siblings.

Little Shitou’s condition was not bad. He spent most of his time running around like crazy with the other kids from the village, so he had a decent amount of energy in his little body. On the other hand, Yu Xiaocao had a weaker constitution. The difference between the two wasn’t surprising. For someone who had been sickly since the day she was born, it was a miracle Xiaocao could walk so long on a rough, mountain trail.

Zhao Han knew this area of the forest like the back of his own hand. He lead the two siblings through the dense underbrush. After tramping through the forest for another quarter-hour, Yu Xiaocao suddenly noticed that they had walked into an unexpected area. They were in a beautiful valley that seemed to appear from nowhere.

The sides of the valley were bracketed on both sides by the mountains. Verdant green leaves shimmered in the sunlight, and the valley seemed to be carpeted lushly with vegetation. A small creek gurgled happily through the valley. The flowing water cut through the grass like a dark blue thread in a piece of fine brocade. Even the air seemed more clear and fresh here!

“Wow! This is amazing! It’s such a beautiful place!” Yu Xiaocao deeply inhaled the fresh air into her lungs and breathed out dreamily.

Zhao Han smiled and watched indulgently as the little girl plunged into the long grass and rolled around comfortably. To him, she looked like a cute little cat, spoiled and adorable.