We ended up eating a little later than usual. All my brothers devoured their food hungrily. I could tell they appreciated the effort we put into making the dish. " This meal is the result of our hard work and dedication. I'm savoring every last bite," they thought, making their enjoyment quite evident once I served the plate. I couldn't help but laugh and let them have their fun. We finished every last bit of the steamed taro and braised meat.
I had already taken care of all the vegetable plants in the backyard, ensuring they were thriving.
Older brother and Second brother continued to prepare the small plot for planting seeds later. Uncle Jiang and Cree had just returned from the bamboo grove when I heard Elder Brother Zhong's voice calling from outside. We all washed our hands and greeted him.
" Bellona-Sister, you're quite lucky this time! Our trophies were purchased directly by a restaurant. Your pheasant fetched 30 liang, and the two big rabbits were sold for 40 liang," he said as he handed over the goods and took a seat.
" Seems like your live game fetches a higher price compared to mine. By the way, how do your trophies manage to stay alive after you hunt them? I've never seen live animals after they've been caught in my entire life," he curiously inquired.
" My little sister came up with a new trap," Elder Brother proudly boasted.
" Oh? So you've learned how to hunt then?" He turned to face me. In truth, I had hunted before, but that was in my previous life.
" Elder Brother Zhong, we're from Qing-an Province, so hunting was a normal part of our lives," I replied, fabricating a story. We couldn't reveal the truth, such as " Hey, we're from the capital and belong to a Marquis family."
" Oh, you don't look like you come from a family of hunters, though," he remarked.
" My parents aren't hunters. We managed a small business in a town, and sometimes our father would take us to the mountains for hunting trips," I lied again. Well, we did manage a business, but it wasn't exactly small since it was located in the capital. And Father never took us hunting; it was actually my mother who indulged my adventurous side.
" Elder Brother Zhong, could you show us around the village and nearby places?" I needed to find a way to make money as soon as possible.
" Sure. But where should we go? It's getting late, so it's not safe to venture into the mountains. Ah, I know! We can go down to the dock to the other side of the mountain. I know a shortcut to get there," he suggested.
" You guys go ahead. I'll just change my clothes," I said, relieved that I had a set of men's clothing that I could switch into.
They were taken aback when I come out from the house wearing male attire. Before they bombarded me with questions, I simply smiled and said, " I'm more comfortable like this."
Wearing girls' clothing was truly troublesome; it restricted my movements, and my appearance often caused trouble. It was acceptable for a boy to be handsome, but if a girl was beautiful, it could bring disaster.
" This is the secret path down to the dock. Only my two brothers and I know about it," Brother Zhong revealed, surprising us with his openness.
" Why?" I stopped and looked at him directly.
" Huh? What do you mean, why?" he replied, confusion evident in his eyes. But I didn't immediately answer him; instead, I continued to gaze at him.
" Why did you share your secret with us?" I pursed my lips.
" Since you all call me Elder Brother, then I feel it's my duty to act as your Elder Brother. Even though we haven't known each other for long, I already feel like we're longtime friends," Elder Brother Zhong said, pausing slightly before laughing.
" Now that you've shared a secret with us, we're close. You can count on me for help anytime you need it," Little Cree chimed in, patting his chest as if he were a seasoned soldier.
We all laughed and continued to tease each other. Seeley took my hand and smiled at me. I was never one to be stingy, and for those who treated me well, I would go above and beyond to repay their kindness.
As we were about to descend, Elder Brother Zhong stopped us. He turned to face us, wearing a serious expression. " This path on the other side is dangerous, so remember it carefully, okay?"
" Elder Brother Zhong, where does this path lead?" Older brother asked.
" This is the other entrance to the Dark Forest. Since I was a child, every elder in our village forbade us from venturing inside. They said that any hunters who dared to enter were never seen again." This information sparked my curiosity.
We continued walking, and by now, I could hear the bustling sounds of the dock. We come out from a small, inconspicuous alley, which explained why it had remained undiscovered. The dock was alive with activity, with small ships and rough men bustling about, loading and unloading goods. It was a vibrant scene. We continued to explore the area when a young boy, around 8 to 10 years old, called out to Zhong-Older brother.
" Cousin Lian, what are you doing here?"
" My mother asked me to deliver food to my father," he replied, casting a curious glance at us.
" Who are they, Zhong-Older brother?"
" They are my new neighbors who moved in a few days ago," Zhong-Older brother introduced us, and then it was my turn. However, he became flustered.
" I'm Euno, and this is my twin, Seeley," I said.
" Uh, is that blood dripping from your basket?" Cree asked, his curiosity piqued.
" Oh, this is chicken gut. My mother asked me to throw it away in the creek, and now it's leaking! Aigoo! I better hurry back," he exclaimed, running off.
" Zhong-Older brother, why is he throwing away the chicken gut?" I asked.
" Huh? Why wouldn't he? Chicken guts are smelly. No one eats them when they buy chicken from Auntie Lu," he replied, shrugging.
" What? You're wasting it! Do you know how delicious chicken gut and chicken blood are?" I said, doubt evident in my eyes.
" Huh! I'll show you sometime. If your Aunt ever kills some chickens, bring them to me," I suggested. He just shrugged, and we continued on our way back home.