Indeed, just as the lame man had anticipated, the young people did not return even as darkness enveloped the surroundings.
Not too long ago, an air of desolation had hung over the camp, casting a pall of despair. But at this moment, laughter echoed from every corner, accompanied by the irresistible aroma of cooking meat.
Grumble.
Chen Fan's stomach growled, a testament to his hunger. His motivation to repeatedly draw his bow and release arrows was fueled by the slow but steady progress bar of his basic archery skill.
After reaching level 1, he found it significantly less challenging to draw the bowstring to its fullest. He could now shoot ten arrows in succession before the fatigue set in.
The downside was that every arrow shot contributed less than 0.5% to his proficiency, and even a bullseye hit barely added more than 1%.
In essence, he would need to shoot at least a hundred arrows, with most hitting the bullseye, to upgrade [Basic Archery] from level 1 to level 2.
The difficulty had more than doubled compared to before.
"It's alright, take your time," he reassured himself. Considering day and night practice, there was ample time to achieve his goal.
"Young man, when you immerse yourself in archery practice, you forget about sleep and food, oblivious even to the advancing darkness," the lame man remarked.
"Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan woke up from his reverie, turned to face him, and scratched his head.
The lame man's eyes softened. That very afternoon, he had been idle and bored, watching Chen Fan practice archery. The more he observed, the more astounded he became. He had noticed rapid improvement in the boy's archery skills.
In the morning, Chen Fan had been an unpolished novice, struggling to perfect his posture. However, by the afternoon, he was hitting the bullseye with every three or four arrows, regardless of his stance.
Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that this was the same beginner.
"Um," he tried his best to maintain his composure and said, "It's getting late, and I should head back to the campfire. You should do the same and return tomorrow morning."
The tantalizing scent of meat in the air twitched his index finger. Even if he went back now, he would only get some scraps, but it was better than nothing.
"Well, Uncle Zhang, you can go," Chen Fan nodded. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Uncle Zhang, if I stay here later, would it be alright if I use a torch to continue practicing?"
The lame man widened his eyes, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
"You want to continue practicing tonight?"
He was genuinely taken aback. He had seen hardworking people, but never someone as dedicated as this boy.
"Yes," Chen Fan grinned, "I won't be able to sleep when I go back at night, and I'll be idle. So, why not continue practicing archery? Uncle Zhang, if it's inconvenient, just forget it."
With a sigh, the lame man waved his hand. "It's not inconvenient. I'll light a torch for you here later. If you want to practice, go ahead."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!" Chen Fan was thrilled.
At the current rate, [Basic Archery] should reach level 2 by this time tomorrow.
As they spoke, footsteps approached from a distance, and both turned to see.
A middle-aged man approached, holding a piece of meat.
"Father!"
"Guodong!"
Both exclaimed simultaneously.
Chen Guodong nodded. It was evident that he was in a good mood today, a rare sight considering his usually serious demeanor.
"This is for you," he said, offering a nearly 2-pound piece of hind leg meat.
The lame man's eyes welled up as he gazed at the generous offering. "Guodong, why did you bring it here directly? Why give me such good meat?"
"Never mind," Chen Guodong waved his hand, "The young people in the village look up to you as their guide, and the future of the village rests on their shoulders. You've worked hard; you deserve the hind leg meat. Everyone knows it, and no one objects."
The lame man accepted the meat with gratitude. "Was the hunt successful today?"
"Yes," Chen Guodong had a broad smile on his face. "I was fortunate today. We managed to catch two wild rabbits. The larger one weighed nearly 50 jin. After skinning, it still had a little over 40 jin. The smaller one weighed over 30 jin. In the village, each household will receive a jin of meat, and those who have contributed more will receive extra."
"That's great," the lame man smiled and sighed. "I hope every day in the future will be as fruitful as today."
"Yes," Chen Guodong also nodded.
The atmosphere briefly fell silent, and then Chen Guodong's gaze shifted to Chen Fan, showing a smile. "Xiao Fan, come back with me. The meat is already cooked, and we're waiting for you to join us."
"Yes, Dad," Chen Fan responded eagerly, looking forward to the meal.
After bidding farewell to the lame man, the two of them walked down the uneven dirt road side by side.
"I heard from your mother that you spent the whole day practicing archery today and even rushed here right after lunch?" Chen Guodong asked as they walked.
"Yes," Chen Fan replied.
Being alone with his father was, indeed, a little uncomfortable.
"How do you feel?" Chen Guodong inquired.
"Feeling... okay," Chen Fan responded hesitantly.
"That's good," Chen Guodong nodded and continued, "If you're serious about continuing with archery, wait until Uncle Wei and the others are available. I'll have them guide you. It's thanks to them that we had such a bountiful harvest today."
"Okay," Chen Fan agreed. The Wei brothers, known for their incredible strength, could draw a one-hundred-pound bow, and he believed that receiving guidance from them would be immensely beneficial.
"Um," after Chen Guodong finished speaking, the two fell into silence again.
Fortunately, home was right around the corner, and they soon reached it.
At this moment, Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and spotted three or four middle-aged men standing or sitting in the main room of his house, besides his mother and younger brother. Clearly, they were waiting for his father.
Could it be some sort of celebration? He wondered, but for some reason, unease settled in his heart.
"Tiangong, Tianyuan, why are you here?" Chen Guodong's eyes widened in surprise as he walked forward. "You haven't had dinner yet? Come, let's eat together."
The woman accompanying Wei Tiangong, slightly taken aback, smiled and agreed, "Yes, the meal is ready. Everyone, please have a seat."
Today's successful hunt was largely attributed to the Wei brothers' exceptional archery skills, making it possible to catch a swift and agile wild rabbit.
However, the looks exchanged among those gathered left Chen Fan feeling uneasy. Finally, all eyes settled on Wei Tiangong, the eldest of the Wei
brothers.
"Guodong," Wei Tiangong took a deep breath, looked at Chen Guodong, and said, "We're here tonight to bid you farewell."