"Hahaha, hit!"
The pheasant flapped its wings continuously and, after a few wobbles, it collapsed in the snow.
Shen Qing was overjoyed.
He dashed over, grabbed the still-flapping pheasant, and looked it over carefully.
People in the county liked to use these feathers to make craft feathers, feather fans, and feather headdresses.
This pheasant's feathers were as gorgeous as brocade, with a full tail and colorful plumes, and could fetch a pretty penny.
Not only that, but pheasant meat, whether stir-fried, boiled, stewed, or roasted, was always delicious. It was a rare delicacy, enough to satisfy his and his sister's hunger for a day.
He finally had some rewards for his efforts.
Shen Qing pinched the pheasant's neck, twisted it with a flick of his wrist, and hung it on his waist.
Then he looked up at the sky, where under the dark clouds a spot showed some brightness, indicating it was still before noon.
There was still plenty of time; he could venture deeper.
Now that his archery had improved, the bow and arrow felt like an extension of his arm, completely free from the previous unfamiliar sensation.
Just now, he had hit his target from a hundred steps away in one shot, something he wouldn't even dare to imagine before.
If a snow wolf were to appear in front of him now, he felt he could bring it down as well.
With this thought, a rare smile appeared on Shen Qing's face. Holding his bow, he trudged through the snow deeper into the wilderness.
There were many villages like Hongshan Village near Shicheng Mountain, all of which relied on hunting for a living and had been familiar with the mountain for generations.
This mountain range spanned nearly a hundred miles and appeared large, but in reality, there were only a few dozen areas suitable for hunting.
The other areas were either too dangerous, with demons and ferocious beasts lurking, or were too barren, with very little game.
If an inexperienced hunter from outside entered Shicheng Mountain, not to mention a day, even after ten days they might come back empty-handed.
Today, he had managed to catch a pheasant in half a day, which aside from the breakthrough in Bow Technique, he had to admit was partly due to luck.
Indeed, for the rest of the day, he didn't spot another single piece of game.
The game in the mountains seemed to have made an agreement to suddenly become invisible.
Standing in the snow, Shen Qing considered, "Perhaps I've been hunting too frequently here this past month; it might be time to find another place."
As he thought of the deer he saw the day before, the image surfaced in his mind.
"I'll try that side again tomorrow."
Having made up his mind, Shen Qing turned and left.
Since he left early, it was still bright when he returned to the village.
He happened to meet a few fellow villagers from Hongshan Village.
Seeing the pheasant hanging from Shen Qing's waist, they showed interest.
"Qingzi, lucky today, eh? You didn't come back empty-handed."
"That pheasant is of good quality. How about it? Do you want to sell it to me? I'll trade you five pounds of brown rice for it?"
"Old Tian, do you think I don't know the value? You expect to trade my pheasant for your five pounds of brown rice? Is your rice made of gold or silver?"
Shen Qing said with a laugh, "Now on the market, a pound of brown rice is about twelve wen, so five pounds would be sixty wen. My pheasant could easily fetch 150 wen in the county. Don't try to take advantage of me."
After saying this, he squeezed through the group and left.
From a place of sheer cliffs and harsh waters come cunning folk.
Having lived here over a month, Shen Qing had long realized that these people would take advantage of every opportunity.
If you give them an inch, they will take a mile.
The people behind him were not bothered by Shen Qing's refusal and scattered on their own accord.
Passing by several households, Shen Qing quickly made his way to his own front door and found it wide open.
Inside sat a burly man, clad in a set of gray cotton clothes, his face covered with horizontal flesh.
Upon seeing Shen Qing's return, a flicker of joy crossed Shen Fang's face.
The burly man seated on the chair turned his head and stared at Shen Qing, expressing his surprise, "Wow, Qingzi is back."
The burly man stood up, towering a head taller than Shen Qing.
He was strong and sturdy, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
This man was none other than the eldest son of the mountain drivers from Hongshan Village—Chen Yuan.
It was rumored that Chen Youguang, who was well connected in town, had obtained a martial arts manual called Nine Skills and was training his three sons with it.
Among the three brothers, it was the eldest who had the most talent for martial arts, grasping some of its essence, far beyond what someone like him, who survived on bran cakes, could defeat.
However, Shen Qing was not the type to cower at the first sign of trouble, and he quickly regained his composure, his expression unchanged, and with a beaming smile, he said, "What brings Brother Yuan to my humble abode today?"
"It's cold, just making a round of visits with nothing better to do," Chen Yuan glanced at Shen Qing and walked toward the doorway. As he passed by Shen Qing, he looked down and said, "You're lucky today, the pheasant you got is rather fine."
Shen Qing caught on to what Chen Yuan meant and cleverly responded, "It's all thanks to the heavens providing for us. Since Brother Yuan likes it, why don't I give it to Brother Yuan as a gift?"
"Ha ha, Boss Shen is quite straightforward, but I didn't expect him to have such a clever son," Chen Yuan patted Shen Qing's shoulder and continued, "I'll pass on the pheasant, let's talk about your sister after the heavy snow stops. The two of you should discuss this at home. It's a good opportunity for both of you."
After saying that, Chen Yuan turned and left.
Shen Qing watched Chen Yuan walk away with an unpleasant look on his face.
Even a fine pheasant wasn't what he wanted; he probably desired much more from them, brother and sister.
The two siblings had nothing of value, and their home was utterly poor.
The only thing they could offer was their good looks.
Shen Fang, who looked somewhat rustic, would turn into a beauty with only a slight touch of grooming.
As for himself, there was no need to say more.
In the village, nobody could match him.
However, beauty was a gift from heaven for the middle-class family, but for people like them at the bottom, it was a disaster.
Ever since the snow started, Chen Yuan had been eyeing Shen Fang, growing increasingly persistent.
He definitely found some leverage outside and had set his sights on Shen Fang.
Shen Qing estimated that once they were cornered with no way out, Chen Yuan was likely to bleed them dry.
"Qingzi... it's good that you're back... he's been persuading me, I really didn't know what to do..."
Shen Fang, who was hiding on the side, had a flickering look in her eyes.
Seeing Shen Fang like this, Shen Qing knew that she lacked a firm stance and might have been swayed by Chen Yuan.
"Don't pay him too much mind. You better not forget how his family left us high and dry when our parents passed away," he said.
"I know," Shen Fang whispered back softly, almost inaudibly.
Shen Qing looked outside the house.
The snow fell gently.
The silvery world was enveloped in a chill.
The cold wind blew in gusts, as Shen Qing felt the bone-chilling cold surrounding him and his sister.
"When I'm not home, sister, go stay with our aunt's family. It might be a bit safer with my aunt and uncle there."
Shen Qing returned to the house, took off the pheasant from his waist, threw it on the ground, and said, "Let's slaughter it!"