“Let’s go! Time to go catch chickens!!!” Little Zheng Bin exclaimed joyfully and started heading toward the valley all by himself.
Even the older Zheng Yuan had a big smile on him!
To lighten the load, Cheng Xiao Xiao wasn’t going to carry the herbs and firewood with them to the cave. She found a remote location to stash them away before taking her two brothers into the valley.
“Big sister didn’t catch enough chickens yesterday. Big brother, let’s catch three chickens today!”
“Three is not that many. For dad’s health, the more the better. Zheng Bin, let’s catch a few more!”
“I know the more the better, but will we be able to? I don’t think the chickens will be stupid enough to just stand there and wait for us!”
“We just have to try as hard as we could! I wonder how many chickens are in the cage?!”
“I say, at least a clutch!”
“Probably over 10. If we can’t get them all today, we will come back tomorrow!”
“Yeah! We will come everyday till we get the last of them!”1
………
Upon hearing her brother’s conversation, the corner of Cheng Xiao Xiao’s mouth twitched involuntarily. It looked like she’d have to release all the chickens and rabbits from the dimension to make her brothers’ wishes come true.
She couldn’t possibly let them down, right?
The three of them quickly arrived at the cave that Cheng Xiao Xiao found yesterday. They could hear small chicks clucking. The two young ones were beyond excited, Zheng Bin shouted, “Big sister! There really are chickens here! I can here clucking of young chicks!”
Nonsense. She just put a few chicks inside yesterday, of course there were clucking.
“Yeah! Let’s hurry inside!”
The two young ones dashed inside the cave, leaving their big sister behind!
Cheng Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but laughed looking at how eager her brothers were. She carefully let out a chickens from the dimension as she followed behind them.
“Eh? How come there are only young chicks but no adult chickens?” Asked Zheng Bin in his crisp, childish voice.
Cheng Xiao Xiao, who was now quite a few steps behind them, frowned slightly. Then she looked to the right side and saw a split in the path. Without hesitation, she tossed a few chickens to the other side.
Bok bok bok……
The loud clucking echoed inside the cave. Cheng Xiao Xiao pointed at the other path and smiled at her two now disappointed brothers, “Look, they are right here. You guys found the chicks, the adult ones are here.”
She didn’t need to say any more, the brothers had already heard the chicken. The two kids dashed over and saw four to five chickens flapping heir wings. Ecstatic, das.h.i.+ng straight at the chickens, Zheng Bin shouted, “This is awesome! Big brother, quick! Help me catch them!”
“Be careful, Zheng Bin, don’t let the chickens get out of the cave!”
“Big brother, you block the left side, quick!”
Cheng Xiao Xiao looked at her brothers running back and forth after the chickens. She had no intention to go help them. She took the opportunity while they were distracted and walked over to the other side of the cave. Quickly, she took out three medium-sized chickens and a few rabbits and placed them somewhere obscure.
She didn’t forget to also take out a few white radish sprouts. These would be proofs in the future.
Half an hour later, the brothers, who were now pouring with sweats, barely got two chickens. The rest all flew and stayed half way up the cliff, leaving them no means to get to them.
Even though they didn’t catch as many as they had wanted, but they were excited all over again when they saw the two rabbits that Cheng Xiao Xiao had in her hands.
Not a bad day for what they have got, and time was getting late. The three of them carried the firewood, herbs, chickens, and rabbits and returned home.
The amount of catch the three brought back surprised Mrs. Cheng. She would never have thought that not only were they coming back with more chickens, there were even rabbits!
She had a hard time accepting that they’ve found all of them in a cave until the two brothers repeated told her so. Of course, she was ecstatic to have these. They could really use all of these at this time of need.
They have just had chicken the night before, so after some family discussion, they have decided on braised rabbit meat for dinner!
The three younger siblings were excited to be able to have meat again.
While Mrs. Cheng busied herself with preparing the rabbits, Cheng Xiao Xiao was tending to the herbs. Other then taking some of them orally, others could be used in bath water, they would be more effective this way.
She set out a dose for oral intake and one for bathing, thought for a bit, and called out to Mrs. Cheng who was keeping herself busy in the kitchen. The two of them went to the dad’s house together.
Cheng Bi Yuan, who was resting on the bed, opened his eyes when he noticed the arrival of his wife and daughter. His piercing eyes gazed at his daughter like a hawk.
He had heard all the ruckus in the yard. He must admit, their brining back two chickens and two rabbits had truly shocked him.
Ever since they have moved here, he had been hunting for food for the family. He was very familiar of what it was like in these mountains. There were lots of preys. Chickens and rabbits were not hard for him, because he had extraordinary skills. But for Cheng Xiao Xiao and her brothers, these were not just “difficult” to them, but downright arduous.
He was already suspicious at the two chickens yesterday, what they were able to bring back today was simply unbelievable. They caught all those inside a cave? That’s impossible. He had been in the same mountains for the last three years, how come he never ran into something like that?
From the way the three of them described it, these sounded more like farm animals!
Even though the mountain behind their house wasn’t far from Willow Village, but since they lived there, residents of Willow Village never go hunt around there. His daughter was the key to everything.
The piercing look from her father made Cheng Xiao Xiao very uncomfortable. Naturally she understood her father’s suspicion, but she wasn’t able to explain to him what was going on.
Mrs. Cheng was oblivious to the silent exchange between the father and the daughter. She dried her hands on the ap.r.o.n she had on around her waist before she looked up at her daughter, “Xiao Xiao, what did you want to say to your father? Zheng Yuan doesn’t know how to skin the rabbits, I have to go help him.”
“Xiao Xiao, what’s the matter?” Cheng Bi Yuan dismissed the sharp look and asked casually.
She looked both her parents in their eyes, hesitated for a bit, and then said, “Mom, Dad, I have collected some herbs from the mountains today, what’s your opinion…?”
“Oh, yeah, I don’t understand your herbs,” Mrs. Cheng understood her daughter’s intention, she turned to Mr. Cheng and asked, “Ye1, what’s your opinion on this?”
Inside his deep and dark gaze, Cheng Bi Yuan sked, “Xiao Xiao, what did you collect and what are they used for?”
“Dad, these are mainly for diffusing bruises, helping broken bones or nerves, as well as relieving pain and swellings. They should be good for you!”
Cheng Xiao Xiao let out a secret sigh of relief, luckily he didn’t ask her how she’d came to know so much about herbs. Otherwise, she’d have no idea what to tell him.
Before Cheng Bi Yuan could make a comment, Mrs. Cheng already responded, “Oh that sounds good. Xiao Xiao, that’s exactly what your dad needs right now.”