Chapter 3: Overnight Stay at the Pavilion

However, what Ye Qin could not tolerate was that there were some ruffians in the city who actually wanted to use them to steal the wealth of the rich and powerful. Although he was still young, he understood that if caught stealing, one would inevitably face severe punishment, such as having a hand chopped off or being brutally beaten. Forced by circumstances, he seized an opportunity to hurriedly escape the county town with Da Niu, heading to the countryside more than ten miles away in search of food

The large gate of the Medicine Gathering Hall signifies a prominent household, with an abundance of land and property that cannot be counted. The streets are filled with numerous servants and disciples, and there is no chance of any connection with small beggars who wander around like them. Even if there were a public recruitment for some medicine-gathering boys, it is unlikely that the two of them would be considered.

In the county town, there is a group of local beggars who occupy all the begging spots and lucrative areas, showing great hostility towards outside beggars and driving them away

Zhuqi County Town, two months ago he had been there with Daniu, staying for several days, but he could not remain and escaped.

At night, the moon hangs high

In the late night, the sound of restless tossing and turning occasionally emanates from the bamboo house

Ye Qin stuffed the meat bones into Cheng Da Niu's hands. After speaking, he went into the shed and, taking advantage of the fact that it was not yet completely dark, began to search carefully around both inside and outside the shed, occasionally picking up one or two grains of rice from the muddy ground and putting them into his mouth

The Medicine Gathering Hall in Zhuqi County is publicly recruiting a group of medicine gatherers aged twelve and under

Cheng Daniu, no longer under the pressure of Ye Qin, became somewhat more alert and poked half of his head out from beside the grass nest. However, this time he saw clearly that it was a group of officials. Daniu understood the gravity of the situation and did not dare to move recklessly. He could only desperately sniff the aroma of the wine and meat, indulging his cravings.

Ye Qin lay on the dry grass, with a pair of small hands resting behind his head, silently contemplating the words spoken by that group of officials.

Ye Qin had also heard the name "Caiyaotang" from the residents of the county town, knowing that there was such a wealthy and powerful family in the county, but he did not take it to heart

Ye Qin saw the ox cart moving away and finally rushed towards the tangle of weeds, pulling aside the withered and tangled grass to search for the piece of beef bone that had been discarded by the official Li.

This is acceptable; as long as one is diligent in their efforts, they will always be able to find a meal, which is far better than being in a desolate wilderness

Soon, Ye Qin found a cow bone about the thickness of half his forearm, with some uneaten strands of beef clinging to it, emanating an enticing aroma mixed with the scent of books. He extended his tongue and licked the meat strands stuck to the bone

Among the companions from the same hometown, only he and Daniu remain, and he is determined not to let Daniu die

He has died countless times, even he does not know. Many times, he has felt like a burden, thinking that it would be better to simply die. However, if he were to die, only Qin Ge'er would be left; what would happen to Qin Ge'er alone? Qin Ge'er is also unwilling to let him die. He can only do his utmost to avoid becoming a burden, to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible, and to help find food

After Li Daguanchai finished speaking, he gnawed on the beef bone in his hand, casually tossed it outside the shed, clapped his hands, and prepared to leave

The old man at the tavern noticed that the silver on the table was insufficient, barely enough to break even. He hesitated to speak further, only able to silently curse his misfortune, and then began to tidy up the tables and chairs, as well as the bowls and chopsticks in the awning. Meanwhile, the waiter busily collected the remaining wine, meat, and tea from the table, along with the meat bones and scraps on the ground, preparing to take them back to feed the pigs. In this year of severe drought, grain and meat were scarce, and not a single bit could be wasted, especially for small business owners like them.

The six-month-long wandering made him realize that such risks should never be taken

Qin Ge'er

Fortunately, the young attendant was only cleaning the books and documents inside the shed and did not venture into the tangled weeds outside. All the valuable belongings were loaded onto an ox cart, and the innkeeper and the young attendant drove the cart slowly along the post road towards the distance

The great cow looked on, almost drooling.

The big cow continued to chew on the bone, its eye sockets slightly reddened, and its nose felt a twinge of sadness

"Give it to you, Big Cow. You were bitten by a wild dog yesterday, so it's just right to replenish your strength. I will go check if there is any other food left on the ground"

Ye Qin stared blankly as the piece of beef bone traced an arc in the air, landing several meters away in the grass before him. He fixed his gaze on the bone, not daring to move. As long as this group of officials did not leave, he had no intention of showing even half his face in front of them

Ye Qin's desire to go to the county town grew even stronger

Ye Qin, in a humble bamboo hut, laid a layer of dry grass on the cold muddy ground. A small hole in the corner of the hut was securely blocked with a large stone and branches. The old wild dog had entered through this small hole last night and had bitten the big cow. The big cow, having eaten some beef bones, felt much better in the evening. In the only broken water jar inside the hut, a small bowl of leftover water was found; the big cow drank some and has already fallen into a deep sleep on the grass mat.

The officials shouted, "m.hetushu.com, draw your swords, find the path, and pursue the traces of those bandits."

Scared! Scared!

The big cow slowly crawled over, covered in mud, looking pitifully at the piece of meat bone in Ye Qin's hand

Ye Qin held back Da Niu, preventing him from going over. They had been here for nearly half a month and were well aware that the old man at the tavern and the young waiter were both miserly, unwilling to part with even a bit of food or drink. If the two of them approached now, they feared that the old man would immediately come at them with a broom, driving them away.

However, Ye Qin felt somewhat unwilling.

After Li the official had eaten and drunk his fill, he said little else and set off with the other officials who were also satisfied. There was no need for Li the official to worry about the cost of the drinks, as a few young officials casually tossed some small silver coins onto the table.

Since I heard about this matter from the official's mouth, how could I pretend I never heard of it if I don't give it a try? If I don't get selected, it would just be a wasted trip. But if I do get selected, I won't have to wander in the wilderness and starve anymore. If I don't go, then I won't even have the chance to be selected.

Otherwise, if just one of the more than ten men finds him displeasing and comes over to kick him, it would be enough to leave him half dead. His current frail body cannot withstand any blows. If he receives a kick, he might be in so much pain tomorrow that he cannot move even a finger. The day after tomorrow, both he and Daniu may starve to death in this desolate wilderness due to lack of food

After a restless night, it was not until near dawn that the old wild dog reluctantly departed

That accursed old wild dog, which haunts us relentlessly, has come again. The sound of its claws scraping against the stones, the angry growls and howls, the noise of it gnawing on branches, all create a sense of unease in the pitch-black night, always leaving one worried that this beast might burrow its way in again

The sound of a beast's panting came from outside the bamboo house

Ye Qin hesitated with the meat bone at his lips. He knew in his heart that compared to himself, Da Niu needed this meat bone more. After being injured last night, Da Niu had been in considerable discomfort and could hardly eat anything today. Now, his strong desire for meat was a good sign; perhaps eating meat would help him recover. In the past, hunters in his hometown who were injured would eat meat to replenish their strength.

He wiped his sore nose with a piece of blackened, tattered burlap and silently began to gnaw on a beef bone. This was not the first time. Four or five of them had come out to search for food, and for more than half a year, it was mostly the eldest, Qin Ge'er, who took care of them. However, Qin Ge'er could not manage it all, and in the end, several of them still died.