Chapter Thirty-Six: Searching for Wild Game on the Mountain

Gu Xiaoyao looked at the village chief with a calm gaze. She had intended to explain herself, but when the village chief saw her expression, he ended up justifying his own words instead.

“Ah, you must be thinking that now you’re married, you want to move out and live separately. Well, that’s understandable. Let me take you to have a look.”

The village chief prided himself on his quick thinking. Having smoothed things over, he hurriedly led Gu Xiaoyao to inspect the house. He had been the head of Lotus Village for many years, yet he had never encountered such a bold and unyielding new bride.

The village chief was genuinely worried that Cheng Jin’s wife might set a bad example for the other women in the village.

They followed a narrow path through the village for a while until the chief pointed to an old house up ahead, overgrown with weeds.

“This is the unused old house. It may not look like much, but with a bit of repair, it can be lived in.”

“There’s no need to worry! People even keep their cattle in there—if a cow can live in it, so can people.”

Gu Xiaoyao had no intention of critiquing his logic. She stepped inside to inspect the interior.

With some repairs, it could indeed be made livable, though the work required would be substantial.

“This house will do. Once I’ve fixed it up, can I move in with others? There isn’t an owner, is there?”

The chief waved his hand dismissively. The house had been abandoned for so many years, there was no owner anymore.

Now, it was only home to insects and mice, and sometimes cattle wandered in to relieve themselves.

“There’s no owner. Once you’ve repaired it, it’s yours, but let me know before you move in.”

Seeing that she was satisfied, the chief didn’t linger. He bid her goodbye and quickly left.

After he departed, Gu Xiaoyao hefted her hatchet and began hacking down the weeds in the courtyard.

Once inside, she sensed small creatures lurking about. Releasing her mental energy, she discovered plump mice scurrying within.

“It’s truly a fine place—the mice here are healthier than the people,” she muttered to herself, suppressing her presence as she hid in the grass.

Watching the oblivious mice gnawing away, Gu Xiaoyao gripped her hatchet and confidently hurled it.

The foraging mouse met its end in an instant; Gu Xiaoyao swiftly retrieved it and tossed it into her basket.

She made another round of the house, rooting out several nests and stringing up the captured mice, tying them tightly, and tossing them all into her basket.

With the basket now holding quite a haul, Gu Xiaoyao left the house, feeling a tinge of satisfaction. She hadn’t expected to find such fat mice here.

“You’re Cheng Jin’s wife, aren’t you?”

A girl with braided hair wrapped in coarse cloth, carrying a basket, looked at Gu Xiaoyao.

“What are you doing here? Oh, you’re catching mice!”

The girl peered curiously into Gu Xiaoyao’s basket.

“Do you want to go into the mountains? I’m just about to head there to gather some things.”

The girl with the braids was friendly and outgoing, smiling as she invited Gu Xiaoyao to join her.

“No need, I’ll go into the mountains myself, but thank you,” Gu Xiaoyao replied naturally, shaking her head.

She didn’t like working with others, at least not yet.

“Don’t overthink it—Cheng Jin asked me to look out for you. He said you’re new here and unfamiliar with the village, so he wanted me to show you around.”

“I know these mountains well. Wherever you want to go, I can take you. Oh, and just call me Dahua.”

The girl, Dahua, explained the reason for her easy familiarity, her laughter bright and cheerful.