Chapter Eight: A Lifetime of Devotion to My Husband

Wu Old Six, as agreed, waited early at the entrance to the mountain. Unlike Zhao Hengyi, being an experienced hunter, Wu Old Six was thoroughly prepared, even ready to spend the night in the Great Green Mountain if necessary.

To Zhao Hengyi, the Great Green Mountain was a vast treasure, waiting to be unearthed by the world—a bounty neglected only because no one possessed the means to unlock it.

“Hengyi, you just follow your Sixth Uncle into the mountain without worry. Your aunt will watch over things at home, and she won’t let Xiaoyu be bullied!” Sixth Aunt, still digging wild vegetables with the other village women on the southern slope of the mountain, was especially enthusiastic. “Go early and come back early, stay safe!”

Zhao Hengyi replied with a smile and, under the admiring gaze of the women, entered the mountain alongside Wu Old Six.

One couldn’t blame Sixth Aunt for her shrewdness; under the crushing weight of heavy taxes, ordinary people in the Great Yan Kingdom led unbearably hard lives. After a year’s toil, even after paying taxes, the grain left was barely enough for three months.

Those who lived in villages fared slightly better—they could forage more wild vegetables, mixing them with roots and bark, barely surviving. Those in the county towns could only work for others, or, in desperation, sell themselves into servitude.

Now, all of Elm Bay knew Zhao Hengyi had captured plenty of game on his first trip into the mountains, and now, accompanying Wu Old Six again, perhaps he’d catch even more.

Soon after entering the Great Green Mountain, the crude path ended. To hunt, they had to forge their own way through dense woods.

As an old hunter, Wu Old Six was a capable guide. With him leading, Zhao Hengyi could venture deeper than ever before.

Wu Old Six’s difficulty in catching game stemmed entirely from his poor weapons. Besides a wood-cutting knife, he only had a feeble short bow.

From Zhao Hengyi’s perspective, Wu Old Six’s short bow could barely hunt a rabbit—he’d need to get within ten meters to have a chance.

Wild animals in the mountains were extremely wary. Usually, before Wu Old Six got close, the prey had already vanished.

When Zhao Hengyi handed him the old hand crossbow, the veteran hunter was stunned beyond belief.

After practicing a few times, Wu Old Six was overcome with joy. With such a magical weapon in hand, he felt he could bring back every beast in the Great Green Mountain.

The new hand crossbow in Zhao Hengyi’s possession impressed Wu Old Six even more; at fifty paces, its bolt could bury deep into a tree trunk, astonishingly powerful.

Most crucially, the crossbow Zhao Hengyi had crafted possessed accuracy unmatched by bow and arrow, and was quick to master. Within half a day, Wu Old Six could precisely hunt prey over ten meters away.

Wu Old Six knew he had struck gold. If Zhao Hengyi kept venturing into the mountain with him, and continued letting him use this miraculous crossbow, his family could finally enjoy good days.

For Zhao Hengyi, having Wu Old Six—seasoned and familiar with the mountain—vastly improved his safety and raised his hunting efficiency to a new level. After all, Wu Old Six could score game even with a crude short bow, a testament to his deep experience.

Just past noon, without venturing far, Zhao Hengyi and Wu Old Six began their journey back home.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to hunt more, but their haul was so plentiful that to continue would mean they couldn’t carry all the game back.

The entire Elm Bay was in uproar. In just half a day, Zhao Hengyi and Wu Old Six had hunted thirteen wild rabbits and seven pheasants!

Previously, even if Wu Old Six spent three or four days searching the Great Green Mountain, he could never catch half as much.

Sixth Aunt, beaming with joy, couldn’t stop praising Zhao Hengyi as a fine young man and loudly proclaiming Miaoxiaoyu’s good fortune for her husband.

The villagers envied Zhao Hengyi and Wu Old Six’s rich harvest. No one was foolish; everyone knew that such a bounty was due to the so-called “foolish Hengyi.”

After all, Wu Old Six had been hunting for half a lifetime, and even with the best luck, he could never catch so much in one trip.

Outside Zhao Hengyi’s shabby thatched hut, the sisters-in-law and aunts gathered, chatting and watching the excitement. Miaoxiaoyu, busy welcoming everyone, was praised to the heavens. The old rumors of her being unlucky or a harbinger of misfortune were never mentioned again—now, everyone said she was born to bring prosperity to her husband.

The six little sisters ran happily among the crowd, playing with other village children.

This was an experience the six sisters had never known before—for adults and children alike had always avoided them, fearing misfortune from any contact.

Now, welcomed by the crowd and able to play with peers, the sensible and once pitiable six sisters finally tasted the joy proper to childhood.

Pulled into conversation by the sisters-in-law and aunts, Miaoxiaoyu stole a glance at her husband, who stood among the elders and the village chief. The change in attitude toward herself and her sisters was all thanks to the man called “foolish Hengyi.”

Miaoxiaoyu vowed, for this life and all lives, to devote herself wholeheartedly to her husband.

“Hengyi, I heard from Old Six that this hunt’s success was entirely due to you,” the village chief said, rarely with a pleasant expression. “My second son is nimble enough—he’s been in the mountains gathering fruit. Next time, why not take him along? He can help carry things, be a useful hand.”

“My eldest is strong too. He may be a bit slow, but he can definitely help carry game and supplies.”

“Yes, yes, these boys can help you two out. No need to share the game—just feed them a meal!”

The hand crossbow was Zhao Hengyi’s creation. Anyone who sought favors from Wu Old Six was rebuffed; he sent them all to Zhao Hengyi, leading to this scene.

Facing the chief and the elders, Zhao Hengyi smiled respectfully.

He had never looked down on others due to his skills or knowledge. He knew well that, to thrive in Elm Bay and the Great Yan Kingdom, he must win over the respected elders.

“You’re all too polite. I grew up in Elm Bay, and in my confusion, I received much care from you all—especially after my father passed. Without your help, I’d have starved long ago.”

To outsiders, the “foolish Hengyi” seemed a changed man, speaking clearly and confidently. “I never expected to catch so much game. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have sought help from your strong sons to lend a hand!

But the Great Green Mountain is not safe. Anyone wanting to hunt with me must be agile and strong. I’ll say this now: as long as we hunt together, if there is thick porridge for me, your sons won’t drink thin gruel!”

His words stirred excitement in the crowd, but someone voiced a concern: “How many people do you need? Whose sons will you use? Since Hengyi’s here, let’s settle it clearly!”

Exactly! Your words are sweet, but if you only take one person into the mountain, aren’t you just playing us all for fools?

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense and strange.