Chapter 307: Chapter 307: On the Mountain
On this journey, there are plenty of matters concerning the Gu Family for the women of the Chen Family to talk about.
In the village now, even Bai Suihe’s grudges with the Gu Family are well-known to everyone.
Bai Suihe is relieved and doesn’t mind it, she even feels grateful to the Chen Family for helping to spread the word.
If it weren’t for waiting for that Holy Decree, she wouldn’t have been so suppressed, enduring everywhere.
In this wicked class society, it’s not enough to be right to make your way in the world; you must plan slowly.
Once she completely cuts ties with them, when the sky is high and the birds can fly, she can live her own life without worrying every day that she might be implicated.
"Miss, shall we go outside and lend a hand?" Chunxiang asked eagerly.
Nanny Pang, who was coming in with the tea just then, asked curiously, "What are we lending a hand for? It’s quite warm in the house."
The room had been heating the fireplace, so Nanny Pang kept an eye on Bai Suihe to make sure she stays hydrated.
"Nanny," the two maidservants stood respectfully to the side as soon as they saw Nanny Pang; they might express themselves freely in front of their Miss, but they wouldn’t dare make even a small gesture in front of Nanny Pang.
"We are just chatting about the village matters," Bai Suihe knew it was her time to drink water again, so without hesitation, she took a sip before saying, "It’s quite boring staying at home, so I can only chat with them for some distraction."
As she said this, Bai Suihe looked at Nanny Pang with a hint of sadness; it hadn’t snowed yet, and still, Nanny Pang wouldn’t allow her to go out.
Outside, the snow was still melting, and although the dirt roads in the village had been compacted, they were still muddy.
"Wait for the sunny days, let it dry for a couple of days, then this old servant will take Miss for a walk in the village every day." Nanny Pang remained unfazed; it was almost time for childbirth, and she dared not be careless.
Bai Suihe was merely voicing her thoughts, without seriously considering going out; she was well aware of her situation.
In ancient times, besides natural birth, there were no cesarean sections.
What may simply seem like a small incident to others, was fatal for her.
Until the belly is unburdened, she dare not be careless; no one knows if this life will end without having another chance to live again, so she cautiously lingered.
Seeing Bai Suihe didn’t bring it up again and obediently sat down to drink water, Nanny Pang couldn’t help but smile kindly; Miss was always restrained in her actions.
So, she turned her attention to asking the two young maids about their earlier conversation; outside, the Song Laidi sisters, who were cleaning in the courtyard, heard the laughter coming from inside and couldn’t help but feel a bit envious and looked longingly towards the side room.
Everyone knew that days spent close to the mistress were easier; look at Dongmei and Chunxiang, their only task was to serve their Miss without having to deal with other chores.
They wondered if there was a chance for them to get close to the Miss, and if she could help arrange a good marriage for them, which might help support their brothers in the future.
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Since the snow stopped, Gu Kaiyuan has been treasure hunting on the nearby hills; the trees on Lingnan Mountain are lush, and there is plenty of wildlife.
Because of the proximity to the village, large animals haven’t been seen, but there are plenty of rabbits and pheasants.
He could bring back some prey every day, which solved the problem of having meat.
Using this meat, he gradually replenished everyone’s bodies after the long journey.
The snow on the mountain was still thick, but traces of more could be seen.
Thinking today would be another day of catching a few little animals to return home, he unexpectedly discovered large footprints on the mountain behind their house.
"Young Master, this looks like bear tracks..."
Gu Kaiyuan’s eyes lit up as he took a closer look, indeed, "Shouldn’t bears be hibernating?"
"Young Master, this is Lingnan, maybe bears here are a bit different." Lin Hua was unsure, "We might have mistaken it, given that the snow has melted a bit."
They were skilled in martial arts, and Nanny Pang had also provided them with medicine, so they wouldn’t be afraid of encountering a pack of wolves, let alone bears.
Moreover, the weather warming up in recent days might have also urged some animals to come out for food.
Since this was near Tian Village, Gu Kaiyuan couldn’t leave such a danger lurking nearby, so he began searching the vicinity and eventually found some more traces that led them to a hidden cave under the vines after trekking over two mountains.
Smelling the faint stench, Gu Kaiyuan realized that this time they had found the right place.
They didn’t know the situation inside and would naturally not rush in recklessly.
"Young Master, should I go and take a look?" Lin Hua unsheathed his sword, eagerness on his face.
Catching a bear today would provide some boasting material for a considerable time.
Others thought they were suffering along with the Young Master, but little did they know they had grown so much in this short period.
"Hold on, let’s go up the trees first," Gu Kaiyuan saw several large trees nearby, a plan forming, "Once you’re up the trees, I’ll throw a stone; let’s see if they’re home.
It’s not good to visit hastily, we must first send a calling card (the stone).
If there truly are bears inside, it’s unclear how many there could be."
Saying this, Gu Kaiyuan picked up a few stones, placed them in his bosom, and leapt onto a tree.
Lin Hua and the others followed, their eyes fixed on the cave entrance.
Seeing everyone ready, Gu Kaiyuan threw several stones into the cave, each stone making its way inside.
As soon as the stones entered, noises could be heard, followed by growling sounds.
It was unexpected to still find bears here; could there also be tigers? It seemed necessary to explore and understand the nearby mountains thoroughly.
Just as he was thinking this, two shadows darted out from the cave, followed by a few staggering cubs.
There were indeed bears, but when seeing the cubs, Gu Kaiyuan immediately stopped Lin Hua and the others from taking action.
Due to the medicine they carried, the bears didn’t notice their presence, circled around, and returned to the cave.
Gu Kaiyuan silently led his men away from the area, only then did Lin Hua inquire, "Young Master, why didn’t we attack earlier?"
"Did you not see the cubs? Let them grow through this winter; without the protection of adult bears, it’s uncertain if they can survive."
Gu Kaiyuan wasn’t being soft-hearted; letting them grow here longer was akin to raising a few bears without needing to feed them; they could return later to handle them in one fell swoop.
"Once the cubs are grown, we can come back and catch them all in one go."
Lin Hua suddenly understood, "The young master sure has foresight; it’s like we’re raising bears here."
As for whether the bears would run away, where could they run to? They would still be somewhere in these mountains, and it would be easy to locate them again. This deal was indeed profitable.
After bringing back a few rabbits and pheasants, they handed them over to the kitchen staff, changed their clothes, and finally returned to their room.
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