There's a grove of trees not far from here. It's autumn now, and there are lots of dry firewood in the grove.
"There are pheasants in the woods..." The Snake King saw He Tiantian working tirelessly outside the barrier, spinning like a top. He thought that in a few days it would be time for He Tiantian to "donate blood," so he made sure she was well-fed.
"Yes, yes, yes..." He Tiantian quickly said in her mind, "You can see that everyone is working very hard, so we should eat more good food."
The Snake King grew impatient and said arrogantly, "What do I care about others! Only if you eat well can you provide me with good holy blood."
This person is ungrateful. It's rare for me to have a change of heart and want to treat her well, but this brat actually thinks of giving food to others. What a pushover!
Too nice!
If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have said anything.
Hearing Snake King's words, He Tiantian was deeply moved. No matter how nasty Snake King's attitude was, he was still very kind to her.
The Snake King is proud and sensitive, and he is best at showing concern for her in an annoying tone.
He Tiantian didn't mind the Snake King calling her stupid, so she could sense the Snake King's awkward goodwill.
“Snake King, look, there are so many people around me. I’m always surrounded by people, and I never have a moment alone. How can I possibly have a chance to eat alone? I’ll only have a chance to eat if everyone can eat together. You’re very capable, catching pheasants, so I can eat with everyone,” He Tiantian persuaded. “Besides, today is my first time coming to Pahe. If I successfully complete the mission, or even exceed the target, everyone will definitely have a good impression of me.”
After hearing He Tiantian's words, the Snake King was no longer so resistant. It didn't matter anymore, as long as He Tiantian could get her food. Anyway, there were pheasants and rabbits in the forest, and fish in the river, which it could easily catch. Eating them a few more times would also help it replenish its strength.
The Snake King felt very unhappy when he thought about how he had to work as a wet nurse in addition to his cultivation.
The mighty Snake King has fallen to such a state!
However, He Tiantian is a good girl. She is willing to provide it with holy blood. As the king who rewards merit, he naturally cannot treat He Tiantian unfairly.
Once they reached the grove, He Tiantian first cut some dry grass and leaves to use as kindling, and then the two began picking up small twigs that had fallen to the ground. Before long, they had filled two large baskets and were ready to head back.
"Where is it?" They were about to go back, but He Tiantian still hadn't seen the pheasant. Could the Snake King really be angry?
"I'm not that stingy," the Snake King retorted. "It's right there in that dense forest up ahead!"
"Hehe, Snake King is the most magnanimous! Please forgive my rudeness!" He Tiantian said awkwardly, "Thank you very much, Snake King."
Following the Snake King's instructions, He Tiantian stopped in front of the dense grass and whispered, "Xiao Yan, there are pheasants inside. You go from the left, and I'll go from the right. Let's surround and catch the pheasants."
Good heavens, there's a pheasant! She's never caught a pheasant with her own hands before!
Qi Xiaoyan's eyes lit up. Following He Tiantian's instructions, she went to the left and joined He Tiantian in surrounding the dense bushes.
He Tiantian moved quickly, parted the grass, and grabbed two pheasants by the neck, one in each hand, excitedly saying, "Xiao Yan, we caught them! There are two more!"
"Great, there are two! Look, there are more than a dozen eggs in that nest." Qi Xiaoyan, having failed to catch any pheasants, quickly went to pick up the dozen or so wild eggs on the ground.
The two were overjoyed. They put the pheasant in their baskets, carried the wild eggs in their clothes, and with firewood on their backs, hurried back to share the good news with Director Zhao.
Director Zhao was quite envious when she saw the pheasant and wild eggs that He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan had caught. However, since she hadn't found them, they didn't belong to her, so it couldn't be considered her achievement. She said, "You two found these, so take them home. If you eat them here, even if others see them and know that you caught them yourselves, they won't feel comfortable. After all, you're at work, not having a leisurely time."
He Tiantian wasn't a teenage girl; she could easily understand Director Zhao's polite words. Taking those two pheasants back was fine, but it would definitely cause endless trouble later. Besides, with the Snake King around, she wouldn't lack food, so there was no need to be stingy with such a small thing.
“Director Zhao, we caught these while we were working, so they naturally belong to the collective. Since they belong to the collective, everyone can eat them. We don’t know how to cook them, so we’ll let you distribute them. If everyone eats well, they’ll have more energy to work and finish the task sooner. Not only will we get praise and rewards from the commune, but we can also go back to the village to hibernate sooner,” He Tiantian said sincerely. She wasn’t going to offend all the able-bodied young men and women in the village over two pheasants.
These people are the pillars of their families and the main force of Qijia Village. Their words carry weight, and if anything happens, their help can save He Tiantian a lot of trouble.
He Tiantian gave up what she had gained. Even if everyone couldn't repay her now, these young and middle-aged people would definitely not stand idly by if something happened to her.
Qi Jianguo is capable, but he can't go against all the men, women, and children in the village.
When Qi Xiaoyan heard He Tiantian say that, she also took out the eggs from her pocket and said, "Auntie, these eggs are for you too. They're all from the same village, so everyone gets a share."
Director Zhao was delighted to hear this, as a good lunch would enhance her prestige in the village.
"It's rare that you two girls can be so understanding. We'll share these things, and we'll remember your kindness." Director Zhao said with a smile. "Crossing the river is hard work, so having some meat will give the men, young and old, more strength. You two go to the riverbank and prepare these two pheasants. We'll stew them with radishes, cabbage, and corn later. As for these dozen or so eggs, the dried wood ear mushrooms over there are soaked. We'll make a wood ear mushroom and egg soup. Oh my, this is a very good meal today. It's like New Year's Day in our village."
He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan agreed and took a small basin and a kitchen knife to the stream.
"Chicken innards are also good stuff. If you clean them properly, you can eat them too. Don't throw away those good things," Director Zhao reminded them from behind, worried that the young girls would think the chicken innards were unclean and wouldn't want to clean them.
"I understand." He Tiantian replied. In her previous life, she had been making braised food for more than ten years, and she would keep everything edible from the chicken.
He Tiantian's movements were incredibly swift, which surprised Qi Xiaoyan. She asked, "Sister Tiantian, what does your family do? Even a real chef couldn't clean this up as quickly as you."
(To be continued.)
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