These eggs are light-colored, inlaid with fine mesh patterns, and exude a hint of warmth.
Chen Changyuan smiled happily, carefully placed the egg into the basket surrounded by a circle of cloth, and murmured softly:
"I'm lucky today, it's a good start."
After a short rest, he continued to walk along the mountain road.
As he crushed the fallen leaves, he kept a vigilant look around him, searching for any traces of evidence.
Of course, eating meat alone is not enough, you also need to add some herbs that can protect the body.
I picked up a few dark green plantains and found two young Scutellaria baicalensis seedlings in some shady and damp places.
Although the effects of these medicines cannot be said to be magical, it never hurts to have them on hand.
Just as he was returning, there was a sudden commotion in the bushes and a shadowy figure emerged from the bushes.
Chen Changyuan subconsciously tightened the bowstring in his hand, but after careful identification, his eyes lit up again - this time it was actually a civet cat!
The civet cat had a nimble and well-proportioned body. Its pair of bright eyes stared at Chen Changyuan with vigilance, and it tilted its head silently.
The light brown fur was soft, but the tail was like an upside-down broom, shaking in the fur.
Chen Changyuan licked his lips and said, "This is really a rare and good thing."
Civet cats are not included in the protected category in this era, and it is said that using them to make soup can nourish and replenish qi.
It is especially popular among wealthy families in the market.
Seeing this wild animal in its prime condition, it was enough to earn a generous thank-you meal.
He moved slowly as if to signal, for fear of scaring the mischievous little creature.
However, the civet cat was obviously better at hiding than him, and it disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye.
Chen bit his lip, quickly turned a corner, and used an arc-shaped encirclement to force the civet cat into a dead end.
Sure enough, a moment later, the nimble little creature was shot dead by Chen's bow and arrow.
When Chen Changyuan picked up the civet cat, he couldn't help but smile.
Carrying a full load of prey and herbs, Chen Changyuan's steps became much lighter.
He circled to where the cave was, but paused near the entrance.
His eyes were involuntarily fixed on the ground.
After last night's bombardment, the land had some fresh traces of mud.
His heart sank, and he took out the dagger from his waist which he had not taken out last night due to being busy.
He lowered his body and moved quietly into the cave like a leopard gathering strength.
But the expected figure did not appear in the corner.
An Caicai's hiding place was empty, with only some messy dead branches proving that someone had lived there before.
"Where are the people?"
Chen Changyuan's heart sank. Countless possibilities flashed through his mind:
Was An Caicai captured by Old Li? Or was she discovered by other militiamen first?
Or was it taken away by a wild beast?
This thought made Chen tighten his jaw.
He gripped the dagger tightly, turned around and walked to the cave entrance, carefully examining the traces extending on the ground.
There were clearly two footprints on the ground, but Chen Changyuan quickly identified that the other one was clearly a woman's footprint, with uneven steps, slow speed, and a simple direction.
Combining the previous and subsequent clues, he came to a more stable conclusion in his mind: An Caicai left on her own.
This actually made Chen Changyuan feel relieved, but he didn't frown.
He quickly returned to the cave, gathered the scattered herbs and pheasant eggs, and simply hung the hunted civet cat around his waist.
Finally, he drew out the dagger, looked around vigilantly, and then with mixed feelings, he followed the direction of the footprints.
Chen Changyuan quickly followed the almost disappeared footprints.
The ground beneath my feet became soft, the surroundings became increasingly humid, and the air was filled with the fishy smell of mud.
His frown deepened, and a sense of uneasiness welled up in his heart.
This doesn't seem like a place suitable for walking around casually, especially for a woman who has no experience in mountain survival.
Not long after, he indeed found An Caicai's figure in front of him.
She was standing beside a muddy depression, hesitating, holding the hem of her skirt with both hands and moving her steps cautiously.
But she obviously didn't realize that the pit that looked like an ordinary mud pond was actually a swamp unique to the mountains - once you fell into it, it would be almost impossible to get out safely.
Chen Changyuan ran up without giving any time for explanation.
"Don't move!"
His voice exploded like thunder in the silence. An Caicai was so frightened that her feet slipped and she stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.
“What are you doing!”
She screamed, raised her head in panic, and glared at Chen who was running towards her.
Chen Changyuan ignored her questioning, bent down, and pulled her up from the ground, his eyes as sharp as a knife.
"Do you really want to die? I told you clearly last night not to run around!"
An Caicai patted the mud off her skirt in a panic, with a hint of grievance in her tone.
"I...I thought you abandoned me. You haven't come back for such a long time. I wonder if something happened to you."
"Throw it away?"
Chen Changyuan laughed in anger, "You actually thought I would just abandon someone here? What's going on in your head?!"
His voice suddenly rose a few notches, but he quickly lowered it, as if he was afraid of causing unnecessary commotion.
An Caicai didn't say anything back, and was speechless for a moment. She could only lower her head, looking angry and embarrassed.
Chen Changyuan saw some shame in her expression, but he didn't intend to let it go.
He walked to the side, suddenly frowned, and his eyes fell on a pile of scattered items on the ground.
Chen Changyuan squatted down without saying a word, reached out to pick up one of the paper-like objects, took a closer look, and was immediately stunned.
"What's this?"
His voice lowered, and he picked up two bills of special colors and looked at them, his eyes full of inexplicable complexity.
An Caicai was stunned at first, then her face turned pale and she quickly leaned over to grab the thing back.
"Don't touch it! That's mine!"
However, she was still a step too slow. Chen Changyuan had already pulled out her scattered cloth bag and flipped through the stack of banknotes and several identification documents.
In particular, a yellowed overseas Chinese certificate pierced his sight like a brand.
"So you have this identity."
Chen Changyuan sneered and looked up at An Caicai, "Are you half foreign?"
An Caicai bit her lower lip, as if she didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Chen Changyuan sneered when he saw this.
"No wonder you act so spoiled... The fabric you're wearing is rare in ordinary families. What's the matter? Life is tough for foreigners, so you've fled back to the mountains?"
"What foreigners or not? Stop talking nonsense!"
An Caicai's face flushed with anxiety, and she quickly snatched the documents back, her movements so hasty that she almost looked embarrassed.
Chen Changyuan looked her up and down, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Then explain to me why you are hiding so many rare treasures?"
An Caicai took two breaths, as if trying to calm down, and finally said something in a huff.
"What does that have to do with you? Even if you saved someone, does that mean you can just rummage through their things?"
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