Chapter 30 Pheasant Neck
During the house search, the officials were ordered to come to the general's mansion and search the huge storehouse inside and out. Apart from a few spoiled vegetable leaves and a few copper coins, not a single piece of real money or silver was found. During the exile, Qin Xiangnuan occasionally gave them some favors, such as land deeds or silver notes, which inevitably made people think too much.
It is natural for them to be suspicious now that they are facing difficulties.
Qin Xiangnuan gently stroked her fingers, pondered for a while, and a slight curve appeared at the corner of her lips.
"Sir, we eat and drink together."
"If you really are suspicious, just tie us all up again. We won't starve to death even if we have to eat coarse food, right?"
After Qin Xiangnuan finished speaking, she slowly walked to the side of the chief official and said in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "No matter what method I use, as long as there is a bite of meat to eat in the general's mansion, you can follow me. Please think carefully about which method is most suitable?"
The officer frowned and looked at the young girl in front of him, his heart filled with turmoil.
He had also worked in the palace and had met many concubines in front of the emperor, but in terms of demeanor and ability, no one could compare to Qin Xiangnuan.
"Miss San is right, I'll do as you say."
The officer took a half step back, waved his hands and left with his followers, who scattered into the forest, looking for something to eat.
The climate in Savage Valley was humid, and thick moss grew in the cracks between the rocks. Mosquitoes, rats, and ants were everywhere. The chief constable used his scabbard to push away the spider silk hanging from his head, frowning silently. The henchman beside him couldn't help but grumble, "Boss, aren't you being a little too laissez-faire with that little girl from the General's Mansion? What does she know? We've escorted countless exiled criminals, and none of them have had such a comfortable life like this one."
"If it were you, I'd tie them all up and search them from head to toe. I'm sure you'd find something!"
The skinny monkey spat on the ground twice and added fuel to the fire.
"That's right! Before we left, the Seventh Prince gave us orders to torture the people in the General's Mansion. Not only did we not do it, we even became their lackeys. How can we be reasonable?"
"Boss, when have we ever been treated like this?"
The more they spoke, the angrier they became. They all stood where they were, refusing to move an inch. They all stared at the chief officer, waiting for an explanation.
The chief officer looked at their expressions and slapped the tree trunk with his hand, "Shut up!"
"We have been ordered to escort them into exile. As long as the people from the General's Mansion arrive at the border, our mission will be accomplished. As for the rest, we just need to make up some words to appease the nobles above, and we can get through this smoothly."
The chief officer growled, and seeing his anger, the others didn't dare to move. "Lock Qin Xiangnuan up again. Where are you going to grill fish? Grill meat? Will you, or will he go find her?"
"They have Wang Qiang and other strong men. We just need to follow and watch."
"I think you're all just stupid. If anyone mentions this to me again, pack up and get out!"
The chief constable uttered a harsh word and continued searching for something to eat. The other henchmen looked at each other, their heads drooping. They wiped their noses guiltily with the backs of their hands and said in a muffled voice, "Boss, don't be angry. We'll all listen to you."
"Hey! Boss, I found some Ganoderma! Is this it? Look, is it edible?"
Skinny Monkey walked at the end of the group, his eyes fixed on a few clusters of mushrooms at the base of a tree stump. He reached out and broke off some, then held them up to the chief official. He swallowed his saliva, his eyes bright with hunger as he said, "This stuff tastes incredibly delicious when roasted."
"How about we eat here secretly?"
Skinny Monkey's proposal was echoed by the people around him. After several struggles, they were already starving. At this moment, they wanted to grab two handfuls of soil and stuff them into their mouths to fill their stomachs.
The chief officer hesitated, glancing towards the general's camp. "But we promised her..."
"Let's eat it quietly. They won't know. Just wipe the corners of your mouths clean and keep your mouths shut so they don't get caught." Skinny Monkey nudged the officer's chief with his shoulder and pointed at his brothers. "Let's take it back and share it with the people in the General's Mansion. Each person can only get one bite, which is not enough to fill our teeth. We won't even get to taste it before it's all gone."
After all, they were brothers. Although the chief officer felt guilty, he still nodded and approved of their actions.
They broke the colorful mushrooms into pieces, strung them together on a few thin branches, and then set fire to two piles of dry grass and leaves to grill them. In the glow of the fire, they devoured the mushrooms with relish, practically wolfing them down before quickly stamping out the remaining flames.
On the other side of the Savage Valley, Wang Qiang and Qin Xiangnuan pushed aside the knee-high weeds and continued walking deeper into the valley.
"Miss San, you take a break here. I'll go explore the way ahead."
Wang Qiang always felt that it was his fault, so he always rushed to the front.
Qin Xiangnuan looked at his back as she sat on the stone. She placed her hands on her wrists, closed her eyes, and once again took advantage of her free time to come to the space. The things she had taken away 24 hours ago were now fully stocked. Food was the most important issue at the moment. Given the environment of Savage Valley, she could only choose some wild game. "Gugugugu... Gugugugu... Come on, follow me."
The petite girl walked towards the fence with a ferocious look in her eyes. Several pheasants flapped their wings and screamed and ran away in fear.
After a while, Qin Xiangnuan came out with a pheasant with a broken neck in each hand, a few big eggs in her arms, and some potatoes and radishes in the hem of her lantern sleeves. She came out with a full load, and while Wang Qiang was not back yet, she parted the grass and buried all the things in it.
"Brother Wang! Come and see!"
Qin Xiangnuan used the same trick again and made arrangements anxiously.
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiang rushed back as fast as he could. Staring at the bountiful "trophies" before him, he licked his lips with his tongue, rubbed his eyes, and said in disbelief, "Miss San, am I dreaming?"
"I've lived near Savage Valley for five or six years, and I've never heard of pheasants here."
Qin Xiangnuan raised her lips awkwardly and urged him to pick up the things. "Maybe they only live nearby? Everyone must be hungry. Let's take them back quickly and feed them!" Wang Qiang nodded and followed behind her. "This pheasant will be delicious when plucked and grilled. I will handle these wild game items. Miss San just needs to wait."
"This thing, break its neck and drain its blood from its throat..."
Wang Qiang said this and looked down at the pheasants, their heads drooping. He finally noticed something strange, "Did you kill them?"
"Maybe."
Qin Xiangnuan walked in front and hurriedly quickened her pace to avoid him asking more questions.
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