Although Erniu was reluctant to part with Honggu, she knew that Honggu was right.
She nodded vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face. "Aunt Hong, I will. I will take good care of everyone and continue to study medicine so as not to let you down."
Seeing this, the villagers also wiped away their tears, saying they would take good care of themselves and not let Hong Gu worry.
While Hong Gu was bidding a reluctant farewell to the villagers, Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin decided to go up the mountain.
Deep in the mountains, everything was covered in white, as snowflakes fell, draping the earth in a silver coat.
Occasionally, a few wild rabbits would dart across the snow, leaving behind a trail of leaping footprints.
Li Xi brought her Broken Arrow bow today. She hadn't drawn a bow and shot an arrow in a long time, and she felt both excited and nervous.
She stood in the snow, took a deep breath, and composed herself.
Suddenly, a rabbit jumped into the hole.
Li Xi quickly aimed at the target, drew the bowstring taut, and released it the instant the arrow shot out like lightning, piercing the rabbit's head accurately.
Immediately afterwards, she fired two more arrows, both hitting their targets with equal precision.
Qin Xiaolin watched from the side, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
He stepped forward, patted Li Xi on the shoulder, and exclaimed, "Good, this Broken Barbarian Bow is indeed very suitable for you. Your archery skills are still superb, without any rustiness."
Li Xi smiled and put away the bow and arrows. "I should thank you. This bow was a gift from Brother Qin, didn't you forget?"
He took the Broken Barbarian Bow, weighed it in his hand, took an arrow from behind Li Xi, nocked it, drew the bow, and shot it in a certain direction.
With a roar, the beast charged towards them.
"Wild boar!" Li Xi was overjoyed, never expecting to see wild boars in this kind of weather.
An arrow was sticking out of his neck, clearly shot by Qin Xiaolin.
It roared and charged toward the two of them. Qin Xiaolin quickly shielded Li Xi behind him and drew his Broken Arrow bow to its full extent once more.
"Watch out!" he whispered, then released his grip, and the arrow shot towards the wild boar like lightning.
This time, the arrow struck the wild boar precisely in the eye, and it let out a final, pitiful cry before collapsing heavily to the ground.
Li Xi patted Qin Xiaolin on the shoulder and praised, "Brother Qin, your archery skills are truly superb. I am completely humbled."
"Quickly see if there's anything else we can catch and take back. We can't just casually attend this farewell banquet." Qin Xiaolin looked around.
“You’re right.” Li Xi ran into the bushes, where pheasants often lay their eggs.
The two men worked for most of the hour, catching a lot more pheasants and rabbits. They tied their feet together and hung them on a bamboo pole they had temporarily acquired.
The wild boars, weighing about two or three hundred pounds, were hung together on bamboo poles.
Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin each carried one side of the prey back to the village.
At the village entrance, a group of children, who had been waiting impatiently, cheered and surrounded the two as they returned.
"Brother Li, Brother Qin, you're finally back!" a chubby-faced little boy shouted excitedly.
"Haha, Little Tiger, we're back! Look what good stuff we brought!" Qin Xiaolin laughed and shook the bamboo pole in his hand, the prey hanging on it drawing gasps of amazement from the children.
"Wow, wild boars! And so many pheasants and rabbits!" Little Tiger's eyes lit up, and he jumped up excitedly.
"Our farewell banquet is going to be quite lavish!" Li Xi said with a smile.
When they returned to the village, the villagers gathered around them, marveling at the sight of so much prey.
"You two young masters are truly remarkable; you even managed to catch wild animals that are hibernating!" The village chief walked over, patted the two men on the shoulder, and his face was full of admiration.
“Village Chief, this is all we should do. The farewell banquet is to thank everyone for taking care of and helping my grandmother all this time, so of course we should do our best,” Li Xi said modestly.
Afterwards, the adults in the village began to get busy preparing the ingredients and tableware for the farewell feast.
The children surrounded Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin, curiously asking about all the interesting things that happened during the hunt.
As night fell, the farewell banquet officially began.
The villagers sat together, enjoying a sumptuous dinner.
The wild boar meat was stewed until tender and flavorful, while the pheasant and rabbit were roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exuding a wonderful aroma.
After several rounds of drinks, the village chief stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Today, we gather here to bid farewell to Hong Gu. Although she is leaving us, we will always remember her kindness. Let us raise our glasses and wish Hong Gu all the best and smooth sailing!"
Everyone raised their glasses, and words of blessing rose and fell.
Hong Gu also stood up and toasted everyone, saying, "Fellow villagers, once I've finished my business, I will definitely find an opportunity to come back."
After the farewell banquet, Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin followed Hong Gu back home.
Under the moonlight, the three people's shadows stretched long.
Hong Gu was a little flushed from drinking tonight and was in high spirits. "Xiao Xi, you must tell me about your maternal grandfather and your mother tomorrow."
"Okay, whatever you say." Li Xi helped Hong Gu into her room.
Qin Xiaolin rested in another room.
No one knows where the road ahead will lead; every step is full of unknowns and possibilities.
The stars twinkled in the night sky, like distant eyes, silently watching over this land.
In her sleep, Hong Gu began to recall some past events, and the power within her gradually showed signs of revival.
Those fragments buried deep in her memory, like a dusty scroll, slowly unfolded in her mind...
Li Xi went to the village chief's house early in the morning and handed him several silver notes from Xuan Yue Kingdom. "Uncle Village Chief, please distribute these to the villagers. It's my way of thanking everyone for taking care of my grandmother over the past few decades."
The village chief refused to accept it, saying, "Young Master Li, we've treated Hong Gu like family all these years. Talking about money would be too formal."
Li Xi stuffed the silver notes into the village chief's hand and said righteously, "Uncle Village Chief, it's always good to keep some money for yourself. With these three thousand taels, you'll feel at ease."
The village chief couldn't refuse her offer, so he had no choice but to accept it. He secretly planned to find some time to go to the money exchange and exchange it for silver to distribute to everyone.
Fortunately, with this sum of money, the villagers of Zhongcun were able to move to a safe place and rebuild their homes when war broke out later.
Hong Gu looked rather listless when she woke up early in the morning, and Li Xi assumed she was feeling down. So after helping her into the carriage, he told her to get some rest.
The carriage was bought from the villagers, and it fit their two horses perfectly.
The villagers of Zhongcun stood at the village entrance to see Honggu off, their faces filled with reluctance. Honggu, however, dared not look at them, keeping her head down and sitting silently in the carriage.
Li Xi sat beside her, holding her cold hand, and said softly, "Grandmother, don't be sad. We'll have a chance to meet again in the future."
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