The two men rode a horse, galloping through the gradually darkening woods, but they still couldn't get out of the forest. Night had completely fallen, and even the strongest horse, after galloping wildly all afternoon, was exhausted and could no longer move.
"Grandpa, are there tigers in this forest?" Lanqin began to feel afraid as she listened to the strange noises that kept coming from the depths of the darkness. In the 21st century, although Lin Mengyao was a tough woman, she was still afraid of the dark, ghosts, and wild beasts.
The thought of being in an unknown forest during the Qing Dynasty three hundred years ago, and what if she encountered a tiger, leopard, or wolf? She would surely perish there.
“There aren’t any in the woods on my estate, but we’re definitely out of that area now. Whether there are any jackals or wild beasts, I can’t say for sure.” Fourth Master’s deep voice was exceptionally clear in the silent woods.
"Master, the people from the estate should be coming to find us, right? Why haven't you gone back yet?" Lanqin regretted only thinking of this now. She thought to herself: We should have gone back the way we came. Even if we couldn't get out, we might have run into the people who came to our rescue.
“They’ll probably come looking for us, so let’s not go any further. It’s pitch black here, and things will only get more chaotic if we keep going.” Fourth Master seemed to have thought of Lanqin’s thoughts as well, and decided to wait for rescue on the spot.
"Master, what if we encounter a wild beast?" Lanqin snuggled closer to Fourth Master's arms, inwardly cursing herself for getting herself into this mess.
"I don't think I'll be that lucky!" Fourth Master remained calm and composed.
However, Lanqin admired his calm and composed demeanor. In the 21st century, he would definitely be a leader with strong leadership qualities.
The two dismounted in a relatively open area. Fourth Master tied up the horse and said to Lanqin, "You stand here. I'll go gather some dry branches and leaves from around here. Luckily, I have a tinderbox with me, otherwise we might have frozen."
"Master, I'll go with you!" Lanqin said urgently.
"Afraid?" Fourth Master discovered that even the "timid" Lanqin had a certain charm, so he deliberately teased her.
“What if Master goes too far and can’t find his way back?” Lanqin retorted.
Fourth Master frowned, paused for a moment, then turned and walked forward, saying, "Come on."
Lanqin stuck out her tongue behind him and quickly followed.
The two men gathered some broken branches and leaves, each carrying some back to where they had tied their horses.
“These probably won’t last all night. We’ll have to go and gather some thicker branches,” Fourth Master said to Lanqin. “I’ll light a fire first, and you can sit here and watch. With a fire, wild animals won’t dare to come near.”
Lanqin nodded obediently this time. She looked at Fourth Master and took out something about the size of a cigarette from her bosom. It was not very clear in the moonlight.
With a "poof," a tiny flame fell from the sky.
"How impressive! This little thing can start a fire anytime, almost like a lighter!" Lanqin thought to herself, but asked aloud, "Master, do you carry this little thing with you all the time?"
“Of course, a tinderbox is a must. In case you need to light a lamp or get some light, you’ll need it.” As he spoke, Fourth Master gathered some dry leaves together and then held the tinderbox close to the leaves.
A wisp of smoke slowly rose, and within seconds, a bright red flame was burning. Lanqin immediately added some thinner twigs, and the fire grew even stronger.
Indeed, fire can give people a powerful sense of strength. Lanqin's fear of the darkness gradually disappeared with the sound of a flickering fire in the silent forest.
Fourth Master walked a short distance away and picked up some more tree branches.
Lanqin kept the fire burning well, not too brightly so that there wouldn't be enough branches, nor too small so that it wouldn't be effective in keeping out the cold and deterring beasts.
Fourth Master then pulled out a small object that Lanqin didn't recognize from his all-powerful pocket, handed it to her, and said, "I'll go see if I can catch some wild rabbits and pheasants. If you really encounter anything, just pull this up and throw it into the air, and I'll know your location."
"Is that fireworks?" Lanqin guessed.
"These are alarm flares; don't use them unless absolutely necessary," Fourth Master said, then turned and walked into the woods.
Upon hearing this, Lanqin said with some worry, "Master, this forest is quite deep, it's better not to go. I'm not hungry yet!" She was actually quite hungry, but the thought of Fourth Master going hunting in the dark without any bows, arrows, or weapons made her reluctant to go.
But just then, a cooing sound rang out.
"You call this not being hungry?!" Fourth Master asked playfully. "Don't worry, I can shoot a pheasant even with my eyes closed."
As she watched him gradually disappear into the darkness, Lanqin suddenly felt a pang of longing for that figure, and wished she could call out to stop him again, but the words remained unspoken.
In this silent forest, surrounded by darkness, with only the occasional crackling sound of burning branches, Lanqin sat on the cold ground, turning her head to look around, where she saw some stones scattered about.
Why hasn't Fourth Master returned yet? Could something have happened to him?
Lanqin was so overwhelmed by these worries that she almost cried. She hated herself for having such a crazy idea to put herself and the Fourth Master in this situation!
"No, I need to find something to do. I'm going to go crazy from guilt and worry!" Lanqin scrambled to her feet and walked over to some loose rocks, picking them up one by one.
About half an hour later, Fourth Master returned carrying a pheasant and a rabbit. He expected to see Little Princess rushing to him with tears in her eyes, but instead he found Lanqin moving large stones to the side of a tall tree.
"What are you doing?" Fourth Master asked.
Fourth Master walks lightly, and since she was focused on moving stones, she didn't hear him come back.
So the Fourth Master's shout startled her greatly.
Lanqin's forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat; the weather at the end of May was quite muggy.
She shrugged her shoulders, turned around blankly, and when she saw it was Fourth Master, the surprise on her face turned into joy.
"I'm trying to distract myself!" Lanqin said, a thought flashing through her mind.
"Why are you moving all the stones around this tree?" Fourth Master put down his prey, found some hard branches, and then strung the skinned and gutted prey onto the branches.
Lanqin glanced at him and thought to herself, "No wonder you came back so late and even tidied up a bit!" But she said aloud, "If any wild animals come, we can climb a tree!"
Fourth Master turned his head and glanced at Lanqin again, but his eyes clearly conveyed disbelief and a sense of "I give up."
Lanqin walked up to Fourth Master, took the pheasant from his hand, and roasted it over the fire like he did. She then said, "You didn't bring any weapons. If a big wild beast really comes out, I can climb up a tree immediately so you don't have to worry about me."
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