Chapter 98: Hunting Boxwood
Xie Chong asked who the bad guy was.
Qin Wanwan: “The male and female protagonists.”
Xie Chong: …………
Who read a storybook to this little one? It seems to have gotten into character.
Keke: This is terrible, it only remembers the male and female protagonists now. Before seeing them, it can’t even recall names.
Heavenly Dao is really something, why did it seal so much of its memory and abilities!
“Don’t be sad, Shang Wuyang won’t be in trouble that easily.”
“Qin Xiaoe and Little Fox, you two come here.”
“Quack?”
What for?
Xie Chong hung a wooden token around each of their necks.
“From now on, you’ll be officials. It’s time to go herding.”
Hu Xiaoyue nudged it with her paws.
This wooden token wasn’t big; it was paw-shaped, carved with a little fox.
Cute!
Xie Chong said, “Shen Shu made this. He likes to carve things when he’s idle. Yours is here too.”
Seeing Qin Wanwan staring at the small wooden token, Xie Chong took out a carved wooden doll.
The chubby wooden doll was very cute, and it truly resembled Qin Wanwan.
“Good-looking!”
Qin Wanwan’s eyes curved as she expressed her liking for it, temporarily forgetting about the villainous protagonists.
“This wooden token has our border army’s insignia on it, and it also represents an identity.”
Qin Xiaoe and Hu Xiaoyue became even more proud, their heads held high.
They were now animals with proper status!
Today was like yesterday. Qin Xiaoe led the way in front, while Hu Xiaoyue trailed behind, swishing her fluffy tail to drive them along.
If any strayed, she’d quickly run over and nudge them back into the flock.
They didn’t need any human help at all.
Xie Chong and the other generals watched, extremely satisfied.
“It seems we can completely hand this over to General Goose and General Fox, hahaha…”
Everyone joked, bestowing the title of General upon the honored fox and goose.
The title of General wasn’t casually given to people; one had to actually attain that rank.
However, there were no such scruples with two animals.
Their General Xie himself played along with this game.
After all, they were in charge of over two thousand ‘subordinates’, hahaha…
Qin Wanwan followed along to the pasture.
Little Red was the most cheerful, nibbling on pasture grass here and there at the edge of the field, filling its belly.
Qin Wanwan saw that it had swallowed two grasshoppers whole.
She poked her daddy’s arm.
“Daddy, can horses eat grasshoppers too?”
Xie Chong: “It’s fine if they eat them.”
“Can other horses eat grasshoppers? Xiaoe got so fat after eating grasshoppers.”
“Little Red seems to like grasshoppers too.”
But they had to be mixed with grass.
Xie Chong: He hadn’t raised one of those before.
These grasshoppers really looked nutritious.
After Little Red finished eating, Qin Wanwan rode on its back and called for the lion and wolves to go hunting on the grassland.
This time, Xie Chong accompanied them, and they went to a farther place.
The grassland had open terrain and many wild animals.
After riding for a while, they spotted a flock of yellow sheep.
Xie Chong’s eyes instantly lit up.
He said to Qin Wanwan, “Have Little Red follow behind. Watch me hunt a sheep for you!”
“Big Goldy, you and the three wolves, approach from the sides and ambush them.”
Qin Wanwan translated her daddy’s words. Big Goldy crept to the left, and the three wolves went to the right.
The current three wolves were no longer complete novices; at least they knew how to approach prey quietly without being discovered.
Xie Chong waited until they were in position, then kicked the horse’s flanks: “Jing Feng, chase them!”
Jing Feng was a warhorse, already trained for speed.
The man and horse had a tacit understanding from years of working together.
Xie Chong let go of the reins and picked up his bow and arrows.
Xie Chong, in hunting mode, was focused and radiant.
The young general was like a drawn sword, nocking three arrows simultaneously.
Though still at least five hundred meters from the yellow sheep, his arrows reached the flock at an imperceptibly fast speed.
The yellow sheep scattered in fright.
The lion and three wolves, who had been ambushing, burst out amidst the chaos.
Big Goldy, with a large appetite, targeted a robust yellow sheep, pouncing and biting its spine.
The three wolves were not as large and had no advantage hunting alone, but they cooperated.
They also targeted a stout yellow sheep, biting its neck, spine, and head.
Xie Chong continued to pursue and shoot from his horse.
He stopped only after the yellow sheep had completely dispersed and disappeared.
Xie Chong looked at today’s haul with a slight smile.
Qin Wanwan also trotted over on Little Red.
“Daddy caught five sheep.”
The great lion caught one, and the three wolves caught one.
They caught seven sheep today!
And they were all plump ones.
Big Goldy dragged the yellow sheep it had killed over and dropped it beside Wanwan.
“Roar~”
“Big Treasure, this is for you.”
Qin Wanwan was held by her daddy as she dismounted, then stood on tiptoe to pat the great lion’s head.
“Thank you, Big Goldy.”
“Awoo~”
“Ours is for you too.”
Qin Wanwan didn’t show favoritism and patted their heads too.
“Good boy, good boy.”
Xie Chong: “You guys can share one.”
These yellow sheep were large; the three wolves and the lion might not even finish one if they shared.
Another one would be for a special meal later.
The weather was hot, and meat left out too long would spoil and go to waste.
As for the five he had hunted, they would be sent to the military camp for everyone to enjoy as well.
However, after hunting the prey, how to transport it back was a problem.
They hadn’t brought a carrier pigeon.
“Jing Feng, go get some helpers.”
Xie Chong patted his horse: “Wanwan and I will wait here.”
Jing Feng neighed and rubbed against Qin Wanwan for a cuddle before leaving.
The three wolves and the great lion often fought when eating together. They were different species with strong territorial instincts and inherently overbearing personalities.
They were especially prone to guarding their food.
So, as they ate, they started to glare at each other, baring their teeth and making threatening growls.
Their eating scene was a bit gruesome, but Xie Chong didn’t stop Wanwan from watching.
Living in this era, parents didn’t have the idea of hiding gruesome things from their children. Especially at the border, even a child had to adapt.
Even children in safe areas, while not directly participating, would watch pigs and chickens being slaughtered.
Xie Chong took a dagger from inside his boot.
“Step aside, I’ll cut it up for you.”
They were about to fight over a meal.
The three wolves and the great lion moved aside a bit, but their eyes were still fixed on the prey.
Xie Chong cut off a large piece of meat and threw it to the wolves, then quickly cut off another large piece and tossed it to the lion.
Once divided, they finally stopped fighting.
Some internal organs, like the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, were the animals’ favorites.
They didn’t like eating the intestines as much.
Xie Chong tossed the intestines aside and continued to cut the meat.
Some carrion-eating birds circled in the sky, also eyeing the prey below.
Meat-eating animals were also drawn by the smell of blood, but they were all small. With humans, a lion, and wolves present, they didn’t dare to come any closer.
