Chapter 35: The Crime of Gender 35

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Crime of Gender 35As the man approached, Qin Shuangshuang was momentarily taken aback before remembering to answer him, "I’m not afraid. I’ve been running around in the mountains for a long time. I’m familiar with every path here, I won’t get lost." "Running around in the mountains for a long time?!" Hearing Qin Shuangshuang’s response, the man was surprised. How young was Qin Shuangshuang, yet she was already accustomed to running in the mountains! Moreover, he glanced at Qin Shuangshuang’s basket, which contained quite a few wild vegetables, all of good quality, and even a small bunch of tender bamboo shoots that seasoned foragers couldn’t find at this time of year! It was clear that her claim of running in the mountains wasn’t false. The man thoughtfully touched his chin, carefully looked Qin Shuangshuang up and down again, and confidently said, "You’re the second daughter of the Qin Family Village!" Qin Shuangshuang was stunned, a little surprised, and said, "Uncle, how do you know who I am?" The man laughed heartily, "In Qin Family Village, there’s a girl with immense natural strength, and she’s quite capable. Even at a young age, she brings home lots of things from the mountains to help with household expenses. Who doesn’t know that? I heard you recently hunted a wild boar on your own; this story has been spread around ten miles eight villages!" What the man didn’t say was that Qin Shuangshuang’s reputation for natural strength and capability was accompanied by tales of her troublesome grandmother, who loved to torment her children-in-law and granddaughters, and her meddlesome third uncle and aunt. The man also remembered the rumors that after the girl hunted the wild boar, she nearly got killed by her grandmother when she sent meat to the family that had taken care of her! The man had a good impression of the girl, understanding gratitude, she was a good child! Seeing Qin Shuangshuang entering the mountains with her basket, the man felt a surge of compassion, instinctively patting Qin Shuangshuang’s head like he would his own daughter, and smiled, "It’s not safe for a child to be alone in the mountains, why don’t you come with me? Once we descend, you can head home on your own!" seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qin Shuangshuang was more than happy to have the chance to get close to him. She nodded happily, her beautiful eyes curved like crescents, which softened the man’s heart. The little girl beside him was even happier, hugging Qin Shuangshuang tightly and insisting on taking care of her little sister. The little girl was the man’s daughter, and Qin Shuangshuang naturally had a good impression of her. The girl was lively and adorable, and Qin Shuangshuang, with the years of her past and present lives combined, felt that she could easily be the girl’s grandmother. With a mindset of a senior indulging a junior, Qin Shuangshuang was very indulgent as the little girl treated her like a doll, carrying her around. When the little girl felt tired, Qin Shuangshuang considerately got down and walked on her own. As they walked, the man continuously taught his daughter and Qin Shuangshuang about survival and hunting knowledge in the mountains, even taking Qin Shuangshuang to dig several small ginseng roots, mostly two or three years, or five or six years old. They weren’t very potent but were good for health nonetheless! This time, Qin Shuangshuang finally learned the man’s name, Fang Zhongyi, and the girl’s name, Fang Yaoyao, who had a lively nature, loved hunting, and aspired to become a hunter as skilled as her father! Today was Fang Zhongyi’s first day bringing his daughter, who had been learning archery for a long time, to the mountains to test her skills. Who would’ve thought her first shot would result in meeting Qin Shuangshuang? Qin Shuangshuang felt a spark in her heart. She had been pondering how to strengthen her relationship with Fang Zhongyi but hadn’t come up with a plan. Until now. She had a sudden idea; what if she apprenticed herself to Fang Zhongyi? People spoke of honoring teachers and valuing the path; a mentor is like a father. A master carries the weight of a second father! If she became Fang Zhongyi’s apprentice, she could rightfully grow close to him, be filial to him, and make up for the regret in her past life when she couldn’t even visit his grave after his death, only secretly burning offerings and cherishing his memory in her heart. Qin Shuangshuang cherished this thought but didn’t voice it yet. It was, after all, her first meeting with Fang Zhongyi, and they weren’t familiar enough. Though both Fang Zhongyi and his daughter were kind-hearted and took care of her with good intentions, she couldn’t take advantage of their kindness and behave presumptuously! Qin Shuangshuang thought it best to deepen their acquaintance by interacting a few more times. Once she and Fang Zhongyi became familiar with each other, and Fang Zhongyi knew what kind of person she was, she could naturally broach this topic. With Fang Zhongyi leading the way, the subsequent hunting trip was extraordinarily smooth. Every trace of game that Qin Shuangshuang couldn’t find was almost transparent in Fang Zhongyi’s eyes. A casual glance would reveal the presence of animals nearby. Fang Zhongyi also witnessed Qin Shuangshuang’s immense strength. The opportunity arose when Fang Zhongyi, along with Qin Shuangshuang, tracked down a herd of deer. Then, Fang Zhongyi used his exceptional archery skills to precisely shoot a stag as large as a small horse! Fang Zhongyi’s archery skills were incredibly precise. His arrow hit directly in the stag’s eye without damaging the hide, leaving Qin Shuangshuang completely in awe, full of admiration! Little did he know that Fang Zhongyi was also astounded by Qin Shuangshuang’s display! Indeed, having encountered the herd of deer, Qin Shuangshuang couldn’t go back empty-handed. She, too, captured a stag comparable to the one Fang Zhongyi had hit with his arrow, and it was still alive! Qin Shuangshuang captured the deer purely by relying on her considerable strength. She charged in upon seeing them, jumped up without any care, and wrapped her arms around a deer’s head, delivering punch after punch until she knocked the deer out! The capture process was simple and brutal, with no technique that could be learned! Admittedly, Qin Shuangshuang was quite lucky. When she leapt onto the deer, she didn’t choose, thinking any deer she could grab would be a gain. When she lunged, she hadn’t even seen what she had captured yet found that she had grabbed a majestic stag with large antlers! Qin Shuangshuang was overjoyed. Deer were more valuable than other game, especially an alive one, which was even more valuable! Fang Zhongyi took his hunts directly to the county to sell, and since he never damaged the hides, they could fetch a good price. Qin Shuangshuang entrusted her deer to Fang Zhongyi to sell along with his. Fang Zhongyi agreed cheerfully, without any fear of trouble. Along the way, Fang Zhongyi also discovered two rabbit holes and three wild chickens. He didn’t lay a hand on these prey, letting Qin Shuangshuang and Fang Yaoyao catch them for fun. Qin Shuangshuang never found too much prey to be a bother. With the rabbits trapped in their burrows, Qin Shuangshuang, experienced in catching rabbits, easily caught two plump ones. Wild chickens, however, were harder to catch. Qin Shuangshuang’s movements weren’t nimble enough, and she only managed to catch one. Fang Yaoyao also participated, shooting an arrow which missed the wild chicken, just grazing its wing. The arrow flew straight into the thick woods opposite them. Qin Shuangshuang was thinking about how Fang Yaoyao’s arrow had missed again when suddenly she heard an exclamation coming from within those woods!