ABPUBALC - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Little Thief

“When we get to the mountain, I’ll go deep into the forest with Lin Zheng to hunt. I’ll set the traps along the way. If I don’t return by nightfall, don’t wait up for me.”

At the crack of dawn, Gu Qiming and Lin Xing were packing their bags, preparing to visit Lin Yun and the others in the mountains.

Since the couple’s dramatic return to Lin Family Village, they had been living in the mountains, in a house built by Liu, the hunter, when he was young.

As the old hunter’s apprentice, Lin Zheng had inherited the house. Before he left Lin Family Village, he often stayed in the mountains for ten to fifteen days at a time while hunting.

The deeper into the mountains they went, the harder the path became. This house was built even deeper than where Gu Qiming usually hunted.

Because they set out early, when Gu Qiming, supporting Lin Xing, arrived at their destination, they only found Lin Yun at home. He was sprinkling animal repellent powder in the yard, as the mountains often attracted snakes and insects, requiring regular treatment.

“Why are you here so early? The morning dew is heavy in the mountains. Come sit for a while.”

Knowing what they wanted to ask, Lin Yun set aside his work and took the basket from Lin Xing’s back, explaining, “Zheng-ge went to the river to fetch water. He’ll be back soon.”

There was no well in the yard, so they had to fetch water every few days.

The yard was kept very clean. Although surrounded by towering forests, there were few fallen leaves. Wooden water barrels were neatly arranged in front, and some game hung under the eaves. They had even managed to grow flowers and plants in the yard.

It was clear the owners took good care of their home.

Gu Qiming and Lin Yun had only met twice before, the last time being when he and Lin Xing helped them move in and tidy up the house.

After exchanging greetings, Gu Qiming wasn’t sure what else to say, so he sat in the yard tending to the plants.

Lin Xing and Lin Yun, on the other hand, seemed to have endless topics to discuss.

When Lin Zheng returned, this was the scene that greeted him: his husband and Lin Xing holding hands, chatting animatedly, while Gu Qiming sat alone tending to the plants. It was quite an amusing sight.

He poured the water he had fetched into the barrel, exchanged a few words with Lin Yun, then got ready to leave with Gu Qiming. They had already arranged to go hunting together that day.

Lin Xing packed the dried food he had prepared that morning into the cloth bag at Gu Qiming’s waist, admonishing him, “Come back early. Your shoulder is still injured, don’t overexert yourself.”

Gu Qiming gently brushed the back of his hand against Lin Xing’s face. “I know. Be careful here too.”

After Gu Qiming and Lin Zheng left, Lin Xing stood at the door, watching them until they disappeared from sight before returning inside.

As he turned around, he saw Lin Yun standing in the yard, looking at him with an amused expression.

Lin Xing’s face turned bright red. He had been so preoccupied with Gu Qiming’s injury that he had forgotten they were at someone else’s home.

“They’ve gone far away now. Still haven’t come back to your senses?”

“I... I have,” Lin Xing stammered.

After finishing spreading the remaining animal repellent, Lin Yun said with a smile, “Now that they’re gone, let’s go pick some wild persimmons. Quite a few on the mountain have ripened. If we don’t go soon, the birds will eat them all.”

It had been a long time since Lin Xing had tasted persimmons. Hearing Lin Yun’s suggestion, he too began to crave their unique flavor. Excited, he followed Lin Yun out.

*

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the mountainside. This area was rarely visited by humans; only occasional bird calls echoed through the forest.

“This is a good spot for the trap, close to a water source, so game will pass by often,” Lin Zheng said as he helped Gu Qiming set the trap. He then taught him how to identify animal trails and choose suitable ambush points.

Although Gu Qiming had only been on two hunts with Lin Zheng in recent days, he had learned a great deal.

It was undeniable that a true hunter knew far more than an amateur like himself.

To excel in any field, one needed not only to accumulate experience but also to have a guide.

He had clearly seen that Lin Zheng had hunted more in this short period than he usually did in a month. The eaves of their house were full of game.

No wonder Lin Xing had said their family used to be one of the wealthiest in the village. With skills like these, it would be impossible not to make money.

“Alright, thank you for all your help today. I’ll go check on the traps I set earlier. You can get on with your work,” Gu Qiming said.

Lin Zheng nodded expressionlessly and left, carrying his bow and arrows.

This was their third time hunting together. When they first became acquainted, knowing that Gu Qiming also hunted in these mountains, it was Lin Zheng who had suggested they team up.

Gu Qiming knew that given Lin Zheng’s personality, he wouldn’t normally want to partner with others. He was likely doing this as a favor to Lin Xing.

However, they usually worked separately. Before hunting, Lin Zheng would teach Gu Qiming some techniques and share his experience. Having hunted for nearly ten years, Lin Zheng was far more familiar with the mountains than Gu Qiming. He knew all the best spots for setting traps.

Gu Qiming had learned a great deal from him these past few days.

They didn’t stay together while hunting. The wild animals in the mountains were clever; the more people, the easier they were to detect. Moreover, two people together couldn’t move as freely.

While they were busy hunting in the mountains, Lin Xing and Lin Yun weren’t idle either. The two were in the forest with bamboo baskets, picking wild persimmons.

“The birds have really pecked at quite a few,” Lin Xing remarked, looking at the pockmarked crisp persimmon in his hand. They had knocked down quite a few with a pole, but not many were intact. Most showed signs of being pecked by birds.

Lin Yun laughed, “There’s only so much to eat in the mountains. If we’d come two days later, there might have been nothing left.”

“When the wild tangerines ripen in winter, we should be able to pick plenty,” Lin Yun added.

At the mention of wild tangerines, Lin Xing immediately shook his head. “Let’s forget about those. Just one bite and your tongue feels like it’s going to fall off from the sourness.”

The first time he’d tasted a wild tangerine was when Lin Yun had secretly given him one. He’d only tried one bite before the sourness overwhelmed him, nearly making him spit it out.

Watching Lin Yun eat an entire wild tangerine without changing expression had almost made his jaw drop in shock.

Later, he learned that when Lin Yun was young, his family had little food, so he often came to the mountains in winter to pick wild tangerines to stave off hunger.

At that time, Lin Xing had been depressed for a long time after his mother passed away. If it hadn’t been for Lin Yun’s frequent encouragement, who knows how long he would have been stuck in that state.

“Try this one. I don’t know how this persimmon tree grew, but the fruit is quite sweet,” Lin Yun said, offering a persimmon to Lin Xing.

Lin Xing took the persimmon, wiped it casually on his clothes, and took a bite. It was indeed very sweet. Though there was still a slight astringency, it was almost negligible.

As he ate, he said, “We can take some back and dry them in the yard to make persimmon cakes. Those are delicious too.”

This wild persimmon tree had produced quite a lot of fruit. The two of them used bamboo poles to knock them down before picking them up, eventually filling nearly a whole basket.

The household was running low on many things, including soapberries, so Lin Xing filled another basket full of soapberry fruits.

They were fortunate that these deep mountains were rarely visited by people. The soapberry trees still had fruits on them, unlike those at the foot of the mountain which had long been picked clean.

*

“Sigh...”

As the sun was about to set, Gu Qiming sighed and decided to check on the snares and traps he had set a few days ago.

Today’s luck hadn’t been good. He hadn’t caught any game, and at noon he hadn’t dared to shoot at a fox he’d seen.

Hunting foxes required skill. They couldn’t just be killed outright; only an intact fox was valuable.

The most valuable part of a fox was its fur. Even a small tear would greatly reduce its price.

Gu Qiming walked out absent-mindedly. Before he reached where he had set his traps, he spotted Lin Qing[e/n: One of Lin Xing’s abusive older brothers, last mentioned in chapter 17] skulking around the mountain, looking like a thief at the scene of the crime.

He quietly stepped aside to hide, intending to follow and see what Lin Qing was up to.

Lin Qing was somewhat cautious, stopping now and then to look around for anyone near. His behavior only strengthened Gu Qiming’s suspicion that he was up to no good.

After walking a short distance, Lin Qing stopped and furtively lifted one of Gu Qiming’s traps, skillfully removing a still-struggling pheasant from inside.

“Damn it,” Gu Qiming thought to himself. No wonder he hadn’t found any game in his traps these past few days. It had all ended up in someone else’s pocket.

Anger rose in his heart. Taking advantage of Lin Qing’s distraction, Gu Qiming quietly approached, swiftly threw a bamboo basket over Lin Qing’s head, and kicked him to the ground. He shouted angrily, deliberately disguising his voice, “What kind of thief is this? Do you know whose traps you’re stealing from?”

He didn’t hold back, using one hand to keep the basket in place so Lin Qing couldn’t turn his head, while kicking him viciously again and again.

“Ah! Ah! Spare me, good sir! I... I was just possessed by a moment of madness, I don’t know why I...” Lin Qing knelt on the ground, stammering and trembling, his words unclear.

Gu Qiming ignored his pleas, remaining silent as his blows grew increasingly fierce. The forest echoed only with Lin Qing’s continuous begging for mercy.

With a final blow, Gu Qiming stomped hard on Lin Qing’s lower leg.

“Ah!” Lin Qing let out an agonized scream, his body drenched in cold sweat. The pain in his leg was so intense he wished he could just pass out.

Gu Qiming removed the basket from Lin Qing’s head. Lin Qing’s face was covered in snot and tears, his expression contorted with pain.

Feeling somewhat nauseated by the sight, Gu Qiming feigned surprise and said, “Lin Qing? Is that you?”

“Gu... Gu Qiming?” Lin Qing struggled to open his eyes and look up. It was indeed Gu Qiming.

Anger surged within him. “How dare you beat me!”

Gu Qiming thought to himself, “Idiot, who else would I beat?”

Outwardly, he maintained his facade, saying with false concern, “I’ve lost quite a bit of game these past few days. I thought a thief was at work. What are you doing here? Surely you weren’t...”

He deliberately glanced at the nearby trap.

By now, Lin Qing was growing fearful. Ever since he had accidentally stumbled upon this easy pickings, he had been taking things from here for several days without being discovered. Who would have thought he’d be caught red-handed by Gu Qiming today?

Lin Qing’s heart pounded with fear, but he deliberately raised his voice to bolster his courage. “What are you implying? Do you suspect me of taking your game? I’ll have you know, this pheasant was hard-won by me today.”

“You lose your own prey and try to pin it on me?” he continued. “How dare you!”

He wasn’t stupid. From the looks of it, Gu Qiming must know he’d taken the game. But as long as he adamantly denied it, there was nothing Gu Qiming could do, even if he knew the truth.

Deep down, Lin Qing was quite afraid of Gu Qiming. After all, when this man got vicious, even several strong men couldn’t handle him.

Lin Qing swallowed hard, trying his best to appear natural.

Gu Qiming deliberately remained silent for a good while, watching Lin Qing squirm uncomfortably. Finally, he spoke in a low voice, “I see. Well, I apologize then. It was careless of me. Let me help you down the mountain.”

“No need, no need. As long as you know you were wrong, that’s enough,” Lin Qing waved his hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance. “Next time, don’t be so quick to lash out without knowing the facts. It’s fortunate we’re practically family. If it were someone else, who knows how they might try to extort you.”

He scoffed inwardly at the idea of letting Gu Qiming help him down. If that happened, the whole village would know by tomorrow that he’d been caught stealing Gu Qiming’s game on the mountain.

His body ached all over, especially his lower leg, which throbbed with intense pain. Lin Qing limped down the mountain, muttering curses under his breath.

Watching Lin Qing’s pathetic state, Gu Qiming couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

He had finally found the chance to exact his revenge thoroughly. It seemed Lin Qing had been at this for more than just a day or two.

Petty thievery never ended well in places like this. With Lin Qing harboring such intentions, he was bound to get what he deserves sooner or later, even without Gu Qiming’s intervention.

He cleaned up the mess on the ground. The pheasant in the trap had long since escaped in the chaos.

Although he had no tangible gains today, having taught Lin Qing a lesson left Gu Qiming in a fairly good mood.

Thinking of Lin Xing waiting for him at someone else’s house, Gu Qiming unconsciously quickened his pace, heading back into the mountains under the faint moonlight.

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