rottenTL_Edits

 Chapter 25: The Goat In the dead of night, the dogs were startled awake by a commotion outside. They howled fiercely, sounding almost like wolves. Lin Xing hastily dressed and got out of bed. Outside, Gu Qiming was leaning against the door, waiting for Lin Xing to open it. “Why are you back so late?” Lin Xing asked worriedly. It was well past midnight, approaching the hour of the Rat. Coming down the mountain at this hour was dangerous. Gu Qiming didn’t answer directly, instead smiling and saying, “Look what I’ve brought back today.” He stepped aside to reveal his prize to Lin Xing. Lin Xing peered around him and was astonished to see a large black mountain goat! “Where did you get a black goat?” he exclaimed. “From the mountain, of course,” Gu Qiming replied. “I mean, how did you catch a black goat? They’re rare to see.” And this one was still alive, no less. “I’ll tell you in a bit. Let me tie it up in the yard first...

 Chapter 24: Mountain Crabs “Is it alright to set it up here?” Lin Xing asked. Due to the unexpected encounter with Lin Qing, Gu Qiming had returned much later than Lin Zheng. The three were bustling around the yard, with Lin Xing helping them build a fire pit in the courtyard. Lin Zheng and his partner were patching up the fire pit with mud, while Lin Xing was sharpening bamboo strips to construct a frame above it. As they worked, Gu Qiming set down his things and approached curiously. “What are you building?” Without pausing his work, Lin Zheng glanced at him and replied, “A fire pit.” “A fire pit?” “It’s for warming up in winter. You can also skewer meat on bamboo sticks and roast it over the fire. It’s even more useful than a stove.” Gu Qiming nodded, then, feeling awkward just standing there, asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?” “We’re almost done here. Just wash your hands and wait for dinner,” Lin Yun said, filling...

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 anima...

Chapter 22: Roasted Rabbit Meat Before dawn broke, the kitchen was already bustling with activity. In the main hall, Da Huang and Er Huang were still curled up together, occasionally letting out soft pup-chirps in their sleep. “Ouch!” Gu Qiming winced as he reached for a steamed sweet potato from the pot. The heat stung his hand before he could even touch it, forcing him to quickly retract his arm. Lin Xing carefully dabbed the sweet potato with a damp cloth to check if it was fully cooked. Satisfied, he gently placed it in a bowl without even glancing at Gu Qiming. After all this time, Gu-ge still rushed to eat at every meal, either burning his hands or scalding his mouth time after time. Lin Xing carefully peeled the sweet potato and held it to Gu Qiming’s lips. “Try it. Is it sweet?” “Sweet!” Gu Qiming declared. Lin Xing shot him a playful glare. “You haven’t even tasted it yet!” Gu Qiming grinned cheekily. “Anything peeled by Xingxing’s hands is bound to be sweet.” Though sma...

Chapter 21: Puppies At the end of August, the autumn wind was bleak, and the leaves outside had already begun to yellow. A gust of wind blew, causing the sparse leaves on the trees to fall in a scattered fashion. Gu Qiming arrived at the home of the elderly hunter, Master Liu, carrying pork, river delicacies, and bamboo shoots personally pickled by Lin Xing, with a goal of cradling the newborn puppies. The hunter was none other than Lin Zheng’s master. Knowing that Gu Qiming wanted to train two hunting dogs, Lin Zheng had introduced him to this place. Master Liu had been hunting for many years, and he has always had the habit of keeping dogs. Up to now, for him, dogs have become like old comrades. Even when he wasn’t going hunting, several large dogs were constantly raised at home. It had been just over a month since the mother dog had whelped a litter. Lin Zheng had brought Gu Qiming over specially a few days ago, and there had already b...