Chapter 063: Hunched Over

The problem was that even with all these chickens, they wouldn’t last more than a few days.

Although the young hunters had also brought back quite a few wild rabbits, both large and small, there were simply too many people within the city walls. The chickens and rabbits wouldn’t last long.

When Qinghu heard that there were no more chicks, she went herself to check on the eggs that had been brought back.

The moment she left, the woman guarding the eggs cried out in shock.

All the eggs that had filled the basket were gone.

Instead, the straw in the warehouse was now teeming with lively, chirping chicks—over a thousand of them, cheeping noisily.

Someone quietly went to tell Qingjin about the matter. He could only shake his head as he went to find his little sister.

“How did all the eggs in the warehouse turn into chicks?”

“I heard them calling to be let out, so I just touched them gently, and then they came out. Really. I didn’t do anything else, just touched them a little.” As the Lord of Light, the source of life, with just a gentle touch, she ensured their smooth and healthy birth.

Qingjin was at a loss—what did she mean, just touched them and they came out?

“Was it the same with those fish eggs you had before? Did you just touch them and they hatched?”

“Ah, big brother, how did you know? That’s exactly what I told Mother and Fourth Brother, but they didn’t believe me. They told me not to daydream.”

If Qingjin hadn’t investigated and found it to be true, he would have told her to stop daydreaming as well!

“In the future, try not to touch other people’s eggs, or anything like that. What if something dangerous hatches?”

Qinghu nodded repeatedly, though inwardly she muttered: I only did it because I heard we were running out of chicken to eat. I eat fish and meat every day myself, but the people can’t even have a taste of chicken. I feel a bit guilty.

“All right, go and play. But when there are many people around, don’t call the fish fry out of the lake,” Qingjin advised.

“Okay, okay.”

With this sudden increase in chicks, Qingjin simply set up two courtyards specifically for raising chickens and rabbits. Although rabbits breed quickly, the chicks grow and lay eggs even faster. The key point is that each chicken can lay about ten eggs at a time.

Feed them diligently, and they can lay three or four eggs a day. In just over a month, the chicks grow into adult chickens and start laying eggs themselves.

Recently, thanks to good food and plenty of blue beauty clam meat, Qingzhen, who had grown even taller, hurriedly rushed to his elder brother. “Brother, I heard that we suddenly have a lot more chicks at home?”

“Chickens lay eggs, eggs become chickens. What’s so strange about that?” Qingjin replied calmly.

“I heard it was our little sister who hatched them?” Qingzhen asked eagerly.

“Do you think your sister has the patience to hatch eggs?” Qingjin asked.

“Ahem, no.” Qingzhen instantly caught on. “So it’s just a rumor.”

“That’s right. When I heard we were running out of chicks, I had people take chicken eggs to trade for chicks with the neighboring territory near Plum Mountain. Qinghu just happened to visit when the chicks arrived, and people misunderstood.”

“Well, this time Qinghu nearly became the ‘Chicken Goddess’ who blesses hens with hatching eggs. I’d better go clear up this rumor before it spreads.”

“Hurry up, or if Mother and Father hear about it, who knows how much they’ll tease her.”

“Don’t worry.” Qingzhen dashed off.

It took Qingzhen an entire afternoon to quell the rumors. Qingjin then assigned him to lead the hunting team to track wild animals.

Taking on the task, Qingzhen went to find Qinghu.

“Little sister, Fourth Brother is leading the hunting team out tomorrow. Want to join us?”

“I do,” Qinghu replied readily. Why not go? The endless construction back home was noisy enough to make her ears ring.

“Great, then tomorrow we’ll lead the team deep into Ironwood Forest—maybe we’ll catch something big.”

“Let’s go to the little island opposite the peninsula. I remember Big Brother said there are partridge chickens there,” Qinghu said with excitement.

Qingzhen hesitated. “In that case, let’s agree beforehand: if you get pecked, you’re not allowed to cry.”

Don’t be fooled by their size; those partridges are ninth-level beasts, and their claws and beaks are sharp.

“Then don’t let them peck me,” Qinghu replied, exasperated.

“I’ll do my best,” Qingzhen said, at a loss.

To cross the lake and catch partridges, they needed to prepare rafts. With so much ironwood recently felled, building a few rafts was no trouble. Qingzhen instructed Deng Xiaolai to make five or six large rafts overnight.

Early the next morning, Qingzhen saw six newly built large rafts lined up by the lake, and his brother waiting on the shore.

“Brother, what brings you here?”

“You two are running off to catch partridges. How could I not come?” Qingjin retorted. Everyone was already busy enough with city construction, and the two of them still wouldn’t stay put.

“Come on then! I haven’t had partridge in ages,” Qingzhen said, clinging to his brother’s arm.

Qinghu, quick-witted, grabbed his brother’s other arm. Whether they could go depended entirely on him.

Qingjin looked at them in amusement. “All right, let’s go.”

Their party, along with forty or fifty able-bodied youths, loaded up with hunting tools and carrying gear, set out on six large rafts toward the small island opposite.

Though the island across from the peninsula was less than half its size, it was covered in dense forest. It resembled a turtle’s back, high in the center and low around the edges, with a ring of stony beaches at its perimeter.

The trees on the island were diverse, of every kind. Even before setting foot ashore, the chorus of partridge calls could be heard from among the trees.

Clearly, the woods hid no small number of partridges.

The two islands were only five or six hundred meters of water apart, and soon the rafts reached the shore.

No sooner had they landed than they saw, among the low trees and undergrowth, several large flocks of partridges—ninth-level beasts, calmly nesting and pecking at seeds.

Apart from the flocks in their line of sight, the woods echoed with the calls of even more partridges.

“My goodness, how many partridges are on this island?” Qingzhen exclaimed in amazement.

“There must be quite a few. Everyone, keep quiet and move carefully. Let’s pick off a few flocks without alerting the whole population, or we’ll all be forced to flee,” Qingji instructed.

The experienced hunters among them nodded in agreement.

Everyone checked their gear, tightened their clothing, and split into teams, each group slipping into the grass and underbrush.

Qingjin and Qingzhen led Jiuquan and Qingquan in as well.

Qinghu took Xiaobai, carrying a basket and a cloth bag, and crept into the tall grass.

The grass here reached at least half a person’s height; crouching low, they would not be spotted by the chickens. Soon, Qinghu and Xiaobai found a partridge nesting in the brush.