Chapter 7: Reconnaissance Abilities

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The two sisters, Yue Rou, gathered a variety of wild vegetables, while Chen Fan found many snowy white larvae hidden in the dead wood. Then Chen Fan led them back home, following the same routine as during the day. When the path was lonely, he carried Yue Rou on his back, claiming, "Don't want you to get tired!" When there were others around, he held her hand instead, not out of fear of public displays of affection, but to avoid suspicion.

Li Xing trailed far behind the three of them, noting down their every move in a notebook. "Hunting, drinking water, foraging, returning home. (If they intended anything improper, he would be a lecher. Or perhaps just very affectionate.)" Li Xing feared Huang Ya and his gang might follow and kill them. Unexpectedly, the group was too lazy; they stopped at the city gate and gave up the pursuit, turning back into a tavern.

"Master, let us cook. You all should rest," they urged. "Master, you must be starving. Please go rest." "Master, Yue E is quite good at cooking. You two should take a break!" "Sister—" "I'm from Shudao Mountain!" The two sisters dashed inside without looking back, sitting down with subtle smiles tugging at the corners of their lips.

Chen Fan cleaned a piece of bluestone slab, heated it with fire, then roasted the larvae on it. He also boiled the wild vegetables, drying the surplus for later use. Then he brought the dishes inside and they ate together, sharing bowls.

Actually, the sisters intended to help set the table, but when they stood up, Chen Fan’s “Shudao Mountain!” startled them back into their seats. Chen Fan was about to ask if they dared eat larvae, but to his surprise, they began eating immediately.

"Master, these larvae taste slightly sweet with an earthy aroma, mixed with the flavor of wild vegetables. Not bad." After that, they refused to eat another bite.

Chen Fan took the plate of larvae, dividing them evenly among the three bowls.

"Don’t worry. Tomorrow we might have chicken to eat. I plan to catch some fish; we’ll need bamboo."

"Yes! Yes! Master, there are indeed many fish in the river, but they are tough to catch."

"Master, I believe you can find a way."

Having finished their meal and washed up, they went to sleep as they had the day before. The routine repeated—pushing, pressing, rubbing, hugging, snuggling, kissing—

"Simply mortifying!" Li Xing, watching from the government lookout tower, saw the couple at midnight and called his comrades to watch, then went home.

Meanwhile, Huang Ya and his gang were still loitering in the tavern.

"Hey! Brother, weren’t we supposed to get rid of Chen Fan today?"

"Right! Why did we end up here?"

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"Brother, you saw the tavern at the city gate and just turned in, so we had no choice but to follow," one replied.

"Oh! So that’s why! Tomorrow we’ll follow them beyond the city, out in the wilderness—it’s perfect for an ambush."

Wang Si drank a bowl of wine and stroked the tattoo on his face.

"Brother, it won’t work. Everyone in the city knows Chen Fan has the Left Disciple Qu Yuan style. Since we’re enemies, attacking now would be hard to cover up."

"Good point! I agree we should hold back, brother!"

"Damn it, I can’t stand it. Chen Fan’s living so well now, I just can’t watch him thrive," Liu Jia scratched his bald head, seeming to hatch a cunning plan.

"Brother, don’t worry. Doesn’t he want to have children? Let’s let him have them. We’ll supply food to make him bold, then when that woman most needs it, we steal the food away, starve them to death. A child is a weakness, a burden. We can manipulate him then. And—"

Though Liu Jia didn’t finish, everyone present understood perfectly well.

Chen Fan gently put down the sleeping Yue Rou in his arms and turned to embrace Yue E. Beneath his seemingly expressionless face, he was already anticipating the strange occurrences he had discovered today.

Before coming here, Chen Fan had been a special forces soldier, endowed with keen observational skills.

That morning, before he had fully rested, someone persistently knocked on the courtyard gate. He dressed quickly and went to see.

"Who is it, visiting so early?"

Chen Fan was puzzled; the knocking did not trigger any memories. The only explanation was that it was something he had never experienced.

He glanced at the wooden stick he had long placed behind the door, hesitated a moment, then opened it.

A woman stood there, her face pale and haggard, clutching several carrots. Without waiting for Chen Fan to speak, she shoved the carrots into his arms and ran off.

Chen Fan knew the townsfolk here were poor. Food was lifesaving.

He was certain it wasn’t only his wife who ate wild vegetables daily; such vegetables were considered delicacies.

If she gave these to Chen Fan’s family, this woman would go hungry, possibly even beaten by her husband.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Chen Fan caught her wrist, not intending to accept her gift.

He pulled her back with some force.

The woman, fiery in spirit, slapped him hard in return.

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"Smack!"

Chen Fan was stunned for a moment.

But he pursued the woman as she tried to escape.

Though fast, unfamiliarity with the terrain and her cunning maneuvers allowed her to shake him off.

Helpless, he gave up and returned the way he came.

At the gate, he found various supplies left: a jar of salt, a sack of brown rice, a jar of sugar, some cloth, and medicinal herbs.

Chen Fan’s nose tingled; he felt deeply moved.

He knew these were sent by the busy women of the village—not out of generosity, but hoping for a good man to appear.

Even if the man was not their husband, even if they could not remarry.

They received nothing in return; they simply wished for Chen Fan, this good man, to live better.

Chen Fan wanted to protect Yue Rou and her sister; they wanted to protect this small, pure current within a distorted society.

Chen Fan accepted the gifts.

"Master, who sent these? The morning market isn’t even open yet! We have no money to buy such things!"

"Put these in the kitchen. Don’t eat any without my permission. Leaving them at the door so early is suspicious."

"I’m a little worried it might be Huang Ya’s doing. I fear they might poison us."

"Master, I think your concerns are justified!"

"Forget it. Just leave them at the door so as not to block the way."

"Master, no! If they are poisoned, an unaware person could be in danger."

"Then we’ll take them to the government office and report this!"

"Master, that’s right! Good idea!"

Chen Fan’s previous world was governed by rule of law. He knew the powerless must rely on the law first.

He believed the laws of this era had some merit.

Parents were richly rewarded for birthing boys—a reflection of respect for women.

Though Huang Ya’s gang was large and powerful, capable of outright killing them, Chen Fan refrained.

It seemed the country’s laws still held some deterrent power.

That day, after eating the wild vegetable soup brought back the day before, the three of them set out for the government office.

They took the same equipment as yesterday.