Cheng Guanghai listened quietly as his son finished speaking, then fell silent for a long time.
His son had a point. He had to go into the mountains; he had to find food.
With so many people going into the mountains, it was a necessary risk for everyone. He also had to admit that his son's Archery, strength, and speed were all greater than his own.
You could say his son was born to live off the mountains.
"You've been mature beyond your years since you were a boy and have always had your own mind. This time, I'll listen to my son. But remember, you must not take any unnecessary risks! No matter how great the temptation, don't be reckless. As long as you're alive, there's always another chance."
Cheng Guanghai urged him emphatically.
"Yeah, don't worry." Having convinced his father, Cheng Zongyang also felt a sense of relief.
Going into the mountains alone, aside from wanting to enter the Wilderness World, was also to ensure the family had a man who could support them.
Otherwise, his mother and brother would be left to fend for themselves, and in these times of scarcity, it would be nearly impossible for them to survive.
"Father, you should get some rest. I'm going to bed now," Cheng Zongyang said as he stood up.
"Alright, go on."
Cheng Zongyang returned to his room. The air was filled with the scent of smoked mugwort. Both rooms had been treated this way to reduce mosquito bites.
Looking at his younger brother sleeping on the bed, Cheng Zongyang smiled faintly.
This family was the focus of all his efforts.
In the next room, after Cheng Guanghai blew out the oil lamp and returned to the bedroom, he was about to get into bed when he heard his wife's worried voice:
"Husband, you talked to Yang'Er, didn't you? Did he listen to you?"
Cheng Guanghai paused, then said in a low, calm voice, "Yes, I talked to him. He said he'll just search the Outer Mountain. And that he'll be careful."
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family relaxed and murmured, "As long as he listens, that's good. It's best if the family is safe and sound."
Cheng Guanghai sighed and said, "Alright, let's get some rest. Yang'Er knows what he's doing. No need to worry."
'Just staying safe means we're only maintaining what we have. Our family's situation will only get worse from here.'
But he understood his wife's feelings. What parent wouldn't worry about their child's safety?
The night passed without a word.
As the sky began to lighten at dawn, Cheng Zongyang woke up.
Seeing his younger brother's leg thrown over him, he sighed, pushed it aside, got out of bed, put on his straw sandals, and went outside.
Farmers always rise early, and Cheng Zongyang was long used to it.
For the past nine years, he had woken up early to train.
Cheng Guanghai and Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family were already up.
The latter was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, while the former was in the courtyard, maintaining the Bow and Arrow, sharpening the Firewood Knife, and mending their protective gear.
Hearing the familiar footsteps in the courtyard, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family came out. Looking at her eldest son, she asked, her voice full of concern:
"Why don't you sleep in a little? Maybe you should rest for a day, don't wear yourself out."
Seeing his mother's expression, Cheng Zongyang knew his father had covered for him. He smiled and said:
"Mom, the sooner I head into the mountains, the sooner I'll be back. By the way, can you pack me some extra rations and water? I'm going to spend more time searching the Outer Mountain."
"Alright. As long as you're in the Outer Mountain." Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family felt much more at ease.
"I've mended the arm and leg guards, and I've restocked the Wooden Arrows by twenty. I'll make more at home today.
Also, your mother has mended your shoes."
Cheng Guanghai took out a pair of black cloth shoes from a nearby basket.
A small, thumb-sized patch of black cloth had been sewn onto the toe.
Cheng Zongyang listened to his father's arrangements and instructions, nodding in acknowledgment from time to time as he washed up.
A half-hour later, the sky was bright, and the sun was peeking over the horizon.
Cheng Zongyang didn't wear the cloth shoes, opting for his straw sandals instead. When running in the mountains, straw sandals were more comfortable.
He shouldered a back basket. Inside were hemp sacks, hemp rope, a waterskin, dry rations, the Bone-Cutting Knife, a quiver of Wooden Arrows, medicine, and other supplies. This was his gear for this trip into the mountains.
After saying goodbye to his parents at the door, he set off alone toward Tianduan Mountain to the east.
Along the way, Cheng Zongyang saw many other villagers also heading into the mountains early.
Some were in groups, while others, like Cheng Zongyang, walked alone.
But no one made small talk; they all just focused on hurrying into the mountains.
Any time spent chatting was time not spent searching for prey. With so many people out, being a step slower meant one less opportunity.
If you returned empty-handed, your family would go hungry.
Cheng Zongyang had no intention of wasting time on conversation either. Once he entered the mountains, he chose a small path and quickly headed deeper in.
'No point lingering on the outskirts. This area's been picked so clean you'd be lucky to find anything besides trees and weeds.'
Cheng Zongyang held his bow in his left hand and the Bone-Cutting Knife in his right, pushing ever deeper.
Gradually, the forest grew denser, and Cheng Zongyang's pace began to slow.
When he reached a pit left behind by a river that had changed its course years ago, he checked the trap he had set there the previous day.
As expected, it was empty.
This was within Cheng Zongyang's expectations. He didn't linger and continued deeper into the mountains to check his other traps.
He had set six traps yesterday. In the end, after checking them all, he had only caught a single rat.
Cheng Zongyang shook his head, killed the still-struggling rat, bled it, and put it in his back basket.
In times like these, people would take anything—not just rats, but even a single bee pupa.
Anything edible, anything that wouldn't kill you, was in demand!
A rat weighing over half a jin, once cleaned and dried down to a few taels, could be exchanged in the county for a jin or two of sorghum flour.
A rat, no matter how small, was still meat. The sorghum flour it could be traded for could at least partially fill the stomachs of a family for a day, keeping them from starving.
Seeing that his traps had yielded little, he decided not to waste any more time.
He found a pit where he could hide, then took all his belongings and entered the Wilderness World.
He would be spending the day in the Wilderness World.
Appearing in the marketplace cabin, Cheng Zongyang glanced at the slots in the cabinet and then at the quests.
Nothing had changed.
He didn't accept any quests.
'If I happen to run into a target and manage to kill it, I can just come back and accept the quest then. No rush.'
Finally, he stared at the ten types of animals listed under the [Acquisitions] tab, along with their purchase prices.
—
Golden Perch: 1 Point/fish (200)
Golden Trout: 1 Point/fish (200)
Gray Goose: 1 Point/each (50)
Green-winged Duck: 1 Point/each (100)
Black Grouse: 1 Point/each (100)
Wild Boar: 2 Points/each (10)
Antelope: 2 Points/each (30)
Sika Deer: 2 Points/each (10)
Bighorn Sheep: 3 Points/each (10)
Plains Bison: 3 Points/each (5)
—
Cheng Zongyang quickly scanned the names.
Obviously, the Point values for these acquisitions were completely unreasonable. He had no real intention of trading valuable prey for Points. But for cheap things, like fish, it might be worth it.
Once ready, Cheng Zongyang shouldered his back basket again and left the marketplace cabin.
The knife was in his basket, and he held his bow. A Wooden Arrow was already nocked, ready to be drawn and fired at a moment's notice!
Without a map, he decided to start by exploring a one-li radius around the marketplace cabin.
Although the initial area was only five square kilometers, it was still a considerable range to cover. Slow exploration was the key. Safety first!
Rushing headfirst into an unfamiliar territory was a cardinal sin. He had never been a reckless person. You only get one life, and in a world without advanced medical technology, an injury that couldn't be treated would mean he was as good as crippled.
Better to be cautious now than to regret it later.
Being steady isn't the same as being a coward!