Chapter 5: The Wild Game Is Roasted

After revealing a fierce expression, the man kept his eyes on Hong Xiaoduo’s reaction. He had expected to intimidate her this time, but to his surprise, she only curled her lip in disdain, showing no sign of panic or fear.

Instead, the seven young beggars moved away from the roasting fire and gathered around the young woman. Looking at the seven children, one could see the same expression on their faces, regardless of their age; although they were clearly terrified, each of them clutched a stone or a small twig, ready to fight alongside her and face whatever fate awaited them.

Hong Xiaoduo was quite surprised. Shouldn't these seven little ones be protecting their meat? Moments ago, they had been so hungry that they stared at the roasting game with unblinking eyes, as if afraid that if they looked away for a second, their meal would vanish into thin air. She felt something stir within her—could this be called being touched?

"Don't be nervous, it’s alright. Look at this stick you’re holding—what good is it?" Hong Xiaoduo asked gently while soothing the children, who were in a state of extreme tension and panic. She addressed the little girl closest to her.

The girl, no more than five or six years old, was thin from prolonged hunger. Her entire small frame was trembling with fear. Hearing Hong Xiaoduo’s question, she looked down at her hand. Hong Xiaoduo gestured for the girl to show her the stick, and only then did the child loosen her tight grip. Hong Xiaoduo picked up the small twig and snapped it effortlessly; it had long since been rotted by wind and rain.

The little girl’s face turned embarrassed, and she dared not look at Hong Xiaoduo, as if she had done something wrong. But when she saw her older brothers looking for weapons, this was all she had been able to find.

Hong Xiaoduo looked at the eldest boy. "Is that roasted enough?" she asked. The boy, unsure why she would ask, nodded. Hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo looked up at the man on horseback.

The man was not far away and had overheard her question to the boy. He thought to himself, *If you’re going to be sensible, why wait until now?* He presumed the young woman would now comfort these little beggars and then bring all the roasted game over to him. He had smelled the aroma of the roasted meat and swallowed hard; it wasn't that he had never eaten before, but he was truly famished. Besides, the craftsmanship of these little beggars looked quite impressive.

He imagined serving his master first, then finally getting to eat the fragrant roasted rabbit and pheasant. One bite, and his mouth would be full of flavor. It was a pity they had to keep traveling and couldn't drink wine. He glanced triumphantly at his companion, Fan Wu, thinking, *You’re lucky to have caught a ride with me today!*

Hmm? What was that expression? Did he not want to eat roasted meat? He was quite dissatisfied with the smirk on Fan Wu’s face, but with his master nearby, he couldn't bicker like a washerwoman. *Hmph, I’ll find a chance to deal with him later!*

"It's roasted? Alright then, go ahead and divide it among your brothers and sisters. Be careful not to burn yourselves." Hong Xiaoduo looked directly at the man on horseback while speaking loudly to the boy, perhaps to ensure the man heard every word.

What? Except for the person inside the carriage, whose expression remained hidden, no one present—save for Fan Wu—failed to look shocked and confused.

"Hurry up, it won't be as good if it gets overcooked and charred," Hong Xiaoduo added, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"Oh." The boy, though surprised and worried, obeyed her and led the younger ones back to the fire. As they walked away, the little ones kept glancing back at the man on the horse, wondering if the wicked man had gone mad.

Hong Xiaoduo watched as the eldest boy pulled a bamboo dagger from a tattered cloth bag that seemed to be a treasure chest, while another child brought over a large, clean leaf. The boy skillfully divided the rabbit into two portions and signaled for one to be brought to Hong Xiaoduo.

"Divide your own portions first; give me mine last," Hong Xiaoduo said loudly, seeing the boy's intention. The boy hesitated only for a moment before continuing to serve the other children. Finally, he brought her a whole roasted rabbit and half a pheasant on a leaf.

Hong Xiaoduo signaled for him to take back half of the rabbit. She then tore off a rabbit leg, held it to her nose, took an exaggerated sniff, and nodded with satisfaction.

The seven children sat behind Hong Xiaoduo, blowing on their portions and taking small, tentative bites. *So fragrant, so hot, so delicious! Blow on it, eat quickly.* The children were torn between the heat and their impatience, occasionally looking toward the man on the horse in case he came to snatch their food. It was a comical sight, but Hong Xiaoduo could not bring herself to laugh.

Seeing the man on the horse looking as if he had been struck by lightning, Hong Xiaoduo felt quite satisfied. She took a bite of the rabbit leg—the timing was perfect, and the salt was perfectly balanced.

"Children, is the meat delicious?" she asked loudly.

The seven children, busy eating, stopped to shout in unison, "Yes!" Then, they continued to feast, murmuring about how fragrant it was. Only the eldest, after answering, glanced back at the statue on the horse, then looked at the "mother" sitting on the rock. *So, this is what she’s like. It feels wonderful!*

"Eat slowly, it’s alright," he whispered to his companions. Once a piece of meat had been bitten into, the man on the horse wouldn't want it, let alone his master in the carriage. Unlike these poor wretches, who usually survived on the discarded, often spoiled leftovers of others, the people in the carriage were different. Even when they had bones to gnaw on, there was usually no meat left—just the flavor of the residue.

But it wouldn't really be "alright." The people on the horses and in the carriage hadn't spoken, hadn't lost their temper, and hadn't left yet! And that man named Fan Wu was watching the spectacle with great interest. The mountain road was deserted, and the scene was now one of a woman and seven children eating roasted game while a carriage sat silently, its two guards watching them with varying expressions.

"Ah! I’m going to lose my mind with rage!" When Hong Xiaoduo finished her meal, threw the bones away with great satisfaction, and looked back at him with a smile, the statue on the horse finally reacted—with fury.

"Mother, have some water, it’s clean." The eldest boy, having finished his meal, considerately offered a chipped ceramic bowl.

"Mother, wipe your hands." A little girl also chimed in, handing over a scrap of old cloth.

*Mother?* The two guards on horseback were stunned by the term, glancing at each other and wondering if their hearing had failed them. But seeing the look on each other’s faces, they knew they hadn't misheard. This simple, unexpected word left the man who was about to charge over in a state of utter bewilderment. This was too absurd!

"Are the children all full?" Regardless of the situation, the others hadn't prevented them from eating, and Hong Xiaoduo was quite satisfied as she happily asked the little ones.

"Yes, Mother, we are full," the seven children replied in unison, their young voices filled with contentment. They couldn't even remember the last time they had been full or eaten meat. They no longer feared the man on the horse as much; they were full, so if they were to be killed, so be it.

*What? All seven of them call her Mother? What is going on? Did she use a disguise? Is she actually an old woman?* The two guards were even more shocked.

"Judging by your appearance, you aren't even married, yet you have so many little beggars calling you Mother? Could it be that you are the lover of the Beggar Sect leader?" Having failed to buy the roasted game and forced to watch them eat it with such joy, the man—who had wanted to show off before his master—now lashed out with malicious words, hoping to save face after being mocked by the woman and watched by Fan Wu.

Fan Wu watched as the smile slowly faded from the young woman's face, and he thought to himself, *This is not good...*