From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Ancient Wen Heng smiled nonchalantly and took two steps back. ’I’m a man supported by his wife, after all,’ he thought. ’I’m really not that interested in a little wild game.’

"That’s right, Eldest Brother. You take Third Brother and Fourth Brother with you. My wife and I will just go dig for some wild vegetables and look for wild fruit. That’ll be enough for us."

Gu Yuanjin said, "That’s work for the women."

Ancient Wen Heng replied, "Eldest Brother, you know we’ve barely touched the wolf meat from last time. We won’t fight you for it this time."

Gu Yuanhuo immediately chimed in. "Exactly! Seventh has caught so much fish lately, he’s been eating meat every day. Eldest Brother, you should think more about the rest of us. Your other brothers still have empty stomachs."

Gu Yuanjin sighed to himself and turned to Gu Yuantu. "In that case, Fifth Brother, you come with us. With so many of us, we can go block off some rabbit holes."

Gu Yuantu was about to refuse, but Gu Yuanjin grabbed him and pulled him along. "Stop dawdling! If we wait any longer, all the good burrows will be taken by someone else."

Gu Yuanhuo and Gu Yuanshui were speechless. ’Eldest Brother is so biased!’

Although they all entered the mountains together, when it came time to actually search for things, they each split up into their own designated areas to forage.

Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Hong Daya stopped to explain. "This way, everyone gets their own patch of land. Whether you find a lot or a little, you can’t blame anyone but yourself."

She pointed to a patch of grass not far ahead. "I’ll be over here. If anything happens, just give a shout."

Jin Qianqian clutched her back basket and headed for the spot the woman had just pointed out.

She carried a wooden stick, using it to beat the undergrowth as she walked. Whenever thorns blocked her path, she had to pull out the machete from her waist to chop them away.

"It’s nothing but thorny brambles. What could I possibly find in here?" Jin Qianqian muttered as she hacked away. "Even an animal wouldn’t want to force its way through this."

"Not necessarily," Ancient Wen Heng’s voice suddenly sounded from behind her, startling Jin Qianqian so much she almost dropped her stick.

"Can’t you make some noise when you walk?" Jin Qianqian demanded, patting her chest. ’We’re deep in the mountains! You could scare a person to death!’

"My apologies. I’ll be more careful next time." Ancient Wen Heng had clearly seen her flinch and knew he’d been reckless.

"What are you doing here? Aren’t you with the others?" Jin Qianqian asked after composing herself, only then realizing that Ancient Wen Heng had come alone.

"They went to snare rabbits. I was worried you’d be scared all by yourself in these mountains, so I came to help you look."

Jin Qianqian replied, "I’m not a three-year-old. Besides, the other women are all nearby. I can just shout if I need help. Why don’t you go back and join Eldest Brother and the others?"

Ancient Wen Heng took the machete from her. "Have you forgotten about your luck? How could I possibly relax if I wasn’t here to watch over you?"

Jin Qianqian, however, wasn’t so concerned. "Weren’t those just coincidences? Besides, not many people venture this deep into the mountains, so it’s only natural to find some rare medicinal herbs."

Ancient Wen Heng countered, "Then how do you explain the fish? How come they were all practically jumping onto your hook?"

A smile played on Jin Qianqian’s lips. "But plenty of people have been catching a lot of fish from the lake lately. Doesn’t that just mean everyone’s been lucky?"

Ancient Wen Heng was at a loss for words. ’She’s so stubborn,’ he thought. ’She’s clearly trying not to laugh, yet she insists on arguing.’

Suddenly, Jin Qianqian pulled out her tattered, color-illustrated book on medicinal herbs. "Could this really be...?"

She walked over, picked one of the small fruits, and compared it carefully to the book. Then, she suddenly threw her arms around Ancient Wen Heng and jumped up and down. "These are wild yam fruits! That means this whole area is full of wild yams! My luck is truly unrivaled!"

Ancient Wen Heng gently tapped her nose. "See? Now do you believe me?"

Jin Qianqian nodded enthusiastically. "It looks like I really am Heaven’s favorite child! My luck is finally turning around.

Do you think if I shouted to the heavens for it to rain tomorrow, they would grant my wish?"

Holding back a laugh and taking advantage of their privacy, Ancient Wen Heng savored the sweet warmth of her in his arms. "You’ve been praying for rain for days now. It seems your luck only extends to what’s right in front of you. You can’t interfere in the decisions of Heaven."

His teasing made her laugh. "I was just kidding. Besides, these things just grow wild in the mountains. Ordinary people wouldn’t recognize them as medicinal herbs. If I didn’t have this little cheat book, we wouldn’t recognize these herbs even if they were right in front of our faces."

Ancient Wen Heng knew she was right. His eyes fell on the page Jin Qianqian had open. It not only had illustrations and descriptions but also detailed instructions on how to process the herbs and their medicinal uses. It was likely more detailed than any of the medical books of their time.

"Looks like our meals are sorted for the next few days," Ancient Wen Heng said, his eyes catching a line of text. "It says ’Now is the best time to harvest wild yams.’ We really have stumbled upon this at the perfect time."

"Well, you can start by letting me go," Jin Qianqian said, struggling lightly. ’There are thorns all around here, I don’t want to get pricked.’

Ancient Wen Heng knew this wasn’t the time for fooling around. Keeping her protectively in his embrace, he cleared away more of the nearby thorns.

"We just have to follow the vines to the roots," Ancient Wen Heng said, his hands never ceasing their work. He quickly located the rootstalk of a yam. "Looking at the size of this patch, there must be a ton here. I doubt the two of us can dig them all up today."

Jin Qianqian took out a small shovel and tested the soil. With one push, the spade sank deep into the earth. "This soil is so soft! Let’s dig one up first and see if there are really yams down there."

’Jin Qianqian wouldn’t dare just wave her hand and transport the herbs into her storage space right now. This one had to serve as a model. She was sure that soon, many people would come over to inspect the yams and how they grew. The scene had to look completely real.’

"Let me do that." Seeing Jin Qianqian about to start digging, Ancient Wen Heng immediately tossed his machete aside and took the shovel from her.

One of them dug while the other cleared away the dirt, and soon, a long, thick tuber was unearthed before their eyes.

Together with the yam fruits they had picked earlier, they already had a small pile.

Energized by their success, the two moved on to the next yam plant. Digging here and there, they quickly filled the back basket they had brought with them.

Jin Qianqian quickly put her tools away. "I’ll go get Fifth Sister-in-law. She’s foraging right next to my area."

Ancient Wen Heng hesitated. "We should call Eldest Sister-in-law and the others over, too. Even if we don’t particularly like them, we’re still one family in the eyes of others."

Jin Qianqian shot him a look. "Do you think I’m that petty? Fifth Sister-in-law is just closer, so I’ll get her first so she can have a head start. Eldest Sister-in-law and the others are up ahead. You go and call them."

’It’s only natural to feel closer to some people than others. When something good happens, isn’t it normal to think of those who’ve shown you kindness first?’