Chapter Nine: The Campfire

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Zhao Mu hefted the fishing net and instinctively drew several deep, ragged breaths.

He could feel that after casting the crude net into the river, it had become noticeably heavier when he hauled it back up.

Yet he could not be certain whether the added weight came merely from the net being soaked through with river water, or whether he had truly caught some fish.

The net rose slowly, and within it two fish, each at least a foot and a half long, thrashed desperately.

Zhao Mu was overjoyed and hurriedly hauled the entire net ashore.

The woman beside him was equally agitated. In a flurry, she helped Zhao Mu remove the two large fish from the net.

Apart from them, the net also held four or five smaller fish, each roughly half a foot long.

The catch was not particularly large, but it was more than enough to delight Zhao Mu.

There was no denying that the natural resources of ancient times were remarkably abundant.

Had he been fishing in the rivers of his previous life, he could hardly have caught so many fish with a single cast.

Even after ten casts, he might not have managed such a haul.

Now that he had succeeded in catching fish, much of the anxiety in Zhao Mu’s heart eased.

He glanced around and, after making sure no one was nearby, began to busy himself.

Since crossing into this world, he had spent most of his time eating raw fish. On the rare occasions when he managed what could generously be called a change of diet, he would wait until no one was nearby and boil a pot of fish soup.

The soup was deliciously fresh, but even the finest delicacy became unbearable when eaten day after day.

By now, Zhao Mu nearly felt sick at the sight of fish. But for the sake of survival, he could only endure the disgust.

The two fish he had caught today were large enough to be perfect for roasting.

He had no seasonings whatsoever, but it was still a welcome improvement.

Although Zhao Mu had exchanged few words with the woman, their many days together had given them a certain unspoken understanding.

Zhao Mu gathered a large bundle of dry branches, while the woman deftly used a fire striker to ignite a handful of dried grass.

He took the burning grass from her and skillfully set the pile of wood alight.

It was worth noting that although the woman carried a fire striker, she had very little tinder left.

Once the tinder was exhausted, the fire striker she carried would be useless.

But for now, they were simply surviving one day at a time. Zhao Mu had not given much thought to what might come later.

Perhaps before the tinder ran out, bandits—or government soldiers claiming to be suppressing a rebellion—would find him and kill him outright.

As more and more firewood caught, the flames before them grew brighter and fiercer.

Zhao Mu’s thoughts flickered and leaped like the flames, but in the end they returned to reality.

Under the fire’s scorching heat, the fragrance of roasting fish quietly spread through the air.

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Although he had long since eaten his fill of fish, Zhao Mu still found his appetite stirring, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

After a long while, the roasted fish on the rack was finally ready.

Zhao Mu tore off a small piece and tasted it. It had little flavor, but it was at least edible.

He then handed the roasted fish to the woman.

She froze for a moment, so Zhao Mu gestured toward it again.

After some hesitation, she accepted the fish. Zhao Mu skewered the second large one on a branch and began roasting it.

The firewood crackled, now and then sending sparks bursting into the air with a disorderly hiss and pop.

As the woman ate, her gaze drifted toward Zhao Mu from time to time, as though she were lost in thought.

Just then, Zhao Mu suddenly heard a voice from not far away.

“Quick! There’s someone over there!”

Zhao Mu tensed at once and instinctively looked toward the sound.

Since leaving Haozhou City, he had traveled roughly two or three hundred miles.

The road had been almost entirely deserted, to the point that he had nearly forgotten to guard against other people.

And after successfully weaving the fishing net that day, he had grown so pleased with himself that he had dared to light a fire at night without taking any precautions to conceal it.

As a result, the flames had attracted people not long after they were lit.

Zhao Mu exchanged a glance with the woman. In the firelight, both their expressions were grave.

The woman slipped a hand into her robes and gripped the only pair of scissors she possessed.

Zhao Mu set the fish aside, crouched down, and quietly began to arrange the fishing net.

If the newcomers harbored malicious intentions, he could try to catch them off guard and ensnare them in the net, giving himself a slim chance of survival.

Soon, the newcomers drew closer, and Zhao Mu was able to make out their circumstances.

There were four of them, two adults and two children.

The adults were a man and a woman, presumably husband and wife, both appearing to be somewhere in their thirties or early forties.

The children were also a boy and a girl, presumably theirs. The older child, a boy of perhaps fourteen or fifteen, walked beside the man.

The younger girl was carried on the man’s back. It was impossible to tell whether she had fainted from hunger or had merely fallen asleep.

Once they came closer, the four did not approach at once. Instead, they stopped a dozen or so paces away from Zhao Mu and the woman.

At the sight of the roasted fish in their hands, all four swallowed hard.

Clearly, they too had not eaten such food in a very long time.

Zhao Mu watched them warily. There were too many displaced refugees now, and many had already been driven mad. To stay alive, they would do anything.

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In his previous life, there was a saying: if parents love their children, they will make far-reaching plans for them.

Yet during the days since arriving in this world, all Zhao Mu had seen was parents exchanging their children for food and even eating them.

He understood that those parents had no other choice. He knew even better that if they starved to death, their children would have little chance of surviving.

But he could never imagine how anyone could bring themselves to do such a thing.

The people before him appeared harmless enough, but in this chaotic age, Zhao Mu did not dare place his trust in anyone.

“Young masters and young miss, my daughter has fainted from hunger. Could you perhaps…”

The man carrying the girl looked at Zhao Mu and the woman with difficulty. His voice was hoarse.

“Could… could you spare us some fish? We won’t take much. Only enough for my daughter to eat.”

Zhao Mu frowned and glanced at the little girl on the man’s back.

Her height could not be judged while she was being carried, but from her face alone, she appeared to be no more than seven or eight years old.

At that moment, her face was deathly pale, her frailty carrying an unmistakably sickly cast.

Had this been his previous life, Zhao Mu would certainly have softened and agreed to the man’s request.

But in this troubled age, he could only refuse.

Even kindness had to be offered at the proper time.

He could give the little girl some fish now, but once he set that precedent, the others might continue inventing excuses to ask him for food.

A little today, a little tomorrow.

In time, they might even come to regard him as a walking cash machine from his former life.

“Get lost!”

Zhao Mu snatched up a half-burned stick from the fire and waved it threateningly at the people standing nearby.

It was dark, and what worried him most was that these four might have others lurking behind them.

If he softened now, he could soon find himself surrounded by starving refugees who would devour him without leaving even his bones.

The man who had spoken seemed to have anticipated this outcome. Though profound disappointment spread across his face, he said nothing more.

He exchanged a glance with the woman beside him, then turned and chose to leave.

They did not go far, however, stopping at a place not too distant from Zhao Mu.

After searching around for a while, the man found a dead branch about as thick as a copper coin.

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