Commoner Hero

Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 4

The long, difficult night finally passed with the flow of time.

As soon as dawn broke, Su Qi'an rose early. While Qin Ziyin helped him dress, he found himself so close to her that he had to suppress his inner urges, only giving her a brief embrace before turning to the corner to gather the longbow Village Chief Li had brought last night.

Today was the appointed day - there was important business to attend to.

Just then, a knock came from outside the thatched cottage. "Master Su, are you awake? We're Li Hu and Zhao Da."

Su Qi'an quickly turned and opened the door to find two young men in animal hide standing before him, their faces flushed red.

It seemed they had been waiting outside for quite some time but hadn't dared to disturb him.@@@@

Seeing their chilled appearance, Su Qi'an felt somewhat apologetic.

Li Hu and Zhao Da were both hunters in the village, first-rate experts at their craft. They were kind-hearted and helpful, especially Li Hu, who wasn't just the village chief's nephew but also skilled at reading people.

Though they were a few years older than Su Qi'an, they always treated him with great courtesy and were among the few villagers who had never mocked him.

Su Qi'an said softly, "Brother Li Hu, such formality makes me uncomfortable. Yesterday's display was just a warning to those with ill intentions. If you don't mind, just call me by my name."

Hearing this, Li Hu shook his head repeatedly, "Master Su, though I'm just a hunter with little education, I still know proper etiquette. Master Su is a learned scholar with academic credentials - it would be deeply disrespectful for common folk like us to address you as equals."

This was the constraining mindset imposed by the Da Liang Dynasty's feudal system, which divided people into different classes. This feudal thinking had thousands of years of history and was deeply rooted in the commoners' minds.

Su Qi'an knew it was impossible to change this mindset immediately. After some thought, he said:

"Since you insist, I won't force the issue. How about this - don't call me Master, just address me as Sir. That should maintain proper etiquette."

Li Hu considered this and found it acceptable, nodding in agreement. But inwardly, both men were touched by Su Qi'an's gesture.

"Sir Su hasn't changed at all - he's still so sincere with us," they thought to themselves.

"Li Hu, Zhao Da, if we keep chatting, the forest game will have eaten and run away."

Hearing Su Qi'an's playful reminder, the two quickly came to their senses, showing embarrassed smiles before turning to lead the way.

"Husband, please be careful. Don't push yourself if you can't catch anything - I'll figure something out at home."

As Su Qi'an prepared to leave, Qin Ziyin approached and held his hand while giving her instructions.

"Don't worry, dear. I'll be careful. Everything will be fine - I'll take care of things. Just wait at home for my good news."

Su Qi'an stroked the back of Qin Ziyin's head affectionately to reassure her.

Qin Ziyin nodded with a soft "mm," watching as Su Qi'an departed with Li Hu and Zhao Da.

The wild forest to the east of the village wasn't far, about two or three li away. With the snowfall having stopped and the path clear, the three men arrived in roughly half an hour.

In the dense forest, snow shook from the trees as cold winds blew through.

"Sir Su, we've arrived. Just stay behind us - we'll make sure you don't return empty-handed today, regardless of how much we catch."

"That's right, Sir Su, just watch and see."

Li Hu and Zhao Da instinctively positioned themselves to protect Su Qi'an as they slowly entered the forest.

Their caution wasn't unnecessary - this forest was known to house great beasts, reportedly including a white tiger that had achieved spiritual cultivation.

Though rarely seen near the outskirts, it was better to be safe than sorry. Just two years ago, a great beast had charged out of the forest and claimed lives - the memory was still fresh.

Li Hu and Zhao Da readily agreed. They understood well what a genius archer could mean - in the military, such talent could easily earn the rank of colonel at least.

But they knew Sir Su was pursuing the imperial examinations and wouldn't join the army, so they kept such thoughts to themselves.

As the sun began to set, Su Qi'an spoke up, "Li Hu, we should head back. It's getting dark, and it might become dangerous if we continue."

Li Hu and Zhao Da nodded. As experienced village hunters, they knew well what nightfall meant in these woods, and naturally didn't object to Su Qi'an's suggestion.

Quickly, the three gathered their prey and hastily left the forest. Not long after their departure, deep in the forest, a pair of blood-red eyes gleamed with predatory intent, seeming to watch everything from afar...

Their return to the village caused quite a stir. After all, their catch was extraordinary - if sold, it would fetch at least five taels of silver.

Consider that ordinary villagers only spent about one tael per month - this single day's catch was worth nearly half a year's expenses.

Countless villagers surrounded Li Hu and Zhao Da, praising their skills. As for Su Qi'an, while not exactly ignored, few villagers approached him for conversation.

After all, Su Qi'an held an academic title, and after yesterday's show of authority, many felt somewhat intimidated and dared not approach him.

Faced with the villagers' welcoming reception, both Li Hu and Zhao Da showed embarrassed expressions.

On the way back to the village, Su Qi'an had asked them not to reveal his role in today's success.

The village was full of gossips, and Su Qi'an knew well that if word got out, the harm would outweigh any benefits.

The two men had promised to keep his secret, and now, uncomfortable with all the undeserved praise, they exchanged pleasantries briefly before each heading home, leaving the envious villagers still chattering at the village entrance.

Seeing Su Qi'an return safely, Qin Ziyin's worried heart finally settled. She came forward to check if he was alright, and Su Qi'an responded by pulling her into his embrace.

He whispered, "See? I told you your husband has good luck. Not only am I fine, but today's harvest was abundant. You should have seen how brave your husband was today..."

Held in his embrace, Qin Ziyin gave a soft "mm" and nodded, paying no mind to Su Qi'an's boasting. After all, men always needed their moments to show off.

Whether Su Qi'an was good at hunting didn't matter to her at all - she only cared that he returned safely.

Feeling the warmth in his arms and seeing the tender affection in Qin Ziyin's eyes, Su Qi'an's unsettling thoughts rose again.

But he managed to control himself, not because of any particular restraint, but because today's hunt had left him with an ominous feeling.

He couldn't shake the sensation that a pair of eyes had been watching him like prey.

Right now, he had important matters to attend to - modifying that longbow. Though the bow the village chief had given him had decent range, its accuracy was poor.

If he didn't improve it, they'd be in real trouble if any danger arose.

Seeing Su Qi'an pick up the longbow and begin studying it, Qin Ziyin asked softly:

"Husband, you know how to improve this thing too?"

"I've read many books about it and found it interesting. You should go to bed first, my dear. I might stay up late tonight, so don't wait for me."

Qin Ziyin gave a soft "oh," looking at Su Qi'an with a smile before retiring to bed.

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