Three days later, Ren Qiu arrived at the inn with his reluctant parent, who was hesitant to leave him.

The boss’s grandson clung to Liao Tingyu’s legs, unwilling to let him go. “Uncle, I don’t want you to leave. If you stay, we can play together.”

Liao Tingyu found himself entangled in an unexpected situation. He had risen early that day, but someone had leaked the news. He couldn’t even have a peaceful breakfast.

While the others busied themselves collecting money, the waiter, intimidated by the little grandson’s authority, escorted him out.

As the time to part ways approached, Liao Tingyu was unwilling to bid farewell.

Noticing Ren Qiu’s arrival, the boss, seeing few customers, entrusted his son to see Liao Tingyu off.

The little boy insisted on accompanying them, disregarding the prospect of a good meal.

A group of people marched toward the city gate.

“That’s enough. You should return quickly. The sun is shining brightly,” Liao Tingyu urged those who came to see him off.

“It’s alright. We’ll stand under the city wall and watch you leave. You need someone to see you off for a safe journey,” the boss’s son insisted.

“Yes, see you off, Uncle. Will Uncle come back to play with Xiao Yao after leaving?”

Liao Tingyu, touched by this, wished to convey that he might never see the child again in this lifetime. He believed that everyone, except family, friends, and wife, were mere passers-by in life.

Despite this, he felt a warmth inside and squatted down to comfort the child, momentarily forgetting his mischief.

Ren Qiu gazed at his tearful mother. “I’m leaving. Take care of yourselves. Buy what you want to eat. Don’t rely on porridge. If hungry or wants something sweet, get it on the street. Don’t worry about me.”

Ren Qiu struggled to hold back his emotions, realizing that leaving might mean his mother not eating on time or facing bullying. Despite the urge to give up, he knew this was his only chance for fortune.

Though he came with excitement, parting filled him with a deep desire to cry. Sometimes, there were words to express separation, but they remained unspoken.@@novelbin@@

Liao Tingyu handed the child back to the father, walked over, and placed a comforting hand on Xiao Qiu’s shoulder. Speaking to Ren Qiu’s mother, he said, “It’s time for us to leave. Please don’t worry; I’ll take good care of him on the way.”

Ren Qiu’s mother, aware that both people were teenagers, wiped away tears that hadn’t yet fallen.

“Okay, my unruly son is now in the hands of the young master. He’s fortunate to accompany you and see the world. But this child lacks his father’s discipline. If there’s any conflict or he falters, I hope you’ll guide him.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of him,” Liao Tingyu assured him, waiting for Ren Qiu to compose himself before departing together.

With a guard and a coachman, the two sat in the carriage. Liao Tingyu hung the mints he had collected, refreshing the entire space. Ren Qiu, equipped with new gear, led the seldom-used cow forward.

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The open air and picturesque scenery along the journey lessened the sorrow of parting. Birds’ chirping filled the air, and Ren Qiu responded to them.

“You’re skilled at bird calls,” Liao Tingyu complimented.

“It’s essential. My father taught me; hunters use this to communicate,” Ren Qiu proudly shared, delighted that the noble young man praised him.

“That’s true; birdsong travels farther than human voices. Do you want to rest? You’ve been driving for a while,” Liao Tingyu suggested.

“No, no, it’s not been too long. I’m fine, and the wind here is cool without direct sunlight,” Ren Qiu explained.

Liao Tingyu returned to the carriage.

Although spending the night in the wild again, this time they didn’t rely on bacon but feasted on rabbits brought by Ren Qiu, enhanced with Liao Tingyu’s barbecue seasoning.

Ren Qiu found an open spot with sparse trees and not too much grass. Liao Tingyu set up a tent crafted in the county town, simple but convenient with a wooden shelf for support.

Huang Zilan raised his hands to prop up the tent, expressing surprise. “I didn’t expect it to be so flexible. It’s really convenient.”

“That’s thanks to skilled craftsmen. They made it just right; otherwise, it would have collapsed,” Liao Tingyu explained.

“Seriously, young master, in all the years the escort team has traveled, I’ve heard about tents on the grassland, but I never thought of having one until now,” Ren Qiu admitted with envy, glancing at the tent he didn’t yet possess.

Liao Tingyu didn’t delve into the tent’s details, acknowledging that understanding its inner structure wasn’t a widespread concern. The setup was more of a practical matter for those who ventured far and wide, primarily businessmen and escorts.

After fixing the tent with stones, Liao Tingyu felt content with the result, even though the tent was plain grey.

“Alright, it’s done. Xiao Qiu, go fetch another one to set up. Did you observe earlier? Can you manage it?” Liao Tingyu inquired.

Ren Qiu was surprised he had a share. He had assumed he would be sleeping under the open sky with the earth as his bed.

“I don’t need it. Such a tent costs four tael; I’m used to sleeping on the ground while hunting, and the grass is quite soft.” Ren Qiu dismissed the idea, unconcerned about sleeping on the ground with ants and centipedes, but wary of encountering a poisonous snake.

Liao Tingyu insisted, “I bought an extra one, and it will always be useful. The two of us can share one, and you can use the other. Besides, I don’t want to break my promise to take good care of you, as I assured your mother.”

Huang Zilan, sensing Ren Qiu’s hesitance, reassured him, “Don’t overthink it. This tent isn’t a gift; it’s for your use. After all, we hired you, so we should ensure your needs are met.”

Ren Qiu felt a warm appreciation for being valued despite being a humble hunter.

In the latter part of the night, Ren Qiu lay in the tent, drifting into deep sleep amid the crackling firewood outside and the scent of insect repellent powder.

While Liao Tingyu roasted an apple by the fire, Huang Zilan, still asleep inside.

Originally, Ren Qiu was supposed to watch the first half of the night, with Huang Zilan taking the second half. If Huang Zilan didn’t wake up, Ren Qiu might have stayed there the entire night without calling him.

As dawn approached, Huang Zilan woke up early. Seeing Liao Tingyu playing with fire, he remarked, “I slept deeply tonight. When did you wake up?”

“About two hours ago. Why don’t you go back and get some more sleep? There’s heavy fog on the mountain now. Return to the tent quickly,” Liao Tingyu suggested.

“I won’t go back. I’m wide awake now. I can’t fall back asleep even if I go back. You go and rest in the tent for a while,” Huang Zilan declined, recognizing that it was almost dawn, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep for an extended period.

“Okay then!” Liao Tingyu acknowledged his sleepiness and returned to the tent. “Be cautious and stay close to the fire. Don’t catch a chill.”

Huang Zilan nodded and skillfully used a wooden stick to turn the fire, ensuring it didn’t extinguish. As he tended to the embers, he noticed something round, dark, and faintly fragrant at the bottom of the ashes.

Out of curiosity, he retrieved it, discovering irregular pits on the round surface caused by the fire. When he poked it open, it resembled a fruit.

Huang Zilan suddenly recalled the fruits Liao Tingyu had gathered the previous afternoon. “Why did he bring these fruits to burn?”

Unable to find an answer, he decided to try roasting one himself. Since the fruit was too sour to eat raw, he slowly roasted it over the fire, periodically flipping it.

Even though several were ruined in the process, he eventually developed a technique.

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When the sun rose, Huang Zilan successfully prepared several of these roasted fruits. Upon tasting, they were no longer sour and had a soft, glutinous texture—a surprisingly good flavor.

As both of them rose, packed their belongings, and prepared to gather food, Huang Zilan proudly showcased his roasted fruit achievement to Liao Tingyu.

“Want to give it a try? Come and take a look at this.” Huang Zilan offered one of the fruits to him.

Liao Tingyu examined the undamaged fruit, intrigued by the processing it had undergone. “Is this the fruit I gathered yesterday afternoon? What did you do to it?”

“I followed your method. I found the fruit you tested in the fire, experimented with it myself, and it turned out to be delicious,” explained Huang Zilan.

“You’re quite resourceful. This morning, we don’t need to bother with anything else. Let’s cook some rice porridge, eat one of these, and hit the road,” suggested Liao Tingyu.

Fruits were rich in carbohydrates, making them filling when roasted.

“Xiao Qiu, fetch the pot and let’s make some porridge while you’re at it.”

“Okay, Young Master Liao.” Ren Qiu retrieved the pot from the cart and poured water from the water bag into it.

“I never knew until now that fruits could be roasted. They taste sour and sweet when roasted—much better than pastries,” Ren Qiu commented while eating. “Young Master, you are truly knowledgeable and capable.”

Liao Tingyu shook his head modestly. “We can’t claim to be knowledgeable. We’ve simply seen a lot. There are others far more knowledgeable than us. They say having an elder in a family is like having a treasure. Sometimes, the real wisdom lies with the older generation.”

“Indeed, that’s true. We have an old grandfather in our village. He’s very skilled. He was in the army and can make wooden eggs. Dozens of them together can cause quite a sting when thrown,” Ren Qiu reminisced about the disciplinary tool used by the old man in his village.

Listening to this, Liao Tingyu imagined the wooden egg as a simplified version of a catapult.