Li Zheng, although also a resident of Qiaoxi Village, had a semi-official status as a wealthy household member.

Therefore, the villagers usually tolerated him and accepted his management.

But Zhou Yuan was different. He was not from this world and thus wasn't bound by local customs.

Besides, he had already been selected for military service, so he wouldn't be staying in Qiaoxi Village for long. Why would he care about Li Zheng's opinions?

"Cock-a-doodle-doo..."

After a few rooster calls, Zhou Yuan emerged from the yard, holding a chicken with a broken neck.

"Uncle Huang, we've got a feast tonight. You handle this chicken, eat your fill without worry. I'll take the blame; you won't suffer."

"This... this, Shitou, you did this alone. It has nothing to do with me!"

Zhao Dahuang clumsily caught the chicken Zhou Yuan threw to him, wishing he could slap himself in regret.

Why did he have to be so greedy? He let himself get dragged into this mess by this rascal.

"Look at you, such a coward. If you keep acting like this, I'll eat it myself and won't even leave you a drop of soup."

"Come on, now that we're here, let's not miss out. Hurry, let's head to the dirt hill on the east side. My teeth aren't great; let's use a clay pot to stew it tender."

"Deal. You grab some salt and a piece of ginger; I'll go dig a fire pit."

In the dark, two sneaky figures ran from the north side of the village to the east, using makeshift tools to cook chicken.

At that moment, Zhao Dahuang suddenly realized Zhou Yuan might not be crazy after all. This kid was probably using his supposed madness to gain benefits.

"Shitou, I finally get it. You may be strange, but you're far from stupid. Only you could have this opportunity. Back in my day, people didn't have enough to eat, and the chance to serve in the military was fought over, not something you'd joke around with."

"Well, if everyone else wanted to go, maybe I'd let them have the spot."

"Do I look like an idiot? No one believes your nonsense."

Though Zhao Dahuang was getting older, his hands were still nimble. He added wood to the fire and fanned the flames without Zhou Yuan needing to lift a finger, acting almost like a caring elder.

"Uncle Huang, I've got a favor to ask. This time, skip the military service and let your son go. You're too old, and if you collapse on the road, there's no coming back. I promised to carry Er Gou back, but I can't carry you. People who leave their homeland become insignificant, even ghosts. It's better not to die far from home."

Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Zhao Dahuang, who had been fanning the fire, fell into an unusual silence.

Rubbing his calloused hands, he wanted to say something but ended up mumbling, "Shitou, the meat's done. You have strong teeth; eat quickly, or it'll get tough. Just save me some soup. My old stomach can't handle greasy food."

"Alright, I'll save you some chicken feet to chew on."

"You're really something. You never say anything polite, huh?"

Zhao Dahuang didn't want to discuss his family's matters, and Zhou Yuan didn't push. Zhou Yuan broke a thin twig to use as chopsticks and happily began eating.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Seeing Zhou Yuan devour the meat without hesitation, Zhao Dahuang feared if he waited too long, there'd be no decent meat left.

So he also grabbed a twig and fished out a piece of meat with skin. The greasy chicken skin made his eyes sting.

"Eat, Uncle Huang. Don't hold back. Maybe one day you'll learn to steal chickens and treat me instead."

"There's no way I'd learn your tricks."

With a flick of his chopsticks, the chicken meat fell back into the pot. Fishing again, he pulled out the chicken head, and the old man contentedly gnawed on it.

Zhou Yuan glanced at Zhao Dahuang nibbling on the chicken head and thoughtfully picked out a chicken foot for him.

"Uncle Huang, have a chicken foot to boost your strength. If you can't chew it, just let it go."

"My teeth are fine! You never say anything decent."

After eating the chicken and drinking the soup, Zhou Yuan lay back on the grass, observing his status panel. He smiled contentedly as his health bar began to recover.

About an hour later, his health had risen from 91% to 97%.

Although most of the chicken ended up in Zhou Yuan's stomach, the health recovery was minimal, and the speed was slow. The chicken was too skinny, and his "Food Supplement" skill level was still too low.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Yuan suddenly sat up, looking toward the river to the east.

"What's wrong, Shitou? Still hungry? Eat some more."

"Uncle Huang, clean up the scene here. I'm heading to the river for a wash."

"Running off again? Weren't we supposed to serve together? You better hit me with a stick, or I won't be able to explain myself."

"I'll be back soon. No need to lie to you."

Zhao Dahuang watched as Zhou Yuan melted into the darkness, sighed deeply, and continued gnawing on the bones.

Zhou Yuan hadn't lied. He had just glimpsed two fragmented health bars moving toward the stone arch bridge.

Those health bars were unmistakably human, not short, stubby ones like those of livestock.

What were two injured people doing at the river so late at night? Fighting or planning to jump in?

Zhou Yuan hesitated but decided to follow. Not because he was nosy, but because he was the only one in Qiaoxi Village who openly talked about violence and had actually acted on it before.

He worried someone might use his reputation to commit murder and frame him for it.

When he got near the stone arch bridge, he saw one health bar vanish into the river, while the other remained still.

He didn't rush to check on the person but quietly waited to see where the health bar would go.

To his surprise, the person who had jumped into the river soon resurfaced. They reunited with the other and calmly headed back toward Qiaoxi Village.

Zhou Yuan didn't follow them directly but kept his distance, trailing only the moving health bars. He remained unnoticed.

"Huh, it's Er Gou's house. Isn't Er Gou newly married and too exhausted to walk? What business does he have at the river in the middle of the night? Did he get tired of the bed and find the outdoors more thrilling?"