Chapter 5: Lets Eat

2 weeks after the incident Zhen and Lara were finally starting to get used to Lin Ti talking. Although every time they asked their son how he could suddenly talk Lin I would simply shake his head in confusion followed by a [I don't know] and although his parents were disappointed with such a simple answer at the same time they were filled with joy. Soon they just passed it as a miracle of sorts they simply couldn't come up with any other explanation and besides, they were just happy to find that their son could actually speak.

Originally Lin Ti wanted to come up with a better excuse saying that a mysterious saint had found him and healed him in secret, but considering the circumstances, it seemed better and easier to play the role of a child and let others fill the gaps with their own imagination that way he would neither have to come up with a story and at the same time no one could say he was lying either as long as he stuck with a [I don't know] who would suspect a child no one.

Although Lara and Zhen were both overjoyed for their now talking son they soon faced a big dilemma FOOD out in a remote village there were only a few ways to get it you could either work others fields or yours be a craftsman of some type or hunt and forage in the nearby forest working another's field they couldn't Tian Kou had the largest amount of land sitting on the eastern side of the village taking up nearly 15 square miles a little more than half the men in the village worked there only Tian Kou had enough land for extra field workers to be hired on because he was the wealthiest most everyone else had small farms big enough to only feed them and their families mouths no more Zhen and Lara had a small bit of land as well their land sat on the opposite side of the village on the west side right at the outskirts behind their house was a small bit of land no bigger than an acre and just past that was the forest but their land was problematic on their land grew a poisonous weed called yellow tip weed its name came from obvious reasons simply by looking the weed seemed to be normal green grass but at the tip of each plant a bright poisonous yellow displayed itself not only would these plants make you sick if you ingested them but they were tough as well normal wooden tools couldn't damage them in the slightest and their roots ran deep nearly 4 feet so without better tools to dig them out they would continue to grow and damage whatever edible crops were nearby all the farms on the east side of the village suffered from this weed because of this no one could grow food on the east so nearly everyone from the east side worked for Tian Kou in the west therefore the option to grow food was out and Zhen couldn't go back to Tian Kou after the incident.

The other way to earn money for food is to be a craftsman Zhen Ti was a strong hard working honest man but it was already too late for him to learn any new skills for he had worked as a farmer since he was a boy it was all he knew he himself knew he wasn't very talented or smart even if he wished to he'd never be able to be a craftsmen Lara as well all she's known since childhood is housework, cooking, and child raising all taught by her mother and her mother before her so the only other option was to hunt or forage but hunting is not something anyone can just do take Zhen, for example, he's big strong and faster than an average man on his feet but with a simple bow and arrow and a dagger he's caught nothing up until now its been 2 weeks and to rely solely on foraging for vegetables and fruits wasn't reliable if not for neighbors helping out and Zhen and Lara rationing their own food so that Lin Ti could eat then there would be nothing left but the neighbors helping had already reduced by a lot they could not continue helping forever so Zhen and Lara were now desperate With a downcast expression Lara asked.

"Zhen what are we supposed to do? Its been 2 weeks and there's nothing left to eat at this rate will starve."

Zhen couldn't stand to see his wife like this with little food between the three and most of it goes to their son Lara's face was becoming thinner and thinner just last night while Lara put on her nightgown Zhen noticed his wife's rib cage could now be seen more clearly he couldn't help but curse himself inwardly [Damnit Damnit God Damn it, why can't I catch just one rabbit or even a squirrel every time I feel I'm close all the animals elude me this is all my fault.]

Zhen Ti clenched his fist tightly in anger until his nails pierced his hand, causing a bit of blood to flow he grit his teeth and said.

"T... Tomorrow I'll go back to Tian Kou and beg for my job."

Lara said nothing she knew it was the only other way, but looking at her husband's bitter face how could she not feel for him his pride as a man would be thrown away out here in the rural countryside most men didn't have much as long as they could protect and feed their family whilst working honestly that was more than enough that was what it meant to be proud, but Zhen couldn't even put a bite of food on the table and now had to beg for his job back from the man who tried to hurt his family how could he call himself a man from now on.

Two streams of tears began to fall from Lara she felt completely helpless in this situation there was nothing she could do and it ate her up inside Zhen could only hold his wife silently while she wept into his chest.

What the two didn't know was that just outside the small house Lin Ti overheard everything with his heightened senses it would have been impossible for him not to. With a small sigh Lin Ti thought.. [Guess its time for me to get some food] and with that Lin Ti walked behind the house and headed into the forest.

In the forest, there were many animal trails here and there. Although Lin Ti was strong he didn't want to scare his parents by bringing back something big like a deer, so he opted to hunt smaller game such as rabbits.Looking at the trails he found one that seemed to be a rabbit trail and began to follow it. Along the way, Lin Ti would pick up a few small rocks, putting them in his pocket. Even though Lin Ti was fast he didn't have the confidence to catch a rabbit on foot so he thought of another way after walking for 20 minutes Lin Ti's ear twitched not far off maybe 200 feet in front of him Lin Ti could hear a small bush rustling closing his eyes Lin Ti focused on his hearing slowly he shut out all the other noise of the forest no more chirps or squeaks no more wind blowing and the trees whooshing no more nothing just that small bush combining his heightened sense of hearing with his soul-sense Lin Ti hear a faint heart beat he quickly determined that it was, in fact, a rabbit grabbing one of the small rocks from his pocket he grasped it in his tiny right hand squeezing it forcefully Lin Ti took aim even though his eyes still remained shut it did not matter with his soul-sense he could see clearer than his eyes ever would with a bit of his will Lin Ti circulated his ki into his shoulder arm elbow wrist hand and finally his fingers *Swoosh* with a hard throw the rock flew like an arrow into the air followed by a *Thud* and a small squeal from the rabbit quickly the sound of the heartbeat faded away as though it never existed in the first place Lin Ti slowly walked over looking into the bush he found his prize a small rabbit weighing maybe 3 lbs inspecting it further the rabbits chest could be seen sunken in from the force of the rock its ribs broke easily and its heart ruptured killing it almost instantly this may seem cruel to some but to survive things must die and be consumed it is a natural part of life.

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"With this, we can eat."

A small smile broke out on Lin Ti's face picking up the rabbit Lin Ti made his way back home on the way he discovered 2 more rabbits and with the same method as before he killed and collected them by the time noon came around Lin Ti had returned from the forest stepping into his home he was immediately greeted with a panicked expression from his mom she immediately hugged him and started to cry.

"Where were you we looked outside and you were just gone, don't you know how scared and worried we were."

"Mom here."

Lin Ti didn't wish to see his mom cry so he quickly pulled out the 3 rabbits, seeing them his mother and father were immediately shocked they were lost for words here they were concerned for food and their son brings it back like its nothing just what was going on Zhen was the first to recollect himself.

"Lin Lin just how in the world did you get these rabbits don't tell me you stole them."

Even though Lin was a bit irritated with the accusation, it was completely understandable so he let it go instead he simply said.

"I hunted them."

Once again an expression of shock filled his parent's gazes. As they looked on at their child they didn't know how to respond.

"I hunted them with these."

Lin pulled out a couple of rocks from his pocket displaying the simple stones to his parents. They looked at the stones in confusion, but they both couldn't figure out what was so special about these rocks. Were they magic stones or something, either way, they looked at them, they could only see regular stones. Seeing that his parents were still lost Lin decided to show a bit of his strength. Circulating his ki again, he aimed at the wall.

"Look closely."

*Swoosh*

With a quick hard throw, the rock flew from his hand with an incredible speed.

*Thud*

The place where Lin aimed at left a small hole in the wall looking through it, you could clearly see all the way outside.

More silence filled the room, but with it his parent's jaws dropped. Seeing his parent's reaction Lin couldn't help but let out a sigh. He figured it would be something like this, but in order for him to not be monitored and babied he figured he needed to show them a bit of his strength that way he could be a bit more independent. However 10 minutes passed and still his parents were frozen in shock, so he gave them a little explanation he told them it was magic he knew it would work because not to be mean, but the education out in these parts was clearly limited and so their knowledge on magic was almost zero the only reference they could go by was the chief and even he was not very skilled in it after explaining it away as magic his parents sunk in thought after a while his father was the first to react with a roaring laughter.

"HAHAHA my son is blessed by the gods they heal him and gift him with magic HAHA amazing, truly amazing at last we are favored."

Next, his mother gave a bright smile and hugged her son again.

"Thank the gods Lin Lin my special child, I love you."

As the family was filled with laughter suddenly a large noise grabbed everyone's attention.

*Grumble Grumble*

Looking at where it came from Zhen and Lin began to laugh harder and louder the noise was coming from the sound of Lara's stomach growling quickly her face took on the color of an apple and she shyly stood up.

"Mom."

Regaining her composure Lara stuttered out.

"ye...yeYes honey."

"Let's Eat!!

End of Ch 5