"Wow, you really have a full set of tools." Mu Shuangshuang stared intently at the bow and arrow in Lu Yuanfeng’s hand, saying with a face full of joy.
She had played with guns, but she had only seen bows and arrows on TV.
"Lu Yuanfeng, can you let me have a look at your bow and arrow?"
If it were ancient times, the most nimble weapon, Mu Shuangshuang thought, would be the bow and arrow.
It’s suitable for long-range combat, highly flexible, and most importantly, it’s convenient for escaping—if you can’t win, you can throw the bow and run. Naturally, she’s curious about such a good thing.
"My bow is heavy. If you want to play with a bow and arrow, next time I’ll make a lighter one for you, with a wooden arrowhead, okay?"
"Lu Yuanfeng, I’m not trying to play; I’m researching what charm this thing has."
Mu Shuangshuang shook her head helplessly. She was a bit frail, she admitted. But it didn’t mean she was someone who relied on others for support, right? Why did this silly guy always think she had no strength at all and could only play with kids’ stuff?
People always say, ’A lean camel is bigger than a horse.’ She might look thin and weak, but at least she’s been professionally trained. She’s not completely incapable.
"You’re really not trying to play?" Lu Yuanfeng asked again, still uneasy.
"Of course not; what would I do with your bow and arrow? Just lend it to me for a glance and a few touches, and at worst, you can watch from the side."
Eventually, Lu Yuanfeng was moved by Mu Shuangshuang’s words. He handed her the bow on his back but hesitated for a long time about the arrows in the bamboo tube.
"Lu Yuanfeng, you promised to lend me the bow and arrow, but now there’s only a bow and no arrows—you’re not keeping your word."
"Shuangshuang, it’s really dangerous..." Lu Yuanfeng said, opening his mouth to explain.
"It’s precisely because it’s dangerous that I want you to stand next to me. If anything goes wrong, you’ll just take the bow and arrow away, okay? I’m practically begging you!"
The girl’s words sounded pitiful, making Lu Yuanfeng helplessly take an arrow from the quiver and hand it to her, his eyes always watching the girl’s hands, ready to act if anything went wrong to protect her.
The arrowhead was made of iron, shaped like a rather ordinary triangle. Mu Shuangshuang placed the arrow’s tail on the bowstring, trying it out. She imagined the way people on TV pulled their bows when she had seen it in dramas before.
Just as she got into position, about to ask Lu Yuanfeng if it was right, he leaned closer.
The man’s hand landed on Mu Shuangshuang’s wrist. Lu Yuanfeng instinctively wanted to withdraw his hand, but thinking about how Shuangshuang had never used a bow and arrow, he forced himself to keep holding her wrist.
Shooting arrows and practicing with guns are somewhat similar, giving Shuangshuang a feeling of being back in her school training days.
She focused intently on a tree ten meters away, aiming for the center of it.
At the same time, because they were so close, the fresh, pleasant scent of Mu Shuangshuang’s hair reached Lu Yuanfeng’s nose, slowly spreading an exciting warmth through his entire body.
In his chest, his heart felt like it was about to leap out, completely beyond his control, and his face flushed deeply.
"Is it ?" Mu Shuangshuang adjusted her position again, then looked up and back at Lu Yuanfeng, only to find his face as red as a monkey’s butt.
"What’s up with you, is it that hot so early in the morning?" Mu Shuangshuang asked in confusion.
"No... no... it’s not hot!" Lu Yuanfeng responded hastily, unable to conceal the panic in his eyes.
But Mu Shuangshuang didn’t notice this scene. Lu Yuanfeng bowed his head and saw how serious the person in front of him was, gradually steadying himself.
"Your angle is wrong. When pulling the bow, the bow and arrow must be kept level, not aimed skyward. And after aiming at prey, pull the bow back using the power from your waist to your elbow, not just your arm."
Lu Yuanfeng’s tall stature completely shaded Mu Shuangshuang from the sunlight as he stood behind her. Following his instructions, she tried adjusting the angle and then forcefully pulled back.
With a "whoosh," the arrow flew out.
Though it was only a distance of just over ten meters, it hit precisely the center of the tree Mu Shuangshuang was aiming at.
"Shuangshuang, you actually hit it..."
Lu Yuanfeng was somewhat surprised. He had seen many people in the military camp practicing archery for the first time, and they either missed or fell themselves or couldn’t even pull the bowstring, but never had anyone hit the target like her on the first try.
"Haha, I have good eyesight, so naturally, I shoot accurately. Thank you; now I know how to shoot an arrow."
Mu Shuangshuang felt a quiet joy, thinking that learning to shoot back then hadn’t been useless after all. At least her keen eye was better than most people’s.
Lu Yuanfeng thoughtfully watched the arrow in the tree trunk. Was it really just because of her good eyesight that she hit the mark with one shot?
"Alright, let’s head into the mountains!"
Since they were still at the foot of the mountain, Mu Shuangshuang took the lead and started up the mountain. After a long trek through mountainous paths, the road ahead split into three, all leading uphill.
One on the left was where Mu Shuangshuang had been before; she hadn’t seen any rabbits or such animals there, but there were a lot of wild vegetables, so it probably wasn’t suitable for hunting.
As for the middle one, Mu Shuangshuang remembered that was Lu Yuanfeng’s usual path, and he had taken Yuanbao there before.
The left one, she had no impression of at all.
"Lu Yuanfeng, should we take the path you usually go?" Mu Shuangshuang pointed to the middle path.
"No, we won’t go there. Most of the small animals there have been caught by me, and to continue hunting, we’d have to go into a deeper forest, which is too dangerous. Let’s take the right path."
The path on the right seemed rarely traveled, with trees growing disorderly, making it difficult for even one person to pass.
Lu Yuanfeng’s machete came in handy here, as he swung it to chop down thorny plants and cleared the way.
Since it was morning, the forest was dense with the chirping sounds of birds, making it quite lively.
On either side of the path, there were small trees densely packed, which took a lot of effort from Lu Yuanfeng.
Fortunately, after chopping through the thorns, they arrived in a slightly shallower forest, which was full of fir trees.
Each leaf of the fir tree was made of many small spikes, but once they turned into dry branches, fir trees became the best material for starting fires. A handful of fir branches and a few pieces of dry wood meant you didn’t have to worry about the fire.
"Shuangshuang, I’ve never been in this forest before. If anything goes wrong, stick close behind me."
Lu Yuanfeng wasn’t exactly a born-and-bred hunter. He had gone to the military camp when he was young, learning his skills there.
As for the terrain on the mountain, he was familiar with the areas he had been to, but this forest was new to him, so naturally, he couldn’t say he knew it well.
"Alright, don’t worry!"
Mu Shuangshuang followed behind Lu Yuanfeng. She had been in similar forests more than once, and even deeper woods, but that had been with company, all armed, which made it much safer.
Mu Shuangshuang checked the hemp rope at her waist, feeling calmer. At least she had come out with a weapon, so she wasn’t afraid of danger.