PCJ – Chapter 92 It Turns Out to Be an “Old Friend”

Zhang Jiaohua became more naturally close to animals after his time in Meishan. Not only was Zuan Shanbao excellent at driving mountain dogs, but it had also been raised since it was young and was naturally very close to Zhang Jiaohua. As for the three little wild rabbits, under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to keep them alive. However, Zhang Jiaohua casually fed them some food that domestic rabbits liked, and surprisingly, he managed to keep them alive. Now they didn’t need to be kept in cages anymore; they were let out every day and would return to their cages by themselves at night, just like domestic rabbits.

Zhang Jiaohua was playful and didn’t bother to pick chestnuts. Instead, he rolled around with Zuan Shanbao, getting covered in various dried leaves, especially those sticky grasses that would easily stick to clothes and couldn’t be brushed off. Zhang Jiaohua was fine; he could just soak his clothes in water to get rid of the sticky grass. However, Zuan Shanbao was completely covered in it and couldn’t shake it off. The kid naturally didn’t pay attention to this. Not only did he not mind, but he also found it amusing. After playing for a while, he started picking chestnuts and managed to fill almost a whole basket.

The forest was very quiet, without the noisy hustle and bustle of the village. Instead, it was full of life. The fragrant smell of flowers mixed with the scent of leaves and grass, creating a unique forest aroma. Only by going deep into the forest could one experience this taste. Every day, different combinations of scents would come together to create a special aroma. With attention, one could appreciate this captivating scent.

The forest was quiet, allowing the gentle breeze to rustle the leaves, creating a melody like a soft murmuring music. Birds sang softly, which was the most beautiful song in the world. This intoxicating atmosphere was something the kid couldn’t appreciate; he wouldn’t cherish such easily accessible happiness. With the basket on his back, he hummed a tune, preparing to go home.

“Woof, woof!” Zuan Shanbao barked happily along the way, occasionally darting into the bushes and scaring away the birds inside. Although it couldn’t catch a single feather, it still enjoyed it immensely.

Zuan Shanbao truly lived up to its name, being like an elf in the mountains, especially agile in the bushes. Within the bushes, it was even better at running than wild animals.

After a while, Zuan Shanbao’s voice changed, becoming urgent and sharper, indicating that it had spotted prey. Zhang Jiaohua could tell from its tone and quickly put down the basket, grabbing the wooden knife in his hand. He wasn’t sure what prey Zuan Shanbao had encountered, but he needed to be prepared for defense. Although snakes were rare at this time of year, it was still afternoon, the warmest time of the day, and there might be some activity. If Zuan Shanbao chased a snake out, Zhang Jiaohua would be in trouble if he wasn’t prepared.

Soon, the prey Zuan Shanbao was chasing appeared, a yellow figure emerged from the bushes. It was actually a weasel!

This weasel seemed familiar; seeing it approaching calmly, Zhang Jiaohua quickly tightened his grip on the wooden knife.

Zuan Shanbao, furious, chased after it, but instead of pouncing on the weasel, it barked fiercely, keeping a distance. Clearly, it had been outsmarted by the weasel during their chase and was now very wary of it.

Zhang Jiaohua could guess what had happened; weasels emitted a strong, unpleasant odor when threatened, and they were skilled in using biochemical weapons, always catching their opponents off guard. Although Zuan Shanbao was an excellent hunting dog, it was still young and lacked experience, not having a true hunting dog to teach it. A true Meishan water warrior wouldn’t only train one hunting dog; they would often have a rotation of old and new dogs, with the old ones teaching the new ones. Only then could they truly be called hunting dogs. Zuan Shanbao’s potential wasn’t inferior to any other hunting dog’s, especially with Zhang Jiaohua, a true inheritor of Meishan’s water warrior tradition, by its side. It was bound to become an excellent hunting dog in the future. But for now, it wasn’t a match for the weasel.

The weasel, not to be outdone, bared its teeth and raised its front paws, provoking Zuan Shanbao.

Zuan Shanbao, angry, was about to pounce, but the weasel suddenly turned around, facing its back to Zuan Shanbao. Zuan Shanbao dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding it, and dashed out from between Zhang Jiaohua’s legs, barking angrily at the weasel.

The weasel seemed to understand the principle of “feinting.” This time, it just pretended to attack, causing Zuan Shanbao to back off. It then burst into laughter, seemingly amused by its own actions.

“This weasel is quite cunning!” Zhang Jiaohua couldn’t help but laugh.

The weasel made a few more noises in the bushes, then came out, dragging something with its mouth.

Zuan Shanbao, wary, approached and sniffed the object, fearing it might be a trap set by the weasel. But it was indeed a chicken. A fat one, too. What big chicken legs!