Chapter 394: So Full, Almost Stuffed
This was a blatant slap in the face from Cheng Yuan!
The faces of Wan Liang and the other three instantly flushed red. They wished they could find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Just then, the three women who had been gathering wild vegetables returned.
They had quite a bountiful harvest. Each was carrying a small basket filled with all sorts of wild vegetables.
Seeing Cheng Yuan carrying a small deer, Zhang Nana gave him a look of approval. "Mr. Cheng, you’ve finally seen the light!"
Cheng Yuan was taken aback. "What light?"
Zhang Nana smiled. "It’s what I told you just now! Even if you just help Young Master Wan and the others carry their kill, it still counts as a contribution."
Wan Liang and his three companions were so awkward they could barely describe it, but there was no way for them to explain. It was just too humiliating!
Cheng Yuan calmly explained, "Miss Zhang, you’ve misunderstood. This deer wasn’t hunted by Young Master Wan’s group. I found it."
Huh?
Zhang Nana and Wang Yan were stunned.
’This deer wasn’t hunted by Young Master Wan’s group?’
’Mr. Cheng found it?’
’What kind of dumb luck does Mr. Cheng have?’
He Jing smiled mysteriously. She knew Cheng Yuan wouldn’t be content with just fetching water; he’d grab some prey while he was at it.
’As for Cheng Yuan saying he just "found" it?’
He Jing didn’t believe that for a second.
Trying to salvage the situation, Chen Ping laughed it off. "Mr. Cheng, your luck is incredible! To think you could just find a deer. Tonight’s dinner is settled! Xiang Fei, go start a fire!"
Xiang Fei, completely forgetting what he’d just said about distributing rewards based on contribution, grinned. "Alright, I’ll go start the fire! Chen Ping, Luo Hou, you two skin the deer and handle the innards."
Luo Hou nodded and reached out toward Cheng Yuan. "Mr. Cheng, I’m good at skinning game, and Chen Ping is good with the innards. Let us handle the deer!"
Unfortunately, Cheng Yuan wasn’t falling for it. He shifted his body slightly to the side, dodging Luo Hou’s large hand, and looked at the four men with a faint smile.
"I seem to recall someone saying earlier that food should be distributed based on contribution! I found a deer and brought back a bucket of water, the three ladies gathered wild vegetables, while you gentlemen came back with nothing. Therefore, the three ladies and I will eat the meat, and you can all have some vegetable soup. Perhaps, if I’m in a good mood, I’ll reward you with some of our leftover bones. So I won’t be troubling you to process the kill. I can handle it myself."
Cheng Yuan’s words nearly choked the four men. Their expressions turned incredibly sour, but they had no way to argue back.
After all, Xiang Fei had just been the one to specifically emphasize that food would be distributed based on contribution!
In a classic case of sour grapes, Wan Liang snorted coldly. "Mr. Cheng, you’d dare eat a deer you just found? Aren’t you afraid it died from some infectious disease? Or poison?"
Hearing this, the expressions on Zhang Nana and Wang Yan changed. The deer did seem a bit risky. It would be a huge mistake if they got sick from eating it!
Cheng Yuan grinned. "Don’t worry, Young Master Wan. This deer wasn’t sick, nor was it poisoned. It seems to have been startled, bolted from that direction, ran headfirst into a tree, and died instantly."
The four men’s faces instantly turned grim. Wasn’t that the direction they had just been hunting in?
’Could it be that they had scared the deer, causing it to bolt right to Cheng Yuan and run itself into a tree?’
’Cheng Yuan’s luck was just too damn good!’
Wan Liang’s expression relaxed slightly. "If the deer died from crashing into something, then it’s indeed safe to eat. Mr. Cheng, are you sure you want to eat it all by yourself? Luck doesn’t last forever. There will come a day when you need our help."
Cheng Yuan grinned. "My luck has always been pretty good."
With that, Cheng Yuan carried the deer back to the camp and began skillfully skinning it and removing the innards.
It wasn’t that Cheng Yuan had been a hunter before. It was mainly because of his Double Pupil, combined with his own considerable strength. He finished processing the deer in a flash.
Soon, with the help of the three women, Cheng Yuan set up a simple grill rack. He cut the deer into several pieces and placed them on the rack, turning them over the fire.
The three women were very thoughtful and had brought plenty of barbecue seasonings.
He Jing’s grilling skills were surprisingly good. She even carefully brushed a layer of oil onto the venison.
SIZZLE...
The rich aroma of roasting meat filled the air. Cheng Yuan and the three women talked and laughed, their mouths watering in anticipation.
Wan Liang’s group, however, were withdrawn and sullen. Fleeing for their lives earlier had used up nearly the last of their energy, and they desperately needed to replenish it.
Soon, the venison was cooked. He Jing handed the largest deer leg to Cheng Yuan.
"To the hero of the hour, this is your leg."
Cheng Yuan took a huge bite, the rich flavor flooding his mouth.
Chewing heartily, Cheng Yuan let out a burp. "So good! This is the best venison I’ve ever had. I’m already getting stuffed!"
Wan Liang: "..."
The four guys practically hated Cheng Yuan to death. ’Are you even human?’
’You’re almost stuffed?’
’We’re about to starve to death over here, you know?’
Xiang Fei forced back his saliva and said, "Cheng Yuan didn’t even bleed the deer. The meat is definitely gamey and not good at all!"
The three guys had found a way to console themselves. Chen Ping quickly chimed in.
"Meat that hasn’t been bled really doesn’t taste good. Looks like this Cheng fellow doesn’t know the first thing about it!"
But the three women just looked at each other and smiled.
Zhang Nana said in a coquettish voice, "It’s true that pigs and cows need to be bled, but it’s really not necessary for deer. Deer blood has powerful restorative properties. It can greatly enhance a man’s Yang Qi and boost... ahem... a man’s ’abilities.’"
As she spoke, Zhang Nana gave Cheng Yuan a sultry look.
Wang Yan also looked at Cheng Yuan with a fiery gaze.
He Jing watched the other two women warily. ’Are these two hussies hitting on Cheng Yuan too?’
’That’s not going to happen!’
He Jing quickly sat down next to Cheng Yuan, tore off a piece of venison, and offered it to him. "Cheng Yuan, have some meat."
Cheng Yuan subconsciously wanted to refuse, but—perhaps because he had eaten the venison—a wave of heat rose from his lower abdomen.
Coupled with He Jing’s slightly pleading gaze, he found he couldn’t bring himself to say no.
Cheng Yuan opened his mouth slightly and ate the piece of meat He Jing offered.
He Jing’s pretty face flushed with excitement. The other two women were not to be outdone.
"Mr. Cheng, have some meat!"
"Mr. Cheng, have some of mine, too!"
Seeing the three women all vying for Cheng Yuan’s attention, the four men became even more sullen. Fuming, they returned to the wooden cabins that had been assigned earlier.
There were three cabins in total.
The three girls shared one.
Wan Liang, Xiang Fei, and Luo Hou took another, while Chen Ping was squeezed out and had to share with Cheng Yuan.
Cheng Yuan didn’t mind this at all. He was leaving tomorrow anyway, so it didn’t matter who he roomed with.
Cheng Yuan looked at Chen Ping with a faint smile. "Got a power bank? My phone’s dead."
’Cheng Yuan had already decided that if Chen Ping readily lent him the power bank, he would give him a piece of venison.’
Unfortunately, Chen Ping didn’t seize the opportunity. He refused without hesitation, "Sorry, my phone is dead too. I need it!"
Cheng Yuan shrugged, turned around, and walked out of the cabin. He headed toward the girls’ cabin, confident that they wouldn’t refuse his request.
Just as he reached the door to the girls’ cabin, Cheng Yuan suddenly stopped and shot his gaze forward.
Next to the camp’s fence stood a black bear, a good seven feet tall, staring at him with a ferocious gaze!