"Oh, Old Meng, you mean I'm unreasonable? Look at the way that old hag carries on, and besides, Wu Dalei can carry his wife. Should I carry his mother, or should Ah Jiu carry her..."
"I... I didn't mean that."
Ah Jiu watched her parents bickering again and sighed. The spirit-seed watermelons grown with spirit spring water were truly energizing; even their arguments had more vigor.
"Dad, Mom, please stop arguing. I have a way to reduce the manpower needed and can drag both Grandma Wu and Aunt Wu away."
As soon as Ah Jiu said this, Cai Lihua and Meng Shaode stopped arguing and looked at her in unison.
"You have a way?" they both exclaimed.
Ah Jiu shamelessly covered her mouth and smiled. She realized her mother was also a sentimental and soft-hearted person:
"I do, but I'll need Dad's help with something."
"What help?"
"Just do as you're told," Cai Lihua said, pushing him away dismissively.
Ah Jiu had already left the house. The mountains were dense with trees, but finding bamboo of suitable thickness was difficult for Ah Jiu.
It needed to be at least as thick as an arm. Too thick, and it would be hard to grip; too thin, and it would have enough spring but break easily.
Ah Jiu spent several hours searching the mountain before finally finding a bamboo grove.
The grove grew outside a cave, its branches long and slender, swaying crookedly in the wind. Yellowed bamboo leaves hung down, almost completely obscuring the cave entrance.
"Daughter, don't go in there!" Meng Shaode cried out. This was the snake cave they had visited last time, wasn't it?
"Dad, I wasn't planning on going in. I just need this bamboo. These two look suitable for making a shoulder pole."
Meng Shaode's eyes lit up: "Heh, I understand now. Daughter, you're truly clever. Your father didn't even think of that."
With renewed enthusiasm, Meng Shaode worked quickly. In just a short while, it was done.
They carried the bamboo back to the wooden cabin. Without Ah Jiu's instruction, Meng Shaode knew exactly what to do.
Adding a crossbar and attaching bamboo planks, a person could lie on top. Two ropes were connected, and with the bamboo's elasticity, they could easily drag people over ten li of mountain road.
If they encountered rocks, the bamboo pole could be easily flicked to bounce over the obstacles.
Wu Dalei was grinning from ear to ear the entire way, looking at Ah Jiu with admiration.
This young girl, despite her age, had so many good ideas.
By evening, they had reached the snake cave deep within the bamboo forest.
Wu Dalei dared not go in: "Brother Meng, what if there are snakes inside?"
Cai Lihua, exhausted, sat down and began rubbing her legs, not forgetting to massage her daughter's calf:
"You must be tired."
Ah Jiu also considered the trouble if there were snakes in the cave: "Mom, I didn't carry anything, so how could I be tired?"
Cai Lihua smiled with relief. How could she bear to tire her daughter?
"Why don't we try smoking them out?" This was Meng Shaode's usual method when hunting.
"That won't do," Ah Jiu reacted. "The last time the bandits were attracted, it was because of the smoke from our cooking fire."
At these words, Meng Shaode and Wu Dalei looked at her in unison:
"How did you know?"
"I heard them talking," Ah Jiu replied truthfully.
"Then, if that's the case, there really isn't a better way," Meng Shaode sighed.
Ah Jiu pursed her lips, as if making a difficult decision:
"What if we lure them out? With eagle meat."
"What?" Cai Lihua was stunned. "This is all the meat we have left. The whole family still needs to eat."
As she spoke, Cai Lihua cast an unfriendly glance at Mrs. Wu.
"That makes sense," Mrs. Wang, who looked like a worn-out sack, participated in the family meeting for the first time.
"Then, Grandma, why don't you go in and take a look? If there are snakes, you can just run back, can't you? Your legs are quite nimble now." As Ah Jiu said this,
Mrs. Wang's neck stiffened. Her spiritual energy had only just begun to show progress, and her meridians were just beginning to circulate. If she died now, all her efforts would be in vain.
Her face darkened as she said, "Fine, I'll do as you say."
"Then let's do that," Ah Jiu said, getting up to handle the carrying basket.
"Ah Jiu, are you sure we should use it? This is... this is our only meat right now," Wu Dalei said, looking pained.