Dragon, Truly Shameless (Yuri Futa, Farming) - Chapter 18

In her hands was a smoky blue quju (a type of ancient Chinese garment), the fabric soft and smooth, seemingly made of silk. The inner layer was carefully sewn with padded cotton, thick yet not bulky. It had a white pattern on a blue background, and the hem was embroidered with elegant, simple orchids, giving it a refined air. Such a fine garment was actually for a country girl like her? She noticed her own clothes piled in the corner.

After some thought, she neatly folded Long Qing’s clothes and went to the corner. Her clothes, unwashed for many days, emitted a faint smell. That day had been too chaotic; the outer clothes were stained with mud and had several tears. She picked out the least dirty inner layer to put on, intending to mend it but couldn’t find a needle and thread. It was then she realized her chest felt empty – where was her dudou (bodice)?

She looked around and found a piece of fabric neatly folded on the stone table, even placed in a dish as if to prevent it from getting dirty. At first glance, the fabric looked very familiar; it was indeed her dudou. Blushing, she took the dudou, hid it inside her clothes, and then grabbed the dirty clothes and walked out of the cave.

The sun had fully risen. The morning air was pure and fresh, and melodious bird songs drifted from deep within the forest. The sky was cloudless, a pure azure. The chill had eased, and a gentle breeze blew—it was a good day for washing clothes.

Shen Qingming remembered Long Qing’s words and dared not wander far, so she washed her clothes in a small stream near the cave.

Meanwhile, Long Qing and Ah Hu arrived at a wooded area dense with fruit trees, waiting for deer to come forage.

Deer eat grass, but they are also particularly fond of sweet berries. Autumn is the season for wild fruits to ripen. Every autumn, deer often leave open grasslands and gather in the perilous forests, searching for fallen fruits.

Long Qing sat on the largest fruit tree, overlooking the forest land for several miles around. Although hunting was simple for her – merely releasing her dragon’s breath would make all living creatures willingly offer their lives to the dragon – the heritage left by her mother mentioned that as a dragon, one must first learn to conceal oneself. Unless absolutely necessary, she must not reveal her true identity as a dragon. The first step in concealing her identity was to learn to control her dragon’s breath. She had only recently transformed into a dragon and could not skillfully control her dragon’s breath, so she could only practice through hunting.

Long Qing retracted all her dragon’s breath, completely blending into the forest. Before long, two calls resembling the “you-you” of deer echoed from the distant dense woods. Deer calls, “you-you,” feeding on wild apples. Sika deer appeared in the distance with this strange sound. The herd slowly approached, and Long Qing clung tightly to the tree trunk.

This herd of sika deer numbered about forty to fifty. Their orange-yellow spotted fur blended perfectly with the fallen leaves, such a flawless camouflage that one couldn’t help but marvel at nature’s wonder. The deer gradually gathered under the tree, picking up fallen fruits from the ground. Long Qing quickly selected one.

Nocking the arrow, aiming, releasing—the actions were seamless. The arrow silently pierced through the treetops and then firmly embedded itself in the sika deer’s hind leg. The herd scattered in all directions. The injured sika deer instinctively fled into the forest. Ah Hu, who had been ambushed nearby, immediately pounced when he saw the deer running towards him.

Long Qing was exhilarated. She had to admit that the hunting methods invented by humans were more efficient than those of the forest king, the tiger. They could launch a surprise attack from a hundred meters away, silently taking lives. Even she would be caught off guard. She jumped down from the tree and followed the bloodstains. Ah Hu had already caught the sika deer. She patted his head as a commendation.

As they prepared to return, Long Qing noticed the trees full of wild fruits. Thinking of something, she led Ah Hu towards a familiar patch of woods. Autumn was fruit season, and ripe fruits were abundant throughout the mountains, especially persimmons. They grew in full trees, the bright red persimmons like natural lanterns, a unique way for nature to celebrate the harvest. She followed her memory to a persimmon tree and specifically picked large, red ones until her bag was full before heading back to the cave.

She had expected the little girl to be obedient and rest well, but to her surprise, she was up and working again.

The open area in front of the dragon’s cave had been cleared. A few green bamboo poles, seemingly freshly cut, lay on the ground. The little girl stood there, gesturing at something.

She tied two bamboo poles together, then spread them apart to form an “X” shape. She then repeated the process to make another one. The two “X” shapes stood facing each other a few steps apart, and a bamboo pole was placed horizontally across the central intersection, thus creating a simple drying rack.

The little girl seemed very happy. She spread her wet clothes on the rack to dry. The clean clothes were still dripping water, and the droplets fell in strings, reflecting the sunlight like colorful pearls, dazzling and brilliant, mirroring the vibrant, colorful clouds in the sky and the girl’s genuine smile.

Long Qing, witnessing everything, suddenly felt an indescribable warmth from the scene before her.

“Little girl.”

“Ms. Long.”

Hearing the voice, the little girl turned around, and upon seeing her, immediately smiled, revealing two shallow dimples. Long Qing’s eyes curved slightly, and she walked over quickly. As she approached, she noticed the little girl was wearing that wrinkled, dried-vegetable-like dress again, and her brow furrowed.

“Didn’t I give you clothes? Why aren’t you wearing them? Are they uncomfortable?” Long Qing rattled off three questions in one breath. This dress had been worn for who knew how many years; it was wrinkled, even more so than dried vegetables. If it weren’t for the fact that it belonged to the little girl, she would have thrown it away that very night. Since she decided to raise this girl, she had to raise her well and fatten her up.

Shen Qingming saw her getting angry and quickly shook her head, “No, the clothes are very good, very comfortable. It’s just that I need to work, and I can’t wear such good clothes when washing.”

Long Qing’s beautiful brows knitted tightly. Although she knew the little girl lived simply, she hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. The little girl’s cautious, fearful look, as if afraid of making her angry, made her heart ache. How much suffering must she have endured to be so careful? She walked into the cave and soon emerged with the quju. “Wear it if I tell you to. It’s getting cold now. What if you catch a cold and get sick? If it gets dirty, we’ll just wash it again.”

“This…” Shen Qingming held the clothes handed to her, a hesitant look on her face.

“Good girl, go change. It’s the season for autumn persimmons to ripen. I happened to see some on the way back and brought them. They should be delicious. You can have some later; you’re too thin.” Long Qing placed the persimmons on the stone table, pushing the little girl towards the cave as she spoke, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

Shen Qingming was flattered, bewilderedly pushed into the cave, along with a new set of clothes. Looking at the new clothes in her hands, the enclosed cave, the orange-red candlelight, the beautiful red persimmons, she even felt as if she had entered a bridal chamber. A moment later, completely refreshed, she slowly shuffled out.

Long Qing was busy processing the sika deer, but her gaze had already drifted to the little girl. At this sight, her eyes lit up. The quju seemed a bit too big, so the girl had to tighten the waistband very snugly. To make it easier to work, her sleeves were tied with thin cords, perfectly outlining her slender figure that could be encircled with one hand. Although her complexion was sallow, upon closer inspection, one could still discern a hint of feminine elegance. Now, walking with small, slow steps against the setting sun, with downcast eyes and a blushing face, she strangely resembled a “delicate” young lady.

Shen Qingming also noticed Long Qing looking at her, and her gaze immediately darted away. She shuffled closer, and seeing Long Qing still staring intently, seemingly lost in thought, she shyly reminded her, “Ms. Long.”

Long Qing was startled by the call, realizing she had been impolite, and quickly looked away, saying awkwardly, “The little girl is quite delicate, like a young lady.” Was it her imagination, or did the girl’s “Ms. Long” just now carry a hint of reproach?

Shen Qingming’s already red face, which she had barely managed to calm down, threatened to flush again. She turned her head, her eyes shifting. Did she look like a young lady? Unfortunately, there was no mirror here for her to see.

“Are you going to cook? I’m sorry, I didn’t have time to buy rice today, so we’ll have to make do with what’s left from last time.” Long Qing took out the leftover rice from two months ago, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“It’s fine, it’s already very good.” Shen Qingming naturally didn’t mind. She took the rice bag and deftly went to the side to wash the rice.

Tonight’s dinner was still sika deer. Autumn deer were even fatter and more delicious than summer ones, and today’s deer seemed to have an unexpected bonus. Shen Qingming was washing rice by the ditch when she habitually glanced at Long Qing and happened to scan the deer on the ground. One detail made her eyes widen.

The sika deer had a pair of antlers on its head, which wasn’t strange; male deer usually had antlers. However, these antlers were small. Seeing Long Qing prepare to finish off the deer, she quickly walked over. The antlers were reddish-brown, with only one fork, the branch slightly thinner than the main beam, and covered in short velvet. When squeezed lightly, they felt soft. The soft yet tough sensation excited her—it was velvet antler.

Her mother was the daughter of the Flower Shopkeeper at the town’s herbal medicine store. As a child, she had heard her mother speak much about medicinal herbs, including velvet antler. Velvet antler could be used in medicine and was a relatively precious herb. This deer’s velvet antler was very large, seemingly three jin (about 3.3 lbs) in weight, and would surely fetch a good price.

“What’s wrong?” Long Qing looked suspiciously at the little girl’s actions.

“This is velvet antler!” Shen Qingming’s eyes sparkled as she pointed at the antlers and curved her lips into a smile.

“Velvet antler?”

“Yes, didn’t you know? Velvet antler is a medicinal herb.”

Shen Qingming was also a bit confused to see Long Qing’s bewildered expression. Although Long Qing said she was a hunter from the mountains, her demeanor and gestures were not what a hunter would possess; she was more like a fallen noblewoman with some martial arts skills. But why wouldn’t a noblewoman recognize velvet antler? Long Qing seemed to feel guilty under her gaze, nodding again but not answering her.

“Velvet antler is a medicinal herb, and it can be sold. If you hunt deer with velvet antlers in the future, bring them back to me. We can hoard them and then sell them, so we can save some silver, okay?” Shen Qingming, eager to earn money, unconsciously added a touch of conquettish to her voice, sounding as if she was acting spoiled towards Long Qing.

Long Qing was momentarily stunned and simply nodded foolishly under the little girl’s expectant gaze.

“If you want it, then have it. If there’s more in the future, I’ll bring it back.” She turned her head away, finding it too strange for the withered Bean Sprout to make such a coy gesture.

The heavy stone in Shen Qingming’s heart lifted. Her eyes curved into crescents, and a faint smile spread across her face. She didn’t think too much, only wanting to earn some silver to help with household expenses. She believed that since they were living together, she couldn’t let Long Qing shoulder everything alone. Now, in autumn, prey was abundant, but in winter, they would certainly not be able to hunt much. There was only one cave and a few animal skins here. Regardless of Long Qing’s identity, preparing winter clothes was an urgent matter.

She cut off the velvet antler while the sika deer was still alive. The fresh velvet antler was still dripping bl00d; if not cooked quickly, it would spoil. She poured the rice out of the earthenware pot, added water, boiled it, and blanched the velvet antler in it repeatedly until all the velvet was removed from the surface.

The cooked velvet antler was smooth on the surface, its skin tightened. Shen Qingming casually folded two grass ropes and hung the velvet antler in a ventilated spot under the eaves. Looking at the velvet antler reflecting an orange matte glow in the setting sun, she breathed a long sigh of relief. These two unadorned things were their guarantee for winter, and no mistakes could be made.

Long Qing watched the little girl enthusiastically fussing over an inedible antler by herself, neither stopping her nor helping. She had heard of velvet antler, but its effects were merely so-so, not even comparable to a fraction of dragon saliva, so she naturally didn’t think much of it. However, seeing the girl cherish the velvet antler so much made her unhappy. She clearly had better things, but the girl only saw those two mundane objects.

“Ms. Long, the velvet antler should be dry in about a month. When we sell it, we can buy some grain and winter clothes, otherwise winter might be hard to get through,” Shen Qingming returned to sit beside Long Qing, her eyebrows dancing as she enthusiastically gestured about their future plans. But she saw Long Qing’s expression was calm, seemingly not very happy. She stiffened, asking, confused, “What’s wrong?”

Long Qing’s expression was placid. She glanced at the velvet antler under the eaves: “Nothing, is this thing really that valuable? Enough to make you so happy?”

“Ah?” Shen Qingming was a bit bewildered. Then she heard Long Qing seriously saying, “Male deer shed their antlers every summer and autumn. The newly grown antlers are juvenile antlers, what you call velvet antler. If the velvet antler isn’t taken, it gradually hardens, and by next year, it will fall off and turn into powder. Even if taken, it won’t endanger the male deer’s life. In other words, this thing is available every year, all over the mountains, so it’s no different from the weeds on the ground.”

She sat there, solemnly evaluating a common object, her manner indescribably strange yet very amusing. Shen Qingming paused, then felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Yes, but velvet antler can only be harvested once or twice a year after all. Deer are naturally combative, difficult to raise, and difficult to catch, so naturally, scarcity makes it valuable.”

“Scarcity makes it valuable? I don’t think so,” Long Qing looked away, her lips tightly pressed, appearing quite unconvinced.

Shen Qingming was completely confused. Why did it feel like Long Qing’s focus had drifted? But seeing this elegant lady inexplicably arguing with a piece of velvet antler was truly comical, so she could only play along. “Yes, yes, Ms. Long is very capable, industrious, and knowledgeable, so she naturally doesn’t think much of the velvet antler all over the mountains. But right now, we can use it to exchange for silver, otherwise we’ll freeze to death when winter comes.”

Long Qing didn’t answer. The half of her face visible to Shen Qingming’s eyes was slightly flushed. “Got it, go cook now.” She clumsily made an excuse and carried the sika deer away to butcher, her back like someone escaping. Shen Qingming was amused and let out a small giggle. “Okay.”

Long Qing took off the deer legs. This deer was very large, and the size of its legs was also impressive. As usual, she kept two hind legs, throwing the rest to Ah Hu.

Ah Hu didn’t take it, but instead dug a pit in the ground and looked at her eagerly. Ever since eating the roasted meat prepared by the Bean Sprout, he had grown fond of cooked food, and it had to be tender, not tough. But he didn’t know how to prepare it, only having seen the Bean Sprout’s method for roasting deer legs. In fact, during the two months the Bean Sprout was away, he and Long Qing ate meat roasted in this manner.

Long Qing had always doted on this friend who had accompanied her for a thousand years. Though helpless, she still obediently went to collect firewood nearby.

The interaction between the girl and the tiger was fully observed by Shen Qingming. Shen Qingming’s eyes brimmed with laughter, the gray haze almost entirely dissipated from them. Her eyes, once dull and lifeless in the Old Shen family, had become clear as translucent, with ripples of water reflecting the youthful spirit and vitality a young girl should possess. She sat in the slanting sunlight, washing rice, feeling completely at ease. When she placed the earthenware pot on the charcoal fire to simmer, the aroma of food wafted from deep within the mountains, faintly accompanied by the occasional silver-bell-like laughter of the young woman.

This was her future home. It was quite lively, with a gentle and beautiful woman of uncertain identity, and a majestic yet simple-minded large cat. Shen Qingming’s eyes reflected the bonfire, her pupils tinged orange-red, remarkably similar to the dragon’s eyes in her dream. A lone lamp named hope ignited in her eyes. Under the warm autumn sunset, this 15 year old girl suddenly felt a new sense of anticipation for the life ahead.