Chicken

"Cock-a-doodle-doo~"

The rooster was draped in red-and-black feathers, with a scarlet comb atop its head and a tail like a great fan. It waddled along as if no one else existed, proud and majestic.

Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog exchanged a glance.

"The old village chief's chicken!"

"Nice and fat!"

Man and dog were of one mind, swiftly sweeping their gazes over the area.

"No one else..."

Skinny Dog listened carefully before transmitting, "No one else..."

Without changing expression, Fang Zhixing slowly gripped his bow and drew an arrow.

At that moment, the rooster happened to turn its backside toward him.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot forth!

The rooster's head dipped, and it toppled headfirst to the ground like an upended scallion. Its claws kicked wildly a few times before it went still.

The arrow had entered through its eye, instantly causing brain death. It had not even had time to let out a single cry before dying.

Fang Zhixing swiftly put away his bow and arrows, scooped up the rooster, and stuffed it into the broken bamboo basket.

Then he scanned the surroundings again, making sure no one was spying on them.

"Quick, quick, let's go home and braise it in red sauce!" Skinny Dog shouted excitedly, snot running from his nose.

Fang Zhixing's head was feverish, yet he remained exceptionally calm. Shaking his head, he said, "Don't rush. We'd better not eat chicken in the village."

"What are you afraid of? No one knows we did it," Skinny Dog said at once.

Fang Zhixing said seriously, "Once the old village chief discovers his rooster is gone, he'll definitely suspect someone stole it to eat. I'm afraid he'll search house by house. Chicken blood smells too strong, there are too many feathers, and the aroma of roasted chicken is too heavy. How can we cover it up?"

Skinny Dog was startled.

Come to think of it, even if Fang Zhixing disposed of the chicken blood and burned all the feathers, there was no way to erase every trace of the smell.

"What do you want to do?" Skinny Dog asked.

Fang Zhixing fell silent briefly, then mused, "Let's leave the village first."

Man and dog did not return home. They left the village as usual and gradually went farther and farther away.

The Crouching Ox Mountains were encircled by peaks upon peaks.

Living amid the mountains and wilderness, aside from the many mountains, trees, and rivers, there was one other thing in abundance—caves.

Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog climbed to the top of a mountain and soon found a cave.

Fortunately, this cave did not leak when it rained. Not only was it dry inside, but there were also piles of dead branches and fallen leaves, likely blown in by strong winds.

"Mm, this place will do."

Fang Zhixing perked up, took the rooster from the broken bamboo basket, plucked it, gutted it, and roasted it over the fire.

While Fang Zhixing was busy, Skinny Dog was not idle either. He was responsible for patrolling outside the cave.

"Woof woof!"

Before long, Fang Zhixing heard the barking and hurriedly grabbed his bow and arrows before running out.

Looking closely, he saw Skinny Dog standing in front of a patch of low-growing plants, his tail wagging.

Fang Zhixing rushed over and asked, "What is it?"

Turning back with his tongue hanging out, Skinny Dog asked as if claiming credit, "Do you think these are wild mountain peppers?"

Fang Zhixing's spirits rose. He quickly lowered his head for a careful look and found lush greenery dotted with red before him.

Amid the green leaves grew finger-shaped red fruits. Both the stems and fruits stood upright, and the small fruits were conical.

"Mm, they really are bird's eye chilies."

Fang Zhixing was overjoyed. He loved spicy food and could not live without heat; even if he got hemorrhoids, he would still love spicy food all the same.

He quickly picked a handful of bird's eye chilies, brought them back into the cave, crushed them on a stone, and made chili sauce.

Time passed bit by bit, and it was nearly noon.

Gradually, the rooster finished roasting. Its skin was golden-brown and glistening with oil. The cave filled with the fragrance of roasted meat, which drifted outside and assailed the nose.

Standing guard outside, Skinny Dog anxiously called out, "Is it ready yet? Don't you dare eat it all yourself!"

Fang Zhixing tore off a chicken leg, unhurriedly spread a layer of chili sauce over it, and calmly replied, "Listen to you. Do you take me for that kind of person?"

One bite, and fragrant spicy juices burst forth!

"Holy shit, that feels good!"

Fang Zhixing feasted heartily, sweeping through it like a gale scattering clouds. His sense of satisfaction soared beyond words.

Just then, Skinny Dog suddenly ran inside, bursting with rage as he roared, "I fucking knew it!"

Fang Zhixing licked his lips and replied, "Knew what? I didn't sneak any—"

Before he could finish, Skinny Dog furiously snapped, "Bullshit! You didn't sneak any? Then did that whole chicken leg get eaten by a dog?"

Fang Zhixing replied with perfect confidence, "What the hell do you know? I was tasting it for you, checking whether it was poisonous."

Skinny Dog could not stand it anymore. He pounced forward and cried, "The other chicken leg is mine, and the wings are mine too!"

Without another word, Fang Zhixing tore off the chicken head and neck and stuffed them into Skinny Dog's mouth. With a straight face, he said, "Chicken head and neck taste even better."

Skinny Dog went "ah-woo-woo," fury blazing in his eyes.

But the fragrance of meat and the taste of chili suddenly filled his mouth, making him unable to stop. As though possessed, he immediately lowered his head and gnawed away, eating with sheer bliss.

Seeing this, Fang Zhixing laughed heartily. "See? I'm good to you, aren't I?"

"Good my woofing ass!" Skinny Dog muttered.

Man and dog divided the rooster between them. It had been a hefty bird, and both their bellies swelled round as they ate until they were stuffed.

"This is the first time I've ever eaten my fill," Fang Zhixing said, lying down and rubbing his belly in utter contentment.

Skinny Dog nodded. "The key is the spicy flavor. It tastes so damn good—I'm even sweating."

Fang Zhixing touched his forehead, which was still somewhat hot, and replied, "Sweating a little is good. Hopefully it'll cure this cold."

Skinny Dog lay down, watching the rain rage outside as sleepiness washed over him.

By the warm campfire, Fang Zhixing slowly closed his eyes as well.

"Father, our chicken coop got soaked by the rain and collapsed!"

Zhao Dahu rushed over in a panic to tell his father that one rooster and four hens from the coop had all disappeared.

"What?"

The old village chief immediately became anxious. The hens laid eggs every day, giving his family eggs to eat. The eggs could hatch new chicks and could also be traded for grain—there could not be the slightest mishap.

That rooster was indispensable as well. Without it, the eggs the hens laid could not hatch chicks.

In this year of famine, those five chickens were far too important. They could not afford to lose them.

"Hurry and find the chickens!"

The old village chief gave the order, gathering every man, woman, elder, and child of the Zhao family to search for the chickens.

More than half an hour later, they found three hens.

One rooster and one hen were still nowhere to be seen.

Zhao Dahu said in a low voice, "Father, we've searched everywhere inside and outside the village. Nothing!"

The old village chief's face darkened. "Chickens don't just wander into unfamiliar places. They must still be in the village."

Zhao Dahu's expression changed as he said in alarm, "Could someone have caught our chickens?"

The old village chief glanced at the sky. The rain had only stopped a short while ago, and night had already fallen.

He took out a bronze gong and struck it with a clang, clang, clang.

Before long, villagers from every household gathered at the entrance of the village, including Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog. The two of them had only recently returned from outside.

"Old village chief, what happened?" Second Sister-in-Law Bai asked weakly.

The old village chief's gaze was cold and grim as he swept it across every villager. In a deep voice, he said, "Someone stole my family's chickens!"

The villagers looked at one another.

The old village chief shouted, "Whoever stole them, step forward yourself! Don't make me drag you out, or I will never let you off lightly."

No one stepped forward to confess.

Before long, Zhao Dahu and the others ran over, clutching a handful of chicken feathers. They walked up to the old village chief and whispered a few words.