SSC (BL) – Chapter 2

Little Ghost

Because of the cool breeze that Zuo Qin had blown over the bed yesterday, Xue Lin had a refreshing sleep and woke up a little later than usual.

Zuo Qin touched his sore cheeks, and was sweetly pleased to see his benefactor in such good spirits.

Xue Lin got up and was a little confused, thinking of the cool breeze last night, but it never occurred to him that it was all thanks to Zuo Qin. He didn’t dwell on it too much and took his bow and arrows, and went back to the mountain after breakfast.

There wasn’t much mist in the woods today, so Xue Lin followed his usual path into the forest and unexpectedly found the several traps that had disappeared yesterday, with rabbits, pheasants and deer flapping in them. In his excitement, he stared at them blankly.

Xue Lin moved swiftly to make up two cuts on his prey, making sure they were alive, but unable to escape, and then threw them all into his basket.

Before Xue Lin could catch his breath, he watched another goat stumbled straight into a tree stump, killing itself directly under the tree.

Xue Lin: “…”

Similar things happened several times. The beasts either crashed into his bow or under a tree, anyway…

Xue Lin returned fully loaded today.

In the end, the number of prey was so numerous that he couldn’t fit them in his basket, and the beasts’ “suicidal” behavior stopped.

Everything was too unbelievable and rare in Xue Lin’s hunting career. His luck today was too smooth, almost terrifying. 

Xue Lin frowned and sat down under a tree, looking at the basket full of rabbits that he hadn’t had time to pick up, and then at the rabbits that had been killed under the tree. It was just too unusual even for a man with such thick nerves as him.

Zuo Qin bit his lip worriedly beside him, wondering if he had scared his benefactor after he helped him so blatantly. But there was another voice in the innermost chamber of his heart whispering: Wouldn’t it be better if I let my benefactor know of my existence?

Fortunately, Xue Lin looked at the sun on the horizon and realized it was getting late, so he didn’t dwell on it for too long. He picked up the rabbits on the ground and pinched them in his hand, then carried the heavy basket and went back down the mountain the way he came.

Zuo Qin quickly followed as if he had been pardoned, and although there was a twinge deep within wanting to let his benefactor know, he was more afraid of him being scared.

Xue Lin paused in his steps and suddenly looked back suspiciously. There was naturally nothing behind him. He shook his head and suppressed the listlessness in his heart, and rushed down the mountain along with the setting sun.

Somehow, he had this hunch that there was someone behind him and a cool breeze around him. He had this same feeling when he went up the mountain, but he was the only one there, which was even stranger.　　

To say that Xue Lin was courageous, ordinary people who encountered this kind of thing would have found it weird, too. However, Xue Lin just thought it was a bit off and didn’t delve deeper into it.

After returning to the village, Xue Lin looked at the basket full of spoils and for the first time was in a bit of a dilemma. There were too many of them, and the village butcher wouldn’t be able to have them all. He could only take them to the town market to sell. 

So, Xue Lin went through the entire Anhe village to the village head’s house in the north to borrow an ox cart. Village Chief Liu was an old man nearing the end of his life. He was also the only person in the village who still took better care of Xue Lin. After hearing about Xue Lin’s intentions, he didn’t say a word and had the ox cart pulled out.

Xue Lin wanted to give him money as rent for the ox cart, but Village Chief Liu refused to take it anyhow. In the end, Xue Lin gave up and thought to himself to leave him the fattest leg of venison later.

So, Xue Lin pulled the ox cart full of prey and went to town alone, and where he couldn’t see, Zuo Qin also sat comfortably on the cart, looking around. It was the first time he’s been in town since his death.

Anyuan Town was the nearest town to Anhe Village. Although they weren’t far from each other, it was far more prosperous and affluent than the village. All along the way, there were yells of “candied haws, candy canes, candy man, delicious candy man” and so on.

Although Zuo Qin had turned into a ghost and couldn’t eat human food, he could still smell the delicious food. For a while, he couldn’t tell southeast from northwest. 

Xue Lin acted as if he heard none of these throughout the journey. He went straight across the road to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant at the end of the street, and skillfully called the shopkeeper out.

Obviously, Xue Lin was a familiar face there. The impatience on the waiter’s face at first immediately changed after seeing Xue Lin and the abundant catch behind him. Smiling somewhat obsequiously, he said, “You’ve got so many prey today, huh? Wait, I’ll call our shopkeeper out.”

The waiter went in with a breeze, and came out again in less than a quarter of an hour, accompanied by a somewhat blessed middle-aged man.

The shopkeeper carefully looked at the goods that Xue Lin had brought in surprise and was delighted. “Is today your lucky day? What about all this stuff? I’ll give you the same old price, is that okay?”

Xue Lin nodded, then followed the shopkeeper into the restaurant. There were guys watching those goods left and right, so he didn’t have to worry about them.

Zuo Qin also followed Xue Lin all the way into the restaurant. The Drunken Immortal Restaurant was a famous restaurant in Anyuan County. The guests weren’t some high-ranking dignitaries and noblemen, but the tables were full of precious and delicious food. They also have top-quality wine, but not at all lavish. 

Although Zuo Qin was following Xue Lin, his eyes were wandering around, perhaps because he hadn’t seen such a popular place for a long time. Everything was a novelty to him, interesting. 

Xue Lin received a bag of silver taels from the shopkeeper, but didn’t open it to look at it. He only weighed it in his hand and figured it out. And when Zuo Qin heard the sound of silver colliding, he was a little surprised. Were those wild beasts so valuable?

Xue Lin nodded to the shopkeeper as a farewell, then left the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. Next, he sat down at a random noodle stall on the side of the road. The kind-looking old lady, who was the owner of the stall, was frightened by Xue Lin’s wild and valiant appearance. But after observing secretly for a while and discovering that he was indeed only there to eat noodles , she put her mind at ease.

Unbeknownst to Xue Lin, he was being watched the entire time he was eating noodles by a certain ghost. Zuo Qin looked to his left for a while, then right for a while, and almost counted all the moles on Xue Lin’s face clearly.

However, Xue Lin only felt the cool breeze around him, which was refreshing on a hot summer day.

After finishing his lunch, Xue Lin strolled around on the street to buy some household items. When passing by an incense and candle stand, Zuo Qin was completely unable to walk.

Zuo Qin could’t eat those mortal food, but the incense candle was the best delicacy for a little ghost. It was fragrant and soft, and melted in the mouth. Zuo Qin’s mouth watered just thinking about it. However, he was now a ghost and was penniless, so he couldn’t buy any incense candles.

So Zuo Qin could only stare at them and swallow his saliva. He then looked at Xue Lin, who was unaware of him, and felt a little aggrieved.

No, I’m here to repay his kindness. I must be considerate of my benefactor. I don’t want to eat incense candles at all!

Zuo Qin tried to convince himself as he swallowed his saliva. However, if he didn’t keep glancing at the silver in Xue Lin’s pocket, he would have been more convincing.

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