4468 The Other Side 437
Before he could finish, Gong Jie heard a growl coming from the actorâs stomach.
He looked at the actor, who was instantly embarrassed. âWellâ¦â
âHungry?â
âYeah.â
âYou havenât been eating well these past few days, huh?â
âYeah.â
âThere!â The man took out a bag of dry rations from his backpack, but the actor took it with some misgivings.
âWhat about you? Do you have any more rations?â
âThatâs all. These are compressed rations. They should be able to give you some energy.â
âIf I ate it all, what would you have?â
Gong Jie didnât seem worried. âWeâll take it one step at a time. I can hold up for a bit, itâs not an issue. But if you canât, Iâll have to carry you on my back. Then both of us will be done for.â
Then, he said, âLetâs see if we can hunt some living creatures tonight.â
âLiving creatures?â
âYeah, like wild rabbits, wild deer⦠roast them.â
âOh⦠you know how to hunt?â
âYeah, this is the basics of wilderness survival.â
The actor caught up with Gong Jie and silently nibbled on his dry rations, but his heart was warmed. Although Gong Jie did not seem to be a meticulous person, the more dangerous the situation was, all the more his concern comforted and encouraged the actor! At the same time, he gave Hua Jin an inexplicable sense of security. Although the actor was in dire straits, Gong Jieâs presence gave him a feeling that no matter how dangerous it was, it was nothing!
â¦
In the evening, Gong Jie found a natural cave in the mountains.
It gradually turned cold as night fell. The wind was strong, but it was very warm in the cave. The actor brought some firewood over and Gong Jie used the flint he always carried with him to light a fire.
âStay here by the fire and donât move around. Iâll be right back.â
âWhere are you going?â
Gong Jie replied, âIâll go look for something to eat.â With that, he left the cave.
Hua Jin guarded the fire as he was told. He wrapped himself in the military coat, and gradually dozed off. When he woke up in a daze, he was surprised that Gong Jie had returned. At the same time, he smelled blood.
Curious, he stood up and walked over. Gong Jie heard his movements.
âYouâre awake?â
âYeah.â Hua Jin walked to his side and saw that he had caught a small deer.
âWhere did this deer come from?â
Gong Jie explained, âIt broke away from the herd. I saw her at the bottom of a hill. I think she broke her leg.â
âAh, the poor thingâ¦â
âWell, if it werenât for me, it might have been devoured by the wolves.â
The actor was greatly amused at that. âWouldnât it be devoured all the same, being brought back by you?â
âBetter to be eaten by me than by wolves.â
âWild wolves may leave some skeletons behind after eating. But you⦠you may leave nothing behind.â
The man looked at him unhappily. âYou seem to enjoy disagreeing with me?â
âUh⦠itâs boring out here anyway.â The actor sat down beside him and watched him skillfully skin the dead animal. He could not help lamenting, âThose who donât know better would think that you were born a butcher.â
âGet lost!â
âThereâs no need to be so fierce.â Hua Jin felt wronged. âHow are we going to relieve boredom if we donât chat?â
âYou do have the energy to talk.â Gong Jie snorted. âIâm exhausted, so donât bother me.â
He quickly cleaned up the deer and roasted it.