Without waiting for Zheng Xiu to agree, Ruchen took off his boots, rolled up his pant legs, and waded into the river that cut through the valley to catch fish.
Zheng Xiu watched Ruchen's back, hugged the Ancient Painting to his chest, and leaned against the rock wall, closing his eyes.
An unknown amount of time passed.
"Brother Zheng! Brother Zheng! Grilled fish! Quick, eat the grilled fish!"
A groggy Zheng Xiu was startled awake by a sudden shake. His first instinct was to clutch his chest, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found the Ancient Painting still in his arms. Looking up, he saw Ruchen's filthy but joyfully child-like face right before his eyes.
Ruchen had fumbled his way through catching the fish, scaling them, and gutting them. After all that effort, he'd managed to smear his own face with blood and grime, creating a rather comical sight.
