Chapter 145 - 144: A Bountiful Homecoming
Zhao Wendong had killed the two largest wolves, and he, Jin Xiuying, and the others took down three more. With the one killed by Xiaojin and the three hounds, that made six wolves in total. They bled and cleaned each one, roped them up to carry on their backs, and after hoisting up the large red deer, started their return journey.
"Dongzi, you’re finally back! You’ve been gone for days, and we haven’t caught anything significant. We’ve just gotten a few small things with the hounds’ help. Today was the only day we got a big one, and then it fucking attracted a wolf pack! Those bastards almost stole it from us!"
Zhao Wenjun let out a long sigh of relief. ’Hunting with Zhao Wendong is always a breeze, so why is it a complete disaster when I’m the one leading?’
Zhao Ergou commented thoughtfully from the side.
"Brother San, that first wolf you killed... was it part of their pack?"
Zhao Wendong smiled and nodded. ’Er Gouzi’s mind works fast,’ he thought. He had only just realized it himself.
"Most likely. Wolves don’t normally operate alone. And with a White Wolf King of that caliber, it’s unlikely for multiple packs to exist in the same area. I suspect that other wolf might have been the former Wolf King, who was then replaced and exiled by this new white one."
When they reached the hot spring, Zhao Wenwu proudly showed off the small log cabin they had built.
"Dongzi, what do you think of our cabin?"
"Not bad, it’s pretty good. You guys are turning this into a second base, huh? It’s just a little flimsy. A big animal, like a black bear, could probably knock it down with one swipe."
"Our resources are limited, so this is the best we can do for now. We’ll reinforce it when we have time."
Zhao Wenjun took out a key, ready to let Zhao Wendong have a look inside, but Zhao Wendong stopped him.
"Big Brother, leave anything you don’t need in the cabin. We’re taking the game back to the village."
"Huh? You just got here and you’re already heading home? We don’t have that much game yet. Shouldn’t we hunt some more before we go back?"
"No more hunting. We’ll rest up tomorrow. The day after, we have to go stand up for Uncle!"
"Uncle? You mean Zhao Dahai? What happened to him?"
Zhao Wenwu was confused. He hadn’t gone back last time, so he didn’t know that Zhao Dahai had been beaten up. After Zhao Wendong gave him a brief explanation, Zhao Wenwu scratched his head.
"I’ve wanted to beat up Zhao Dahai for ages, but you guys always stop me. If Wang Dana beat him up, shouldn’t we be treating Wang Dana to a meal? Why would we go after him?"
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Jin Xiuying slapped him lightly.
"No matter what, he’s still your uncle."
Zhao Wendong laughed too.
"Second Brother, get real. Do you think this was a slap in Zhao Dahai’s face? This was a slap in our family’s face. Just tell me, are you in or out?"
Zhao Wenwu’s face lit up with excitement as he shouted.
"I’m in! Of course I’m in! How could you have a fight without me? That punk Wang Dana can take a punch. I love fighting guys like that. It’s fun!"
After packing up and storing their things, the group quickly returned to their stone cave base. They grabbed the wild rabbits and pheasants they had caught over the past few days, along with a roe deer of a decent size.
"This is great. See? You guys had a pretty good haul."
"It’s nothing compared to when you lead us!"
’What more could they ask for?’ Zhao Wendong thought. ’Anyone else would be green with envy over a haul like this. But then again, I have experience and a special advantage. Who could possibly compare to me?’
"Huh? Something seems to be missing... Right, where’s the fox?"
Zhao Wendong looked around and finally pinpointed what was wrong.
"Oh, Xiaobai? He hasn’t been coming back much at night these past few days. No idea what he’s busy with!"
"Alright, never mind him. Let’s finish packing and head back to the village."
Once they were down the mountain, they loaded the game onto two sleds and took turns pulling them back to Dragon King Pond Village.
Zhao Wendong noticed Jin Xiuying was a bit quiet and offered a reassuring smile.
"Second Sister-in-law, my parents and my sister-in-law are all really easy to get along with. They’ve been looking forward to meeting you, so don’t worry. Besides, I brought my girlfriend home yesterday, and they’re all getting along great!"
"Really? That’s good to hear."
Jin Xiuying finally relaxed, her spirited and capable demeanor returning.
"Messy Girl and Eldest Sister-in-law aren’t as pretty as you!"
Zhao Wenwu was still clumsily trying to compliment Jin Xiuying, but his words immediately earned him a knowing, cold smirk from Zhao Wendong and a glare from Zhao Wenjun.
There were no real paths in the mountains, only crusted snow, so the journey took longer than usual. Combined with the exhausting wolf hunt, it was already dark by the time the group got home.
A kerosene lamp was lit in Zhao Wendong’s house. The group had just entered the courtyard when Chen Yanmei, Song Xiaoyu, and Lin Zhiyin heard the commotion and rushed out.
"This must be Second Brother’s wife, right?"
"She’s so beautiful!"
Chen Yanmei’s and Song Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. Ignoring everyone else and the pile of game, they went straight to Jin Xiuying, pulled her by the hand, and led her into the house. Zhao Wenwu pouted, a little displeased.
"Did Mom not even see me?"
"HAHAHA!"
Zhao Wendong and the others burst out laughing. Lin Zhiyin walked over to Zhao Wendong and looked him over, appearing just like a young wife waiting for her husband to return home.
"You’re back!"
"Yeah. When did you get here?"
"Auntie called me over this morning."
"Come, let me introduce you. This is my big brother, my second brother, and this is Er Gouzi."
Lin Zhiyin greeted the three one by one. Their jaws nearly hit the floor.
"You... you’re Messy Girl?"
Zhao Wenwu’s mouth hung wide open, his face a mask of disbelief.
"Mhm, it’s me. Don’t you recognize me, Second Brother?"
"This... this..."
Zhao Wenwu was completely stunned. ’She’s even prettier than my wife! Is this some kind of magic trick?’
"It’s cold out here. You should go inside and chat with Second Sister-in-law."
"Mhm, okay."
After Lin Zhiyin went back inside, Zhao Wendong winked at Zhao Wenwu.
"Second Brother, is my wife not as pretty as Second Sister-in-law?"
Zhao Wenwu’s face turned beet red. He said nothing and started helping Zhao Wenjun and the others with their work. Zhao Wendong chuckled and joined in, helping unload the game from the sleds. The other animals were manageable, but the large red deer was a hassle, so they just left it in the courtyard to freeze and decided to deal with it later.
That evening, of course, was another hot and filling meal. The arrival of Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying had the entire Zhao family buzzing with excitement, and they all chatted late into the night. Zhao Wendong gave Er Gouzi some grain, a wild pheasant, and a rabbit to take home for his mother and younger brother. Then, he watched with a smile as Chen Yanmei and the others tried to figure out the sleeping arrangements.
When Zhao Wenwu heard Chen Yanmei suggest that Jin Xiuying sleep on the kang at Zhao Wenjun’s house while Zhao Wenjun slept here, he immediately pouted in displeasure.
"Xiuying is my wife! Why can’t I sleep with her?"
"HAHAHA!"
Zhao Wendong couldn’t hold it in any longer. He rolled on the kang, howling with laughter at his second brother’s antics, his stomach aching.
Jin Xiuying’s face turned bright red. Mortified and annoyed, she pinched Zhao Wenwu hard several times. In contrast, Song Xiaoyu and Chen Yanmei exchanged delighted glances. ’It’s a done deal,’ they thought. ’Judging by how those two are, this daughter-in-law is secured.’ Jin Xiuying, in both looks and personality, had far exceeded their expectations. With wives now secured for both their second and third sons, the Zhao family was walking on air. Chen Yanmei would even wake up laughing in her sleep, only to hear Zhao Dashan laughing along with her.
There were only two kangs in total. Zhao Dashan was bedridden on one and couldn’t be moved. They discussed for a long time but couldn’t come up with a good arrangement. The main problem was that the kangs were already just right—even a little crowded—with the current number of people. Squeezing in one more person was proving difficult. Just as Chen Yanmei was about to send Zhao Wendong to sleep on his grandparents’ kang, Lin Zhiyin suddenly spoke up, saving him.
"Let Second Sister-in-law and I go sleep at the Educated Youth Point. The kang there is big enough for us."
"Yes, I’ll go sleep at Zhiyin’s place with her."
Jin Xiuying’s eyes immediately lit up in agreement. She wasn’t officially married into the family yet, so staying with Zhao Wenwu’s relatives felt a little awkward. More importantly, she also wanted to get closer to Lin Zhiyin.
’It’s not just because Lin Zhiyin is beautiful and worldly; the most important thing is that she’s Zhao Wendong’s wife. If Zhao Wendong is the future head of the family, then Lin Zhiyin will be its matriarch. This is a perfect opportunity to get closer to her, and I absolutely can’t miss it.’
There was a quilt from their last shopping trip that Chen Yanmei had been saving, reluctant to use. She immediately gave it to Jin Xiuying. That night, Zhao Wendong walked in front with Lin Zhiyin while Zhao Wenwu followed behind with Jin Xiuying, carrying the quilt, to escort them back to the Educated Youth Point.
"Lin Zhiyin, you haven’t seen me all day. Did you miss me?"
"Nope."
Lin Zhiyin said it with a smile, not looking at all like she hadn’t missed him.
"Hehe, I don’t believe you."
"Don’t believe me then."
Seeing her girlish pout, Zhao Wendong felt a stir of desire.
"How about another kiss?"
"Get away from me, you pervert! Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are right behind us."
"Then why don’t you take a look at what they’re doing!"
Hearing this, Lin Zhiyin turned to look. She saw that Zhao Wenwu and Jin Xiuying had stopped long ago. They were far behind, wrapped in an embrace with the quilt draped over their heads.
"Now it’s our turn!"
"Ah, no... Mmph."
Before she could finish her sentence, Zhao Wendong’s lips were already on hers. Lin Zhiyin squeezed her eyes shut in a fluster.
The moon, already more than half full, shyly hid behind the clouds, leaving only two young couples in the darkness of the night.