On the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Huo Feng got up early.

Ye Suping, clutching her belly, struggled to roll over. Rubbing her eyes, she asked him, “Are you heading out?”

“Yeah, I’m going up to the mountain today to bring our second brother and his wife down.”

This was something Huo Ling had arranged with Huo Feng before heading up the mountain: there were so many things to bring down that he and Yan Qi alone certainly couldn’t carry them all, so they had to trouble their older brother to come up and pick them up.

“Do you need to use the outhouse? If so, I’ll help you get there.”

Ye Suping nodded decisively.

Everything was a hassle with her big belly, and the closer she got to giving birth, the more frequently she felt the urge to use the outhouse.

After going through the ordeal and returning, she sighed, “I can see the end is finally in sight for me—now it’s Qi’s turn to suffer.”

Although everyone says a large family is a blessing, once she’d gone through the experience of pregnancy herself, looking at the women in the village who’d given birth to five, six, seven, or even eight children, she simply couldn’t imagine how they’d managed to get through it.

“Once we head down the mountain this time, he’ll settle down at home for good. When neither I nor the second son are around, you’ll have someone to talk to.”

Ye Suping was quite pleased at the thought and laughed, “That’s certainly true—I do love a bit of company.”

She added, “Yingzi has grown up and become more sensible—she helps out with errands and chores, and now we have Mantou to watch the house. The three of us getting along at home is great; you and my second brother won’t have to worry when you’re out running errands.”

Huo Feng nodded.

After tending to his wife and bringing breakfast into the house, Huo Feng splashed cold water on his face twice, hitched up the oxcart, and set out.

There were many trails leading into Bailong Mountain. He chose the one with the gentlest slope at the beginning and drove the oxcart as far up the mountain as possible, stopping only when he reached a spot where the cart simply couldn’t go any further.

“Wait here. I’ll come back for you in a little while.”

Huo Feng stroked the ox’s horns, tossed a handful of dry grass under a tree, and let the ox chew on it.

The ox let out a low “moo” and obediently lowered its head to graze.

Since he was going up the mountain, he’d brought some steamed buns with him when he set out.

Going up the mountain for a run every now and then would stretch his muscles and help him build a stronger physique.

“We’re going up the mountain to find your father and your brother.”

Huo Feng pointed to the mountain trail at his feet, though he wasn’t sure if Mantou understood.

Since bringing this dog home, he hadn’t taken it into the mountains yet; today was a chance to help it get familiar with the terrain.

“By now, Big Brother must have gone into the mountains too.”

In the courtyard up in the mountains, Yan Qi looked at the pile of things in the yard with a worried expression.

“I was planning to carry all these cabbages and green onions down, but now there’s no way I can take them.”

Huo Ling was crouched on the ground, busily tying up the roe deer and wild sheep with hemp rope.

He tied a neat knot that grew tighter the more he pulled—it wouldn’t come undone on the way down. Hearing this, he said, “We’ve got enough to eat at home, and we won’t be selling pastries for the next half-month leading up to the New Year. I’ll take my time bringing them down after the New Year; they won’t go bad by then anyway.”

“I suppose that’s the only option. You’ll have to work a little harder then.”

Yan Qi rubbed his stomach, feeling the subtle curve that was becoming more pronounced day by day.

Huo Ling noticed his husband’s subtle gesture and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Around the Chen hour, Huo Feng arrived.

The four dogs met, and the two younger ones quickly began playing together.

“Why’d you bring Mantou along too?”

Huo Ling handed his older brother a bowl of water. Huo Feng downed it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, “I brought him up to get his bearings. He’ll be coming up here a lot more in the future. Who knows? He might even end up like Dager, running back and forth between the mountain and the village to deliver messages.”

“Big Brother, thanks for making the climb again.”

Yan Qi lifted the curtain and came out of the inner room to greet him.

He had just gone inside to double-check the bundle of old rags and the sewing kit.

“You got up early to make the journey—are you hungry now? There are still a few ears of corn and some eggs in the pot; they’re all still warm.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m that hungry—I ate my fill before coming up.”

Huo Feng smacked his lips and said, “I’ll have a cob of corn.”

“Have an egg too—I boiled plenty. Would you like some pickles?”

Huo Ling lifted the pot lid to serve him, but saw Huo Feng wave his hand.

“No, thanks. Let’s finish eating early so we can head home sooner. The sky looks gloomy again—even if it doesn’t snow, it’s bound to get windy.”

Huo Feng quickly shoved the corn and two hard-boiled eggs down his throat, choking a bit in the process.

Once he’d finished, Huo Ling completely extinguished the fire in the stove.

“You guys had quite a haul this time—you actually bagged three big ones?”

In the courtyard, Mantou circled the frozen roe deer and blue sheep, looking curious but too afraid to approach.

Huo Feng chuckled at its naivety, then turned to ask Huo Ling, “I don’t see any wounds on them. Were they caught in traps?”

“The two roe deer were caught using snares, and the blue sheep fell into a trap on its own. I was actually planning to catch a wild boar.”

Huo Ling pointed to the woods beyond the courtyard and told Huo Feng about the wild boar that had passed through a few days earlier, sending a shiver down Huo Feng’s spine.

“Before the snow season ends, not to mention Qi, you should come up here less often too. It’d be so much better to stay in town and sell pastries in peace. You’re just freezing your butt off walking around in the mountains anyway; selling pastries lets you stay by the stove and warm yourself, and you’ll still make just as much money.”

“Things are different now. I definitely need to spend more time down in the valley with Qi.”

Huo Ling didn’t directly respond to Huo Feng’s words, but Huo Feng knew exactly what was on his mind—he’d just spoken without thinking, and deep down, he truly believed the mountains weren’t safe.

This mountain had taken their father’s life, and for a long time afterward, he had refused to set foot on Bailong Mountain or in the small courtyard where the two brothers had grown up.

Now that he was about to become a father of two himself, while he worried about Huo Ling, he was also relieved that the other had chosen to continue working as a mountain porter. This meant the house in the mountains would still be nourished by human presence, preventing it from falling into ruin and becoming a pile of rubble.

Huo Feng let his mind wander for a moment. When he snapped back to reality, he caught sight of the Chinese cabbage and several bundles of green onions piled in the corner of the kitchen. He asked Huo Ling if they were planning to take these with them.

“That was the plan, but I can’t carry them now. We’ll deal with it after the New Year.”

“That works. I’ll come up with you after the New Year.”

Yan Qi walked around the house, inspecting every room carefully. After confirming everything was in order, he stepped out the front door and watched as Huo Ling locked it.

The two men each hoisted a roe deer and a blue sheep onto their shoulders, while the remaining, lighter young male roe deer was carried by one in front and one behind, each holding it by the legs.

The black oil mushrooms, hazel grouse, wild rabbits, and other small game, along with several bundles, were all placed in a wicker basket, which Yan Qi carried on his back.

“When we head down the mountain in a bit, stay behind us and follow in our footsteps.”

Huo Ling instructed Yan Qi, then told Dager to bring up the rear.

Heidou ran ahead with Mantou, both as cheerful as two little madmen.

After walking a short distance, Yan Qi looked back and saw the small courtyard gradually receding and shrinking before his eyes.

Once the child was born, he would inevitably need constant care; bringing him up the mountain while he was still so young would be a hassle. He might end up tied down for a long time because of this, and who knows when he’d actually be able to come back up again.

The sky was slightly overcast, but it wasn’t particularly cold.

Because their attention was focused entirely on the path beneath their feet, time passed quickly. By the time they’d worked up a warm sweat, Huo Ling and Yan Qi both spotted the ox tethered in the woods.

“Moo—”

The ox lowered its head to look at the dog, then recognized its owner and slowly wagged its tail twice.

The oxcart carried them all the way back down the mountain to their home without a hitch. The three pieces of game stacked on the flatbed were uncovered, drawing the attention of quite a few people; that very afternoon, someone came to ask Huo Ling if he’d sell the hides.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, villagers were more willing to spend money than usual, but for Huo Ling, selling in the village would certainly fetch a lower price than selling in the city.

If it had been anyone else, he would have refused, but the man who came was Huzi’s father.

“I’m not selling the roe deer hide—I’m keeping it for my own use—but I’ll sell the sheepskin.”

He led Huzi’s father inside to look at the blue sheep. “It’s a large male sheep—quite a sizeable one. See if you can use a whole hide from it.”

Hides were always sold whole. Huzi’s father looked at the roe deer and blue sheep on the ground and marveled at Huo Ling’s resourcefulness.

“I plan to make shoes and hats. With a big family, we’ll always find a use for them. I’d intended to buy some before the New Year to make things to wear during the festivities, but I’ve been to town a few times and haven’t found any at the right price.”

His several young sons were nearly eating him out of house and home; though he still had some savings, he dared not spend them carelessly.

Huo Ling never beat around the bush; he said straight out, “I could sell this sheepskin for eight taels of silver in town, but if you want it, I’ll let you have it for seven taels.”

That was a hundred wen off the price—a real bargain. Huzi’s father thanked him and asked Huo Ling what the price would be for a tanned hide.

Huo Ling pondered for a moment and said, “Add fifty wen—I’ll just cover my costs. But tanning takes time, so it definitely won’t be ready in time for the New Year.”

“That’s fine. It’s already this late in the season anyway; as long as it’s still within the first lunar month, it’ll count as festive.”

Huzi’s father knew that tanning hides required mirabilite, which had to be bought at a herbal shop and wasn’t cheap at all, so Huo Ling’s offer to just cover his costs was indeed a fair deal.

He agreed on the spot, thanked him, and immediately went home to get the money.

He’d previously asked around town what tanned sheepskin sold for; most vendors quoted ten taels of silver right off the bat. Buying from Huo Ling would save his family enough money to buy ten jin of pork for the New Year festivities.

“I wouldn’t offer this price to anyone else. If anyone asks, don’t mention it outright.”

Huo Ling recalled the favor Huzi’s father had done for him back when he helped set up the match with the Dong family to find a wife for Dager. Huzi’s father understood the situation and nodded repeatedly, “Don’t worry, I know where to draw the line.”

With only so many people in the village, Huo Ling was bound to do business with his fellow villagers again in the future. If everyone tried to haggle for a bargain, things would fall into chaos—he certainly couldn’t burn the bridge after crossing it.

Once the sheepskins were sold, Huo Ling got right to work. Before nightfall, he skinned the sheep, stretched the hides flat, and hung them to dry in a well-ventilated room. He removed the head and legs, chopped off the four hooves, and carefully portioned out the meat from each part.

This sheep was in its prime—the meat wasn’t yet tough and chewy—so it was sure to sell well.

He gutted the sheep while the innards were still warm, feeding most of them to the dogs and keeping only the stomach and lungs—the two parts with the mildest gamey flavor and the most delicious.

“Big Brother and Sister-in-law, Xiao Qi can’t stand the smell of mutton right now. I plan to take all this mutton into town to sell. Would you like to keep some to give to others?”

Huo Feng didn’t have many relatives here, so asking them this was really asking Ye Suping if she wanted to send some to her parents’ home.

It was only a few jin of meat, and he never made a big deal out of it. His sister-in-law had taken great care of him, and in the past, she’d often brought things back from her parents’ home, which he’d always shared in.

Ye Suping waved her hand and said, “No need. Take it to sell for money; your older brother will take care of the rest.”

With that, she turned to the ger who was playing with rocks from the mountains alongside Huo Ying. “Have you had any meat these past few days up on the mountain? You can’t go without meat for too long.”

Yan Qi replied, “I’ve had partridge and rabbit, so it’s been okay. But when I was cooking mutton for Dager, the smell made me feel like I was going to throw up every now and then.”

“Lamb has a strong gamey smell; many people don’t like to eat it on a regular basis, let alone at a time like this.”

She nodded with relief. “It’s good that you can eat it—you’re doing better than I did back then.”

The next day.

Just as he had done with the blue sheep, Huo Ling skinned and deboned the two roe deer. He kept one pelt and put the remaining meat in a basket, while the bones were given to the big and little dogs to gnaw on.

Another day passed, and the two went to town to set up a stall, selling pastries while also setting up a cutting board to sell meat on the spot.

Unlike fresh meat, frozen meat is difficult to cut, so it’s pre-cut into uniform pieces; customers simply point to the piece they want, and it’s weighed.

Whether it was roe deer or mutton, both were considered substantial dishes worthy of the New Year’s feast table, and they sold very well.

A male roe deer, skin and all, weighed sixty jin; after butchering, it yielded forty jin of meat. At thirty-five wen per jin, this brought in one liang and four taels. The roe deer hide alone sold for six taels, bringing the total to exactly two liang.

The young sheep had no hide, only meat; it was larger than the roe deer, weighed a total of eighty jin, yielded sixty jin of meat, and sold for one liang and six taels.

Among the buyers was Hou Li, who happened to be strolling through the market; he purchased twenty jin of mutton and a pair of sheep’s hooves, and Huo Ling threw in the sheep’s heart and lungs as a bonus.

In addition, there was the black oil mushroom he’d been looking forward to all winter—a total of five jin, worth two liang at market price—for which Huo Ling charged him one liang and eight taels.

When he got home that evening and tallied up the accounts, adding the proceeds from selling the stuffed buns, Yan Qi said happily, “We’ve recouped the cost of half a mu of land.”

Although such a windfall might be rare this winter—and might even be the last—the heavy copper coins were real and right before his eyes.

They counted out exactly six guan and put it back in the money box, deciding not to touch it. They would sell pastries for a few more days before the New Year, which would be enough to cover their New Year’s shopping.