Thanks to Koshka HP for the kofis, enjoy the bonus chapters!

While cooking, Wei Qingshan helped Lin Yu with the fire. That evening, Lin Yu made egg noodle soup. Only after it was done did he call Zhao Yueniang to come eat.

Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang had both been frightened, so their appetites weren’t good. There was still quite a bit left in the pot. After dinner, Lin Yu made another pot of licorice red date soup, and the three of them each had another bowl.

At night, the courtyard gate was tightly shut. Dahei stayed with Zhao Yueniang to guard her. Lin Yu also washed his feet and lay down on the bed. Only when pressed tightly against Wei Qingshan did he feel at ease.

In the middle of the night, Lin Yu was startled awake once more. Wei Qingshan held him tightly and comforted him, “It’s okay now, it’s okay. Go to sleep.”

Lin Yu did not sleep well during the night. The next morning, he slept until the sun was high in the sky, and even Zhao Yueniang had not gotten up yet. When Lin Yu woke up, his head was still a bit dizzy. “The sun is already this high.”

Wei Qingshan was no longer by his side. Lin Yu got dressed and tied up his hair, then went outside. In the courtyard, Wei Qingshan was cleaning the rabbit cages and the chicken coop. “You’re up, wash your face, and eat. There’s food left in the pot.”

While Lin Yu was washing his face, Zhao Yueniang also woke up. She looked like she hadn’t slept well either.

Wei Qingshan had already eaten. Lin Yu brought out food and ate with Zhao Yueniang. Wei Qingshan had even boiled eggs for the two of them that morning.

“You didn’t sleep well last night?” Lin Yu asked.

Zhao Yueniang nodded. “As soon as I fell asleep, I dreamed of that jackal pouncing at my face. It scared me to death. I originally thought living in the mountains would be quiet and peaceful. I completely forgot that there are still wild beasts in the forest.”

“It’s fine now. These next few days, we just won’t go out.”

The three of them didn’t go out for the next two days. There was plenty of food in the yard, and even the mule and the deer had piles of hay stored for them. Wei Qingshan chopped firewood, and Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang washed clothes and took care of the livestock in the courtyard. Lin Yu slaughtered two wild chickens and stewed a whole pot of bamboo mushroom chicken soup in a clay pot. He also sliced cured meat and mixed it with wild shepherd’s purse and mushrooms to make a full steamer of buns.

Wei Qingshan really liked the buns Lin Yu made. Even Zhao Yueniang, while helping to wrap the buns, started to swallow her saliva just from smelling the meat filling in the bowl. And they hadn’t even been steamed yet—just the filling already smelled delicious.

Steam rose from the clay pot in the kitchen shed, bringing with it the fragrance of chicken. Besides it, the large iron pot was steaming the big buns.

Once everything was ready, Lin Yu first served a portion each for Baixue and Dahei to eat. Baixue and Dahei were loyal hunting dogs. They followed them on hunts and protected their masters, working hard. So Lin Yu gave the best parts to the two dogs.

Baixue’s hind leg injury was rather serious, but luckily, it wasn’t bitten through. After some good rest, he would be able to run and jump again like before.

The three of them each had a bowl of chicken soup. The soup had simmered for more than half an hour and was rich in flavor. The chicken meat was soft and fell off the bone. The pot held over a dozen buns, each the size of a fist. One bite into the fluffy dough and the cured meat mixed with mushrooms was savory and tasty.

Zhao Yueniang’s cheeks puffed out as she ate. “Brother, your bun-wrapping skills are amazing. Even better than the ones sold at the stalls in town.”

Lin Yu’s eyes curved from the compliment. “Then eat more. There’s plenty.”

“Brother, if you open a bun shop in the future, I’m sure lots of people will buy from you.”

“Is it really that tasty?”

Wei Qingshan also nodded. “It is delicious.”

Lin Yu’s eyes lit up. “Maybe I really can.”

After the meal, everyone’s tense mood had relaxed quite a bit. Since they hadn’t gone out these past couple of days and Wei Qingshan stayed at home, Lin Yu kept making all kinds of tasty food.

Wei Qingshan stayed at home for several days, and there was no movement outside the courtyard. Those two beasts hadn’t shown up again. Wei Qingshan wasn’t sure how many jackals there were in the pack, but he was worried they hadn’t gone far. If Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang went out, they might be in danger. He had to go out and scout around to make sure the jackals had truly left. If not, he had to eliminate them.

Wei Qingshan wiped down his arrows and sharpened his machete. Lin Yu came over and sat down. “Are you getting ready to go hunting?”

“Mm. There’s nothing to do at home, so I’ll go walk around.”

“Then be careful.”

The next day, Wei Qingshan took a knife and his bow and arrows, and left, carrying two wild chickens in his hand. Lin Yu immediately realized what he was up to and grabbed Wei Qingshan’s sleeve. “You’re going to look for those two jackals! Can’t you not go?”

“Don’t worry. I’m just going to walk around nearby. If those two jackals are gone, I’ll come back. You and Yueniang can’t just stay locked inside forever. Don’t worry.”

Wei Qingshan patted the back of Lin Yu’s hand. “Go back and close the door. I’ll just scout around the area.”

Lin Yu’s eyes were full of worry. “Then be careful.”

“Mm.”

Wei Qingshan left with the basket on his back. Dahei ran ahead to clear the path, and Wei Qingshan followed behind him. After walking for about three or four li, he found the traces of the jackals.

Looking at the messy paw prints on the ground, Wei Qingshan figured there were four or five jackals in the group. Judging from the tracks, they had been circling nearby, unwilling to leave. They had likely set their sights on the courtyard. If they weren’t eliminated, they would eventually become a threat.

Wei Qingshan set up animal traps in the hidden grass and slit the throats of the wild chickens, sprinkling their blood around. He avoided the jackals and laid all his traps where they were active. He also dug pits and lined them with bamboo stakes. Finally, he placed the two wild chickens in the traps.

After setting all the traps and pitfalls, Wei Qingshan returned home. Lin Yu had been waiting at home the whole time, afraid that something dangerous had happened to him outside.

Wei Qingshan came back before noon. Lin Yu heard Dahei’s barking and hurried to open the door. “You’re back.”

Wei Qingshan put down the basket on his back. Lin Yu saw that the two wild chickens he had taken were gone, and his heart tightened. “Those jackals haven’t gone far.”

“They’re still nearby. Don’t go out these days.”

Wei Qingshan directly told Lin Yu. Since he went out bringing wild pheasants and traps, it was impossible to hide even if he wanted to.

Lin Yu nodded. He thought there were only two jackals, but since they still hadn’t left after so many days, they must have already set their eyes on them.

The next day, after eating breakfast, Wei Qingshan took Dahei and went out again. Lin Yu looked at his departing back with great worry, and only after Wei Qingshan walked far away did he tightly shut the courtyard gate.

After Wei Qingshan left, Lin Yu cleaned the rabbit cages, fed some hay to the family’s mule and deer, and from time to time ran to the courtyard gate to peek through the crack, checking whether Wei Qingshan had returned.

Lin Yu felt restless staying at home and could only do some work to keep himself from overthinking. In his heart, he prayed earnestly that Wei Qingshan wouldn’t get injured. After taking care of the household animals, he squatted in the vegetable garden to pull weeds. Zhao Yueniang stayed by his side the whole time. “Brother, it’s okay. Qingshan-ge is so skilled, he’ll definitely be fine.”

Lin Yu nodded. “He’ll definitely be fine.”

When Wei Qingshan approached the area where the jackals were active, he held his machete in his hand. These jackals were still manageable if there were just one or two, but if a pack surrounded you, they would even dare to bite a tiger.

Wei Qingshan quietly arrived at the trap he had set. He saw one jackal caught by the neck in the clamp, and it should already be dead. Wei Qingshan prodded it with the machete—sure enough, it was completely dead.

He did not dare to let down his guard and continued to inspect the other traps he had set. At another trap, he found another jackal caught by the leg. When it saw Wei Qingshan approaching, it bared its teeth, attempting to lunge at him.

Wei Qingshan lifted his machete and swiftly ended the jackal’s life. Now that two had been taken care of, with three or four remaining, he was confident he could handle the rest.

As he finished off that jackal, Dahei, behind him, let out a low, threatening growl. Wei Qingshan sneered and tightened his grip on the machete.

Sure enough, jackals were sly by nature. The one caught in the trap had been bait to lure him in. The remaining beasts had been waiting to ambush him from behind while he took action, but Dahei had discovered them and exposed their positions. Wei Qingshan stood with the bloodied machete, while Dahei stood behind him—man and dog standing back-to-back. The jackals that had been hiding in the underbrush now emerged. Wei Qingshan looked around—heh, he was surrounded.

Three jackals stood around him. Good. All of them had come out, even one fewer than he had expected.

Wei Qingshan noticed that one of the jackals had a bloody bite mark on its neck—likely from its fight with Baixue a few days ago. Another had bloodstains on its back, likely the other one that had tried to attack Lin Yu.

The three jackals bared their sharp teeth and crouched low, as if ready to pounce at any moment. Wei Qingshan gripped his machete tightly and stared them down. Perhaps it was the sight of the blood-dripping machete that intimidated them—none dared to approach for the moment.

Wei Qingshan also didn’t move, waiting for the other side to act first. After a brief standoff, he just slightly moved the machete in his hand, and one jackal lunged at him. The other two followed close behind.

Dahei engaged one of them in a fight. The jackal’s howls and Dahei’s snarls echoed, startling the doves in the branches into flight.

Wei Qingshan locked his eyes on the jackal pouncing toward him. He timed it perfectly and sliced its throat swiftly and ruthlessly.

Another jackal was frightened and backed away a few steps, not daring to approach. Intimidated by Wei Qingshan’s gaze, it turned and fled into the woods. Wei Qingshan quickly drew his bow and arrow, and one shot landed on the jackal. He swiftly followed up with another arrow. The jackal kicked and twitched on the ground a few times before going still.

Behind him, Dahei was entangled with another jackal. Wei Qingshan raised his machete and struck down hard. Only then did Dahei loosen his jaws, blood dripping from his fangs.

All three jackals were dealt with. Wei Qingshan didn’t relax. He looked around to confirm that no others were hiding in the forest before starting to clean up.

By right, although his place was deep in the woods, beasts like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards should be further in. These jackals had likely come down following the river due to the drought.

Afraid that the blood would attract more predators, Wei Qingshan placed the four jackals into the carrying basket, carefully lining it with tree leaves. He then used his machete to dig and bury the bloodstains.

He had placed a wild pheasant here yesterday, which was how he caught one jackal. The pheasant had already been eaten clean by the other jackals.

Wei Qingshan didn’t carry the basket right away. He took Dahei to retrieve the traps he had set yesterday, cleaned up the pheasant blood, and then turned back to carry the basket. He also carried back another jackal. Once everything was done, he finally headed home.

Dahei ran ahead to bark at the door. When Lin Yu heard the sound, he hurried to open the gate. Sure enough, it was Wei Qingshan. He saw blood on his face and hands, and Lin Yu quickly ran over. “Are you hurt?”

“No, it’s just the blood of those beasts.”

Wei Qingshan had quite a lot of blood on him, and Lin Yu immediately brought water for him to wash his face and hands.

Zhao Yueniang also came out and saw a furry tail sticking out of the basket. The color clearly matched the beast that had attacked them that day.

She stood to the side, watching without stepping closer—not because she was afraid of the dead jackals, but because Wei Qingshan, with blood on his face and body, looked quite terrifying. She had already been somewhat afraid of Wei Qingshan before, and now, she didn’t dare approach him at all.

Wei Qingshan washed the blood off his face. Lin Yu busily handed him a cloth to wipe his face. “I’ll go boil water for you so you can bathe.”

“I’ll wash later. Let me deal with these jackals first.”

Wei Qingshan dumped out several jackals, startling Lin Yu. “Why are there so many!”

He had originally thought there were only two. He hadn’t expected there to be a full five of them! If he had known there were so many, he wouldn’t have so easily agreed to let Wei Qingshan go hunt those beasts.

Zhao Yueniang hadn’t expected there to be so many jackals either. Recalling the day when two jackals had pounced on the door, she still felt a lingering fear, and her face turned a few shades paler.

Lin Yu assumed she was frightened by the sight of the bloody scene. “Yueniang, your Qingshan-ge is going to clean up these jackals. You go inside for now and don’t come out.”

Lin Yu was afraid that a young girl like her wouldn’t be able to handle the sight, so he thought to let her avoid it. Zhao Yueniang shook her head. “Brother, I’m not afraid. I’ll stay and help.”

Wei Qingshan looked toward Lin Yu. “You should go inside, too. I can handle cleaning them up myself.”

“I’m not afraid either. I’ll help you with it.”

In the past, Lin Yu might have been afraid, but he had married Wei Qingshan. This was the work of their household. Wei Qingshan made a living by hunting, so how could he let him busy himself alone just because he was scared?

Wei Qingshan didn’t say anything more. “Alright, then, help me dig a pit by the vegetable garden. We’ll bury the organs and such later. The meat is sour and inedible, but the hides can be kept, and the dried meat can be sold to the herbal shop.”

Lin Yu nodded and found a piece of land to start digging a pit. Zhao Yueniang also joined in to help.

Wei Qingshan skinned the jackals, chopped the meat into pieces to dry, and buried all the organs and innards.

Lin Yu boiled water for him to bathe and brought it to the main room. After Wei Qingshan had washed and changed clothes, Lin Yu took the short brown jacket he had changed out of and washed it. The first basin of water was dyed red. Lin Yu used soap pods to scrub it clean.

During dinner, Wei Qingshan reminded Lin Yu, “These jackals have been dealt with. There aren’t any dangerous beasts nearby for now, but still, try not to go out, and if you must, don’t go far. It’s dry season now, I’m afraid the wild animals in the forest might come down the mountain.”

Lin Yu nodded seriously. “Got it.”

After dealing with this group of jackals, Lin Yu finally felt a bit relieved. But he no longer saw the forest as peaceful and leisurely like before. Hidden dangers lurked in the jungle, and when he went out again, he was on high alert.

After resolving the jackal issue, it was time to harvest the corn and peanuts by the entrance. The three of them carried baskets on their backs to pick corn. Ka-cha, ka-cha—one ear after another was tossed into the baskets. From that plot of land, they collected seven to eight full baskets of corn.

The joy of the harvest washed away the lingering sense of danger. This was the first time Lin Yu and Wei Qingshan had harvested grain since getting married, and Lin Yu’s face lit up with happiness once more.

Wei Qingshan picked up a machete and chopped down the corn stalks, then stood them up outside the courtyard wall to dry. These corn stalks with leaves could be used for firewood, and if they didn’t go down the mountain in winter, they could use them to surround the open kitchen and block the wind.

While Wei Qingshan chopped corn stalks, Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang squatted on the ground to dig up peanuts. Their peanuts had grown well—when they pulled up a plant, a large bunch of peanuts hung from the roots.

Lin Yu couldn’t hide the joy on his face. “Qingshan, look, they turned out pretty well!”

Wei Qingshan looked over and smiled. “They grew very well.”

That peanut field wasn’t large. Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang squatted down and dug, piling the peanuts into bamboo baskets and carrying them back to the courtyard. Once the baskets were empty, they picked the peanuts from the plants.

Lin Yu was afraid that when pulling, some peanuts had fallen into the soil and been left behind, so he carried a bamboo basket and a small shovel to turn the soil over. He managed to find nearly half a basket’s worth of peanuts this way.

Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and brought the basket into the courtyard. Zhao Yueniang was sitting on a stool picking peanuts. When she saw Lin Yu return, she glanced at the bamboo basket in his hand. “Wow, there were still so many left in the soil.”

“Exactly. This is enough to boil for a meal. We’ll boil peanuts tonight.”

“Mm!”

The two of them sorted the two baskets of peanuts they had brought back. From that small peanut patch, they ended up with half a basket—not a small amount.

Lin Yu picked up a fresh peanut and tasted it. It was crisp and sweet, quite tasty. Zhao Yueniang also tried one. “Brother, these fresh peanuts are really good.”

“Mm.”

“I remember when we were little, the two of us would often go digging through other people’s peanut vines. If we found even one or two after a long time, we’d be thrilled. Back then, it wasn’t like now, where we can just eat them freely.”

Lin Yu chuckled softly. “Now our family has them, so we can boil them and eat as much as we want.”

Country folks were poor, and even the grain from their fields was barely enough to eat. Unless a family had lots of land, few would plant peanuts.

When Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang were little, they had nothing to eat. If they saw someone in the village drying peanut vines by their gate, the two of them would go dig through them. If they found even one or two peanuts, it was enough to make them happy for the whole day.

After the peanuts were picked, they were laid out in the courtyard to dry. The vines wouldn’t be thrown away either—mules and deer could eat them. Once they were dry, they would be stacked up and kept for the animals.

Wei Qingshan had finished chopping the corn stalks and returned. When he saw the peanuts drying on the ground, he said, “That’s quite a lot.”

“Have a taste.” Lin Yu peeled one and handed it to Wei Qingshan. Wei Qingshan didn’t even reach out to take it; he simply lowered his head slightly and took it directly with his mouth. Lin Yu’s fingers touched Wei Qingshan’s lips, and he quickly withdrew his hand with a flushed face. It would be so embarrassing if Yueniang saw.

That evening, Lin Yu cooked up a whole basin. The three of them sat in the courtyard eating. The peanuts were fragrant, sweet, and soft, completely different from roasted ones. All three of them liked them very much.

Lin Yu was especially happy today. This was the first time his family had eaten grains grown from their own land. “Once the land at home is ready for planting, we’ll grow more peanuts. In winter, when there’s not much to eat, we’ll just roast peanuts to eat.”

“Mhm! Brother, I can go dig up peanuts with you!”

The joy of harvest diluted the tension left by the beast’s attack on their courtyard. In the past few days, the three of them had been staying home to process corn. Peanuts were drying on the ground, golden-yellow corn was drying on the bamboo racks, and the hens were leading two broods of chicks back and forth. There were also cages full of wild chickens and wild rabbits.

Under the shed in the kitchen, firewood was piled high, and rows of wind-dried rabbit meat and chicken meat hung. Even the mule’s hay was stored in abundance.

The whole courtyard was filled with a sense of abundance, and Lin Yu looked at it with great satisfaction.

After resting at home for a few days, Wei Qingshan prepared to head down the mountain. In a flash, they had been living on the mountain for several months. The weather was getting colder, and it looked like winter was coming. There was only one sack of grain left at home, so he had to bring some more up from the village.

It was cold in the mountains. If things were peaceful in the village, Wei Qingshan actually preferred to bring Lin Yu down to live in the village. The snow on the mountain was much heavier than down in the village.

Lin Yu packed some flatbread for Wei Qingshan and also gave him two wild chickens—one for the He family and one for Dong-ger’s family. They hadn’t been down the mountain in a few months and didn’t know how things were going in the village.

“Come back early.”

“Mhm, go back now.”

After sending Wei Qingshan off, Lin Yu tightly closed the courtyard gate. They had collected quite a few rabbit pelts this year. He and Zhao Yueniang brought them out to sew, planning to make two rabbit fur coats and a pair of rabbit fur boots each, so they could wear them when the snow got thick.

“Brother, what do you think it’s like down the mountain?”

“I don’t know. A few days ago, Qingshan told me the snow in the mountains is thick. If nothing’s wrong in the village, he’s planning to move down.”

Wei Qingshan led the mule down the mountain. As soon as he entered the village from the back mountain, he sensed something was off. Last time he came, although every house had its door shut, he could still hear the sounds of children playing indoors. But now, the whole village was eerily quiet, not a single human voice to be heard.

Wei Qingshan led the mule straight to the He family’s house. He knocked on the door. After waiting for a while, someone inside finally asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Wei Qingshan.”

Only then did He Dazhu hurriedly open the door. “It’s Qingshan. Come in quickly.”

He Dazhu brought Wei Qingshan into the courtyard, even pulling the mule inside. Wei Qingshan saw that He Dazhu’s face was sallow and thin—obviously from not eating enough—and he had become much skinnier overall.

Wei Qingshan remembered that last time he came, the whole He family was here, even the three kids. But this time, it was so quiet that he couldn’t hear even the sound of children.

Wei Qingshan asked, “Where are Huzi and the others?”

Seeing it was Wei Qingshan, He Dazhu, and He Erzhu, they all came out. He Dazhu let out a long sigh. “Don’t even mention it. The village got hit by bandits a few times. Every time they came, they robbed grain and killed people. A few families suffered, and some even died. Mother, my wife, and my second sister-in-law took the children and grain and went back to my wife’s natal home. Her village is remote, and the bandits won’t get there easily.”

“How did it get this bad?”

“Don’t ask. The heavens haven’t given us rain for so long. The refugees are starving and have started robbing. I’m afraid everyone’s going to have a hard time this winter. Right now, every household’s grain isn’t enough—not just the refugees, even our lives are tough now.”

Wei Qingshan gave one of the wild chickens he brought from the mountain to He Daniang. After he split off from the family, she had looked after him quite a bit. It seemed the bandits in the village were even more dangerous than the wild beasts in the mountains.

Wei Qingshan decided not to move down the mountain. He would spend this winter in the mountains.

“Qingshan, you should leave quickly, too. Just don’t run into any refugees. They’ve gone completely mad from hunger.”

He Dazhu wiped away his tears. They had nowhere else to go. Otherwise, they would’ve fled, too. They could only let the women and children in the family hide elsewhere.

Wei Qingshan nodded. “I’ll go give one of these wild chickens to Shi Tou’s family, then I’ll leave.”

He Dazhu was moved to tears. “Qingshan, thank you so much.”