Li Guolin was so terrified by Huzi’s onslaught that he could barely stammer a coherent word. Amidst the mocking laughter of the villagers, he scurried out of the courtyard, looking like a whipped dog.
"Brother Yuemin, you are truly amazing! Chuntao is just so full of admiration for your strategy!"
By dinnertime, the busy villagers had all gone home to rest. Gazing at the newly renovated adobe house before her, Zhang Chuntao’s eyes sparkled. Her adoration for Li Yuemin was practically overflowing, filled with undisguised surprise and pride. How was it that she had been lucky enough to pick the most capable and handsome young man in all the surrounding villages?
"Heh heh, Chuntao, is your man capable or what?"
Seeing Zhang Chuntao so overjoyed brought Li Yuemin immense satisfaction. He pulled her into his arms, raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smirk, and said to her, "Compliments alone aren't enough; you have to back them up with action. Your man has been pent up on the mountain for so long—as my wife, you really ought to reward me properly."
Zhang Chuntao blinked her innocent, wide eyes upon hearing this. "Alright, Brother Yuemin, I’ll go light the fire and cook dinner right away. I’ll stew some bear meat for you."
"Stewed bear meat? My silly wife, that’s not the kind of reward I’m talking about!"
"Then what do you mean..."
Zhang Chuntao looked up at the sun, which had yet to set behind the window, then back into Li Yuemin’s burning gaze. She whispered shyly, "That—that, it’s still early. Why don't we wait until it's dark..."
"But I can't wait!"
Before she could react, Li Yuemin swept her up into his arms. With a swift kick, he slammed the door of the adobe house open and locked it behind him. He placed Zhang Chuntao on the *kang*, hurriedly stripped off her clothes, and pressed his body heavily against hers.
"Ah... Brother Yuemin, be gentle... aren't you worried Mother and Yuejin will hear?"
"Chuntao, don't worry. When I was plastering the walls, I specifically had Shuanzi add something to the mix. It’s perfectly soundproof."
With that, Li Yuemin kissed her fiercely. Doing this before dark was mortifying for Zhang Chuntao, but she soon felt his intense love through his powerful movements. Thinking of how he had risked his life and stared death in the face to hunt the bear, a wave of pity surged in her eyes. She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck and bit his ear, whispering, "Brother Yuemin, love me well..."
The air in the room grew scorching, and nothing remained but the sound of their constant, rhythmic gasps...
...
"Huu... huu..."
After several rounds of intimacy, a satisfied Zhang Chuntao fell into a deep sleep. Watching her sweet sleeping posture, Li Yuemin couldn't help but steal one more kiss. He then climbed out of bed, moving as quietly as a mouse, intending to step outside to relieve himself.
*Rustle, rustle.*
Unexpectedly, he caught the sound of strange, rustling noises. Though faint, they were rhythmic and persistent. Having served in the army for years, Li Yuemin was immediately on guard. He crouched down, creeping toward the wall step by step, pressing his ear tightly against it to listen to the movement outside.
"Awoo... awoo..."
This time, through the wooden wall, he clearly caught the sound from outside. In the darkness, low, mournful howls filled the air.
"This is bad!"
Li Yuemin immediately shook the sleeping Zhang Chuntao awake. "Chuntao, hurry! Go wake Mother and take Yuejin to the cellar. Remember, don't you dare come out until I call for you!"
Awakened, Zhang Chuntao was utterly bewildered. She asked in confusion, "Brother Yuemin, are you still dreaming? Why do you want the three of us to hide in the cellar?"
"Shh!" Li Yuemin gestured for her to lower her voice, then replied shortly and firmly, "Wild wolves have entered the village!"
"What? Wolves?" Zhang Chuntao’s face turned deathly pale with fear.
"It must be the smell of blood from when we were stewing the bear meat and eating it today. It has lured a pack of wolves here."
Before he had even finished speaking, Li Yuemin blew out the kerosene lamp in the room. He grabbed Zhang Chuntao’s hand and personally escorted them into the cellar.
"Brother Yuemin, why don't you come in with us? Aren't the wolves just here for the bear meat? If we just let them take it, won't we be safe?" Zhang Chuntao poked her head out of the cellar, looking back with lingering attachment and deep worry at the thought of him facing the pack alone.
"It's the middle of winter; this is when the wolf pack is at its hungriest. Wolves are greedy by nature; they won't just stop after eating. If I don't take action, the entire village will suffer."
With that, he didn't have time to argue further with her. He steeled his heart, pushed her into the cellar, and covered the opening with the lid. For extra security, he summoned Huzi to the entrance and ordered it to guard the spot, forbidding anything from coming within an inch of it.
"Brother Yuemin! Brother Yuemin!"
"My son, my son!"
"Brother!"
Though they called out to him with tearful reluctance, Li Yuemin had already steeled his resolve to fight the wolves!
After leaving the cellar, Li Yuemin first checked his available weapons. He had left his hunting rifle in the east room when he was renovating earlier, so the only weapon left at hand was a simple crossbow. The crossbow’s advantages were its high lethality and silence, but its disadvantage was the long reload time between shots. Therefore, he had to find a way to lure the pack away, hunt them in batches, and pick them off one by one to have any hope of victory.
Thinking this, Li Yuemin crouched low and quietly pressed against the window to observe the courtyard. Fortunately, there were only three scout wolves that had entered the yard so far. They were carefully investigating the surroundings, appearing to look for a way into the house.
Seeing this, Li Yuemin went back into the room and took some bear blood, smearing it at the door’s entrance to lure them in. He then found a clothesline, tied it to the door handle, and hid behind the door, holding onto the rope. He cracked the door open just enough for one wolf to pass through and waited for the prey to take the bait.
A wolf’s sense of smell is extremely keen; they were soon drawn by the scent of the bear blood. After a few *swish* sounds, he saw the lead black wolf approaching the house. After sniffing for a while, it cunningly squeezed its head inside. It didn’t dare do this because of sheer bravery, but rather due to its crafty nature.
A wolf’s body has a specific characteristic: a copper head, iron tail, and tofu waist. The head is their sturdiest part and is generally very hard to kill in one strike. Moreover, this wolf kept its head low while sniffing, protecting even its vulnerable throat. It didn't want to leave Li Yuemin any chance for a sneak attack.
Seeing this, Li Yuemin remained calm. Hiding behind the door, he kept a constant watch on the wolf’s movements. After about five minutes, seeing that the wolf felt there was no danger ahead, the creature finally eased its guard and began to squeeze its entire body inside.