Li Yuemin poked his head out to look, only to see two fluffy wolf pups curled up together in the thicket, a patch of fresh blood beside them. Their eyes were not yet fully open and their bodies were frail; they had clearly been born only a short while ago.
Li Yuemin’s heart surged with joy. By the looks of it, the mother wolf must have abandoned the cubs when she encountered danger. He had been planning to raise hunting hounds, and these pups were an unexpected windfall. He knelt down and carefully checked the surroundings. Confirmed that there was no sign of the mother wolf, he set down his bow, reached out, and gently picked up the two cubs. He unbuttoned his cotton-padded jacket and tucked them carefully inside, ensuring they wouldn't freeze.
He then quickly packed up the remaining soybeans, grabbed the field mice, shouldered his bow and arrows, and prepared to head home. However, the moment he turned around, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance. Li Yuemin immediately grew alert, dashed behind a large tree, held his breath, and listened intently.
"Brother Yuemin! Brother Yuemin! Where are you?!!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Li Yuemin hurriedly stepped out from behind the tree. It was Zhang Chuntao, her cheeks flushed red from the cold, wrapped in a red scarf, running toward him with a panicked expression. Upon seeing Li Yuemin, she threw herself into his arms.
"Wuwuwu, Brother Yuemin, I’ve finally found you. Li Guolin told me this morning that you’d gone into the mountains to hunt. The mountains are so dangerous, and when I saw you hadn't returned for so long, I... I thought something had happened to you!"
"Chuntao, don't cry, there, there."
Seeing Zhang Chuntao’s red, teary eyes, Li Yuemin felt his heart ache terribly. He reached out to gently wipe away her tears and comforted her softly: "Others might get into trouble in the mountains, but do you know who your man is? I’m no ordinary soldier, right? Look, see what I’ve caught?"
With that, Li Yuemin handed all of his harvest for the day, including the two wolf pups, to Zhang Chuntao.
"Wow!! These are field mice, these are soybeans, and... little wolf pups!!"
Seeing this, Zhang Chuntao’s watery eyes instantly lit up. The exhaustion from her run vanished in an instant. With a radiant smile like a little girl, she looked up at Li Yuemin with adoration. "Brother Yuemin, you’re too amazing!! There must be over a hundred field mice here, and forty or fifty pounds of soybeans. Tell me, how did you do it?"
"Haha, your man is impressive, right?!"
Watching Zhang Chuntao’s joy, Li Yuemin felt that no matter how hard he had worked, it was all worth it. He leaned down and kissed her rosy cheek, then feigned mystery and said, "Wife, it’s almost noon. You must be hungry, right? Wait for your man to go home and show you what I can do!"
"You?" Zhang Chuntao was slightly taken aback, then burst into a giggle. "Brother Yuemin, stop joking. You know how to cook? In all the time we’ve been together, haven't I always been the one cooking for you? Seeing how hard you’ve worked hunting today, why don't I go home and make your favorite Di San Xian?"
Having said that, Chuntao took the initiative to link her arm through Li Yuemin’s.
"Di San Xian? Isn't that just stir-fried potatoes and eggplant? My silly wife, we have meat now, who would still eat that?! Watch how I treat you to a real feast today!"
As he spoke, Li Yuemin reached out and flicked Zhang Chuntao on the nose, then gave her a swift kiss. His expression turned serious: "But Chuntao, I’m warning you, from now on, you are not allowed to go running into the mountains alone without my permission. Do you hear me?"
"Mhm, I’ll listen to Brother Yuemin!"
***
"Gosh, where did Li Yuemin get those field mice and all those soybeans? The snow is so deep, it’s hard enough just getting into the mountains. Did he stumble upon some dumb luck?"
"Exactly. Heaven really is blind. Why does a poor kid like him get all the good things? His family was so poor they couldn't even put food on the table, and now not only has he married the village chief’s daughter, but he’s also hunted all these field mice. Who can even reason with that?"
Along the way, Li Yuemin and Zhang Chuntao, carrying the field mice and soybeans, attracted the attention of many villagers. In an era where people couldn't even get enough to eat, such a massive haul of field mice and soybeans undoubtedly made the villagers green with envy. Everyone couldn't understand why this poor kid, once at the very bottom of the village, had suddenly been blessed with such good fortune overnight.
"Chuntao, you don't need to lift a finger. Just wait nearby to eat."
Before long, the smell of meat wafted through the small Li family courtyard. Li Yuemin threaded the field mice—seasoned with salt and homemade spices—onto wire skewers and roasted them slowly over a low fire. The fat began to render, dripping into the iron pot below with a sizzling sound. Seeing that enough oil had gathered in the pot, Li Yuemin tossed in a few handfuls of soybeans.
With the sound of rapid stirring, a savory, crunchy aroma of toasted beans mingled with the scent of roasted meat and drifted away on the breeze. Villagers who heard the news kept running to the gate of the Li courtyard to watch, taking the opportunity to catch a whiff of the rare, savory scent of meat.
Looking at the increasing number of villagers gathering at the gate, a smile tugged at the corners of Li Yuemin’s mouth. He pulled off a roasted field mouse, tore off a piece of meat, and popped it into his mouth, pairing it with a handful of crispy soybeans. He chewed away, his mouth glistening with oil.
At first, Li Yuemin had thought about hiding these things to let his family eat their fill in private. But then he reconsidered: the family’s food supply was currently extremely low. While soybeans were precious, they weren't a staple, and field mouse meat couldn't be eaten as a main meal forever. He had to find a way to trade these hearty goods with the villagers for dry rations that could fill their bellies.
"Oh my, Yuemin, where did you dig up these field mice and soybeans? They smell so tantalizing when roasted. My sister-in-law and I haven't tasted meat in ages."
The moment Li Yuemin’s mice were on the rack, Li Guolin and Song Mengyao caught the scent and walked out of the house. The two acted as if nothing had happened, seemingly suffering from selective amnesia regarding the unpleasant encounter the three of them had earlier that morning. They reached out toward the field mice over the fire.
*Smack! Smack!*
"Take your dirty paws off! Who told you two to touch them!"
Before Li Guolin could even finish his sentence, a fire poker struck both his and Song Mengyao’s hands with a sharp *smack, smack*. Li Guolin startled, glaring at Li Yuemin in anger: "Li Yuemin, I was just asking you for a piece of meat. If you won't give it, fine, but what gives you the right to hit people!"
Song Mengyao hadn't expected Li Yuemin to do this either, and she immediately said with a aggrieved tone: "Brother Yuemin, you’re being too heartless. We’re family, after all!!"
"Family? I spit on that! You two spent this morning, one wishing me dead and the other slandering me. How is it that you have the gall to come begging for field mouse meat now? Want to eat? If you’ve got the ability, go catch your own!"
With that, Li Yuemin took two skewers of field mouse meat and handed them to Zhang Chuntao and his younger brother, Li Yuejin, saying in a gentle tone: "Chuntao, Yuejin, you two eat plenty. Don't worry about Mom’s portion; I’ll roast some more for her when she wakes up."
Hearing this, Chuntao nodded happily. She took the roasted field mouse with a radiant smile and, as if deliberately showing off, held it up toward Song Mengyao: "Hehe, see that? My man is just more capable than some people’s men. He managed to catch over a hundred field mice on his first try!"
After she finished speaking, she shyly and quickly planted a kiss on Li Yuemin’s face: "Brother Yuemin, it’s so wonderful to be married to you!!"