This child had always been a little strange. He kept to himself, never playing with the other children in the village. He was often seen alone with a wolf by his side, silent and withdrawn.
Once, someone had tried to bully Grandma Huo, and this boy had picked up a hoe and struck the man on the head, splitting it open.
Back then, he was only thirteen. Yet he’d knocked down a grown man and beat him until he was covered in blood. After that, everyone in the village started saying that he was vicious and cruel. Parents forbade their children from playing with him.
The village kids were terrified of the “wolf cub.” Whenever they misbehaved, their parents would warn them, “If you keep this up, we’ll send you to the wolf cub’s house.”
“Are you… the wolf cub?” Xu Ying blurted out before she could stop herself. The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean that!”
Huo Chen said nothing. He sat weakly against the tree, his gaze distant. He’d long grown used to the nickname the villagers had given him.
After a moment, he looked at Xu Ying and spoke slowly. “If you’re willing to trust me with those wolves, I can help you deal with them.”
Xu Ying blinked in surprise. “You… you can help me sell them?”
Huo Chen nodded, straightforward and honest. She had saved Old Grey and him—he wouldn’t forget that favor.
“Do you want to be paid all in cash, or part in ration tickets?”
If he asked for money, it would fetch a higher price. If he wanted tickets, the price would be a little lower.
“I want cash… and just a few tickets,” Xu Ying thought for a moment before replying.
She had plenty of fabric and supplies in her space, so she didn’t need many tickets.
“If you can get a bicycle ticket, that’d be perfect.” She added hopefully.
There wasn’t a bicycle at home. Every time she needed to go to town, she had to either hitch a ride on an ox cart or walk, both inconvenient. Riding an ox cart was better than walking, but nothing compared to having a bicycle of her own.
Huo Chen nodded again, then slowly pushed himself up from the ground.
Xu Ying watched in stunned silence as he bent down, grabbed the wild boar by its hind legs, and dragged it toward a cave. Not long after, he came back out—dragging several wolves along the ground as he strode away.
An adult wild boar weighed at least five hundred jin (about 250 kg), yet he hauled it away as if it were nothing. That strength…
It wasn’t any less than the strength-based abilities of the apocalypse survivors.
Xu Ying stared after him, then snapped back to her senses. Oh no! She turned and sprinted down the mountain as fast as she could.
Just as she emerged from the forest, she heard anxious shouts in the distance. “Aunty ! Aunty!”
It was Shitou and Huzi.
“I’m here!” Xu Ying shouted back, running toward the sound with the basket on her back.
When Shitou saw her, he broke into tears. “Aunty, where did you go? Huzi and I thought you’d been dragged off by a wolf! We were so scared…”
Huzi’s eyes were also red and puffy, his face streaked with dried tears. When he spotted her, he bit his lip—and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. “Aunty !”
“Oh, don’t cry,” Xu Ying rushed over and ruffled their heads with a gentle smile. “Look at what I brought back for you! Not just a pheasant this time—there’s a rabbit too. And two big, fat fish!”
At the mention of food, Huzi’s tears stopped immediately. He craned his neck, trying to peek into the basket on her back.
Shitou glanced into the basket and quickly shielded with the wild greens he’d gathered. “Aunty, let’s hurry home. Lots of aunties are up in the mountains picking wild vegetables today. We don’t want them to see.”
Xu Ying quickly slung the basket onto her back again. Shitou led the way with Huzi, and the three of them took a winding path home, carefully avoiding the busy footpaths.
“Mom ! We’re back!” Shitou called excitedly as they reached the courtyard gate.
Xu’s mother heard them and immediately rushed out. “You’re back? Quick, get inside!”
She hurriedly closed the gate behind them.
“Mom, we got more today than yesterday!” Xu Ying grinned, setting down her basket. She pulled out the wild greens, revealing fifteen large duck eggs beneath them.
Five of the eggs she’d actually found. The rest had come from her space.
Next, she pulled out a hare, three pheasants, and two large fish.
The hare had been killed by an arrow. Blood still stained its fur, and a hole pierced its side. Xu’s mother picked it up, her expression turning serious. “Girl, how did you kill this rabbit?”
Xu Ying knew she couldn’t hide it. Calmly, she took the arrows off her back and explained, “I used these. I met Huo Chen on the mountain—you know, the ‘wolf cub.’ I asked him to make these arrows for me.”
“Mom, don’t tell anyone, okay? Otherwise, people will start asking him for help too.”
She knew she’d be going into the mountains more often in the future. If she didn’t explain, her mother would keep questioning her.
“What? You were with that wolf cub?!” Xu’s mother’s face darkened in worry. “You shouldn’t have anything to do with him! That boy’s dangerous—what if he hurts you?”
Xu Ying sighed and nodded obediently. “Mom, he’s not as bad as people say. I think he’s a good person—it’s just those gossipy women spreading rumors.”
She’d heard the stories of him fighting before. But honestly, if her own family had been bullied like that, she’d have bashed the guy’s head in too.
Xu’s mother thought about it. Knowing the village women, it was certainly possible they’d twisted the truth.
Still, why had the wolf cub given her daughter things?
Her daughter wasn’t a little girl anymore. Xu’s mother couldn’t help but grow cautious. “You’re already a grown girl. Don’t go around accepting things from boys. Understand?”
Xu Ying quickly nodded. “I understand, Mom. Let’s cook the rabbit today! I want to try spicy fried rabbit.”
Xu’s mother couldn’t resist her daughter’s bright smile and wheedling voice. Looking at all the good food, how could she refuse?
They hadn’t even finished the pheasant and fish from yesterday, and now they had even more. Truly, her daughter’s luck was something else.
Xu’s mother carried everything into the kitchen.
Xu Ying followed behind. “Mom, you clean the rabbit. I’ll cook it. I read a recipe for spicy fried rabbit once—but I’ve never tried making it before. I don’t know if it’ll taste good.”
Hearing her daughter volunteer to cook, Xu’s mother was delighted. Every girl had to learn eventually. She’d wanted to teach her before, but Xu Ying had refused.
Now that she’d finally offered on her own, how could Xu’s mother not be pleased?
“Alright, let me skin it for you.”
She carried the hare to the water basin.
Xu Ying ran to the vegetable patch to pick a few fresh chilies, then hurried back.
Xu’s mother worked quickly. By the time Xu Ying finished prepping the spices, the rabbit was already cleaned.
“Here, I’ve butchered it into pieces for you,” Xu’s mother said.
Xu Ying smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Mom! Oh, and this fish has been sitting out a while. Let’s stew it today. Could you clean the ones from yesterday too?”
Xu’s mother readily agreed, setting aside yesterday’s fish to prep as well.
Once she left to handle the fish, Xu Ying quickly started rinsing the rabbit meat. She washed it three, four, five times until no trace of blood remained. Then, sneaking a bottle of white wine from her space, she poured a splash over the rabbit meat.
Finally, she added ginger and green onions, letting the rabbit soak for twenty minutes.
To hide the scent of alcohol, she covered the rabbit meat with a large basin.