Chapter 11: Those Who Can Get Away

"Yay! Yay! We get to eat meat every day!" Lin Yiyi cheered, dancing with joy.

Lin Xing smiled, ignoring her as he continued to test his bow and arrow. He knew that mastering archery required practice to improve accuracy, so he planned to spend the entire day familiarizing himself with the weapon to avoid any mishaps when he headed into the mountains the next day. The arrowheads were easy enough to forge; if one broke, he could simply make a few more. It was no trouble at all.

By evening, Lin Xing finally stopped. After a full day of practice, he felt quite confident. While he wouldn't claim he could split a willow leaf from a hundred paces, he could at least guarantee a direct hit on prey within twenty meters—more than double the ten-meter effective range of his spear throwing.

That night, the family sat together for dinner in high spirits. It was venison again, served with cornmeal cakes and a wild vegetable soup—a hearty meal by any standard.

As she ate, Wu Xiulan brought out three garments. "Come, I finished making these out of the deer hide this afternoon. See if they fit."

Lin Xing picked one up to examine it. The craftsmanship was decent. While the fur of a sika deer was quite short and therefore not exceptionally warm, it was still a significant improvement over their rough hemp clothes. Lin Xing put it on and immediately felt much warmer. He couldn't help but smile. "Mom, you have a real talent for this. With these, we won't have to worry about freezing anymore."

Lin Yiyi put hers on as well, spinning around in delight. "Does it look good? Does it look good?"

"It looks great. Everything looks good on you, little one," Lin Xing laughed.

"Thank you for the fur, brother, and thank you, Mom, for making these for us," Lin Yiyi said, sounding very sensible and sweet.

Wu Xiulan patted Yiyi's head, her eyes filled with doting affection. "No need for thanks; it's what a mother should do."

Lin Xing smiled along, though he was already thinking about the future. He needed to gather more hides to make more clothes and perhaps even bedding. If conditions allowed, he would cover the floor with furs to keep the house warm. More importantly, however, he realized the drafty, dilapidated shack they lived in needed renovation. When the cold winds blew, the house felt like an ice cellar; if a snowstorm hit, it would likely collapse under the weight.

Reinforcing the house wouldn't be hard if he had the timber, but it was skilled work he couldn't do alone. He would need to hire someone. Hiring help meant spending money, and no one worked for free.

Where could he get money? The only solution he could think of was selling meat—taking the game he hunted to the commune to trade for cash to pay for the repairs. He had a lot on his plate: stocking up on food, fixing the house, processing hides. Wu Xiulan and Yiyi couldn't help with the heavy lifting, so the burden fell entirely on him. Yet, Lin Xing felt no resentment. There was a certain satisfaction in watching their lives improve day by day.

"Mom, Yiyi, if you have time tomorrow, go to the edge of the village and chop some timber," Lin Xing said with a smile.

Wu Xiulan blinked in surprise. "What for? Firewood? We have plenty of that already."

"No, I’m planning to reinforce the house so it doesn't collapse when the snowstorms come," Lin Xing explained.

Wu Xiulan looked troubled. "Yiyi and I can gather the wood, but we’ll need to hire someone for the repairs, and we don't have the money for that."

"Don't worry," Lin Xing said. "I'll hunt more game and trade the meat at the commune for cash."

Wu Xiulan felt a pang of heartache. "You have to take care of everything. It’s so hard on you."

"Mom, you’re underestimating me," Lin Xing said, waving his hand. "I’m the eldest son; protecting you is my duty. It’s no hardship."

Wu Xiulan felt a surge of warmth that made the bitter winter chill seem a little less biting. After dinner, with nothing else to do, the family went to bed early. Though their bedding was thin, the deer-hide clothes kept the cold at bay. Even Lin Yiyi, who usually shivered all night, soon fell into a comfortable sleep, letting out a soft snore.

The next morning, the sun had barely risen when Lin Xing woke up. Wu Xiulan and Yiyi were already up, handling chores, and breakfast—venison soup and cornmeal—was already on the table.

"You're up?" Wu Xiulan said, stoking the fire. "Breakfast is ready. Eat it while it's hot to warm yourself up."

"Coming," Lin Xing said, taking a sip of the soup. The flavor of the minced meat warmed his stomach instantly. Having meat soup first thing in the morning was a luxury only a hunter could afford; the folks at the commune were likely eating nothing but thin porridge and wild greens.

Of course, not everyone wanted to be a hunter, despite the access to meat. Venturing deep into the mountains was dangerous. Winter was manageable since most animals hibernated, but summer was lethal. With bears, snakes, and poisonous frogs, a single bite from a venomous insect could be a brush with death. Thus, most people preferred the safety of working in the commune or farming.

"Son, Yiyi and I are heading to the edge of the village to gather wood later. What about you?" Wu Xiulan asked.

Lin Xing wiped his mouth. "I'm heading into the mountains to hunt. We need too many things for the house; I have to pick up the pace."

"Be careful," Wu Xiulan said, her voice filled with worry. "I heard there’s a pack of wolves in the woods near the village."

"Wolves?" Lin Xing paused.

Wu Xiulan nodded. "Yes. They’ve already snatched several lambs in the next village over. I heard it from the people at the commune."

Lin Xing frowned. The greatest danger in the forest wasn't a tiger or a bear; it was a wolf pack. They were unified, cunning, and even a small pack could bring down a tiger. If a person encountered them, there was no escape—only death. But wolves usually stayed deep in the mountains; why would they come to the outskirts?

Lin Xing smiled, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. I have my hunting rifle. Even if I run into them, if I can't beat them, I can at least get away."