Chapter 35: It Is Snowing

This remark ruined Su Yanwen’s mood.

His smile stiffened slightly. Still suppressing his temper, he asked in a conciliatory tone, "Why do you say that?"

"Because of this."

Grandpa Cai held his long-stemmed pipe and pointed it toward an inconspicuous spot. It was a patch of thick pine needles covered by a dusting of snow, appearing no different from the surrounding environment. Su Yanwen had overlooked it before, but now that it had been pointed out, he couldn't help but shudder.

It was a footprint. A footprint that had been deliberately wiped away.

Usually, when it snows, the falling flakes cover any tracks on the ground, making it difficult to track prey. But that is only the general rule. There is another scenario: certain intelligent animals, either to protect themselves or to conceal their tracks while hunting, will use their tails to sweep away their footprints when it isn't snowing. If one weren't lying on the ground looking closely, the faint marks left by the tail sweeping the snow would be invisible.

Su Yanwen’s face turned pale instantly.

"It’s an intelligent animal," Su Yanwen said. "Either the wolf king, a tiger over twenty years old, or a fox with wisdom. I... I’ve been targeted."

The first thing that crossed his mind was the black wolf. He had foolishly assumed it was still at the pool halfway up the mountain. Even though he was in a precarious situation and had made a grave error due to his own negligence, Grandpa Cai’s eyes were filled with approval.

When he spoke again, his tone was clearly appreciative.

"Not bad, very good. Su, for someone your age to observe such things, you are a natural-born hunter."

Grandpa Cai paused, then turned to look at Su Yanwen with a suspicious expression. "I remember your father and your younger brother have always been working for others in town. When it comes to hunting, they don't know the first thing about it. Killing a chicken is probably the most ruthless thing they've ever done."

As for Su Yanwen, who in the village didn't know him? He was a standard pushover; otherwise, he wouldn't have let his daughter be sold without knowing it, nor would he have been bullied for years by a shrew like Miao Qin.

"How do you know so much about what happens on the mountain?"

Facing the question, Su Yanwen scratched his head. He couldn't go around telling everyone he was a transmigrator. "I don't know. Lately, I’ve been having recurring dreams where I’m constantly circling with prey on the mountain. It feels as if someone, in some mysterious way, is teaching me."

Such an absurd explanation would be nonsense to anyone else, but Grandpa Cai seemed to believe it. Even the hand holding his red-tasseled spear began to tremble with excitement.

He nodded repeatedly. "Is... is it in your dreams? I was wondering why all my sons died on the mountain. It turns out... it turns out they weren't favored by the Mountain God!"

Su Yanwen smiled and said nothing. Once someone starts letting their imagination run wild, there is no stopping them. As for how it would all end, that would depend on how fertile the old man's imagination could be.

"Good, good, good. I was overthinking things. So, the Mountain God had already chosen his person."

As Grandpa Cai spoke, his gaze fell once more on the deliberately concealed footprint. A smile suddenly appeared on his lips. "Su, it seems you’ve been targeted, but that might not be a bad thing."

Hearing this, Su Yanwen nearly rolled his eyes to the back of his head. Given the size and ferocity of that black wolf, how could that not be a bad thing? It was only because he hadn't personally encountered it yet! When they were in the cave, the black wolf had even reached its claws inside. If the soup in the pot hadn't been hot enough and the flames intimidating, they likely would have been torn to shreds. Now, seeing those hidden tracks, it was clear that the beast had attained a level of supernatural cunning. How could this possibly be a good thing?

Su Yanwen gave a dry laugh and offered no comment. He looked at the surrounding environment with a helpless, bitter smile.

Grandpa Cai did not dwell on the topic further and returned to his duties. He only needed to ensure the safety of the perimeter so that those helping out would not be in danger. As Grandpa Cai stood guard, the others focused entirely on their work, and for a while, no one else noticed the issues in the surroundings.

As dusk approached, Grandpa Cai called out, "Work’s done!"

This meant not only the end of the day’s labor but also that it was time to eat. Everyone became restless, their faces showing an unprecedented sense of happiness.

Su Yanwen’s family had no other food; it was a soup made entirely of fish. Though there wasn't much, a bowl for each person was just enough. For people who had worked hard all day, being able to sit down and enjoy such a meal was a moment of pure bliss.

Holding the bowls of meat soup, almost everyone hesitated to eat. Those who had come to help were mostly family-oriented people, and looking at the soup in their hands, they found they couldn't bring themselves to drink it. Many had teary eyes.

"It smells so good! Since the famine began, my children have never even smelled meat. I never imagined that just by helping build a house, I’d be able to eat meat."

The people brought here by Grandpa Cai were responsible and pragmatic. Looking at the steaming soup, they felt a pang of longing to take it home to their families.

Grandpa Cai understood their reactions. He had children of his own, and seeing their hesitation, he urged, "Everyone, eat! You’ve worked a full day; you need to eat this to have the strength to work tomorrow. After eating the host's food, you’ll need to be more efficient with your work later."

With Grandpa Cai’s command, no one dared to refuse. Once he gave the nod, they finally brought the food to their lips. The sensation was more blissful than anything they had ever experienced—it was simply delicious.

"This... this is the taste of salt."

"Grandpa Cai didn't lie to us. He really is the most trustworthy person."

"That’s right. Grandpa Cai cares for us even more than he cares for his own sons."

"Indeed. If Grandpa Cai says the word, no matter how dangerous the task, I’d go."

The men expressed their loyalty one after another. Although this had little to do with Su Yanwen personally, watching the scene, he was deeply moved. In his previous life, he had learned how to survive in the wild, but he had never learned how to deal with people, nor did he understand the art of winning hearts.

In that moment, Su Yanwen seemed to have had an epiphany.

After the men finished their meal and left—even with Grandpa Cai there, they didn't dare gamble on staying too long—Su Yanwen looked at the small house with mixed emotions.

Cao'er was the first to rush in, jumping about in the small wooden cabin, excitedly shouting, "We have a home! We finally have a home!"

Zhao Yue’e was equally thrilled. She kept repeating, "It’s wonderful. There’s a stove! We actually have a stove in our own home. I never imagined we could cook at home without being choked by smoke."

Cao'er nodded vigorously. "It’s so great, the room is so warm. I can’t feel the wind from outside at all. Father, I’m so happy."

Seeing his wife and daughter so happy, Su Yanwen felt a warmth in his own heart. Yet, looking at the narrow space, he said sincerely, "Don't worry, this is just the beginning. We will have a big home, one even larger than the village chief’s."

They had the space, to be sure. But the smile on Zhao Yue’e’s face slowly faded. She said bitterly, "Having everyone help comes with a price. After today, our family has no food left. Do you think they’ll still come tomorrow? Not to mention that tomorrow they won't just be eating one meal, but two. What will we have to feed them?"

The smile on Su Yanwen’s face gradually disappeared. This was indeed a grave problem. He looked at the empty room, his expression darkening. The primary condition for people coming to help was the promise of meat to eat and salted meat to take home. But now that the meat was gone, what could he offer them?