Chapter 31.2

Thanks to their experience waking up together the day before, they tactfully took turns rising the next morning, smoothly avoiding any awkward moments.

The bear hide, after a night of being aired out in the cold, had frozen stiff. A gentle tap released a fine powder of ice from its fibers, leaving the hide dry, soft, and ready for use.

Wei Ling rolled it up and strapped it securely to his back, ensuring it wouldn’t interfere with his skiing speed.

With the hide prepared, Wei Ling set about extracting the bear paws, a rare and coveted delicacy not to be missed.

Qin Qingman knew that black bears were a protected species, forbidden to hunt in both her past life and the present. Only thanks to Xiao Hei and his pack’s intervention did she have the fortune to possess this bear hide and meat; she wasn’t about to waste Xiao Hei’s gift.

Wei Ling retrieved the leftover roasted bear meat from the hearth as well. Wrapped in a thick layer of pine needles, the meat had been kept free of ash. Skewering it on branches, he warmed it over the fire, and both he and Qin Qingman ate their fill.

Descending the mountain required strength; they needed fuel to ski with ease.

Qin Qingman didn’t mind the rich meal in the early morning. Once their stomachs were comfortably full, she and Wei Ling began their descent.

This time, with the large bear hide strapped to his back, Wei Ling could no longer guide Qin Qingman as he had on the way up. Each on their own skis, they carefully navigated the mountain path, thankfully mostly downhill.

Though skiing demanded some effort, the cloudy sky remained mercifully free of snowfall, sparing them a harder descent.

By the time they reached Kaoshan Village, Qin Qingman’s hands were trembling slightly from exhaustion.

The Qin household had been the talk of the village yesterday; many curious gazes had been cast in their direction. As soon as Qin Qingman and Wei Ling entered the village, someone spotted them. The villager had intended to greet them, but at the sight of the massive bear hide on Wei Ling’s back, they were struck speechless in awe.

Just yesterday, news had spread of a fierce battle between wolves and a bear up in the mountains. For Qin Qingman and Wei Ling to emerge with a bear hide snatched from the wolves was nothing short of incredible.

In an instant, word of the couple’s triumph spread like wildfire through Kaoshan Village, carried by whispers and shouts.

The village party secretary and Qian Xiangyang also heard the news that Qin Qingman and Wei Ling had returned.

After thinking it over, the two of them decided not to rush to the Qin household right away.

Since Qin Qingman and Wei Ling had come down from the mountains and had just arrived home, they were sure to be exhausted. If they visited now, it might be unwelcome and disrupt their rest, so they chose to wait.

In any case, since Qin Qingman had returned, Chuchu would undoubtedly update him on the situation at home.

Zheng Anguo and the others decided to hold off on discussing things for a bit, giving Qin Qingman time to prepare mentally before they visited.

With that in mind, Zheng Anguo instructed his son to inform each household not to disturb Qin Qingman.

He even dispatched the village militia to guard Qin Lei’s house specifically.

At the Qin residence, Qin Qingman and Wei Ling hurried as fast as they could, traveling for over four hours until they finally reached home. By then, the sky had darkened considerably, and it looked like if they had been delayed another two hours, it might have started snowing.

After escorting Qin Qingman to the entrance of her home, Wei Ling needed to head back to his unit to report on the situation in the mountains.

Since time was tight, he didn’t go into the house but bid Qin Qingman farewell at the courtyard gate.

He handed her the bear paw he’d taken down from his back, while the bear pelt remained strapped on his back.

“Qingman, this bear pelt needs to be formally processed by the headquarters before it can be used. I’ll take it back, get everything in order, and then have the old craftsman prepare it. Before the year ends, I’ll have them make a set of clothes for both you and Chuchu. That way, you won’t be cold anywhere you go in winter.”

Wei Ling’s words touched Qin Qingman deeply, and she tried to decline, saying, “Ah Ling, this bear pelt is too precious. We can’t accept it. You should make yourself a set of clothes. The hide is so big; it’s surely enough to make you a whole outfit.”

Wei Ling chuckled and said, “Qingman, I’m a soldier, and soldiers can’t wear such clothes. Don’t refuse; we’re family. When you and Chuchu wear clothes made from this bear pelt, it’s like I’m wearing it too. I’d love to see you both in outfits made from this bear skin.”

Qin Qingman’s face flushed at Wei Ling’s words, but after spending several days together, she had grown comfortable enough to look at him directly. “Ah Ling, why don’t you give it as a gift or perhaps to your family?”

She remembered that Wei Ling had mentioned his family was in the capital.

Wei Ling shook his head, “Something like this would stand out too much in the capital. But here, wearing it wouldn’t be a problem at all.” He’d only been living in this era for a year, yet he’d already grasped all the policies of the time.

The reminder quickly made Qin Qingman realize it was only the early 1970s, right in the middle of the ten-year period.

During this time, it was best to stay far from the political hub of the capital and to be cautious in every way.

“Alright.” Now that she understood the situation, Qin Qingman no longer declined.

To be honest, Qin Qingman was afraid of the cold. If she had clothes made from the bear pelt, winter wouldn’t be so hard to bear.

“Qingman, go on inside. I’ll come back as soon as I finish things at the unit.” Wei Ling’s gaze lingered on her, filled with reluctance.

In just two days of being together, his feelings for Qin Qingman had deepened considerably.

Qin Qingman, of course, noticed the fondness in Wei Ling’s eyes. Despite the warmth spreading over her face, she nodded and said, “I’ll wait for you to come back.” With just one word, “come back.” they both understood the meaning, and this place would become their home from now on.

“Alright.” Wei Ling reached out, tucking a windblown strand of hair behind her ear, and reminded her, “It’s going to snow soon. Go inside so you don’t catch a cold.”

They had traveled for half the day, and their clothes were surely damp with sweat, so she needed to take care of that quickly.

Neither wanted to part; Wei Ling didn’t want to leave Qin Qingman, and Qin Qingman didn’t want Wei Ling to go either.

Looking back at her home, Qin Qingman insisted, “I want to watch you leave.”

Seeing her resolve, Wei Ling finally turned and walked away.

He walked quickly, and soon his figure faded into the distance. Only when Wei Ling’s back was completely out of sight did Qin Qingman turn and push the courtyard gate. To her surprise, it didn’t open on the first try. She looked closer and saw the gate was locked.

It seemed that Chuchu hadn’t gone out today.

Just as Qin Qingman was deciding whether to knock or climb over the fence, the family’s goose sensed her presence and began flapping its wings against the door.

Inside the house, Chuchu, who had been practicing calligraphy by the stove, was quick to sense that Qin Qingman might have come back.

Dropping his charcoal stick, the boy rushed to open the door without even putting on his cotton jacket, and there he saw Qin Qingman standing outside the gate.

“Sis~”

His cheerful voice rang out, clear and bright, followed by his small figure running toward the courtyard gate.

“Why aren’t you wearing any clothes? Go back, go back inside, and put on something warm before you open the door.”

Qin Qingman’s face turned stern as she looked at Chuchu’s bare little form, and her voice held a note of anger.

No one understood better than her how weak his health had been before. Even after months of care, he hadn’t fully recovered. How could he dare to mistreat his body like this?

Qin Qingman’s tone was extremely stern, instantly scaring Chuchu.

The little boy, however, obediently went back inside to put on his cotton jacket before coming out again.

When Qin Qingman saw Chuchu bundled up like a ball, she finally let out a sigh of relief. She truly feared for his health—getting sick in a place like this wasn’t just a minor inconvenience. Without timely medical care, a simple cold could easily turn into pneumonia.

“Sis.”

Chuchu greeted her with a smile, showing no trace of resentment as he opened the courtyard gate to welcome her.

“I’m back.” Qin Qingman reached out and ruffled his hair, relieved to see him so lively.

“Where’s Brother-in-law?” Chuchu peered outside the gate. He remembered Wei Ling was the one who’d taken Qin Qingman when she left, so he thought they would come back together.

“Ah Ling returned to the unit; he has tasks to handle there.” Qin Qingman explained, noting Chuchu’s genuine affection for Wei Ling. She didn’t tease him and added, “He’ll come back after he’s done with his duties. We’ll wait for him here.”

“Okay.” Reassured, Chuchu closed and locked the gate.

As Qin Qingman watched him lock the gate, she didn’t say anything. But after taking a few steps into the courtyard, she noticed an unusual number of footprints on the ground.

Following the trail, she came upon a deep pit next to the well.

“What’s going on here?”

Qin Qingman asked Chuchu, shocked. How could there be such a deep pit beside the well? If she hadn’t known about it, either she or Chuchu could have fallen in. During winter, few villagers moved around outside, and if they couldn’t get help in time, they might freeze to death.

“Sis, it must have been dug by Brother-in-law. Last night, he even caught three thieves.”

Seeing that Qin Qingman didn’t know the origin of the pit either, Chuchu was momentarily confused. But he quickly attributed the credit to Wei Ling.

“Thieves? What happened?” Qin Qingman’s eyes grew cold.

It seemed she had been too lenient before, giving certain people in the village the impression that she was easy to bully.

“Sis, they caught the thieves. Grandpa Secretary and Grandpa Director came over and took them to the educated youth center. They said they’d wait for you to come back and decide what to do. They also said…” Now that he was with family, Chuchu was both happy and excited, chatting nonstop.

By the time Qin Qingman had washed her face and changed her sweat-dampened underclothes, she understood the whole story.

Upon hearing that the thieves were Qin Jianming and his brother, along with Liu Sangunzi, her expression grew even colder.

Just as Qin Qingman was about to soak her feet in hot water to relax, she heard the sound of wailing coming from outside the courtyard.

In the empty, quiet village, the cries sounded eerie and unsettling.