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Chapter 78: Human Needs
“Xiao Ge, just now we went down the mountain and brought up all the jackals you two killed. If you have time in the next few days, let my sister-in-law handle them, and you can take them home to eat slowly.”
These animals were killed by Xiao Huai’an and Ye Xin Ran, so they were rightfully theirs.
Hunters had their own principles, one of which was never to touch other people’s prey.
“I can’t handle them. Take them with you when you go down the mountain,” Ye Xin Ran said.
“But leave two for Hu Zi.”
“That’s over a hundred pounds of good meat! Sister-in-law, you’re just giving it to us like that?”
Xiao Chai was somewhat in disbelief.
“Just think of it as my thanks to you for helping Xiao Ge up the mountain!” Ye Xin Ran replied.
Sister-in-law Xiao was so straightforward and decisive, she was truly impressive!
Xiao Chai had a great impression of Xiao Ge’s wife and couldn’t help but smile when looking at her.
However, Lao Li secretly pulled him aside and whispered, “Look at you, acting all silly. Do you think Xiao Ge’s wife is amazing?”
Xiao Chai quickly nodded. “If only I could marry a wife like her in the future!”
Lao Li then gave him a playful knock on the head and said, “A wife like that is good to look at, but you actually want to bring her home? Don’t you think? If you married a woman like that, she’d take all the things you worked hard for and give them away. How would you live?”
“Right?”
Xiao Chai suddenly understood and asked in confusion, “But why does Xiao Ge seem not to mind at all? He seems to think such a wife is really good?”
“You can’t compare yourself to Xiao Ge. His demeanor, he’s different from us! Maybe he doesn’t lack silver!”
Xiao Chai nodded in a dazed understanding.
He felt that Lao Li made sense.
However, when they returned to the house and had Ye Xin Ran’s dinner, he immediately overturned his previous beliefs!
Xiao Ge’s wife was an excellent cook!
A wife like this, even if she spends a bit much, was worth marrying!
That night, because the bed was too small and there wasn’t enough space for all four people to sleep, they had to sit around the bed and chat through the night.
Lao Li and Xiao Chai were both good talkers. They started by talking about this year’s harvest, then discussed the hardships of the people over the past few years.
They talked about the price of rabbits, then moved on to dowries.
Eventually, the conversation turned to the mountain spirits and demons.
By the end, Lao Li glanced outside twice and quietly said, “Sister-in-law, don’t blame me for being talkative. I suspect that the tiger outside is here to repay Xiao Ge’s kindness. You need to keep an eye on him. Don’t let him be enchanted by these spirits.”
Ye Xin Ran smiled and didn’t take it to heart.
However, Xiao Huai’an took the words seriously.
Yes, the tiger did seem like it was here to repay a favor, but not to him, it seemed to be repaying Ye Xin Ran.
It wouldn’t use any enchantment techniques to fool Ran Ran, would it?
Xiao Huai’an didn’t believe in these folk tales.
But Ye Xin Ran’s presence made him start to wonder if these things were real.
Thinking of this, Xiao Huai’an looked at his own legs and couldn’t help but feel worried.
By midnight, Lao Li and Xiao Chai were both drowsy and could no longer keep their eyes open. They leaned against the wall and dozed off for a while.
Ye Xin Ran sat at the edge of the bed, resting against the headboard, also sleeping for a bit.
This dynasty did emphasize the importance of gender separation, but in the face of danger in the mountains, everything else seemed unimportant in the face of life and death.
The Next Day
As soon as the day broke, Lao Li and Xiao Chai began packing their things.
Having eaten two meals from Xiao Huai’an and Ye Xin Ran, and now planning to take away the prey they had fought so hard for, they felt somewhat guilty. So, they brought out their only gain from this trip to the mountain: two pieces of honeycomb.
“Sister-in-law, this honey is what we collected yesterday. Though it’s not much, it’s sweet and delicious. You two haven’t had much to eat up here, so we’ll leave this for you.”
Ye Xin Ran had never seen honey with the honeycomb before, and seeing the sincerity of the two men, she accepted it.
As they were about to leave, Lao Li hesitated again, “We won’t take the prey with us. Xiao Ge’s leg is injured and it’s inconvenient for you to hunt. You can keep it and eat it slowly.”
Seeing that the two were indeed kind-hearted, Ye Xin Ran responded:
“I won’t be polite. You can take it with you.”
“These things may not be much, but I’d like to ask if, when you go down the mountain, you could bring two more people to help carry my husband back home.”
“Of course, of course!”
Lao Li slapped his forehead.
“How could I not think of that? Xiao Ge’s leg will take a long time to heal. If you two stay in the mountains much longer, you might starve to death up here.”
With that request, the two men gathered up the jackal legs, heads, and other pieces, tying them all together and dragging them down the mountain.
People in the village were always full of strength. Just giving them a hind leg would surely be enough to get plenty of help.
Once they left, the house fell silent.
Ye Xin Ran looked at Xiao Huai’an and asked, “What would you like to eat for breakfast? I’ll make it for you.”
Xiao Huai’an shook his head and shifted his body inward. “I didn’t rest well yesterday, let me lie down for a bit.”
Ye Xin Ran indeed felt a bit dizzy.
She nodded and went outside to wash up quickly, bringing out a portable urinal.
“Do you need to relieve yourself?”
She held up the urinal to show him.
Xiao Huai’an’s face instantly turned red.
“I…”
Ye Xin Ran reassured him, “It’s fine, everyone has their urgent needs. I won’t laugh at you.”
Xiao Huai’an couldn’t hold it any longer. He took the urinal from Ye Xin Ran but didn’t know how to use it.
“Here, face down, and aim here.”
Ye Xin Ran explained.
Xiao Huai’an, feeling embarrassed, nodded.
Only when Ye Xin Ran went out again did he manage to take care of his morning needs.
After dealing with this, Ye Xin Ran cleaned her hands and crawled back into bed.
She carefully adjusted her position, trying not to touch Xiao Huai’an’s leg. She closed her eyes and said, “I’m really tired. I’ll think about what to eat when I wake up.”
With that, she fell into a deep sleep.
Xiao Huai’an, though also very tired, couldn’t bring himself to sleep.
After what had happened yesterday, especially with what had happened this morning, he felt that his relationship with Ye Xin Ran had changed.
It seemed that they now shared a closeness that no one else could have.
He stared at Ye Xin Ran’s sleeping face, watching her small nose and curled lashes. The more he looked, the softer his heart felt.
This woman was the only light in his dark days.
From now on, no matter when, he would protect that light, ensuring she was never harmed.
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