Chapter 73.2

The weather report on the radio didn’t last long, and a few minutes later, it turned into a children’s story broadcast.

A gentle and delicate voice came from the radio, which further captured both Chuchu and the wolf cub’s attention.

The Qin family’s house wasn’t particularly large.

The living room was spacious, but both the east and west rooms were only a few meters square.

Originally, there had been a stove in the west room, so Qin Qingman had moved the sewing machine to the east room for the time being. But now, since Chuchu and the wolf cub were going to sleep in the east room, she had to move the sewing machine back to the west room.

The sewing machine was placed next to the wardrobe, farthest from the stove and closest to the end of the kang (a traditional heated platform).

As a result, the wolf cub’s den had to be moved; otherwise, the floor would become too messy.

“Chuchu, how about I buy a stove for your room as well to heat it? It would be warmer at night when you sleep,” Qin Qingman said, looking at the stove in her own room, worried that the east room might be too cold and that both Chuchu and the wolf cub might freeze.

“Sis, no need. I’ll just sleep in the east room with Dudu at night, and during the day, we play in the hall and the west room. It’s not cold.” Chuchu didn’t want the family to spend any more money unnecessarily. Besides, the house already had two stoves, which was much warmer than before. They had managed fine before, so there was no need to add another stove now.

At this time, Qin Qingman had taken off her winter coat and was walking around the house. She could feel that the temperature in the east room was a bit lower than the west room and the hall, but it wasn’t too cold.

Since everyone usually spent their time in the hall and west room, she didn’t insist on adding another stove to the east room.

After tidying up the east room, Chuchu and the wolf cub moved to the kang in the east room that night to sleep.

It was the wolf cub’s first time sleeping on the kang, and Qin Qingman had considered it for a long time but still decided to give the wolf cub a warm bath.

The house had stoves and some radiators, so the temperature was indeed not low, and giving the wolf cub a bath wouldn’t cause it to catch a cold.

After dinner, Qin Qingman and Chuchu gave the wolf cub a nice bath.

At first, the wolf cub howled loudly and wasn’t cooperative at all. It was only after Qin Qingman comforted it for a while that the wolf cub realized there was no danger in the bath and began to relax. It stretched its little paws into the warm water to test it.

After a few tries, the wolf cub rolled into the water on its own.

Wolves naturally knew how to swim, and once the wolf cub got used to the bath, it began splashing around in the water. It even mischievously splashed Chuchu’s head and face, which made Chuchu furious and chase after the wolf cub in the water.

After the playful chasing, both children in the house had finished their baths.

Once the wolf cub was clean, its fur was dried by the heat, and Qin Qingman carried it to the kang in the east room.

The kang had been heated, and its surface was warm and cozy.

At first, the wolf cub looked confused. Its two front paws touched the ground, but it hesitated to set down its back paws because this was the first time it had stepped on such a warm surface since birth.

It wasn’t used to it.

Qin Qingman and Chuchu sat on the kang, encouraging the wolf cub for a while before it dared to step down.

It quickly ran to Qin Qingman and burrowed into her arms.

After realizing there was no danger, it cautiously poked its round head out, observing the warm kang surface with its round, cautious eyes.

The kang was neatly covered with a mat, perfectly flat, without a single bump.

The wolf cub was still young, and its curiosity was at its peak. Its little paw couldn’t resist the temptation of curiosity, and it finally stretched out its paw again to test the mat, running across it. This time, it ran from Qin Qingman’s arms to Chuchu’s.

After running, it cautiously lifted its little paws to inspect them.

The pink paws weren’t dirty, and no fur had fallen off. Now the wolf cub felt reassured.

With its newfound confidence, it took full control of the entire kang.

It ran from the east to the west, and then back again from the west to the east, running and rolling, marking its scent all over the surface of the kang.

In the end, it even asked Qin Qingman to move its bed onto the kang as well.

Chuchu watched the wolf cub’s domineering actions, stunned. She turned to Qin Qingman and said, “Sis, why do I feel like Dudu doesn’t really need me around?” Maybe the wolf cub even thought she was in the way on the kang.

Qin Qingman could only smile and comfort Chuchu, “Dudu is still young. It feels lonely on its own and needs someone with it at night. It still needs you.”

“Alright.” Chuchu believed Qin Qingman’s words.

However, when it was time to sleep that night, not only did the wolf cub refuse to let Chuchu hold it to sleep, but it also kept trying to push Chuchu off the kang. Chuchu got angry, and the two little ones had a fierce fight. In the end, they reached a peaceful resolution, each occupying half of the kang.

That night, peace finally settled in.

After hearing no noise from the east room, Qin Qingman came to take a look. When she saw the distinct sleeping postures of the two little ones, she smiled, her eyes curving in amusement.

However, Qin Qingman didn’t interfere, nor did she plan to call Chuchu back to the west room. She believed that the children’s choices should be respected. They needed to understand the importance of seeing things through to the end. The way they were getting along seemed just fine.

It was said that many relationships were forged through play and conflict.

Qin Qingman understood why the wolf cub was so domineering. From the moment it was born, it had to fight with its siblings. If it didn’t fight, it wouldn’t be taking responsibility for its life. So, once it came to the Qin family, it automatically saw Chuchu as a competitor.

The children were still young; a bit of rivalry was good for their energy.

Qin Qingman gently touched Chuchu’s neck. Not feeling any sweat, she tucked the covers in for her. After tucking the blankets, she initially planned to leave the east room, but after a moment’s thought, she reached out and patted the wolf cub in its den.

She treated them equally.

When her hand reached the wolf cub, Qin Qingman could clearly feel the little one gently biting her hand as if it had woken up the moment she entered the room.

After treating the two little ones equally, Qin Qingman took the oil lamp and left the east room. She didn’t close the door to the east room, as the stove in the hall was burning, and its heat could influence the east room. She would also be able to hear any sounds coming from there.

A peaceful night passed, and soon it was the next morning.

With the addition of another mouth to feed, life at the Qin household became more fulfilling and joyful.

After two days of feeding the wolf cub several meals a day, Qin Qingman had figured out its true appetite. The whole family began drinking goat’s milk.

The wolf cub drank fresh, unprocessed goat’s milk, while Qin Qingman and Chuchu drank goat’s milk that had been boiled with almonds.

The addition of almonds successfully eliminated the strong smell of the goat’s milk. Not only that, but it also retained most of the nutritional value of the milk. After just a few days of drinking goat’s milk, both siblings’ complexions had improved.

Although it wasn’t clear if they had grown taller yet, their skin tone and overall health were noticeably better.

“Today, we can make tofu from the milk.”

After finishing her bowl of goat’s milk, Qin Qingman glanced at the bucket of fresh goat’s milk. There was still quite a bit left. She wondered if it was because the sheep were living more comfortably in their home or because they had been milked so thoroughly every day that the mother sheep had increased her milk production.

With the increased milk, Qin Qingman, who used to milk the sheep twice a day, now had to milk them three times.

If she missed a milking session, the mother sheep would bleat non-stop in the pen.

Like people, the mother sheep would feel uncomfortable when her milk supply built up too much.

“Sis, our sheep are really great. They’re worried we won’t have enough to eat, so they’re producing more milk than usual. Today, we can have milk tea, and tomorrow we’ll be able to make tofu.” Chuchu often gathered information from the villagers and was quite well-informed.

“I think it might be because of Dudu,” Qin Qingman said, elegantly wiping the milk from the corner of her mouth as she looked at the wolf cub, who was spinning around and playing at her feet.

The Qin family’s stove was burning brightly, and the room was warm. The wolf cub ate, played, and slept every day, living a life even more comfortable than when it had been with its parents. The little one had even recovered from the sadness of being abandoned by its parents.

With good food, good drink, and good sleep, the wolf cub had grown rounder.

The increased milk production from the mother sheep might indeed have been triggered by the wolf cub. Animals have an instinct for survival, and although the mother sheep hadn’t yet felt the wolf cub’s threat, it still had a natural fear of wolves.

To avoid becoming the wolf cub’s prey, the mother sheep had simply increased her milk production. After all, if the wolf cub was full from the milk, it would no longer be interested in the sheep’s meat.

The mother sheep was also quite clever in her own way.

After being well-fed and content, Qin Qingman and Chuchu enjoyed rubbing the wolf cub’s body every day.

When Qin Qingman groomed its fur, the wolf cub happily ran over to her, letting her pet and cuddle it. But when it was Chuchu’s turn, the two little ones would always end up having a lively tussle before Chuchu could touch the wolf cub.

Each day was filled with joy, and the tedium of winter, when they could only stay indoors, seemed to lessen. To top it off, the Qin family had a radio.

Qin Qingman and Chuchu had managed to tune into a few channels on the radio.

They could listen to stories, opera, and occasionally hear news broadcasts. For Qin Qingman, the radio was incredibly useful. Although she couldn’t know everything happening in the world just by sitting at home, at least she wasn’t completely oblivious anymore.

Both Chuchu and the wolf cub enjoyed listening to the radio. Whenever Qin Qingman turned it on, the two little ones would obediently sit beside her, listening.

Qin Qingman would knit while listening, and the two little ones would lean against her, enjoying the moment.

The Qin family lived in a peaceful and quiet time.

During this period, Wei Ling had not returned home nor sent word through anyone. Although Qin Qingman and Wei Ling weren’t far apart—she could even see the XXX division from her doorstep—the two of them were like parallel lines that never met.

She could see him, but they couldn’t be together face-to-face.

Perhaps this was what ordinary military wife life was like.

In the meantime, Du Hongyi and the others had been busy and hadn’t had time to visit the Qin family for meals. However, they still remembered Qin Qingman’s cooking and had someone send some toys for Chuchu, homemade ones that were simple but thoughtful, allowing them to keep in touch.

Qin Qingman accepted them with a smile.

Just as life in Kaoshan Village was peaceful, the villagers who had gone hunting returned.

Zheng Anguo and his team had gone hunting for five days. After five days, they came back with plenty of game, each carrying a delightful catch.

They had encountered a nest of wild boars during their trip.

With Zheng Anguo giving orders and old hunters guiding the hunt, the group had carefully taken five days to wipe out the entire nest of wild boars.

There were quite a few wild boars—more than ten of them.

Some were big, some were small, but the meat was abundant.

They had also managed to catch a few foolish roe deer, wild chickens, and rabbits. When Zheng Anguo and the others returned, everyone wore a happy smile on their faces.

This year was a great year for fattened livestock.

Although there wasn’t much for each household after dividing the catch, with the New Year approaching, the pigs and sheep from the village collective would also be slaughtered. After the collective pigs and sheep were handed over, there would still be some left for the village.

The remaining pork and mutton, along with offal, would be enough to keep everyone well-fed from the beginning of the year until the fifteenth day of the New Year.

If they were careful with their consumption, they could even make some cured meat, which would last for the entire year, providing a way to alleviate the hardships during the lean months.

Before the large military unit had entered the village, the hunting dogs in the lead had already started barking.

Upon hearing the dogs bark, everyone in the village quickly bundled up in thick cotton clothes and rushed out the door.

“Dad, I’m back!”

“Mom, I’m back!”

“Wife, the child’s mother, I’m back—”

In the crowd, each family was reporting their safe return and sharing their good news. The people who had stayed behind at home were delighted to see the bountiful hunting spoils being carried in. There was meat—plenty of it—and this year would be a year filled with meat for everyone.

Once the game was brought back to the village, it needed to be quickly butchered.

It only counted as theirs when the meat entered each household.

When the village became lively, Sanmu immediately ran to Qin’s house to inform Qin Qingman and her brother to go to the village entrance to divide the meat.

The game caught by the villagers was distributed according to the number of people in each household.

Everyone got a share.

Upon hearing the news, Qin Qingman quickly wrapped herself up warmly and went out with Chuchu. As for the wolf cub, the hunting dogs had already returned to the village, and she didn’t dare take the wolf cub outside. The hunting dogs were fierce and could smell the wild animal scent on the wolf cub.

At the entrance of Kaoshan Village, as soon as Zheng Anguo and his group returned, they began to get busy.

The dozen or so wild boars had been hunted over the course of five days. Some had died on the first day, while others had died just yesterday. But regardless of when they had died, the game was frozen solid by the time it was brought back to the village in such frigid weather.

When it came time to divide the meat, knives were useless. They had to use a saw.

The whole pigs were placed on a wooden horse, and then two people would each grab one end of the saw and begin cutting.

The meat and the internal organs were all frozen together, so they had to be divided and cleaned once they were brought back home.

When Qin Qingman and Chuchu arrived, they saw the bustling scene. The crowd, waiting to receive their share of the meat, had surrounded Zheng Anguo and the others in multiple layers, all eagerly watching as the meat was sawed.

Each part of the pig had different quality meat.

Naturally, it couldn’t all be handed out in order—it had to be mixed and matched.

The pig skin was discarded, and the meat was cut into pieces weighing around three jin each, making it easier to distribute.

While the meat was being sawed and divided, everything moved like a fast-moving assembly line.

“Woof woof woof—” Suddenly, several hunting dogs tied to wooden posts began barking furiously at Qin Qingman and Chuchu.

If they hadn’t been tied up, the dogs would have already leapt at Qin Qingman and Chuchu.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” The hunting dogs were barking so fiercely that the whole village became tense. Zheng Anguo’s eyes darted through the crowd, worried that some wild animal had sneaked into the village.

Qin Qingman and Chuchu: …

They hadn’t expected the hunting dogs to have such keen noses, capable of detecting the wolf cub’s scent on them.