One fish and one chicken—Shen Qingzhu certainly couldn’t finish it all, so Zhou Song ate the rest.

Once they were full, Shen Qingzhu realized he’d spent quite some time up in the mountains, and he planned to head back to avoid worrying Wu Lanshu.

Zhou Song, who had come out today to hunt, intended to head deeper into the forest afterward. But first, he wanted to see Shen Qingzhu safely to the foot of the mountain before letting him go alone.

Shen Qingzhu didn’t refuse his kindness and allowed Zhou Song to accompany him out of the forest.

“I’ll follow this little path down to the river. No need to go further,” he said.

Zhou Song hadn’t planned on going all the way to the river. He didn’t want anyone to see them coming down from the mountain together, so he stopped obediently where he was.

He watched Kun Ze walk down the mountain until he disappeared from sight, then turned back into the forest.

When Shen Qingzhu reached the foot of the mountain, he saw Wu Lanshu waiting by the river. The other women she’d been washing clothes with had already gone home.

The moment she spotted him, Wu Lanshu got up from the large rock she’d been sitting on and quickly walked over. “You were gone for ages! I was just about to go up the mountain to find you.”

“I told you before, if I didn’t come back after you finished the laundry, you should go home first,” Shen Qingzhu said with mild exasperation. Wu Lanshu was wonderful in every way, but sometimes she was overly cautious with him. “I ran into Zhou Song on the mountain. He took me deeper into the woods for a bit, which is why I was delayed.”

Wu Lanshu’s expression shifted slightly. “Zhou Song, huh? He passed by here earlier… so you two ran into each other?”

Seeing her slightly strange expression, Shen Qingzhu raised an eyebrow. “Yes, what about it?”

Wu Lanshu opened her mouth but finally shook her head. “Nothing, just a coincidence, I suppose.”

Some thoughts were just suspicions; there was no need to blurt them out and risk being wrong. Besides, her young master was sharp enough to notice if Zhou Song had any particular intentions. If he felt any discomfort, he would keep his distance.

Thinking this, Wu Lanshu felt more at ease. She was about to suggest they head home when Shen Qingzhu suddenly turned his head and sneezed. Startled, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did you catch a chill?”

Shen Qingzhu covered his nose, waving it off. “It’s nothing, probably just some dust.”

Wu Lanshu wasn’t so easily reassured. She knew her young master’s constitution all too well. Taking him by the arm, she urged, “We should hurry home. It’s chilly by the river.”

Seeing her so worried, Shen Qingzhu didn’t argue further and nodded in agreement.

After packing up the basin of wet clothes, Wu Lanshu glanced at him. He seemed fine, with no visible discomfort, but she resolved to prepare some ginger tea for him when they got back.

—

Zhou Song had stayed overnight in the mountains, returning home late the next afternoon with a huge commotion—he’d hunted a wild boar.

The boar weighed around two hundred pounds, and Zhou Song carried it over his shoulder. The people he encountered on the way back gasped and clustered around, asking questions.

After lugging the heavy animal for so long, even Zhou Song was tired. He only offered brief replies and kept walking, not stopping.

When he finally reached home, he dropped the boar to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as the enormous weight settled.

He pulled out his key, unlocked the door, pushed it open wide, and dragged the boar inside by its hind legs.

In addition to the boar, there were a few wild rabbits and chickens in his basket. He set them aside, rubbed his shoulder, and stretched.

His clothes were filthy and smelled of boar blood, with a faint metallic scent hanging in the air.

Zhou Song didn’t change immediately. Planning to clean the game while he was already dirty, he decided to rest briefly before starting.

He drank some water in the kitchen, washed his hands and face, then grabbed a small stool and sat down next to the game. Surveying his haul, he considered where to begin.

“Song-ge, I heard you bagged a wild boar!”

Lin Erzhu burst through the wide-open door, eyes lighting up at the sight of all the meat. “Wow, quite the haul!”

It was no surprise he’d come by; Zhou Song had made a big entrance on his way down the mountain, and the whole village, with time on their hands, would have heard the news by now.

In fact, having Lin Erzhu here was helpful—an extra pair of hands for the work.

Lin Erzhu had helped him process game before and knew the ropes. Without needing any instruction, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Rabbits and chickens were easy, but the boar would be a real challenge. Just draining the blood and plucking it would take a lot of time.

Luckily, Zhou Song had experience with wild boar. He assigned Lin Erzhu to skin the rabbits while he went to the kitchen to start a fire and heat some water.

Outside, curious villagers had gathered, admiring the boar. Some even asked if he was selling any of the meat.

With the recent harvest, people had some extra cash and wanted to buy meat for a change. The village didn’t have any pork lately, and going to town was inconvenient and expensive. Now that Zhou Song had fresh boar, they couldn’t resist asking.

Pausing, Zhou Song replied that he’d keep the best parts for himself but would sell some of the rest.

The person who’d asked didn’t mind, saying they’d be happy with any meat he’d spare. Others chimed in, asking for a bit to take home as well.

Lin Erzhu, hearing this, grinned and joined in. “Song-ge, save me a few pounds too!”

Zhou Song glanced at him. “You won’t be left out.”

Lin Erzhu grinned wider, pleased.

Although the boar seemed like two hundred pounds, after removing the bones, there’d be around a hundred pounds left. With each family getting a little, it wouldn’t go far.

This boar had been carefully chosen. Bigger ones were harder to hunt and, more importantly, impossible to bring back alone.

Usually, when a pig was slaughtered in the village, there’d be a big feast, but since Zhou Song had hunted this himself, the usual customs didn’t apply. Besides, Zhou Song wasn’t fond of big gatherings.

If anyone came to buy some, he figured he’d give them an extra pound or two.

The two of them worked from late afternoon until dusk, with Aunt Qian even coming by to lend a hand. Eventually, they managed to get through the pile of game.

When Aunt Qian was ready to leave, Zhou Song insisted she take a chicken and several pounds of boar meat with her. Though she initially refused, he pressed it into her hands. Before leaving, she told him to come over later for a good meal.

Zhou Song agreed, which finally reassured her enough to head home, leaving Lin Erzhu to help with the cleanup.

Just as she left, Hu Lan showed up.

Without a second thought, she pushed the door open and walked in. Zhou Song and Lin Erzhu were in the middle of hanging up the rabbits and chickens and sorting the boar meat.

“My, my, you’ve done well for yourself today, haven’t you, nephew!” Hu Lan exclaimed, eyes gleaming at the sight of all the meat.

Seeing her, Lin Erzhu’s earlier cheer faded, and he looked away, rolling his eyes. She’d come all the way from the west village the moment she heard the news, never missing an opportunity to get something for free.

Zhou Song’s expression remained neutral as he looked at her without responding.

Hu Lan was used to his quiet demeanor, unfazed by his silence. She sidled up closer, eyeing the meat. “This will last a good while, won’t it?”

Lin Erzhu couldn’t hold back. “Yep! The leftovers are for sale. Want some, Aunt Hu? Since you’re family, Song-ge might even give you a discount!”

Hu Lan was momentarily thrown off, making it harder to ask directly. Internally cursing him for his big mouth, she forced a smile. “Oh, come now, Lin Erzhu. We’re family. Why talk about money?”

Lin Erzhu sneered internally. She only remembered they were family when she wanted something, but back when Zhou Song was younger and needed help, she was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing him fall silent, Hu Lan assumed she’d won. Ignoring him, she turned to Zhou Song. “Nephew, why don’t you cut a few pounds for Auntie to take back for your grandma to try? Those hind legs look nice, and the ribs would make a great soup.”

Lin Erzhu nearly laughed aloud at her shamelessness, picking out the best parts and even using Granny Zhou as an excuse. He knew it would all end up in her plump son’s stomach.

Busy with the boar meat, Zhou Song looked up briefly. “Those parts are for myself.”

Then, after a pause, he selected a few cleaned boar bones, tied them together with string, and handed them to her. “Granny’s bones are getting frail. Bone soup will be good for her.”

Lin Erzhu chuckled quietly.

Hu Lan’s expression turned sour, but she forced a smile. “But, nephew, more meat would be…”

“When the doctor checked on her, he said too much meat isn’t good for her health,” Zhou Song said, pressing the bones into her hands. “Soup will be best.”

The bones were heavy enough that she had to hold them with both hands. “But other than Granny, shouldn’t you…”

“Shouldn’t what?” Lin Erzhu cut in with a snort. “Zhou Dashan already split off from the family, leaving the house and most of the land with you. Zhou Song’s care for Granny is kindness, not obligation. If you want someone to look after you, remember you have your own son!”

“That’s hardly a fair thing to say!” Hu Lan retorted, fuming. “And what business is it of yours?”

“Oh, it is my business,” Lin Erzhu replied, crossing his arms. “Song-ge is family to me.”

“You…” Hu Lan was livid. She turned to Zhou Song, only to find him entirely unbothered, leaving her to deal with Lin Erzhu’s barbs alone.

Realizing she’d get nowhere, she scowled, adding before she left, “Nephew, blood ties are what truly matter. Don’t let some outsider take advantage and bleed you dry!”

Not waiting for a response, she stormed off with the bones.

“Look at her, saying that but still taking the bones,” Lin Erzhu muttered with a laugh. Turning to Zhou Song, he grinned. “Nicely handled, Song-ge. She was so mad, her face was turning green.”

Zhou Song put the last piece of meat down and ignored Lin Erzhu’s animated praise.

He avoided conflicts with that side of the family mostly out of indifference. Living alone, he didn’t mind giving them a few things now and then. But…

Thinking of how Hu Lan had once urged her son to approach Shen Qingzhu without regard for his reputation, Zhou Song’s gaze darkened slightly.

Lin Erzhu squatted back down to help organize the meat, muttering, “You should always stand up to them like this. If they can’t get anything out of you, they’ll stop bothering you. Honestly, even those bones were too much; they make a delicious broth.”

Zhou Song let him mutter without responding.

Zhou Xiaofu, he knew, disliked bone broth and only enjoyed eating meat. When Zhou Song still lived in that household, Zhou Xiaofu had refused the broth, claiming it was bland, no matter how much Hu Lan coaxed him.

But he kept these thoughts to himself, silently dividing up the best portions of meat and setting them aside.