I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 142: Chapter 141: The Suddenly Appearing Wooden House

Zhao Wendong approached and saw that the once-enormous, cone-shaped ice platform had vanished completely. In its place, the ground around the well platform had been leveled and sprinkled with a thick layer of stove ash. Not only was the platform tidied up, but the entire well windlass had also been carefully wrapped in layers of a tattered quilt. The ice on the well’s inner walls was scraped so clean you couldn’t see a single icicle.

”Good, this is really good!”

Zhao Wendong nodded in happy approval. This was great. He would no longer have to worry about the persistent problem of drawing water in the winter.

”Dongzi, it’s not just those few families who are happy—the entire brigade is. Every time people come to draw water, they say a few good words about you and the brigade. We get to share in some of the credit, too.”

”Oh, Uncle Weiguo, stop flattering me. This really sets my mind at ease. Come on, let’s go to your house and get the sled.”

”Alright!”

Zhao Weiguo looked at Zhao Lao Nian.

”Old Nian, the ice is a good distance from the well platform now. What are you still chipping at it for? Hurry home and get some sleep.”

”I’ll head back in a bit.”

Zhao Lao Nian gave a simple smile but didn’t budge. He turned, picked up his pickaxe, and resumed chipping. Even after the two of them had walked a good distance, they could still hear the sound of him breaking the ice.

”It’s not just Old Nian. Those other families take turns watching the well platform from morning till night, and you can’t convince them to leave. Many people in the brigade have also brought their stove ash over to help spread it. Wendong, this is what I admire most about you. You managed to turn giving a few families life-saving grain into a great boon for the entire brigade. Everyone’s morale is high, and they’re all praising the brigade committee for a job well done!”

”Haha, that’s because you and the others are doing a great job, Uncle Weiguo!”

”Oh, come on. Since when did you learn to be so humble?”

Zhao Wendong scratched his head and chuckled. Zhao Weiguo had hit the nail on the head. He truly didn’t know the meaning of the word ’humble’; it had never been in his dictionary.

”By the way, Dongzi, after you caught that school of fish, several families from our brigade went out to sea. It was a wasted trip for all of them. The handful of fish they caught wasn’t enough to cover their effort and expenses. They lost big time. I also heard that plenty of people from other brigades went out, and one boat and its crew never even came back.”

Zhao Wendong had already anticipated the outcome Zhao Weiguo described. ’If they want to imitate me, they’d first have to be able to understand the thoughts of animals. And it’s not enough just to understand them; you have to get useful information. All I ever hear from the village mice are their stupid thoughts about having baby mice, day in and day out. I’m sick to death of hearing it.’

”I only took a gamble back then because I saw flocks of seabirds gathering.”

”What else can I say? You’re quick-witted, capable, and lucky, Dongzi! So when the brigade helps you, it’s also for the good of our own future. You must not feel like you owe the brigade anything, understand?”

Zhao Weiguo was genuinely worried that Zhao Wendong would feel burdened by this. It was the second time he had emphasized the point.

”Okay, I understand!”

On the surface, Zhao Wendong was calm, but inwardly, he was deeply moved. That same indescribable feeling welled up inside him again. For the first time, he felt that on top of providing a good life for his family, maybe he could do something for more people.

’In his past life, after his family was gone, he had drifted through life in a daze, but he’d actually received a great deal of kindness and care from the villagers. It was just that he spent all his days thinking about his family, or else heading up into the mountains or out to sea, unwilling to interact with the other villagers.’

’Later, when cell phones became common, he was glued to the internet every day, unable to pull himself away. He watched as Dragon King Pond declined from its former prosperity, its population dwindling until, right before his rebirth, the entire village was left with only seventeen or eighteen elderly residents and a few young children.’

’In this life, could he possibly change that trajectory? Could he prevent the village children from being left behind, the elderly from becoming lonely and isolated, and the young people from having to leave their hometown?’

When they arrived at the house, Zhao Weiguo saw that Zhao Wendong was lost in thought and gave him a little nudge.

”Wendong, the sled is in the courtyard. You can take it.”

”Alright, I’m heading off, Uncle Weiguo!”

Zhao Wendong, pulling the sled, disappeared into the night.

When Zhao Weiguo entered the house, he was met by the expectant gaze of his daughter, Zhao Xiaoyan.

”I think I just heard Brother San’s voice. Is he back?”

Seeing his daughter’s expression, Zhao Weiguo wanted to slap himself. He had really made trouble for himself. ’Why did I ever mention to her that Zhao Wendong was a good man?’

”Yeah, it was Dongzi. Sweetheart, Dad needs to tell you something.”

”What is it?”

Zhao Weiguo chose his words carefully before speaking slowly.

”Dongzi took this trip to bring that Lin Zhiqing to meet her parents. And her parents were very pleased with him—they even gave him a pocket watch. When they returned today, that Lin Zhiqing went to Dongzi’s house, stayed the entire day, and only left after dinner.”

Zhao Xiaoyan looked as though she’d been struck by lightning. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Zhao Weiguo, unable to accept it.

”Lin Zhiyin isn’t as pretty as I am, and her family background is bad...”

”That girl was just hiding her beauty before. I heard from Third Master that she’s absolutely gorgeous. He said she’s even prettier than Granny Liu was in her youth. If even he is saying that, she must be truly beautiful.”

Zhao Xiaoyan fell silent. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth, wiped away her tears, and never mentioned Zhao Wendong again. Seeing his daughter’s reaction, Zhao Weiguo sighed heavily to himself. ’This is for the best. It’s better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, dull ache.’

Back home, he announced that he would be going up the mountain the next day to bring Zhao Wenjun and the others back. Everyone was delighted, and Little Tuanzi excitedly clamored about wanting to see their ”Second Sister-in-law.”

It was getting late, already past seven in the evening. Song Xiaoyu carefully wrapped the sleeping Yadan in a small blanket. Then, holding Yadan and with Shitou in tow, she prepared to go home to sleep, but Zhao Wendong quickly stopped her.

”Hey, Sister-in-law, take these two bags of bean powder. When you have a moment, mix some for Shitou and Yadan to drink. This stuff is like milk powder, very nutritious. I’ve noticed Yadan is still putting on weight slowly. Don’t hesitate to use it. Exchanging food and drink for good health is the best bargain there is.”

Zhao Wendong had actually wanted to get some cow or goat milk so Zhuangzhuang could have some too, but it was impossible. Those things were extremely scarce and simply unobtainable right now. He could only continue feeding Zhuangzhuang minced meat for the time being. ’But it’s still so little,’ he thought. ’Without milk, its nutrition is suffering. I have to find a way to get it some.’

The next day, Zhao Wendong didn’t wake up until after eight. He ate breakfast, gathered his things, and then, at a leisurely pace, headed into the mountains, carrying Xiaojin in its cage, shouldering his Type 56 rifle, and pulling the sled from Zhao Weiguo’s house.

Two hours later, Zhao Wendong reached the place where he normally stashed his sled. His family’s sled was covered by fresh snow, with only one corner showing. Zhao Wendong tied Zhao Weiguo’s sled to his own and then continued deeper into the mountains with Xiaojin.

Another half an hour passed before he reached the entrance to the outpost. After pushing aside the camouflaging branches, Zhao Wendong saw that the stone door was propped shut from the outside. He called out a few times, but there was no answer. They must have all gone out hunting.

Zhao Wendong’s gaze lingered for a moment on the small mound of earth by the entrance where the hand grenade was buried. He thought for a moment, deciding he probably wouldn’t need to use it to deal with Fatty Li and his cronies, and dismissed the idea of digging it up.

After a quick bite to eat and a drink of water, and feeding Xiaojin as well, Zhao Wendong took a brief rest before setting off into the mountains again.

Earlier, he had tried drawing a few people and a dog in the snow for Xiaojin to identify, but the eagle had stared at them for a long time without recognition, its mind clearly full of nothing but question marks.

Zhao Wendong was out of ideas and had to resort to the slow-and-steady method: tracking the freshest footprints left by the group. The advantage of this method was its accuracy; the disadvantage was that it was time-consuming and laborious. Plus, with various tracks jumbled together, it was easy to get confused about which were the most recent and end up on the wrong trail.

Zhao Wendong hadn’t dared to let Xiaojin fly free because the woods were too dense. He was afraid the eagle wouldn’t be able to find him again, and it would be a terrible shame if it got lost. Xiaojin, however, couldn’t care less. It hopped about frantically in its cage, issuing protests. Eventually, Zhao Wendong couldn’t stand it anymore and had to let it out.

Xiaojin perched on Zhao Wendong’s shoulder for less than a minute. The moment they passed a spot with a clear view of the sky, it shot upward, let out a sharp cry, and vanished.

Zhao Wendong could only trust that Xiaojin would be able to find him again. He resumed carefully tracking the prints. He soon noticed the tracks were all heading in one direction. After following them for a while, Zhao Wendong suddenly realized the direction seemed familiar—it was the way to the hot spring.

’Did they go to the hot spring?’ Zhao Wendong was also curious to see what the hot spring area looked like now, so he quickened his pace in that direction.

As he neared the hot spring, Zhao Wendong immediately spotted a small, new-looking wooden cabin. His heart leaped with joy. ’My brother and the others must have built this.’ He hurried toward it.