I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 201: Chapter 189: First Newlywed Experience

The mist net was covered in a dense flock of sparrows, at least a few hundred of them. The most recently caught ones were still struggling, while those stuck earlier had already stopped breathing. With their feathers torn or their wings pinned, they couldn’t keep their bodies insulated, and within an hour or two, all the sparrows would freeze to death.

”Third Uncle, look! We caught so many sparrows!”

Shitou’s little face was flushed, and he ran over, steaming from the effort. He, Sanwazi, and a few other young boys had been the ones tirelessly driving the flocks of sparrows in this direction. The grain harvest hadn’t been distributed yet, so few families dared to let their children eat their fill. Consequently, there weren’t many kids with enough energy to play outside instead of staying cooped up for the winter.

”Yeah, good job.”

Zhao Wendong walked over and carefully started removing the sparrows that had already frozen to death. Taking them off the net required carefully following the direction of the threads; you couldn’t just yank them, or the net would tear. He gave each of the boys seven or eight sparrows, and they immediately erupted in cheers, grabbing their birds and running for home.

”Time to go home and roast some sparrows!”

”Let’s go, let’s go!”

”Third Uncle, can we come help you drive the sparrows again tomorrow?”

The children prepared to head home and roast the sparrows in their family stove pits. As they were leaving, one asked if they could help again. When Zhao Wendong nodded, another cheer went up.

”Sanwazi, wait up a minute.”

Sanwazi, clutching a pile of sparrows and ready to go roast them, stopped and turned to look back at Zhao Wendong, confused. Seeing Sanwazi had just reminded Zhao Wendong of the matter between Er Gouzi and Niu Guizhi. Since dinner wasn’t ready yet, it was the perfect time to go talk to Third Aunt Zhang Yufen about it.

Zhao Sanwa still had a runny nose, but his complexion was much healthier than before. Dressed in a new cotton-padded jacket, he no longer had to worry about his waist and butt showing whenever he bent over. He clutched his sparrows and led the way with relish, glancing back at Zhao Wendong and Zhao Wenwu every few steps, worried they might not keep up.

”Brother San, do you have a White Mink at home?”

Zhao Wendong nodded. Sanwazi must have been talking about Little Xiaobai.

”Yeah, why?”

”Oh, nothing. It’s just, that fella is incredible at catching mice! We saw it catch a whole bunch of them today.”

Until Zhao Sanwa mentioned it, Zhao Wendong hadn’t really paid attention to Little Xiaobai’s activities. But a White Weasel’s natural prey was mice, so its hunting was perfectly normal. ’Good,’ he thought. ’It’ll be a little quieter for me with it around.’

”Right. If anyone else sees it, make sure they don’t hurt it.”

”They won’t! Everyone knows it’s from Brother San’s house; no one would dare hurt it. Brother San, I can eat my fill every day now, and I’m not freezing my butt off. My mom and my big brother say it’s all because you helped us. When I grow up, I’m going to repay you.”

”Hahaha, alright. I’ll be waiting for my little brother to come help me out.”

Zhao Wendong smiled and patted Zhao Sanwa’s head. The boy might look like a snot-nosed mess, but he was actually quite a sensitive and bright kid. ’It’s a shame he didn’t manage to survive in the past life, either.’

When they arrived at Zhao Ergou’s home, Third Aunt Zhang Yufen was limping about as she cooked. Zhao Ergou was working the bellows, his steady pushes and pulls producing a low, rhythmic thumping. Air rushed through the duct into the firebox, causing the firewood within to pulse, glowing and dimming like a heartbeat.

”Oh, Dongzi, you’re here!”

Seeing it was Zhao Wendong and Zhao Wenwu, Zhang Yufen quickly set her rag on the stove and ushered them inside to have a seat.

”Brother San.”

Zhao Ergou happily greeted them as well.

”Er Gou, we’re heading into the mountains tomorrow morning. You keep tending the fire for now.”

”Alright.”

Once Zhao Wendong and the others were in the inner room, Zhao Ergou glanced in that direction, his face growing a little hot.

”What’s wrong, Dongzi? Has Er Gou caused some sort of trouble for you?”

Zhang Yufen looked at Zhao Wendong nervously. With Zhao Ergou now working for Zhao Wendong, her family’s life was changing day by day, and she was filled with more hope than ever before. Her greatest fear now was that Zhao Ergou had made some mistake and Zhao Wendong was here to hold him accountable.

”Not at all, Third Aunt. Please don’t worry yourself with such thoughts. Er Gou is my little brother. There’s no ’trouble’ between us. As long as he’s willing to work with me, I’ll bring him along in whatever I do.”

Zhao Wendong meant every word. In the time Zhao Ergou had been with him, he had worked hard without a single complaint. At first, his stamina was poor and he hadn’t been eating well, so he struggled to keep up, but he always gritted his teeth and pushed through. Now that he was eating properly, he was doing much better and the work no longer looked so strenuous for him. On top of that, Zhao Ergou was quick-witted and always rushed to tackle any task. Zhao Wendong wished he had more brothers like him.

”Third Aunt, I’m actually here to ask your opinion about some good news. Er Gou will be seventeen after the New Year—is it time to find him a wife?”

”Huh?”

Zhang Yufen was stunned speechless. What Zhao Wendong was proposing was something she hadn’t dared to even imagine. Never mind their family’s financial situation—their father was gone, and she was a mother with a limp raising two boys. What family would ever dare marry their daughter into a household like theirs?

”D-Dongzi, you’re not just teasing your Third Aunt, are you?”

Zhang Yufen’s voice trembled as she spoke.

”I’m not! It’s the real deal. That friend of mine, the one who drives the big truck—his sister has taken a liking to Er Gouzi!”

”Yes! He does!”

Zhang Yufen cried out in a rush, as if afraid her potential daughter-in-law might fly away if she didn’t answer quickly enough. Zhao Wendong laughed.

”Third Aunt, your opinion isn’t the only one that matters. We still have to ask my brother what he thinks. Er Gou, come on in.”

The moment Zhao Ergou stood up to come over, Sanwazi darted in to take his spot. He started roasting the sparrows he was holding at the mouth of the fire pit, and the smell of charring mixed with the aroma of meat began to fill the air.

Er Gouzi had overheard the gist of the conversation from the outer room. After all, the houses of that time weren’t very soundproof. The outer kitchen area and the inner room were usually separated by just a half-height mud wall—designed to keep children playing on the kang from falling to the floor or into the pots—so it was far from sealed.