Chapter 22
The hunting dog had been tamed. Li Feng brought Lu Liu over to familiarize him with it. Er Huang recognized Lu Liu’s scent and didn’t bark when he approached.
Lu Liu stood outside the doghouse for a while, watching Er Huang drool in long strings, but it didn’t pounce or attack him. His fear subsided a little. Quickly, he opened the door and poured the large bone and pork offal into the dog’s bowl.
The dog only ate once the food was in the bowl, and it ate with a sense of ritual. Its fluffy tail brushed against Lu Liu’s leg in a friendly gesture.
It was simpler than he had imagined.
His hands itched to touch the dog, but without Li Feng’s permission—and with no prior understanding of hunting dogs—he held back.
He decided to wait until noon to ask Li Feng.
Lu Liu was used to being home alone. Back when his two fathers went out to work, he had always been the one to watch the house.
Marrying into Li Village, everything was unfamiliar, but he wasn’t afraid. He knew no one would suddenly barge in to cause trouble anymore.
This was his new home.
After Er Huang finished eating, Lu Liu collected the dog’s bowl, washed it clean, and refilled it with fresh water. Then he set about tidying the house.
He started with his dowry.
It was meager, which made him feel guilty.
His dowry didn’t match the generous betrothal gifts from the Li family, but Li Feng never said anything about it. For that, Lu Liu was deeply grateful.
He took out his clothes and organized them by thickness, preparing for the winter ahead.
The Chen family had been too stingy, giving him few clothes, and the ones they did were old and worn.
His cotton-padded jacket was thin, and even down in the lowlands, he already felt cold. When the snow came, he’d surely freeze.
Having just married in, and with the Li family already spending so much on the wedding, he had no face to ask Li Feng for money to buy warmer clothes.
Lu Liu decided to take apart an old cotton-padded jacket, along with the one he was wearing, and remove the cotton inside to make a thicker inner lining. Then, he’d sew an outer layer using other fabric.
Like a quilt cover, he would make two outer layers for his cotton lining. This way, he could stay warm while changing the outer layer occasionally so others wouldn’t notice.
If he could get through this winter, by next year, he could make a new cotton-padded jacket—or ask Li Feng to buy some cotton for him.
Because of his poor dowry, Lu Liu also abandoned his original plan to ask Li Feng to leave him some household money.
Lu Liu wasn’t skilled in many things, but he was good at raising chickens.
However, Li Feng’s family didn’t raise chickens, and typically, people didn’t buy chicks in winter.
With a sigh, he put his clothes back into the cabinet and took a look at Li Feng’s winter clothes. When he took apart his jackets, he could wear Li Feng’s clothes to stay warm.
Li Feng had three cotton jackets. He was wearing one, and there were two more in the cabinet, along with two fur-lined coats.
Lu Liu nodded.
Alright, this year, he’d focus on managing household chores, alter the cotton jackets in his spare time, and think about ways to save some money. He’d also check if the new village had any work for him—he couldn’t keep avoiding his mother-in-law forever.
As he mulled things over, he picked up a broom and started sweeping.
Yesterday’s wedding feast had brought many guests. The Li family had done a basic cleanup, but the finer details still needed attention.
Lu Liu got into the flow of cleaning. After sweeping the floors, he fetched a bucket of hot water and a rag, wiping everything down inside and out.
The courtyard had been paved with small stones by Li Feng. After wiping down, Lu Liu poured the used water outside and scrubbed the ground with a large bamboo broom.
Finally, he wrapped up in the kitchen, checking the leftover food. He combined what he could, separated the raw ingredients from the cooked ones, and organized the jars and baskets stacked in the corners.
After a whirlwind of work, it was almost noon.
Lu Liu wiped his sweat and grabbed a basket to pick vegetables.
That morning, Li Feng had shown him the family’s vegetable garden. It was about two hundred meters behind the house.
As he picked greens, he ran into another husband.
It was Yao An, Li Qiang’s husband.
Yao An had been instructed by his man to check on Li Feng’s household. He had dragged it out until noon, but now he had no choice but to come. He took a fish from the water bucket as a gift, claiming he was just stopping by.
They met at the door, and Yao An insisted on giving him the fish.
“We’re neighbors—no need to be so formal. Your Da Feng always shares things with us.”
Lu Liu accepted it.
There was no fish at home, but there was tofu.
In this cold weather, he could make a fish soup with tofu, throw in some radish, and it would make a whole dish. Paired with leftovers from lunch, they could get by.
Lu Liu asked if Yao An had come for something specific.
At the mention of Li Feng’s name, he hesitated for a moment before following the village custom and calling him “Da Feng.”
In the village, people were addressed by their generational ranking.
The three Li brothers were known as Da Feng, Er Tian, and San Shun. Since Li Shun was a younger brother, most people called him “Shun Ge’er.”
“Da Feng went to the new village to make rice cakes. He’ll be back at noon.”
Yao An was surprised. “He went all the way to the new village to make rice cakes and still plans to come back for lunch?”
The round trip took only about fifteen minutes, but Yao An’s reaction made Lu Liu uncertain.
“Do most people not come home for lunch?”
Yao An replied, “He has a house and stove in the new village. Why go through the trouble?”
Lu Liu relaxed a little when he heard the reason.
He said, “Da Feng was worried I’d feel lonely, so he said he’d come back at noon to eat with me.”
Yao An: “……”
Good grief, feeling lonely just from eating alone?
With that explanation, Yao An had something to tell his husband. After exchanging a few more polite words with Lu Liu, he took his leave.
Lu Liu had spent some time chatting, so he quickly pulled up some radishes, picked a handful of greens, and hurried home to get started in the kitchen.
He was skilled at cleaning fish. It was a cheap staple in his household.
Lu Liu wasn’t familiar with cooking many dishes, but the few he did know, he had perfected.
For example, when making fish soup, he started by properly preparing the fish.
After gutting and cleaning it, he separated the meat from the bones. Then, he stir-fried the fish bones with ginger slices to remove excess moisture and fishy odor before adding hot water from the stove to make the broth.
While the soup was simmering, he soaked scallions and ginger in water, sliced the fish into thin pieces, and let them sit in the flavored water. Meanwhile, he washed and chopped the radish.
He cut the radish into thick pieces so it could cook longer without turning mushy. By the time lunch was ready, it would still hold its texture.
Before adding the radish, he used a skimmer to remove the fish bones and ginger slices, leaving only the rich, fragrant broth.
Once the radish was in, he placed a small iron pot on the stove and ladled in a scoop of pig offal to boil. He added noodles to cook for the hunting dog’s meal. The two pots finished simmering around the same time. He then added tofu to the fish soup and set the smaller pot on the table.
Finally, while the fire in the stove was still low, he carefully placed the fish slices into the soup, allowing them to cook gently and set in shape.
With everything done, Lu Liu ladled the fish soup into a bowl and placed it on the stove to keep warm.
The other pot, filled with rice, had also come to a boil.
He scooped out the rice water, drained it, and set the rice back in the pot to steam. Leftover dishes were also placed inside the steamer to warm up.
Then, he prepared food for their “dog son.”
Lu Liu stepped out to grab Er Huang’s bowl, filled it with the pig offal and noodles, and set it aside to cool.
With everything ready, he only needed to wait for the rice to finish cooking. Seeing that the timing was just right, he went outside to check.
True to his word, Li Feng was already on his way home, just entering the village.
He was carrying a bowl of sticky rice. Sweetened sticky rice tasted best when eaten warm.
He had wrapped it in cloth and tucked it inside his coat to keep it warm.
As he entered the village, the air was filled with the comforting scent of home-cooked meals. Smoke curled from every household’s chimney.
That morning, his mother had scolded him, leaving him in a sour mood, still weighed down by the bitterness of being tricked into marriage.
Looking at the rising smoke from other homes, his chest felt stifled.
All he wanted was to return to a warm house, have a hot meal, and have someone waiting for him.
What kind of bad luck had he run into? Spending a fortune only to get scammed like this.
Just as he neared home, Li Qiang—the same cousin who had clashed with him that morning—popped up out of nowhere, still running his mouth.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Da Feng! Weren’t you supposed to be making rice cakes? What’s the matter? Can’t bear to be away from your husband, or are you afraid of him?”
Li Feng elbowed him.
Li Qiang laughed and dodged out of the way.
As they walked further, a rich, mouthwatering scent filled the air.
Li Qiang grinned mischievously. “Smells good, doesn’t it? My husband made it for me. My uncle caught some fresh fish and gave me a whole bucketful. If you come by later, I’ll give you a couple—have your husband make some for you too.”
Li Feng’s expression darkened. He clenched his fist, really wanting to land a punch right on Li Qiang’s face.
Seeing his mood, Li Qiang wisely shut up. When they reached his house, he darted inside like a mouse and hollered, “An-ge! Hurry up, set the table! Add an extra pair of chopsticks—I’m treating Da Feng to fish today!”
Yao An’s voice came from inside, “Fish? Where’d you get fish in this freezing weather?”
As he spoke, he stepped outside, only to catch the strong aroma of fish soup in the air.
Following the scent, he looked west—toward Li Feng’s house.
Yao An said, “Da Feng doesn’t need you to treat him. His husband already made fish soup.”
Li Qiang’s face froze, his expression dumbfounded. “Huh?”
Yao An added, “I stopped by his place this morning and gave him a fish.”
Li Qiang: “……”
Li Feng chuckled.
That felt good.
He didn’t say anything, but just that laugh made Li Qiang’s face burn as if he’d been slapped—again and again.
Unwilling to give up, Li Qiang stiffened his neck and blinked furiously in a silent plea. “Then you must’ve made me something else good, right? Maybe a big pork knuckle? Red-braised pork, maybe?”
But Yao An didn’t get his hint.
“You barely make any money—how dare you dream of such expensive dishes? Did the cold freeze your brain on your way home?”
Li Feng quickened his pace, leaving their bickering behind him.
As he neared his yard, he saw Lu Liu waiting at the entrance.
Lu Liu had gone back inside earlier to dish up the food and cook a pot of crispy rice porridge before coming out again to wait.
His cotton-padded coat was thin, and after standing in the chilly wind for a while, his face had turned icy cold and flushed red from the cold.
But when he saw Li Feng, he beamed, stepping forward to greet him.
“I just finished cooking. Yao-fulang brought over a fish this morning, and it looked fresh, so I made soup for lunch. Did you smell it? Even Er Huang barked a few times in the backyard. He was so eager that I gave him half a bowl of fish soup—he wagged his tail at me like crazy!”
Li Feng had smelled it. He’d smelled it from far away.
He said, “Da Qiang just tried to get me to eat fish at his place.”
Lu Liu didn’t think much of it and found it rather sweet—after all, his family had given them a fish, and now the husband was inviting his man over for fish.
So he asked, “Do you want to invite them over to eat with us?”
Li Feng chuckled.
“Nope. Just us.”
Lu Liu always followed his lead.
They sat down to eat, and it was also time for Er Huang’s meal.
Lu Liu showed Li Feng the dog’s food for approval before taking it to the kennel.
Er Huang wagged his tail at him again.
By the time Lu Liu returned, Li Feng had already emptied the sticky rice into a bowl, added two spoonfuls of brown sugar, and mixed it well.
“Eat it while it’s hot,” he said.
Lu Liu held the bowl with delight.
It was rare for him to have a bowl of sticky rice, let alone with so much sugar.
When Li Feng handed him the bowl, their hands touched—Lu Liu’s were ice-cold.
Then he noticed Lu Liu’s frost-flushed cheeks, and the frustration weighing on his chest softened.
He stoked the stove, adding a short log to make the fire burn brighter.
“Next time, don’t wait outside,” he told him.
Lu Liu nodded.
He also said, “You’re busy these days. If you can’t come back for lunch, it’s fine.”
Li Feng only nodded, not promising that he wouldn’t return.
The courtyard was still damp in some spots, but the house was neat and tidy. Even the kitchen looked brighter and more spacious—everything had been cleaned and put in order.
Li Feng ladled himself a bowl of fish soup, taking a sip to warm up. It tasted even better than it smelled.
The hot broth spread warmth through his stomach.
The fish’s umami, the radish’s sweetness, all had been stewed into the soup. The tofu melted in his mouth, and the fish slices were thin and tender.
There wasn’t the slightest fishy taste—only the rich flavor of each ingredient blending perfectly together.
Without realizing it, he finished two bowls straight, eating them plain.
Lu Liu looked satisfied. “Next time we have fish, I’ll make fish soup for you again.”
He wasn’t particularly fond of fish soup—it was a flavor he’d been familiar with since childhood.
What he did crave was sticky rice. Seeing that he was only eating that and ignoring the other dishes, Li Feng brought out the sugar jar, letting him add more to his liking.
Lu Liu muttered, “With our situation, we can’t afford to eat like this all the time…”
Li Feng only smiled. “Don’t worry, with the mountains at our back, we won’t starve.”
But Lu Liu said, “If the family has money, then you won’t have to go into the mountains so much. That’s what would really put my mind at ease.”
That place was called Tombstone Mountain—it wasn’t exactly a good place to go.
Money earned with one’s life had to be spent carefully.
Li Feng was surprised to hear him say that. After a moment, he replied, “Alright, I got it.”
What exactly he “got,” he didn’t explain to Lu Liu.
Before dawn, Lu Yang woke up.
It was a habit he’d built over the years—always waking earlier than the village roosters.
Now that he was married, there was no one breathing down his neck, forcing him to get up and work. He could finally sleep in if he wanted.
But his body felt restless, itching to move.
Lu Yang sighed. Damn these hardworking bones.
He gently moved Xie Yan’s arm from around his waist, climbed off the kang bed in the dark, quickly dressed, and stepped outside.
He’d already inspected every corner of the Xie household the night before, so today, he made his way to the kitchen with ease.
There wasn’t a single extra vegetable in the house.
The little garden out front was poorly maintained, with only a few scraggly plants. After yesterday’s commotion, whatever was left had been trampled to mush.
Lighting a candle, Lu Yang searched the kitchen, opening cabinets, jars, and baskets, even sticking his hand into the rice vat.
No vegetables. Just a bit of rice and flour.
Most farmhouses kept some cured meat in storage, but there wasn’t even a strip to be found here.
He couldn’t kill another chicken, could he?
That would be too extravagant.
Lu Yang decided to head out and see if any kind villagers might be willing to spare him some vegetables.
This was his first time in Shangxi Village. He made sure to memorize his way out, then wandered the village, only to realize something tragic—
Even these so-called “country bumpkins” that city folk looked down on got up later than him.
Every house was dark. Every villager was still sound asleep.
He was the only fool wandering around outside.
Lu Yang was speechless.
As he made his way back, his eyes caught a faint light in the distance.
Without hesitation, he walked toward it.
The house belonged to Old Zhu. The one outside was his second son, nicknamed “Silly Zhu.”
Yesterday, Lu Yang had kicked him in the crotch and cracked an egg on his head. Fortunately, the guy was smart enough to run fast, so he’d avoided further suffering.
He hadn’t slept well all night—his crotch ached, and he kept having nightmares. Still dazed, he stumbled into the courtyard, only to see Lu Yang standing outside, calling out to him.
“Hey, got any vegetables at your place?”
Silly Zhu shivered so hard he nearly screamed.
Lu Yang hadn’t actually gotten a clear look at him yet. He continued, “The whole garden at my place got trampled yesterday. Not a single vegetable left…”
Silly Zhu didn’t wait for him to finish—he blurted out, “I have some! Wait right there, I’ll get them for you!”
Lu Yang: ?
So enthusiastic?
Being polite, he said, “Thanks, big bro. You’re a good man.”
Silly Zhu, terrified out of his wits, grabbed a big basket and hurried to pick vegetables. Then, hearing Lu Yang call him a “good man,” he dashed back inside and brought out some dried tofu and a piece of cured meat.
By the time Lu Yang received everything, he realized—this wasn’t a case of meeting a kind soul.
This was sheer bad luck on Silly Zhu’s part.
Lu Yang’s sharp eyes scanned him up and down before shifting to the house and the rooms in the back.
“So, this is your place, huh? Not bad. Pretty spacious. Must be plenty of empty rooms, right? Maybe I’ll come stay here for a few days sometime.”
Silly Zhu nearly dropped to his knees.
Without a word, he ran back inside and grabbed a string of dried chili peppers from under the rafters, handing them over.
“Brother, I swear, I didn’t mean anything by it! I just wanted to watch the commotion yesterday! The crowd pushed me—I didn’t do anything!”
Lu Yang remembered everything clearly.
“You reached out and touched me. I ought to chop your hand off.”
Silly Zhu choked, then bolted toward the chicken coop and grabbed a live chicken for him.
Lu Yang asked, “How are you gonna explain this to your family?”
