bookrandom Chapter 118 Warm Home
Chapter 118 Warm Home
"Auntie, it's really nothing serious," Li Xiangyang forced a smile. "I'm just a little tired."
The Queen Mother stepped forward and carefully examined Li Xiangyang. Seeing his tattered clothes and the faint traces of blood, she shook her head with heartache: "Go inside and rest. I'll make you some hot soup."
"Xiangyang, go lie down on the kang for a while." Wang Ergou settled Xuebao down, then turned to Li Xiangyang and said, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back in a bit."
"Where are you going?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"Something came up, but I'll be right back," Wang Ergou said hurriedly as he walked out.
Li Xiangyang didn't ask any more questions. He was indeed very tired, so he obediently went into the house.
The Queen Mother heated the kang (a traditional heated brick bed) until it was warm, and as soon as he lay down, he felt all his fatigue dissipate.
Not long after, the Queen Mother brought over a bowl of steaming hot egg drop soup: "Drink some to warm yourself up."
Li Xiangyang accepted the soup with both hands and took a small sip. The hot soup warmed him up completely.
"Thank you, Auntie."
“Why be so polite with your aunt?” Wang’s mother sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at Li Xiangyang’s tattered clothes. “Take off your clothes and give them to me, I’ll tidy them up for you.”
Li Xiangyang hesitated for a moment: "These clothes are in such a state, I'm afraid..."
“You silly child,” the Queen Mother interrupted him, “we country folk, when things break, we mend them if we can, we sew them if we can, we don’t just throw them away. Give them to me, I’ll clean them up for you.”
"Auntie, I really can forget about this. I know we can cut back on expenses, but it's not worth much. The bulk of it is the torn wolfskin rug and my leather coat. Do you think it's okay to fix it?"
Li Xiangyang said embarrassedly.
The Queen Mother understood that the other woman was just shy, and immediately said, "Hey, look at me. You wait here, I'll find you a clean set of Er Gou's clothes. He's a bit thinner than you, so we'll have to alter them."
After saying that, the Queen Mother left promptly.
It was already completely dark when Li Xiangyang changed into the clothes that Wang Mu had altered. Wang Ergou returned just then, carrying a thick leather coat.
"Xiangyang, try this." Wang Ergou handed him the leather jacket. "If you go home like this, your aunt and Xiaohua will be so worried."
Li Xiangyang felt a warmth in his heart, took the leather jacket, held it up to his body, and quickly asked, "Ergou, how much did this cost...?"
"What are you talking about money for? Are you looking down on me?" Wang Ergou snapped. "If it weren't for you, would we have been able to hunt down the snow leopard? Keep this coat, it's a gift."
Seeing Wang Ergou's serious expression, Li Xiangyang abandoned his intention to give him the money.
"It's a bit big," Wang Ergou said after looking at it. "Mom, can you change it?"
"Alright." The Queen Mother took the leather coat, examined it carefully for a few moments, and said, "It's not difficult, I'll alter it right away. Old man, I'm busy today, you cook."
Looking at the busy Wang family, Li Xiangyang was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
He knew that Wang Ergou must have put in a lot of effort to find a set so quickly.
The Queen Mother deftly altered her leather coat, and a rich fragrance wafted through the air as she sewed her needle and thread.
Footsteps sounded outside, and Wang's father came in carrying a steaming bowl of bear meat: "You must all be hungry. Eat it while it's hot. He Mancang is really generous; he brought it over a couple of days ago."
The Queen Mother put down her work: "Old man, you eat with them first, I'll finish altering these clothes."
Li Xiangyang felt a warmth in his heart as he watched this scene.
This feeling of home reminded him of his father.
"Here, have a taste." Father Wang served each of them a bowl. "This bear meat, I used plenty of seasonings, it's stewed to perfection."
After eating the hot meat, Li Xiangyang felt warm all over.
After the meal, Wang Ergou went to the yard and boiled a large pot of water in preparation for dealing with the snow leopard.
"Xiangyang, you rest, I'll take care of it." Wang Ergou quickly stopped Li Xiangyang when he saw him about to start.
"It's alright, I'll handle this." Li Xiangyang waved his hand. "Snow leopard pelts are precious; they'll be ruined if not handled properly."
Li Xiangyang took the knife from Wang Ergou and carefully examined the sharpness of the blade.
This is an old-fashioned pig-slaughtering knife, with a thick back and a thin blade, making it ideal for skinning pigs.
He crouched down and gently stroked the snow leopard's fur with his fingers.
Under the moonlight, the snow leopard's silvery-gray fur shimmered with a soft sheen, and its black spots were clearly visible.
"Ergou, watch carefully," Li Xiangyang explained as he demonstrated, "The snow leopard's skin is different from that of ordinary wild animals; its subcutaneous fat layer is extremely thin, and it can easily tear if you're not careful."
Wang Ergou leaned closer to observe carefully, nodding from time to time.
Li Xiangyang's movements were skillful; the blade cut along the subcutaneous tissue, separating it bit by bit.
Each cut was just right, neither breaking the skin nor leaving too much meat.
"After the hides are peeled off, they still need to be processed," Li Xiangyang continued. "Soaking them in salt water to remove the fishy smell and oil, then applying nitrates. These tasks take time and can't be rushed."
Wang Ergou listened intently: "Xiangyang, your skills are truly amazing."
“It’s all experience,” Li Xiangyang smiled. “Hunting is easy, processing is difficult. If this pelt is processed well, it can be worth a lot of money.”
Under the moonlight, the two worked late into the night and finally managed to skin the snow leopard completely.
"It's getting late," Li Xiangyang stood up, stretching his stiff body. "I have to go back; my family must be worried."
"I'll take you," Wang Ergou said quickly.
“No need,” Li Xiangyang said, putting on the altered leather jacket. “This is warm enough for me.”
Father Wang interjected, "Ergou, pack up the snow leopard meat and have Xiangyang take it back. It's good stuff; his mother and sister should have a taste too."
Li Xiangyang did not refuse, since the prey was hunted by the two of them anyway.
"Come over for dinner another day," the Queen Mother said as she saw the person to the door.
"Okay, goodbye, Auntie." Li Xiangyang carried the meat and walked home under the moonlight.
When Li Xiangyang pushed open the door, the oil lamp inside was still lit.
"Brother's back!" Li Xiaohua was the first to rush out.
Yes, I'm back!
Li Xiangyang affectionately ruffled Li Xiaohua's hair.
"We were so worried, it's been days..."
Li's mother also hurried over, her voice choked with emotion.
"Mom, I'm fine," Li Xiangyang comforted her with a smile, handing the meat to his younger sister. "Go put it away quickly; this is snow leopard meat. Mom will stew it for us to try later."
"A snow leopard?" Li Xiaohua exclaimed in surprise, but quickly looked at her brother with concern, "Brother, you encountered a snow leopard, are you alright?"
Li Xiangyang patted his sister's hair: "It's nothing, just a little tired."
Li's mother felt a pang of anxiety when she saw the clothes her son had changed into, but she said nothing.
She knew her son too well to worry the family easily.
Li Xiaohua wanted to ask something more, but her mother gently pulled her back, saying, "Alright, Xiaohua, stop bothering your brother. Let him go to sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow."
Lying on the warm kang (heated brick bed), Li Xiangyang let out a long breath.
He closed his eyes, and heard his mother and sister speaking softly, along with the faint crackling of the oil lamp.
The familiar voice was like a gentle lullaby, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.
Li's mother quietly tucked the blanket around her son. In the dim light, looking at her son's slightly tired face, a trace of heartache flashed in her eyes.