I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Making the Rounds

"Yep!"

Zhao Wendong didn’t waste any time. He nodded decisively, making his stance clear to his family.

"Her class background isn’t good!"

"And she’s so grimy. Her face is always dirty, she’s not pretty."

"She’s so frail, too."

His family members all started trying to talk him out of it. It was a good thing that Zhao Wendong had turned over a new leaf, but for some reason, he was now stirring up trouble over the most important decision of his life, which worried everyone.

"Don’t worry, Dad, Mom, Sister-in-law. I’ve taken everything you said to heart. Back when I was fooling around every day, I, Zhao Wendong, never got the short end of the stick. Now that I’m focused on serious business, do you really think anything’s going to make me lose out? If I really marry her, I guarantee you’ll all be saying I have good judgment later on!"

His words silenced the whole family. Although Zhao Wendong had been unreliable his entire life, he really had never come out on the losing end of anything. It was always others who suffered. ’A guy as shrewd as him probably wouldn’t be foolish about something as important as marriage, right?’

"Fine. As long as you have a plan, we won’t say any more. You’re a grown man now, you can make your own decisions!"

Zhao Dashan made the final call. This was mainly because Zhao Wendong’s recent performance had made them see him in a new light. But Zhao Wendong didn’t appreciate it, curling his lip disrespectfully.

"As if I’d listen to you anyway!"

"You little brat!"

Enraged, Zhao Dashan was about to give Zhao Wendong a taste of "fatherly love as heavy as a mountain," but Zhao Wendong just laughed and dodged away.

The children were sound asleep. There wasn’t enough room for everyone on the kang, so the three brothers decided to go stay at Zhao Wenjun’s place, while Song Xiaoyu stayed here with the kids.

Zhao Wenjun’s house was right next door. It was the old house where their grandparents used to live, with a similar layout and age to Zhao Wendong’s. After their grandparents moved in with their youngest uncle, the house was sold to Zhao Wenjun for a pittance. Because of this, Wang Jinzhi had often complained that their grandparents were biased.

The fire for the kang had just gone out that afternoon. Worried his two younger brothers wouldn’t be warm enough, Zhao Wenjun immediately grabbed a bundle of corn stalks to heat the kang again as soon as he got back.

Looking at his busy older brother in the equally bare-walled house, Zhao Wendong thought, ’Big Brother, just you wait. Your little brother will have you living the good life soon enough.’

Zhao Wenwu didn’t have as much on his mind as Zhao Wendong. He just stripped off his clothes, dove under the covers, and started snoring away.

After Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Wendong lay down as well, the two brothers started to chat. In both his past life and this one, this was the first time they had ever talked alone.

Zhao Wenjun talked a lot, seeming to say something about being sorry, but Zhao Wendong couldn’t remember the details clearly. Lying on the warm kang, the exhaustion in his body pulled him into a sweet, deep sleep.

「The next morning.」 The sunlight streamed through the window lattice and reflected off the snow, so bright it was hard to open one’s eyes. The moment Zhao Wendong woke up, he saw Zhao Wenjun looking at him nervously.

"Third Brother, do you remember what I said to you last night?"

"Who could remember that? I fell asleep really early."

Zhao Wendong’s answer made Zhao Wenjun sigh in relief, and the expression on his face relaxed.

The snow outside had lessened considerably since yesterday. Just as Zhao Dashan and Zhao Wendong had predicted, it would likely stop completely by that evening. So, the three brothers decided to head into the mountains in the afternoon, rest for a night at their outpost, and return the next day.

The morning was the perfect time to pay some visits. Zhao Wendong picked out the fattest piece of wild boar meat, cut it into several chunks, and stuffed a few handfuls of nuts into his pocket before leaving the house.

He dug the boar meat out of a snowdrift in the corner of the yard. This was the natural freezer of the Northeast in the old days. A few years ago, every household’s snowdrifts would be hiding meat, radishes, cabbages, potatoes, and more. This year, however, probably only the snowdrifts in Zhao Wendong’s yard were fully stocked. Most of the things they brought back yesterday were buried in the snow, while some were put in the cellar.

With Zhao Dashan laid up on the kang, the only able-bodied men in the family were Zhao Wendong and Zhao Wenjun.

Zhao Wenjun wasn’t good with words, so he was sent to their grandparents’ house and Grandma Liu’s. Zhao Wendong was to visit Third Master Zhao and Zhao Weiguo.

Zhao Wendong went to Third Master Zhao’s place first. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Third Master Zhao squatting next to a large brown horse, smoking his pipe with a frown on his face.

"Third Master, what’s wrong? Did Granny Liu give you the cold shoulder?"

"Get lost, you little brat! I’m busy being annoyed!"

"Whoa, what’s got you so worked up? You didn’t even see the meat I’m bringing you?"

"What? You brought me meat?"

Third Master Zhao looked at the meat in Zhao Wendong’s hands. He took it and weighed it in his hand—it had to be at least two or three catties. He then examined the grain of the meat closely and even sniffed it. His expression changed instantly.

"Son of a bitch, this is wild boar! Dongzi, you... you got another wild boar?"

"Yep. Got lucky and bagged one."

Third Master Zhao shook his head, clucking his tongue in amazement.

"Dongzi, you little brat, is your luck really this good now? Even a heavy snowstorm couldn’t stop you from hunting something down!"

"You have a big family, you should take it back. As long as I’m fed, my whole family’s fed. You don’t need to give me any."

"Third Master, are you trying to make me lose face? When have I, Zhao Wendong, ever taken back something I’ve given away?"

Seeing Zhao Wendong pull this stunt again, Third Master Zhao laughed. He irritably gestured at him with the bowl of his pipe but didn’t actually strike him. He didn’t mention the meat again, instead turning his worried gaze back to the large brown horse.

’Can’t poop. This horse feels awful.’

Hearing the brown horse’s inner voice, Zhao Wendong immediately knew what was going on. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked down at Third Master Zhao with a smug expression.

"Third Master, I’ve pinched my fingers and calculated... Is there something wrong with this horse?"

"Yep. It started acting up yesterday afternoon, and I have no idea why. You’re so capable, are you? Go on then, tell me what’s wrong with it!"

"If you want me to figure it out, I’ll figure it out!"

Zhao Wendong theatrically reached out and prodded the brown horse’s bulging belly, then announced with a look of certainty.

"It’s nothing serious. It can’t take a dump. It’s constipated. Just give it something to eat that’ll work as a laxative."

Third Master Zhao looked at Zhao Wendong in surprise, his face full of disbelief.

"You know how to examine horses? You’re trying to fool me again, aren’t you!"

"Tch. You know Zhu Peiniu from our Commune, right? His son is one of my buddies. I used to scrounge meals at his place all the time!"

Third Master Zhao was now eighty percent convinced. If you had to name who wandered around Dragon King Pond the most, it would have to be the loafer Zhao Wendong.

"Alright then. I’ll give it some beans and see what happens."

He chatted with Third Master Zhao for a couple more sentences, left the meat, and got up to leave. Third Master Zhao grinned as he looked at the wild boar meat, and unconsciously started humming a little tune.

"The first month is the New Year~ On the very first day..."

When Zhao Wendong arrived at Zhao Weiguo’s gate, he saw Zhao Weiguo’s daughter, Zhao Xiaoyan, sweeping snow. Her eyes lit up when she saw Zhao Wendong arrive carrying meat. "Brother Wendong, where did you get this meat?"

"Got lucky and bagged a wild boar in the mountains. I brought some for your family to try."

Zhao Wendong handed the meat over. "Is Uncle home?"

"My dad’s inside."

Zhao Xiaoyan took the meat, secretly sizing up Zhao Wendong.

She was the same age as Zhao Wendong and had also reached marriageable age. But she had been proud since she was young, and was dead set on marrying into the city to become a city-dweller.

’Lately, that loafer Zhao Wendong has changed so much. He’s fair-skinned and capable now, much easier on the eyes than those rough village guys.’

When Zhao Weiguo saw Zhao Wendong bringing meat, he adamantly refused to take it.

Zhao Wendong could only point at Zhao Weiguo’s seven-year-old son, Zhao Xiaowei, and say, "Uncle Weiguo, this isn’t for you, so stop arguing. This is for my little brother Xiaowei. He’s at a crucial age for growth right now, how can he not eat a bit more!"

Only then did Zhao Weiguo reluctantly accept. He even had his wife find some sticky bean buns to give as a return gift.

"Dongzi, you’re really something else, kid. Managing to get a wild boar even in this snowy weather."

"Just got lucky."

"By the way, Dongzi, about that diesel fuel you mentioned last time?"

"I’ll go in a couple of days. I’ve got to go now, Uncle Weiguo!"

Anxious to go find Lin Zhiyin, Zhao Wendong only exchanged a few words before getting up to leave.

Seeing his daughter staring at Zhao Wendong’s departing figure, an idea sparked in Zhao Weiguo’s mind. ’If those two kids could get together, that wouldn’t be bad at all. The Zhao Wendong of today is a top figure in the village. If my daughter married him, she’d definitely live a good life. That’s a lot more reliable than her daydreaming about marrying into the city all the time.’

With the meat delivered, Zhao Wendong shoved his hands in his pockets and headed toward the Educated Youth Point. The mountain path was difficult to walk on after the snow. The snowdrifts came up to his ankles, crunching with every step. The branches of the trees by the roadside were hung with ice crystals, and in the distance, a thin layer of ice had formed on the sea, exuding a biting chill.

Smoke was rising from the chimney of the Educated Youth Point. Just as Zhao Wendong reached the entrance, he saw Lin Zhiyin outside, sweeping snow. The snowflakes drifted down onto her, a sight that made him both angry and heartbroken. His face instantly darkened.