Chapter 82

(Wishing all readers a happy and joyous New Year, a cheerful Spring Festival, and a delightful celebration of the Lunar New Year's Eve. Your happiness brings me joy, and your well-being fills me with sweetness. May the Year of the Dragon bring you vigor and prosperity, along with happiness and good fortune.)0

Old Gu Six learned the theoretical knowledge of building a kang bed-stove. He didn't start right away but practiced a bit outside first.0

Then he began renovating the new house they had only lived in for a short while.0

After finishing the kang, Old Gu Six started going into the mountains to cut trees. He planned to build a boat so he could go fishing in the sea when he had free time.0

Chang'an went to the beach every day with a bucket, finding it extremely interesting. She felt that the seafood she collected herself tasted even better.0

When not at the beach, she would go into the mountains. She seemed busy every day, though it wasn't clear what exactly kept her occupied.0

Sometimes she would help Old Gu Six build the boat, but her craftsmanship wasn't great. Her help was more like causing trouble, so it was better for her to just watch from the side.0

She thought the land they had cleared was still a bit small, so she started clearing more land on the hillside to plant sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.0

Then she remembered that cotton was particularly scarce in this world.0

"Hey, you there, are you around?" she called out.0

"Hello? Anyone there?"0

"Old man, are you still there?"0

"If you can hear me, please respond and bring me some cotton seeds."0

...0

There was no response. Perhaps her signal hadn't been received.0

It wasn't until after dinner that evening that Chang'an finally got a reply.0

However, it was brief and hurried.0

[I've placed them in your space.]0

After saying this, the presence disappeared. Chang'an entered her space and found a paper package on the dining table, which must have been the cotton seeds.0

Chang'an picked it up and looked at it. It seemed to be about a pound, enough to plant about an acre of land.0

She needed to continue clearing more land. Old Gu Six had made a new curved-beam plow with an iron plowshare.0

Tomorrow they would bring out the mule to work. Chang'an thought about all the things they needed to plant in spring next year.0

Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, wheat, vegetables, and cotton.0

The next day, the mule started working again, grumbling as usual, but this time it clearly felt much easier.0

Could it be that its strength had increased?0

Chang'an wondered: Could it be because of the new plow?0

By the time it started snowing, Chang'an had finished clearing her land, but Old Gu Six's boat was not even half done.0

Old Gu Six put on his clothes and went out to open the door for them.0

When he opened the door, Old Gu Six was shocked. The silver wolf couple had brought back another wolf couple, and beside them lay two dead wild boars.0

The silver wolf raised its paw and patted the wild boar, letting out a low howl.0

Old Gu Six strangely understood its meaning: they had brought their own food and wanted to continue staying in the same room as before.0

He stepped aside, and the wolves worked together to drag the wild boars into the yard.0

Then the silver wolf howled twice more, wanting Old Gu Six to help them butcher the pigs.0

"It's too late tonight, it would disturb my daughter's sleep. I'll help you process them tomorrow," Old Gu Six said.0

The silver wolf raised its proud head, only to be swatted down by its mate. The two couples then retreated to the outdoor kitchen.0

Old Gu Six brought in a bundle of dry grass and followed them, making another bed for the new wolf couple.0

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the silver wolf started howling under Old Gu Six's window, calling him to come and butcher the pigs.0

Old Gu Six looked at the sky outside; it was barely light. He scratched his head in frustration.0

"Stop howling, don't you know what time it is? Don't wake up my daughter, or I'll chase you all out," he grumbled.0

Hearing Old Gu Six's impatient voice, the silver wolf returned to the outdoor kitchen somewhat dejectedly, waiting eagerly for daybreak.0

They had to wait until Chang'an woke up, and then wait for them to finish breakfast.0

During the time when it had been Chang'an's mount, the wolf had eaten processed meat. After returning to the mountains, it had gone back to eating prey with fur, which it now found somewhat unappetizing.0

This was a bit unsanitary, so after enduring for a while, it brought its mate to find Chang'an.0

Yesterday, it had also brought its brother-in-law and his mate. Now that they were living under someone else's roof and had brought their family along, they had to be patient.0

After breakfast, Old Gu Six helped the silver wolf clean the wild boars. He kept about three jin of pork belly to fry some crispy pork for his daughter.0

"We humans believe in reciprocity. I help you butcher the pigs, you give me a piece of meat, and that's how our friendship can last," he explained.0

The silver wolf looked confused, but the piece of meat wasn't much. It tilted its head and patted a pig leg with its paw, indicating it could give him a whole leg as well.0

"No need, this is enough," Old Gu Six declined. Four wolves and two wild boars weren't really enough to eat, so it was better to leave more for them.0

Old Gu Six helped them divide the wild boar meat into pieces and put it in the outdoor kitchen for them to eat slowly.0

Two humans and four wolves living under the same roof turned out to be surprisingly harmonious.0

When the wolves finished their prey, they would go out to hunt on their own, never asking Chang'an to feed them again.0

Every time they went out, they would bring something back for Chang'an. Once, when they came back and saw Chang'an cutting Chinese cabbage, the silver wolf came forward, swatted the cabbage away with its paw, and threw a wild chicken to her instead.0

Chang'an thought she saw pity in its eyes.0

This time, the wolves had been out hunting for over ten days and hadn't returned, which made Chang'an a bit worried.0

Usually, they would come back after seven or eight days. She wondered if they had encountered some danger.0