Chapter 256: Dividing the Prey

The night was as black as ink, wrapping the Steel Rolling Mill family courtyard tightly. Only in a secluded little storeroom in the Security Department's backyard did a flickering kerosene lamp glow, illuminating a few faces that were excited yet deliberately suppressing their voices.

On the ground lay the harvest that had been won at nearly the cost of life during this mountain foray—a wild boar as big as a small hill, three roe deer, and various other bits of game.

The strong scent of blood mingled with the gamey stench of the wild animals in the cold air, but for those present that smell was more intoxicating than any floral fragrance.

Li Ping'an stood in the middle, his gaze sweeping over Wang Dahu and several other core members. His voice was pressed down to a very low level, yet carried undeniable weight: "Everything is right here. As we said before, the Security Department keeps one hundred jin of pork, twenty jin of roe deer meat, and half of the mountain delicacies. The brothers who took part will be allocated according to their merit and the difficulty they faced. Dahu, you are in charge of registration and division; make sure it's fair, keep your hands clean, finish it tonight, and quietly send home what needs to go home. Don't make a racket that the whole world hears."

"Director, you can rest assured!" Wang Dahu pounded his chest, his face flushed with excitement, "I'll make sure everything is handled perfectly; not even a mouse outside our own people will know!"

This is the truth. In these times, a few hundred jin of meat is a wealth that can drive people mad; it must be handled discreetly, and making a fortune in silence is the hard rule. If the hungry, green‑eyed neighbors in the courtyard found out—especially Jia Zhangshi, Yan Bu Gui and their kind—they'd probably lose sleep, and even blocking the door all day to whine would be a light matter.

"Also," Li Ping'an paused, pointing at the plumpest wild boar, "clean this boar up and deliver it overnight to Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide's home."

The others were momentarily stunned, then showed expressions of understanding. Wang Dahu whispered, "Director, you've thought this through! It should be done that way!"

Li Ping'an gave a slight nod. He fully understood the principle that crystal‑clear water holds no fish. Bringing such a large batch of meat with the Security Section and giving nothing to the logistics and personnel chief, Deputy Factory Director Li Yaozong, would be ungracious and only invite trouble.

Li Huaide, though a bit slick and resourceful, can procure off‑plan supplies for the factory at crucial moments and keep operations running; maintaining a good relationship with him can only benefit the Security Department's future work.

This boar is both a thank‑you for his prior tacit approval of the hunting operation and a "lubricant" for maintaining the relationship. Eating alone won't get you far anywhere.

"Remember, deliver it quietly and say it's a small token from the brothers, thanking the factory leadership for supporting our department's work," Li Ping'an instructed specially. The words must sound nice, the deed must be covert.

After the arrangements were settled, Li Ping'an lifted the portion of meat and mountain delicacies packed in an old burlap sack for himself (roughly a dozen jin of pork and a few jin of roe deer meat), and, under the heavy night, slipped back silently to Xi Kua Yuan.

He had just pushed open the courtyard gate when Lin Xueqing and Li Pingyue, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed to meet him. Seeing him safe and sound, the two women breathed a sigh of relief, and their eyes immediately fixed on the heavy burlap sack in his hands, faintly exuding a meaty odor.

"Ping'an, you… really got it?" Lin Xueqing's voice carried incredulous delight.

Li Ping'an set the burlap sack on the stone table in the courtyard, untied the rope, and revealed the red‑and‑white meat chunks and dried goods inside. "Hmm, luck's on our side. This will keep our family fed for a while," he said lightly, without mentioning the heart‑pounding encounters with wolf packs and fierce tigers.

Li Pingyue stared at the bright red meat, couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, and smiled, "Brother, you're really amazing!"

That night, within the tightly shut doors of Xi Kua Yuan, the long‑missed aroma of stewed meat drifted out. Li Ping'an carefully sealed the door cracks with a damp cloth strip and placed the stew pot in the corner farthest from the windows, maximizing the prevention of scent leakage.

The family gathered around the small table; the bowls contained solid meat chunks stewed with dried vegetables. Though the seasoning was only simple salt and soy sauce, the rich meat aroma and the oily mouthfeel were the utmost pleasure in these hard times.

Little Li Yaozong gnawed a small piece of over‑stewed roe deer meat, his mouth slick with oil, chattering and flailing his arms and legs.

This low‑key yet sumptuous dinner dispelled the winter night's chill and soothed stomachs long tormented by thin broth.

However, some families rejoiced while others worried. In stark contrast stood the Jia family in the Central Courtyard.

Bang Geng's nose was keen; he seemed to vaguely catch a faint, wind‑torn whiff of meat, and he pressed his face against the door crack, inhaling hard, then cried out, "Mom! Meat! It's the smell of meat again! It must be the Li family! I want meat!"

Jia Zhangshi heard clearly from inside the house; jealousy flared in his sharp eyes, and he smashed the shoe sole in his hand against the floor, making a crackling sound, cursing, "Damned to a thousand cuts! When there's something good, you lock the door and become thieves! Don't you fear you'll eat it and can't even pass waste! How come Heaven won't strike these selfish, self‑serving scoundrels with lightning!"

Qin Huairu sighed silently, pulled Bang Geng back, and coaxed him in a low voice, her sense of helplessness deepening inside.

In the Front Courtyard, Yan Bu Gui also pricked up his ears; his eyes behind the lenses darted restlessly, but finally he could only let out a helpless sigh and continue calculating how many days the dwindling food in his household would last. He knew that from Li Ping'an, not even a drop of oil could be squeezed out.

In the following days, a tacit joy quietly spread within the Security Department. The officials who received meat found their homes unusually scented with oil; though still low‑key, the vitality of the people could not be hidden.

Meanwhile, after Deputy Factory Director Li Huaide received the fat pig, he was even more amiable toward Li Ping'an and the Security Department. In several factory affairs meetings, his support for the department's work increased. Li Ping'an's move was perfectly timed.

With the household temporarily free from food worries, Lin Xueqing's thoughts revived, focusing on her sister‑in‑law Li Pingyue's lifelong matters.

After dinner, while stitching, she said to Li Ping'an, "Ping'an, we can't delay Pingyue's matter any longer. The last time with Captain Zhao didn't work; I wonder if we should try a different approach. The people I know at the hospital are few and mostly patients' relatives, not suitable. How about… we find a respectable matchmaker? Or, you could look within the Security Section for someone of similar age and reliable character? Someone we know well is always more trustworthy than an outsider."

Li Ping'an heard this and fell into thought. Finding a matchmaker means dealing with people from all walks of life, but the crowd is a mix of fish and dragons, making information hard to verify; he wasn't very confident.

But searching within the Security Section… that's a viable idea. The officials in the Security Section are generally of good background, unblemished families, healthy, and under his watch their character and abilities are evident.

He glanced at his sister‑in‑law quietly washing dishes by the stove; under the light, Li Pingyue's profile was calm and gentle, bearing the era's female worker's characteristic resilience and composure. It was time to find her a support.

"Forget the matchmaker; the talk‑game isn't reliable," Li Ping'an finally said, "Within the Security Section… I can keep an eye out. But this can't be rushed; we need a suitable person, and most importantly, Pingyue must approve of them herself."

Lin Xueqing nodded, "That's the point. Then you take extra care."

As night deepened, the Siheyuan fell back into silence. The meat aroma in Xi Kua Yuan had long dissipated, leaving only warmth throughout the room. The new question of how to tie a proper red thread for his sister‑in‑law became another matter Li Ping'an needed to consider carefully.

These days drifted forward slowly, solved one problem after another. There were meticulous material calculations, subtle balances of human relations, and careful contemplation of the futures of those around them.