Chapter 10: The Hunting Household Divides the Meat, Brotherly Bonds; Wife and Daughter Depart, Weighing on the Heart

The Roe Deer was dragged into the courtyard.

The scent of blood, wrapped in the biting north wind, drove straight into Lu Qingshan's nose.

He set aside the wooden staff on his shoulder, exhaled a heavy puff of white breath, and just as he tried to catch his breath, his heart suddenly sank.

Something's wrong! It's too quiet!

The wind whined through the broken window panes, sounding like a wailing ghost.

In the distance, a few faint dog barks drifted over, making the tiny courtyard feel even emptier, dead silent.

Usually at this hour, even if Lin Yue'e didn't utter a word, the stove would still crackle with sparks.

His daughter Xiao Xue, even when asleep, would occasionally let out a few cute murmurs.

But now, behind that shabby wooden door, not a trace of a living breath could be felt.

"Yue'e?"

"Xiao Xue?"

Lu Qingshan's throat inexplicably went dry, and he shouted twice into the pitch‑black house.

The only response was the wind's even more brazen whine, sweeping over the mottled earth on the courtyard wall.

His heart felt as if seized by an icy giant hand, plunging down abruptly.

A bone‑piercing chill raced up his spine and instantly spread through his whole body.

He couldn't think further, lunged forward in big strides, and shoved open the creaking wooden door.

An even more chilling wind, mixed with the house's distinct earthy and musty odor, slammed into his face.

Inside, there was no one.

On the kang, two patched old quilts were rolled into a heap; it was clear they had been deliberately stacked, yet remained messy.

Beside the bedding lay a ear‑missing, dirty cloth rabbit, lying there all alone.

It was a toy Lin Yue'e had made for the child, Xiao Xue's favorite doll that she clutched even while sleeping.

Where are they?!

Lu Qingshan's heart seemed to be violently crushed by that invisible giant hand!

He spun around abruptly, charging out of the house like a wild beast gone mad.

In the courtyard, Zhao Tiezhu stood with his mouth agape, staring at the plump Roe Deer on the ground, laughing foolishly, his eyes full of meat.

From his expression, it seemed he was about to head home first.

"Tiezhu!"

Lu Qingshan seized Zhao Tiezhu's sturdy arm, his knuckles whitening from the force, his voice taut like a string about to snap.

"Did you see my sister Yue'e and Xiao Xue or not?!"

Zhao Tiezhu jumped a great start at his ferocious expression, the smile on his face freezing instantly, and he shook his head in a goofy way.

"No... no, Brother Qing Shan, we only came back together, didn't see sister‑in‑law come out."

He scratched his head, his face full of confusion, not understanding what had happened.

Lu Qingshan's brows knit into a hard knot, he released Zhao Tiezhu, and bolted toward the neighboring Qian Guapu's house.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He swung his fist, smashing the thin wooden door so hard the panels trembled.

"Qian Guapu! Open the door!!"

He shouted for a long while, yet inside there was not even a whisper, the silence eerie.

He hurried again toward the other neighbor, Zhao Wenwu's house.

Zhao Wenwu was squatting in the courtyard, braving the cold wind, shivering as he gathered a few frozen, hardened Large Cabbage heads, preparing the afternoon meal.

The old cotton coat on his back, patched many times, trembled in the wind, his hands frozen to a bright red, cracking.

Seeing Lu Qingshan rush over like a fire on his rear, Zhao Wenwu set the vegetables down, rose slowly, a complex, reluctant expression crossing his face, and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Qing Shan, you... don't rush yet, listen to me."

"Wenwu brother! What on earth is happening?! Where are my sister Yue'e and Xiao Xue?!"

Lu Qingshan stared intently at Zhao Wenwu, each word seeming to be forced out between his teeth, his heart sinking bit by bit into a bottomless abyss.

"Sigh..."

Zhao Wenwu rubbed his nearly numb hands, his gaze evasive, unwilling to meet Lu Qingshan's blood‑red eyes.

"Just a short while after you left, your father‑in‑law, Lin Jia Shu, came in a fury with his son Lin Yueqiang, dragging a donkey‑face along."

He paused, seeming to choose his words, his voice lowered.

He said... it was too cold, your house was drafty everywhere, fearing the children would freeze, so they took Yue'e and Xiao Xue back to their Maternal Home for a few days to warm them up.

I saw Yue'e looking reluctant to leave, her eyes all red, but... you know your father‑in‑law's stubborn donkey temperament; no one's advice gets through!

He forced them away.

When they left, Xiao Xue cried so terribly her throat went hoarse, shouting 'Father' over and over...

Lin Huainian!

Lin Yueqiang!

A surge of uncontrollable evil flame surged upward in an instant, blasting straight at Lu Qingshan's forehead!

They again!

In his past life, his father‑in‑law never gave him a decent look; this life, it's escalated, coming straight to the door to snatch people!

He opened his mouth, gulping the icy air in big breaths, trying to suppress the near‑explosive fury and humiliation in his chest.

His lungs burned from the cold, as if cut by a knife.

But he knew clearly why his father‑in‑law could so self‑righteously barge in and take people.

It's still him, Lu Qingshan, who was way too reckless before! Gambling, beating his wife, neglecting his family—each offense was like a knife, deeply wounding his father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law's hearts!

In their eyes, leaving his daughter and granddaughter by his side is no different from pushing him into a fire pit!

He can't even get a stable meal, let alone make a living!

He gulped in a few sharp breaths of cold air, the frigid wind full of countless tiny ice needles that stabbed his lungs, making them ache.

Only then did he barely suppress the raging fury churning in his chest.

"Brother Wenwu, I understand, thanks."

His voice was hoarse, as if scraped by sandpaper.

He returned to the empty, chilly courtyard.

He stared at the two half‑portions of Roe Deer meat on the ground, still faintly steaming and exuding a strong, pungent blood scent.

The scene felt like a huge, silent mockery.

The prey is in hand, so what?

He can't even protect his own wife and child!

"Zhao Tiezhu,"

He turned his head and looked at Zhao Tiezhu beside him, whose face was full of worry and helplessness.

"The meat—let's split it as we agreed."

Without further delay, he drew the cleaved machete from his waist and, with swift movements, began carving the Roe Deer.

He kept the bone‑adjacent, thick‑sheathed, hard‑to‑process parts for himself.

Then he selected the fattest, meatiest chunk—a large hind leg and half a rib rack—over forty jin in weight, tied it carefully with clean grass rope, and without a word thrust it into Zhao Tiezhu's arms.

"Brother Qing Shan… this… this is too much…"

Zhao Tiezhu clutched the heavy meat, his eyes instantly reddening.

He's no fool; he knows Lu Qingshan's family is in an even tighter spot now.

The sister‑in‑law and the little niece have been taken away, so this is exactly the time to bring something to save face…

"Take it!"

Lu Qingshan glared at him, his tone unyieldingly firm.

"This is what you earned with your own strength! Take it back and stew it for your mother! Let her replenish her health! Stop babbling here with me!"

Zhao Tiezhu met Lu Qingshan's resolute gaze, nodded heavily, and said nothing more.

He knew that refusing now would only show disrespect for Brother Qing Shan.

Clutching that heavy hope, Zhao Tiezhu walked away, glancing back every few steps.

The gratitude, worry, and unspoken brotherly bond in his eyes let a faint warmth seep into Lu Qingshan's cold heart.

After seeing Zhao Tiezhu off, Lu Qingshan gazed at the remaining Roe Deer meat in the courtyard and let out a deep sigh.

Now he must undertake something more important—and more difficult.

Go to his father‑in‑law's house and bring his wife and child back!

No matter the method! No matter the price!