Chapter 68: On New Year

The sky was bright, and the village entrance was already bustling with voices.

Eight sled plows stood in neat rows, awaiting a single command.

Lu Qingshan changed into sturdy mountain gear, stood beside the lead sled plow, and carefully checked each rope and wooden bar for firmness.

He exhaled a puff of white mist, which quickly vanished in the cold air.

"Listen up, this trip up the mountain is to transport goods, not to hunt."

Lu Qingshan gazed at the faint fish‑belly white on the horizon; his voice was low but clear enough to reach everyone's ears.

"Safety comes first—don't fumble around."

Liu Fugui rubbed his red‑chilled hands and gave Zhao Tiezhu a quick glance.

"Brother Qing Shan, will we go again tomorrow? I smell strong blood in that ditch—who knows what goodies might show up tonight."

Zhao Tiezhu gave a simple, honest chuckle: "There's meat!"

Lu Qingshan shook his head: "Today we'll try to bring everything down from the mountain."

"First, finish the work at hand efficiently. Today is New Year's Eve—once we bring the load back, we must quickly divide the meat."

"Once everything's settled, everyone can rest properly on the first day of the new year. On the fifth, the county will send vehicles to haul the cargo."

He waved his hand: "Let's go!"

The troop marched mightily toward the snow‑capped mountains.

The few bold, familiar‑with‑the‑trail youths at the front held torches to ward off beasts, shouting now and then to intimidate the wilderness.

In deep snow, a step could sink past the calves, making progress especially arduous.

After two hours, the troop finally reached Dead Ditch.

The sight before them made everyone draw a sharp breath of cold air.

More than a dozen wild boars, roe deer, and deer lay scattered across the snow ditch, their dark‑red blood already frozen on the white snow.

The traps we set last night had snared several more clueless game animals, including an especially plump wild rabbit.

"Goodness gracious! How many pounds of meat is this?!" a man exclaimed, his voice trembling.

"Get to work!"

Lu Qingshan gave the order.

Zhao Tiezhu, Liu Fugui, and the usually handy youths Zhao Er Zhuang, Zhao Fei, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Lei stepped forward at once to begin preliminary processing of the game.

More than twenty able‑bodied men divided the labor—some hauled, some tied—and soon each animal was secured onto a sled plow.

The return route was several times harder than the way in.

All eight sled plows were loaded to the brim; their heavy weight dragged eight deep grooves in the snow.

The troop moved slowly, and the men's panting echoed through the valley.

From afar, the long line of men and the dark‑laden sled plows stood out starkly against the pure white snow.

In the village commune's courtyard, a sea of people had already gathered.

When they saw the game piled up like a small hill, the whole courtyard erupted.

The rich smell of blood mixed with livestock's musky odor permeated the cold air.

Villagers of all ages gathered round, eyes gleaming as they stared at the mountain‑high pile of meat, as if it were not flesh but glittering mountains of gold and silver.

"Goodness! With this much meat, we villagers can eat our fill and still have leftovers until spring!"

An old man smacked his lips: "Pfft, old duck! Making it to the Lantern Festival would be a great blessing!"

The kids darted through the crowd, squealing excitedly; the bold ones even reached out to touch the wild boars' fur.

"Our Qing Shan's skill is truly amazing!"

"No kidding—who would have dared dream of such good fortune before!"

Village chief Zhao Yongnian stood on high ground, waving his arms and loudly directing the village butchers.

"Listen up! Distribute by household—each family gets forty catties, with a good mix of fat and lean!"

"Those strong laborers who helped haul the load up the mountain yesterday get an extra twenty catties each!"

"Those who helped with butchering and hauling will earn work points, to be paid later from the meat sales!"

In the courtyard, several veteran hunters and butchers from the village had been busy since early morning.

Their knives flashed up and down, swift and precise, skillfully skinning, deboning, portioning the meat, and cleaning the offal.

The large pot in the courtyard boiled to clean the hides and entrails.

Steaming blood‑water and filth flowed along the shallow ditch deliberately dug in the courtyard, quickly staining a patch of snow bright red.

Liu Fugui rubbed his hands, eyes fixed on the split meat pieces as he edged closer to Lu Qingshan.

"Brother Qing Shan, with all this… how much money will it fetch?"

Lu Qingshan's gaze was calm as it fell on the huge, intact black‑bear hide in the corner: "We'll know once it's sold."

In his mind, he already had a preliminary plan for how to use that bear hide.

Bear paws, bear gall, antler, and the fine‑quality pelts were personally delivered to Lu Qingshan's home by Zhao Dazhi and a few assistants, handled with great care.

He also carefully reconciled the account for the remaining roughly one thousand catties of meat with Lu Qingshan; after confirming everything was correct, he left, face full of admiration and delight.

Lu Qingshan's household received over seventy catties of meat, divided by headcount and contribution.

Lin Yue'e fetched the family's modest‑sized soy‑jar, washed it clean, and began curing the meat.

Her movements were gentle and meticulous, a hint of ease and contentment flickering in her brows as she hummed an off‑key tune.

Xiao Xue squatted in a corner of the courtyard, gnawing on a freshly boiled big bone with relish, her little mouth oily, like a kitten that had snuck a treat.

Jin Hu lay obediently at her feet, occasionally lifting his head to gaze longingly at the bone in Xiao Xue's hand.

Its tail wagged lightly; sometimes Xiao Xue would toss the tough meat scraps she couldn't chew to it, delighting it, and it would rub its head against her shin.

Lu Qingshan walked over, extended his large hand, gently patted his daughter's head, then used his fingertip to wipe the oil from the corner of her mouth.

"Little glutton cat, eat slowly, be careful not to choke. There's still more in the pot, help yourself!"

A warm softness filled his heart; this was the meaning of his striving.

In the blink of an eye, it was the night of New Year's Eve.

From every chimney in Shanwan drifted an inviting scent of meat.

Even the few households that had been the most strapped for cash in past years had today's cooking smoke thicker than usual.

A mouth‑watering aroma permeated the air, and children chased and played in the snow, their faces lit with smiles rarely seen in years past.

Lu Qingshan's household was also about to eat the New Year's Eve dinner, a big bowl of steaming dumplings placed on the kang table.

The cabbage‑pork dumplings were the result of Lin Yue'e's morning work—chopping the filling and kneading the dough, then carefully shaping each one.

With thin skins and generous filling, a bite releases fresh, savory broth that fills the mouth.

Xiao Xue ate until her little face was puffed, her eyes wide and round like a contented squirrel, her cheeks brimming with happiness.

"Dad, the dumplings smell good!"

Xiao Xue mumbled, a tiny piece of bright green cabbage still clinging to the corner of her mouth, causing Lu Qingshan and Lin Yue'e to laugh.

Lu Qingshan smiled, lifted his chopsticks, picked the plumpest dumpling, and gently set it into Lin Yue'e's bowl.

"Have a little more."

Lin Yue'e's hand with the chopsticks paused briefly; in the lamplight a faint pink hue brushed her cheek, then she gently nodded, lifted the dumpling and took a small bite.

She chewed slowly, the corner of her mouth unconsciously curving into a tiny smile, her gentle eyes resting on her husband and daughter, full of warmth.

In recent days, the lingering sorrow and dread that had haunted her brows were gone, replaced by a steady warmth and anticipation for the future.

"Xue'er, give mother one too, pick one!"

Xiao Xue mimicked her father, using her tiny bamboo chopsticks to clumsily lift a dumpling from the pot, trembling as she tried to put it into Lin Yue'e's bowl.

Unfortunately, her strength was insufficient; the dumpling skin tore, the filling spilled out, and it nearly fell onto the kang.

Lin Yue'e's eyes reddened a touch, but she laughed, extended the bowl to catch it, then scooped her daughter into her arms and kissed her rosy little cheek.

"Our Xue'er, so sensible, knows how to care for mother. These are the best dumplings mother has ever tasted."

Her voice was slightly hoarse, yet her heart was sweet, sweeter than honey.

The New Year's Eve fire pit blazed, its crackling pop scattering the winter night's cold.

Jin Hu lay comfortably in the warm corner of the kang, eyes half‑closed, drowsy, occasionally letting out a contented hum.

From outside the yard came occasional, scattered yet festive firecracker pops, as the children celebrated the New Year in the simplest manner.

Lu Qingshan cradled his daughter, already asleep in his arms, Xiao Xue's tiny head resting on his chest, breathing evenly, a sweet smile lingering at her mouth.

He watched the blurred red lantern reflections on the window, gently swaying in the breeze, and the fine snow drifting outside, his heart swelling with an unprecedented steadiness and contentment.

"Yue E," Lu Qingshan said softly after Xiao Xue's breathing evened and she slept soundly.

"I've been thinking, relying only on hunting isn't a lasting strategy. The mountain's bounty, however plentiful, will run out someday, and depending too much on the heavens' favor is risky."

Lin Yue'e, in the midst of sewing Xiao Xue's new cotton coat, paused briefly, lifted her eyes, and looked at him.

In the lamplight, her eyes were gentle and attentive, radiating total trust.

"After the New Year passes and the weather warms a bit, I'm thinking, perhaps we could go to the county town and do a little business."

Lu Qingshan looked at his wife's hands, roughened by years of toil and cold, and went on.

"If it succeeds, we'll also try to bring the villagers along. After all, when our family faced hardship, the village gave us plenty of support."

A faint, barely perceptible surprise flashed in Lin Yue'e's eyes; she set aside the needle and thread and asked softly.

"What kind of trade do you want to do? Now… can the officials permit us to trade?"

"They won't allow it now, but eventually they will; I reckon it won't be too long," Lu Qingshan said, gazing at the heavy night outside the window.

"Our mountain's produce isn't just meat; there are many medicinal herbs and mountain mushrooms, and I'm wondering if we could trade those."

"Or, when spring arrives, we'll clear the wasteland behind the house and plant some herbs, like ginseng, wood ear, etc., which is better than just growing corn."

"We need to find a stable, lasting livelihood so that you two mothers won't have to live in fear any more, and can enjoy a truly good life. I want Xiao Xue to be able to study and become a cultured person."

Lin Yue'e listened quietly, her eyes growing brighter.

She gently set aside the needle and thread, placed her hand over Lu Qingshan's hand that held their daughter, and softly said, "Qing Shan, I believe in you. Whatever you say we should do, I'll follow. As long as our family stays together, living steadily is better than anything."

"If you can think of this family, of me and Xue'er, and make plans, my heart is happier than anything."

Lu Qingshan was silent for a moment, his voice dropping a few degrees, tinged with a barely perceptible wistfulness.

"There's another thing—I don't know how my parents, my brothers, sisters are doing now. If there's a chance, I still want to have someone inquire about them."

Lin Yue'e listened quietly, without interrupting.

She knew her husband always carried a knot in his heart, concerning his relatives far away at home.

Lin Yue'e had heard Lu Qingshan say that, because of his family's background, he was stuck here and couldn't return to the city.

All these years, he never spoke of reaching out on his own, nor had he ever received any news from home.

Lin Yue'e never dared to ask further, fearing to expose his scar.

"When spring arrives, we'll first arrange to build a new house," Lu Qingshan gently patted Xiao Xue's back, helping her sleep more peacefully.

"The village chief has already agreed, allocating us a plot at the western edge of the village. Once we move into the spacious, bright new house, life will keep getting better."

Lin Yue'e lowered her head, gazed at the needle and thread on her lap, a gentle smile curling her mouth, and gave a soft nod.