Chapter 7: A Cotton Jacket, Warm to the Body and Warm to the Heart!

He knew this time was only luck.

Ma Liu type of person holds grudges and seeks revenge; today he got nothing, next time he'll definitely intensify his retaliation.

Trouble, it's just begun.

Can't delay any longer.

He must return home as soon as possible.

Lu Qingshan straightened up, tightened his grip on the rabbit, quickened his steps, and headed down the mountain.

The cold wind brushed his face, making him even more alert.

He hadn't gone far before he saw several silhouettes treading the packed snow, walking along the hillside toward him. Leading them were the village chief Zhao Yongnian and the production team leader Zhao Dazhi of Shanwan Village. Three militia followed them, wielding red‑corded guns and sticks with Hunting Bows, apparently on a mountain patrol.

On this bitterly cold day, the village officials personally led the patrol, indicating that the village has indeed been unsettled lately.

"Yo, isn't that Lu Qingshan?" Zhao Yongnian, though old, had sharp eyes and spotted Lu Qingshan from afar, along with the conspicuously plump rabbit in his hand. A hint of surprise flashed on his weather‑worn face before he plastered on a smile and greeted him.

Zhao Dazhi also halted, his sharp eyes beneath thick brows scanning Lu Qingshan, lingering a moment on the rabbit in his hand and the faint scent of blood on him, then gave a slight nod without speaking, his gaze assessing.

Lu Qingshan quickly steadied himself, a simple, honest smile spreading across his face—a disguise he learned from his former lowly life: "Village chief, team leader, uncles, are you on patrol?"

"Sure enough," Zhao Yongnian said, hands behind his back, strolling up to Lu Qingshan, casually sizing him up, his gaze flicking over the rabbit with a click of admiration, "Not bad, Qing Shan, just a few days of practice and you've got the knack? We haven't seen such a plump rabbit around our village in a while."

He shifted tone, speaking earnestly as if chatting casually, "Speaking of it, we live off the mountain, a rule passed down through generations that we must not forget. Everything in the woods belongs to everyone, a gift from Heaven, so we shouldn't wipe it out. Hunting is fine as long as it feeds your own family—doesn't that make sense?"

Zhao Dazhi interjected, his voice deep and forceful with a soldier's seriousness, "Uncle Yongnian is right. Moreover, the mountain has been restless; a couple of days ago, folks from the neighboring village reported seeing unfamiliar faces wandering around the outskirts of our forest, skulking about, unknown motives. Qing Shan, if you go alone, be extremely careful, especially near the Dry Rice Bowl area—the woods are deep there, accidents happen easily, so stay away."

Outsiders? Lu Qingshan felt his heart skip a beat. Were they after mountain goods? Or, like in his past life, a poaching gang sneaking in? Either way, it was bad news—competition and danger. He even wondered if Ma Liu had any connection with them.

On his face he showed no sign, only nodded forcefully, his expression even more simple, "Ah, thanks for the reminder, Village chief, Team leader, I've taken note. I've just been stuck at home feeling restless, wandering around the mountain edge, trying my luck, getting some food for the kids, and I won't venture into the deep woods."

Zhao Yongnian, seeing his demeanor, nodded approvingly, gave his arm a firm pat, "It's good you think that way. We all live in the same village; no one's days are easy. If you truly have hunting skill, when you become prosperous, don't forget to share a bit with those families in the village who can't even lift a pot; everyone will remember your generosity."

"Yes, yes, yes, Village chief, I hear you, I understand, I understand," Lu Qingshan replied repeatedly.

At that moment, a mountain wind gusted by; Zhao Yongnian instinctively raised his hand to shield himself, seemed to be irritated by the wind, gave two subtle coughs, his complexion turning paler than before, his brows slightly furrowing.

That subtle gesture caught Lu Qingshan's eye. At the same time, his internal Mountain Wild Heart stirred slightly, a faint, sickly, weak aura clearly emanating from Zhao Yongnian.

Village chief... his health seems off? Moreover, it doesn't feel like ordinary wind‑cold. Lu Qingshan felt a slight stir in his heart but dared not stare longer, quickly averting his gaze. Now wasn't the time to investigate.

"Alright, it's cold, you should hurry back, see how the kids are freezing," Zhao Yongnian waved his hand, indicating he could leave.

"Got it, Village chief, Team leader, uncles, I'll head back now," Lu Qingshan bowed again, then hoisted the rabbit, turned, and hurried away.

Only after walking a short distance did he glance back at the patrol's receding backs, his gaze deepening.

The village chief's reprimand, the team leader's warning, those mysterious outsiders, and the chief's hidden ailment… It seems that to live peacefully in Shanwan Village, hunting alone isn't enough. He has many more matters to consider.

And Zhao Yongnian's weak aura, like a seed, lodged in his heart. Perhaps… it's also an opportunity? He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside; for now, the priority was to get the plump rabbit home quickly.

He pushed open the familiar cracked door; the scene inside seemed unchanged from yesterday.

Lin Yue'e still sat on the edge of the kang, cradling Xiao Xue in her arms.

The flames in the stove danced, reflecting her silent profile.

Hearing a sound, she snapped her head around, a trace of panic in her eyes.

When she recognized Lu Qingshan and saw the obviously larger, glossy‑coated plump rabbit in his hand, a flash of incredulous surprise flickered through her numb eyes.

Lu Qingshan said nothing, walked straight to the corner and set the rabbit on the floor.

Then he went to the stove and silently added some firewood.

"Take care of it," he said hoarsely, a hint of fatigue in his voice.

Lin Yue'e glanced at the rabbit on the floor, then at Lu Qingshan, her lips moving slightly, but she asked nothing.

She gently placed the sleeping Xiao Xue onto the kang, covered her with a blanket, then rose silently, picked up the kitchen knife from the corner, and began to process the rabbit.

Her movements were still a bit clumsy, but far more practiced than Lu Qingshan's yesterday.

She skinned, gutted, and cleaned the entrails...

In the dim light, her silhouette appeared unusually calm.

Lu Qingshan sat on the low stool before the stove, watching the flickering flames, feeling the room's warmth slowly rising and the lingering scent of blood.

His body finally began to warm up slowly.

He didn't help, just watched quietly.

Watching his wife's drooping brows and eyes, watching her mouth tighten occasionally from effort.

Dinner was still plain boiled rabbit.

The broth in the pot boiled, exuding a rich meaty aroma.

The rabbit was plump and large, far more enticing than yesterday's thin broth.

Lu Qingshan remained the "distributor."

He used chopsticks to carefully pick out the big, juicy pieces of rabbit meat, placing them into Lin Yue'e's and Xiao Xue's bowls, piling them high.

Then he ladled some broth into his own gourd, scooped a few bone fragments with little meat, and ate them silently.

Xiao Xue was clearly starving and greedy.

Cradling the bowl, her little face almost buried in it, she ate with broth spilling from her mouth, her cheek pouches puffing like a greedy little squirrel.

As she ate, she suddenly lifted her head, her black‑grape‑like eyes sparkling as they stared at Lu Qingshan chewing on a bone.

In that gaze, the timidity and Fear that lingered yesterday had faded considerably.

Replaced by a feeling of curiosity and… a hint of dependence.

She even, toward Lin Yue'e, shyly curled the corner of her mouth, revealing a very faint smile.

Lu Qingshan's bone‑chewing abruptly stopped.

In his heart, something soft seemed to gently bump him.

Sour, tingling, warm.

He looked at his daughter's chubby little face, at her smile melting like fresh snow, his nose inexplicably tinged with sourness, almost losing composure.

He hurriedly lowered his head, pretended to focus on the bone in his hand, masking the sudden damp heat that rose in his eyes.

Lin Yue'e watched all of this with her eyes.

She silently sipped the soup, ate the heap of rabbit meat in the bowl, her gaze shifting complexly between husband and daughter.

When she saw a speck of oil on Lu Qingshan's mouth corner, she instinctively opened her mouth, as if about to remind him.

But the words reached her lips and she forced them back down.

In the end, she simply lifted her own bowl, silently scooped a large spoonful of thick meat broth, and poured it into Lu Qingshan's ladle.

After doing that, she immediately lowered her head again, continuing to sip her soup in small mouthfuls, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Qingshan felt the sudden increase in weight and temperature in his bowl.

That warmth seemed not only the soup's temperature, but also carried something indescribable.

The warm current in his heart surged even more.

He looked up and gave his wife a glance.

She still kept her head down, her jet‑black hair top facing him, only a barely noticeable pink hue at the base of her ear could be seen.

Night fell again.

A cold wind moaned outside the window, like a beast's low growl.

The tattered window paper fluttered rustlingly, as if it could tear at any moment.

Inside, the stove fire had gone out, leaving only a bit of dark‑red ember stubbornly radiating its last heat in the darkness.

Lu Qingshan got up and added some firewood to the stove, so that the faint warmth could last a little longer.

He still curled up on the floor mat laid out on the large cabinet board.

The day's peril, the confrontation with Ma Liu, and the intense mental strain left him utterly exhausted at this moment.

His body felt as if it were falling apart, his eyelids heavy as iron.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

He did not know how long passed.

In his dream, he felt someone approaching.

The footsteps were light and slow, bearing an almost breath‑held caution.

He suddenly snapped his eyes open!

His vigilance instantly rose to the highest level!

By the weak, ghost‑like moonlight filtering through the window crack, he saw a vague figure standing beside his floor mat.

It was Lin Yue'e.

Her silhouette appeared especially thin in the darkness.

In her hands, she cradled something.

It was an old cotton coat, faded from washing, patched in several places, yet neatly folded.

That was one of the few dowry items she had brought to this home.

It was also the only substantial winter garment in this house besides the tattered cotton coat Lu Qingshan wore.

She bent down.

The motion was as gentle as a feather falling silently.

She gently placed that old cotton coat over Lu Qingshan's body.

The coat carried a faint scent of soapberries, the clean aroma left by sunlight and washing.

And… a faint, almost imperceptible warmth that belonged only to her.

After covering him, she did not leave immediately.

Instead she stood where she was, quietly watching him.

The moonlight vaguely traced her slender outline.

Her gaze seemed somewhat deep in the darkness, indistinct.

But Lu Qingshan could clearly feel that the eyes contained extremely complex emotions.

There was hesitation, struggle, and deep doubt.

And… a trace of something that even she might not have noticed, like spring water quietly flowing beneath ice, struggling to revive.

After a while.

She seemed to finally make some decision, yet also as if avoiding something.

Silently she turned, like a startled fawn, hurried back to the kang and lay down again, still with her back to him.

Lu Qingshan closed his eyes.

In the darkness, his mouth corner involuntarily lifted a little, faintly.

On his body, there was a double warmth.

One layer came from that old cotton coat scented with soapberries, dispelling the midnight chill.

The other layer originated from the deepest part of his heart, that once ice‑bound, dead silence of a wasteland.

His wife's gesture spoke louder than a thousand words.

He knew the thick iceberg, soaked with blood, tears and despair, that loomed between them, finally showed a tiny crack.

The seed of trust, like a grass sprout nurtured by the biting cold wind.

On this once barren soil, it began to sprout, extremely difficult yet steadfast.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow he must go to Zhao Tiezhu's house.

Going alone, his strength is limited and it is too dangerous.

Being lucky enough to avoid the avalanche today, being lucky enough to scare off Ma Liu, does not mean we will have such luck every time.

Ma Liu's greedy and vengeful eyes were like a poisonous thorn stabbing his heart, reminding him of the latent threat.

He needs help.

A reliable brother whom he can trust with his back.

A partner who can together in this perilous mountain forest carve out a way to survive!