“As for sheep and cattle, our brigade has two cows, which are communal property of the village. However, sheep are only raised by two households, but they aren’t from our Village—they are from the neighbouring Village, and each only has one sheep.”
Sheep weren’t easy to raise in these parts. Unlike pigs, they weren’t as cost-effective. Plus, keeping sheep required someone to guide them through the mountains to graze, which was time-consuming and impractical for most households.
“So, if I wanted to raise a small animal on my own, would that be allowed?” asked Song Wei.
The brigade leader assumed she was talking about pigs. “It would be tough to manage at the educated youth dormitory. That land is shared property, and the three small plots there wouldn’t accommodate a pigsty. Besides, if the others have objections, you might not even get approval to raise it.”
Pigs were noisy and smelly, which could easily cause disputes. He figured raising one at the dormitory would be more trouble than it was worth.
Song Wei shook her head. “I’m not raising a pig. I want to raise deer.”
The brigade leader paused for a moment, then blurted out, “What? Did you just say deer?!”
Song Wei blinked. “I went into the mountains today and got lucky. I caught a mother sika deer and her fawn.”
The brigade leader was dumbfounded.
Sika deer were rare, and even the seasoned hunters who ventured deep into the mountains rarely encountered them. And yet here was Song Wei, casually talking about catching one.
“Is it alive or dead?” he asked skeptically.
Song Wei replied, “If it were dead, I’d have butchered it and wouldn’t need to ask you anything.”
The brigade leader puffed on his cigarette. “Fair enough.”
Then his expression turned serious. “Did you venture deep into the mountains again? You’re just a young girl! Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there? If something happened to you, we wouldn’t even be able to search too far to find you! Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you can take these risks!”
Song Wei lowered her head like a reprimanded child. She appeared obedient, but deep down, she knew she’d do it again if she had the chance.
She wasn’t someone who could stay out of trouble for long.
“Are you planning to raise the deer at the dormitory?” he asked.
“No,” Song Wei replied. “I have asked Lin Zhen for help. He has a big yard, and he’s already agreed to it.”
The dormitory wasn’t ideal—it wasn’t secure, and conflicts were bound to arise. With so many people from different backgrounds, disputes were inevitable. It was better to avoid unnecessary drama.
After hearing Song Wei’s reasoning, the brigade leader finally gave his reluctant approval. At least the matter was now out in the open.
That night, Song Wei headed back into the mountains to retrieve the deer.
Heidan and Lin Zhen initially wanted to accompany her, worried about her safety. But Song Wei waved them off, saying they’d only slow her down. Equipped with a flashlight and a backpack, she set off alone.
To her surprise, she stumbled upon an unexpected find on her way.
As she passed a stagnant pool of water, the sound of croaking frogs caught her attention.
Song Wei stopped in her tracks, following the sound to the source.
“Ribbit, ribbit…”
A small, palm-sized forest frog with a mottled black-green body hopped near her feet.
It was a Northeastern forest frog—non-venomous and edible.
Grinning, Song Wei pulled out a woven bag she’d brought along. (Don’t ask why she had a bag—it was just habit.)
She bent down and started scooping up frogs, tossing them into the bag. By the time she was done, she had caught over ten of them—enough for a decent meal.
The pool still echoed with croaks, but Song Wei decided against wading in. Her current outfit wasn’t suited for water.
With her frogs secured, she continued on to the sika deer’s temporary shelter.
The mother deer obediently followed when led, but the fawn had already curled up on the ground, refusing to move.
Song Wei strapped the bag of frogs to the mother deer, then scooped up the warm, fluffy fawn in her arms and began the trek downhill.
The night air was getting colder, with a biting wind that made Song Wei shiver. But the little fawn nestled against her chest was warm, like a tiny heater.
When she finally arrived at Lin Zhen’s house, Heidan was the first to spot her.
“Sister Song! You’re so late—I was about to go look for you!”
“Wow… is this the little sika deer?”
Under the flashlight’s beam, Heidan’s voice was filled with awe and excitement, though he kept it low, not wanting to startle the deer.
Song Wei sniffled. “Let’s get inside—it’s freezing out here.”
Lin Zhen said, “I set up a section of the adjacent courtyard with some straw bedding. We can put them there for now. Once my leg heals, I’ll add a roof.”
This whole area was his property, though only the section he currently lived in was properly renovated.
Song Wei nodded, guiding the deer into the courtyard. She placed the bag of frogs aside and turned to Lin Zhen. “I’ll bring more leaves tomorrow. Don’t worry about taking care of them; I’ll handle it.”
Lin Zhen waved her off. “You’ve already done so much for me—bringing mountain goat meat, pig trotters, and looking after my brother. Use the space however you like. I’m just one person; it’s no trouble at all.”
Honestly, he was thrilled. With the deer in his yard, Song Wei would have to visit often.
“Oh, by the way, I found these forest frogs near a pond earlier. Want some?”
Lin Zhen shook his head. “There aren’t that many—just keep them for yourself. I’ve got plenty to eat here.”
By the time everything was settled, it was late. After ensuring the deer were comfortable, Song Wei decided to head back.
To everyone’s surprise, Heidan seemed reluctant to leave this time. His eyes lingered longingly on the two deer.
“They’re so pretty! Especially the little one—it’s adorable!”
Song Wei chuckled. “Why don’t you stay here with your brother tonight? You can come back to the dormitory anytime.”
Heidan shook his head firmly. “No, I’m going with you, Sister Song! There are bad people at the dormitory!”
Lin Zhen frowned, recalling Heidan’s earlier warning about the attempted break-in. Concerned, he pressed Song Wei for more details.
Song Wei reassured him. “Don’t worry—I have a plan, and I’m not exactly defenseless.”
Satisfied, she finally left with Heidan in tow.
Left alone, Lin Zhen muttered to the deer, “When will I ever get to stick by her side, huh? You’ve got legs—why did you make her carry you back?”
The fawn replied with a soft bleat, “Mehh~”
Lin Zhen sighed. “Forget it. Why am I even talking to you?”
When Song Wei returned to the dormitory, she found the place unusually lively.
It turned out the village chief’s wife and Wang Xiaohua’s brother had come by to speak with Luo Yecheng earlier. No one knew what was discussed, but the two had already left.
“Darn,” Song Wei muttered. “Why didn’t I get to see that?”
“Hey, Song Wei, why are you back so late? You keep running off to Lin Zhen’s place—isn’t that inappropriate?” sneered Xu Laidi, leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. Her eyes darted to the bag in Song Wei’s hand.
Inside the bag, the frogs croaked intermittently. It wasn’t hard to guess what was inside.
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