By the end of the meal, both people and the foolish roe deer had mouths stained black from the food.
When they smiled, their teeth were a sight to behold.
Wild vegetables, mushrooms, medicinal herbs, edible fruits of the season, and one dead and one live foolish roe deer—this trip could truly be described as a fruitful harvest.
Lin Zhen dismembered the already-dead roe deer, packed the parts into a bag, and placed it in his basket to carry on his back.
As for the live one, there wasn’t much choice but to bring it back as it was, though he anticipated some commotion over it.
Lin Zhen reassured Song Wei not to worry—he had his ways of handling it.
The foolish roe deer followed them without struggle. It seemed wary of the two wolves but acted as though it had formed a bond with Hei Dan.
“Brother, are we really going to eat that foolish roe deer? When I grow up, will I become as dumb as them if I eat it?” Hei Dan asked, looking at the silly deer with a furrowed brow and a worried face.
Lin Zhen patted his head. “Don’t worry. Even if you’re a little dumb, I can still provide for you.”
Hei Dan immediately shouted, “Then I won’t eat the foolish roe deer! I don’t want to be dumb!”
His expression and tone were firm and determined.
Lin Zhen and Song Wei laughed at his reaction. “You said it yourself, don’t forget later.”
They didn’t believe for a second that Hei Dan would resist when the time came.
On their way back, they did attract some attention because of the live roe deer.
Lin Zhen’s cold demeanor was enough to scare off some people, and they quickly returned home to stash the roe deer meat.
As for the live foolish roe deer, it was placed in the deer pen, where it stared wide-eyed at the two spotted deer already inside.
The younger spotted deer had grown quite a bit, and its antlers were just starting to develop—young and tender.
Tender antlers, or velvet antlers, were a prized medicinal material and quite valuable.
Song Wei’s hands were itching as she remarked, “If we wait a bit longer, we can harvest these antlers.”
Hei Dan stroked the young deer’s antlers and asked worriedly, “Sister Song, will it hurt if we cut off the antlers?”
As a child, his thoughts were simple. Having spent so much time with the spotted deer, he had grown attached to them and didn’t want to see them hurt.
Song Wei, shaped by her previous life’s environment and her hunger for meat in this life, had little empathy for edible animals. Killing and eating them was her ideal scenario.
The only reason she hadn’t eaten the two spotted deer was because she hadn’t lacked meat since arriving here, and Hei Dan was very fond of the deer.
“It’ll probably hurt,” Song Wei admitted.
Hei Dan hugged the young deer’s neck and looked at her with pleading eyes. “Then… then can we not cut its antlers? Let’s find other deer to get antlers from instead.”
Hei Dan couldn’t deny he loved eating meat, but he had raised this little deer himself. He had feelings for it.
“Alright,” Song Wei relented. They weren’t strapped for cash, after all.
There was no need to upset the child in this situation.
The foolish roe deer quickly adapted to its new environment, joining the spotted deer and eagerly eating from the food trough.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhen busied himself with sorting through the items they’d brought back from the mountains.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
When he opened it, Lin Zhen found a group of people standing outside, led by the meddlesome Third Great-Uncle, leaning on his cane with an expression like someone owed him money.
“Lin Zhen, I heard you brought back a roe deer from the mountains. What are you planning to do with it?”
“Those wild chickens and rabbits you’ve caught before are one thing, but a roe deer this big? You can’t just keep it for yourself.”
“That’s right. I think Lin Zhen and Song Wei are going into the mountains too often, bringing back all sorts of wild animals. Even small game adds up. This harms the collective’s interests.”
The tone was sour and accusatory.
Song Wei glanced at the group. The ones speaking were the village’s habitual freeloaders and idlers.
Third Great-Uncle adopted a lofty demeanor, using his status as an elder. “They have a point. Hand over the roe deer, and I’ll take care of it.”
Lin Zhen’s face remained impassive. “Give it to you? Your audacity knows no bounds.”
His blunt response nearly made Song Wei laugh.
Though Lin Zhen wasn’t talkative, that didn’t mean he couldn’t speak sharply when needed.
When he chose to engage, his words carried weight. His reticence was a habit formed during his time in the military, where silence reduced the risk of leaks during a period of rampant espionage.
Before joining the military, Lin Zhen had been wild and sharp-tongued.
“You… how can you…” Third Great-Uncle stammered.
“How can I speak to an elder like this?” Lin Zhen’s voice remained flat. “Do you have anything else to say? Everyone knows I don’t respect elders. Have I ever changed just because you pointed it out?”
Third Great-Uncle faltered under his gaze, taking two steps back. “You… you…”
Lin Zhen continued coldly, “I don’t argue with you because you’re old, not because you’re my elder. My elders have all faced my blade before—want to give it a try?”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Song Wei chuckled. “Third Great-Uncle, perhaps it’s best if you stop meddling. No one in this brigade can stir up trouble like you. Your own family’s in shambles, yet you’re still poking into others’ business.”
Before Third Great-Uncle could respond, Lin Zhen addressed the onlookers.
“I don’t plan to kill the roe deer. Since it’s considered collective property, I’ll buy it at market price and hand the money to the brigade leader. That money can be used for the kids—to buy textbooks or supplies—so long as it benefits the collective.”
His words earned applause from the more reasonable villagers.
“Honestly, a roe deer doesn’t have much meat. With so many families in our brigade, no one would get more than a sliver. Let’s not forget the wild boar we all shared before—that was Lin Zhen and Song Wei’s doing, bringing it down from the deep mountains. I’m not about to be ungrateful now.”
They shot pointed looks at Third Great-Uncle and the freeloaders.
“I don’t want the roe deer meat. Lin Zhen is generous, even using his own money for the kids. That’s the right way to do things.”
“Exactly. Better the money goes toward the kids than the meat ending up with ingrates who won’t even say thank you. That would be infuriating.”
Since catching the human traffickers and helping with the wild boar, Lin Zhen and Song Wei had earned goodwill in the brigade. Many villagers stood up for them, especially against meddlesome types like Third Great-Uncle.
Embarrassed and outnumbered, Third Great-Uncle and the freeloaders turned red-faced and slunk away.
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