Lin Zhen balanced on one leg, insisting on joining Heidan to find Song Wei.
Lin Zhen: “I’m still a man; I can help out somehow.”
But Heidan glanced at his injured foot and outright refused.
Heidan: “Sister Song specifically said for you to stay here and wait for her to come back.”
Lin Zhen: “You said that wild goat is huge. Can Song Wei even carry it with her small frame?”
Though Lin Zhen had heard from the villagers about Song Wei’s strength, he had a hard time picturing the petite Song Wei hauling a massive wild goat by herself.
In his mind, the gossip from Aunt Wang and others must have been exaggerated—rumors always grew wilder over time, after all.
Heidan (proudly): “Of course she can! Sister Song already dragged it out of the deep forest herself.”
Heidan (excited): “She’s so strong—super strong—unbelievably strong!”
Heidan: “Don’t be silly, brother. Don’t make your injury worse by hopping around. Right now, you’re slower than me!”
Lin Zhen took a deep breath to calm his rising anger: This is my younger brother. I can’t hit him.
Sensing danger from his brother’s glare, Heidan shrank his neck and asked, “Brother, do you have a big bag? We ran out of sacks.”
Lin Zhen (grumbling): “Yeah, wait here.”
He returned, dragging out a large woven bag. Heidan grabbed it and was about to rush off when Lin Zhen stopped him.
Lin Zhen: “Hold on.”
He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with four big, fluffy white steamed buns.
Lin Zhen: “Take these and share them with your Sister Song.”
The buns, soft and fragrant, looked so tempting that Heidan swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Without hesitation, he grinned and thanked his brother.
Heidan: “Brother, you’re the best! I’ll go now!”
As he reached the door, Heidan turned back and called out: “Make sure no one comes to snoop around, okay? Sister Song and I will be back soon!”
Watching his brother sprint off, Lin Zhen sighed heavily, frustrated by his inability to move freely with his injured leg.
“Sister Song, I’m back!”
He handed the bag to Song Wei, who quickly stuffed the wild goat inside and added some dry grass to conceal it.
“Sister Song, my brother sent these buns for us.”
Song Wei stared at the oversized steamed buns, each as big as her face, and blinked in surprise.
Song Wei: “Your brother made these?”
“I think so. He got them from the kitchen.”
Song Wei nodded. “They’re probably homemade. You wouldn’t find buns this size for sale.”
Taking a bite, she was surprised by the soft texture and faint sweetness. Who would’ve thought that a tough guy like Lin Zhen could make buns this delicious?
Her own attempts at making buns usually resulted in dense, brick-like creations that hardened even more by the next day.
Song Wei devoured two and a half buns with ease, leaving one and half for Heidan, who couldn’t finish his. Feeling full and satisfied, her opinion of Lin Zhen improved significantly.
With the goat securely packed and disguised, Song Wei led Heidan down the mountain.
On the way, they encountered some villagers. Song Wei cheerfully greeted them but quickly sped away before anyone could get a closer look at her load.
“Song Wei! Why are you running off?”
Liu Guifen, carrying firewood, spat disdainfully as she watched Song Wei disappear.
Liu Guifen: “Hmph! That Song Wei acts like I’m going to steal her stuff. Who’d want those things anyway? It’s not like she has meat!”
The other women with her shot her scornful looks.
“If you’re not after her things, why’d you call out to her? You’ve got no business with her—no wonder she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t say such things outright. But Liu Guifen had just snatched a large dead tree during their foraging, sparking resentment.
Soon, the women were arguing loudly, and attempts to mediate were drowned out by their shouting.
Hearing the commotion, Song Wei paused, stood on tiptoe, and craned her neck to look back.
“Too bad we’re in a hurry. Otherwise, I’d have gone back to watch the drama.”
Heidan: Song Sister really loves eating melon.
Despite minor setbacks, they successfully brought the goat to Lin Zhen’s house.
By this time, most villagers were busy preparing dinner, so no one came to disturb them.
Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Zhen hobbled out on one leg, leaving his crutch behind.
When he saw Song Wei unloading her haul, his eyes widened in shock.
“That’s a lot of stuff! It looks like it’s about to crush you!”
He hurried over, intending to help.
“Step aside. Don’t strain your foot.”
“I’m not as useless as you think! This weight is nothing for me.”
“It’s nothing for me, either.”
She found a raised spot and carefully set down the load.
The top bag contained mixed nuts, while the bottom one held the wild goat. Inside the basket were freshly foraged hawthorn berries.
Meanwhile, Heidan smartly closed the gate to keep prying eyes away.
“Brother, look—it’s the goat!”
Lin Zhen, who had been watching Song Wei in awe, finally turned his attention to the animal.
Lin Zhen: “It’s huge! How did you even catch it?”
Wild goats were notoriously difficult to hunt. They thrived on steep, treacherous cliffs where few predators—and even fewer humans—could reach.
Song Wei, now parched, asked, “Do you have any water?”
“Yes. I’ll get it for you.”
As Lin Zhen handed her a steaming tea mug, Heidan excitedly recounted their encounter with the wolves.
“Wolves?! Are you two okay?”
Heidan puffed out his chest proudly: “We’re fine! Song Sister climbed up a tree with me, and the wolves were too focused on the goats to notice us.”
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