Song Wei observed old lady Lin’s swift movements and raised an eyebrow.
Wasn’t she bedridden? How is she moving so fast?
Old lady Lin, panicked, shouted for her son as she ran outside and clung to him for protection.
“Mom, stop pulling me!” Lin Lao Si struggled to shake her off, fear evident as he eyed the snarling wolves.
“What do you want this time?” Song Wei’s tone was calm but carried a distinct disdain.
“Song Wei, are you trying to scare me to death? If something happens to this old lady, can you afford to take responsibility?”
Song Wei smiled faintly. “Get it straight. This is Lin Zhen’s house. The wolves were raised by Lin Zhen and me. You’re trespassing, and the dogs are just doing their job, guarding against people like you.”
“You… This isn’t trespassing! This is my grandson’s house!”
Apparently remembering her purpose, old lady Lin quickly added, “Where’s Lin Zhen? Tell my eldest grandson to come out.”
“Oh, please,” Song Wei said mockingly, “Don’t call him ‘eldest grandson.’ He can’t afford such a title.”
“He’s not home. Whether you’re here for a reason or not, don’t come again. Just seeing your faces makes me want to hit someone. What’s the matter? Is your family not broken enough yet?”
At the mention of the last incident, where Lin Zhen had dismantled their doors and windows, leaving them exposed to the winter cold for days, old lady Lin hesitated. She remembered all too well the hardship they had endured. But her eldest son was in trouble, and she couldn’t let this opportunity slip.
Crossing her arms, Song Wei continued, “I know why you’re here. You want Lin Zhen to save your eldest son, right?”
Old lady Lin responded indignantly, “Of course! That’s his uncle!”
“Don’t sully the term ‘uncle.’ Lin Da Hai is no son of the Lin family, so how is he Lin Zhen’s uncle? Besides, your son was caught red-handed committing adultery, and the evidence is ironclad. You want Lin Zhen to save him? Have you been drinking? How can you spout such shameless nonsense?”
“You… You haven’t even married in yet—”
“I’m Lin Zhen’s fiancée. And you? You’re nothing.”
Before old lady Lin could retort, Song Wei’s voice turned cold.
“Keep yapping, and while Lin Zhen might not be able to get your adulterous son out of jail, he could certainly make sure he’s ‘well taken care of’ inside.”
Old lady Lin froze, momentarily confused by the threat. Thinking Song Wei was bluffing, she quickly said, “If he can take care of him in there, why not just get him out?”
Lin Lao Si, however, grimaced and muttered, “Mom, I think by ‘taking care,’ she means getting someone to beat Big Brother up.”
Old lady Lin’s eyes widened in horror, and her voice rose to a screech. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Song Wei smiled coldly. “What wouldn’t we dare? Want to find out?”
With that, she stepped forward and slammed the door shut.
“Lin Zhen’s not here, get lost.”
She didn’t want to waste another second on them.
Furious, old lady Lin began pounding on the door.
“You’re just a woman who hasn’t even married in yet! How dare you act like you own the place, you shameless hussy!”
The door suddenly opened again. Song Wei was not one to let insults slide.
“Wolf One, Wolf Two, get them!”
The two wolves immediately sprang forward.
“Ah! Get away! Song Wei, just you wait! When Lin Zhen comes back, I’ll make sure he breaks off the engagement with you!”
Old lady Lin, now agile as ever, leapt onto her son’s back and, in a show of bravado tinged with fear, tried to threaten Song Wei.
Lin Lao Si, carrying his mother, howled in panic as he sprinted away. His legs churned like pistons, achieving a speed worthy of a 100-meter dash.
The wolves chased them a good distance before trotting back, tails wagging. They didn’t actually bite; Lin Zhen and Song Wei had drilled this restraint into them when they were pups.
“Well done. You’ll get an extra big bone tonight,” Song Wei praised.
Finally rid of the eyesores, she turned back into the house.
Later that evening, Lin Zhen returned. He was clad in a military overcoat, his figure dusted with snow, looking travel-worn.
Song Wei had already heated water and lit the stove in preparation. Inside, the warm glow of a kerosene lamp filled the room. Though dim, the light gave the home a cozy, welcoming feel.
Seeing this, Lin Zhen’s heart warmed. The sensation of someone waiting for him at home was unparalleled.
Removing his hat, he brushed off the snow before stepping inside, each exhalation turning into a puff of white mist.
“You’re back,” Song Wei greeted, turning from her task of mending Heidan’s pants.
Hearing her voice, Lin Zhen smiled.
“Little Heidan got into a fight with Lin Youfu today,” she added with a playful pout. “Tore a hole in his pants.”
Heidan, sitting on the kang in colorful underwear, sniffled indignantly. “Lin Youfu started it! He wanted to steal my photos and candy. Shameless!”
Lin Zhen shed his overcoat and shot a glance at Heidan. The boy’s face was bruised, and Lin Zhen’s expression darkened.
“Any other injuries?” he asked grimly.
Understanding that his brother wasn’t angry at him, Heidan patted his chest confidently. “Nope, I’m fine! Lin Youfu might be bigger, but he’s not strong. And I wasn’t alone—my friends helped. We pushed him into the snow, kicked him, bit him, and pulled his hair. I got a few good kicks in, too!”
Pleased with his “victory,” Heidan looked triumphant.
After confirming Heidan’s injuries were minor, Lin Zhen took the pork and a rack of ribs he had brought back and placed them in the kitchen. “I thought Lin Youfu was taken to his mom’s family. When did he come back?”
Song Wei shrugged. She hadn’t heard about his return during her gossip session with the elderly women the previous day.
The conversation shifted to preparations for the upcoming New Year. Lin Zhen handed Song Wei the money he had earned from selling goods.
“I sold everything directly to the black market boss,” he explained. “The price was a bit lower, but it was safer.”
Together, they counted the money and tallied their profits. They had made a total of 1,251 yuan from their ventures in the south!
“The profit from this run is incredible,” they marveled, before carefully stowing the money away.
“Do you want to go back for another round of trading?” Song Wei asked.
Most people, after earning so much, would immediately consider repeating the process to make even more.
Lin Zhen shook his head. “This is more than enough for now. No need to rush.”
He added, “Next time we visit your brother, we can pick up more goods then.”
Song Wei nodded. “Sounds good.”
Lin Zhen looked at her seriously. “Do you think I’m being lazy?”
“Of course not,” Song Wei replied with a smile.
“There is not only one way to live life. Sure, wealth is enviable—being able to buy anything you want is great—but I think what we have now is pretty satisfying. We have enough money for our needs, and we can work for what we want. I love the peace of this village.”
With its abundant natural resources, the mountains ensured she would never go hungry, even without money. For Song Wei, a modest, comfortable life was more than enough.
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