Now, the only source of milk they had was the mother deer that had come back with them the previous day.
It was fortunate, without the deer, the two wolf pups wouldn’t have had anything to drink.
However…
Lin Zhen: “Do you know how to milk a deer?”
Song Wei’s expression stiffened slightly. “No, but I can try.”
Lin Zhen handed the two wolf pups to his brother, who had been eagerly waiting.
Lin Zhen: “Let me do it.”
Song Wei looked at him in surprise. “You know how?”
Lin Zhen: “I was once stationed near the grasslands in the west, where the local villages kept cows and sheep. I’ve milked cows before. Food was scarce there, but milk was abundant. The soldiers in our unit would get milk every month, though it didn’t taste great.”
Song Wei studied him from head to toe and couldn’t help muttering:
“No wonder you grew so tall.”
With the wolf pups cradled in his arms, Heidan ran off to his brother’s room, excited to play with them.
The two adults braved the biting wind to get to the deer pen.
Hearing their footsteps, the mother deer grew alert and darted to the farthest corner of the enclosure. Its large eyes fixed on the entrance, and its ears stood erect in alarm.
Song Wei carried a bundle of leaves into the pen, with Lin Zhen’s tall frame following close behind. She patiently coaxed the deer with the leaves.
The smaller fawn was much less cautious, hopping over with its tiny legs. Perhaps because it had spent some time with Song Wei the day before, it wasn’t afraid of her.
But it was wary of Lin Zhen, eying him cautiously and nibbling the leaves nervously. If Lin Zhen so much as moved, the fawn would dart back to its mother.
Song Wei rolled up her sleeves. “If it won’t come willingly, we’ll have to catch it.”
Lin Zhen nodded, about to volunteer, when Song Wei had already dashed forward.
The mother deer was swift and agile, leaping high even within the confined space of the pen. After a chaotic chase that left the place in disarray, the deer finally stumbled into Lin Zhen’s reach and was grabbed by the neck.
Now trapped, the deer struggled frantically, letting out distressed cries.
Song Wei, her hair disheveled and stuck with bits of grass, ran over to grab the deer’s neck. Her flushed face was glowing with exertion.
“You’re quite the runner, aren’t you?”
Her tone was laced with frustration. The deer had narrowly evaded capture several times, darting past her with ease.
Lin Zhen couldn’t help laughing at her appearance, earning himself a sharp glare.
Song Wei: “Hurry up and milk it. I’ll hold it still.”
Under her restraint, the deer couldn’t move an inch. Song Wei tried to calm it by offering leaves to eat. Meanwhile, her keen eyes watched Lin Zhen work.
He was surprisingly skilled.
The deer let out a soft bleat.
The fawn, which had been nervously pacing around, finally trotted back over to its mother. Song Wei handed it some leaves.
Song Wei: “I know it’s a bit mean to take your food, but it’s a matter of life and death right now. Later, I’ll bring you a sweet potato to make it up to you.”
The fawn bleated again.
Song Wei: “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Song Wei glanced at the mother deer. “You should eat too; this is just the beginning.”
With no other source of milk, the two wolf pups had no choice but to rely on this deer. Fortunately, their appetites weren’t too big yet. Lin Zhen managed to fill a bowl after a bit of milking, which was just enough.
Once released, the deer bolted off like a flash.
Song Wei stood up and clapped the dirt from her hands.
Lin Zhen handed her the bowl of milk.
“You’ve got a couple of grass blades in your hair.”
Song Wei reached up and felt around her hair, pulling out the offending leaves. She left the smaller ones alone, not bothering.
Lin Zhen patted his own short hair.
“That’s why having a buzz cut is so much better. You women keep your hair long—it’s hard to wash, takes forever to dry in winter, and can even get lice in summer.”
Song Wei: …………
Though what he said was true, why did she feel an urge to kick him?
As Lin Zhen hobbled behind her on his injured leg, he couldn’t understand why she suddenly seemed annoyed.
Carrying the warm bowl of deer milk, they returned to the house. Standing at the doorway to Lin Zhen’s room, Song Wei stopped.
Song Wei: “Tell Heidan to bring the pups out.”
Inside, the pups’ shrill howls could be heard clearly, creating a chaotic duet.
Lin Zhen: “Just come in. There’s nothing in my room.”
And he wasn’t exaggerating. Once inside, Song Wei saw that the room was sparse: a kang bed, a single cabinet, and nothing else.
The bedding on the kang was folded neatly, with only the indentations left by Heidan and the wolf pups breaking its pristine appearance.
The room was spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust.
Heidan: “Finally! They’ve been crying this whole time, and it’s terrifying!”
Lin Zhen: “What’s there to be scared of? They’re just wolf pups.”
Heidan: “I’m afraid they’ll starve to death!”
The sight of their desperate cries reminded Heidan of his own experiences with hunger.
Without proper feeding tools for the pups, they had to improvise with a spoon.
But… Lin Zhen’s house didn’t even have a proper spoon.
It was something only families with children usually prepared.
With the milk ready but no way to feed it, Heidan was so anxious he was practically spinning in circles.
Song Wei: “The milk needs to be warmed first. I’ll borrow a spoon from the brigade leader’s house.”
She handed the bowl of milk to Lin Zhen and dashed off before he could stop her.
Heidan: “Brother, when is your leg going to heal? You make Sister Song handle everything—it makes you look useless.”
Already feeling frustrated about his injury, Lin Zhen winced at his younger brother’s blunt remark.
Lin Zhen: “Shut up and stay out of it!”
As if he wasn’t already anxious about recovering. What could he do? His leg wouldn’t heal overnight.
Grumbling, Lin Zhen went to heat the milk. The smell wafted through the room, making the wolf pups cry even louder. Heidan was so frazzled he wanted to join in and howl.
By the time the milk was warm and had cooled to the right temperature, Song Wei returned, her hair dusted with snow.
Breath visible in the cold air, she handed over the spoon she’d borrowed.
“Finally, now stop crying, you two! You’re making me nervous.”
At last, the wolf pups were able to drink, greedily lapping the milk with their tiny pink tongues.
They choked a little because they ate too quickly, and there was only one spoon, so the two wolf cubs had to scramble for the food. Their trembling pink little paws kept scratching at Song Wei’s arms.
Watching them gulp down the milk, Lin Zhen headed outside, found a suitable piece of wood, and began carving spoons with his cleaver.
From the other room came Heidan’s noisy chatter, mingled with Song Wei’s gentle voice as she soothed the pups. The sound filled Lin Zhen’s chest with a warm, comforting sensation.
Lin Zhen thought to himself:
When will Song Wei truly become part of this family? What a headache.
After the wolf pups were full, their little mouths were ringed with white milk froth. They promptly fell asleep in Song Wei’s arms, their round bellies rising and falling with each breath.
Song Wei: “Time for me to go.”
She tucked the two pups into her coat, keeping them snug against her stomach.
As she bid Lin Zhen farewell, Heidan eagerly followed her, occasionally reaching out to gently poke at the pups through her coat.
Clearly, he was already attached to the little ones.
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