The news of Song Wei bringing home two puppies spread quickly throughout the educated youth dormitory.
Yes, she didn’t tell anyone they were wolf pups—she just claimed they were dogs.
When asked where she found them, she said, “In the mountains.”
When asked about the mother dog, she replied, “I don’t know.”
In Song Wei’s room, Li Juan and Liu Linlin were ecstatic, watching the two little pups in a cozy nest.
The nest had been given to her by Lin Zhen, though Song Wei had replaced the bedding with her own—old clothes she used to dress Heidan.
Bai Yunjiao wasn’t particularly fond of cats or dogs. Still, she didn’t dislike the little pups either; she remained indifferent.
However, Gao Le and Zhao Su loved the two puppies and even hinted at wanting one for themselves.
Before Song Wei could respond, Heidan protested.
“No way! Sister Song, please don’t give them away, okay? I… I’ll eat less, and we can use the leftovers to feed the puppies!”
Song Wei raised an eyebrow. “Really? Are you sure about that?”
Heidan hesitated for a moment before firmly nodding, his face full of determination.
“Uh-huh, I’m sure!”
Everyone in the room burst into laughter at his resolute expression.
At the door, Xu Laidi peered inside with a disdainful expression.
“People can’t even get enough to eat, but they still keep dogs. They have nothing to do.”
Perhaps because of the snowy weather and everyone being idle, the pups attracted quite the crowd. Song Wei let them look at the sleeping pups, leaving them in their nest on the kang compartment
The small space was separated by a cloth curtain—one side for eating and gathering, the other for sleeping and storage.
Song Wei couldn’t help but snap at Xu Laidi, “Do you always feel the need to stir up trouble with that mouth of yours?”
Xu Laidi took a cautious step back, wary that Song Wei might hit her.
“Why can’t I tell the truth?”
Liu Linlin got up, hands on her hips, and barked back, “Song Wei works hard and can feed herself just fine. Maybe you should focus on your own life instead of sticking your nose in hers. Don’t come crying to us when you’ve sent all your food home and have nothing to eat this winter. Nobody here will lend you a single grain!”
Li Juan chimed in with a snort, “Borrowing food? With no intention of returning it? We’re not giving handouts to freeloaders anymore.”
Clearly, these two had been tricked by Xu Laidi before.
Some of the older educated youths also wore complicated expressions. One of them spoke up to mediate:
“Xu Laidi, maybe you should reconsider sending so much back home. If you end up starving and start accusing us of bullying you, it won’t look good.”
Xu Laidi’s face flushed red with a mix of anger and humiliation. Not a single person spoke up for her.
“I don’t need your advice!” She spat before storming off.
But Liu Linlin wasn’t about to let her off so easily. She followed her out, yelling, “Oh, you don’t need us? Then don’t come knocking on our doors later! Hypocrite”
Furious, Xu Laidi charged back and screamed, “You’re the hypocrite! Your whole family is!”
Liu Linlin, in a move reminiscent of Song Wei, slapped her square across the face. However, her slap wasn’t as strong, and Xu Laidi managed to grab her hair.
The two women began fighting, their screams and insults echoing through the courtyard.
For a moment, everyone else was too stunned to react. How had this escalated so quickly?
After a few seconds, Song Wei handed the wolf pups to Heidan and signaled to Li Juan.
If this had been before, Song Wei would’ve stood back and enjoyed the show. But her relationship with Liu Linlin had recently improved, and she felt compelled to intervene.
Song Wei grabbed Xu Laidi by the wrists and pulled her away.
“Stop it! That’s enough!” she yelled, though she was obviously siding with Liu Linlin.
Li Juan and Bai Yunjiao helped Liu Linlin to her feet.
Liu Linlin kicked at Xu Laidi, who tried to retaliate but couldn’t, as Song Wei had her firmly restrained.
“You owe me two pounds of cornmeal and one yuan from last year! How dare you say we’re meddling in your business when you still owe us?” Liu Linlin shouted, delivering another slap.
Xu Laidi struggled and screamed, “You’re all ganging up on me! You’re all bullying me!”
Everyone rolled their eyes. She had no one but herself to blame for her behavior.
In the end, Xu Laidi left with a swollen face, threatening to call the village chief to “set things right.”
But Liu Linlin wasn’t the least bit afraid. She’d been waiting to settle this score for a long time.
Xu Laidi had often borrowed food and money, always making excuses to avoid paying it back. When their friendship soured, she outright refused to return anything.
Despite her threats, Xu Laidi never did bring the village chief and eventually slunk back to her room.
Heidan muttered, “Xu Zhiqing is so annoying!”
Song Wei patted his head. “Don’t worry, she can’t do anything to us.”
Xu Laidi’s antics were despicable, but aside from giving her a beating, there wasn’t much more they could do about her.
The Next Morning
At dawn, after her morning exercises in the courtyard, Song Wei carried the wolf pups to Lin Zhen’s house.
The snow had stopped, and the streets were empty this early in the morning.
She and Heidan left a long trail of footprints in the snow behind them.
Lin Zhen had already milked the deer by the time they arrived.
Song Wei raised an eyebrow. “How did you catch that deer?”
Lin Zhen pointed to a loop of rope in the corner. “Learned it from grassland herders—a lasso. Turns out I’ve got pretty good aim.”
“Did you make those scoops yourself?”
He grinned, his expression like an eager puppy. “I did!”
Song Wei chuckled. “Not bad. Impressive, really.”
Lin Zhen beamed, showing off a full set of teeth. His smile was so wide that Song Wei couldn’t help but smile back.
After feeding the wolf pups their fill of milk, Song Wei planned to leave them at Lin Zhen’s place and head into the mountains.
However, the sound of someone shouting Lin Zhen’s name interrupted her plans.
The voice was familiar, and Song Wei frowned. “I think it’s someone from your family.”
Lin Zhen’s face darkened instantly. His earlier warmth disappeared, replaced by a cold, dangerous aura, like a predator lying in wait.
“You stay here. I’ll go see.”
Using his crutch, Lin Zhen went outside, Heidan trailing behind.
As soon as Lin Zhen opened the door, Deng Chunhua barged in, her tone sharp and condescending.
“We’ve been waiting for ages! What took you so long to open the door? Is this how a junior should act?”
Behind her, Lin Dahai puffed out his chest, trying to exude authority.
“Lin Zhen, why haven’t you come back to the Lin family? I heard you even drove your grandmother and the other elders out! No matter what disagreements we’ve had, blood is thicker than water. How can you stay angry? She’s old; you shouldn’t upset her—”
“Get out.”
Lin Zhen cut him off, his tone icy.
Lin Dahai stared at him in disbelief. “What did you say?”
“I said get out. Didn’t you understand me?”
Heidan chimed in angrily, “My brother doesn’t want you here!”
Lin Dahai’s face darkened.
“Do you even know who you’re talking to? I’m your elder!”
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