The larger wolf pup opened its eyes first, revealing a misty blue hue. This thing is called a blue membrane, it would gradually disappear as the wolf pup reached its one-month milestone.
Following its sibling’s lead, the second pup nestled in Song Wei’s arms wriggled and whimpered, opening its eyes as well.
The two chubby little creatures were now covered in a thin layer of soft, somewhat scruffy-looking gray fur.
Song Wei gently pinched their floppy ears. “Be good now. I’m taking care of you, so when you grow up, you’ll have to take care of me, okay?”
She said this without a hint of shame, fully expecting the little wolves to repay her in the future.
“Awroo! Awroo!”
The wolf cub’s cry was childish but full of energy.
Every day, Song Wei brought tasty treats to the mother deer, often supplementing its diet with crushed walnuts, sweet potato scraps, and wheat bran. At a time when most people survived on little more than sweet potatoes, this deer was eating like royalty. Unsurprisingly, its milk supply was plentiful.
Aside from the first day when the pups were left hungry, they had been well-fed since, even sharing some milk with Heidan, who occasionally stole a drink.
Now, even though the pups weren’t yet ten days old, they were significantly larger than when they were born. Their little paws were stronger and more energetic.
Placing the pups back into the cloth pouch, Song Wei was about to leave with her haul of nuts when she felt something hit her from behind.
Turning, she caught sight of a pine cone, which had landed squarely on her back.
Looking up in the direction it came from, she spotted a familiar squirrel perched on a tree branch, its tiny eyes glaring at her in fury.
Song Wei: …
Oh no. She’d been caught raiding the squirrel’s stash.
The little creature bounced up and down the branch in a fit of rage, letting out sharp, chittering squeals.
While Song Wei couldn’t understand its language, she could tell from its tone that the squirrel wasn’t being polite.
Song Wei: Well, I can’t be insulted if I don’t understand.
“Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!”
“Okay, I admit it’s wrong to take your stash. But I mean, I’m already here. It’d be a shame to leave empty-handed, right?”
“Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!”
The squirrel’s anger grew more intense, but it remained on the branch, aware that it couldn’t match Song Wei’s size or strength in a fight.
After a moment, Song Wei reached into her pocket, pulling out a handful of roasted treats: walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. She placed them on a pile of dry leaves.
“Look, I’m not heartless. But I’m still not giving your stash back.”
With that, she grabbed her basket and ran off, ignoring the pine cone that the squirrel threw after her.
Angrily, the squirrel inspected its depleted stash, its rage evident as it rolled about in the snow, scattering it everywhere.
After calming down, it realized it had been in similar situations before. Other squirrels had raided its hoard in the past, and it could fight them off. But against this larger thief, retaliation wasn’t an option.
Noticing the pile of roasted treats left behind, the squirrel curiously approached.
It cautiously sniffed a pine nut, then bit into it, finding the roasted flavor both new and delicious.
Delighted, it eagerly cracked open more nuts, savoring each one. Before long, it was enthusiastically ferrying its new treasure to its nest, cheeks stuffed to bursting.
Meanwhile, a somewhat guilty Song Wei kept glancing behind her as she walked, relieved the squirrel hadn’t followed.
She pinched the soft, round body of one of the wolf pups in her pouch and smiled.
After collecting firewood and gathering fresh leaves for the deer, she returned to the village with her haul.
On the way back, she scanned for rabbits or pheasants, but luck wasn’t on her side. No game was in sight.
“All the meat’s gone,” Song Wei sighed. The wild goat they’d butchered earlier was long eaten.
These past days had been filled with mostly vegetarian meals, leaving her craving meat again.
But as the thought passed, she chuckled at herself. “I used to be happy just finding food at all, and now I’m dreaming of meat every day.”
Upon returning to the dormitory, Song Wei paused at the doorway.
Her gaze dropped to a faint, half-formed footprint near the threshold.
Her smile faded. “Oh? I thought you’d given up.”
She unlocked the door, carefully inspecting the room. Some money—ten yuan—was missing, along with small amounts of grain. It wasn’t obvious unless you paid close attention.
“Song Wei.”
Bai Yunjiao knocked at the door.
“Come in.”
“He came again,” Bai Yunjiao said, face pale. “It must’ve been while we were at the Lin family house this morning.”
“Did you lose anything?”
“My white flour—some of it is gone. And…” Bai Yunjiao clenched her fists. “One of my handkerchiefs is missing.”
Song Wei’s eyes darkened. “Tomorrow, pretend to be sick. Get Ma Qian to help you, and have Li Juan go with you.”
“Understood.”
The next morning, Bai Yunjiao’s feigned illness drew immediate attention.
“Bai Yunjiao, are you okay?” Ma Qian asked, his concern evident as he approached.
Clutching her stomach, Bai Yunjiao replied weakly, “I… I don’t feel well. Ma Qian, can you take me to the clinic?”
Ma Qian didn’t hesitate, savoring the opportunity to assist her.
Song Wei intervened. “I’m watching the wolf pups and can’t leave. Li Juan, can you go too? It’s not convenient for a man to handle everything alone.”
“Of course,” Li Juan said, stepping forward to help.
Ma Qian frowned slightly secretly cursing Song Wei for meddling in other people’s business: “It’s really fine. I can manage.”
Song Wei smiled, her tone light. “There’s nothing urgent today. It’s fine for Li Juan to go along.”
Under Song Wei’s calm gaze, Ma Qian reluctantly acquiesced.
Meanwhile, Bai Yunjiao leaned against Li Juan, her pale complexion concealing the sharp determination in her downcast eyes.
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