mtl008 Chapter 407 I've been waiting for this chapter!
Chapter 407 I've been waiting for this chapter!
After shopping, Li Xiangyang and his family stood at the edge of the market, carrying large and small bags, discussing how to transport their goods home.
Just as they were worrying, a familiar voice came from afar: "Xiangyang! Over here!"
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw Li Daqiang driving a donkey cart toward them.
On the donkey cart, Wang Ergou, with his arm around his wife, winked at him and said with a smile, "See? I was right, wasn't I?"
"Brother Daqiang! What a coincidence! We were just wondering how to get our stuff back!" Ignoring Wang Ergou, Li Xiangyang greeted Li Daqiang with a smile.
Li Daqiang, also smiling, stopped the donkey cart: "Get on, it's good to go back to the village."
Li Xiangyang nodded gratefully and helped his family load the items onto the donkey cart.
With the help of her mother, Li Xiaoyun carefully climbed onto the donkey cart and sat in a position that looked relatively comfortable.
The donkey cart swayed along the country road, surrounded by farmland covered in a blanket of snow.
Along the way, villagers greeted them warmly when they saw them returning.
"Wow, I bought so many good things!"
"Xiangyang, your wife's pregnant is a wonderful thing, you need to eat well!"
"Ergou, you mustn't act recklessly!"
……
Listening to the villagers' kind words, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
This is what home feels like; this is everything he wants to protect after his rebirth.
The donkey cart stopped in front of the Li family's house. Li Xiangyang jumped off first, helped his wife get off carefully, and then helped his mother and sister carry things.
"Brother Daqiang, we really owe you a lot today," Li Xiangyang said gratefully.
Li Daqiang waved his hand: "It's nothing, we're all family. Come over for a drink sometime."
Li Xiangyang smiled and agreed, "Okay, I'll definitely go when I have time."
After seeing Li Daqiang off, the family went into the courtyard.
"Xiaoyun, you go inside and rest first, I'll tidy up my things," Li Xiangyang said softly to his wife.
Li Xiaoyun nodded and entered the house with the help of her mother.
Li Xiangyang and Li Xiaohua then sorted out the New Year's goods they had bought and put them into the storage room.
After finishing all that, Li Xiangyang rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen: "Mom, let's have a good meal today. I'll cook."
"Alright, come here and see how your skills are now," Li's mother replied with a smile.
Li Xiangyang skillfully started a fire, washed vegetables, and cut meat. Before long, a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen.
Drawn by the aroma, Li Xiaohua ran to the kitchen doorway: "Brother, what's delicious to eat today?"
Li Xiangyang laughed and said, "Pork ribs stewed with sauerkraut, and braised pork belly."
"Great!" Li Xiaohua cheered and ran to tell her mother and sister-in-law.
Outside the window, snowflakes began to fall, adding to the festive atmosphere of the upcoming Spring Festival.
The firewood in the stove was crackling and burning brightly. Li Xiangyang placed the bubbling pot of sauerkraut on the table, and the splattered oil almost hit Li Xiaohua's nose.
"Stop dawdling! Dinner's ready!" While he was wiping his hands with his apron, Li Xiaohua had already stood on tiptoe and neatly arranged the bowls and chopsticks, not forgetting to pull the fattest bowl of braised pork closer to herself.
"Xiaoyun, sit down quickly, it's warm here!" Li's mother pressed down on her daughter-in-law, who was about to get up to help, and put a large piece of pork rib into her bowl.
Li Xiangyang shoveled rice into his sister's bowl, saying, "You're such a glutton!" He then turned and added a spoonful of meat broth to his mother's bowl.
Li Xiaohua puffed out her cheeks and muttered, "Brother, your pickled cabbage is so sour it makes my teeth chatter, it's even more flavorful than Aunt Wang's!" Before she finished speaking, she stuffed another piece of juicy meat into her mouth, oil dripping down the corners of her mouth.
Outside, snowflakes pelted against the window paper, but inside, it was so hot that people were sweating profusely.
After dinner, Li Xiangyang cleaned up the dishes and snuggled up with his wife on the warm kang (heated brick bed).
"Xiangyang, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Li Xiaoyun asked softly, leaning on her husband's shoulder.
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment: "There's still some time before the Spring Festival. I'd like to check on the deer farm and then take a stroll in the forest to see if we can hunt some more game. We can make plenty of cured meat; it'll be good to bring some when visiting relatives."
"Don't push yourself too hard. Our family is already doing quite well," Li Xiaoyun said worriedly.
"Don't worry, there won't be any risks." Li Xiangyang hugged his wife tightly and gently patted her back. "Rest now, we have to get up early tomorrow."
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the patterned paper on the window into the room, Li Xiangyang was already up and tidied up.
"You're up so early?" Li Xiaoyun opened her sleepy eyes, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Did I wake you?" Li Xiangyang turned around, looked at his wife's sleepy face, and pressed down on her shoulder. "You have to support two people now, sleep a little longer."
Li Xiaoyun nodded and rubbed her stomach: "Then be careful on the road."
Li Xiangyang ate a few bites of food and then went out.
The wind was biting cold, and the snow in the village was thick, making a crunching sound when you stepped on it.
Several old locust trees at the village entrance were covered with icicles, which shimmered in the morning sun.
In the distance, several crows flew across the low sky, cawing and breaking the morning's tranquility.
Li Xiangyang strode towards the deer farm outside the village.
From afar, he saw Wang Ergou standing at the entrance of the deer farm, smiling as he said, "Ergou, up so early?"
"Hey, I knew you couldn't stay idle, you'd definitely come today!" Wang Ergou grinned.
Li Xiangyang approached with a smile: "How are the deer?"
"They're doing great, they've all adapted." Wang Ergou pointed to the deer enclosure. "Look, they're all very energetic."
Li Xiangyang looked in the direction Wang Ergou pointed and saw the seven deer leisurely walking around the area.
And because of the breeding during this period, it had developed some trust in people and actually came over, letting him reach out and stroke it.
"Good heavens, you can touch this?" Wang Ergou said in surprise.
"Haha, there's food and drink here, and people to take care of us, it would be strange if they didn't let us touch you," Li Xiangyang laughed. "After a while, it'll feel even more welcoming."
After inspecting the deer farm, Li Xiangyang patted the grass clippings off his hands: "Are you planning to go into the mountains today?"
"That's exactly what I was waiting for!" Wang Ergou perked up immediately. "Which mountain are you planning to go to?"
Li Xiangyang looked up at the sky; the clouds were thick and heavy, a somber, leaden gray. "We can't go too far," he said, "our wife is pregnant."
"How about going to Xiaoqingling? The forests there are dense, there's little snow, and there should be plenty of wild rabbits," Wang Ergou suggested.
“Okay, Xiaoqingling it is.” Li Xiangyang nodded. Xiaoqingling is only five miles away from the village, so even if something happens, they can come back quickly.
After they finished speaking, the two went home to get their guns, along with several sheaths and slipknots, and headed towards Xiaoqingling.
Only their footprints were visible on the snow-covered fields, and the cold wind howled past their ears, stinging their cheeks.