Zhang Chen complained discontentedly, then pulled out a fist-sized jar from his sleeve and handed it to the girl on his shoulder. Zhang Tuowei took the jar, opened it absentmindedly at first, then stared in surprise at the crystal-clear contents, not recognizing what was inside: "What is this?"
"Just take a taste and you’ll know, won’t you? Do you think I’d poison you?" Zhang Chen retorted sharply.
In Zhang Chen’s hazy memories, he remembered that Zhang Tuowei and he had eaten honey in that big house during their childhood, but so many years had passed and Zhang Tuowei was very young back then, so she had long forgotten that memory.
"So sweet! Honey, it’s the honey Mr. Wang from the village talked about!" Zhang Tuowei exclaimed while sitting on Zhang Chen’s shoulders, her dirty hands clutching the jar tightly, afraid it would fall. There was disbelief in her voice: "Where did you get such a good thing? You managed to get this rare item? You’re really doing well now."
Sitting on Zhang Chen’s shoulders, Zhang Tuowei carefully licked a bit with her tongue, then closed the jar, her face full of joy: "I’ll take it back for little brother and mom to eat."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen neither agreed nor disagreed.
Carrying Zhang Tuowei and a basket on his back, Zhang Chen led a roe deer through the village, drawing curious glances from the villagers. Some greeted Zhang Chen, while others ignored him.
Zhang Chen had lived in Liwan Village for many years. Although he didn’t know everyone, he was familiar with many.
Leading the roe deer along, Zhang Chen arrived in front of a dilapidated thatched cottage. The cottage was surrounded by a wall made of mud and straw, and the old building had been ravaged by time. A large hole had appeared in the side room.
The main door was a fence woven from wood, and through the gap, a boy aged about three or four could be seen in the yard picking wild vegetables.
The boy wore no clothes, his skin was pitch black, tanned even worse than Zhang Tuowei, and he was just as thin from hunger as Zhang Tuowei.
Under the scorching sun in the yard, a dark-skinned, even thinner woman was busy with needlework.
The woman’s clothes were tattered, even more patched up than Zhang Tuowei’s, clearly stitched over and over again until they were devoid of color.
"Mom, look who’s here!" Sitting on Zhang Chen’s shoulders, Zhang Tuowei peered over the wall and saw the woman in the yard.
The boy picking wild vegetables paused and turned his head to look, while the thin, dark-skinned woman with the needlework also lifted her head.
The gate opened, and Zhang Chen led the roe deer inside. The woman’s gaze swept over Zhang Chen’s fair and delicate face, finally stopping on the roe deer behind him, and she was momentarily stunned.
Zhang Chen closed the gate, put down his little sister, then tied the roe deer to a nearby post and approached the woman, warmly calling, "Mom!"
The woman looked at Zhang Chen’s fair and delicate face, obviously indicating he was living well, then she came to her senses and said in a gentle voice: "I was worried about you recently, but now it seems you’re doing quite well."
There was no resentment in her voice, only genuine happiness. She did not blame Zhang Chen for looking well-nourished while not caring about the survival of the family. This was her nature, extremely gentle and always so mild-mannered. Otherwise, after Father passed away, the family’s land would not have been taken advantage of by others.
"I’ve encountered some trouble recently, but I’ve sorted it out now and had time to come by." Zhang Chen explained briefly, not elaborating on the troubles because dealing with the Fox Spirit alone was beyond her understanding.
The woman, hearing this, looked alarmed and set down her needlework: "Was there some kind of disaster? If something happens, tell me about it. I wouldn’t let anyone bully you."
"It’s already resolved, just minor issues, nothing for you to worry about," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
As he spoke, Zhang Chen pointed to the roe deer beside him: "I know life’s been hard for Mom and little brother, so I brought a roe deer for you to improve your meals."
The woman’s eyes glistened, then she swallowed hard and said: "It’s better to sell it and exchange it for brown rice. How long can a roe deer last? If we swap it for brown rice and mix it with wild vegetables, it can last most of the year."
Zhang Chen laughed at this, opened the basket, and pulled out the prepared brown rice: "Here’s thirty pounds of brown rice, enough for us to eat for half a month. My hunting skills have improved, and there’s other income too, so you don’t have to worry about living conditions anymore."
Zhang Chen’s gaze fell on the woman’s hands, fingers bony and covered with calluses and cuts. It was with these hands she’d created the most exquisite embroideries, supporting the siblings for years.
While speaking, he handed the dried meat to the boy, and without minding the dust on him, he hugged the boy: "Little Fei, have you missed big brother? See what good things I’ve brought for you."
"Meat! Meat!" Zhang Fei’s eyes lit up with a gleam, instantly drawn to the dried meat, paying no mind to Zhang Chen as he reached out eagerly.