Under the hazy moonlight, Lu Yunfei’s sharp features were clearly outlined. Propping himself up on one arm, he looked at Han Xiuxiu. His eyes seemed to hold tiny dancing flames.
Han Xiuxiu pulled the quilt over her face.
“It was last year… I was cutting pig grass on the mountain behind the village. I slipped and fell, and you happened to pass by. You helped me.”
Lu Yunfei vaguely remembered the incident.
It had been almost dark by then, and all he had seen was the blurry outline of a young girl. She had been extremely shy, and he hadn’t even dared speak to her, afraid he might frighten her. He had simply carried her basket back to the village for her.
To him, it had been nothing more than a casual act of kindness.
How could he have imagined that such a small deed would one day earn him a wife?
Han Xiuxiu had only learned about this memory after inheriting the original owner’s memories.
It was because of that small kindness that the original Han Xiuxiu realized Lu Yunfei wasn’t the terrifying, vicious man the villagers made him out to be. Instead, he was kind-hearted.
That was why, when she jumped into the river, she had dared to do it in front of him.
She had been certain that Lu Yunfei would never stand by and watch someone die.
“Just because of that?” Lu Yunfei asked.
“Mhm.”
The next moment, Lu Yunfei rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
He pulled back the quilt.
Unable to move beneath his weight, Han Xiuxiu pushed against him with both hands.
He raised himself slightly, bracing both hands against the pillow on either side of her head.
Then he lowered his head…
…and kissed her over and over again.
Han Xiuxiu was petite, completely enclosed within his embrace, unable to escape.
He had been restraining himself these past few days.
But today…
He simply couldn’t hold back any longer.
Knowing that his wife truly liked him—that she hadn’t been forced into marrying him—filled him with such overwhelming joy that he became even more impatient than before.
Although Han Xiuxiu had originally married Lu Yunfei only to fulfill the original owner’s final wish, these past few days of living together had shown her many of his good qualities.
He was hardworking.
Dependable.
Kind to both her and her family.
Open and generous, never selfish.
Little by little, she had begun to develop genuine feelings for him.
Since fate had brought her into this world…
Then she would live this life properly.
Her heart softened.
She responded to him more willingly than before.
That night, the two truly became one.
Compared to their wedding night, everything was far more harmonious.
Although their home was some distance from the village, they could still hear roosters crowing at the foot of the mountain.
Hearing them, Han Xiuxiu hurriedly got up.
As usual, Lu Yunfei was already practicing boxing in the courtyard, every punch powerful and full of vigor.
Han Xiuxiu carried the basket of chicks outside, gave them fresh food and water, washed up, and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
They ate a simple morning meal.
While eating, Lu Yunfei brought up his plans.
Although Shouyun Village bordered the mountains, the villagers rarely ventured deep inside. Most relied on farming for a living.
But the Lu family owned no farmland.
Nor did Lu Yunfei intend to clear wilderness for cultivation.
He had always lived by hunting.
Since getting married, he hadn’t gone into the mountains once, and he wondered whether the traps he’d previously set had caught anything.
He planned to check them the following day.
“Xiuxiu,” he said, “I’m going into the mountains tomorrow. Make me some flatbreads to take as provisions.”
At the mention of the mountains, Han Xiuxiu’s eyes lit up.
She had already tested it on Black Panther.
The beast-taming ability she’d possessed in the apocalypse had crossed over with her.
Excitedly, she said,
“I’ll go with you!”
Lu Yunfei rejected the idea immediately.
“Going into the mountains isn’t easy.”
“Your little body couldn’t handle it.”
“You stay home.”
Han Xiuxiu could only nod obediently.
“Alright.”
After breakfast, Han Xiuxiu planned to cut grass for the chickens.
Meanwhile, Lu Yunfei inspected all of his hunting equipment.
Arrowheads needed sharpening.
Knives needed honing.
These were life-saving tools.
He couldn’t afford even the slightest carelessness.
The husband and wife each busied themselves with their own tasks, yet the atmosphere between them remained warm and harmonious.
Han Xiuxiu slung a basket over her back, took a sickle, and headed out with Black Panther accompanying her.
Having him along made her feel much safer.
Only then did Lu Yunfei belatedly realize something.
Ever since Han Xiuxiu had married into the family…
Black Panther had switched sides.
He used to obey only Lu Yunfei.
Now he followed Han Xiuxiu everywhere.
Lu Yunfei wasn’t jealous of his wife.
He simply felt…
No wonder they had become husband and wife.
It really was fate.
The mountains were filled with trees and thick grass.
It didn’t take long to gather plenty.
With only two chickens at home, they didn’t need much each day.
Any extra would simply go to waste.
Along the way, Han Xiuxiu spotted wild scallions growing by the roadside.
She casually dug up a handful.
She planned to mix them into tomorrow’s flatbreads.
They’d taste much better than plain dry cakes.
Before she knew it, she had gathered quite a bundle.
She was about to head home when she noticed movement in the grass nearby.
At first she thought it was a snake.
Looking more carefully, however, she discovered a grayish-brown wild rabbit squatting in the grass, nibbling on leaves.
Normally, wild rabbits stayed hidden so well they were difficult to spot.
Yet this one sat right beside the path.
Black Panther noticed it too.
Immediately, he charged after it.
The rabbit darted into the grass, relying on its camouflage to evade him.
As long as it kept moving, Black Panther would easily track it.
But after running for a while, the rabbit froze completely.
Without movement, Black Panther lost sight of it and wandered around searching.
Han Xiuxiu kept her eyes fixed on the rabbit.
Watching it remain perfectly still to avoid capture, she smiled slightly.
An idea occurred to her.
She focused her thoughts…
…and attempted to use her beast-taming ability on the rabbit.
It only needed to move once.
Black Panther would spot it immediately.
The rabbit had hidden itself perfectly, waiting for the danger to pass before fleeing.
Suddenly…
Its body twitched involuntarily.
The surrounding grass rustled.
Before it could hide again—
Black Panther lunged forward and clamped his jaws around its neck.
Han Xiuxiu had only gone out to cut grass…
Yet she’d come home carrying a wild rabbit.
Lu Yunfei was surprised.
Still, he simply assumed she had been lucky.
He naturally believed Black Panther had caught it.
After all, over the years the dog had helped him catch plenty of rabbits and pheasants.
There was nothing unusual about it.
Han Xiuxiu smiled to herself.
She tossed some grass into the chicken coop, then released the chicks into the courtyard so they could run around.
She scattered more grass for them to peck at.
With the morning sun rising higher…
The little chicks made the once-quiet home feel full of life.
Since Lu Yunfei was heading into the mountains tomorrow, the rabbit made a perfect extra meal.
He handled the butchering.
Meanwhile, Han Xiuxiu took some pickled chili peppers and pickled radishes from the crock.
She planned to make sour rabbit stew.
The two jars of pickled vegetables at home were almost empty.
Only the bamboo shoots she’d pickled a few days ago remained.
She made a mental note to gather more tender bamboo shoots and pickle another batch.
Heating oil in a wok, she stir-fried the chopped pickled chilies and spices until fragrant.
Next came the sliced pickled radishes.
After frying them briefly, she added water and simmered everything until the soup became pleasantly sour.
Finally, she added the cleaned rabbit meat.
Once it was fully cooked…
The dish was ready.
Rabbit meat was naturally tender and delicious.
Cooked in the tangy broth made with pickled chilies and radishes, it became even more flavorful.
It paired perfectly with rice.
The leftover soup would be ideal for cooking noodles that evening.
That afternoon, one of the hens they had brought back from the Han family suddenly began clucking loudly.
Han Xiuxiu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“It laid an egg!”
“Perfect—I can use it to make flatbreads.”
She kneaded dough, mixed in the fresh egg and the wild scallions she’d gathered, and made several scallion-and-egg pancakes for Lu Yunfei to take into the mountains.
The aroma made Lu Yunfei hungry before they were even finished.
The wild scallions were especially tender.
Combined with the egg, the pancakes were soft, fragrant, and delicious.
The rich aroma of scallions mixed with egg easily surpassed every flatbread he’d ever eaten.
He took a bite himself…
Then fed one to Han Xiuxiu.
She barely had time to eat.
She was busy flipping the pancakes over the fire.
The stove burned firewood.
If she wasn’t careful for even a moment, they’d burn.
Before dawn, while the sky was still dim, Lu Yunfei quietly got out of bed.
Though he tried to move silently, Han Xiuxiu still woke.
She knew he’d be leaving for the mountains early.
She simply hadn’t expected it to be this early.
Even the roosters hadn’t crowed yet.
The room remained dark.
As he dressed by feel, Lu Yunfei said,
“Go back to sleep.”
“It’s still very early.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
Han Xiuxiu sat up anyway and began putting on her clothes.
“I’ll see you off.”
Although he hated making his wife wake so early…
Hearing those words filled his heart with warmth.
He simply answered,
“Alright.”
He didn’t object again.
Lu Yunfei splashed a ladle of cold water onto his face.
The icy water immediately woke him completely.
“I’m taking Black Panther into the mountains.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t go too deep.”
“I’ll be back before evening.”
Han Xiuxiu wrapped yesterday’s pancakes, filled a bamboo tube with cooled boiled water, packed everything into a cloth bag, and handed it to him.
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
Lu Yunfei answered before calling Black Panther to follow him.
He had only taken a few steps before noticing Han Xiuxiu still standing at the doorway.
He turned back.
Leaning forward, he kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Close the courtyard gate.”
“Wait for me to come home.”
Han Xiuxiu nodded.
Looking at her, Lu Yunfei couldn’t help smiling.
My wife is really adorable.
“Alright.”
“Go get a little more sleep.”
“I’m leaving.”
Only then did he stride away.
Han Xiuxiu shut the courtyard gate, returned to the room, and lay back down.
Being a hunter really wasn’t an easy life.
That day, Lu Yunfei went into the mountains, leaving Han Xiuxiu home alone.
After breakfast, she cut grass for the chickens, washed their dirty clothes, and thought about returning to the bamboo grove they’d visited before.
She wanted to dig up more bamboo shoots.
She also wanted to check whether the cluster of bamboo mushrooms had grown.
Just then, she heard a familiar voice from outside.
“Big Sister… are you home?”
Hearing Han Xiaoxiao’s voice, Han Xiuxiu was both surprised and delighted.
She hurried over to open the gate.
“Xiaoxiao!”
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see you.”
Although Han Xiaoxiao was smiling…
No one knew her better than her own sister.
Han Xiuxiu immediately noticed the redness around her eyes.
She had clearly been crying.
Grabbing her hand, Han Xiuxiu asked anxiously,
“Did that woman hit you again?”
Han Xiaoxiao bit her lip.
“No…”
Han Xiuxiu didn’t believe her.
She rolled up the little girl’s sleeve.
Several large bruises covered her arm.
The moment Han Xiuxiu touched one…
Han Xiaoxiao couldn’t help gasping in pain.
Han Xiuxiu’s own eyes reddened.
She carefully pulled the sleeve back down.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
Han Xiaoxiao shook her head.
Han Xiuxiu gently rubbed her head.
“Then I’ll cook you a bowl of noodles.”
“Okay.”
Han Xiuxiu reheated the leftover sour rabbit stew from yesterday.
She boiled some noodles, poured them into the rich broth, sprinkled chopped scallions on top…
Soon, a steaming bowl of noodles was ready.
The moment Han Xiaoxiao smelled it…
She couldn’t help swallowing secretly.
She hadn’t eaten dinner the previous night.
Now, with that delicious aroma filling the air…
She was starving.