Chapter Sixty-Three: Returning to the Village

Han Li was initially startled by He Mi's words, thinking to himself, “What on earth is she talking about? It’s not even legal to have concubines in our country anymore. Besides, aren’t you afraid your words might turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy?” Then, recalling her expertise in classical literature, he wondered if she had simply been influenced by old stories. But since He Mi often mentioned her grandmother, it was probably a matter of family influence more than anything else.

Han Li absentmindedly touched his ear, feeling a strange emotion he couldn’t quite name. Before he could say anything, He Mi pointed at the dead wolf.

“What should we do with this wolf? If we bring it back, will it be confiscated?”

Han Li gathered his thoughts and replied, “It’s alright. At most, we’ll have to share some of the meat with the villagers, but the commune will give us a reward.”

“This wolf’s pelt isn’t the best, but I want to keep it as a memento of what happened today.”

After hearing this, He Mi’s cheeks flushed again, and she seemed less repulsed by the bloodied wolf.

At that time, there were rewards for killing wolves, determined by local policies. For example, in pastoral provinces, each wolf killed might earn you five to fifteen yuan, a leopard fifteen to thirty yuan—or sometimes, killing a large wolf could get you a sheep, and a wolf cub, a lamb. Individuals or teams who killed a certain number each year could earn model worker titles.

In the northern provinces, the reward was usually a certificate, some money, or ration coupons. The pelt would go to the hunter, but the tail or ears had to be handed over as proof. The meat had to be shared; keeping it all for oneself could have serious consequences. Small game like pheasants or hares, no one cared about. Living off the land for a bit was normal, since everyone did it. But large animals like wolves were considered collective property. If you were caught keeping one for yourself, it would cause trouble—unless, of course, you hid it well enough.

Since Han Li couldn’t use his usual trick in front of He Mi, the wolf had to be turned in to the commune. Still, he’d get the largest piece of meat and the pelt; the rest would be divided as the commune saw fit.

He Mi said, “Let’s take the wolf and go quickly. If the smell of blood attracts other wild animals, it’ll be bad.”

Han Li replied, “No need to rush. Animals mark their own territories, and a lone wolf wouldn’t dare enter another predator’s territory so easily. We’re safe for now.”

Even so, he didn’t dawdle. He found a sturdy branch, tied the wolf to it with rope, and together, they hoisted it up and started back.

Han Li carried the wolf with one hand and occasionally helped steady He Mi with the other. Because of her figure and the rough path, it was impossible to avoid a few brushes here and there. He Mi, always composed on the outside, was blushing all the way to her ears. Still, she didn’t protest his support; in fact, on the rougher stretches, she reached out for help herself.

Once they’d made it down to the path, the two instinctively put a little distance between them.

When Han Li carried the wolf into the village, it was only around three in the afternoon. Most of the villagers were still on the mountain, but a few saw him and He Mi. Seeing Han Li with the wolf, they weren’t envious, just anxious, and hurried over to ask, “Where did you catch the wolf, Han?”

“Up in the northern mountains, but I ran into it deep inside,” Han Li answered.

“But that doesn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be wolves in these hills at this time of year. Did you find a pack or was it alone?”

Seeing their nervous faces, Han Li immediately realized why. “Auntie, if it had been a pack, we wouldn’t have come back at all. This lone wolf nearly cost me my life.”

“A lone wolf, then. That’s good! A pack would’ve been a disaster, with so many people still on the mountain.”

“Seeing the wolf scared the wits out of me.”

“Exactly. But to think gentle Han could kill a wolf—never would’ve guessed it!”

“That’s right! Han’s braver than some folks who wet their pants at the sight of one.”

“Hahaha… Zhang Daqiang sure doesn’t live up to his name, does he!”

“I was scared too,” Han Li admitted. “But if I hadn’t fought for my life, I’d be dead. Truth is, I just got lucky—the wolf was skin and bones, probably starving for days. I just happened to run into it at the right moment.”

With the tension gone, the villagers started joking with Han Li and He Mi.

“Han, why’d you only bring He Mi up the mountain today?”

“Yeah, He Mi, why weren’t you with the other girls? Don’t you usually go together?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The two of them must be courting!”

“Auntie, you’re my actual aunt! You can’t say things like that. He Mi and I were walking back from the clinic with Qi, and when she left, it was just the two of us. Isn’t it normal we went up the mountain together? Besides, I’m still young—no need to rush into things.”

“Young? When I was your age in this village…”

At this, Han Li wondered why the village chief’s marriage was everyone’s business, but now wasn’t the time to ask. Laughing and chatting, he made his way to the commune building with the villagers.

Only Captain Liang was there. He asked about the wolf again, frowning. “Han, you killed this wolf. What do you want to do with it?”

“Captain, I killed it with He Mi. I’d like to keep the pelt for her—if you could find someone skilled to skin it. As for the meat, just give me a bit and do as you see fit with the rest.”

Captain Liang scoffed, “In Shanghe Village, even the old ladies can skin a wolf. I’ll do it myself, but tanning the hide is another matter—you’ll have to find someone who knows how.”

Several villagers offered to help with tanning, but that would have to be discussed with He Mi.

Captain Liang had Han Li hang the wolf from a tree stump, fetched a sharp knife and a wooden basin from inside, sliced off one ear as proof, and quickly skinned the wolf. Then he opened up the carcass, letting the organs fall into the basin. He didn’t get a drop of blood on himself. Finally, he hacked off a hind leg and handed it to Han Li.

“This is for you and He Mi. The rest of the meat can’t be divided up just yet. Tonight, when everyone’s back, we’ll call the villagers together and those who want some can trade work points for it. The commune’s reward for killing the wolf will be given to you later.”

“Thank you, Captain. Could I also keep a few wolf teeth? This was my first wolf, after all.”

Thank you for the reward, benefactors.
Thank you to: Chen Chuanhuan for a reward of 500 points.
Thank you to: The Wind Passes My Eyes for a reward of 100 points.
Thank you to: The Billionth Sheep for a reward of 100 points.