Lin Ya gazed up at the sky, snowflakes falling on his head and soaking him. He exhaled a cloud of white breath, “I’m just used to preparing in advance; it doesn’t matter if the firewood goes unused. I’m just afraid it won’t be enough, so since the snow hasn’t come down heavily yet, I want to stock up. Just in case it snows for several days in a row; with a fire, we might save a few lives from freezing.”
“Most people’s clothing isn’t warm enough. Even without a migration, many freeze to death at home during winter.”
[Host, you’re too soft-hearted.]
Lin Ya snorted softly, a trace of sarcasm in his eyes. “Where am I soft-hearted? I’m just worried they’ll go crazy when they realize they’re about to die.”
“I’m concerned they might resort to stealing supplies. And if they turn violent, I alone can’t withstand those dozens of people.” He casually followed behind the group, even having others help carry the firewood on his back. “I’m as selfish as they come.”
123 couldn’t understand why he always referred to himself as selfish; if he were truly selfish, he wouldn’t have brought along a bunch of clingy dependents.
[Hmm… I don’t get it.]
“Yes.”
Chapter 14: Ancient Drought and Famine (Fourteen)
Inside the cave, a heavy mood enveloped everyone. Some sat blankly in place, while others cast furtive glances at one another.
Xu Jin stared anxiously at the wide cave entrance, his body tense. He gripped the kitchen knife tightly, his throat constantly constricting with unease. Upon seeing someone approach, he instinctively swallowed hard.
“What do you want?!” he whispered fiercely, startling the approaching figure.
Xu Father, feeling the sudden tension from that exclamation, shook himself awake.
Zhang and Xu Yue also looked over.
The two children were sound asleep, oblivious to the ruckus.
The newcomer was too shadowy to discern facial features, clearly not a friendly figure. His eyes gleamed mischievously, and tilting his head towards the mule, he grinned, “Is this mule for sale?”
Xu Jin eyed him warily. Replying stiffly, he said, “Not for sale.”
The man didn’t press further, knowing that if it wasn’t for sale, he might as well leave. However, before turning away, his eyes roamed over Xu Jin, clearly contemplating something sinister.
“Zixiu has been gone for quite a while; he should be back soon, right?” Xu Father remarked, glancing outside at the falling snow; the snow at the cave entrance was nearly as thick as their shoe soles.
“I should have let my brother-in-law stay behind while I went out to gather firewood,” Xu Jin frowned. What if his brother-in-law returned sick from being out in such heavy snow?
“Well… our family relies on Zixiu to have come this far,” Xu Father coughed softly and told them, “You’ll have to remember this in the future.”
“Yes, we will always remember my brother-in-law’s kindness,” they said, regardless of whether he was a wandering spirit or a deity come down to the mortal realm.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Throughout the journey, Lin Ya’s behavior was completely unlike that of an ordinary scholar handicapped by a broken hand. They were well aware of this.
He had not abandoned them to fend for themselves; instead, he had guided them along the way, whether it was by taking turns to drive the cart, keeping watch at night, or treating the two children like a true guardian.
That alone was enough.
A heavy silence enveloped the group.
At that moment, a commotion erupted outside.
“Wow! What a huge wild boar!” A curious individual rushed out to take a look, gasping in surprise with wide eyes.
“A wild boar?! There’s still this big of a wild boar in winter?!”
“Did they catch this together? It’s enormous!”
The previously somber atmosphere gradually turned lively, and even those who were hungry abandoned their meals to join in the excitement.
They placed the wild boar at the cave entrance, everyone covered in a blanket of white. Though their hands and feet trembled from the cold and turned blue, their spirits burned brightly within.
Lin Ya stepped forward and said, “Could I trouble everyone to help me carry this wild boar down the mountain? Does anyone know how to butcher it? I can offer some meat in return.”
“I do! I can! I’m a butcher!” A weak but tall middle-aged man emerged from the crowd, a bundle in hand.
“Then I’m counting on you.” Lin Ya nodded, signaling the others to lay the pig down on the ground.
“Brother-in-law, did you hunt this wild boar? Amazing!” Xu Jin finally squeezed through the crowd outside the entrance and looked at the boar on the ground, his expression lighting up at the sight of Lin Ya. But soon after, he spotted others nearby eyeing the boar with greed, his brow furrowing in concern.
“… Brother-in-law?” his tone carried an air of unease.
Lin Ya shook his head, signaling that he had made prior arrangements. Xu Jin felt reassured and quietly observed from the side.
The butcher, Zhao Bao, wiped away a tear before placing his bundle on the ground and unwrapping it. Inside were two neatly wrapped knives.
His fingers trembled; he had thought he would never touch these knives again. The food had run out, and if it continued to snow for two more days without any food, he would starve.
Grasping the knife, he transformed into a different person, his whole demeanor becoming courageous and imposing. Crouching down, he cleanly dispatched the pig, and in less than a fragrant incense stick’s worth of time, the pig was butchered flawlessly.
“Impressive…” Xu Jin exclaimed in awe.
“Boss, how should we butcher this pig?” Zhao Bao asked, raising his head for clarification.
“Chop the belly into strips; try to cut more, and the other side with ribs into slices. The four legs don’t need to be divided,” Lin Ya instructed, specifying how he wanted it divided while suggesting the rest be cut into several pieces for easier distribution later.
“And please chop the pig’s head into small chunks as well.”
“Okay… sure.”
Although the pig hadn’t been scalded, there likely wasn’t a large enough pot to boil water, which would be too extravagant anyway. They decided to cut it up and let the others deal with the cleanup back home.
The people who had helped carry the boar and gather firewood formed a group, and under Lin Ya’s direction, Zhao Bao distributed the meat accurately and evenly.
After handing out a little over ten pieces, about forty to fifty more pieces were left along with a pile of head meat, ribs, and offal.
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