Chapter 16: Wild Animals

Madam Zhao nodded. “Yes.”

She knew that the greatest difficulty for their small family was not that they were starving, but that winter was approaching and there were no winter coats in the house for winter.

Without money, they couldn’t buy cotton and cloth. How could they survive the cold winter?

The only thing that they could sell to earn money were those wild chestnuts.

Su Sanlang stroked Su Xiaolu’s head again, then left the house. Soon they could hear him breaking through the bamboo.

There was also the sound of Su Chong, Su Hua, and Su Sanmei playing together. Madam Zhao looked at Su Xiaolu gently and said softly, “Simei, our family will definitely survive, right?”

Su Xiaolu looked at Madam Zhao and smiled at her.

Of course it would get better and better.

The baby’s innocent smile was like the sweetest dew in the world and the warmest morning sun. It instantly made Madam Zhao’s heart sweet and warm.

Su Sanlang, who was outside the house, quickly broke through a lot of bamboo. He broke through the pieces again until they were thin bamboo strands. Then, he began to weave.

Meanwhile, Su Sanmei was playing with rocks with her two brothers. It was raining outside, so they couldn’t go out either.

For four hours in the afternoon, Su Sanlang weaved bamboo baskets. When it was almost dark, the rain stopped.

Seeing that it was not dark yet, Su Sanlang stood up and said to Su Sanmei, “Sanmei, I’m going out for a while. You stay at home and watch the house, okay?”

Su Sanmei looked up at Su Sanlang and nodded obediently. “Yes, don’t worry, Father. I know.”

Su Sanlang then said to his two sons, “Hua, Chong, stay at home and don’t wander around. You have to listen to your sister, understand?”

Su Chong and Su Hua nodded. Then the two of them looked at Su Sanmei expectantly, signaling her to hurry up. They hadn’t had enough playing with stones.

Su Sanlang smiled and turned to leave.

He wanted to take a look at those traps before nightfall. Perhaps he would find something.

He held hope in his heart, but he knew that they would most likely be empty. Animals in the mountains were not easy to catch. They were all very clever.

He had almost reached the first trap when Su Sanlang heard the sound of flapping wings. He paused at first, then in ecstasy, he raced toward it.

His movement startled a pheasant with black fur and a green tail in the trap. Its wings fluttered even more fiercely as it tried to fly, but it was trapped by the rope on its feet.

Su Sanlang pounced on the pheasant and hugged it tightly.

Very cautiously, he took down the rope and used it to tie up the pheasant’s wings. “Thank God,” Su Sanlang whispered happily.

However, what Su Sanlang did not expect was yet to come.

Inside the second trap was a turtledove. The third was empty, but the insects had been eaten and the trap was destroyed. The fourth and fifth traps yielded a pheasant and a hare.

The sixth and seventh traps were empty. The bait was eaten and the traps were destroyed.

The eighth, ninth, and tenth traps yielded two hares and a turtledove.

When he returned after seeing all the traps, his hands were already full. Su Sanlang couldn’t stop smiling. He felt like he was stepping on clouds.

In the past, after the autumn harvest, Old Master Su would bring a few of them into the mountains to set up a few traps. It would be considered good if they could catch one or two hares a year.

This time, all of his traps worked and the animals were all alive. If he sold them, he could earn some money.

Before he entered the house, Su Sanlang was already shouting happily, “Darling, darling, quickly get up and take a look.”

Su Sanmei, Su Chong, and Su Hua ran out when they heard the commotion. When they saw the pheasants and hares that Su Sanlang was carrying, they exclaimed, “Wow, there are so many of them, Daddy.”

Madam Zhao had already sat up. Before she could get out of bed, Su Sanlang had already carried the animals into the house and said happily, “Darling, look, I just went to check the traps. All of them worked. I caught three hares, two pheasants, and two turtledoves. They’re all alive. I’ll drown these two turtledoves and make soup for you later.”

Madam Zhao was pleasantly surprised. She quickly said, “No need, no need. Sell them for money.”

There were some chestnuts at home. Coupled with these wild animals, they could be exchanged for some money. With money, they could buy cotton and cloth. Thinking of this, Madam Zhao’s worries dissipated a little.

Su Sanlang knew that Madam Zhao was worried. He looked at her gently and said, “We can earn money in the future. The two turtledoves don’t have much meat and aren’t worth much. I’ll make some soup to nourish your body and let Sanmei and the others have a sip too. I’ll go to town tomorrow and see which family needs firewood.”

“Darling, don’t say anything. Just listen to me. Let’s eat some wild animals today. The bait for the trap was caught by Sanmei too. We have to reward our daughter.”

Su Sanmei was standing beside Su Sanlang when he entered the house.

Su Chong and Su Hua’s eyes landed on the pheasant and hare from the moment they entered the house. They licked their lips and swallowed their saliva.

Su Sanmei swallowed and looked up. “Father, I’m not eating. I’m not hungry.”

Su Sanlang’s heart ached as he looked at his considerate daughter.

How could a poor family not crave meat?

Madam Zhao’s eyes were also a little pained. She thought of the days before they were separated from the family. When they ate, even if there was meat, it would not be theirs to eat. In the eyes of Madam Wang, Su Sanmei was a good-for-nothing. She should have been drowned to death as soon as she was born. Her very existence annoyed Madam Wang. She was not even allowed to eat more rice, let alone meat.

If Su Sanmei looked too hard at the meat, she would be scolded.

Thinking of this, Madam Zhao’s heart ached. Her eyes were slightly moist as she looked at Su Sanlang and said, “Sanlang, you’re right. It’s all thanks to Sanmei’s diligence that we can eat turtledoves tonight.”

Su Sanlang ruffled Su Sanmei’s hair and said, “Sanmei, go and start the fire. Hua, Chong, come with me and help me lock up the rabbits and pheasants.”

Su Chong and Su Hua clapped and followed Su Sanlang happily.

Su Sanmei also went to the stove to boil water.

After Su Sanlang and his two sons had settled the hares and pheasants, they drowned the two turtledoves in water. They were heated in hot water before they plucked their feathers.

Su Sanmei was a diligent helper and had already cooked the rice.

This is rare. Su Sanlang could not even bear to throw away the bird’s intestines. He washed them all and cut them into large pieces to cook in a pot.

Before long, the rich aroma of meat wafted into everyone’s noses.

Su Xiaolu smelled it too and was very happy. Insects with spiritual energy were loved by birds. This meant that there was a high chance that Su Sanlang’s traps would work well in the future.

If he caught something, he could exchange it for money. Once he exchanged it for money, their lives would be easier.

When dinner was ready, Su Sanlang brought a bowl of meat soup to Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao could not bear to eat so much meat. She said, “I don’t have to eat so much. Let the children eat.”

Then she called to Su Sanmei, “Sanmei, come here.”