I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

"Thanks, brother!" Big Wang and Zhao Wendong shared a look and a smile, a silent understanding passing between them.

After Big Wang left, Zhao Wendong briefly greeted his family before heading back to the educated youth residence by the sea to catch up on sleep. His brothers, Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Wenwu, did the same. The trip into the mountains had been exhausting. With New Year’s Eve tomorrow, they all completely relaxed and focused on getting some much-needed rest.

This year, the Zhao family had bought a lot of red paper. After cutting it to size, Chen Yanmei took it straight to Third Master Zhao to have him write the New Year’s couplets. She also had him prepare "Good Fortune" characters and the "Double Happiness" characters from Zhao Wendong’s wedding. On top of that, Wang Lulu helped draw several pictures, including some of chubby babies, which made Chen Yanmei and Zhao Dashan’s faces ache from smiling so much.

Back at the educated youth residence, Zhao Wendong lay down on the heated kang bed. His mind drifted. ’Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. What should we cook? We have to eat as well as possible to send off the old year and welcome the new. And what about the wedding banquet? How should we prepare for that? What kind of food should we arrange?’ As these thoughts swirled in his head, he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke again, Lin Zhiyin was sitting at the head of the kang, mending a tear in his clothes. It was impossible to avoid rips and snags with all the overgrown branches in the mountains. Seeing that he was awake, Lin Zhiyin gave him a gentle smile. "You’re awake. Are you hungry?"

"I’m not hungry."

Zhao Wendong was still groggy. Looking at the sky outside, he thought for a moment he had slept until dawn the next day. But when he glanced at his pocket watch, he saw it was only a little past two in the afternoon. He sank back onto the kang, not feeling like getting up at all. He just watched Lin Zhiyin as she mended his clothes, letting his mind go completely blank.

Lin Zhiyin kept her head down, focused on mending his cotton-padded jacket. "You were sleeping so soundly at lunchtime, so I didn’t wake you."

"Mm-hmm."

Zhao Wendong let out a few lazy hums. Ever since his rebirth, he’d been spinning like a top, working himself to the bone without a break. But today, lying on the warm kang, watching Lin Zhiyin mend his clothes, the quiet domesticity of the moment made him feel like all his hard work had been worth it.

Like Little Tuanzi asking to be coddled, Zhao Wendong stretched his arms out to Lin Zhiyin. "Honey, I need a hug."

Lin Zhiyin glanced up at him, amused. After a moment’s thought, she carefully stuck the needle and thread into the fabric and set it aside. Then she slowly settled into Zhao Wendong’s arms, resting her head on his shoulder. He hugged her, pulling her body tightly against his, and they simply felt each other’s warmth and the beat of their hearts.

"Honey, I want to build a big house. A house big enough for your parents, my parents, my grandparents, my big brother and second brother... even Er Gouzi and Third Master. A bright, spacious house with brick walls and a tiled roof, so no one has to be cooped up in these dark, dingy adobe houses anymore. But I can’t do that right now, and it’s eating me up inside. If we just build a house for ourselves first... I feel like... like..."

"Like what? Selfish?"

"Yeah... that’s it. Am I being too selfish? Our families are still in adobe houses, but we’re about to move into a brand-new brick one. It just doesn’t sit right with me."

Lin Zhiyin didn’t say anything at first. Instead, she raised her hand and gently covered his with her own soft, delicate one before she began to speak.

"Do you know what a role model is?"

"The power of a role model is immense. You’re not just enjoying the fruits of your labor first; you’re setting an example for our family and the whole village. You’re showing them that we can build a better life with our own two hands. And besides, you’ve earned all of this honestly. You haven’t stolen or robbed anyone. Without you, how much game would Big Brother, Second Brother, and Er Gouzi be able to hunt? You’re always careful about this, right? You always give Er Gouzi his share of the goods and the money. Everyone sees that."

"Your sisters-in-law won’t be angry. They’ll be happy for us. They know what kind of person you are. If we’re the first to move into a brick house, it means they could be next, right? If even we can’t manage it, what hope would they have?"

"And as for building houses for everyone all at once... setting aside the fact that we don’t have enough materials or time, government policies can change at any moment. What if we wait a year or two and lose the chance to build even this one house?"

Zhao Wendong rested his forehead against Lin Zhiyin’s and tapped it gently in agreement.

"You’re right, honey. I was worrying needlessly and getting ahead of myself. Time and government policies wait for no one. We’re lucky to be able to build even one."

"Exactly! That’s my point. The problem isn’t that my husband thinks too much of himself—it’s that he doesn’t give himself enough credit! And hey, after the house is built, if you really can’t get over this hump, I’ll stay here with you. We can just let our parents and grandparents live in the new house first."

"Mmm. Thank you, honey."

"You silly goose, what are you thanking me for? I’m your wife!"

Zhao Wendong’s arms tightened around Lin Zhiyin, holding her so close it was as if he wanted to merge her into his very being. After a moment, his hands began to wander.

"Hey! Zhao Wendong, you rascal, it’s still broad daylight!"

"Hehe, I couldn’t help myself."

The couple was laughing and horsing around when a knock came at the door. Jin Xiuying’s voice called from outside, "It’s not even dark yet, you two are getting a bit ahead of yourselves! Your mother is here to put up the couplets."

Zhao Wendong opened the door to find a smiling Chen Yanmei holding a set of couplets. Behind her stood Wang Lulu, carrying a basin of the rice paste used to stick them up. The rice paste wasn’t as good as proper glue, but in this day and age, it was all they had. In all of Dragon King Pond, there were probably fewer than ten families who could afford to put up new couplets this year.

After they finished putting up the couplets, they also pasted one of Wang Lulu’s drawings of a pair of chubby babies at the head of each of the two kang beds. Only then did Chen Yanmei and Wang Lulu leave, satisfied with their work. As they left, Chen Yanmei reminded Zhao Wendong to come home for dinner soon. Since he and Lin Zhiyin hadn’t eaten lunch, she was making an early dinner. A mother always worries about her children going hungry.

"By the way, Mom, how is Damei doing?"

Zhao Wendong called out after her. Chen Yanmei stopped and turned. "Damei is doing much better, she’s in much better spirits. But her child seems to have gotten a fright. I think your third aunt asked Granny Liu to come take a look at the little one."

Zhao Wendong’s interest was immediately piqued. He turned to Lin Zhiyin. "Want to go see?"

Lin Zhiyin nodded with a smile. She was actually very curious about it. She’d heard the story of how, when Zhao Wendong had been unconscious with a high fever, it was Granny Liu who had performed a ritual to call his soul back. Now she had a chance to see something similar with her own eyes, and she was quite looking forward to it.

Since Zhao Wendong and Lin Zhiyin were going to watch the spectacle, Zhao Wenwu and Jin Xiuying naturally wouldn’t miss out. Especially Zhao Wenwu—wherever there was a commotion, he was sure to be found.