I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Zhao Wendong swung his bayonet to the side, flinging the crucian carp onto the snow a short distance away. A few drops of fish blood splattered on the white ground. After landing, the carp flopped twice and then slowly went still.

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

The little White Weasel let out a series of excited squeaks, as if cheering Zhao Wendong on. The remaining carp stirred in a panic. One clever fish followed the current of the hot spring and rushed into the underground river, disappearing from sight. The other three swam in circles a couple of times, perhaps unwilling to leave the comfortable water temperature, and returned to their original spots to lie still again.

Zhao Wendong was thrilled. ’You turn your backs on the open road to heaven and instead barge into a gateless hell. What a shame that one got away.’ He wondered how he could catch the remaining three in one fell swoop. If only he had someone to help block their escape.

"How’s it going? Did you catch any?"

Lin Zhiyin’s voice came from nearby, getting closer. Zhao Wendong’s spirits lifted. His second and eldest brothers had wandered off to scout the surroundings, and he was just thinking he was short on hands. He didn’t expect Lin Zhiyin to be finished with her bath. She was just what he needed to help drive the fish back if they tried to scatter.

"I caught one! Quick, come help me! Don’t let the rest get..."

Zhao Wendong’s words trailed off as he stared, dumbfounded, at the sight of Lin Zhiyin before him. He couldn’t even bring himself to blink, his gaze fixed.

Lin Zhiyin had just emerged from the hot spring, and her youthful, vibrant body still radiated its warmth. Her pretty face was flushed a rosy pink, looking so soft and dewy. Her long, black hair was draped loosely over her shoulders, with a few damp strands clinging to her cheeks. An occasional droplet of water would trace a path down her jawline and disappear into her collar.

She had thrown on her cotton-padded jacket in a hurry, it seemed, because the collar wasn’t fully buttoned. It revealed a wide expanse of her fair, smooth skin, a sight that tempted one to explore further. When Lin Zhiyin noticed Zhao Wendong had stopped talking and was just staring at her, she glanced down at her collar. Her ears instantly turned red. She quickly straightened her clothes and gave him a shy slap on the back.

"What are you looking at, you perv! Now, what did you need help with?"

"Oh, right! Hold this stick. If the fish swim toward you, just hit them and drive them out of the water!"

Zhao Wendong casually picked up a wooden stick from the ground and handed it to Lin Zhiyin. She blinked, and only after he explained it a second time did she understand that her job was to stop the fish from escaping back into the underground river channel.

"Okay, got it! I’m holding it. I’ll make sure to hit them good for you!"

Lin Zhiyin gripped the stick with both hands and stood at the entrance to the underground channel, looking every bit like someone determined to complete her mission.

"Okay, I’m starting!"

With that, Zhao Wendong repeated his earlier success. He slowly approached the three remaining fish, took aim at one, and then his bayonet shot out like a striking dragon, stabbing cleanly into the carp’s body. He then flung it onto the bank.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

The sound of the stick hitting the water was loud, sending splashes everywhere. The other two carp sensed the danger and this time both tried to swim back into the underground river. But Lin Zhiyin, wielding her stick, beat them back with a flurry of strikes.

"Ah!"

Lin Zhiyin let out a cry. She had been hitting the water so forcefully that she’d splashed herself, soaking a patch of her clothes.

Fortunately, her efforts weren’t in vain. Her frantic display had scared the two remaining carp back into the warm-water area. After a moment, they once again settled down and lay motionless, as if they’d already forgotten the fate of their two companions.

"Haha, look at these two stupid fish. Do they really only have a seven-second memory?"

Seeing the two fish go still again, Zhao Wendong chuckled, ready to send them ashore for a little stroll.

Lin Zhiyin shook her head at his words.

"A fish’s memory lasts much longer than seven seconds. They can remember where danger is for a long time. These two have only accepted their fate because their escape route is blocked and they have nowhere to run."

Zhao Wendong gave Lin Zhiyin a big thumbs-up. ’The daughter of a wealthy family really is different.’ Her words carried a certain depth. On the surface, she was talking about fish, but it felt like she was alluding to something else entirely.

With Lin Zhiyin’s help, the last two carp couldn’t escape Zhao Wendong’s stabs. Soon, four crucian carp were lying side-by-side, like sworn brothers till the end.

’I really want to eat fish! Will Master give me one?’

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

The White Weasel scrambled onto Lin Zhiyin’s shoulder, squeaking as it stared at the fish. Lin Zhiyin didn’t notice at all; she was still cheerfully scanning the river, hoping to find any that had escaped the net.

"Zhiyin, your little mouse wants to eat these fish!"

"Huh? Isn’t that a waste? We should save them and bring them back for our families to eat."

Lin Zhiyin sounded a little reluctant. Although she was fond of the White Weasel, people barely had enough to eat these days, and she knew how to prioritize.

"It’s fine, let’s give it one!"

As he spoke, Zhao Wendong tossed a fish to Lin Zhiyin’s feet. His relationship with the animals wasn’t one of master and servant, but more of a partnership. The animals provided him with clues, and he shared the rewards with them. The White Weasel had discovered these fish, so it was only right to give it one.

Seeing Zhao Wendong toss the fish over, the White Weasel immediately scampered down from Lin Zhiyin’s shoulder, letting out happy little squeaks. It began to tear into the fresh crucian carp, making contented grunts as it ate. Lin Zhiyin thought Zhao Wendong had done it just to indulge her and was deeply moved. She took the initiative to lean in and plant a light peck on his lips.

There was no way Zhao Wendong would let this willing offering escape. He immediately wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a fierce kiss. Amidst the white steam of the hot spring, the two young figures held each other tightly, mouth to mouth, heart to heart.

"Hahaha, look everyone! Brother San is making out with his grubby girl!"

The two were lost in their kiss—Zhao Wendong was just about to pry her lips open and slide his tongue in—when Zhao Wenwu’s voice suddenly boomed. It startled them both, and they hastily broke apart. Mortified, Lin Zhiyin angrily punched Zhao Wendong twice, her face beet red. Zhao Wendong, furious, pointed a finger at Zhao Wenwu.

"Just you wait, Second Brother! Next time you and Second Sister-in-law are kissing, I’ll come stand right next to you and cause a scene!"

"Hehe, go ahead. The more the merrier! Your sister-in-law’s lips are really sweet. We can all kiss together next time."

Zhao Wendong was speechless.

’Can we really? Second Brother, you truly are the best brother!’

Nearby, Jin Xiuying had been enjoying the show, but when she heard Zhao Wenwu’s words, she nearly face-planted on the ground. Furious, she shrieked and lunged at him.

"Zhao Wenwu, you big idiot! I’m going to kill you!"

"Hahaha, can’t catch me, can’t catch me."

Zhao Wenwu took off running. On the sidelines, the spectating Zhao Wenjun and Zhao Ergou were laughing so hard their stomachs hurt. They were both squatting on the ground, clutching their bellies and groaning, feeling like they might die of laughter from Zhao Wenwu’s antics one day.

’How does that damn White Weasel get a fish? This young master wants some too!’

"YIP YIP YIP!"

The little fox had intended to snatch the White Weasel’s fish, but seeing Zhao Wendong’s menacing glare, its eyes darted around before it ran over to Lin Zhiyin to act cute. Lin Zhiyin already felt bad that the White Weasel had eaten one. With only three left, there might not be enough for all the people in their family, so how could she possibly give another to the fox? She simply scooped up the whimpering, sly little fox and started walking away.

"Be a good little one. I’ll share some fish soup with you later."

The fox: ???

"Brother San, you got fish!"

Er Gouzi saw Zhao Wendong pick up the fish, which had just frozen solid, and put them in a bag. He cried out in pleasant surprise. Hearing this, Zhao Wenwu and Jin Xiuying stopped their chase and both ran over to see the novelty.

"Haha, it really is fish!"

"Where’d you get them?"

Zhao Wendong pointed to the shallow area below the hot spring pool.

"In there. There were just a few of them."

Everyone rushed to the water’s edge to check, hoping to find another fish or two, but they naturally came up empty. Zhao Ergou stared thoughtfully at the hot spring water flowing into the underground river channel. After a long moment, he slapped his hand in excitement.

"You guys think there must be a ton of fish in the water down there?"

"Yeah, not many people have been here, so there must be a lot of fish inside. But we can’t get to them if they’re underground."

Zhao Wenjun also looked at the disappearing underground river with some regret.

"It can’t stay underground forever, right? It has to flow out somewhere eventually. Why don’t we follow the sound of the water and look for it? If we find a spot where it comes out in the open, there should be more fish."

Zhao Wenjun thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"It’ll be tough, unless it flows into a big pond or something. But we can give it a try."

"Alright, we’ll try in a bit. First, help me gather some of the grass around here. I want to give the big brown horse a little extra something to eat."

Zhao Wendong readily agreed. In any case, Lin Zhiyin was done with her bath, and they didn’t know where to go to find prey. They might as well follow the underground river and see where it led. With the thought of getting some fresh food for the big brown horse in mind, Zhao Wendong called everyone over to help him gather green grass.

This wasn’t the kind of lush field grass you’d find in summer. Only within a two- or three-meter radius of the hot spring grew some low-lying, cold-resistant, moisture-loving grasses—mostly cottongrass and some small sedges. Many hands make light work, and in no time, they had gathered half a bag. The green patch around the hot spring was now noticeably paler.

"Did you guys see any game when you were out scouting earlier?"

"No. We’ve been walking around here too much lately. The area smells too much like people!"

Zhao Wendong nodded at his eldest brother’s words. Animals would instinctively avoid places humans frequented. There was nothing to be done about that.

’Fox is mean. Give to big brother dog.’

"SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

Zhao Wendong suddenly heard Little Xiaobai’s thoughts and turned his head. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

It turned out the White Weasel had gotten full after eating just a small part of its fish. It chose to offer the rest to General and the other dogs. This infuriated the fox, who had been watching with longing eyes and was now baring its teeth at the weasel. Seeing how sensible the White Weasel was, General immediately let out a bark at the fox. Since General had spoken, the fox didn’t dare challenge him. It could only sulkily turn away, opting for an "out of sight, out of mind" approach. It seemed the more it looked, the angrier it got.

Zhao Wendong walked over with his bayonet and helped process the fish. He first cut off the part the White Weasel had eaten, then filleted the meat from the rest and tossed it to General and the dogs. He was left holding the tail. After a moment’s thought, he tossed it to the sly little fox. Xiaobai, the weasel, looked at Zhao Wendong with pure resentment, its thoughts so foul they would never pass the censors.

Just as Zhao Wendong tossed the fish bones back into the water, a hawk’s cry echoed from the sky. Xiaojin was making his grand return, and with a flick of his claws, he dropped another rabbit.

"San, this Golden Roc of yours is amazing! He always comes back with something. But why does he only ever catch rabbits?"

Jin Xiuying voiced her admiration and confusion. She had started calling Zhao Wendong "San" like Zhao Wenwu did, the very picture of a wife following her husband’s lead. Everyone had seen how she’d behaved with Zhao Wenwu these past few days; she didn’t seem to mind his mental state one bit, and they got along in a very harmonious and natural way. Zhao Wendong was also very pleased with her. He smiled at her question and explained the reason.

"Because Xiaojin was once tricked by a hunter who used a rabbit as bait. That’s how he got captured. If I hadn’t stumbled upon him, he’d probably have ended up in a stew by now. So he sees red whenever he spots a rabbit."

"Hahaha, he really holds a grudge!"

Jin Xiuying was thoroughly amused and felt an urge to pat Xiaojin’s head. Xiaojin dodged with a SWOOSH, his round Hawkeyes staring at Jin Xiuying with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

"Xiaojin’s greatest use isn’t catching rabbits. He’s a reconnaissance drone! He can scout from high up. It’s a shame my mother-in-law isn’t here. She can draw anything to look exactly like the real thing. If she could draw some things for Xiaojin to recognize, he could help us find them. If he found even one type of valuable prey, we’d be rich."

"Zhao Wendong, have you no shame? Who’s your mother-in-law..."

Lin Zhiyin was embarrassed. She glared at him, then broke into a small, proud smile, revealing her neat, white teeth.

"My mom isn’t here, but I am!"

"You? You can draw?"

It dawned on Zhao Wendong in an instant, and he looked at Lin Zhiyin with surprise and delight.