I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

They hadn’t been walking for long when Xiaojin suddenly flew back. Zhao Wendong quickly extended his arm for it to land on.

’I found them.’

Xiaojin’s thought made Zhao Wendong’s heart leap with joy. They had just bagged six roe deer, and now Xiaojin had another score. ’What kind of day is this? How did my luck get so good? Is this my lucky day?’

Zhao Wendong straightened his shoulders, ready for Xiaojin to lead the way, but he found it staring at him, completely still.

’Eat.’

Thank goodness for the mental link, which let Zhao Wendong know what these little guys were thinking. ’So that’s it, I forgot its reward.’ He quickly cut a small strip of fresh roe deer meat for Xiaojin. The eagle swallowed it in one gulp, let out a satisfied, high-pitched cry, and soared into the sky to lead the way.

The prey Xiaojin had found this time was very close. After just over ten minutes of walking, the eagle was already hovering in the air as best it could, signaling that they had arrived. Zhao Wendong and the others cautiously approached. The first thing they saw were two yellow figures. His initial reaction was that they were more roe deer, but once he got a clear look, he almost burst out laughing.

Those weren’t roe deer at all; they were two adult male sika deer. The animals had no idea they were already in the party’s sights and were busy with their heads down, pawing through the snow to forage.

Both stags had magnificent, branching antlers with many tines, gleaming with a light brown sheen. The tips were still dusted with fine snowflakes. Their winter coats were as thick as felt. Against the vast white snow, the pale spots on their chestnut-brown fur were barely visible. The fluffy manes on their necks made their shoulders and backs look exceptionally sturdy.

The two stags were only about two steps apart and weren’t competing for food. They just kept their heads down, first using their front hooves to gently scrape away the top layer of frozen snow, then nibbling on the withered yellow moss and oak bark underneath. After every few bites, they would raise their heads to scan their surroundings, their long ears swiveling rapidly like radar dishes.

These deer were in excellent condition, with glossy fur and thick, strong antlers—truly prime specimens. This time, it wasn’t just about the meat; on a deer, the meat is the least valuable part. Zhao Wendong made a shushing gesture and began to quietly lay out their plan.

"I’ll take the one on the left, the farther one. Sister-in-law, you guys take the closer one on the right. These things are extremely alert. If we don’t get them in one go, they’ll be gone in a flash, and we won’t be able to catch them. Big Brother, don’t release the dogs. Even they won’t be able to catch up if the deer bolt, and accidents can happen if they run too far."

After speaking, he patted General and the other two. All three dogs understood his command. Their eyes were fixed on the two stags, fangs bared but utterly silent. Seeing this, everyone couldn’t help but think, ’Such good dogs.’

The team, already working in perfect sync, spread out, quietly picked their positions, and set up their rifles. Zhao Wendong rested his on a tree branch, centering the farther stag in his crosshairs. He silently counted down in his head, ’Three, two, one...’

BANG! BANG! BANG!

As Zhao Wendong opened fire, another volley of shots rang out. He had fired four rounds, and the others had each fired one. In the distance, the two stags shuddered violently, blood bursting from their bodies, before they collapsed one after the other!

"Hahaha, we hit them both!"

Zhao Wenwu was the first to charge out, laughing heartily. The others followed close behind, rushing over to the two sika deer. Seeing blood pouring from the animals’ bodies, Zhao Wendong shouted a reminder.

"Er Gouzi, quick, the leather pouch!"

"Okay, I’m on it, Brother San."

Even before his brother had spoken, Zhao Ergou was already untying the leather pouch from his waist as he ran over. It was a treasure that had belonged to Zhao Wendong’s grandfather, made specifically for collecting precious animal blood. They were all carrying plenty of supplies. They had wasted the blood from the red deer they’d hunted last time, so they made a point to bring this pouch along. They never expected to put it to use so soon.

Zhao Wendong immediately went to one stag and slit the arteries in its neck. The deer’s blood, thick with a metallic tang, gushed out. With swift reflexes, Zhao Ergou caught the stream in the leather pouch. Once the first deer was mostly bled out, they repeated the process on the second one. Soon, the pouch was more than half full of blood.

It wasn’t just the blood—every part of a sika deer is a treasure. The antlers, liver, heart, and more could all be used for medicine. While the second deer was still bleeding out, Zhao Wendong’s group started butchering the first one. They hung a section of the intestines on a tree as an offering to the mountain spirit, then rewarded General and the other dogs with a few more pieces. The rest of the carcass was processed and packed into gunny sacks.

The stag had three bullet holes. Two were clean exit wounds, but one bullet remained lodged in its body. Zhao Wendong followed the entry wound on the deer’s shoulder with his fingers until he felt the hard tip of the bullet. It seemed to be stuck right in a joint.

He drew his bayonet and carefully cut around the wound. A bloody 6.5mm rifle bullet rolled out onto the snow. He then carved away the meat surrounding the bullet hole and tossed it to General and the other dogs, who barked happily, their tails wagging like propellers as they devoured the treat.

"We have to go back to the village now. There’s too much to carry,"

Zhao Ergou exclaimed happily. He thought back to when he had first come into the mountains with Brother San and how excited he’d been over the first roe deer. ’How embarrassing,’ he thought. ’I was so green.’ Look at them now! In just a short time, they had two adult male sika deer and six roe deer—four large and two small. This was a haul many hunters couldn’t match in a whole year.

"Heh heh, today really is a good day. It must be my lucky day; my luck is through the roof. I just wonder what other good things are in store for us."

Zhao Wendong was feeling pleased as punch as he spoke. ’I haven’t done the exact math,’ he thought, ’but I’d guess this haul is enough to pay for a third of the bricks for a new house. At this rate, I’ll have enough for the whole thing before winter is even over!’

’Things are going smoothly on my end, but I wonder if Jiang Weimin is making good progress on his. There’s still that one thing nagging at me. Niu Yuesheng secretly told me that Li Guangming’s wife’s uncle used to be a big shot in this part of the county. I don’t know if that’ll stir up more trouble, but whoever it is, if they mess with me, Zhao Wendong, I won’t back down from a fight.’

Seeing Xiaojin descend from the sky, Zhao Wendong immediately cut another small strip of fresh venison to reward it. Xiaojin was his greatest asset right now, his secret weapon. ’If I get the chance,’ Zhao Wendong thought, ’I’d like to raise another one, to give Xiaojin a companion and boost my ’radar’ coverage.’

"Let’s go, let’s go. Time to head back."

By the time they had everything packed up, the sun was once again dipping in the west. Zhao Wendong got to his feet and called for everyone to grab their haul and head back. Thankfully, they had Zhao Wenwu, who shouldered an entire stag and a roe deer all by himself.

Even then, Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying each had to carry a small roe deer. On top of that, Zhao Wendong had to fashion a makeshift sled from branches so that General and the other two dogs could pull one more, and only then did they manage to haul all the game away.

They made sure to leave markers along the unfamiliar path so they could find their way back to the waterfall pool. By the time the group returned to their base camp, it was after six in the evening and pitch black outside. The moment they set foot in the cave, everyone collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Even General and the other two dogs were sprawled out, panting heavily with their tongues hanging out.

After a short rest, Zhao Wendong told the others to continue processing the game while he hurried to prepare dinner. First, he took out the largest crucian carp and tossed it into a basin. Then, he opened the lid of the water vat and ladled two large scoops of icy snowmelt over the fish. The old, cracked water vat from his house had been brought over by Zhao Wenjun’s group last time and was kept at the base camp for everyday use.

While the fish slowly thawed in the cold water, Zhao Wendong began selecting and preparing the various ingredients they had brought. It was his lucky day, they’d had a massive haul, and everyone had worked hard. He decided to make a crucian carp soup to give them all a proper reward.

As the layer of ice on the carp melted, the fish’s body softened from rock-hard to pliable. Once it was thawed enough to bend, Zhao Wendong took a knife and scraped it along the body. The scales of a frozen fish were actually easier to remove, flaking off readily—even easier to clean than a live one.

After scaling the fish, he removed the gills, slit open the belly, and cleaned out the innards. He was particularly meticulous about scraping away the black membrane inside the cavity. Only then was the prep finished. He placed the carp in a pot, greased it with some lard, and slowly pan-fried it over a low flame. Once both sides were a taut, light gold, he added water and brought it to a simmer. In no time, the broth began to turn a thick, creamy white, and a delicious aroma wafted through the cave.

Zhao Wendong monitored the heat. When the soup was nearly done, he tossed in slices of white radish and some frozen mushrooms, letting it continue to simmer gently. This allowed the clean sweetness of the radish to permeate the broth and cut any fishy taste, while the earthy fragrance of the mushrooms mingled with the savory fish, elevating the soup to another level of deliciousness.

"Damn it, Brother San, that smells so fucking good! Can we eat yet? I can’t take it anymore!"

Zhao Wenwu was practically drooling, sniffing the air with all his might, looking just like General and the dogs.

"Haha, not yet. Just a little longer, Brother,"

Zhao Wendong said with a smile, tossing in cubes of frozen tofu. The honeycomb-like tofu bubbled as it soaked up the fish broth, locking the savory juices inside its pockets. Finally, he added two handfuls of sliced pickled cabbage. The only seasoning was a pinch of coarse salt—nothing more.

’We’re heading back to the village tomorrow, no need to conserve rations,’ he thought. Zhao Wendong placed a wooden rack over the pot, laid a steamer mat on top, and piled all of their cornmeal buns onto it. This would warm them up while allowing them to absorb the fragrant steam from the soup.

Through the gap in the pot lid, they could see fine bubbles breaking on the surface. Floating in the milky broth were pieces of golden radish, glossy brown mushrooms, creamy white frozen tofu, and pale yellow pickled cabbage.

The entire cave filled with the savory aroma of the carp, mingled with the tang of the pickled cabbage, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the sweetness of the radish. The scent alone made everyone’s stomach rumble. Zhao Wendong ignored Zhao Wenwu’s incessant nagging, waiting patiently for the perfect moment. When he finally lifted the lid, a blast of hot, fragrant steam rushed out and enveloped them all.

"Wow, Brother San, your cooking skills are incredible!"

"You’re amazing, Zhao Wendong!"

Zhao Wendong shot a smug look at Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying, who had just praised him, before taking the steamed buns off the rack. He placed the basin of hot buns on the stove for everyone to help themselves.

Then he ladled soup into each person’s bowl. Zhao Wenjun had originally wanted to bring their beat-up old dining table from home, but Chen Yanmei had put her foot down. In her words, "Are you people going hunting or moving house?" The real reason they didn’t bring it, however, was that the tabletop wouldn’t have fit through the cave entrance.

Lin Zhiyin took the first sip. The soup was savory with a hint of sweetness, which in turn held a slight tang. A pleasant warmth spread from her tongue straight to her heart. Next, she bit into a piece of frozen tofu, and the rich fish broth exploded in her mouth. She chewed on a piece of radish—it was tender, sweet, and starchy, with a flavor that lingered on and on. She squinted her eyes happily as she looked at Zhao Wendong, thinking, ’My future husband’s cooking is even better than what our family chef used to make when I was a kid.’

"Ah, that’s the stuff!"

Zhao Wenwu, for his part, was alternating sips of soup with bites of a bun, letting out an over-the-top moan of pleasure. Jin Xiuying paid him no mind, completely engrossed in her own meal. Zhao Ergou was the same, his mouth constantly stuffed with food. This was no ordinary fish soup; deep in the mountains during a year of disaster, this was the most precious, heart-warming taste of winter and happiness.

Zhao Wendong hadn’t forgotten the animals. He’d intentionally added extra water to the soup. After the people had all eaten and drunk their fill, he divided the leftovers among his animal companions. The camp was instantly filled with their joyful cries.

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!"

"YIP YIP YIP!"

"Ahhh, so good, I’m gonna die~"

"Shut the hell up, Brother!"

Zhao Wendong finally snapped. ’How can a grown man make a sound that damn ecstatic!’