I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

The Zhaos all put down their chopsticks to watch the show. When they saw the little tiger cub actually manage to get some of the sow’s milk, they couldn’t help but cheer. Even Lin Huaimin and Wang Lulu watched with fascination. They realized their own lives of luxury cars, servants, and immense wealth couldn’t compare to the happiness and fulfillment of the moment.

"They understand everything he says!"

Zhao Wenwu was backing Zhao Wendong up again. This time, however, no one scoffed like they used to. When he’d previously claimed that Zhao Wendong could talk to animals, the family had paid him no mind. But now, with more animals than people in the house, even the unbelievers were starting to have second thoughts. Chen Yanmei and Zhao Dashan exchanged a glance. ’Next time we see Granny Liu to pick an auspicious date, we should ask her about this,’ they thought. ’Maybe there’s some kind of spirit or deity who manages animals or attracts them. We have to ask her about it.’

The little tiger grunted and snorted as it drank the sow’s milk, its belly visibly swelling. No longer content with its spot at the end of the line, it started to fight the piglets for a better position. But the piglets were much bigger. After struggling for a while without success and getting knocked over by their snouts several times, it let out a few indignant roars before obediently returning to the back to continue suckling.

"Haha, it’s lucky. If a few piglets hadn’t died, it wouldn’t have gotten a turn at all."

Zhao Dashan nodded.

"It’s lucky it ran into you. Otherwise, it definitely wouldn’t have survived."

"Hehe, I’ll take that as a compliment."

Zhao Wendong’s shamelessness made the family roar with laughter again. After the meal, Lin Zhiyin and Jin Xiuying helped Chen Yanmei and Song Xiaoyu finish washing the dishes and tidying up the outer room. Just then, Zhao Wenwu called out impatiently.

"Honey, I’m tired. I want to go back and sleep."

Zhao Wendong gave him a wicked smile.

"Second Brother, are you tired from wanting to sleep, or tired from wanting to ’go to battle’?"

"I want to go to battle, but your sister-in-law won’t let me say it. She told me I can only say I’m tired, not that I want to go to battle with her."

"Hahaha!"

Zhao Wendong was bent over, howling with laughter until tears streamed down his face. At first, Jin Xiuying was quite annoyed, but seeing him laughing so outrageously, she planted her hands on her hips.

"Zhao Wendong, you have the nerve to laugh at your second brother? Who was it that was wide awake late at night, saying over and over, ’Honey, let me give you a massage,’ and all that nonsense about ’rolling the little rounds’ and ’kneading the little mounds’!"

The moment Jin Xiuying finished speaking, Zhao Wendong’s laughter died abruptly. Lin Zhiyin instantly blushed to her neck. Zhao Wenwu, overjoyed, raised his hand and shouted.

"I know who said that! It was Third Brother!"

"Hahahaha!"

"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!"

The whole group was rolling on the floor with laughter. Lin Huaimin laughed so hard he started choking, and Wang Lulu patted his back while laughing herself.

"Uh... Honey, I just remembered, we haven’t heated the kang yet. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go heat the kang."

Zhao Wendong grabbed their coats and ran off, pulling Lin Zhiyin with him. Song Xiaoyu wasn’t about to let him off the hook and shouted after him.

"Third Brother, Er Gouzi already heated the kang for you!"

Zhao Wendong pretended not to hear and quickly disappeared with Lin Zhiyin in tow.

"Alright, Xiuying, you’re the only one who can handle him now. Hahaha, I’ve never seen him run so fast before."

Song Xiaoyu gave Jin Xiuying a thumbs-up. Jin Xiuying’s face was also flushed red, but she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows and smile happily. She wasn’t happy because she had teased Zhao Wendong into running away, but because she was experiencing the feeling of being part of a family—a feeling that brought her more happiness than she’d ever known in her own rigidly formal home.

Lin Zhiyin and Zhao Wendong waited outside for a bit until Zhao Wenwu and Jin Xiuying came out. Zhao Wendong glared at Jin Xiuying resentfully.

"Second Sister-in-law, eavesdropping isn’t a good habit."

"Oh, give me a break. You think we wanted to listen? The walls aren’t soundproof. The sound just drilled its way into our ears on its own."

Jin Xiuying said with a chuckle, then pulled Lin Zhiyin aside. The two began to whisper to each other.

"Hey, Third Brother, you should go to battle early tonight, too!"

"Why?"

Zhao Wendong looked at Zhao Wenwu, confused. He didn’t understand why he was suddenly being urged on. ’Did Chen Yanmei put him up to this, wanting grandchildren?’

"We’re going into the mountains tomorrow, aren’t we!"

Zhao Wenwu had a look on his face that said, "Are you an idiot?"

"If you start the battle early, you can fight more rounds!"

Zhao Wendong: "..."

That night, Zhao Wendong and Lin Zhiyin lay side by side on the kang. The kangs of that era were generally a bit short, so Zhao Wendong had to sleep at a slight angle. As for Zhao Wenwu and Jin Xiuying, they simply slept sideways across it.

"Roll the little rounds."

"No."

"Knead the little mounds!"

"Go away."

"Honey, listen."

Shouts could be faintly heard from the next room. Lin Zhiyin’s resistance immediately crumbled.

"Hmph. I seem to remember *someone* saying mine were small!"

"Hehe, that’s why they need me!"

"Oh, you’re impossible!"

"Mmm~"

In the night sky over the former Educated Youth Point by the sea, a half-moon cast its faint, silvery glow down upon the two rooms where the kangs were thumping and creaking.

The next morning, Zhao Wenjun looked at his second and third brothers, who were yawning nonstop, and felt a pang of envy.

"You two should pace yourselves!"

"Hehe, Eldest Brother, is it fun ’going to battle’ with Sister-in-law? Let me tell you something!"

Zhao Wenwu, with an animated expression, was about to grab Zhao Wenjun and regale him with tales of his own "battles." Zhao Wenjun’s face fell. He pushed him aside, too disgusted to even speak to him.

"Hey, Third Brother, what’s wrong with Eldest Brother?"

"Him? He’s jealous of us."

"Oh, hehe."

A smug, reminiscent smile spread across Zhao Wenwu’s face. Soon, Er Gouzi arrived. He had missed the big market day yesterday because he was at home repairing his house. He had put up new window paper and patched up the drafty spots. His house was much warmer now.