Recognition

After dealing with Xinghua, Lu Chuan felt a great weight lift off his chest.

As for her threats of revenge, he wasn't afraid at all.

He might not be the strongest in Kaoshan Village, but Eagle Eye gave him vision far beyond the average person's.

It wasn't an exaggeration—if a fight broke out, an ordinary man's punch would look like he was putting on a slow-motion show right in front of him.

Even if she really brought her father, who'd be beating who was still up for debate!

Shoving the matter of Xinghua aside, Lu Chuan headed back into the village.

Along the way, the two game animals hanging from his waist drew the stares of many Kaoshan Village villagers.

Among them were envy, greed, and jealousy.

"Good heavens! Is that the Lu kid? Wasn't he just pulled out of the river a few days ago, too sick to even get out of bed?"

"No kidding! See that? That's a Little Phoenix! Those things are clever and hard to catch! Did Lu Danian pass down all his tricks to his son?"

The woman beside him had undisguised envy in her eyes. "He's hit the jackpot now. The town big shots love these rare things."

A few young hunters who'd come back empty-handed stared at Lu Chuan with complicated expressions.

"What the hell, the snow's sealed the mountains, even rabbits are holed up. Where'd he dig those up? And two at once? Lucky bastard?"

"Hmph, yesterday his dad brought back a Snow Fox, today he bags a Golden Pheasant. What, is the whole Kaoshan forest the Lu family's private property? They're hogging all the good stuff!"

Some honest folk praised him: "A hunter's son through and through. Lu Danian's laid up with injuries, and the kid's already stepping up. Like father, like son!"

"Yeah, with these two, the Lu family can at least catch a break this winter. It's not easy."

These comments, loud and soft, envious and jealous, all drifted into Lu Chuan's ears.

His face stayed calm, but his eyes swept alertly over every spot around him.

In these lean years when grain was precious, even a full meal could make people red-eyed, let alone valuable game that could be traded for money or food.

Human hearts couldn't withstand the test of hunger and greed.

Finally, after a long trek, Lu Chuan made it to his family's thatched cottage just before dark.

Before he could push open the yard gate, voices from inside drifted out, thick with worry.

"It's... almost pitch black out. Where's Chuanzi still not back?" It was his father Lu Danian's weak voice, punctuated by coughs.

"Not back yet..." His mother's voice carried unease. "My heart's been in my throat..."

"You... cough... nonsense!" Lu Danian's tone turned reproachful.

"He's just a half-grown boy, never been in the mountains alone properly. How could you let him go? At least... at least have him find a partner! If something happens..."

Before he finished, another bout of coughing hit.

"I... I had no choice..." Mother Lu's voice choked with tears.

"I'll go now, I'll go up the mountain to find him!"

Just then, Creak—the yard gate pushed open from outside.

Lu Chuan stood at the doorway, dusted with snowflakes, the two game animals still hanging at his waist.

He looked at his parents, who stared up in shock, and cracked a grin.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back."

Seeing Lu Chuan, the boulder lodged in both their hearts finally dropped.

Mother Lu was about to speak when her eyes caught the prey at her son's waist.

Lu Danian had hunted all his life, his eyes sharp as a blade. Even in the dim room, he instantly spotted the dazzling, vivid colors—a Red-bellied Golden Pheasant!

"My boy!" Mother Lu couldn't bother with a closer look, rushing forward, her voice trembling.

"You really got it? You didn't hurt yourself anywhere? Oh, this rabbit, it's so plump!"

Lu Danian struggled to prop himself up on the bed, his eyes blazing with surprise.

"Chuanzi... this... you shot this?"

Lu Chuan unloaded the two game animals.

"That's right!" A hint of youthful pride showed on his face. "Like father, like son. Your son here is now—"

"Made it! Really made it!"

Mother Lu couldn't stop stroking the rabbit's fur, her eyes reddening again.

"I heard the villagers talking, even the best hunter Old Zhao came back empty-handed today! My son got two at once! Two!"

The dim thatched cottage suddenly brightened.

Mother Lu immediately got busy, lighting the fire pit.

The flames drove away the chill, and color slowly returned to Lu Chuan's frostbitten face.

Mother Lu took the rabbit out to the outer room to dress it. As for the Golden Pheasant, Lu Chuan had wanted to keep it to nourish his father, but both parents firmly vetoed him in unison.

"This won't do! This thing's precious, it's meant to be traded for money!" Mother Lu waved her hands repeatedly.

"That's right, Chuanzi,"

Lu Danian's voice was weak, but his tone left no room for argument, "Your dad's body just needs some rabbit soup to warm it up. This little phoenix—take it to town first thing tomorrow, find a good buyer, trade it for money, buy grain, buy salt... that's the proper use."

Lu Chuan knew his parents had been ground down by poverty and hunger, always scrambling to scrape together something for a future that might never come.

He felt helpless inside but didn't press further, silently resolving that from now on, he'd make sure there was meat on the table every single day.

By the fire pit, only father and son remained.

Lu Danian fished out his old, polished pipe from somewhere, stuffed it with a pinch of cheap tobacco, lit it from the flames, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a wisp of gray smoke.

He squinted, gazing at his son sitting across from him, his face brimming with contentment.

"Dad, you're sick. Go easy on the smoking," Lu Chuan couldn't help saying.

"Haha... no matter, I'm happy today."

Lu Danian smiled, but his eyes swept over the arrow holes in the golden pheasant on the table and the equally clean, lethal wounds on the rabbit.

He was an old hunter—he knew too well this wasn't a matter of luck.

Every arrow hit a vital spot, steady and seasoned. Without years of hard work and talent, it was impossible.

When had his own son gained such skill?

He felt a flicker of doubt, but more than that, a sense of ease.

Watching the increasingly sharp lines of his son's profile, Lu Danian held out his pipe.

"Here, take a puff?"

Lu Chuan froze, staring at the pipe thrust toward him, momentarily at a loss.

A firm believer that smoking harmed your health, he'd always kept his distance from tobacco.

But when he saw the undisguised approval in his father's eyes, the refusal died on his lips.

He reached out, took the pipe, and mimicked his father's inhale.

"Cough! Ahem, ahem, ahem—!"

The harsh, acrid smoke sent him into a violent coughing fit, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Lu Danian burst into hearty laughter.

Lu Chuan wiped his tears, his face burning slightly.

He understood—his father hadn't just handed him a pipe. He'd handed him approval.

From this moment on, in this household, he was no longer just a son to be worried over. He was a pillar holding up the roof.