A few more days passed, and before he knew it, November had drawn to an end.
Fang Qianyuan arrived beside the Mountain Stream as promised. First, he gathered some firewood and dug a pit, then checked the makeshift stove he had built earlier before sitting cross-legged on the ground to wait.
Before long, rustling sounded in the woods, and a white figure emerged from the bushes with a plump hare in her jaws.
"You're here?" Fang Qianyuan looked at the white figure, a faint smile appearing on his face.
It was Little White, the wolf.
Little White ran up to Fang Qianyuan and laid down the hare as though presenting a treasure. Then she sat on her haunches, her fluffy tail swaying slightly, and looked up at him with her head high and chest out.
Fang Qianyuan stroked her head and said happily, "What a big, fat hare! We're in for a treat!"
Winter had long since arrived, but the climate here was warm, almost springlike all year round, making these wild animals even easier to find.
As the saying went, autumn was for harvesting and winter for storing. Most of them had already fattened up, making this the perfect time to slaughter them for a nourishing meal.
Pleased by Fang Qianyuan's praise, Little White stuck out her tongue, then rolled over onto the ground and tilted her head to look at him. Soon, she flipped back onto her feet and dashed to the earthen stove beside the water, urging him to get started.
"You greedy little thing. All right, all right, stop rushing me. We'll start roasting the meat right now!"
Fang Qianyuan rubbed his hands together, picked up the hare, and walked toward the water.
After a while, Fang Qianyuan had skinned and washed the hare. He took