Little Tangyuan
After arriving home, he tipped the mushrooms into a basin and washed them, then began butchering the roe deer. He had known how to do this sort of work since childhood. His grandfather often brought home wild pheasants and hares, and he had helped with them.
"We can't finish all this. Freeze it? Or pack it in salt and cure it?" Ye Huan looked at the sizable roe deer, at a loss.
One hind leg would be more than enough for him and Saihu, and they still had the pheasant and mushrooms.
"Pheasant stewed with mushrooms, a roe deer hot pot, and two stir-fried vegetable dishes. How does that sound? Saihu, go ask Grandpa over for dinner, and have him bring some medicine." Saihu ran out the door. Ye Huan lifted the little white wolf out of his back basket. It was tiny and rather cute.
He settled it on his lap, stroked its white fur, then carefully examined its injured leg. The bleeding had stopped.
Before long, Saihu, the village dog, led Ye Huan's grandfather into the courtyard. An adorable little girl followed behind him, with a black-and-white dog following her.
The little girl called sweetly, "Uncle Huan."
Ye Huan set down the little white wolf and picked the girl up dotingly, asking with a smile, "Little Tangyuan, what brings you here? Having fun at Great-Grandpa's?"
The little girl blinked and answered, "I came to play with Saihu. Great-Grandpa said Saihu went into the mountains with you."
Ye Huan smiled and patted her head, then glanced at Saihu and the black-and-white dog behind her. A warm feeling welled up in his heart. This was his home, his family, his friends-simple and happy.
"You're hurt?" Grandpa asked, holding the medicine.
"Saihu, you useless thing!" Ye Huan was speechless. "Grandpa, it's not me. It's this little one. I saw its leg caught in a trap in the mountains, so I freed it while I was there."
"A wolf?" Grandpa asked after taking a look.
"Yeah. It came out hunting with a big one and got caught. Its dad came looking for me to help. Look, it even gave me a roe deer as payment!" Ye Huan said, pointing at the butchered roe deer.
The old man nodded and handed Ye Huan the medicine. It was a special remedy he had developed himself over his many years roaming the mountains, unrivaled for treating external injuries. He also had a kind of pill that was unrivaled for treating internal injuries.
The pharmacy in town had offered a high price for the formulas, but Ye Huan's grandfather had refused. He had said he was saving them for his eldest grandson.
Ye Huan carefully applied the medicine to the little white wolf. It felt a cool freshness over its injury and knew this was good for it, so it lay motionless on Ye Huan's lap.
Little Tangyuan stood there, looking at Ye Huan, then at the little white wolf. "Cute little doggy~~"
"Hahaha~" Ye Huan laughed heartily. "Don't bother it. It bites."
"Mm-hmm. I only dare pet Saihu and my Little Flower. Saihu's good. He doesn't bite." Little Tangyuan nodded.
Saihu raised his head and cast Ye Huan a sidelong glance. "Woof, woof?"
"What are you showing off for? Just try biting someone! Grandpa will be having dog-meat hot pot tonight..." Ye Huan gave Saihu a scornful look. After gaining control over beasts, he could more or less understand what they said.
Saihu lowered his head. You win.
"You've fixed this courtyard up nicely," Grandpa said with a smile as he looked around.
"That's right, Grandpa. I planted some vegetables out back too, enough for our family. I'm also planning to grow some organic vegetables in the field behind the house." Ye Huan carefully applied medicine to Xiaobai and wrapped the wound in gauze as he spoke.
"Oh? You aren't planning to go back to the city?" Grandpa looked at his eldest grandson, his eyes full of surprise.
"No, Grandpa. When I came home this time, I never intended to go back. I'll stay home and keep you company from now on. But don't tell Mom and Dad yet," Ye Huan said with a smile.
"Staying is fine too. Why put yourself through that hardship? It's not as though we can't afford to feed you." Grandpa nodded, supporting his eldest grandson's decision.
"Exactly. We've got clear waters and lovely mountains here. If I just grow some organic vegetables and organic rice, that'll be enough to support the two of us."
"Do you have money? How about I sell the medicine formulas or some of my other treasures?" Grandpa asked.
"Grandpa, what would I need all that money for at home? I'll work with however much I have. It'll be a good chance to test the waters, and there's no rush. Keep your formulas safe. We can talk about them later." Ye Huan was in no hurry. With the spring water from his space, he believed he would have no trouble finding buyers for his vegetables.
Even if that didn't work out, how much could he spend living in the village?
He could just shoot a few videos and upload them. In the month since he had come home, his Douyin and Kuaishou accounts had already passed ten thousand followers. He neither livestreamed nor sold products, only filmed videos and uploaded them. Once he had more followers, he would take some ads if any came along. If not, so be it.
He had never planned to become an internet celebrity and cash in on the online boom. With the space in hand, keeping a low profile was better.
"All right~ If you need money, tell me. These things of mine were meant for you anyway. I told your dad and the others long ago that no one else should get any ideas." Grandpa nodded. His eldest grandson had been just to his liking since he was little.
He was bright and quick-witted, had practiced martial arts at his side since childhood, and had roamed the mountains with him. They were very close, so he had made a will early on: all the fields and mountain forests in his name, his medicine formulas, and the treasured finds from his earlier years in the mountains would go to his eldest grandson.
The old man's decision had greatly displeased his daughter's family, but there was nothing they could do. Favoring boys over girls was normal in mountain villages, and besides, he had not treated his daughter's family poorly.
Back when his daughter and son-in-law had gone away to work and wanted to buy a home and settle in the provincial capital, the old man had raised their down payment by selling half a tiger skeleton.
His heart had ached over that for a long time. He had hated parting with it. Apart from the bones he used to steep liquor, he had been saving all the rest for his eldest grandson...
Ye Huan knew his grandfather had plenty of good things, but he was not particularly concerned. To put it bluntly, here in the countryside, his grandfather had only one grandson, and his father was his only son. Who else could those things belong to?
"Mm, I know, Grandpa. Don't worry. I might just make this work. Hehe~" Ye Huan said with a smile.
"Then I'll wait to see you succeed. Hahaha~" Grandpa laughed heartily as he stewed the roe deer meat.
"Little Tangyuan, have dinner here at your uncle's tonight. Saihu, go let Tangyuan's grandpa know." Saihu went out to deliver another message.
Ever since he had returned and given Saihu spirit spring water to drink, he had found it increasingly easy to communicate with him. Although they could not fully understand each other, they could more or less grasp the general meaning.
That was with him yet to comprehend the Beast Taming Technique in the Shennong Scripture; otherwise, communicating would be even easier. Lately, he had been practicing the Longevity Dao Scripture. After all, didn't the name alone sound grand and impressive? As a result, apart from learning a little ancient martial arts, he had made no progress with the other techniques in the Shennong Scripture.
"Mm-hmm~ Meat, meat~~" Little Tangyuan was three and a half. Her parents worked at a shoe factory in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province. Ye Huan had previously been in Shenzhen City, so they had not had much contact.
Her grandfather's house was next to Ye Huan's grandfather's. Her grandfather called Ye Huan's grandfather Uncle. They were relatives of the same clan, within five degrees of kinship.
So Little Tangyuan did not stand on ceremony either and often ate meat at Great-Grandpa's. After all, Ye Huan's grandfather was comfortably off.
Before long, Saihu returned and barked at Ye Huan. Done. Hurry up and cook. I'm hungry.
Ye Huan smiled, rinsed the rice, and put it on to cook, leaving the roe deer for Grandpa to stew. When it came to Grandpa's skill at preparing wild game, he dared declare it the best under heaven. Anyone who disagreed could choke on it.
He went to the backyard and picked a few cucumbers. The vegetables there had all been watered with Spirit Spring Water. He had tried them, and their flavor was second only to those grown in his space, which gave him even more confidence in growing organic vegetables.