RYEY – Chapter 105 Family Affection

The basket was filled with many plants Li Huan couldn’t even recognize—most likely medicinal herbs. He quickly untied the rope and threw it down again. This time, the weight in his hands was much heavier. Finally, he managed to pull Ye Jun up.

“Uncle Ye, are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

As Li Huan helped pat the dirt off Ye Jun’s body, he asked with concern.

“I don’t know which bastard set this trap, without even bothering to mark it properly. And to top it off, a wild boar fell inside, and they didn’t even come to claim it. Truly brainless.”

Li Huan felt his scalp tingle. He honestly admitted his mistake to Ye Jun—that bastard who dug the trap was him. As for the wild boar, he truly hadn’t known about it.

“Heh, good, very good. To make up for my loss, you’ll figure out a way to get me half of that wild boar.”

“Alright! Uncle Ye, why don’t you eat a couple of big meat buns first while I work on getting the boar out.”

Ye Jun was indeed hungry, but when he touched the cold buns, he decided to take them home and reheat them before eating. Better than risking a stomachache.

“So, how do you plan to deal with the boar?”

“I’ll tie one end of the rope to a tree, the other end to my waist, then carry the boar up on my back.”

Ye Jun glanced at Li Huan’s sturdy body and nodded. He had no worries about the rope’s quality—it was a genuine climbing rope, something his late father had brought back from abroad.

Li Huan tied himself quickly and climbed down into the pit. But he had underestimated the boar’s weight—it was at least three hundred jin, far too heavy for him to carry.

In the end, he had no choice but to untie the rope from himself, secure it firmly around the boar, then climb up first. Afterward, he and Ye Jun together hauled the boar out.

Because of the snow, dragging the boar downhill on the ground wasn’t too difficult. They were making good progress and were nearly at the foot of the mountain when Li Huan, worried that Cheng Qiao might be anxious, looked at Ye Jun and said: “Uncle Ye, why don’t you head to my place first? Your little apprentice must be worried sick.”

“No need—look, the little lass is already here.”

Ye Jun’s sharp eyes spotted Cheng Qiao walking hand in hand with Li Le. Li Huan tensed up immediately—this path was slippery. What if they fell?

He rushed forward, only to slip himself, landing on his rear. As he tried to get up, his footing gave way again, and he slid helplessly down, making Li Le cry out nervously.

Cheng Qiao also panicked. The mountain path was rugged; if he got hurt, it would be bad. Just as she was about to move, Li Huan shouted: “Qiao, don’t move! The ground’s slippery—stay right where you are!”

Ye Jun covered his eyes with his hands. Normally, he could look at Li Huan without issue, but seeing him act so protective around Cheng Qiao was a bit much to bear.

Li Huan finally slid all the way to the foot of the mountain, then carefully stood up, patting his backside. His pants were surely torn, but he could only walk toward Cheng Qiao awkwardly.

“Qiao, Master fell into a trap I dug, and inside it was this wild boar. You should go back first—I’ll bring the boar home.”

This…

Cheng Qiao took a deep breath, suppressing a laugh. She turned to Li Le and said: “Lele, you go home with my master. I’ll help Li Huan with the boar.”

Li Le was thrilled—second brother had caught a wild boar! But then she frowned. This mountain belonged to the collective. Catching pheasants or rabbits was fine, but a boar was a big deal. If word got out that they hadn’t handed it in, their family would be drowned in spittle. Still, seeing Cheng Qiao’s calm demeanor, she puffed out her little chest and waited for Ye Jun to head down.

When Ye Jun realized Cheng Qiao and Li Huan intended to haul the boar back, he frowned. He knew her pregnancy wasn’t stable—pulling a boar could risk the child.

“Master, don’t worry, I won’t let that happen. The meal is already prepared at home, please go eat first.”

Ye Jun looked at Cheng Qiao doubtfully. He figured Li Huan wouldn’t let her exert herself. In the end, he followed Li Le home. Meanwhile, Li Huan quickly told Cheng Qiao to wait while he rolled the boar down the slope first.

With Li Huan’s pushes and kicks, the boar slowly rolled downhill. Once it was steady, Cheng Qiao glanced around cautiously, then with a flick of her mind, the boar disappeared. Li Huan grinned wide. Having a fairy-like wife truly was a blessing.

They strolled home together. Nearing the house, they looked left and right, making sure no one was around, then pulled the boar back out in a corner.

Panting, Li Huan dragged the boar into the courtyard. Mother Li had already learned about the situation from Li Le and was waiting at the door.

When she saw the boar enter, she immediately pulled Cheng Qiao inside, closed the door, then reopened it just to peek outside, scanning left and right. Only after confirming no one was around did she shut and bolt the door tightly.

In the kitchen, Li Le was already heating water—scalding water was needed to dehair a pig. Boiling water poured over the carcass, steam rising as the bristles loosened. Cheng Qiao discreetly slipped a sharp butcher’s knife to Li Huan.

Seeing the gleaming edge, Li Huan swiftly slit open the boar. Ye Jun, watching the knife in Li Huan’s hand, froze briefly before resuming his work as if nothing happened.

“Master, I took the seeds from your windowsill. Once it’s warmer, I’ll plant them in my backyard to see if they’ll grow.”

Ye Jun nodded. Those were discarded seeds, unlikely to sprout, but too wasteful to throw away. He figured the little lass could use them for practice. Later, once she mastered identifying herbs, he’d give her proper seeds.

Thanks to the sharp knife and Li Huan’s practiced skill, the butchering went quickly. Li Huan packed about twenty jin of pork and fat into a basket for Ye Jun.

“Uncle Ye, take this home. Render lard, cook braised pork. We’ll make sausages with the rest, and whatever’s left we’ll sell. I’ll split the money with you.”

Ye Jun nodded, carried the basket home, and immediately noticed his door lock had been tampered with—clearly, Cheng Qiao and Li Huan had been there. He didn’t mind and went inside.

He carefully hid the meat beneath the snow. Once the snow piled deeper, it would freeze hard and last for a long time.

Then he went to the kitchen to heat water for a proper wash. Only then did he realize the kitchen was stocked with rice and flour, and the woodshed filled with firewood. It had to be Cheng Qiao and Li Huan’s doing.

Feeling cheerful, he bathed, then returned to his room to sleep. Pulling back the quilt, he discovered it had been replaced with a new one.

Ye Jun’s eyes grew misty. For most of his life, he had wandered alone through storms, never knowing what family affection truly was. Who would have thought, in his later years, after taking on an apprentice, he would finally find it.

He slept soundly, but not long after, the door was pounded on heavily. Rubbing his drowsy eyes, he got dressed and went to open the door.