Lady Du left, and the smile on Mu Caiwei's face faded instantly, her gaze becoming icy and sharp, just like when she was on a mission before. She quickly turned around, skillfully picked up the knife, and expertly stripped the meat from the wild hare that Aunt Zhou had brought, chopping it into fine bits.
After finishing this, she scooped up several ladles of water, poured some salt from the salt jar into it, and soaked the bamboo stick she had prepared in the pot, intending to boil some saltwater. Unfortunately, there was no firewood left at home!
Just as Cai Wei was worrying, the voice of her mother came from outside.
"Oh my, Jiujin is here, come in, come in quickly."
"Aunt Du, my mother sent me to deliver a load of firewood."
Outside the fence, the honest Zhou Jiujin stood at the entrance with a carrying pole on his shoulders. On both ends of the pole, tied bundles of corn stalks were stacked from top to bottom, forming two small mountains.
Just as Cai Wei was worrying about not having firewood for the saltwater, hearing that someone was delivering the firewood made her joyful. She quickly ran out.
At the entrance, Jiujin saw Caiwei run out lightly. His face turned red instantly, all the way up to his ear roots. He started to laughed nervously, not even daring to look up.
Mu Caiwei paid no attention to Jiujin's shyness and joy. A woman with the mind of a thirty-something wouldn't give much thought to a young boy's admiration. In her heart, in her eyes, there was only - firewood.
"Jiujin, your timing is perfect, this is just what I needed!"
Mu Caiwei ran over to Jiujin and pulled out a bundle of corn stalks from his carrying pole before cheerfully heading back to the kitchen.
"Ah, Sister Wei'er-"
His heart's desire, whom he had hardly gotten a glimpse of, was about to leave right after meeting him. Jiujin became a little anxious.
Mu Caiwei turned around, her face filled with confusion: "Jiujin, do you need something?"
"Er… No, ah, yes, yes, I do."
Jiujin's grip tightened on the carrying pole in his hand. He took a deep breath and built up the courage to look into her eyes: "Sister Wei'er, my mother told me you fainted from hunger today. Are you feeling better now? If… If you ever go hungry again, don't endure it. Come find me…"
"Pop-"
Seeing the boy's flushed face, his trembling voice, and the beads of sweat on his nose, Mu Caiwei couldn't help but laugh. She honestly thought the child in front of her was adorable, silly, innocent, and kind.
Jiujin was bloomed by Caiwei's laughter, unsure of what Sister Wei'er was laughing about? Whether he should laugh along or say something. So, he just stared at her, clueless.
After laughing, Caiwei quickly regretted it. She felt guilty, no matter what kind of thought this naughty boy had for her, his intentions were good, so she shouldn't have made fun of him.
"Coughing lightly, Caiwei softened her voice: "Thank you, Brother Jiujin. I will remember it. If I ever go hungry again, I will definitely come to find you!"
After finishing speaking, Mu Caiwei picked up the firewood and darted into the kitchen.
At the entrance, Jiujin's face became even redder.
He stuttered, "Uhm, Aunt, use this firewood first. Once it's finished, I'll bring you some more…"
….
Having obtained the firewood, Mu Caiwei quickly boiled the saltwater. The dry bamboo sticks boiled in the ten percent saltwater for ten minutes and regained their flexibility! She then bent the bamboo sticks, tied the two ends together with thin cords, wrapped the minced meat around the sticks, and set them outside in the snow to freeze. Once the meatballs froze into chunks, she cut off the thin cord securing the bamboo stick. The stick would remain frozen in the form of an O in the meatball. Once the wild boar swallowed the meatball, the warmth of its stomach would melt the frozen meat, and the inside stick would return to its original form, becoming straight and extended….
….
At night, Mu Manor was covered in silence, as if everything had sunk into a dreamland.
In the west of the village, a slim figure swiftly emerged from outside the small thatched cottage and ran like a swift towards the big mountain behind the village.
The moonlight was like water, reflecting the snow on the mountains, illuminating the earth as if it were daytime.
In the thicket, the petite girl carrying a bundle lowered her head, walking while carefully searching the snowy ground in the moonlight.
Eventually, behind a clump of hay, she spotted a round and robust hoof print. The track was single and about eleven to twelve centimeters long.
Based on experience, it was a solitary male wild boar that weighed over 300 Jin.
Mu Caiwei unwrapped her bundle and took out several dumplings the size of ping pong balls from it. Following the direction of the footprints, she placed a few. After placing them, she straightened her back, dusted off her hands, and cheerfully returned home.
If everything went as expected, by early tomorrow, she would have caught a fat wild boar!