(Wishing all readers a happy and joyous New Year, a cheerful Spring Festival, and a delightful celebration of the Lunar New Year''s Eve. Your happiness brings me joy, and your well-being fills me with sweetness. May the Year of the Dragon bring you vigor and prosperity, along with happiness and good fortune.)<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six learned the theoretical knowledge of building a kang bed-stove. He didn''t start right away but practiced a bit outside first.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Then he began renovating the new house they had only lived in for a short while.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After finishing the kang, Old Gu Six started going into the mountains to cut trees. He nned to build a boat so he could go fishing in the sea when he had free time.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an went to the beach every day with a bucket, finding it extremely interesting. She felt that the seafood she collected herself tasted even better.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When not at the beach, she would go into the mountains. She seemed busy every day, though it wasn''t clear what exactly kept her upied.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sometimes she would help Old Gu Six build the boat, but her craftsmanship wasn''t great. Her help was more like causing trouble, so it was better for her to just watch from the side.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She thought thend they had cleared was still a bit small, so she started clearing morend on the hillside to nt sweet potatoes and regr potatoes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Then she remembered that cotton was particrly scarce in this world.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Hey, you there, are you around?" she called out.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Hello? Anyone there?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Old man, are you still there?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"If you can hear me, please respond and bring me some cotton seeds."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
There was no response. Perhaps her signal hadn''t been received.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It wasn''t until after dinner that evening that Chang''an finally got a reply.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, it was brief and hurried.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
[I''ve ced them in your space.]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After saying this, the presence disappeared. Chang''an entered her space and found a paper package on the dining table, which must have been the cotton seeds.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an picked it up and looked at it. It seemed to be about a pound, enough to nt about an acre ofnd.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She needed to continue clearing morend. Old Gu Six had made a new curved-beam plow with an iron plowshare.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Tomorrow they would bring out the mule to work. Chang''an thought about all the things they needed to nt in spring next year.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Sweet potatoes and regr potatoes, wheat, vegetables, and cotton.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The next day, the mule started working again, grumbling as usual, but this time it clearly felt much easier.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Could it be that its strength had increased?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an wondered: Could it be because of the new plow?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
By the time it started snowing, Chang''an had finished clearing hernd, but Old Gu Six''s boat was not even half done.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The boat he was building was toorge; it probably wouldn''t be finished for at least a year.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
On snowy days, there was nothing to do but stay indoors for the winter. With the kang bed-stove and the regr stove, it wasn''t too cold, but they couldn''t go outside because of the strong sea wind.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Next spring, they definitely needed to nt some fruit trees around the house to block the wind.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In the depths of winter, the silver wolf that had originally guided them, along with its mate, found their way to the house. Chang''an thought they were just visiting.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She fed them a meal of meat, and then they settled down in the outdoor kitchen of her house.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Their intention was clear; they hade to stay temporarily.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"This won''t do. Where am I supposed to get enough meat to feed you in the dead of winter? Why don''t you go back to your own home ande visit again in ten days or half a month?" Chang''an suggested.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The silver wolf ignored her and cuddled up with its mate, sleeping soundly.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Their thick skin was truly impressive; they had actually made themselves at home!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Everyonee and see! There''s a thick-skinned wolf here, trying to force a viger to adopt it and its mate.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Is this a perversion of wolf nature, or a moral decline?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an decided to let the wolf couple experience the harshness of society.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Living with Chang''an meant three days of hunger out of every ten.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
For the first few days, the wolf couple could eat until they were about 70% full. Later, they could only eat until half full. After that, Chang''an started behaving in a way that seemed inhuman.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
She was being more beastly than the wolves themselves. How could she make carnivores eat vegetables? Was this something a person would do?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In truth, this wasn''t entirely Chang''an''s fault. The wild game stored in her space''s freezer had all been eaten by the wolf couple.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They ate so much in one sitting, and the freezer couldn''t replenish fast enough.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
So she had no choice but to feed them vegetables. She and Old Gu Six didn''t even have meat to eat themselves, only crabs and shrimp.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an saw disdain in the eyes of the wolf couple, and then watched as the silver wolf raised its front paw and kicked a piece of broli far away.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After kicking away the broli, the silver wolf led its mate back into the mountains.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an rubbed her nose, went out to pick up the broli, and returned to the house.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Daughter, it''s so cold, shall we have hot pot?" Old Gu Six suggested.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Sure," Chang''an agreed, taking out the pot and hot pot seasoning. She also stewed a pot of pork rib soup, and when the hot pot seasoning in the pot started boiling, she added the rib soup to it.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Tripe,mb, beef, and various vegetables filled the entire table.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
While the father and daughter were leisurely enjoying their hot pot at home, the wolf couple was out hunting in the mountains.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Then, for some unknown reason, the wolves had a conflict, and the silver wolf was pinned down and beaten by its mate.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The winter evening grew dark early. Chang''an and Old Gu Six waited for a long time but didn''t see the wolf couple return. They assumed the wolves had gone back to the mountains and wouldn''te back.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In the middle of the night, they heard wolf howls outside the yard, and the sound of ws scratching at the door, making their teeth ache.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six put on his clothes and went out to open the door for them.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When he opened the door, Old Gu Six was shocked. The silver wolf couple had brought back another wolf couple, and beside themy two dead wild boars.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The silver wolf raised its paw and patted the wild boar, letting out a low howl.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six strangely understood its meaning: they had brought their own food and wanted to continue staying in the same room as before.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He stepped aside, and the wolves worked together to drag the wild boars into the yard.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Then the silver wolf howled twice more, wanting Old Gu Six to help them butcher the pigs.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"It''s toote tonight, it would disturb my daughter''s sleep. I''ll help you process them tomorrow," Old Gu Six said.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The silver wolf raised its proud head, only to be swatted down by its mate. The two couples then retreated to the outdoor kitchen.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six brought in a bundle of dry grass and followed them, making another bed for the new wolf couple.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the silver wolf started howling under Old Gu Six''s window, calling him toe and butcher the pigs.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six looked at the sky outside; it was barely light. He scratched his head in frustration.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Stop howling, don''t you know what time it is? Don''t wake up my daughter, or I''ll chase you all out," he grumbled.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Hearing Old Gu Six''s impatient voice, the silver wolf returned to the outdoor kitchen somewhat dejectedly, waiting eagerly for daybreak.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They had to wait until Chang''an woke up, and then wait for them to finish breakfast.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
During the time when it had been Chang''an''s mount, the wolf had eaten processed meat. After returning to the mountains, it had gone back to eating prey with fur, which it now found somewhat unappetizing.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
This was a bit unsanitary, so after enduring for a while, it brought its mate to find Chang''an.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Yesterday, it had also brought its brother-inw and his mate. Now that they were living under someone else''s roof and had brought their family along, they had to be patient.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After breakfast, Old Gu Six helped the silver wolf clean the wild boars. He kept about three jin of pork belly to fry some crispy pork for his daughter.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"We humans believe in reciprocity. I help you butcher the pigs, you give me a piece of meat, and that''s how our friendship canst," he exined.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The silver wolf looked confused, but the piece of meat wasn''t much. It tilted its head and patted a pig leg with its paw, indicating it could give him a whole leg as well.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"No need, this is enough," Old Gu Six declined. Four wolves and two wild boars weren''t really enough to eat, so it was better to leave more for them.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six helped them divide the wild boar meat into pieces and put it in the outdoor kitchen for them to eat slowly.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Two humans and four wolves living under the same roof turned out to be surprisingly harmonious.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
When the wolves finished their prey, they would go out to hunt on their own, never asking Chang''an to feed them again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Every time they went out, they would bring something back for Chang''an. Once, when they came back and saw Chang''an cutting Chinese cabbage, the silver wolf came forward, swatted the cabbage away with its paw, and threw a wild chicken to her instead.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an thought she saw pity in its eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
This time, the wolves had been out hunting for over ten days and hadn''t returned, which made Chang''an a bit worried.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Usually, they woulde back after seven or eight days. She wondered if they had encountered some danger.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0