Chapter 184: Braving the Snow to Reach the Mountain

The sudden snowfall caught everyone off guard. Father Lin, Lin Yue, and the others hurried home to bring in the things they had left outside. Some went to gather firewood or fodder for the livestock—if they didn’t, the animals wouldn’t survive the cold.

Mother Lin was helping Xiulan wash the dishes, while Lin Heng hauled straw to add to the musk deer pen—especially important now that the female musk deer was pregnant. They had to take extra care of her.

Xiong Ba’s doghouse got some extra straw too and was moved to a sheltered corner by the wall.

Sometimes the weather changes without warning—sunshine at noon, heavy snow by nightfall.

Lin Heng didn’t need to worry about Hongzao’s stable; his older brother had already added fresh fodder. He even made a brown-fur cushion for the Five-Black Dog.

Lin Heng carried a bundle of kindling back home. He had plenty of firewood under the eaves, but he was short on kindling for starting fires. He brought in a big bundle so Xiulan wouldn’t have trouble cooking the next day.

“This snow is really coming down,” Lin Heng said, watching the flurries swirl through the sky. “Did Mom and the others head back?”

“They did,” Xiulan replied, brushing snow off him with a towel.

Xiao Xia took advantage of their conversation to dash out into the courtyard, waving her little arms and shouting, “Ohhh! It’s snowing! It’s snowing!!”

She didn’t really know what snow was, but hearing Xiulan and the others talk about it made her excited. It was something new and magical to her.

She certainly didn’t remember last year’s snow—back then, she didn’t understand anything. And by next year, she’d probably forget this snowfall too. To her, the world was always fresh and full of wonder.

“Come back in! You’ll catch a cold!” Xiulan called as she ran after her.

Xiao Xia giggled and played hide-and-seek with her mother. When she was finally caught, she just laughed happily.

Xiulan couldn’t bring herself to scold her. She gave her daughter’s chubby cheeks a gentle pinch and warned her not to run out again. Then the three of them returned to the bedroom together.

Snow muffles sound, and outside was deathly quiet. Through the slightly cracked window, they could see large snowflakes drifting down in sheets.

Xiao Xia sat obediently on a stool, her tiny hands gripping the edge of the table, eyes fixed intently on Lin Heng.

He held a storybook in his hands and read aloud slowly. Xiulan brewed tea on a clay stove and made hawthorn syrup for Xiao Xia, spoon-feeding it to her.

Lin Heng thought this cozy scene was even better than the whole family watching TV together.

After Xiao Xia fell asleep, Lin Heng stepped out to use the toilet and found the ground already blanketed in white.

When he returned, he and Xiulan played a game of “in and out” for half an hour.

He knew he’d have to head up the mountain tomorrow, and he hated the thought of leaving his wife and daughter behind.

Xiulan knew he’d probably be gone for a while too, so she gave him her all.

“Hold me while we sleep,” Xiulan murmured softly. Her body was limp, like melting clay.

Lin Heng was just as drained, but he still had enough strength to wrap his arms around her and drift into sleep.

The next morning, Lin Heng was still dreaming when he suddenly felt something soft press against his lips. It tasted faintly of strawberries.

He opened his eyes to see his beautiful wife leaning over him, arms wrapped around his neck.

“Does it taste good?” Xiulan asked, her voice teasing and sultry.

“Delicious,” Lin Heng nodded eagerly. So this was what it felt like to be kissed awake—what a wonderful sensation.

“Then have another,” Xiulan said, leaning in again. She didn’t want to be apart from him either. Only when she could see him and breathe in his scent could she sleep peacefully.

Lin Heng not only got a sweet kiss first thing in the morning, but also got to enjoy her feeding him a homemade Da Bai Tu candy.

They dozed off again for a bit. When the fire in the stove was about to go out, Lin Heng finally got up and added two pine logs and one from the oak tree.

The fire roared back to life. Lin Heng walked over and opened the window. Outside, the world was a sea of white—hardly a trace of any other color.

Light snow still drifted from the sky, and the cold wind that blew in snapped him fully awake.

He stepped outside and sank into the snow—it was nearly twenty centimeters deep.

“This year’s snow came early—and heavy,” Lin Heng said in amazement.

In years past, snow like this didn’t come until the twelfth lunar month. Now it was only the tenth.

“Are you still going up the mountain? Maybe you should skip it—the snow’s too heavy,” Xiulan said, worried.

Such deep snow made the mountain dangerous—slippery and freezing.

“I’m still going. It’s fine,” Lin Heng replied with a smile. He’d been waiting for a snowfall like this to head up the mountain.

After using the toilet and finishing his morning workout, Lin Heng called Xiao Xia to wake her up. Xiulan went to make breakfast.

They had rice in the morning, with dishes like stir-fried pickled radish with pork, a green vegetable and mushroom soup, and some braised pig heart and pig head meat—delicious when dipped in vinegar sauce.

*Knock knock!!*

Just as they finished eating and Lin Heng was about to head to the back mountain to get the horse, someone knocked on the door.

“Lin Heng, you home?”

It was his uncle-in-law, Li Baiquan.

Lin Heng opened the door and saw him standing there with a basket on his back and a rifle slung over his shoulder.

“You’re here already, Uncle?” Lin Heng said, surprised.

Li Baiquan grinned and nodded. “Of course. I was afraid you’d leave without me.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere yet.”

Lin Heng welcomed him inside and explained the situation.

Li Baiquan nodded. “Since you still need to pick someone up, I’ll go chat with your brother first. We need to make sure we’ve packed enough. Winter in the mountains isn’t a joke.”

In summer, the mountains weren’t too bad—actually quite pleasant.

But in winter, one wrong move could be fatal. Anyone heading into the wilderness had to respect nature.

“Got it,” Lin Heng said with a nod.

He went to fetch the horse and prepared the cart. Worried about the slippery roads, he tied some coir ropes to the wheels for traction.

Then he set off for Huangtan Town without delay.

Old Man Gao was overjoyed to see him. “Xiao Lin, you’re finally here! Let’s get going—I’ve already packed everything.”

“Alright,” Lin Heng replied, helping him load the gear.

Old Man Gao didn’t bring much—just a camo backpack.

But his weapons caught Lin Heng’s eye. Not only did he bring a Mongolian bow, but also a double-barreled shotgun and an M1911 pistol.

“Grandpa, that’s a lot of firepower,” Lin Heng said, stunned. The shotgun was one thing, but a pistol too?

“Haha, this one I took off an American back in the day. Just in case. For hunting, I’ll use the shotgun,” Old Man Gao said with a laugh. He popped out the magazine and handed the pistol to Lin Heng for a look.

Lin Heng examined it closely, running his fingers along the smooth metal, full of envy. “It’s beautiful. Grandpa, you’re amazing.”

Old Man Gao was clearly pleased with his reaction. He clapped Lin Heng on the shoulder and grinned. “Haha, once we’re up in the mountains, I’ll let you fire off a couple rounds.”

“Thanks, old man,” Lin Heng said eagerly. Aside from the crude hunting rifles back in the countryside, this was his first time holding a real gun.

And not just any gun—this pistol had seen blood, its surface worn and scarred by time.

After examining it for a moment, he handed it back. Old Man Gao loaded the magazine and tucked the pistol into the back of his coat.

As Old Man Gao grabbed some bullets, Lin Heng noticed something and asked curiously, “Old Man Gao, why are you bringing rifle rounds too?”

Old Man Gao chuckled and pulled out a double-barreled shotgun for Lin Heng to see. “This is a special double-barreled shotgun—one barrel for buckshot, the other for rifle rounds.”

Lin Heng gave a thumbs-up. “Damn, old man, your gear is insane. Compared to you, I look like I’m just going on a nature hike.”

With this kind of firepower, forget black bears—even a tiger would be in trouble.

He had been a little worried about running into wild beasts, but now that he was heading up the mountain with Old Man Gao, it was the beasts who ought to be worried.

Once they finished prepping their gear, the two of them hopped on the cart and made their way quickly toward Red Maple Village.

By the time they arrived, it was already ten o’clock. His older brother was ready and waiting.

“Nice little courtyard you’ve got here. Looks great,” Old Man Gao said as he stepped inside and immediately began praising the place.

The farmhouse courtyard was beautifully arranged—Lin Heng clearly had a flair for aesthetics.

“Haha, I just like tinkering with stuff like this. If you like it, old man, you’re welcome to stay for a few days,” Lin Heng said with a grin, then led Old Man Gao on a quick tour of the backyard, where they checked on the forest musk deer.

Old Man Gao looked around and then noticed Xiulan cooking in the kitchen. He quickly waved his hand. “Just something simple to eat is fine. We should get up the mountain—that’s the real business.”

“It’s just a few cold dishes,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

Still, Old Man Gao shook his head. “No need for that either. If you really want to treat me, wait until we get back.”

“Well, alright then.”

Seeing how insistent the old man was, Lin Heng could only nod in agreement.

Xiulan whipped up two quick hot dishes and a couple of plates of cold cuts. After eating, the four of them grabbed their gear, brought along Xiong Ba, and headed up the mountain.

They entered from the same spot near Red Maple Mountain. The cold wind howled, and light snow drifted from the sky.

“Old man, look—this is the Fish Pond I built,” Lin Heng said, pointing toward it.

The pond was frozen over, a layer of snow covering the ice, leaving only a vague outline visible.

Old Man Gao gave him a thumbs-up. “You’ve got determination, kid. There’s honor in doing solid, honest work.”

Lin Heng grinned. “Just trying to make a better life for my family. That’s why I’m in the mountains too.”

“You’ll definitely make it,” Old Man Gao said with a smile.

As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the group grew quieter, focusing on tracking signs of game.

With fresh snow on the ground, it was the perfect time to spot animal tracks.

Lin Heng and Old Man Gao formed one team, while his brother and uncle made up the other.

Their goal was to reach the base of Mount Taibai. Today was mainly about covering ground and setting up a shelter. Any hunting along the way would just be a bonus.

The snow-covered forest was eerily silent as the four of them moved quickly.

Suddenly, Old Man Gao raised his hand to signal a stop. “Listen,” he whispered.

Lin Heng perked up and, sure enough, heard the fluttering of wings.

They soon spotted two blue-gray hazel grouse on the forest floor ahead, scratching at the snow in search of food.

“You take the one on the left, I’ll take the one on the right. I’ll count down—three, two, one. Can you do it?” Old Man Gao asked, pulling out his Mongolian bow.

“Got it,” Lin Heng nodded, drawing his compound bow and nocking an arrow.

“Three, two, one!”

The moment the countdown ended, both arrows flew.

With a thud, the two grouse tumbled into the snow, twitching briefly before going still. Bright red blood seeped from the arrows, slowly staining the snow around them.

“Not bad. You’ve got skills,” Old Man Gao said, giving a thumbs-up. Lin Heng’s arrow had even beaten his by a hair.

“You’re the real expert, old man. You’re good at everything,” Lin Heng replied with a wide grin.

Before they could say more, Xiong Ba trotted over with the grouse in his mouth.

“This dog’s impressive,” Old Man Gao said, eyes lighting up.

“Xiong Ba’s a smart one. Looks like we’ve got meat for dinner tonight,” Lin Heng said with a chuckle.

Each grouse weighed over a pound—plenty for four people.

They had set out at eleven, and it took them three hours to bag their first game. It was already two in the afternoon.

As they climbed higher, the temperature dropped. Thankfully, it was only snowing lightly, and the wind wasn’t too strong.

Still, the grouse in Lin Heng’s basket had frozen rock solid in under half an hour.

Because they were constantly moving, their hands and feet stayed warm, but their faces were starting to sting from the cold.

By three o’clock, they reached the Three-Fork Ravine—a familiar place, though the landscape had changed dramatically.

In the distance, they could see some bamboo partridges and sparrows foraging in the snow—easy to spot against the white backdrop.

There were plenty of birds around the ravine too. A few egrets were poking around the stream for fish, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

But no one was in the mood for hunting. With only three hours of daylight left, they had to push forward.

It was clear they wouldn’t make it to the base of Mount Taibai today. They decided to change their destination to the summer campsite Lin Heng had built near the upper stream of the ravine.

“We need to pick up the pace,” Old Man Gao said, glancing at the sky.

Li Baiquan nodded. “Yeah, better hurry. You can’t take chances in winter.”

Those who spent time in the mountains knew well the unforgiving nature of the wild. Disrespect it, and it would destroy you without mercy.

They quickened their pace and finally reached the old campsite around five o’clock. Lin Heng had built it over the summer with his brother and father.

After a quick inspection, Old Man Gao nodded. “Still usable. Let’s reinforce it a bit and spend the night here. We’ll find a new spot tomorrow.”

The shelter was mostly intact—only the vine beds were unusable. The roof had held up, and no snow had gotten inside.

Lin Heng hadn’t dismantled it when he left in the summer. All they needed to do now was seal up the sides to keep the cold out.

It wasn’t too difficult—use logs as a frame, fill the large gaps with branches, and stuff leaves into the smaller ones. Done.

As they worked on the shelter, they chatted.

Li Baiquan looked at Lin Heng curiously. “What did you guys catch here over the summer?”

“A big wild boar, two smaller ones, a forest musk deer, and a hog badger,” Lin Yue said with a smile.

Old Man Gao’s eyes lit up. “That much? Looks like this place is rich with game.”

Lin Heng shook his head. “Not really. It took us nearly a month to gather all this stuff.”

Old Man Gao added, “I’ve got a feeling that canyon down below might be worth checking out when we have time.”

Lin Heng shook his head again. “The terrain in there is way too complicated and dangerous. Old Man Tian from our village barely made it out last time—there are tons of mud pits.”

“Is that so? Then I guess we’ll just have to stick to the edges and take a look from there,” Old Man Gao said helplessly. He knew all too well how terrifying those mud pits could be.

As they talked, the group finished putting up the walls on all four sides of the shelter.

“Hey, come over here! I found some animal tracks—could it be a black bear?” Lin Yue suddenly called out from a distance.

(End of Chapter)