READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 23: New Year
Ji Jianyun remembered and asked, “Honey, is this the embroidery you talked about?”
“Mhm.” Su Danhong nodded and looked at the way he was unsure of whether he should dare to touch it or not. She said, “You can touch it, but don't use too much strength.”
Ji Jianyun touched it, and it felt excellent. “Honey, why didn't I know you had this skill?”
“How many times a year do you come back?” Su Danhong already had an excuse ready and didn’t need to think of one.
Upon hearing her words, Ji Jianyun chuckled and watched her embroider. His wife appeared gentle and virtuous, as if she had come out from a painting. He looked at her until he became silly.
Perhaps his gaze was so strong that Su Danhong glanced at him. He looked at her a little unnaturally and she angrily asked, "Why are you standing here?"
“Honey, it's not easy for me to come back. Why don't you stop embroidering and go for a walk around the mountain with me?” Ji Jianyun said as he moved closer.
“What are you doing going up the mountain on such a cold day?" Su Danhong gave him a side glance.
“It's the best time to go up the mountain to catch rabbits. Should I take you there to catch them?” Ji Jianyun replied.
Su Danhong was a little moved. Ji Jianyun really had a hard time coming back. This “A Hundred Birds Paying Respect to the Phoenix1” picture could be embroidered at any time, and she was not in a hurry these days.As a matter of fact, she didn't plan to embroider for the next few days. It was only after being stressed out at Lao Ji’s home that she came back to find something to do to avoid her own wishful thinking.
“Come on, let's go up the mountain,” Ji Jianyun persuaded.
Su Danhong put everything in a pile and told Xiao Hei to keep an eye on the yard. She locked the door and followed Ji Jianyun, who had prepared things, up the mountain.
It had been snowing everyday these past few days, so there was a layer of snow on the mountain, but it was not deep.
Ji Jianyun was obviously an experienced hunter. His eyes didn’t even look for sparrows, which he played with when he was a child.
He set up a lot of traps based on his prey’s marks.
"We used to go up the mountain to get wild animals when we didn't have anything to eat." Ji Jianyun smiled at her.
Su Danhong, who had never experienced this before, asked, “Then can you hunt wild animals?”
“If you are lucky, you can catch a rabbit or pheasant, but not if you are unlucky.” Ji Jianyun shook his head as he spoke. After setting the traps, he wiped away all their footsteps, and then took his wife far away.
When he wasn't paying attention, Su Danhong sprinkled some spiritual spring water nearby. After she explored the uses of the spring water, she knew that it attracted animals.
For example, Xiao Hei would never drink any other type of water after drinking the spiritual spring water. Every time the water bowl beside his dog house would run out of water, he would go find her with the bowl in his mouth.
“It might take a long time as we wait. Let's go and collect some firewood first,” Su Danhong said.
Although she had never hunted, she knew that the time to guard a tree-stump to wait for rabbits2 would take a long time. Also, even if there was the spiritual spring to attract them, she did not know if there was any prey in this cold weather.
Ji Jianyun nodded. Right now what his wife said was the last word, but there was also how she was not as gluttonous for meat as before. He could finally see that his home had a good stock of pork, mutton, and beef, all of which were eaten in different ways.
The main reason he took his wife up the mountain was to go for a walk.
“How are you doing over on the outside?” Su Danhong asked as she picked up firewood.
“Good!” Ji Jianyun replied, but he went back to her as soon as he finished replying. He wanted his wife to go back to the outside with him, so he quickly made up his mind and said, “It’s okay, I’m good. I can eat until I’m full, but the taste is not so good, and…” He talked a lot, but all in all, he couldn't be without a woman that cared for him.
Su Danhong did not have any doubts and believed her man's words. In a somewhat distressed way, she asked, “Then what can be done?”
“Honey, I can apply for the dormitory in two years, and then you can be brought over to the dormitory. Would you like to come with me? It's just that the environment over there is a little harsh, so I'm afraid I will wrong you,” Ji Jianyun explained.
Su Danhong looked at him and said, “Let me think about it.”
In her heart, she definitely wanted to go. However, she couldn’t promise him so quickly, or else she would appear worthless. That’s why she’ll take it slow. Wasn't there still two years left?
Let's see how her Ji Jianyun performed.
Ji Jianyun was very happy to see that she didn't already say no. ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏɴ ꜰᴏxᴀʜᴏʟɪᴄ.ᴄᴏᴍ
The couple happily collected firewood. Not long after, Ji Jianyun tied up a large bundle of firewood and put it on his shoulder to carry it.
Su Danhong looked particularly pleased. Take a look! Wasn’t her man so strong and gallant? She also knew a little bit about Xiao Hei’s fighting strength. He was so fierce that most men were no match for him at all. Yet, it was her man who was able to suppress Xiao Hei last night.
Ji Jianyun looked around and saw that his wife looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes, and his posture became straighter without him realizing it. When the couple came to the place where the trap was, they did not know where the golden pheasant trapped there came from and was just cooing.
In a couple of steps, Ji Jianyun went forward and twisted the pheasant’s neck. Then, it stopped breathing.
“There's a lot of meat at home. Take this pheasant to your parents,” Su Danhong said.
“We'll keep it for ourselves.” Ji Jianyun shook his head as he spoke.
His wife had been angered by that girl, Yunyun. This pheasant should be taken to his parents as a gift, but if they take it over there, Yunyun would definitely eat it. If his wife thought of Yunyun eating it, then it would be strange if she did not become angry.
He had a hard time coaxing her, and he didn’t want the pheasant to be the reason for another argument. He understood Yunyun, that girl’s temper. She had been spoiled by her older brothers and had been somewhat spoiled until she was rotten.
Su Danhong said nothing, but nodded. They went back.
It was fine if they didn’t send the pheasant over. She was going to stew it to replenish Ji Jianyun's health!
When the villagers saw it, they wondered, “Did you go up the mountain? And you caught a pheasant?”
They were lucky, really lucky. These days, many people come back empty-handed after going up the mountain.
“We were a bit lucky and bumped into it,” Ji Jianyun said with a grin.
The husband and wife went home. After Ji Jianyun cleaned the pheasant, Su Danhong stewed it over a low fire. She had stuffed the belly of the pheasant with a lot of red dates, wolfberry and ginseng. The water she used was also the spiritual spring water.
The flavor definitely didn’t need a lot of words to describe it. It could be eaten in the evening.
After the busy work was done, it was almost time for dinner. The pheasant was stewed at home over a low fire, so there was no worry. Su Danhong packed up a few snacks and four red envelopes, and went over to Lao Ji’s home with Ji Jianyun.
The Lao Ji home, which was originally only just Father Ji and Mother Ji, was particularly lively when it was the New Year. The eldest brother-in-law, Ji Jianguo, and Feng Fangfang arrived with Hou Wazi. The second eldest brother-in-law, Ji Jianye, brought Ji Mudan and their two daughters. Fourth younger brother-in-law, Ji Jianwen, and Yun Lili had traveled from Jiangshui City with their little daughter in their arms.
The whole family was cheerful and full of energy.
In the past, Su Danhong used to be the most unwelcomed one. However, this year was different.
“Third aunt!”
“Third aunt!”
As soon as they saw her, Hou Wazi and the two daughters from second eldest brother-in-law were very happy and rushed over.
- 百鸟朝凤 (bǎiniǎocháofèng) – Pic. It’s a metaphor for peace under a wise ruler.
- 守株待兔 (shǒuzhūdàitù) – idiom for waiting idly for opportunities