Chapter Seven, Prosperous Era (Seven)

Then you cannot sustain it either. A wolf is not a dog. One may not discern this in childhood, but upon growing up, one will understand the difference between oneself and a dog. It will either turn against you or leave on its own! Li Mao heard his son say that the mother wolf was dead and that the livestock at home would no longer be threatened, and his shock gradually subsided. After a moment of thought, he explained in a low voice.

With such a heavy burden, the descent became increasingly difficult. When encountering steep areas, Li Xu had no choice but to first lower the prey one by one using vines, then slide down the tree, and finally climb down himself. After reaching the bottom of the slope, he had to reload the prey onto the cart and pull it forward once more. After several such efforts, it was unclear how long it took before he could faintly see the lights of the village.

I caught two large wild beasts, but I couldn't carry them, so I came down late!" Li Xu smiled apologetically and explained in a low voice. He pointed to the roe deer and the wolf on the sled, feeling a surge of pride in his heart

With the guidance of that blood trail, Li Xu finally did not get lost. He was careful, fearing that he might damage the pelt of the wolf and thus fail to sell it for a good price. He also wove a sled from vines, taking on the role of a hauler for the wolf. Dragging the sled along the blood trail for quite a while, he finally found the carcass of the roe deer he had hidden. He merged the two sleds into one, resting every three steps and stopping every five, panting as he descended the mountain.

Coming right away, parents, please eat first. I shot a female wolf today and conveniently brought back the pups as well!" Li Xu replied, pulling out a fluffy little wolf cub from his chest pouch as if performing a magic trick.

Li Mao and his wife looked at their son with eager eyes. Reflecting on the insider information they had learned earlier from the errand runner Zhao Er at the government office, they felt an inexplicable softness in their hearts and subsequently expressed their willingness to compromise

"You, you, tonight the master will take action against you, who will plead for you!" The old butler Li Zhong, seeing the enormous wild wolf, was not only displeased but also angry, pointing at Li Xu and scolding him. "You have wasted so many years on your studies, yet you do not understand the principle that you cannot take risks with your parents still alive! If you go to fight the wild wolf, and something goes wrong, who will support this family in the future! Who will take care of your parents! You ungrateful wretch, let’s see how the master punishes you tonight!"

"Uncle Zhong, Uncle Zhong, am I not back safe and sound? Besides, hunting a wolf is not particularly dangerous; after all, our ancestors were heroes who shot tigers with bows, weren't they?" Li Xu clung to Uncle Zhong's arm, pleading repeatedly. The Li family prided themselves on being descendants of the renowned General Li Guang from the Han Dynasty, and each family member took pride in the deeds of their ancestors. When the heroic tales of their forebears were brought up, they indeed held persuasive power. Old Li Zhong's scolding ceased at this point; he shoved the lantern into Li Xu's hands, bent down to pull up the vines, and angrily shouted, "Take this and go ahead to light the way. When you see your mother, tell her you returned before dark. I ran into some classmates at the foot of the mountain and boasted about my harvest, which is why I came home late!"

"The battle won't commence immediately, my dear brother!" Zhao Er, feeling satisfied, patted Li Mao on the shoulder and earnestly advised him, "The higher-ups have stated that this year we should prepare food and clothing, and after the spring plowing next year, we will draft soldiers, then gather and train them. The actual deployment of troops is likely to begin in the spring of the year after next. To speak frankly, despite our friendship, I truly cannot guarantee that I will be able to look after you for another three years. If a shrewd and resolute governor takes over, we, as subordinates, will have to comply with whatever they say!"

I said to Brother Damu, you must prepare early! At ten in the afternoon, after receiving benefits from Li Mao, the mysterious Zhao Er revealed, "It is said that the Emperor has issued a decree, requiring all good sons from the border counties to enlist. Regardless of how many brothers are in the family, from those aged forty down to fourteen..."

Isn't it just that the child is with his classmates, being envied to the point of being unable to extricate himself? Why are you so angry! He is not actually playing on the mountain and refusing to come home. Look at this fur; tomorrow, when we find someone familiar, we can just make him a cloak! The winter wind is cold..." Li Zhang cast a glance at her husband and smiled as she defended their son. She stuffed a towel into Li Xu's hands and affectionately said, "Here, wipe your face clean by yourself and wash your hands with this water. Your father is waiting for you to have a few drinks with him!"

Seeing his wife so indulgent towards their son, Li Mao found it impossible to contend with both of them. The educational efforts could no longer proceed, so he had no choice but to instruct Uncle Zhong, the steward, to drag the two wild beasts away and deal with them overnight. Then he patted the stool beside him and said softly, "In light of your mother's happiness, I will not punish you today. Come and eat, the meat stew has been reheated several times already"

At this moment, the sky had completely darkened. Butler Zhongshu held a gas lamp, anxiously looking around. Upon seeing Li Xu's figure, he hurriedly ran forward and exclaimed, "Oh my little ancestor, where have you been? The master and mistress are both waiting anxiously. If you don't return soon, they will surely gather the clan members to search the mountain for you"

"Quickly throw it out, that is a disaster for the family!" Old Li's expression changed instantly, and he jumped up, commanding loudly. "We have raised several livestock at home, and once..."

For a moment, Li Xu lost his sense of direction. In the village, no one had ever raised wolves; even if a mischievous child accidentally found a wolf cub, the parents would quickly throw it back into the wild upon seeing it. Wolves are fiercely protective of their young, and following the scent of the cub, a mother wolf would chase you for hundreds of miles, ready to fight to the death. Only after you returned her cub would she leave. Otherwise, today she would harm donkeys and horses, and tomorrow she would steal and bite chickens and ducks, ensuring a relentless pursuit.

However, today the mother of this little wolf cub has already perished under Li Xu's arrow, so there is naturally no need to consider the issue of revenge from the mother wolf. Whether he can raise the wolf into a good hunting dog, he has no experience in this regard. Just as he was hesitating, the little wolf began to whimper, unable to suckle any milk from the edge of his palm.

Generally, wild animals conceive in spring and give birth in early summer. The young ones strive to grow vigorously during the food-rich seasons of summer and autumn, so that by the time winter arrives, they can reach a sufficient weight to endure the harsh cold and hunger of winter. The wolf cub that Li Xu hunted, as depicted in the book, is clearly less than a month old and has a survival rate of less than ten percent. Therefore, even though Li Mao does not particularly like it, there is no need to argue with his son over a wolf cub that is unlikely to survive.

The she-wolf has already been shot dead by me! Father—!" Li Xu elongated his voice in plea. His family upbringing was not very strict to begin with; after the early death of his elder brother, his parents doted on him even more. Thus, at the age of fourteen, he still retained a hint of childishness in front of his parents

Back then, Liangzi was just as carefree, but unfortunately... Li Zhangshi looked at her busy son, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. During the day, her husband rushed to the city to gather information, spending over twenty coins to get a word from the official errand runner, Zhao Ergou. According to what Zhao revealed, the Emperor was planning to personally lead a campaign against Goryeo. Currently, the officials in the four border counties of Shanggu, Zhuojun, Yuyang, and Lulong (Beiping) were already in a state of panic. These areas are close to the border, and the soldiers can adapt to the climate of Liaodong, making them key regions for conscription.

At the sound of a call, Li Xu's heart softened immediately. He untied the pouch at his waist, fashioned a slanted shoulder bag, and placed the wolf cub inside. Then he sheathed his short knife, stepped forward, grasped the wolf's leg, and gradually dragged it out of the den.

Who just said they would resort to family discipline?" Old Li Mao said discontentedly, "Returning late, and you still praise him. If he is mingling with the street urchins, are you going to keep watch for him as well?

Thank you, Father, thank you, Mother!" Li Xu happily replied, hardly paying attention to the old couple's nagging and what they were discussing. He dashed out the door like the wind, settled the wolf cub under his bed, and then rushed into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of rice soup for it. Only then did he excitedly run back to join his parents for dinner

Remember not to pamper it too much; once you discover its wild nature, either kill it or drive it away. Never let it bite you back!" Li Zhang picked up the bowl and served his son a full bowl of meat soup. "First drink a bowl of soup, then you can touch the wine. Your uncle sent plenty of wine; it won't be finished in less than half a month!"

"Why must we treat it like a dog? When it grows up and does not wish to stay, I will simply release it into the deep mountains!" Li Xu smiled and said stubbornly

Seeing her son return safely, bringing with him two large game animals, Li Zhangshi was indeed overjoyed. Without waiting for Li Mao to inquire about the details, she quickly placed a warm towel on her son's face, while wiping the blood and dirt off Li Xu's face, she praised him, saying: "Only my son is capable; at just fourteen years old, he can already shoot down a gray wolf. In the past, our ancestors shot tigers in the middle of the night..."

If you want to keep it, then keep it. After all, this thing grows out of season, and no one has ever managed to keep it alive!" Old Li Mao said while pouring himself a drink and rambling on.

"Indeed, Uncle Zhong!" Li Xu replied happily. He reached out to grab the other corner of the sled and, together with the steward, marched proudly towards the front door.

Only Xuzi remains in my family, and he is not yet fourteen; I have already passed forty! Li Mao still remembers the embarrassment he felt while lying, as he stuffed the last few coins in his pocket into Zhao Er's hands, hoping that the other party would be lenient when the time came