Chapter 42 What Do You Think of My Husband?

After disposing of Zhou San’er’s body, Li Chen wandered around the forest for a while longer.

His luck was truly good. He actually came across two foolish roe deer drinking water by a small stream in the woods.

After shooting one down, Li Chen originally thought the other would be so frightened that it would vanish without a trace.

Unexpectedly, the creature was genuinely stupid. Although it ran off at first, by the time Li Chen walked over to carry away the dead deer, it had actually come back and stood not far away, staring at him curiously.

Li Chen had no choice but to take it down as well. Otherwise, he simply could not bear the pure foolishness in its eyes.

The two roe deer together weighed about 60 kilograms. Li Chen fashioned a simple shoulder pole, slung the two deer across it, and carried them back.

When he arrived home, it was just as the women had finished their work and settled their wages. They were now bustling about, cooking with great enthusiasm.

More than a dozen tables had been set up inside and outside the courtyard. Quite a few children were gathered around Liu Chenyi, staring at the little tiger that had not yet opened its eyes, letting out excited cries of “Wow!”

The matter of adopting the tiger cub had long since spread throughout the village. Now, everyone in Muer Village had grown accustomed to the little tiger’s presence.

The courtyard was lively and full of activity. Liu Jincui, as the village head’s wife, was helping Yu Qingwan take charge of directing and organizing the village women in cooking. Everything was arranged in perfect order.

Liu Chenxu was still calculating accounts. Zhao Dashan was wrestling with a group of young boys in the open space nearby.

The boy was born with tremendous strength and had received guidance from Li Chen. Now even two or three youths together could not throw him down.

Hou Xiaobai was crouched in a corner, still filing and adjusting the parts he had been working on.

Some of the men were helping split firewood and tend the fires in the courtyard, while a few elderly men with inconvenient legs sat nearby chatting.

Laughter and cheerful voices echoed throughout Muer Village. It was a scene of harmony and happiness.

“Look, Brother Chen is back! Good heavens, he really must be the mountain god reincarnated. Every time he goes into the mountains, he never returns empty-handed. This time it’s another full haul!”

Someone with sharp eyes spotted Li Chen and immediately pointed down the mountain.

“Those are roe deer. Two of them! And so many big wild birds… Brother Chen is incredible!”

Everyone looked over, stood up, and exclaimed in admiration.

“That’s right. My Brother Chen is the greatest hunter in the world. No, the greatest man in the world, not just at hunting,” Zhao Dashan declared proudly.

A woman nearby teased, “Yes, yes, not just good at hunting. Also good at fighting, especially the kind where you don’t wear clothes. Even more impressive.”

“No, my Brother Chen doesn’t take off his clothes when he fights!” Zhao Dashan said in confusion, turning toward the women.

His reply was met with waves of laughter.

“That’s what I said. Why are they laughing?” Zhao Dashan scratched his head, completely bewildered.

“You blockhead, what those women said wasn’t anything decent. Hurry up and go help Brother Chen carry the game!” Hou Xiaobai glared at him from the corner.

“Oh, right.” Zhao Dashan quickly ran down the slope to take Li Chen’s shoulder pole.

Yu Qingwan, who was busy working, heard the villagers praising Li Chen. She pursed her lips, and the corners of her mouth curved upward almost to the sky.

Hearing others praise her husband made her heart sweeter than honey.

Beside her, Xu Xiuer glanced at Yu Qingwan, then at the handsome young man walking up from below the mountain. The light in her bright eyes dimmed slightly. She said nothing and lowered her head to continue working.

Yet her expression did not escape Yu Qingwan’s notice.

After thinking for a moment and biting her lip, Yu Qingwan walked over to Xu Xiuer. As they washed vegetables together, she turned her head and asked softly, “Sister Xiuer, are you tired? If you are, you can rest for a while.”

“I’m not tired. The more I can help, the better,” Xu Xiuer replied, shaking her head.

“Sister Xiuer, if I remember correctly, we’re the same age. You’re just a few months older than me, right?” Yu Qingwan asked with a smile.

She had always felt affection and even gratitude toward Xu Xiuer.

It had been over three months since she came to Muer Village. During the first two months, some of the girls and women in the village bullied her as an outsider, sometimes teasing or even deliberately making things difficult for her. Whenever Xu Xiuer was present, she would stand up for her.

For instance, when Zhou Jiao tore her new clothes, Xu Xiuer had angrily scolded Zhou Jiao.

And like her mother, Xu Xiuer was kind-hearted. When she saw that Yu Qingwan’s family had nothing to eat, she would secretly slip her two coarse flour buns, something Yu Qingwan had always been deeply grateful for.

In recent days, she had also noticed that Xu Xiuer seemed to secretly harbor feelings for her husband. But in the past, Xu Xiuer’s family had objected because Li Chen had been an idle troublemaker.

Now they thought well of him, but Li Chen had already married her.

So Xu Xiuer seemed to carry both grievance and regret in her heart.

“Yes, we’re the same age,” Xu Xiuer nodded.

She also held goodwill toward Yu Qingwan.

This girl was gentle, considerate, and kind. Though she had endured much hardship before, now that Li Chen had turned over a new leaf, she had finally tasted happiness. Xu Xiuer sincerely wished her well.

Even if that blessing carried a faint bitterness.

“Sister Xiuer, do you have someone you like?” Yu Qingwan glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then asked with a suppressed giggle.

“Oh my, you silly girl, why are you asking such embarrassing questions?” Xu Xiuer was caught off guard. Her cheeks flushed red, and she lightly tapped Yu Qingwan.

“My husband is actually very good. Why don’t you consider him?” Yu Qingwan said softly, brushing her hair aside.

“What? Wan’er, what are you saying? Who would ever offer her husband to someone else?” Xu Xiuer’s heart raced wildly. The vegetables in her hand nearly slipped to the ground.

“I’m not joking. I really mean it. I know that in his heart, he has always cared about you. It’s just that…” Yu Qingwan had barely finished speaking when loud cheers erupted outside.

Li Chen had reached the courtyard gate. Zhao Dashan held up the two large roe deer excitedly and shouted to everyone, “Brother Chen said these two deer will be butchered shortly, and each household will get some meat!”

Thunderous cheers and words of gratitude filled the air, forcing Yu Qingwan and Xu Xiuer to pause their conversation.

“Sister Xiuer, please think carefully about what I said. I’m serious,” Yu Qingwan said with a smile, carrying the vegetables to the chopping board to cut them.

Xu Xiuer’s heart pounded wildly. Holding the vegetables in trembling hands, her face flushed crimson. For a moment, she stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do.