Chapter 352 - 236: It Is Not the Wine That Intoxicates, but the Person

Chapter 352: Chapter 236: It Is Not the Wine That Intoxicates, but the Person

The large truck had driven quite a distance, but the dark mass of figures seeing them off at the entrance of Phoenix Village was still visible. Zhao Wendong had left two whole wolf carcasses for the villagers. Although wolf meat wasn’t particularly tasty, having any meat to eat during a famine year was a tremendous blessing. The villagers were incredibly grateful, and some had even chased after the truck for a long way. Before he left, the secretary from the neighboring county had also thanked Zhao Wendong profusely and promised to show his gratitude in a tangible way.

On the way back, Zhao Wendong was somewhat distracted. What Elder Master Teng had said was probably the truth: those guys from the neighboring country had come for the map in Teng Shoushan’s possession, wanting to combine the two maps and dig for treasure. Their situation over there was pretty much the same as ours right now. Even if they actually got the treasure, they probably wouldn’t have the means to handle it.

’Even if there is a treasure, it’s useless for me to go looking for it now. I’ll wait until I have a way to liquidate it.’ Seeing Zhao Wendong with his arms crossed and a serious expression, Jiang Weimin, who had given up the cab to the wounded and was riding in the truck bed with everyone else, assumed he was feeling unwell because it was the first time he had killed an enemy.

"Comrade Wendong, don’t feel burdened. You saved the people’s lives. Otherwise, who knows? After killing one, they might have massacred the whole village."

His train of thought interrupted, Zhao Wendong smiled and played along. "Alright, Secretary Jiang. I’ll do my best to adjust."

The truck bed was packed full. Besides several dozen people, there were wolf carcasses piled on top of each other. They had eaten a little earlier, left two for the Phoenix Village villagers, and set aside a leg for Elder Master Teng. The rest were all here.

Yang Wenxue glanced at the wolf carcasses with envy, but this was all a well-deserved reward for Zhao Wendong and his men. For Qianjin Commune, completely resolving the wolf menace was already a great achievement. His mind raced, calculating how to repay Zhao Wendong and the Dragon King Pond militia. ’Zhao Wendong and his men spent three or four days trekking through the woods,’ he thought. ’I owe them a huge favor.’

Zhao Wendong leaned against the side of the truck bed with Lin Zhiyin nestled in his arms. The wind gusted in from all directions, stinging their faces, but Lin Zhiyin didn’t feel cold at all. Curled up against Zhao Wendong’s chest and listening to his heartbeat, her eyes narrowed with contentment. One of her hands was wrapped tightly around Zhao Wendong’s arm, and she refused to let go.

"You’ve lost weight."

"How could I not? We couldn’t eat or sleep well in the mountains. I’ve been chewing on dry rations for days and sleeping in temporary tents."

"I’ll make you something delicious when we get back."

"You’ll cook for me?"

"Yes. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it for you."

Zhao Wendong chuckled mischievously. He was about to say something, but after glancing at Jiang Weimin and Yang Wenxue beside them and seeing the gossipy looks from the rest of the group, he swallowed his words and simply said softly,

"It’s been hard on you, wifey."

Lin Zhiyin looked up, her fair face flushed slightly from the cold wind. "Why are you thanking me? It’s not like we’re strangers. You even brought Second Sister-in-law this time. Next time, remember to bring me along."

"Second Sister-in-law snuck along on her own. I didn’t ask her to come."

Jin Xiuying, who was opposite them, heard this and rolled her eyes, not bothering to engage with Zhao Wendong. She lowered her head to straighten Zhao Wenwu’s crooked hat. Zhao Wenwu giggled and let her fuss over him, mumbling, "Honey, are your hands cold? If they are, I’ll warm them up for you."

"They’re not cold."

"I’ll warm them up for you anyway."

With that, he grabbed Jin Xiuying’s hand and tried to stuff it into his pants. Luckily, since he was sitting, he couldn’t get it in, so he just tucked it inside his cotton-padded jacket instead. Jin Xiuying’s pretty face flushed, but inwardly she breathed a huge sigh of relief. The militiamen nearby watched with a mix of envy and sour jealousy.

The air in the truck bed—a mix of cigarette smoke, sweat, and the coppery smell of wolf blood—was far from pleasant. After sitting for so long, the stench made Jin Xiuying feel dizzy and nauseous. When she glanced at Zhao Wenwu, however, she found he had already fallen asleep. His mouth was half-open, letting out soft snores, and a trail of drool was escaping from the corner.

"That kid, Zhao Wenwu. He can sleep anywhere."

"Fortune favors fools. Look at the great wife he married."

Zhao Wenwu didn’t hear the militiamen’s comments at all. He didn’t even wake up when Jin Xiuying tightened his jacket for him. He just grumbled, shifted his position, and kept on sleeping.

The truck crested a mountain ridge, and the familiar silhouette of Dragon King Pond came into view in the distance.

The large snowman at the village entrance was still there. The wind and snow hadn’t done much to it; it still stood tall like a loyal guard.

"We’re here! We’re here!"

Someone shouted, and everyone in the truck bed craned their necks to look out. They had been away for several days, and the sight of their village made their eyes well up.

Before the truck had even come to a steady stop in front of the brigade office, they saw a large crowd of people, young and old, standing by the roadside. Zhao Dashan stood at the very front, leaning on a stick. Ever since he’d become able to walk with a cane, he couldn’t stand lying down anymore and would wander about whenever he had a spare moment. Chen Yanmei stood beside him, holding Little Tuanzi. Behind them was Song Xiaoyu, holding Yadan. That boy, Shitou, was weaving through the crowd like a slippery loach.

"Third Brother! Third Brother is back!"

Zhao Wenwen’s childish voice piped up from the crowd. The three-year-old Little Tuanzi broke free from Chen Yanmei’s grasp and ran toward the truck on her short little legs. Bundled up in her cotton-padded jacket until she was as round as a ball, she bounced with every step as she ran.

Zhao Wendong jumped down from the truck and, in one smooth motion, scooped Zhao Wenwen up and lifted her over his head. The little girl giggled, her small hands clinging to his neck, refusing to let go.

"Third Brother, Third Brother! Wenwen missed you!"

"Brother San missed you too, Little Tuanzi."

"Little Tuanzi is a big girl now!"

"Alright, alright, big girl, big girl. Did my big girl miss Brother San?"

"I did, I did! I missed you so, so much!"