American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

The last of the sweet and sour pork was devoured.

Emily used the last piece of meat to wipe the layer of sweet and sour, thick sauce at the bottom of the plate clean.

She slumped unceremoniously in the slightly sunken single sofa, her injured left leg propped up high on a stool, and let out a satisfied sigh.

The heavy, satisfying feeling in her stomach was her only comfort these past few days.

Even the dull pain in my ankle was dispelled by this delicious food.

Su Wei put down his chopsticks.

A white shadow immediately darted out from under the table.

Marshmallow rested its two front paws on Suwei's knees, whimpering anxiously, its tail whipping behind it like a propeller.

"Give."

Suwei poured the remaining half bowl of soup into the stainless steel bowl.

Go, go, go.

The little fox didn't even lift its head, burying its entire head in the bowl and devouring the food.

"I'll clean it up."

Emily braced herself against the armrests, trying to pull herself off the sofa.

"Sit back down."

Su Wei didn't look up, skillfully stacking the three plates together.

"I've already asked you to cook, washing the dishes is such a small thing..."

Emily tried to argue, but as soon as she shifted her weight onto her injured leg, her brow furrowed instantly, and she gasped in pain.

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

Su Wei held the bowl and plate in one hand and used the other hand to push her back into the sofa.

The force wasn't great, but the meaning was clear.

There's no room for negotiation.

"If you don't want to injure your ankle again and end up spending tens of thousands of dollars on hospital treatment..."

Su Wei turned and walked towards the open kitchen counter, which was only one meter wide, with his back to her.

"Then just sit and rest. Otherwise, if something really goes wrong, I won't be responsible for paying this money upfront."

Emily opened her mouth.

In the end, he could only grab a nearby cushion in frustration and punch it hard.

This man.

He was clearly showing concern for people, but the words he spoke reeked of money.

The sound of rushing water filled the air.

The dish soap foam expands on the sponge.

Soviets did not dislike this kind of mechanical, repetitive labor.

The warm water washed away the grease, and the fingertips touched the smooth porcelain surface, giving a pleasant feeling of cleaning away dirt.

A pale blue notification flashed by at the edge of my field of vision.

Performing housework grants +2 Life Skill Module Experience.

[Cleanliness rating: Perfect. Received a slight mental soothing effect.]

In the cramped apartment, warm yellow light shone on his shoulders.

He was only wearing a black wool sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

As he scrubbed, the muscles in his forearm became clearly defined.

Emily tilted her head, her gaze lingering on that figure for a long time, her fingers unconsciously twirling the tassels on the cushion.

Such a scene, full of life and warmth, is even rarer than the aurora borealis in the harsh and cold land of Kodiak.

The sound of flowing water suddenly stopped.

Su Wei turned off the tap, shook the water off his hands, and wiped the countertop clean, leaving not a trace of oil.

He glanced at the clock on the wall.

8:30 p.m.

Su Wei walked to the clothes rack and reached down to take down the heavy windbreaker.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

He asked as he checked the zipper.

"If not, I'll head back now."

On the sofa, the fingers holding the tassels suddenly paused.

"Now?"

Emily's voice rose a few octaves.

"Are you going back to the cabin at the foot of the mountain?"

"Um."

Suwei had already put on one sleeve.

"Marshmallow needs more space to move around, and I have to get up early tomorrow to take an exam at the Fish and Game Bureau."

It takes about an hour to ride a snowmobile back from here.

Although visibility was poor at night, he was familiar with the roads and the risks were manageable.

"No!"

Emily blurted it out.

Su Wei paused, turned his head to look at her, and looked at her with a question in his dark eyes.

Emily avoided eye contact in a fluster, her mind racing.

Listen to what's going on outside.

She pointed to the window.

"Waaah—waaah—"

The snowstorm, which had stopped, has started to pick up again.

The cold wind howled through the window frame, making the glass vibrate and buzz.

"This is likely a blizzard that has returned from the storm; although it's not very strong, visibility will be extremely low at night."

Emily sat up straight, adopting the professional and serious expression of an animal behaviorist.

"And that snowmobile."

She pointed outside the door.

"That was a cobbled-together car, Su. Even though you fixed it, it's still not an original part."

"If you break down halfway through your journey, in that desolate wilderness, hypothermia can kill you within half an hour."

Suwei's finger stopped on the zipper pull.

This is indeed a problem.

Traveling at night in wind and snow carries the risk of vehicle malfunctions, and limited visibility can also lead to getting lost.

Staying overnight costs nothing and ensures you're in good condition for tomorrow's exam.

the most important is--

"If you go back, the roads will be blocked by a blizzard tomorrow, and I'll be eating dry bread."

Seeing his hesitation, Emily's tone suddenly softened.

Those blue eyes blinked, a hint of probing mixed with a barely perceptible plea.

"And... Old Devil Black hates people who are late the most."

When Black was mentioned, Su Wei was certain.

He couldn't take any risks for the sake of his hunting license and the herd of deer.

"I'll sleep on the sofa."

Su Wei unzipped the jacket, took it off, and hung it back on the hanger.

Simple and straightforward.

Emily's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up, which she then forcibly suppressed.

"A wise choice, Mr. Hunter."

She coughed lightly to cover up the excitement in her voice.

"As the landlord, how could I let the person who just cooked me a delicious meal travel overnight?"

Su Wei ignored her teasing and glanced around the living room.

This apartment is way too small.

Besides the single bed, all that's left is the small two-seater fabric sofa that Emily is sitting on.

His length is estimated to be 1.5 meters, while his height is 1.8 meters.

Suwei walked to the sofa and gestured for Emily to move.

"Go lie down on the bed."

Emily was very obedient this time. She grabbed a cushion and hopped on one leg toward the single bed not far away.

Su Wei began to tidy up.

The coffee table was pushed to the corner, making room in the middle.

Marshmallow seemed to realize that she didn't have to travel tonight, and excitedly ran around the narrow living room, finally jumping onto the windowsill and breathing on the frost flowers on the glass.

"There are new toiletries in that cabinet."

Emily sat on the bed and pointed to the bathroom.

"The blue packaging is disposable; I brought it back from a hotel I stayed at in Anchorage."

Su Wei nodded, took her toiletries bag, and went into the bathroom.

After a while.

When Su Wei came out, drying her half-dry hair, the living room lights were already off.

Only a floor lamp remained, casting a dim, ambiguous glow.

Emily had already crawled under the covers, leaving only her delicate face and messy blonde hair showing.

The room was warm.

Although the old radiators occasionally make a slight noise, they provide ample warmth.

Click.

Su Wei turned off the table lamp.

The room was plunged into darkness.

He lay on the sofa, his legs forced to curl up, his posture somewhat cramped, with half of his calves dangling outside.

But compared to that drafty wooden attic, this place gave him a long-lost sense of peace.

The wind outside the window grew stronger.

It swept across the rooftops with a whooshing sound, like the roar of a wild beast.

The room was so quiet that they could hear each other breathing.

Cotton Candy stepped on the carpet, silently jumped onto the sofa, found a spot on Suwei's chest, and rolled into a white ball of fluff.

It felt heavy, yet carried a reassuring warmth.

"Soviet?"

In the darkness, Emily's voice sounded somewhat distorted.

"Are you asleep?"

"no."

Suwei adjusted the position of his arm to make the fox more comfortable.

"Thanks."

Emily's voice was very soft.

"It's not just thanking you for fixing the car, or for that sweet and sour pork."

There was a rustling sound of someone turning over in bed.

"If you hadn't come today... I really don't know what I would have done."

A person was trapped in a house by heavy snow and had a broken leg; he cried out to heaven but received no response.

That feeling of loneliness is more terrifying than hunger.

Suwei stared at the dark ceiling.

He could hear the lingering fear hidden in the voice of this girl who was usually like a little sun.

"Go to sleep."

Su Wei's voice was steady.

"I have to get up early tomorrow."

"Um."

Emily responded.

Just when Su Wei thought she had fallen asleep, another muttered voice came from the other end.

What should we eat for breakfast tomorrow?

Su Wei chuckled silently in the darkness.

This guy, no matter how sad he is, always manages to circle back to food in the end.

Spinach and lean pork congee.

"What is that? Is it magic too?"

"I guess so. A kind of Eastern breakfast magic."

"Yay!"

The breathing gradually became long and even.

Su Wei closed his eyes, and his consciousness gradually sank.

The wind and snow outside the window had not stopped, but the room was warm and cozy.