You've only been cultivating for a few years, and you're already talking about cultivating

Looking at the vast snowfield before him, Yamato Kibi knew that if he went just over that small mountain pass, he would be able to see the roof of his house.

He took a step forward, and just as he was about to walk, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a white figure in the snow not far away.

That white is different from the white of snow.

The whiteness of snow is lifeless, cold, and devoid of warmth.

The white mass carried a hint of life, rising and falling slightly, as if something were breathing.

He walked over and squatted down.

It is a white fox.

The fox was pure white, curled up in a snowdrift, with bloodstains on its body that ran from its hind legs down to its belly.

It saw someone approaching, tried to stand up, but only moved its body slightly before falling back into the snow.

A pair of amber eyes stared at Qi Fei, wary yet listless.

Qi Fei squatted in the snow, looking at the white fox.

Just then, he suddenly felt something poking him. He reached in and pulled out a braised duck.

Wrapped in oil paper, it still retained the warmth of his body.

He paused for a moment, unable to recall where the braised duck came from, but the aroma wafted out from the seams of the oil paper.

good smell.

He looked at the braised duck, then at the white fox.

The white fox looked at him, her eyes moist.

He thought for a moment and decided he could leave the braised duck for the white fox.

This fox is injured and probably won't survive the winter. A braised duck should be enough for it for several days. Once it recovers, it will be able to forage for itself.

He was about to bend down and put the braised duck down when he suddenly stopped.

But... braised duck is really delicious.

He can eat a braised duck with several meals of mixed grain rice.

Why leave the braised duck for the fox?

He could take the fox home first, treat its wounds, and feed it something else. As for the braised duck, he could eat it himself, of course!

Thinking of this, he bent down and picked up the white fox.

The fox was lighter than he had imagined; it was so thin that its bones were bony and hard to the touch.

It struggled in his arms for a moment, then stopped moving, but its eyes were still fixed on him, as if trying to figure out what he was going to do.

Qi Fei tucked the fox into his bosom and wrapped his cotton-padded coat tightly around himself.

"Let's go," he said gently, "I'll take you home."

The snow was still falling, fine and scattered, landing on his shoulders and head. He walked through the snow, crunching as he made his way towards the valley.

The fox in his arms was warm and cozy; even through his cotton-padded coat, he could feel its heartbeat, which was very fast.

After crossing the mountain pass, the house came into view.

He pushed open the door and went inside; it was much warmer inside than outside. He put the fox on the kang (a heated brick bed), and the fox curled up into a ball, warily surveying the room.

Qi Fei rummaged through some old strips of cloth and found some herbs, then used them to simply bandage the fox's wound. The fox twitched in pain, but didn't bite him.

"Don't move it," he pressed it, "it'll be fine in a moment."

After bandaging the wound, he went to the stove, scooped out half a bowl of porridge, mixed in some minced meat, and placed it in front of the fox.

The fox sniffed at him, glanced up at him, then lowered its head and began to eat in small bites.

As for the braised duck, Qi Fei sat on the threshold, opened the oil paper package, tore off a duck leg, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The salty and savory flavor explodes on the tongue, and it's chewy and becomes more flavorful the more you chew.

He squinted at the snow outside, munching on a duck leg, and suddenly thought that it would be nice to have some wine at this moment!

He watched the white fox eating porridge and understood that foxes belong to the canine family, and all canines cannot eat too much salt.

He took a bite of duck meat, chewed it, and swallowed it.

Foxes should eat bland food.

After finishing his meal, Yamato Kibi put the bowls and chopsticks on the stove, too lazy to clean up.

I spent the whole day in the mountains today. My bones feel like they've been taken apart and put back together. I'm so tired I can't even lift my eyelids.

He collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), not even taking off his cotton-padded coat, and lay down fully clothed.

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm; the fire in the stove hadn't gone out yet, and the heat seeped up from the cracks in the bricks, making my back feel warm and cozy.

He closed his eyes in a daze.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but in his half-awake state, he suddenly felt something moving beside him.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

A person was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

It was a woman, half-naked, draped in a quilt.

The blankets slipped off him and draped loosely over her shoulders, revealing large expanses of her snow-white skin.

The faint firelight shone on her, making her appear dazzlingly white.

It wasn't the pale white of someone who'd never seen sunlight, but a lustrous, glossy white, like the finest mutton fat jade, or like freshly fallen snow.

Qi Fei's eyes widened, and he was speechless for a moment.

He glanced at it subconsciously, and it was really big and white!

"You are..." He opened his mouth, his voice as dry as sandpaper.

The woman turned her head slightly, revealing an extremely delicate face. Her eyebrows and eyes were slender, her nose was straight, and her lips were thin with a natural red tinge.

She looked at Qi Fei with a hint of shyness and panic in her eyes.

"I am a fox," she said. "Thank you for saving me."

Her voice was soft and pleasant to hear.

Qi Fei then noticed that her hind legs were still wrapped in strips of cloth. There were some bloodstains on the cloth, which looked rather glaring in the moonlight.

After that night, the white fox stayed.

Her injuries healed faster than Qi Fei had imagined.

A few days later, she was able to walk. A few days after that, she was able to run around in the yard. And after a few more days, she was able to go up the mountain with Qi Fei.

She was a much better hunter than him; she could always spot the prey and knew where to find the best herbs.

Qi Fei's life is getting better day by day.

First, they replaced the roof, then they added a few acres of land, and later they built a new house and hired farmhands. Everyone in the village said he had a stroke of good luck.

They got married, and later she had a child.

Twins, a boy and a girl.

Both children resemble her; they are fair-skinned, beautiful, and have delicate features.

The boy inherited Qi Fei's temperament—kind, honest, and exceptionally intelligent in his studies, possessing a photographic memory. The village's old scholar said that this child was destined for great things.

The girl took after her mother; she was quiet and sensible, and even at a young age, she knew how to help her mother with housework, mending clothes, and cooking.

Gradually, Qi Fei became a wealthy man.

Days passed by like this.

The children have grown up.

The boy passed the county-level imperial examination, then the provincial-level examination, and later went to the capital to take the imperial examination, where he became the top scholar. When the yamen runner riding into the village to announce the good news entered the village, the whole village was in an uproar.

Qi Fei stood at the door, looking at the people adorned with red ribbons and listening to their congratulatory words, and suddenly felt a little unreal.

The girl got married to the son of a scholar from a neighboring village. The young man treated her well.

Gradually, they all grew old.

Qi Fei's hair has turned white, his back is bent, and he needs a cane to walk.

She still looks the same, with delicate features and fair skin; you can't tell her age.

Everyone in the village said she was well-maintained, but only Qi Fei knew that it wasn't just good maintenance.

She's a fox!