Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

After the courtyard gate closed, the house fell silent.

The sound of the wind outside came in muffledly through the door. The small tin boxes, candies, and the wind-up bear on the table were still sitting there quietly.

Zhao Shanhe stood still for a long time.

He just kept his head down, staring at the pile of things on the table, lost in thought.

After a long while, as if he had slowly suppressed the anger in his chest, he turned around and walked back to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), where he slowly sat down.

Lin Xiu glanced at him but didn't speak immediately.

She tiptoed to the kitchen to add some hot water, and after a while, she returned carrying a rough porcelain bowl. Steam rose gently from the bowl, and a sweet aroma wafted out.

She walked up to Zhao Shanhe, handed him the bowl, and said in a very soft voice, "Drink some hot water first."

"I just drank some cold wine, and my stomach is empty. I need to warm it up first."

"I added some honey to it for you."

Zhao Shanhe looked up at her, then reached out and took the bowl from her.

The bowl was hot to the touch.

The warmth crept up from my palm little by little.

He lowered his head and took a sip.

The water was warm, and after the honey dissolved, the sweetness wasn't strong, but it just washed away the slight smell of smoke and alcohol in my mouth.

Seeing that he was willing to drink, Lin Xiu went around behind him and gently placed her fingers on his temples, slowly massaging them for him.

Zhao Shanhe lowered his head, holding the bowl in his hands, letting her press it down. After a while, he spoke softly, "Xiuer."

"Um?"

Aren't you going to ask me anything?

Lin Xiu continued what she was doing, her voice soft: "What do you want to ask?"

Zhao Shanhe paused for a moment before saying, "For example, why did I return the items?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu merely twitched her fingers slightly, and after a couple of breaths, she whispered, "You have your reasons for retreating."

"Our family isn't lacking in these things."

"Besides—"

She paused, then gently pressed her palm against his shoulder and back: "The moment your face darkened, I knew that what that Russian guy said next was definitely not something trivial."

The room fell silent.

Zhao Shanhe held the bowl, took another sip of water, and then slowly said, "He wants me to hunt a Siberian tiger."

Lin Xiu's hand movements visibly paused for a moment.

The room became even quieter.

Even the sound of the wind blowing through the window paper seemed clearer.

After a long pause, Lin Xiucai asked in a low voice, "A Siberian tiger?"

Zhao Shanhe grunted in agreement, his gaze darkening. "It's not an ordinary tiger. It's a mature tiger, over two meters long, with its skeleton fully extended."

"It's all about saving your life."

"His client wanted intact skin, and the wound couldn't be too big."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu stopped completely.

Although she didn't understand the intricacies of the mountains, just hearing the words "Siberian tiger" made her heart tighten.

This is no longer a business transaction.

When Zhao Shanhe goes into the mountains to hunt wild boars and bears, she always feels a sense of unease.

Not to mention something like a Siberian tiger.

She paused for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "Then you..."

Zhao Shanhe lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I didn't agree."

Lin Xiu seemed to catch her breath, her palm returning to the side of his head, gently massaging his temples, her voice softening as she said, "I didn't agree."

"We don't lack these things at home, so it's not worth risking our lives for them."

"Let's just take our time and make the most of our lives; that's better than anything else."

As she said this, her eyes softened: "Niu Niu is all grown up now."

"In a few years, I'll be able to go to school."

"Raising her well is more worthwhile than anything else."

Zhao Shanhe sat with his head down for a while before speaking softly, "We'll go to the city then."

Lin Xiu paused slightly in her movements: "The city?"

Zhao Shanhe hummed in agreement, his voice deep yet steady: "Our whole family will go."

"This place won't do."

"A small place means a small perspective."

"When Niu Niu is a little older, we'll go to the city."

"To give her a better education, to study, and to go to university."

"We can't let her be trapped in this place forever."

He paused here, as if sorting out the scattered thoughts in his mind one by one, and his voice became even lower: "They seem young now, but the days seem long."

"But children grow up very quickly, they grow up in the blink of an eye."

"It will be too late to think about these things when we're already there."

"I don't want her to end up like me when she grows up."

Lin Xiu's eyes welled up slightly as she listened.

She didn't say anything else, just gave a soft "hmm," and gently massaged his temples with her palm, her movements becoming even lighter.

"As long as my family is together, I'm willing to go anywhere."

"Whatever you decide, I'll follow you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shanhe held the half-empty bowl and remained silent for a long time.

After a while, he said softly, "Xiuer."

"Um?"

"Once we've moved to the city and settled down, I'll take you and Niu Niu out for a walk."

Lin Xiu paused slightly in her movements: "Want to go for a walk?"

Zhao Shanhe hummed in response, his voice low but steady: "Go and check out the area outside."

"The city, the provincial capital, and maybe we can go further afield next time."

"Didn't you always say that you've never gone far beyond this area in your life?"

As he said this, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly: "We'll go to Beijing to take a look then."

"Go to Tiananmen Square."

"Let's go see the portrait of Chairman Mao."

"I'll take you and Niu Niu with me." Lin Xiu's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing this.

She was afraid that if she listened any longer, tears would well up in her eyes.

The wind was still blowing outside, and the fire in the kitchen hadn't completely died down yet, with occasional soft popping sounds.

Just then, there were two knocks on the gate.

"Tap, tap."

Immediately afterward, someone outside called out in a low voice, "Shanhe!"

"It's me, Li Baoguo!"