Ch 27: My Wolf Husband

The little wolf had been listless lately. As a young cub, it hadn’t participated in the recent chaotic battles within the wolf pack, but it keenly sensed the unease. Its usual “pillar of support,” Fuli, had disappeared, and the gentle “two-legged” creature, Lin Shuishi, who had fed and cared for it, was nowhere to be found either!

Every day, the wolf king, its father, roughly pressed its head into the bloody animal organs, forcing it to stop being picky about food!

Today, just as the little wolf’s mouth touched the liver of a cow, it suddenly felt a tight grip on the back of its neck! Its four legs left the ground as a strong uncle, who had just returned to the pack, grabbed it and ran off.

“???” It hung limply in the adult wolf’s mouth, its little paws dangling, but its eyes were wide open. The wolf king stood calmly nearby, and the little wolf sighed, lamenting its tough life—it thought its father had finally abandoned it!

Resigned to its fate, the little wolf was carried a long way until they arrived in front of a “big mound.” Suddenly, its ears perked up, and it became alert! Look! What did it see? Life was about to get better!

Lin Shuishi stood at the door, wrapped in a thick sheepskin coat, looking both shocked and speechless as the big white wolf, after having brought countless things, now held a little white wolf in its mouth. The little creature’s eyes were shining brightly, and despite being held so tightly, it was still licking its lips.

Lin Shuishi instantly wanted to shut the door and let the wolves take their “gift” back!

But the little wolf cub had other ideas! It kicked its legs and wriggled free from the wolf’s mouth, leaping into Lin Shuishi’s thick sheepskin coat. Lin Shuishi instinctively caught it, and when he looked up again, the wolf pack had vanished—disappearing in a flash…

He sighed, but looking down at the little cub nestled in his arms, with its fluffy head tilted up at him, he couldn’t help but feel fondness. Well, there was no choice but to continue spinning tales! So Lin Shuishi lifted the little white wolf in both hands and held it up to his face. “Let’s just say you’re a stray pup I found in a garbage heap!”

Finally, Lin Shuishi’s night quieted down, and he was able to curl up peacefully in his now warm bed and fall asleep.

Meanwhile, the little wolf was overjoyed to have found Fuli. It kept sniffing its unconscious kin, and finally, confused but careful, it curled up beside him.

In the morning, Lin Shuishi awoke feeling something warm in front of him—nothing like his cold bed, but more like a solid wall! When he opened his eyes, he realized it was exactly that!

It was probably because the brick bed hadn’t been heated much and he’d been chilled by the commotion with the wolves during the night. At some point, he had unconsciously inched his way over to Fuli’s side. Now, they were very close, and Lin Shuishi’s nose was lightly brushing against the warm, firm muscles of Fuli’s honey-colored back.

But Lin Shuishi didn’t feel afraid, nor did he move. The man in front of him was still unconscious and didn’t know that Lin Shuishi had snuggled up to him for warmth all night. Since the “victim” was unaware, Lin Shuishi saw no reason to be polite! The coldest part of the morning was just before dawn, so he closed his eyes and scooted a little closer, pressing against Fuli’s broad back—it was so warm!

Fuli’s wound had healed astonishingly fast after being stitched, so quickly that it was hard to believe it was a human body. Lin Shuishi hadn’t mentioned this to anyone, not even to Dr. Sun.

Now, wrapped in the strong, familiar scent of Fuli, with its faint undertone of blood, Lin Shuishi wrinkled his nose and sniffed again. There was also a distinct doggy smell—he probably needed a wash…

When Lin Shuishi finally got up, shivering, to boil water, he realized the little cub was missing!

He hurriedly searched around but couldn’t find the little black horse either. It wasn’t until he stepped outside and stood on the slope that he spotted the little black horse in the Zheng family’s trough, acting all high and mighty. So, he quickly headed down the slope to look for them.

When he arrived at the Zheng household, there they were—both of them. Old Man Zheng had just poured some fine feed into the trough and was now standing with his eldest son, examining the little wolf cub. “Father, where did this puppy come from? It’s so big and quite plump!”

Old Man Zheng, who had once been a serious hunter, still had sharp eyes despite now being a carpenter due to his lameness. He waved his hand and said, “Don’t get too close; it doesn’t look like a dog.”

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Shuishi came rushing down in a panic, “Uncle, have you seen my dog? A white, chubby pup.” Old Man Zheng saw Lin Shuishi coming and quickly replied, “A pup? Take a look—is this it?”

Lin Shuishi saw the little white wolf leisurely pacing back and forth near a dog kennel. The two remaining hunting dogs of the Zheng family weren’t even barking; they were trembling, heads down, tails tucked between their legs, too scared to move, not even daring to look up when their owner approached.

Lin Shuishi clicked his tongue—this didn’t look like a normal pup; it looked more like a mountain patrol king! He dashed forward, grabbed the little white wolf by the scruff of its neck, and firmly held it in his arms, giving it a good rub. Then, he looked up at Old Man Zheng with a grin, “Yes, that’s the one. I found it and felt sorry for it, so I decided to keep it as a companion.”

Old Man Zheng noticed that the little creature, which had seemed a bit fierce earlier, immediately flattened its ears and looked very affectionate the moment it saw Lin Shuishi. Clearly, they were familiar with each other. After mulling it over, he decided not to bring it up. “Don’t let the pup run around. It’s fat; someone might catch it and eat it!”

Big Brother Zheng chimed in, “Right, that would be a shame!” Seeing his father also refer to it as a dog, he tried to reach out and pet it, but Old Man Zheng stopped him, telling him to get back to work, as they were in a hurry to finish the woodwork for a client.

“Uncle, why didn’t Dongsheng bring the dogs when he went hunting in the mountains?” Lin Shuishi asked, glancing at the slightly relaxed hunting dogs and then moving the little white wolf farther away.

“Oh, he didn’t go hunting today. He went to help me haul timber. Have you eaten, Shui Ge’er? We’ve got freshly steamed fine flour buns at home, they’re delicious!” Without waiting for Lin Shuishi to reply, Old Man Zheng went inside and brought out a big bowl, still steaming hot.

The aroma was so good that even the little white wolf in Lin Shuishi’s arms twitched its nose. Old Man Zheng chuckled, “Oh, it eats vegetables too, huh?”

Lin Shuishi smiled, showing his dimples, “It eats anything, easy to care for.” With that, he didn’t hesitate to set the little wolf down, took the buns, and cheerfully headed home with the wolf and the horse in tow.

Behind them, the two hunting dogs breathed a sigh of relief, but Old Man Zheng let out a sigh.

Back at home, Lin Shuishi anxiously scolded the little wolf. It was fortunate that it was winter, with everyone staying indoors, and his house being in a secluded spot, or there could have been trouble. Once spring came and neighbors started visiting each other, this little cub could really be a headache—he worried it might bite someone’s child.

However, the little wolf managed to wriggle out of trouble by acting spoiled and cute. Lin Shuishi twisted its little ears, fed it some lamb and half a bun. The little black horse didn’t approach; ever since the little wolf arrived, it had become more composed.

After brewing Fuli’s medicine, Lin Shuishi boiled a large pot of hot water and heated the brick bed until it was nice and warm. Although the river in Rehe Village didn’t freeze, the temperature difference compared to the hot springs in Dongshan was significant. Bathing in the river would probably lead to catching a cold.

So, Lin Shuishi first took the water basin and sat on the warm brick bed, washing himself. But when he turned to look at Fuli, he felt a bit awkward and embarrassed. It was one thing to snuggle up for warmth by accident, but actually undressing him and giving him a bath was something he couldn’t bring himself to do, even though Fuli was still unconscious.

After thinking it over, he decided to calm his blushing face first. Then, he took his clothes, along with Fuli’s bloodstained animal skins from that day, and walked to the nearby river to wash them.

He had heard from Big Sister Zheng that the villagers usually did their laundry in the warm river, though there were fewer people in winter. In summer, the riverbanks were lively, with people washing clothes, vegetables, and even children…

Lin Shuishi wanted to quickly finish washing while no one was around. As he scrubbed the clothes, he admired the forest on the opposite bank, where the trees were adorned with layers of frosted branches. The landscape was pure white, with shapes varying in all sorts of ways, and a faint mist drifted over from the warm river, creating a beautiful scene.

The hot springs in Dongshan wouldn’t form frost because it was warm there, making it a comfortable place to soak. As he thought about this, an image flashed in his mind of Fuli’s strong body and broad shoulders in the Wolf Spring, with water droplets cascading down his wide back…

His face inexplicably grew even redder.

Just then, a somewhat rough female voice called out from behind him, “Hey, which family’s husband is that up ahead, doing the laundry?”

In the village, everyone was related or at least familiar with one another. Seeing Lin Shuishi, whom she didn’t recognize, the woman naturally assumed he was a new “jun” (male spouse) that some family had taken in, coming to the river to do laundry in the middle of winter.

Lin Shuishi turned around and saw a rather large middle-aged woman. Her face was kindly, but she had a noticeable matchmaker’s mole, making her instantly memorable!

The woman, being naturally sociable, placed a basket of laundry next to Lin Shuishi and started chatting with him warmly.

Lin Shuishi was completely unprepared for this! He stammered and felt a bit awkward, but he still answered her questions truthfully. He was no one’s husband!

When the woman learned of Lin Shuishi’s identity, she was immediately surprised. The hunter Lin was a well-known figure in Rehe, and now his son had returned, and yet so quietly! Not only was the woman sociable, but she was also enthusiastic, sitting by the river and asking all sorts of questions about Lin Shuishi—his age, whether he was betrothed, and so on.

Lin Shuishi’s scalp tingled, and he quickly sped up his laundry. Finally, when the woman began suggesting that the Zhao family’s eldest son was quite a catch, Lin Shuishi politely made his excuses and hurried back home!

He was certain that within three days, news of his return to Rehe would spread to every household…

With a sigh, he realized it was only a matter of time. The villagers cared about him and felt sorry for him; he should be grateful for their kindness. Shui Ge’er’s parents were kind and righteous people, and if it hadn’t been for his useless uncle taking him away, things might have been different. But then again, if not for that, Lin Shuishi wouldn’t be here now.

Feeling a bit muddled, he decided not to dwell on it. After hanging up the washed clothes, he fetched hot water and sat on the warm kang bed to wipe down Fuli’s body.

The warm cloth gently glided over Fuli’s strong frame, and when Lin Shuishi reached his lower back, the muscles there reflexively twitched slightly, making Lin Shuishi giggle and poke him with his slender finger!

When he got to Fuli’s shoulders, he carefully avoided the scabbed wound. Fuli was tall and broad, and it took quite a while for Lin Shuishi to finish wiping him down, leaving him sweaty from the effort.

Finally, when he reached Fuli’s lower body, Lin Shuishi coughed softly to himself, skipping over the somewhat loose animal skin around Fuli’s waist, and only wiped down his thighs. Fuli, having grown up leaping through the wilderness, had long, muscular legs with smooth contours.

Lin Shuishi pouted, then glanced down at his own pale, slender legs and sighed—well, at least he had legs!

After finishing with the body, he brought over fresh hot water, gathered Fuli’s hair, and carefully washed it in the basin. He even took the time to gently scrub Fuli’s ears, finding the ear bones surprisingly soft and easy to clean.

Any lingering discontent in Lin Shuishi’s heart had long since vanished. Now, he was happily scrubbing this wild beast, enjoying the opportunity to get close, something he’d been too afraid to do before. But now, with Fuli unconscious, he felt free to fuss over him as much as he liked!

With Fuli’s wet hair pulled back, Lin Shuishi could clearly see his sharply defined and handsome features. As he gazed at them, a mischievous thought crossed his mind, and he boldly reached out to lightly pinch Fuli’s prominent nose.

Feeling smug, he thought to himself, Hmph, you’re so strong, but now you’re at my mercy, Lin Shuishi’s mercy!

Just as he was leaning closer, their faces nearly touching as he playfully pinched Fuli’s nose, Fuli’s fingers twitched slightly.

Lin Shuishi, in the midst of his triumph, suddenly found himself staring directly into a pair of deep, tranquil, dark-golden eyes.