Ch 36: My Wolf Husband

Bighead Sun thought it would be easy. After all, he had watched Lin Shuishi grow up and knew his timid nature well. The boy had been bullied by his family for years, always doing as he was told without daring to disobey. Bighead Sun believed that he could walk right in and take whatever he wanted from Lin Shuishi, who was now living alone, without anyone to rely on.

He had long been looked down upon by others, but now that his own son was about to become a concubine for a wealthy family—something that might not sound great but would bring practical benefits—he felt it was time to do something to win his son’s favor. This would also give him leverage to gain control over the household management in that high-status family.

In that brief moment, Bighead Sun envisioned a future where he would finally command respect and live a life of prestige.

He carefully avoided alerting the Zheng family down the slope and sneaked up to Lin Shuishi’s yard. As soon as he entered, he started searching around, inspecting everything valuable or not, planning what to take today and what to hire a cart to take away tomorrow.

Then, suddenly, his dull eyes lit up as he noticed the little black horse leisurely eating feed in the livestock pen!

He was well aware of Lin Shuishi’s modest possessions, none of which could compare to the value of this fine horse before him! The horse was strong and had a shiny coat, and it still looked young, with more growing to do. If it matured, it would be worth a fortune! If he could sell it in town, he could make a hefty profit.

But where did this horse come from? He pondered nervously, worried it might belong to someone else. If that were the case, even if he could intimidate Lin Shuishi, he might not be able to get away with taking someone else’s property.

Blinded by greed, he decided not to go inside the house but instead planned to steal the horse right then and there. With the move to town imminent, he could just deny everything! He had been doing this sort of thing all his life, thick-skinned and shameless, and not even the village head could do anything about it.

Bighead Sun swiftly sneaked into the livestock pen, looking around for a rope to lead the horse. But after fumbling around for a while, he realized the horse wasn’t even tied up; it was just left loose in the pen. Frustrated, he cursed under his breath. There wasn’t even anything to lead the horse with! Still, eyeing the fine horse before him, he gritted his teeth and decided to use his own belt as a makeshift lead.

But just then, the situation took a sudden turn! The black horse, which had been quietly eating its feed, suddenly lifted its head and fixed its gaze on him. The young horse had grown quickly, now standing at the height of a man, with strong, agile legs.

With a flick of its head, the horse easily dodged the makeshift noose. Then, it reared up and kicked out with its powerful hind legs. With a loud “thud,” it landed a solid blow to Bighead Sun’s chest, knocking the wind out of him so completely that he couldn’t even cry out in pain.

The black horse wasn’t done yet. It continued to kick and stomp, driving Bighead Sun out of the yard. The little white wolf also joined in, biting and scratching at him, leaving him bloodied and battered. Bighead Sun, now too pained to scream, rolled and crawled down the slope, barely able to stand after some time.

Fearful now, Bighead Sun’s cowardly nature resurfaced. Beaten badly by the animals, he abandoned his plan and stumbled back down the mountain path, heading home in a panic.

Enduring the pain of broken ribs and the smell of blood all over him, Bighead Sun trudged through the forest. Suddenly, he heard the roar of a bear ahead, and his legs turned to jelly. How could he encounter a bear here? His brother-in-law, also a well-known hunter in the area, had been killed by a bear! Panicking, he ran, ignoring the pain in his body, but just as he felt a strong gust of wind behind him, he suddenly lost consciousness.

Later, under the dark night sky, where clouds covered the moon, a pair of legs were visible just outside the forest. Slowly, something dragged the body further into the woods, leaving a trail of blood.

At Lin Shuishi’s home, after driving away the intruder, the little black horse shook its head, straightened its disturbed braids, and calmly returned to eating its feed. The little white wolf, meanwhile, cautiously approached the door of the earthen house but was still stopped by Fuli’s growl from inside, so it didn’t dare to go any closer and spent the night in the clean livestock pen with the horse.

Fuli had sensed someone entering the yard but didn’t bother to deal with it since he was holding onto something dear in his arms. When he realized the intruder couldn’t even fend off two young animals, he dismissed the matter altogether. After all, there were too many “people” living around, with several in each earthen house, and he was learning to gradually adapt to and tolerate this.

The next morning, Lin Shuishi woke up with a renewed spirit. He quickly got out of bed, prepared medicine for Fuli, added fresh straw for the horse, and even set up a small pen in the side room for the newly hatched gray geese, giving them some bran to feed on.

After a restless night filled with flashes of life and death, he finally came to terms with this world and began to fully integrate into it. His life and that of Shuishi Ge’er had merged, becoming a single drop in the vast ocean of time, silently flowing with the currents of history.

Time passed peacefully, and as the New Year approached, Fuli had finished his medicine and his wounds had scabbed over, yet he still hadn’t left. Lin Shuishi didn’t mention it either, and they continued living together quietly. Lin Shuishi gradually became accustomed to having this silent companion by his side, and the “beast” learned how to carry water and chop wood.

During the day, Fuli would sometimes disappear without a trace, but by nightfall, he would return with fresh game, still carrying the clean, sunlit scent of the mountain’s hot springs on him. He would lie beside Lin Shuishi, guarding him as he slept.

Fuli glanced through the gap in the wooden window, looking up at the nearly full moon, biting his lip to suppress the surge of his bloodlust and the urge to pounce on the sleeping person before him, to pin him down and devour him.

The New Year was approaching, and every household, regardless of wealth, was preparing for the celebrations, either by steaming buns or baking flatbreads. After receiving gifts from several families, Lin Shuishi began his own preparations. He took the coarse rice bought from town, de-hulled it using the Zheng family’s stone mill, soaked it in water for a day, then steamed it and mixed it with mugwort juice. He mashed everything together to make mugwort rice cakes, a dish unfamiliar to the local people. When he distributed them to the neighbors, they treated it as a rare delicacy.

After all, not to mention rice cakes, even rice itself is something the villagers must cherish. News of refugees migrating north had already reached this remote mountain village, and all they could do was guard their grain stores, saving them for next spring’s planting season, hoping for favorable weather so that they could have enough food and clothing.

Today, Lin Shuishi delivered some rice cakes to Aunt Qi, and by the time he returned home, it was already evening. He looked around but Fuli had not yet returned, which suddenly made him feel uneasy. He had grown accustomed to the warmth of Fuli’s chest and the steady rhythm of his breathing every night. The scent of that person seemed to have seeped into his very bones, and just smelling it brought him peace.

He had never experienced love and, because of his disability, had never even dared to imagine it. So now, he didn’t know what to do; Fuli wouldn’t speak, and neither would he. Every night before sleeping, he just silently wrestled with the emotions stirring inside him.

The sky had turned dark, and Lin Shuishi prepared the bedding. The bed beside his was particularly wide and long because Fuli was so tall and large that no ordinary blanket could cover him completely. So, Lin Shuishi had stitched two quilts together the night before, and today, it was ready to use.

Otherwise, every night, Fuli would end up taking part of his blanket. He would pin Lin Shuishi down, wrap him up tightly, sniffing him all over, his throat making a deep rumbling sound. Eventually, Fuli would press him between the quilts and intensely nuzzle the back of his neck. Once, he even accidentally bit him, which hurt so much that Lin Shuishi kept his distance for several days afterward, which finally made Fuli restrain himself.

Just as he was trimming the oil lamp wick to leave a light on for Fuli’s late return, there was a knock on the door, and a few aunties outside called out cheerfully.

Lin Shuishi immediately felt a headache. Ever since the villagers had started interacting more with him, these women had been persistently trying to introduce potential matches to him, insisting that it would be best to settle down before the New Year. They warned that with his faint pregnancy mark, it would be harder to find a husband if he waited too long. He had declined several times to no avail.

Deciding to brush them off once again, Lin Shuishi called out, “Aunt Gao, I’ve already gone to bed. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

“Oh, come on, you’re just a young man, so there’s no need for me to hold back. This is an important matter; if you miss it, you’ll regret it!” Aunt Gao teased Lin Shuishi, half-joking, half-serious.

Lin Shuishi felt helpless. He didn’t know when Fuli would return, so he needed to quickly send these “matchmakers” on their way. He got out of bed and opened the door. Aunt Gao wasn’t alone; she had brought a few of her close friends. They had found a good match for Lin Shuishi and couldn’t wait to come over and settle the matter.

“Come on, this person is a scholar who failed the imperial exams. Although he’s a bit poor, at least he’s got some learning in him. He could become a teacher in the future and wouldn’t starve, right?” Another one chimed in, “We should settle this quickly. I’ve heard that even a few girls have taken a liking to him.”

Lin Shuishi had no idea how he would live after becoming someone’s husband. He had never thought about what kind of girl he would marry, but he certainly hadn’t imagined “marrying” a scholar or butcher! He was about to find a way to firmly put an end to this, to stop them from trying to match him with anyone else.

Just as Lin Shuishi was about to speak, the group of women suddenly fell silent, staring at the doorway as if they had seen a ghost. Aunt Gao even stood up. “Lin Shuishi! Why is there a man in your house?” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear: not only was there a man, but he was terrifying, radiating a deadly aura!

Lin Shuishi quickly turned around and saw Fuli standing at the door with a dead deer, blood still seemingly on his lips. His massive frame, taller than the doorway, required him to duck to enter. The oil lamp’s light cast shadows over his chiseled features, making him appear even more intimidating.

The women stared in shock at the man who naturally positioned himself behind Lin Shuishi. They were too frightened to speak, even their breathing became shallow. Not daring to look directly at Fuli, they shifted their gaze back to Lin Shuishi.

Lin Shuishi was also a bit flustered. Though Fuli came home every day, he rarely encountered outsiders and always managed to avoid people. He didn’t know why Fuli had suddenly come in so boldly today.

“Who, who is he? How dare he barge into a young man’s house at night? You’d better watch yourself, or I’ll call for help!” Aunt Gao threatened, trying to regain her composure. The other women, now emboldened by Aunt Gao’s lead, quickly chimed in.

Amidst the chaotic scene, Lin Shuishi clenched his teeth, stomped his foot, and shouted loudly at the women in front of him.

“No need to call for help!”

“He—he’s my husband!”