Ch 46: My Wolf Husband

The Lunar New Year had passed, but for Lin Shuishi, living in the mountains, there wasn’t much difference between the festival and ordinary days.

Perhaps, down in the small villages, families were gathering together, making offerings to the kitchen god and pounding rice cakes, all in hopes of favorable weather in the coming year. Even the creatures in the mountains seemed to be filled with anticipation for the time after the New Year.

Because once the New Year was over, it meant spring was coming.

One day, Lin Shuishi was in the mountains picking frozen wild plums, intending to make a sweet soup, when he was suddenly startled by a loud noise. The white wolf standing guard beside him also looked down toward the base of the mountain.

With several cracking sounds, the frozen surface of the river that had been solid all winter suddenly broke apart. The melting, rushing water from upstream, carrying large chunks of ice, surged downstream, shattering the still-solid ice on the river. In just a moment, the river surged, flooding the nearby frozen riverbed, like the blood coursing through the veins of the mountains, bringing life to everything.

Standing on the mountainside, watching the magnificent and powerful scene of the river’s flow, Lin Shuishi felt a surge of emotion. This was a land full of change and potential.

With his basket half-full, he watched the rushing river and saw the patrolling wolf pack arrive, Fuli among them. Fuli leaped onto a thick tree trunk, observing the water level and the strength of the current, his brow slightly furrowed.

All the herbivores gathered near the wolves’ den were preparing to return to their respective grasslands and plains, and this river was the only way through.

Lin Shuishi waved and shouted toward Fuli, who, with a few strides, was at his side, still carrying the cool, crisp air of the icy river. The melting river water had cooled the area around it, and Fuli, knowing that his companion was a delicate creature who feared the cold, took the small basket from his back with one hand, then scooped Lin Shuishi up and headed back to the wolves’ den. Fuli crossed the ridges, followed by a procession of patrolling white wolves, making for a rather grand sight.

With the arrival of the spring monsoon, the snow and ice in the mountains melted quickly. Lin Shuishi, observing the direction of Fuli’s flowing hair, could already feel the seasonal winds changing. The animals sensed it even more deeply; in the past few days, they had begun to gather in groups, preparing to migrate.

As Lin Shuishi passed by the patches of grasslands that had been grazed down to the bare earth, he couldn’t help but think that if they didn’t leave soon, they might face starvation.

Back at the den, a large group of nearly fully-grown wolf pups came rushing toward him. Lin Shuishi was now their favorite person because he was gentle and comforting, and since he didn’t go out hunting, he was always making delicious food. When they sneaked a bite, he never got angry and only required a grooming session in return.

Looking at the fluffy pups in the midst of shedding their fur, Lin Shuishi grew excited. He decided to weave another sweater! Fuli was adamant about not letting him use the fur of adult male wolves, but he didn’t interfere much with his interaction with the pups. Still, there was something unspoken in his expression, and later, Fuli would ensure Lin Shuishi “paid the price” for it at night, keeping him full and not allowing him to wash…

Lin Shuishi had already collected quite a bit of the pups’ soft fur and planned to head to the riverside one day to use alkaline wood ash to degrease the fur. Then, he would spin it into yarn to weave not just sweaters but also some plush bedding that would be soft and breathable.

The animal hides were too thick and heavy, and with the weather getting warmer, Lin Shuishi realized he needed fabric to make summer clothes and bedding. The food supply was also running low, and though he planned to sow seeds before the spring rains, the harvest wouldn’t come until autumn.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Shuishi considered that he might need to make a trip down the mountain during his free time. With Fuli’s speed, the town wasn’t far, and since no one there knew him, it would be easy to buy what he needed and leave quickly.

As he mulled this over, he finished cooking the meat soup and brought some rice bran to the enclosure behind the mountain to feed the geese. Lin Shuishi couldn’t really tell what those creatures were, but they looked like geese, so he called them that.

The little creatures were growing well, though Lin Shuishi didn’t feed them much himself. Most of the work was done by the “male mom.” The gander was very busy every day—keeping the goslings warm when it was cold, spreading its wings to shield them from the wind, and even going out to find bugs in tree holes during the winter to feed them.

Lin Shuishi felt both puzzled and touched, so he made sure to bring some grain every day to honor this hardworking “mother,” a small gesture of appreciation for its efforts.

These days, the daylight hours were getting longer. In the past, the stars would already be twinkling in the sky by this time, but now there was still a faint red glow lingering on the horizon, diffused through the mist. Lin Shuishi held a wolf pup that was gnawing on a sweet potato and carefully brushed out the pup’s soft fur, putting the loose fur into a basket nearby.

Fuli was lying by a crumbling stone wall, tearing into fresh prey with his sharp teeth. He noticed how much his companion cherished the soft fur and his eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression.

As the last light of day faded away and a round moon hung high in the night sky like a silver plate, dimming the stars, Lin Shuishi finally finished grooming the last wolf pup. Yawning, he returned to the house and lit the oil lamp he had made using pine tree resin.

That day, the oil lamp had also been brought back by the wolf pack, but by the time it reached him, all the oil had spilled out, leaving only an empty lamp base. The lamp oil had even splattered all over the wolf, making it sneeze and rub its nose with its front paws for quite a while.

Lin Shuishi had to find an old pine tree in the back mountain, cut a small opening, and collect enough tree resin to finally have some light in the dark cave at night.

He struck the flint to light the oil lamp, but noticed that Fuli wasn’t in the house. He wasn’t worried, though, as Fuli often went out with the wolf king, either to patrol the territory or to lend a helping hand to some unfortunate creature.

The first time Fuli had disappeared, Lin Shuishi had been very anxious, getting a wolf to lead him in a long search until he found Fuli and the wolf king mediating between two animal groups.

According to Fuli’s later report, a honey badger had been kicked by a stag and, in retaliation, had rallied all its family members to bite and hold onto the leader deer’s hoof. The panicked stag had led the entire herd into a swamp, where many got stuck. Fuli had pulled the stag out, and with direction, the frightened herd had managed to struggle free from the swamp.

However, the honey badger still wouldn’t let go, so Fuli had to pick it up and toss it away.

So that day, when Fuli returned to the wolf den, there was an angry honey badger following him. It had trailed the wolf pack over a mountain, still unwilling to give up on its revenge.

Lin Shuishi was amazed that there was a “honey badger” in the mountains, affirming that the origins and migration of species were indeed a profound subject. The badger was visibly upset and, without any fear, attempted to run up the hillside. Lin Shuishi was sure the wolf pack wouldn’t tolerate this, so he ended up bribing it with a large chunk of sweet potato to settle the matter.

As a result, the honey badger started showing up around the back of the wolf den, clinging to Lin Shuishi’s leg whenever it saw him. Once, it even caught a snake that was about to jump onto Lin Shuishi from a tree, showing its loyalty.

Today, after Lin Shuishi finished tidying up the den, he settled into the soft bedding, quietly waiting for Fuli to return.

Just as he was about to doze off, he saw a figure with a bare back walking in. Lin Shuishi rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“Why are you back so late? Come to bed.”

But Fuli approached Lin Shuishi and handed him a large bundle of clothes. When Lin Shuishi opened it, he was stunned. Inside were soft, silver-white fur strands, incredibly fine, thick, and long, with a slight sheen under the moonlight. No wolf in the pack had fur like this.

Looking at Fuli, Lin Shuishi had a guess in his heart. He quickly set aside the silver-white fur and moved closer to check Fuli’s muscles and body.

“How are you? Does it still hurt that much? Why didn’t you tell me!”

Lin Shuishi recalled the pain Fuli had endured when transforming on the mountaintop and felt a knot tighten in his heart, making him anxious.

Fuli shook his head. “Full moon, hard to control, but getting better.” He picked up the beautiful wolf fur again, saying, “Wear mine!”

This wild beast was a fast learner; his speech was no longer muddled, and he had a deep, rich voice. Though he was usually quiet, whenever Fuli spoke, it always made Lin Shuishi’s heart soften.

Lin Shuishi bit his lip, his eyes slightly red, as he climbed into Fuli’s broad chest, nestling there. “Next time you transform, you have to do it in front of me. I need to be there with you.”

In the small sliver of moonlight streaming through the cave entrance, Fuli struggled to calm his blood. He held the small figure against his chest, taking deep, steadying breaths, clinging tightly to him all night.

The next day, Fuli’s condition remained unstable. Lin Shuishi gently rubbed the soft base of his ears— the only place on this fierce beast’s entire body that was tender and allowed anyone to touch. He insisted that wherever Fuli went, he would follow.

So, on this day, Lin Shuishi came to a deeper understanding of the relentless surge of life.

The herds on the grasslands had already prepared for migration. They gathered in vast, dark masses, all seemingly receiving the same signal of spring, moving as one toward a singular direction, crossing mountains until they reached a rapid, icy river.

This newly thawed wide river cut through Dongshan, an unavoidable passage.

The herds hesitated at first, but eventually, the cattle could wait no longer. Using their strong bodies, they began to cross the river in groups, their freezing bellows echoing through the air. A single misstep could mean being swept away by the current.

Finally, the entire mass of animals behind them, pounding the earth with their hooves, rushed forward. The strongest members of each species led the way, but by the time they struggled to the other side, the riverbed had turned into a slick, muddy trap. Those following had even less grip, and one by one, many were swept away by the current or crushed under thick ice, sinking to the river bottom.

Fuli frowned deeply, watching the mothers and their young at the back of the line, his thoughts churning. Lin Shuishi noticed that, already agitated by the full moon, Fuli’s breath was now even more unsteady.

“How about building a bridge?” Lin Shuishi suggested. But by then, the herd had already reached the riverbank, and no bridge could withstand the stampede of such a massive group.

Fuli exhaled sharply, his chest heaving as he set Lin Shuishi down on a secure stone ledge, then called out to most of the wolf pack to follow him as he sprinted off.

The sound of “cracking” echoed from the distant forest, and Lin Shuishi glimpsed a massive white figure that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. After a while, Fuli returned, carrying several enormous trees on his shoulders, which he threw into the muddy riverbanks.

The logs couldn’t serve as a bridge for the herd, but they did slow the raging waters. In the wild, any glimmer of hope was enough to fight for survival.

Standing closest to the stampeding herd, Lin Shuishi was hit with the faintly muddy smell of the river. He watched as the majestic creatures of Dongshan, aided by Fuli, surged toward new life, not even the youngest looking back, charging forward with bravery.

Life was both difficult and brilliant.

But when he looked at Fuli, Lin Shuishi was startled. Fuli’s face was now covered in beastly markings, his muscles and bones on the verge of transformation, his eyes shifting from gold to red, only to be forced back to deep gold. The beast’s uncontrollable bloodline was beginning to show.