Chapter (4): The Great Hunter and the Two Wild Boars (Part 2)
Mother Bai was utterly stunned to see her wayward son cleaning the meat. In the past, such chores were always forced upon Xiao Han. Her son never lifted a finger for domestic tasks. Worse, he would often accuse Xiao Han of hiding or stealing food, using it as a pretext to cause trouble and beat him.
What was happening now? Was the world turning upside down? Why was she seeing her scoundrel son cleaning and prepping a pheasant with his own hands?
Even more shocking were the words he had just uttered.
He had borrowed a bow from the Village Head and gone up the mountain? And he had actually come back with pheasants? Was she expected to believe this? She didn't—she absolutely didn't.
Mother Bai looked from her smiling, wayward son to the pheasants. No matter how much she doubted his character, pheasants were not something one could obtain easily. Just recently, her son had been so destitute that he had come to the family home to beg for rice; it was impossible for him to have bought these with money.
She asked, her voice trembling with hesitation, "Are... are you telling the truth?"
Bai Li wiped his hands and gestured with his chin toward a small woven basket filled with fruit.
"It's the truth. I even gathered some wild fruit from the forest for the children."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something.
"That's right. When you head back, Mother, take some for Mei'er as well."
The turn of events was so surreal that Mother Bai found herself momentarily speechless. Her son, who loathed labor, was now willing to work and even showed concern for his children? How could she possibly wrap her mind around this?
Sensing the woman's internal conflict, Bai Li spoke gently.
"Mother, I know you're surprised. But I've decided to change starting today. When I found myself with no money and absolutely no food, I felt a deep regret. From now on, I'm changing. No more gambling, no more visiting brothels. I will only care for my family and for you."
Mother Bai felt dizzy from the sheer impact of those words. Her greatest wish and constant prayer in life had been for her second son to reform, yet hearing it so suddenly made it difficult to accept. As his mother, she knew better than anyone how wicked he could be. Her eyes grew red with unshed tears, but she dared not let herself be happy just yet.
Masking her emotions, Mother Bai spoke in a harsh tone.
"Change isn't something that happens just by saying it with your mouth. You don't need to worry about us—just take care of your own family. I'm going back. I'll have Mei'er bring some rice over in a bit."
With that, Mother Bai departed, carrying the two pheasants. Xiaofu and Xiaowu, though they couldn't grasp the heavy undercurrents of the adults' conversation, remained nearby. They were eyeing the fruit longingly but didn't dare ask their father.
Seeing this, the corners of Bai Li's lips curled upward.
"You can eat the fruit. But don't eat too many—only three each. Leave the rest for your little auntie and for yourselves to eat tomorrow."
Having received permission, the little ones seemed overjoyed, momentarily forgetting their father's past cruelty.
"Yes, Father!"
After saying this, Xiaofu cradled the fruit basket and, grabbing Xiaowu's hand with his free one, sprinted into the house. Bai Li could only sigh. The fact that these little ones were still so wary and didn't dare stay near him for long was truly heartbreaking.
Shaking his head, Bai Li set about preparing a meat broth first for Xiao Han.
A short while later, Bai Mei arrived with a large sack of rice. She ran to her second brother, her face lit with excitement.
"Second Brother! Is it true you went hunting in the forest? Did you really get the pheasants yourself?"
Bai Mei was only ten years old, with a bright and energetic personality. While she was nothing like the original Bai Li, her temperament was quite similar to the current Bai Li's own nature. Bai Li felt a natural affection for the girl and patted her head.
"It's true. Mother will be cooking pheasant tonight."
Bai Mei was thrilled, both at the prospect of eating meat and because the meat had come from her brother. She tugged affectionately on his arm.
"Second Brother, are you going back to the forest? If you see any flower plants, could you bring some back for me? Please, please?"
Bai Li understood that the "flower plants" she referred to were the rare and precious varieties—orchids, roses, jasmines, and the like. Such plants were highly prized by the young misses of wealthy and noble houses; they were expensive luxuries that a farming family like theirs could never afford. Usually, if anyone found such plants in the wild, they would sell them for money, making them something entirely out of reach for common folk.
However, Bai Li had seen some wild rose bushes in the valley where he found the fruit, as well as orchids elsewhere. Bai Mei's request wasn't difficult to fulfill. He patted her head again.
"Alright. The next time I go into the forest, I'll bring some for Mei'er. For now, go inside and ask your nephews for some fruit. I brought some back from the mountain."
"Really!"
In an era where food was not abundant, fruit was a rare treat. Still a child at heart, Bai Mei immediately hitched up her skirt and dashed into the house, shouting as she ran.
"Xiaofu! Xiaowu! Is there any fruit left for your little auntie?"
Xiaowu's sweet little voice drifted back.
"Little Auntie, come slowly! There's still plenty!"
Soon, the house was filled with the sounds of children's laughter and happy chatter. The noise woke Xiao Han. Though his fever had broken slightly, he was still very ill. He looked on in confusion as his sons and his young sister-in-law ate the fruit joyfully. Where did the fruit come from?
The Bai family detested Bai Li, but because they loved their grandchildren, they sometimes snuck them food—yet it never included fruit. Fruit was expensive and rare; even the main Bai household couldn't afford it.
Seeing Xiao Han wake up, Bai Mei ran to his side and began chattering incessantly about her second brother's newfound virtues.
"Second Sister-in-law! You were sick—are you feeling better? Look at this fruit! Second Brother brought it from the mountain; it's so sweet! Why don't you try some? And it's not just fruit! Second Brother borrowed a bow from the Village Head and went hunting—he got five pheasants! He gave one to the Village Head as a thank-you, and he exchanged two with Mother for rice. He's cooking the remaining two for you and the boys right now! Second Sister-in-law, you're going to have meat today!"
Xiao Han's headache, which had been subsiding, surged back at Bai Mei's words. His head throbbed with disbelief.
His husband had not only started working but was willing to give food to his sons? Xiao Han looked at his children, who huddled close to him. Xiaofu spoke up.
"Papa, Father gave us food this morning, and now he gave us fruit. He said we're having meat and rice later, too!"
Xiaowu wouldn't be outdone. "Yeah, yeah! The fruit is so sweet! But Father said we can't eat it all—we have to save some for tomorrow!"
Though Xiao Han was skeptical, his heart softened at the sight of the pure contentment on his children's faces. Bai Mei, sensing his doubt, pressed on.
"Second Sister-in-law, I'm telling the truth! My brother told Mother today that he's going to change. He said he won't gamble anymore, won't go to brothels, and will only care for his family. Look at how many pheasants he got on his first trip to the forest! It seems he's a natural hunter. You and the boys won't have to worry about the future anymore."
Bai Mei knew that when her mother returned home, she had gone into her room and cried. Her mother was crying out of sheer joy, and witnessing that made the possibility of her second brother's transformation seem real.
Xiao Han felt a flicker of hope. He feared his husband, but this was the man he was married to. If his husband truly stopped his wicked ways, the lives of their sons would be infinitely better.
Fueled by that thought, Xiao Han forced himself up and crept to the doorway, stealing a cautious glance outside. He didn't dare look at his husband openly.
At that moment, Bai Li was busy preparing the meal. Watching him, Xiao Han felt a strange flutter of emotion. His husband had never once cooked, yet here he was, trying his best while allowing Xiao Han to rest completely. In that moment, the memories of Bai Li's past cruelty seemed to fade.
In reality, Bai Li was simply struggling to adjust to the primitive cooking utensils. Sensing someone watching him, he turned around just in time to see a head duck back behind the doorframe.
Bai Li thought to himself: What are you hiding for? It's obvious it's you, Xiao Han.
However, knowing how much Xiao Han feared the original Bai Li, he chose not to call him out.
Bai Li glanced up at the sun.
"Mei'er, Mother will worry if you stay too long. It's nearly time to cook—why don't you go back and help her?"
From his memories, Bai Li knew the Bai family consisted of four sons and one daughter. The eldest, Bai Jiang, was nearly thirty. Bai Li, the second, was twenty-three. Because of the age gap, Bai Jiang had spoiled Bai Li as if he were a parent. The third, Bai San, was nineteen and had been married for about a year. The fourth son, Bai Wu, was fifteen, and Bai Mei was ten.
In this ancient era, such a large household wasn't unusual. Only Bai Li lived separately; the rest resided together.
Previously, the eldest son had been married for years without children, making the Bai family a target for village gossip. In truth, Xiaofu and Xiaowu were the eldest grandsons of the family. This was likely one of the reasons the Bai parents couldn't entirely turn their backs on the original Bai Li.
However, currently, both the first and third daughters-in-law were pregnant. The first daughter-in-law was lazy and calculating; since finding out she was pregnant, she had stopped working in the fields and refused to help Mother Bai with household chores. The third daughter-in-law was slightly better but not by much.
This was why Bai Li was worried about Mother Bai cooking alone. She wasn't his biological mother, but she was the mother of this body. Since he had taken it over, he felt he should look after her.
At his words, Bai Mei cried out in alarm from inside the house.
"That's right! Mother told me to come back quickly! It's a good thing you reminded me, Second Brother!"
Bai Mei was about to run off, but Xiaowu and Xiaofu took the fruit saved for tomorrow, divided it into three equal portions, and gave one to their youngest auntie. Bai Mei, touched by their thoughtfulness, peppered her nephews with kisses.
"This is why Auntie loves you two so much!"
After Bai Mei left, the little house fell silent once more.