Fortunately, the wolf ran past the tree and did not linger there.
A little while later, Lu Shiyan also returned.
Returning with him was Fang Mingming, who was filthy like a mud ball and shivering all over.
In just a few days, Fang Mingming had become skin and bones.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Tangtang felt bad too. After all, it was his parents who did the wrong thing, not him.
This child used to be quite unruly, but that was mainly due to his parents' upbringing. After being kidnapped by human traffickers, he became more sensible and less annoying than before.
After Lu Shiyan helped Jiang Tangtang and Lu Chenyan down from the tree, Fang Mingming bowed to them earnestly and said, "Thank you, cousin and cousin-in-law, for saving our lives."
But she was clearly terrified by the scene of the wolves fighting, her teeth chattering as she spoke, and her movements were very uncoordinated.
Jiang Tangtang supported him, frowning slightly, and said, "Why are you all alone here? Where are your parents? Did they just let you run around in the mountains by yourself?"
Fang Mingming hurriedly explained, "It wasn't my parents who abandoned me. I saw they were sick, so I left on my own while they were asleep. I wanted to go back to the valley to get medicine, but I got lost on the way back."
After saying that, he said timidly, "Cousin, could you please save my parents? They're both sick and lying on the ground, unable to even walk..."
Thinking about how the wolves had just torn each other apart, a bad feeling rose in his heart.
He's been gone for so long, and given his parents' ailing health and the treacherous environment of the forest, their future looks bleak.
He immediately became depressed.
Seeing his small body and how he was desperately trying to hold back his sadness, Jiang Tangtang and Lu Chenyan's mood also dropped.
Before the others could even feel awkward, Fang Mingming raised her head and said, "It's my fault. My parents deserved what they got. I shouldn't have made things difficult for my cousin and his wife."
Lu Shiyan paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you know where they are?"
Fang Mingming's eyes lit up, but then she lowered her head dejectedly, "I don't know either."
"I'll take you back today, and I'll go into the mountains to take a look tomorrow."
They had agreed to head back, but Lu Chenyan suddenly ran towards the spot where the wolves had fought.
Jiang Tangtang was startled when she saw his actions and quickly chased after him, "Xiao Yan, don't run around, there are wolves in the mountains."
Lu Chenyan stopped and pointed to a fluffy little wolf cub on the ground, saying, "Mommy, there's a puppy over there."
Jiang Tangtang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a fluffy little cutie lying under a big tree not far away.
Not to mention Lu Chenyan, even Jiang Tangtang was captivated by the little cutie. However, she wasn't a three-year-old after all, and quickly realized that there was no way there would be a puppy in the deep mountains.
This thing is most likely a wolf cub.
Thinking that this guy was a ferocious wolf, Jiang Tangtang felt a chill run down her spine and defensively grabbed Lu Chenyan.
Lu Chenyan seemed a little confused by his mother's nervousness and asked cutely, "Mother, can I adopt that puppy?"
Jiang Tangtang wanted to refuse, but seeing the expectation in the child's eyes, she couldn't bear to disappoint him.
Just as she was in a dilemma, Lu Shiyan picked up the fluffy little wolf cub and handed it to Lu Chenyan, saying, "This puppy hasn't been weaned yet. It needs to be fed carefully to survive. Can you take good care of it in the future?"
“I can.” Lu Chenyan happily took the wolf cub and held it in his arms, gently stroking its fur.
Jiang Tangtang didn't believe Lu Shiyan couldn't tell that this wasn't a puppy. Taking advantage of her son's attention being focused on the wolf cub, she whispered, "Is it really okay to keep it as a pet?"
"It's okay. As long as you keep it by your side and train it well, it'll be almost the same as a dog."
His gaze fell on the wolf carcass not far away.
Although it was far away, his good eyesight allowed him to easily distinguish that it was the carcass of a mother wolf.
That must be the mother of this little wolf cub.
However, he was seriously injured in the battle between the wolves and is now dead.
Even if they adopt the wolf cub, no wolf will come seeking revenge and bring danger to the valley.
Lu Shiyan tied the carcass of the mother wolf and the other wolf carcasses he had picked up when he rescued Fang Mingming together with a rope, then cut a tree branch to use as a carrying pole, hoisted the wolves onto his shoulder, and said, "Let's go, I'll take you back first, it's not safe here."
These wolf carcasses were killed by the wolf pack during a territorial dispute. They hadn't been dead long, and the wolf meat was still edible.
Besides wolf meat, wolf skin is also a valuable commodity.
On the way back, Lu Shiyan deliberately slowed down because he had two children with him.
The group didn't return to the lakeside until late at night.
Jiang Tangtang glanced at the duck eggs and fish that had been hanging on the tree branch and found them to be perfectly fine, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
She washed her face with lake water and then hurried to retrieve the duck eggs from the fire.
Having been gone for so long, the fire in the bonfire had long since died down. But if you dig into the fire, the duck eggs wrapped in mud and roasted were still warm.
Jiang Tangtang found a stone and gently tapped the dried-out mud ball open.
The duck eggs were already cooked, and they just rolled out like that. Wrapped in lotus leaves, the roasted duck eggs had a fragrant aroma of lotus leaves.
Jiang Tangtang called out to the group, "Are you all hungry? Eat up!"
Fang Mingming hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, but he was too embarrassed to reach out and take it.
"Eat up!" Jiang Tangtang took one and stuffed it into his hand, then took another and handed it to Lu Chenyan. "There are plenty here, you can help yourselves after you finish eating."
After saying that, she ignored the others, peeled a duck egg for herself, and ate it in big bites.
He hadn't eaten dinner and had to go deep into the mountains; he was practically starving.
After she finished eating a duck egg, Lu Shiyan washed off the bloodstains and arrived late.
"Husband, this is for you." Jiang Tangtang picked out an egg with a burnt yellow shell and gave it to Lu Shiyan. "This kind is the most fragrant."
"Thank you!" Lu Shiyan took the duck egg and sat down next to her.
Everyone was hungry, and the dozen or so duck eggs were quickly devoured. After eating, they picked up their food and set off again back to the valley.
The houses were not yet completed, and everyone was sleeping in the open air. When Lu Shiyan and his group returned, they quickly woke up the sleeping villagers.
Seeing Lu Shiyan carrying a load of wolves on a shoulder pole, the villagers were both envious and fearful.
Those were wolves; just one could kill them. Yet Lu Shiyan killed so many at once.
Everyone's attention was on the wolf, and no one noticed the duck eggs Jiang Tangtang was carrying, or Fang Mingming who had come back with her.
Apart from the Lu family, the villagers, after a moment of envy, all lay down to sleep.
The Lu family members, however, all became busy.
Lu Shiyan brought back a total of seven wolves today. Everyone lit torches and worked through the night to skin the wolves, break down the wolf meat, and preserve it with salt.
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