Chapter 170: Time Alone Together

Chapter 170: Time Alone Together

Zhou Ye didn’t ask why she was smiling; he simply gazed at her mirthful eyes, a smile unconsciously gracing his own lips.

After finishing nearly half a basin of rolled noodles, Zhou Ye stretched his arms contentedly and said to Lin Shu, "A Shu, you should get some rest. I’ll skin this bear before I sleep."

"I’m not sleepy; I’ll keep you company," Lin Shu replied, genuinely wide awake and not feigning wakefulness.

Zhou Ye stared at her for a long moment before nodding. "Alright, but if you get tired, go to bed anytime."

With that, he busied himself with the task.

The black bear had a large wound on its neck, and most of its blood had already drained during the journey back, saving him the step of bleeding it. However, since the bear had been dead for a while, its hide was not as easy to remove as it would have been immediately after death.

Zhou Ye wasted no time. Holding a kitchen knife, he made an incision along the black bear’s abdominal white line. The process was not smooth, alternating between slow and quick movements. When he reached the inner parts of the limbs, he made Y-shaped cuts, and at the feet, he used a circular cutting method. The entire process resembled undressing the carcass.

The tall, burly man squatted on the ground, fully focused on skinning the bear. Only when he reached less critical parts would he glance at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu asked him, "Why are you looking at me instead of focusing on your work?"

A slight smile touched Zhou Ye’s lips. "I was afraid you’d be scared by what I’m doing."

Contrary to his expectations, A Shu showed no fear at the sight of him skinning the bear. Though he knew she was different from the genteel ladies he had imagined, her lack of discomfort—even appearing relaxed—in the face of such a bloody and brutal task surprised him. Soon after, an indescribable sense of ease washed over him.

Lin Shu chuckled. "You must have some misunderstanding about me, A Ye. I’m not afraid of these things, nor am I the kind of softhearted girl who finds rabbits too cute to eat. For people, filling one's stomach is what matters most. I’m someone who enjoys good food, and anyone who loves food loves meat. How can you eat meat without some bloodshed? It’s just that I don’t usually witness the slaughter myself."

Zhou Ye paused and asked, "A Shu, don’t you think this black bear looks terrifying?"

Lin Shu replied calmly, "It’s a wild beast—of course it looks scary. But it’s dead. What’s there to fear from a dead thing? If it were alive, I might be scared."

Zhou Ye didn’t know which part of her words amused him, but he looked at her with uncommon tenderness.

He loved A Shu’s tender delicacy, but at the same time, he feared that his hidden, brutal side might scare her. Now, however, he realized he had overthought it. Not only was A Shu bold and unrestrained in certain ways, but she was also fearless in situations like this.

Sometimes, Zhou Ye couldn’t understand how a lady raised in a sheltered environment could be like A Shu. But later, he heard that the marquis of the household A Shu originally came from was a formidable military general, which seemed to explain it.

After skinning the bear completely, Zhou Ye took a bamboo knife and scraped off the subcutaneous fat. Then, he fetched some wood ash from the stove, mixed it with an appropriate amount of salt, and applied it to the hide to absorb oil and prevent decay.

Lin Shu watched intently and asked curiously, "A Ye, you’re so skilled at this. Have you hunted a black bear before?"

Zhou Ye explained, "This is my first time hunting a black bear, but I’ve hunted other wild beasts before. The process of handling their hides is quite similar. For these animal hides, the best time to hunt is in autumn and winter. After autumn, wild beasts have more subcutaneous fat, making their hides tough and less prone to tearing. Winter is even better—to withstand the cold, their fur becomes thick, lush, and glossy.

"As for black bears, they shed after hibernation. So, after spring, their hides become thin and brittle, often with bald spots. Skins harvested then are called ‘mangy bear hides’ and sell for 40% less. In summer, the hides are often scarred by insect bites, and the heat makes the fat prone to rot, causing a foul odor. Summer hides sell for only 30% of the autumn and winter price."

Lin Shu listened with sparkling eyes. "A Ye, you know so much! How much can we sell this hide for?"

Zhou Ye said, "I counted just now—there are only two insect bite scars on the hide, which isn’t many. The fur is nearly two inches long, and the color is good. It can be classified as a Grade B bear hide. At the very least, it can sell for eight strings of cash. If we’re lucky, it might even go for eleven or twelve strings."

Lin Shu exclaimed. "Just one hide can sell for so much? And we still have the bear paws, gallbladder, and meat—are we going to be rich?"

Zhou Ye found her starry-eyed, money-minded expression utterly adorable and smiled as he told her the prices of the other parts.

Bear gallbladders are precious medicinal materials. If pharmacies or wealthy merchants compete for them, a single gallbladder can sell for ten to twenty strings of cash. Bear fat is also a sought-after ingredient for making ointments, selling for three to five strings per pound.

As for bear bones, they can be used to make medicinal wine for treating rheumatism. Pharmacies buy them for one to two strings per pound. Then there are bear paws—a delicacy often used by wealthy families to flaunt their status and wealth. A single pair can sell for five to eight strings.

And then there’s the bear meat, which is the most abundant. Restaurants and wealthy households love it. Sold at the market, a pound can fetch two hundred coins or even more.

The remaining parts—bear tendons can be used for bowstrings or musical instrument strings, bear teeth for accessories, and so on—all of these can be sold.

It could be said that every part of the black bear is a valuable commodity.

Lin Shu: Are we really going to be rich?!

Have we suddenly become the village’s nouveau riche overnight?

But what Lin Shu thought about most was that with money, they could buy plenty of food, and A Ye would never have to go hungry again!

"A Ye, how do you know so much about this?" Lin Shu asked curiously.

"Where I used to live, there were hunters who had been hunting for generations. Naturally, I know more about these things than others. Hunters have many tricks and experiences for catching wild beasts, but they rarely share them with outsiders. However, I was curious and asked about them. Since it didn’t interfere with their work, the hunters told me everything." The hunting skills Zhou Ye possessed now were mostly self-taught through experience.

"One of those hunters once hunted a black bear," Zhou Ye added.

"I see. A Ye, since you have such skills, why didn’t you use them before? Whether it’s a black bear or other wild beasts, their hides are valuable."

Zhou Ye hesitated for a moment before replying, "A Shu, before I met you, I didn’t think it mattered how I lived."

Moreover, having too much skill wasn’t always a good thing—it could bring trouble or even disaster. The hunter he had mentioned to A Shu, though successful in hunting a black bear, met a tragic end. A powerful figure tracked him down, pressuring him to hunt another black bear. Later… the hunter died in the mountains.

But A Shu didn’t need to know these details.

Hearing his words, Lin Shu stared at him in a daze before suddenly smiling. A Ye was so good to her—she wanted to treat him even better in the future.

"By the way, A Shu, I’m not injured, but if the villagers ask tomorrow, I’ll tell them I sustained some internal injuries and can no longer hunt such dangerous beasts. You and your aunt and uncle don’t need to worry." Zhou Ye informed Lin Shu beforehand.

Lin Shu, quick-witted as always, immediately understood his concern. "A Ye, you’re not good with words. I’ll help you explain tomorrow."

Zhou Ye thought of something, and a smile crept into his eyes.

By the time the black bear hide was fully processed, the night had grown dark, and Zhou Ye finally felt a wave of fatigue.

He had spent the past two nights resting in a mountain cave. Although he had blocked the entrance with a heavy boulder to keep most wild beasts out, the stone didn’t fit perfectly, allowing snakes and insects to crawl in. As a result, he couldn’t sleep deeply, waking at the slightest sound.

Coupled with the physical exertion of hunting the wild boar and the black bear, now that he had completely relaxed, exhaustion and drowsiness washed over him.

But as he looked at A Shu, he was reluctant to sleep.

"A Shu, I’m covered in grime. I’m going to wash up at the river. Will you come?" He stared directly at Lin Shu, desire unmistakable in his eyes.

Lin Shu understood his meaning and shot him a playful glare. "These past two nights without you, I didn’t go once. Without you to watch over me, I didn’t dare go into the river."

"Will you go tonight?"

"Of course. A Ye, I missed you these past few days."

"A Shu, I missed you too—so much." His voice grew deeper.

A moment later, the two quietly slipped out of the courtyard with a change of clothes. As soon as they left, Zhou Ye carried Lin Shu on his back and hurried toward the river.

Sweetwater Village was silent, with only the croaking of frogs and chirping of insects around. The darkness and quiet amplified the desires in their hearts…

By the time Lin Shu returned, over half an hour had passed.

Her lips were red and swollen, her cheeks flushed, but her expression was somewhat exasperated.

Her marriage to A Ye was already settled. Just moments ago, things had progressed between them, and she was willing to taste the forbidden fruit with him ahead of time. But A Ye had restrained himself, only guiding her hand, not wanting to tire her, and making it quick.

Of course, before that, A Ye had already kissed her thoroughly, even more intensely than the previous times by a notch or two.

Lin Shu didn’t wait until the next day; before returning to her room, she used the mountain spring water in the yard to soothe her lips. Otherwise, by the next morning, they would surely have swollen like sausages.

Seeing this, Zhou Ye said with some guilt, "A Shu, next time I’ll be gentler."

Lin Shu: Yeah right, I believe you.

The last things you can trust from even the most honest man are those lines—"I’ll be gentler," or "I’ll just rub, I won’t go in." Ugh, what a jerk.

But… but she liked A Ye, this big oaf.

"A Shu, get to sleep now. If you aren’t woken up tomorrow, sleep as long as you want."

Lin Shu didn’t need Zhou Ye’s reminder. She had stayed up so late tonight that she was bound to sleep until the sun was high tomorrow. But in reality, it felt like as soon as she closed and opened her eyes, it was already the next morning. She hadn’t woken naturally but was roused by the noisy chatter in the yard.

Sleep-deprived, Lin Shu was full of resentment.

It was obvious that all the commotion in the yard was because of the black bear A Ye had brought back yesterday.

But couldn’t they have waited a little longer to come see? It was just barely daylight!

By the time Lin Shu got ready and stepped outside, even with some mental preparation, she was still startled.

Wow, so many people?!

Their family’s yard was one of the most spacious in Sweetwater Village, but at that moment, aside from an empty space in the middle, it was practically packed with people!

Everyone in Sweetwater Village—old and young alike—had come to their home to gawk at the scene.