Chapter 30: The Mountain Guardian
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Lin Yu was panting heavily, his taut nerves not yet settled.
Thankfully, within his slight frame dwelled the soul of a mature adult. Otherwise, faced with what had just happened, he would surely have been frightened into wetting himself.
His faintly trembling hands slowly lowered. He drew several deep breaths, struggling to calm his racing heartbeat. Forcing a grateful smile onto his face, he said to the burly man, “Uncle, I truly owe you my thanks today. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I’m afraid I would have ended up in a wolf’s jaws. I’ll remember this kindness.”
After a moment, he shook his head lightly and added, “I’m a child, so I don’t smoke. But I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
The burly man’s lips curved upward, revealing a row of tobacco-yellowed teeth. He chuckled, rolled a cigarette with practiced ease, placed it between his lips, and lit it with a match.
The ember flickered in the darkness, illuminating his weather-beaten face.
He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled several smoke rings before saying, “You’ve got some nerve, boy! Even in broad daylight, hardly anyone dares pass through Wolf Ridge alone. Yet here you are, charging in by yourself in the dead of night. Weren’t you afraid the wolves would eat you? You’re lucky you ran into me today. You really ought to thank me properly.”
When Lin Yu remained silent, the man asked, “How old are you this year?”
“Sixteen!”
“What’s your name?”
“Lin Yu!”
The burly man nodded, then slowly rose to his feet. “All right. Come back with me. Wolves hold grudges. They know your scent, and if you keep going, they may attack you again.”
Lin Yu’s heart lurched at those words.
When a wolf turned back, it was either to repay a kindness or to seek revenge. If he continued forward, there was indeed a chance that, just as the man had said, they would catch up with him and come looking for vengeance. After all, he had killed two of them.
But Lin Yu still did not dare go to the man’s home.
This was a remote wilderness with no households nearby. The burly man stood a full six feet one, his broad shoulders seeming capable of shouldering a small mountain. More importantly, he had a gun in his hand.
One should never harbor the intention of harming others, but one must always guard against others.
The man seemed to see through Lin Yu’s doubts and misgivings. He grinned and said in a hearty voice, “You’re a small child, but you’ve got plenty of suspicion in you. Are you wondering what I do? I’m the mountain warden here.”
He paused to take a drag, then slowly continued, “A mountain warden is the guardian of these mountains. We watch over this forest as though it were our own treasure. Normally, we patrol the slopes, looking for poachers and checking for anything that might lead to a forest fire. So don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”
As he spoke, the man rose, tossed the three dead wolves onto the vehicle, and gestured for Lin Yu to climb in.
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Left with no choice, Lin Yu could only do as he was told.
It was indeed dark now, after all, and he had no idea how much farther he would have to travel before reaching home. He did not dare take the risk.
Lin Yu had heard of mountain wardens before. In his understanding, it was a mysterious occupation that had existed in the nineteen-sixties and seventies. With the passage of time, it should have disappeared long ago. He had never expected it to still exist.
Following the burly man, Lin Yu struggled along the rugged mountain path until they finally reached the man’s home.
It was a stone house nestled in a mountain ravine. Its walls had been built from stones of varying sizes, their surfaces covered in the marks of years of weathering. Moss grew in places, giving off a ghostly green sheen beneath the dim light. The roof was laid with thick stone slabs, fitted tightly together to keep out the wind and rain.
Upon entering, Lin Yu was greeted by a distinctive mixture of smoke, medicinal herbs, and animal hide.
The room was small. In the center stood a simple fire pit, its coals still glowing faintly. Every so often, a spark leapt upward, adding a little warmth to the otherwise gloomy hut. A soot-blackened iron pot hung above the fire. Nearby sat several battered but reasonably clean earthen bowls and wooden spoons. In one corner lay a pile of firewood and medicinal herbs, beside a crude wooden table and several benches of varying lengths. Hunting tools hung on the walls—bows and arrows, animal traps, and several dried pelts. In the firelight, they exuded a primitive, unadorned atmosphere.
The burly man entered the house and, without a word, dragged the wolves he had just hunted to one side before skillfully beginning to skin them.
His fingers moved over the animals like nimble dancers, while the sharp knife in his hand rasped back and forth. In only a few strokes, he had removed the hides intact.
Next, he cut off several pieces of wolf meat, threaded them onto a branch, and set them over the fire. Before long, the aroma of roasting meat filled the entire room. Fat hissed from the meat as the coals slowly turned it golden and crisp.
Turning the roasting meat, the man said to Lin Yu, “You’re from a fishing village, aren’t you? I see you’ve got both a fish basket and a fish spear. Did you go into town to sell fish?”
“No!” Lin Yu denied it at once. “I’m working. My aunt sells fish in town, and I went to deliver them.”
“Really? And your aunt was willing to let you walk back alone?” The man sounded unconvinced. He tore off a wolf leg and handed it directly to Lin Yu.
“She’s only willing because I’m her nephew. If it were her own child, do you think she’d let him go?” Lin Yu replied.
He stared at the offered leg and swallowed. After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted it.
This was meat!
In an era like this, no matter what kind it was, people craved meat whenever they saw it.
The wolf leg had been roasted until its fat sizzled. One bite revealed a crisp exterior and tender meat within. Rich fragrance spread across his mouth, mingling with the distinctive scent of charcoal. It possessed both the deep savoriness of wild game and the smoky char of roasted meat. Each strand of fiber seemed to dance across his tongue, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.
Although Lin Yu still felt somewhat conflicted about eating wolf meat, his stomach had long since been growling with hunger.
“Slow down. There’s plenty more meat!” the burly man said with a chuckle as he watched Lin Yu devour the food. In a small place like theirs, during an era such as this, not everyone could afford to eat meat at every meal as he did.
Holding the wolf leg in his hands, Lin Yu chewed slowly for a few mouthfuls. Gradually, his movements became more hesitant, and an embarrassed flush spread across his face.
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He lowered his head slightly to avoid the burly man’s gaze. With a mixture of shyness and anticipation, he said softly, “Uncle, this wolf meat is delicious. I wanted to ask you something. Tomorrow, could you let me take the other two wolves home? My mother and little sister are there, and we haven’t had meat in a long time. I’d like them to have a taste too.”
The moment he heard this, the burly man laughed.
“Those two wolves were killed by you in the first place. By a hunter’s rules, whatever a person hunts belongs to that person. So they were yours all along.” The man was thoroughly straightforward. He stirred the fire and continued, “But be careful. They’re wolves, after all. Don’t let anyone find out, or you may bring trouble upon yourself.”
“I understand. Thank you, Uncle!” Lin Yu was overjoyed.
He had never expected the man to be so generous.
The two wolves would provide meat for eating, and their hides could be made into fur-lined coats, which were far warmer than padded cotton clothing. If he could obtain a few more, he could even save the money spent on cloth and cotton.
The burly man, however, did not care in the slightest. He lacked neither meat nor hides.
What he lacked was seafood.
He had lived deep in the mountains for years. His surroundings were limited to dense forests, winding streams, and towering peaks. His life was filled with hunting, guarding the mountains, and dealing with matters related to the wilderness. Day after day, year after year, the food he encountered came mainly from the birds and beasts of the forest, wild fruits and vegetables, and the small amount of aquatic life found in mountain streams.
To him, the world beyond the mountains was distant and unfamiliar. Seafood was an exotic novelty that existed only in stories he had heard. He had long wanted to taste it. Thus, when he saw Lin Yu carrying both a fish spear and a fishing basket, excitement surged through him.
“If you truly want to thank me, bring me some seafood. I’m already an old man, yet I’ve never tasted the stuff. Didn’t you just say that your family has no meat to eat? You can trade seafood for it. I’ve got all kinds of mountain produce here.”
Lin Yu instantly became excited.
“Uncle, are you serious?”
“Absolutely!” The burly man chuckled. “Though I’m afraid a child like you may not be able to get any.”
Delighted light flashed in Lin Yu’s eyes, instantly dispelling his earlier shyness and unease.
He straightened his back and promised confidently, “Don’t worry, Uncle. I may be young, but I grew up by the sea. Fishing and catching shrimp are what I do best. You can count on me completely.”
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