Upon hearing about the black bear, Yan Xue was genuinely startled.
Black bears, known as "black blind ones" locally, are among the most dangerous animals in the forested areas. The scars on Grandpa Liu’s face and his missing half an ear were gifts from one such encounter.
Her mind raced through survival strategies for a wilderness bear encounter, but something felt off.
First, the Changbai Mountains were still deep in winter, with temperatures below freezing. Black bears typically hibernate during this season, a behavior called "denning," and only emerge in spring when nature revives.
It was early March, and the temperature hadn’t yet risen above zero. Logically, the bear shouldn’t have left its den this early.
Second, while humans feared bears, bears weren’t necessarily fearless of humans. The work zone was noisy with machinery, and wild animals usually avoided such areas.
That’s why most lumberjacks foraged in the woods near the work zone—to minimize danger.
But Yan Xue wasn’t just near the work zone; she was at the mountain camp. Unless the bear was starving, why would it venture into a place teeming with human activity?
Yan Xue’s body tensed imperceptibly, but she quickly composed herself and turned toward the source of the voice without panic or a scream.
This reaction surprised the newcomer, who raised his air rifle at her. "Hey, you! Didn’t you hear? There’s a black bear behind you."
His posture, especially his face, confirmed Yan Xue’s suspicion.
She recognized him—Yu Yongzhi, the troublemaker who had drunkenly crashed her wedding.
Today, Yu Yongzhi wasn’t drunk, but he was just as unreliable. During work hours, he was wandering around with a gun.
Yan Xue frowned but said nothing.
Yu Yongzhi, however, recognized her. His teasing expression darkened instantly. "Aren’t you that little bride Qi Fang married?"
He’d assumed she was just another worker’s family member, someone he could scare for fun. But it was Yan Xue.
He still remembered how sick he’d been that night and the pounding headache the next day. This woman had definitely known her limits and deliberately outdrunk him.
Yu Yongzhi shifted the gun barrel, now aiming it directly at her. "You’ve got some nerve, huh? Not even flinching at a black bear. Not afraid to die?"
This time, Yan Xue was genuinely annoyed. "Shouldn’t you be working right now?"
She meant it as a reminder, but Yu Yongzhi was even more of a jerk than she’d thought. "Whether I work or not is none of your damn business!"
Not only did he not back down, but he also pretended to chamber a round. "Listen, I’m about to shoot that bear. If you don’t move, don’t blame me if you get hit."
He was outright threatening to shoot her.
Yan Xue’s eyes turned icy, but before she could respond, someone moved faster—Qi Fang had already clamped down on Yu Yongzhi’s gun hand.
"Is this your first time holding a gun? No one taught you never to point it at people?"
Qi Fang stood beside Yu Yongzhi, his voice and gaze colder than the winter air. Yu Yongzhi struggled, but the gun might as well have been pinned under a boulder—it didn’t budge.
This infuriated Yu Yongzhi. "Let go, damn it! Or I’ll shoot you!"
"With this bird-hunting air rifle?" Qi Fang scoffed.
Air rifles, powered by compressed air, were far weaker than firearms, barely fit for small game.
Yu Yongzhi’s pride took a hit, and his voice rose. "What’s wrong with an air rifle? It can still kill you! My family’s got real hunting guns—I just didn’t bother bringing one!"
"Air rifles aren’t for threatening your own people. Unless you’re not one of us—maybe a spy?"
Qi Fang lifted his gaze, his piercing stare drilling into Yu Yongzhi.
Usually, Qi Fang was reserved and quiet, giving off an unassuming vibe. Yu Yongzhi had never taken him seriously and had never seen him this sharp.
And then there was the mention of spies. Everyone remembered how intense the anti-spy campaigns had been years ago—even kids playing cops and robbers pretended to catch spies.
Yu Yongzhi instinctively took half a step back before catching himself. He glared, trying to regain his bravado. "Don’t you dare pin that shit on me!"
"Or is it because you couldn’t outdrink a woman and now you’re throwing a tantrum with a gun?"
This time, it was Yan Xue who spoke. She’d walked over, arching a brow with a mocking smile. "Brother Yu, does Fieldmaster Yu know his son’s such a sore loser?"
Trapped between accusations of being a spy and a drunken failure, Yu Yongzhi choked on his words.
And when Yan Xue brought up his father, some clarity returned to his alcohol-fogged brain. He wasn’t drunk today, but he wasn’t reckless enough to defy the heavens.
Seizing the moment, Qi Fang twisted the air rifle from Yu Yongzhi’s grip, emptied the steel pellet ammunition onto the ground, and tossed the gun back at him without another glance.
"Let’s go," he said to Yan Xue, his tone still edged with frost.
Yan Xue had more to say, but seeing his dark expression, she held her tongue.
This was the first time she’d seen Qi Fang so openly emotional—and it was in her defense. Some things could wait.
They hadn’t gone far when a loud "thud" sounded behind them—Yu Yongzhi had hurled the gun to the ground and kicked it. "Damn poser! He doesn’t even own an air rifle!"
Qi Fang didn’t so much as blink, but Yan Xue couldn’t resist asking, "Why’s he suddenly obsessed with guns?"
"Wants to transfer to the security team," Qi Fang replied flatly.
Yan Xue understood immediately. Yu Yongzhi had messed up at work due to drinking, costing him his cushy jobs as a chainsaw operator or tractor driver.
The only well-paying work left in the logging team was backbreaking labor—carrying massive logs, especially as the lead bearer.
The lead bearer had to navigate the path and call out commands for lifting and lowering. It required experience and steadiness. One misstep, and the thousand-pound logs could crush someone.
Yu Yongzhi lacked both the patience and the endurance. Rather than tough it out in the mountains, he’d rather switch to security—freer hours and side income.
Or, more accurately, easier access to alcohol. For a man addicted to drink, even illness couldn’t stop him. He’d keep drinking even if it killed him.
Yan Xue didn’t bring up Yu Yongzhi again, but she paused in her steps.
When Qi Fang looked at her, she smiled. "Actually, I came up with Aunt Liu today. She went to ask when you’d break for lunch."
Qi Fang caught on immediately. "You’re waiting for someone?"
"Mm. I went hunting with Grandpa Liu and bagged a few roe deer. Aunt Liu and I brought lunch for everyone."
"You went hunting with Grandpa Liu?" Qi Fang stopped again.
"It wasn’t exactly hunting, just setting up a few traps in the mountains. I happened to run into a herd of roe deer while checking them," Yan Xue said casually, though Qi Fang still glanced up at her with a lingering look.
The last time he’d been away for days, she hadn’t just managed fine—she’d even earned her first bucket of gold. And now? She’d gone straight into the mountains to set traps.
How had he never known she was this wild?
Or was it just her adaptability, blending seamlessly into rural life? Or had she been stifled all along by the polished, bustling shell of Yanjing?
Just then, Huang Fengying hurried back, scanning the area when she didn’t immediately spot Yan Xue.
"Aunt Liu!" Yan Xue quickly waved her over.
Huang Fengying approached with quick steps. "I asked around—they’ll need at least another half hour."
Noticing Qi Fang beside her, she added, "Oh, Qi Fang’s here too."
"Master Hu’s chainsaw broke. I came to get a bow saw," Qi Fang explained his presence.
A bow saw was the old-fashioned manual saw. Before chainsaws were common in the logging camp, this was what they’d used to fell trees.
"Well, don’t let us hold you up," Huang Fengying urged him.
But instead of leaving right away, Qi Fang pulled off his gloves and fished out a set of keys from an inner pocket, handing them to Yan Xue. "Go wait in my dorm with Aunt Liu."
Returning to the semi-underground bunkhouse where Qi Fang lived, Yan Xue found her mindset had shifted since her last visit. She could now easily pick out which belongings were his.
Huang Fengying, far more familiar with the place, quickly dug out the crumpled, dirty clothes belonging to Liu Weiguo and Liu Daniu. Grabbing a basin, she said, "You sit tight. I’ll go wash these for the two of them."
She frowned at the state of the clothes. "Just a few days in the mountains, and these pants could stand on their own."
"I’ll go with you," Yan Xue offered, suddenly remembering her promise to handle all the chores. She started searching for Qi Fang’s dirty laundry.
But after a thorough hunt, she couldn’t find a single item that looked unwashed.
Not only were his clothes spotless, they were neatly folded. Huang Fengying chuckled at her confusion. "I was about to say—no need to wash his things. Qi Fang’s always done his own laundry. Even back when he stayed with us, no matter how tired he was or how late he got off work, he’d always bathe and wash his clothes. I used to wonder if the boy ever slept."
Yan Xue thought back. "He does stay up late and wake up early."
"Right? Now that the days are short, it’s not as obvious. But in summer, by the time I’d get up, he’d already have the water vat filled to the brim."
The logging camp had no running water, so drinking water had to be hauled from the nearby river. Filling an entire vat was no small task.
Yan Xue did the math. "Does he even get six hours of sleep a night?"
"You asking me? How should I know? I don’t share a bed with him."
Huang Fengying’s sudden joke caught Yan Xue off guard.
But it wasn’t until noon, when the other workers returned to grab their lunchboxes, that Yan Xue witnessed what real "driving with no brakes" looked like.
The mountains were full of men, most with little education. If they weren’t bragging, they were talking about women—what else was there, reciting poetry and philosophizing?
A group of lumberjacks boisterously entered, and upon spotting Yan Xue, one immediately elbowed Qi Fang. "Only been up the mountain a few days, and your missus is already missing you? Didn’t get enough time together over New Year’s?"
The implication was clear, and several men burst into laughter. "No kidding! Young folks like them—a few days over the holidays? That’s nowhere near enough."
Another chimed in, teasing the first speaker, "Nah, not everyone’s wife is at that ‘hungry wolf’ stage like yours."
Compared to Qi Fang, the quiet newcomer, these men were thick as thieves. The room erupted in raucous laughter.
Qi Fang’s brow furrowed slightly, and his gaze flicked toward Yan Xue.
Liu Weiguo, familiar with his temperament, quickly stepped in. "You all not hungry? Just standing around yapping? My ma packed me some good stuff today."
The mention of food worked like a charm. "What’d she bring this time? Let’s see!"
"Gotta heat it up first—it’s all cold."
As Liu Weiguo grabbed his lunchbox, the others dispersed to head for the canteen.
But the original joker couldn’t resist a parting shot, glancing back at Qi Fang and Yan Xue. "Want us to come back later? Meal break’s long enough for you two, right?"
He was already laughing before he finished, the others grinning along.
Then Yan Xue smiled back, sweeter than honey. "Would you mind closing the door on your way out? Thanks."
Her eyes curved innocently, giving no hint of the suggestive words—let alone any embarrassment.
The man’s eyes nearly bulged. Liu Weiguo, however, had seen Yan Xue drink a grown man under the table without blinking and wasn’t surprised. Amused, he slung an arm around the guy’s neck. "Serves you right, messing with her. Don’t let the petite frame fool you—she’s even scarier than Qi Fang."
"No way, how old is she?" The man kept glancing back as they walked out.
Then he heard Yan Xue’s voice, soft but carrying, say to Qi Fang, "Remember who those guys were. They don’t get any of the food I brought."
He couldn’t help protesting, "He never shares your stuff with us anyway!"
It was common knowledge that Qi Fang used to be the poorest in the dorm, even mending his own clothes. No one ever sent him care packages—until this New Year’s, when he’d returned with a wife.
Word was she was stunning and had brought him piles of food. Every mealtime, he’d scoop a spoonful of her meat sauce into his lunchbox, heat it on the stove, and the rich, oily aroma would make mouths water.
But the guy was stingy. Ask for a taste, and he might give a tiny bit. Ask again? Not a chance.
He’d sooner spend meal tickets treating you to canteen food than let you have another bite of his wife’s cooking.
This was news to Yan Xue. She waited until the men left before turning to Qi Fang. "You really didn’t share?"
"I did." Qi Fang didn’t bat an eye. A tiny portion still counted.
Yan Xue figured he wasn’t the petty type—probably just the other guy joking. "Eating here or at the canteen?" She pulled two lunchboxes from her bag.
Qi Fang took them and set them on the lit stove. "Here. I’ll go grab a couple more dishes."
He couldn’t explain why, but he didn’t want to share what she’d brought. Maybe because others had always had plenty, while for him—this was the first time in years.
At the canteen, Qi Fang endured more teasing but ignored it, returning to the dorm with the food.
The stir-fry, thinly sliced, was already sizzling with oil when Yan Xue poked at it with chopsticks. "Let’s start with this. The braised ribs need more time to heat through."
Her long lashes cast shadows as she looked down, the curve of her eyes lending a quiet calm.
She’d always been like this—never complaining about the logging camp’s harsh conditions, instead finding ways to stay busy, filling each day with purpose.
If it weren’t for the fact that Yan Xue was the only one who could come to the forestry camp to marry him, Qi Fang would sometimes wonder if she was the same person he remembered.
Qi Fang gave a quiet “Mm” and, after a moment of silence, suddenly asked, “Did your family register for the work team?”
The man rarely initiated conversations. Yan Xue glanced at him. “Yes, I registered on the eighth. Captain Lin told me to wait at home for news.”
At that point, the conversation seemed to die out again.
Truth be told, Qi Fang wasn’t the talkative type, and Yan Xue wasn’t fond of forcing small talk either. Her social skills were purely a survival necessity.
Fortunately, the stir-fried pork was ready by then. Yan Xue picked up a few pieces with her chopsticks and placed them in Qi Fang’s lunchbox before turning her attention to the braised ribs.
She had seasoned the ribs generously, and their golden-brown glaze alone was enough to whet the appetite. As they reheated, the caramelized sauce of sugar and soy sauce bubbled up, filling the air with a rich, savory aroma.
Qi Fang took the dish and portioned some for himself, then unexpectedly added a couple of ribs to her lunchbox.
The gesture was clearly an invitation for her to eat. Yan Xue didn’t argue and had just taken a bite of rice when the man spoke again, his tone indifferent. “Stay away from dangerous places from now on.”
Was this concern, or just him not wanting her to wander around?
Yan Xue looked up, but Qi Fang didn’t meet her gaze, his eyes lowered as usual.
She decided it was the former and didn’t want to brush him off. After a thoughtful pause, she replied, “I’ll try.”
In the forested area, it was hard to say what was safe and what wasn’t—and staying off the mountains entirely wasn’t an option.
This made Qi Fang finally raise his eyes to her. The air grew still between them until Huang Fengying returned from washing clothes, grumbling, “Washing clothes here is such a hassle.”
Yan Xue immediately stood to make space. “We’re eating now, Auntie. Why don’t you join us?”
“No need, I already ate at home.” Huang Fengying waved her off, then busied herself with straightening the bedding for the father and son, as if she had endless chores to tend to.
Qi Fang only gave Yan Xue another glance before letting the matter drop.
On the way back, they didn’t have the convenience of hitching a ride on the internal combustion engine, so Yan Xue and Huang Fengying had to walk the entire way. It took them a full two hours to get home.
At times like this, Yan Xue was grateful she had chosen to go up the mountain with Brother Liang back then. Though Brother Liang was a bit of a character, it was still better than exhausting herself trying to find the right place.
No sooner had she sat down after arriving home than Aunt Guo came by, holding a gray-furred rabbit. “Old Man Liu just dropped this off for you. Said it was caught in your snare.”
“My snare?” Yan Xue couldn’t hide her surprise.
She had assumed all her traps had failed, but it turned out the old man’s trip up the mountain today had yielded results.
Aunt Guo’s grandson, Tiedan, trailed behind her, his eyes bright with curiosity. Yan Xue couldn’t resist teasing him. “Tiedan, do you want some rabbit meat?”
“No.” The boy shook his head seriously. “The rabbit is for Sister. Sister should eat it.” His expression was solemn.
Their family titles were a bit of a mess—Yan Xue called the boy’s grandmother “Aunt Guo,” his father “Brother,” yet the child insisted on calling her “Sister.”
Aunt Guo seemed pleased with her grandson’s manners and patted his head before pulling out a letter. “This came for you this morning. You weren’t home, so I kept it for you.”
Yan Xue guessed it was from her hometown and quickly thanked her. Sure enough, the letter was from there.
At first glance, the handwriting was nothing special—neat but not particularly elegant. But when she read the contents, Yan Xue couldn’t help but smile.
It was written by Yan Jigang himself, complete with several mistakes and even some words he didn’t know, replaced with the pinyin she had taught him. It took some effort to read, but Yan Xue felt a swell of pride. At least Jigang hadn’t forgotten what she’d taught him and had even used it to write her a letter.
She dug out a pen from the drawer and circled the errors, writing the correct characters beside them. For the pinyin parts, she added the corresponding characters, deciding to send the corrected version back with her reply—like grading homework.
Only after making all the corrections did she read the letter again carefully.
It said that the hundred yuan had been used to pay off the family’s debt to the collective, that everything at home was fine, and that both he and Grandma were doing well. He told her not to worry and to take care of herself where she was.
She couldn’t be sure if they really were doing fine, but with so much distance between them, there wasn’t much she could do anyway.
Yan Xue was about to start writing her reply when she paused, then went outside to fetch a frozen piece of roe deer meat.
Back in the rural hometown, food was scarce—especially for Jigang and Grandma, one too young and the other too old. Fresh meat wouldn’t survive the journey, but maybe dried meat would.
She vaguely remembered a type of extremely dry beef jerky from her past life—almost devoid of moisture, so it wouldn’t spoil even unrefrigerated.
But she wasn’t entirely sure how to make it. She’d have to experiment—frying it in oil, drying it in a pan, or roasting it over a fire.
She cut a larger piece of the roe deer meat into strips about the thickness of a pinky finger, marinated them with seasoning, and the next morning after breakfast, she began testing each method.
Frying in oil made the meat crispy but too greasy, especially once cooled.
Roasting over a fire was tricky—it was easy to burn before the meat fully dried.
But drying it in a pan, keeping the heat low like toasting peanuts, turned out just right.
She took a bite. The roe deer meat had a slight crispness at first, and though it was too dry to taste much initially, the flavor grew richer with each chew.
She took one strip of each type and went out to find Tiedan playing in the yard. “Help Sister taste these and tell me which one’s better.”
Hearing it was for her, the boy didn’t refuse like last time. His eyes lit up at the first bite. “Yummy!”
The second one earned another bright-eyed reaction. “Yummy!”
By the third, his big eyes were practically glowing. “This one’s yummy too!”
After some hesitation, his small finger finally pointed to the third one. “This one. Grandma says we can’t use too much oil.”
In these times, people still didn’t have enough fat in their diets. Sometimes, frying a dish meant barely dipping the chopsticks in oil.
“Then the third one it is.” Yan Xue handed him all three strips. “Thanks for helping.”
Tiedan’s grin widened, and he clutched the jerky, as if tempted to pocket it. But after a moment, he dashed back inside. “Grandma! I have something yummy for you to try!”
Yan Xue prepared about two pounds of roe deer jerky before finally dropping her reply into the mailbox. The package would have to wait for the postman to take it to town.
As she turned to leave, two middle-aged women wrapped in scarves approached, chatting as they walked.
“What’s going on this year? The seasonal work team’s starting so early?”
“Who knows? Spring’s been dragging on, so I thought it’d be later. But they notified us two days ago—my daughter-in-law isn’t even back from her parents’ place yet.”
“Better hurry then. Every day you miss is money lost…”
Yan Xue had already passed them when she suddenly turned back. “Auntie, excuse me—are you talking about the seasonal work team?”
Qi Fang: Once you’re really sharing a bed with me, you’ll find out whether I sleep at night or not.
