Chapter 27: breeding

A few days later, around noon, Fan Jing returned from outside, holding a sturdy black-furred rabbit in his hands.

Kang He quickly dropped his work to take it.

Upon inspection, he was thrilled to see it was an uninjured, healthy rabbit.

Fan Jing, however, remarked that it was a foolish one, explaining that while trying to dodge his arrow, it had darted into a thicket and gotten tangled in vines.

Kang He didn’t care if it was foolish or clever—any healthy rabbit would do.

He hurriedly lifted it for a closer look, then sighed, “A female.”

He took the rabbit to the hutch, where the white rabbit from before was napping in a thick pile of straw, noticeably fatter than when it arrived.

Back then, it still had the wild spirit of a hare, full of energy, constantly darting around and banging against the cage.

Over time, with fresh grass and leaves delivered daily, it had settled down and stopped running.

Now, it either ate or slept, growing fat easily in the winter cold.

Kang He had always hoped to find a male rabbit to breed with the female, so she wouldn’t sit idle.

But now, after finally getting another good rabbit, it was another female.

“Fine, male or female, let’s keep them together. It’ll keep them warmer in the winter,” Kang He said.

Fan Jing watched as Kang He squatted by the hutch, cleaning up droppings and replacing urine-soaked straw.

Every few days, he’d cut fresh grass, dry it, and feed it to the rabbits, tending to them with meticulous care.

Fan Jing had initially thought Kang He would grow tired of the chore, but instead, he seemed increasingly enthusiastic.

It was clear he was determined to raise and breed rabbits.

Without a word, Fan Jing returned another day with a rabbit that had been injured by an arrow and handed it to Kang He.

“It’s a male. Use it for breeding.”

Kang He looked at the rabbit, its eyes barely open, and said, “In this state, can it even do the job?”

“We can’t catch a healthy male right now. Try this one. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try another next time,” Fan Jing replied.

Kang He thought Fan Jing always had clever ideas.

He took the male rabbit to the hutch, and, miraculously, upon seeing the females, its eyes lit up with energy.

Kang He and Fan Jing stood by the hutch for a while, but the male just lay on the ground, unmoving.

Fan Jing shook his head, thinking it was useless.

Kang He, however, wasn’t ready to give up.

He found a rope, tied it around a female rabbit’s tail, lifted her hindquarters, and placed her back in the hutch.

Fan Jing watched, thinking that with Kang He holding the female and standing there, no male rabbit would dare approach.

But before he could finish the thought, Kang He shouted, “Da Jing, look! It’s working!”

The male rabbit had climbed onto the female.

Fan Jing’s brow twitched.

He’d never seen artificial breeding before.

Watching the rabbits stacked together, with Kang He still holding one, he felt awkward and quietly returned to the house.

“Hey, don’t leave! It’ll be done soon,” Kang He called.

“Go on, get down! Da Jing, come help me—the male won’t get off, and there’s another female to breed.”

Kang He kept shouting, and Fan Jing, unable to sit still, went back out.

“Gently, don’t squeeze too hard.”

“You do it. I can’t.”

“My hands are numb, I can’t hold it. Help me out.”

At noon, the sun peeked through the clouds, casting a rare warmth over the forest.

Zhang Shili, standing at the gate, raised his hand to knock but hesitated upon hearing the voices inside.

Looking at the bright sunlight, he thought to himself that young people sure were spirited.

After a moment of silence, he decided to come back another day.

But just as he turned to leave, he heard, “Finally done! This time, she’s definitely pregnant.”

Zhang Shili rubbed his nose, lingered a bit longer, and, having come all this way, decided not to leave empty-handed.

Before he could knock, the door swung open.

“Brother Zhang, what are you doing squatting out there? Why didn’t you come in?” Kang He asked.

Zhang Shili, seeing Kang He’s slightly flushed face, felt a bit awkward and didn’t know how to respond.

“Come in and sit! It’s been a while since we’ve seen you,” Kang He said.

Zhang Shili scratched the back of his head and entered.

He saw Fan Jing sitting by the stove, tending the fire, looking as aloof as ever.

Surprisingly, Fan Jing nodded at him—a rare gesture.

Zhang Shili, usually straightforward, found himself at a loss for words.

Kang He noticed his odd behavior and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Zhang Shili waved his hand.

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just passing by and thought I’d chat with you.”

Kang He smiled.

“You should’ve come earlier. We just bred the rabbits. That male was impressive, even though it’s injured. I’ll patch it up and keep it for breeding.”

He showed the male rabbit to Zhang Shili, who coughed awkwardly and glanced at the wheat fields, feeling a bit dizzy.

“Breeding, huh…” Zhang Shili said, as Kang He handed the rabbit to Fan Jing and poured him a bowl of hot tea.

“Breeding? What are we breeding?” Kang He laughed.

“I meant you two helping with it,” Zhang Shili clarified.

“We couldn’t catch a healthy male, so Da Jing hunted this one. It’s all we’ve got,” Kang He explained.

“An injured rabbit can’t chase a female, so we had to help.”

Zhang Shili sipped the tea.

“You two sure have a lot of free time.”

The winter days were cold, even when sunny.

The fire in the stove never went out, and thankfully, the mountains had plenty of firewood, or surviving the winter would’ve been tough.

The hot tea warmed Zhang Shili’s throat, easing the chill.

Kang He said, “I don’t know how to hunt. A strong man idling in the mountains all day won’t do. I’ve got to find something to keep busy.”

“Fan Jing’s archery is renowned. Have him teach you,” Zhang Shili suggested.

Fan Jing, who’d been silent, finally spoke.

“He can’t even draw a bow.”

Zhang Shili, surprised that Fan Jing responded, teased, “If you think he’s too clumsy to teach, I’ll do it.”

Fan Jing tossed a log into the fire.

“He won’t learn.”

Zhang Shili laughed.

“Kang, look at how bossy Fan Jing is. He won’t teach you and won’t let anyone else either.”

Kang He, rummaging through a medicine box, chuckled.

“You two are ganging up to tease me, picking on the outsider.”

He sat down to treat the gray male rabbit’s leg, injured by Fan Jing’s arrow.

The fur around the wound was matted with blood.

Kang He carefully shaved it, revealing the wound, and applied a mild hemostatic ointment.

“You know how to do this?” Zhang Shili asked, impressed by Kang He’s skillful bandaging.

“I don’t really know how to treat wild animals. For injuries, I just use anti-inflammatory and hemostatic remedies,” Kang He said.

If it healed, they could keep it; if not, they’d sell it in town.

“So, you can treat people too?” Zhang Shili asked.

“Just the basics,” Kang He replied.

“I can handle minor ailments.”

Zhang Shili was even more impressed.

“In the mountains, getting a doctor is a hassle. Minor issues, you can tough it out and go to town. But serious injuries, without help to fetch a doctor, some folks don’t make it. Next time I’m unwell, I’ll come to you.”

Kang He smiled.

“I’m no expert, but if you trust me, come by if you’re feeling off. If I can diagnose and treat it, great. If not, I’ll head to town to get a doctor for you.”

Zhang Shili agreed happily.

Coming to Kang He was far quicker than going to town.

It was nearly noon.

Kang He finished tending the rabbit and put it in the hutch.

He invited Zhang Shili to stay for lunch.

Zhang Shili declined once, but Kang He insisted, so he stayed.

Kang He took out a large pig’s trotter Zhang Shili had given him before, singed it, and scrubbed it clean.

It looked charred, but it was black pig meat, not the usual pale pork.

He chopped it into chunks, added wild bamboo shoots from the mountains, and stewed it.

Within minutes, the cured trotter filled the room with a savory aroma.

Zhang Shili hadn’t realized his preserved pork could smell so good.

The warm, fragrant air made the house feel cozier, drawing the men closer.

Taking the moment, Zhang Shili asked, “Kang He, why’d you stop going to Ge Youquan’s to deal in mountain goods?”

Kang He, tying an apron and chopping vegetables at the stove, paused and smiled.

“I finished up there and haven’t gone back. I should’ve told you, but it’s been rainy, and I got lazy.”

“You’re not being straight with me,” Zhang Shili said, unconvinced.

“Did that couple make trouble and stop you from going?”

Fan Jing’s brows furrowed, and he glanced at Kang He.

Kang He, a bit embarrassed, repeated the excuse he’d given Fan Jing earlier to Zhang Shili.

“If I hadn’t seen that couple selling in town yesterday, I might’ve believed you,” Zhang Shili said.

He recounted how he’d gone to sell game in town, earned some money, and stopped at a small eatery for mutton and dishes.

Since Kang He stopped dealing with Ge Youquan, Zhang Shili hadn’t eaten well, so he indulged.

At the eatery, he saw Ge Youquan and his wife, Cui Cuilan, hurrying to a dry goods shop to sell fern powder.

The shopkeeper, hearing it was mountain-made, inspected it.

The powder was grayish, impure, with a strange taste due to debris.

He scolded them for mixing fern and arrowroot powders, refusing to buy it, as it wouldn’t sell.

Cui Cuilan, unaware of the trade’s nuances, pleaded to sell it at a lower price, but the shopkeeper wouldn’t budge.

Frustrated, he told her to leave and not waste his time.

Zhang Shili watched without showing himself.

He knew Ge Youquan’s family didn’t deal in powders before Kang He joined them.

Now, suddenly, they were trying it, which seemed suspicious.

He suspected they’d driven Kang He out to take over his trade.

He confronted Ge Youquan, who vaguely claimed Kang He had finished and left.

Zhang Shili didn’t press further but came to Kang He’s today.

“Tell me straight—how did they drive you out?” Zhang Shili demanded.

Kang He admitted he’d been puzzled when they suddenly turned cold and stopped him from dealing in mountain goods.

He realized they wanted the business for themselves.

“They told me directly. It’s not a big deal. We’re all poor mountain folk scraping by. Don’t be mad, Brother Zhang.”

“If they’d said it properly, Ge Youquan wouldn’t be so evasive. I’ve known him for years! If you won’t tell me, I’ll go ask them myself!” Zhang Shili said.

Kang He sighed and explained.

Fan Jing, furious, threw down the firewood and grabbed his bow, heading out.

Kang He quickly stopped him.

“Don’t lose your temper!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Fan Jing demanded.

“I didn’t want you to react like this,” Kang He said.

Zhang Shili followed.

“Fan Jing, don’t be angry! I brought Kang He to them, and now they’re stealing his trade with shoddy work, making him suffer. I’ll deal with them!”

Kang He, exasperated, said, “Both of you, don’t make trouble! It’s over. Brother Zhang, if you confront them, years of friendship could be ruined because of me. I’d feel awful. Making a scene now might feel good, but the Ge family will resent me for tattling.”

Zhang Shili, frustrated, paced the yard.

Kang He firmly forbade him from confronting the Ge family, so he reluctantly agreed, though he felt uneasy.

He knew his influence wasn’t enough to protect Kang He from being bullied.

After a hearty meal at Fan Jing’s, Zhang Shili left, still upset.

He couldn’t let the Ge couple get away with it.

After thinking it over, he went to their house with a cold expression.

Instead of mentioning Kang He, he presented a loan note to Ge Youquan and Cui Cuilan.

“What’s this about?” Cui Cuilan panicked, asking if Zhang Shili needed money urgently.

“It’s year-end, expenses are high, and I’m short on savings. I need some cash,” Zhang Shili said.

Cui Cuilan glanced at her husband, confused by the sudden demand.

She pleaded poverty, asking for more time.

Zhang Shili sneered.

“I didn’t want to press Ge Youquan, knowing it’s tough raising a family. But since you’re now in the powder trade, making money, it’s time to settle the debt you’ve owed me for years.”

Cui Cuilan fell silent, perhaps guilty and unsure how to respond.

Ge Youquan tried to plead, but Zhang Shili cut him off.

“Brother, I’ve been good to you over the years. Think about me—I’ve been alone since my wife passed, and I need money to remarry. You’re living comfortably, holding onto my money. Who’s the pitiful one here?”

Ge Youquan, unable to argue, scraped together the money and repaid Zhang Shili, who left satisfied.

Once he was gone, Cui Cuilan collapsed onto a stool, crying.

“What a brute! You gave him all our money for expenses. How will we afford medicine for my parents? We can’t even celebrate the New Year!”

Ge Youquan sat heavily.

“What we did to Kang He wasn’t right. Brother Zhang must feel we disrespected him and got angry.”

Cui Cuilan cried harder.

“I did it for our family!”

The unsold powder and the trouble it caused only deepened her frustration.

She fell ill for days over the ordeal.