amaotonovel Chapter 466 This will always be your home
Chapter 466 This will always be your home
After receiving the rabbit from Wang Ergou, the group walked home through the crunching snow.
Back home, Li Wangchen excitedly ran around in the yard, looking for his little bow and arrow and other toys.
Li Xiaoyun quickly followed behind, afraid that he would fall.
Li Xiangyang stood in the center of the courtyard, looking around, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Time flies! In the blink of an eye, my little sister has grown up healthy and strong, and it won't be long before she gets married and starts her own family...
"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Li Xiaohua walked to his side and asked.
Li Xiangyang snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "It's nothing, I just think it's pretty good."
In the evening, Li Xiaoyun prepared a sumptuous dinner, including braised wild rabbit, which Li Xiaohua had been looking forward to for a long time.
"Come on, try your sister-in-law's cooking." Li Xiaoyun picked up a piece of the tenderest rabbit meat and put it in Li Xiaohua's bowl.
Li Xiaohua couldn't wait to take a bite, then closed her eyes in satisfaction: "It's so delicious! Much better than the food in city restaurants."
After dinner, the family sat around the stove chatting.
As night deepened, Li Xiaohua lay on her long-unused bed, gazing at the familiar rafters, her thoughts swirling.
Regardless of the outcome of the college entrance examination, having such a warm home is already the greatest happiness.
A few days later, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou made an appointment to go hunting together.
"Brother, can I come with you guys? I'm just killing time anyway, might as well broaden my horizons."
Li Xiangyang looked at Li Xiaoyun, who shrugged, indicating that it was up to him to decide.
“You can go, but you have to listen to me,” Li Xiangyang finally agreed. “It’s dangerous on the mountain; you can’t act on your own.”
"Okay!" Li Xiaohua jumped up happily. "I'll go prepare right away."
Li Xiangyang shook his head and smiled helplessly: "This girl has become much more lively after the exam."
Li Xiaoyun hugged Li Wangchen and said with a smile, "Young people should be lively. I'll stay home to take care of Wangchen. You guys go ahead, be careful."
A short while later, Li Xiaohua changed into a thick cotton coat and excitedly prepared to set off.
Li Xiangyang checked her equipment and then gave her a sheepskin vest before he felt at ease.
Seeing that Li Xiaohua was also going, Wang Ergou was a little surprised: "Xiaohua's going too? Aren't you afraid of the cold?"
"Not cold at all," Li Xiaohua patted her thick clothes, "I'm dressed very warmly."
The three set off, with Li Xiangyang leading the way, Li Xiaohua following closely behind, and Wang Ergou bringing up the rear, just in case.
Little Tiger and Black Cat followed along, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow ahead.
After entering the mountains, Li Xiangyang began teaching his younger sister how to identify animal tracks and activity traces.
“Look, these are rabbit footprints,” he pointed to a series of small marks in the snow. “These are fox footprints; look at the trails left by their tails.”
Li Xiaohua nodded seriously and observed carefully.
Suddenly, Little Tiger and Black Cat stopped alertly, their ears perked up, staring at the bushes ahead.
"There's something there," Wang Ergou said in a low voice, raising his hunting rifle.
Li Xiangyang immediately signaled Li Xiaohua to step back, while he himself slowly approached the bushes.
The bushes rustled a few times, and a plump hare leaped out, darting swiftly across the snow.
"Chase!" Li Xiangyang gave the order, and Xiao Hu and Xuan Mao immediately gave chase.
The three followed behind, traversing bushes and snow, in pursuit of their prey.
Just as the hare was about to escape into a burrow, the tiger pounced and bit its hind leg. The black cat followed closely behind and pinned the hare down.
"Well done!" Li Xiangyang patted his two friends on the head approvingly, then skillfully processed the prey.
“That’s the joy of hunting,” he told his sister, “not just about getting food, but also about interacting with nature.”
Li Xiaohua nodded thoughtfully.
Next, they hunted several pheasants and a fox.
In the afternoon, the three of them found a sheltered mountain hollow to rest, lit a fire, and roasted the dry rations they had brought and the pheasant they had just hunted.
“Brother, your life is wonderful,” Li Xiaohua said softly. “Freedom, fulfillment, and new discoveries every day.”
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Every kind of life has its beautiful aspects. If you get into university, your life will be even more wonderful."
Li Xiaohua gazed at the distant mountains, lost in thought: "Sometimes I wonder what kind of life I truly want."
"No rush, take your time. You're still young, you have plenty of time to explore and try new things." Li Xiangyang patted his sister's shoulder. "Whatever you choose, Mom and I will support you."
Wang Ergou nodded in agreement, "That's right, life is a long journey, take it slow, and you'll eventually find your direction."
After the three finished lunch, they packed their things and prepared to go down the mountain.
On the way home, Li Xiaohua walked in front, humming a cheerful tune, her steps light, as if she had unloaded all her burdens.
When they got home, Li Xiaoyun was teaching Li Wangchen to read. Seeing them return, she quickly went to greet them: "Good progress?"
Li Xiangyang shook the bag of prey in his hand: "Not bad, enough for us to eat for a few days."
Li Xiaohua excitedly described her sights and sounds on the mountain to her sister-in-law, her face radiating youthful energy.
Li Xiaoyun listened with a smile, nodding or exclaiming in surprise from time to time.
After dinner, the family sat around the fireplace when Li Xiangyang suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Xiaohua, which university are you planning to apply to?"
Li Xiaohua thought for a moment and said, "I want to apply to a teachers' college and become a teacher in the future."
"Like your sister-in-law?" Li Xiangyang asked with a smile.
Li Xiaohua nodded: "Yes, watching my sister-in-law teach makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment. Besides, teachers can influence many people's lives."
Li Xiaoyun looked at her sister-in-law with satisfaction: "Being a teacher is indeed very meaningful, but it's also very hard work. You need to be mentally prepared."
“I’m not afraid of hardship,” Li Xiaohua said firmly. “This is my choice.”
Hearing his sister's words, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of pride.
The naive little girl from back then now has clear life goals, which makes him more gratified than anything else.
“Being a teacher is a good profession,” Li Xiangyang nodded with a smile, his tone full of agreement. “It’s stable, there are winter and summer vacations, and it’s convenient to take care of children when you get married. Of course, whatever you choose, remember, this will always be your home.”
Just then, Little Tiger suddenly darted in from outside the door, circling around Li Xiaohua's feet and making excited whimpering noises.
Li Xiaohua squatted down and slapped Xiao Hu's chubby head: "Goodness, you know to come back after going out and having fun!"
The little tiger wagged its tail as it was patted, stuck out its tongue, and snuggled into her arms, drooling all over her cotton-padded jacket.
Li Wangchen spotted it, and toddled over on his short legs, reaching out to grab the little tiger's tail and shake it: "Let me pet it too!"