Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

When Li Xiangyang dragged the last piece of wild boar meat home, it was already completely dark.

Looking from afar, the windows of the house shone with a dim, warm candlelight, which seemed especially comforting in the cold night.

"Knock, knock, knock." He knocked gently on the door.

"Who is it?" came Li Xiaohua's wary voice from inside the house.

"It's my brother."

The door creaked open, and Li Xiaohua peeked out. Seeing Li Xiangyang covered in blood, she screamed in terror, "Brother! What happened to you?"

"It's alright, it's just wild boar blood," Li Xiangyang reassured him. "Quickly help me move the things inside."

Hearing the commotion, Li's mother rushed out from the inner room. Seeing her son's condition, her face turned deathly pale: "Son, are you hurt?"

"Mom, I'm fine," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "Look, this time we've taken down a big one."

He placed the wild boar meat on the ground, and Li Xiaohua squatted beside it, poking the thick layer of fat with her finger and exclaiming, "Wow, it's really a huge piece!"

Li's mother, however, disregarded all that. She carefully examined her son's body, only letting out a sigh of relief after confirming he was truly unharmed. But her eyes were already red: "You child, couldn't you find some easier work? In this deep mountain forest, what if..."

“Mother,” Li Xiangyang interrupted his mother, speaking softly, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Besides, I’m the best hunter in our village.”

"You're so capable," Li Xiaohua teased from the side, but her eyes were full of admiration.

Li Xiangyang chuckled and ruffled his younger sister's hair, then said to his mother, "Mom, this wild boar should fetch at least forty yuan. We can not only pay back our debts to our two uncles, but also pay Uncle Li's wages."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in Li's mother's eyes, but it quickly turned to worry again: "But..."

“Mother,” Li Xiangyang said gently, “don’t worry. Someone has to take the plunge. Didn’t my father do the same?”

Mentioning her deceased husband, Li's mother finally shed tears. She wiped her eyes and sighed, "If your father were alive, he would be so proud to see how sensible you are."

"Alright, Mother," Li Xiangyang comforted her softly, "Let's hurry up and process the meat."

Li Xiaohua immediately jumped up: "I'll go boil water!"

Li's mother composed herself and began preparing the kitchen utensils. But after taking a couple of steps, she turned back: "How about... we send some to that educated youth, Jiang?"

"No need," Li Xiangyang said calmly. "Mother, from now on, our food should be left for our own family."

Li's mother paused for a moment, then looked at her son's determined eyes and suddenly understood something. She nodded and said no more.

Soon, the family got busy.

Wild boar meat is categorized: the fatty parts are rendered into oil, the lean parts are made into braised meat, and even the internal organs are not wasted.

Li Xiangyang even specially saved the tenderest pork tenderloin to make soup for his mother and sister tomorrow to nourish their bodies.

Night had fallen, and a cold wind howled outside, but inside it was warm and cozy. The large pot on the stove was bubbling away, releasing a delicious aroma.

"Here, eat it while it's hot." Li's mother handed Li Xiangyang a bowl of meat soup. "You've had a hard day."

Li Xiangyang took the bowl and looked at the piece of meat floating in it, feeling a warmth in his heart. Over the years, whenever there was something good at home, his mother always thought of him and his sister first.

"Mother, you should drink too." He pushed the bowl back.

Mother Li shook her head: "You eat yours, I'm not hungry."

"Mother..." Li Xiangyang's voice choked with emotion, "You should try some. This was sent by your son."

Li's mother's eyes welled up with tears again. She took the bowl, took a small sip, and a happy smile spread across her face: "Delicious, so delicious."

Li Xiaohua yawned, but still asked with great interest, "Brother, how did you manage to hunt a wild boar today?"

Li Xiangyang patted his younger sister's head and smiled, "Well, we'll talk about that tomorrow. It's time for bed now."

"Oh dear, what time is it...?"

"Listen to your brother," Li's mother said sternly. "Go to sleep."

Watching his younger sister reluctantly return to her bunk, Li Xiangyang and his mother exchanged a smile. He knew that his mother also didn't want his sister to hear the thrilling details.

That night, Li Xiangyang slept very soundly.

Because he knew that things were getting better for his family every day.

And this is precisely his greatest wish in this second life.

Early in the morning, before dawn, a rustling sound came from Li Xiangyang's yard.

"Xiangyang, did you borrow your second uncle's donkey cart?" Li's mother asked as she put meat into the basket.

"Yes, I borrowed it." Li Xiangyang neatly folded the wild boar hide. "My second uncle said he only needs half a day's work points."

When Second Uncle learned that Li Xiangyang had hunted a wild boar and planned to go to the city to exchange it for some money, he was very enthusiastic.

It was naturally easy to borrow the donkey cart.

There is less than a month left until the Chinese New Year.

So Li Xiangyang decided to exchange the wild boar meat for money and take his family to explore the city and buy some New Year's goods.

"Brother, can I wear my new deerskin coat?" Li Xiaohua poked her head out of the house, her little face red from the cold.

“Sure, of course,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile. “Our little princess deserves to wear the best.”

Upon hearing this, Li's mother smiled with relief.

She made half of this deerskin coat; the other half was made by her son after several sleepless nights.

As dawn broke, the family of three boarded a donkey cart.

Li Xiangyang drove the cart, while his mother and sister sat in the back, wrapped in thick quilts.

The cold wind of December was biting, but Li Xiangyang's heart was warm.

This was the first time since his rebirth that he had brought his mother and sister to the city.

In their previous life, their family didn't even have the money to buy New Year's goods at the end of the year.

We arrived in the county town at around nine o'clock in the morning.

The streets were bustling with people buying New Year's goods.

“Over here,” Li Xiangyang whispered to his mother, “I know a place that sells leather goods.”

He led his mother and sister to a secluded alley.

Deep in the alley, there is a small courtyard with a sign that reads "Leather Collection Shop" hanging at the entrance.

"Is the boss home?" Li Xiangyang knocked gently on the door.

The door creaked open a crack, revealing a shrewd middle-aged face: "Who is it?"

"I heard you buy hides," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice.

The middle-aged man sized him up, his gaze lingering for a moment on Li Xiaohua's deerskin coat, before fully opening the door: "Come in."

The yard was piled high with all kinds of furs, and several fresh fox pelts were drying in the corner.

"This is..." The middle-aged man's eyes lit up as he looked at the hide Li Xiangyang had taken out. "Good heavens, this is wild boar hide?"

"Yes." Li Xiangyang nodded. "There are still a few rabbit pelts left."

"These are all good quality goods." The middle-aged man carefully examined the texture of the leather, praising it with admiration. "Young man, your craftsmanship is excellent."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

A middle-aged man with an anxious expression rushed in: "Old Zhou, please help me..."

Upon seeing that there were other outsiders in the courtyard, the man immediately fell silent.

"Brother Wang, what's wrong?" Old Zhou asked.

"I..." the man stammered, "I need to borrow some money from you, my family..."

Old Zhou's expression changed: "Well, business hasn't been good lately, and I'm a bit short on cash..."

"I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous."

Seeing that the other person was making excuses, the middle-aged man who had suddenly barged in interrupted him.

Hearing the conversation between the two parties, Li Xiangyang carefully examined the newcomer.

Although the other person was dressed simply, their every move exuded an indescribable aura.

Those deep eyes seemed to have weathered countless storms, yet they remained bright and piercing.

Even when anxious, this person spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, enunciating each word clearly.

This is a level of refinement that is not something an ordinary person could possess.