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

Li Xiangyang stood in the courtyard, watching Lao Zheng and Ye Ying's figures gradually disappear into the night before turning back into the house.

The old Party Secretary, holding a teacup and smiling, said, "Little Li, Old Zheng is a well-known hunter in this area. It's not easy to catch his eye."

“Yes, his shadowy figure in the night is truly formidable.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Old Party Secretary, it’s getting late, I should head back.”

"Qingxuan, see Li Xiangyang off."

"No need, let Miss Chu keep you company while you talk."

"That won't do."

Chu Qingxuan had already stood up, quickly went into the inner room, and came out carrying the cotton-padded coat. "These are your clothes, I have to return them to you."

Li Xiangyang took the cotton-padded coat and nodded to the old Party Secretary and Chu Qingxuan: "Thank you for your hospitality today, old Party Secretary. I'll come to see you again another day."

Pushing open the courtyard gate, a blast of cold wind hits you in the face.

Li Xiangyang wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter around himself, pondering the events of the day.

If we can get Lao Zheng's dog, hunting will be much more convenient in the future.

I just don't know how my little princess will react if we get a dog.

Thinking of this, Li Xiangyang couldn't help but smile.

As he was thinking, he walked into his own yard.

As soon as I pushed open the door, I smelled the aroma of porridge.

Li's mother was busy at the stove, and the porridge in the pot was bubbling and steaming.

Xiao Hua was squatting to the side adding firewood when she saw him come in. Her eyes lit up: "Brother, you're back!"

However, Li's mother did not speak as usual, but silently stirred the porridge in the pot, her face not looking good.

Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat; he guessed it was because of his time with Chu Qingxuan that caused this trouble.

“Mother…” he was about to explain.

“Xiangyang,” Li’s mother put down her spoon, turned around, and said sternly, “you mustn’t be fickle. Xiaoyun is such a good girl, and she’s good to our family.”

"Mom, what are you thinking?" Li Xiangyang quickly went to his mother's side. "Today, the old Party Secretary just asked me to take Chu Qingxuan around; nothing else happened. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"You better be!" Li's mother stood with her hands on her hips, staring sternly at Li Xiangyang. "I'm telling you, if you dare to betray Xiaoyun, I'll break your legs!"

Li Xiangyang was startled by his mother's appearance and quickly reassured her, "Mother, how could I dare? Don't worry, your daughter-in-law can only be Xiaoyun."

"Hmph." Mother Li snorted coldly, turning back to continue stirring the porridge in the pot. "Just remember that."

Li Xiaohua smiled to herself as she watched her usually gentle mother display such a sharp side.

“By the way, Mom, when I went to see the old Party Secretary today, I ran into Zhang Dashan apologizing to him and asking to be reinstated. The old Party Secretary kicked him out and told him that he would be the production team leader from now on. I wanted to tell you this beforehand so you'd be prepared, in case the old Party Secretary comes looking for you and you're caught off guard.”

"Me? The production team leader?" Li's mother nearly dropped the spoon, quickly placing it beside the pot. "You child, don't talk nonsense. I'm just a woman, I can't even read properly, how could I be the production team leader? Besides, the production team leader has to manage everyone, I..."

Li's mother's voice grew softer and softer as she looked down at the hem of her apron, her face filled with insecurity.

Seeing his mother like this, Li Xiangyang felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

He knew that although his mother was capable, she always felt inferior to others because she hadn't received much education.

“Mother,” he said softly as he walked to his mother’s side, “Xiaohua and I can teach you to read. Besides, the most important thing for a production team leader isn’t literacy, it’s being a good person. Just think about it, Zhang Dashan knows so many characters, and look at how well he manages the team’s granary!”

"But......"

“Mom, have more confidence,” Li Xiangyang continued. “Think about it, you’re so meticulous in managing your household. If you were the production team leader, you’d definitely be better than Zhang Dashan.”

“I think brother is right too,” Xiaohua chimed in. “Mom, don’t the aunties and older women in the village always come to you for advice when they have something on their minds?”

Li's mother raised her head, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes: "But I..."

"Mom, why don't you give it a try? How will you know you can't do it well if you don't try?"

Looking into her children's expectant eyes, Li's mother's unease was gradually filled with warmth.

She nodded slightly: "Well... I'll give it a try when the old Party Secretary comes looking for me."

The porridge in the pot was bubbling away, steaming hot, and its sweet aroma filled the room.

Li's mother ladled out a bowl of pumpkin porridge, sprinkled it with white sugar, and handed it to Li Xiaohua: "Here, drink it while it's hot."

"Thank you, Mom!" Li Xiaohua took the bowl and eagerly scooped up a spoonful. "It's so sweet!"

"Xiangyang, you should have a bowl too." Li's mother went to get a bowl.

"Mom, don't bother, I've had a full meal at the old Party Secretary's house." Li Xiangyang waved his hand, and seeing his mother's worried look, quickly added, "Really, today I took Chu Qingxuan into the mountains, caught a pheasant to stew, and we drank quite a bit of wine."

"You've been drinking?" Li's mother frowned slightly. "Who did you drink with?"

“I drank with Grandpa Zheng Defa,” Li Xiangyang replied, leaning against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Zheng Defa? That Master Zheng who fought a tiger?"

“Yes, it’s him.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “He went to the old Party Secretary’s house today to discuss organizing a hunt before spring to prevent wild boars from damaging the crops.”

"Yes, Grandpa was so thoughtful." Li's mother sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and recalled, "That old man was quite capable. When you were little, he was hunting in this area. There were so many wild beasts in the mountains back then..."

Li Xiaohua, holding her bowl, listened to Zheng Defa's past, her eyes sparkling: "Mom, please continue."

"Sigh, that was more than ten years ago," Li's mother sighed. "Later, Grandpa Zheng got old and didn't go into the mountains much anymore. But his black dog was incredibly fierce; many people wanted his puppies."

"Mother, Master Zheng said that if I perform well in the hunt, he will give me a Nightshade puppy," Li Xiangyang said softly.

"Really?" A hint of surprise flashed in Li's mother's eyes. "Then we must take good care of it; we can't let someone else's dog suffer."

"Don't worry, Mom," Li Xiangyang laughed, "I'll definitely treat the dog well when it arrives. But..."

He glanced at the black cat lying on the kang (heated brick bed), "I just don't know if our little princess can get along with it."

The black cat elegantly flicked its tail, not even glancing at Li Xiangyang, clearly showing no interest in the topic.

"You silly child," Li's mother said, shaking her head and laughing as she watched Li Xiangyang teasing the black cat. "You're quite thoughtful, but you don't use your thoughts in the right way. You're always thinking about cats and dogs, and you don't even bother to check on Xiaoyun."

“Mother, didn’t you say that it wouldn’t be right for us to be together all the time before the wedding? We should avoid suspicion.” Li Xiangyang rubbed his head and laughed.

"Oh dear, you sure know how to talk back," Li's mother rolled her eyes at her son. "I was just saying that, and you took it seriously. Is this child stupid?"

"Listen to me, a young woman's heart is like the little flame on this stove. If you don't add fuel regularly, it'll be hard to rekindle once it goes out."