C11 Unexpected Notice

Before they even made it down from the mountain, Fatty Shao had already received a call and was waiting at the apiary in his battered Beijing jeep. Upon seeing Xue Lang, he quickly maneuvered the vehicle to the forest's edge. Without a word, he assisted in stuffing the burlap sack into the jeep and sped off toward the grain depot.

As they drove past the middle school, Liu Zhong couldn't contain his excitement any longer. Poking his head out from the back seat, he boasted, "Fatty Shao, do you have any idea what we snagged this trip?"

Fatty Shao, now at ease, responded without looking back, "You mentioned catching a roe deer, right? But how did you manage to get it?"

With a chuckle, Liu Zhong bragged, "Clueless, huh? This mountain is basically Xue Lang's personal ranch and poultry farm. Not only did we bag a deer, but we also nabbed six pheasants! And those pheasants are stunning..."

"What?!" Fatty Shao exclaimed, startled. His hand jerked, causing the vehicle to swerve. The surprise had really gotten to him.

Startled as well, Liu Zhong clung to the seatback, yelling, "Damn! Steady on!!"

"Is that for real?" Fatty Shao asked, turning the wheel and speaking with disbelief, "I thought you stumbled upon that roe deer because it was sick. How on earth did you catch six pheasants?"

Liu Zhong swelled with pride. He had been part of the hunt, and the thrill hadn't worn off yet. When questioned, he recounted the tale with such fervor that he even suggested Fatty Shao bring a larger vehicle the next day, claiming there were so many rabbits that even a 212 wouldn't be enough to haul them all.

Xue Lang watched the two go back and forth in amazement, smiling without uttering a word. The abundance of wildlife in the area had truly taken him by surprise. Little did he know that in the fall, the military had come specifically to cull the numbers of two large groups of wild boars. With three to four hundred in a herd, they could devastate a hundred-acre cornfield in just one night.

When they passed the hospital, Fatty Shao dropped off Xue Lang first, taking his gear and the game home ahead of him. These things had to be kept secret; too much attention could lead to trouble, especially if the forest rangers got wind of it.

Xue Lang made it back to the ward just in time, coinciding with the arrival of a nurse who was wheeling in a cart to administer his IV drip.

Sensing the chill emanating from Xue Lang, the nurse could tell he had just come in but remained silent. She set up the IV and departed without a word.

Enduring over forty minutes of discomfort, Xue Lang finished his drip and hopped into the jeep that Liu Zhong had brought to take him directly to Fatty Shao's place.

The pheasant and roe deer were stored on the back balcony, an area devoid of heating, which during winter, doubled as a natural fridge.

Upon Xue Lang's arrival, Fatty Shao's wife was in the midst of sprucing up the roe deer, combing its fur to a sleek sheen.

Looking up and noticing Xue Lang, she greeted him with a smile, "Xue's here."

Xue Lang, astonished at the sight of Fatty Shao's wife expertly grooming the roe deer, exclaimed, "Wow, sister-in-law, you're skilled at this too?"

With a chuckle, Fatty Shao's wife replied, "I picked it up from giving gifts. Not a year goes by without gifting a few roe deer."

Xue Lang laughed and then remarked, "Sister-in-law, let's not fuss over it anymore, we're having it for dinner tonight."

Upon hearing the dinner plans, Fatty Shao's wife quickly stood up, protesting, "Oh no, a roe deer of this size might not cost more than a couple thousand yuan, but they're not easy to come by. If you're thinking of a gift, a roe deer makes quite the impression. Better not to eat it ourselves."

Xue Lang smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. The mountains are teeming with them. There's still time to catch one now."

"Alright, I'll take your advice. We can always eat later. Let's focus on the task at hand for now."

As she spoke, Fatty Shao's wife nudged her husband, "You two go inside and enjoy some tea. I'll whip up a meal once I'm done here. We've got fresh mutton slices at home, just prepared yesterday. After we eat, you can show Xue around and make sure he's on his way promptly."

As they walked, Fatty Shao advised, "Leave all this stuff alone tonight. Your sister-in-law has taken care of the main arrangements. We can sort out our own meal later."

Xue Lang sensed that the couple wouldn't let him partake, and while he felt a warm sense of gratitude, he didn't push the issue.

Dinner was a small affair with only Liu Zhong, Guo Jinlong, and Zhang Baozi present. It was during the meal that Xue Lang discovered why Fatty Shao had lent him a hand in the past.

It all connected back to Fatty Shao's wife, who, despite not knowing Xue Lang personally, was acting on a request from a classmate. Cui Ying's older sister, Cui Li, who was married and worked in the county tax office, had heard about her sister's mishap. The couple rushed home by car and, relieved to find her safe, learned of Xue Lang's heroics.

When they visited Xue Lang, he was unconscious and unaware of their presence. Cui Li, having learned from Cui Ying that Xue Lang hailed from a remote mountain valley, asked Fatty Shao's wife to assist him at work, as a way to repay his kindness for helping her sister.

And so, the story of Fatty Shao's support for Xue Lang unfolded.

Xue Lang briefly wondered how such a status-conscious father could have raised two such admirable daughters, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Post-dinner, Liu Zhong and Guo Jinlong headed off to belt out songs at the practice hall, while Fatty Shao took Xue Lang for a ride in his Ling Du car, making stops at several homes to introduce Xue Lang around. This was a well-known ritual, and Xue Lang was warmly received everywhere they went, particularly by Sun Zhongliang, the head of the motor pool, who was already clued into Xue Lang's aspirations and showed extra warmth.

However, Xue Lang couldn't shake the feeling that the others were just going through the motions. Even after leaving a pheasant as a gift, he didn't sense any real willingness to help.

On the drive back, Fatty Shao noticed Xue Lang's subdued mood and offered some reassurance: "Ultimately, we need to get the director on board with this. The roe deer is meant as a gift for the director. Without his say-so, the section chiefs won't commit to anything. Don't stress about it. Even though not having the deputy director on our side complicates things, it shouldn't pose too much of an issue."

Xue Lang wasn't sure how Lee Wenming would handle those items. Mulling it over, he remembered the pheasant in the car and suggested, "Let's head over to Section Chief Lee's place. He's my boss after all, and a decent guy at that."

Fatty Shao agreed they should visit, so without further ado, he drove straight to Lee Wenming's bungalow.

Lee Wenming was surprised to see Xue Lang. As Xue walked in with the black bag, Lee took it and asked, "Xue, Liang told me you're heading to the motor pool?"

Caught off guard by the question, Xue Lang replied with a grin, "Section Chief, there's a spare vehicle in the motor pool, and I can drive. Might as well earn a little extra to save up for a house and a wife, right?"

Lee Wenming chuckled as he passed the bag to his wife, then teased Xue Lang, "Missing a wife, are you? Getting antsy because of Cui Ying?"

Before Xue could respond, Lee Wenming's wife saw the contents of the bag and quickly interjected, "Xue, you've just started your job and you're already injured. Why spend money on this? Take it back. Even without gifts, Ming will help you however he can."

Seeing the vibrant male pheasant, Lee Wenming added, "Why spend money on this? Heed your sister-in-law's advice and return it."

Xue Lang, reluctant to accept, protested, "Brother Ming, I didn't buy it. I caught it in the mountains today, didn't cost a dime."

Lee Wenming's wife hesitated, skeptical, "You caught it yourself?"

Before Xue could clarify, Lee Wenming, with a knowing smile, said, "Xue, if you really did catch this yourself, I'll keep it. You know, out of over a thousand workers at the grain depot, not one is a skilled hunter."

Lee Wenming's wife was skeptical. She eyed her husband and questioned, "Did Xue really catch it himself? He knows how to do that?"

With Lee Wenming's confirming nod, Xue Lang chuckled and handed the bag back to her, saying, "Sister-in-law, keep it for your own stew. Tomorrow, I'll try to snag a snow hare. Liu Zhong and I have already set the traps today."

"Really!" Lee Wenming's wife exclaimed with delight.

Though the pheasant wasn't pricey—just four or five hundred yuan a pair—they weren't readily available. The domestic pearl chickens and colorful pheasants they usually ate, costing merely thirty to fifty yuan each, paled in comparison in flavor.

Despite her excitement, she cautioned, "Xue, let's keep this between us. And since you're new on the job and still single, I'll hold onto this one. Next time you catch something, sell it and save up for a house. Don't miss your chance with a catch like Cui Ying. Otherwise, you'll have nowhere to cry when she's gone."

...

Xue Lang found himself at a loss for words. Cui Ying did enjoy visiting his hospital room and seemed quite fond of him, but he had never entertained the thought of anything more.

After a brief conversation, Xue Lang excused himself and left.

His visit to Lee Wenming was simple and straightforward—just a friendly check-in.

By the time he got back to his room, it was nine in the evening. Unsure of what might come of the evening's events, Xue Lang didn't dwell on it. He shot a text to Liu Zhong to meet up early the next morning, then washed up and hit the hay.

Before the break of dawn, Fatty Shao and Liu Zhong picked up Xue Lang and headed to the bee farm.

Buoyed by the previous day's success, Liu Zhong was in high spirits despite the biting cold that made his breath fog up a good half meter. Unfazed, he hoisted a large sack and kept pace with Xue Lang as they trekked into the mountains.

It wasn't even twenty minutes into their hike when Xue Lang spotted a snow hare in the dim morning light. His current physique was a shadow of his former self, and without the rigorous training, his vision fell short of his sniper ace days. Yet, it was still sharp enough to spot something over a hundred meters away.

He turned and gave a hushing gesture, motioning for Liu Zhong to stay put as he quietly made his way over.

The snow hare lay entangled in the snare amidst the disarray of the snowfield, utterly still. Judging by its size, it must have weighed close to ten kilograms.

Liu Zhong was thoroughly impressed when he saw the sizable rabbit Xue Lang had snagged. Without further questions or daring to utter another word, he fell in line behind Xue Lang, ready to toil as a laborer.

Over an hour later, as daylight broke and work hours approached, Liu Zhong's sack was filled with four rabbits, each roughly the same size—a bountiful haul indeed.

They had just finished checking the snares and were about to set traps for pheasants when Xue Lang's phone buzzed to life.

Pulling it out, he saw it was Fatty Shao calling. Unsure of the matter at hand, he swiftly answered the call.

"Xue Lang, get back here on the double. Report to the motor pool, stat!"

Perplexed by Fatty Shao's command, Xue Lang quickly inquired, "What's the issue?"

Fatty Shao, not bothering with details, pressed on, "Liang just told me to get you to the motor pool for the keys, pronto! Move it!"

Still in the dark about the situation, Xue Lang ended the call, exchanged a brief word with Liu Zhong, and headed back.

He mulled over the situation as he walked—how could he be summoned for keys when he hadn't even met with the director yet?