Chapter 30: The Wolf Pack

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Gu Tingzhi was sitting beside the stove, tending the fire. He held a blackened roasted sweet potato in both hands, taking small bites one after another. He dropped the peeled skin onto the ground for Yibai to chew. Yibai had been rather disdainful at first, but when it caught the fragrant smell of the roasted sweet potato, it could not resist stretching out its neck and burrowing in. Soon its head and face were covered in ash, and even its white shell had completely lost its original color.

Zhen Mi’er kept staring at the sweet potato in Gu Tingzhi’s hands, afraid that after eating such a large one, he would not be able to eat dinner later.

Gu Tingzhi, however, thought she wanted some. He peeled the sweet potato and held it to her mouth.

“Manman, eat.”

Seeing everyone looking over, Zhen Mi’er felt too embarrassed to open her mouth directly. She took the sweet potato from him instead and, blushing, finished the remaining half.

By the time everyone had finished processing the sweet potatoes they intended to dry, it was completely dark.

Su Hehua kept glancing toward the entrance, her face full of worry.

“Father, Mother, I have a feeling my husband will return tonight. With his temperament, after obtaining such a large sum of money, he will surely hurry home to tell us.”

Everyone grew anxious as well. They all thought of the black bear they had encountered at Two Perils Mountain that day. If wild beasts appeared even in daylight, how much more dangerous would it be at night?

Gu Lizong paced back and forth. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his second daughter-in-law was right. Erlang really might return that very night.

“Darlang, go to the cowshed now and get the ox cart ready. Put several bundles of straw in it, and bring two hoes. We’re going to Two Perils Mountain to look for him!”

Madam Zhou was somewhat alarmed. She feared that leaving so late at night might bring disaster, but she was even more worried that Erlang might truly return that night and encounter some danger at Two Perils Mountain. Seeing that her husband had already made up his mind, she did not try to dissuade him. Instead, she called the three daughters-in-law and told them to bring out all the oil lamps from their rooms and light them.

After the remarkable fighting ability Gu Tingzhi had displayed during the day, he was naturally expected to go along. Zhen Mi’er was worried about him, so she climbed onto the ox cart as well.

Su Hehua had wanted to go too, but she was afraid she would only cause trouble. All she could do was stand motionless before the courtyard gate and silently watch their ox cart head toward the village entrance.

Fearing that she would catch cold, Lin Huiniang fetched a thick padded coat from inside and draped it over her shoulders. Gu Qinghe sat with Madam Zhou in the main room, waiting together.

Naturally, the commotion from their household did not escape the notice of the Gu family’s eldest branch.

Madam Feng stood in her own courtyard, peering through the gaps in the fence at Su Hehua’s back again and again, her face filled with malicious delight.

Carrying an oil lamp, she swayed into her own main room.

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Gu Litang was using the light of the oil lamp to repair a hoe. While working in the fields that day, he had broken the handle and needed to fit a new one; otherwise, he would not be able to use it the next day.

He glanced up at Madam Feng’s expression, which seemed eager to see the world thrown into chaos, but said nothing. Lowering his head, he continued shaping the new handle.

When he ignored her, Madam Feng deliberately spoke louder so he would hear.

“It looks like something happened to Erlang from the fourth branch!”

Gu Litang’s hands paused. He looked up at her, his expression darkening.

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not as though I caused anything to happen to him. I heard he went to the county seat early this morning and still hasn’t returned. Perhaps he was eaten by wolves at Two Perils Mountain! That ungrateful little brother of yours has already driven the ox cart over there!”

When she finished, she began to chuckle. Wicked thoughts filled her heart: It would be best if they never returned. It would be even better if every able-bodied man in that family died, so they could go below and keep her poor sons and daughters company!

Seeing that expression on her face, Gu Litang sighed helplessly. He could not be bothered to argue with her. He set down the hoe, picked up the oil lamp from the table, and walked outside.

“It’s so late. Where are you going?” Madam Feng reached out to stop him, but she could not hold him back.

“Gu Litang, you come back here!”

The only answer was the slap of the courtyard gate closing.

“Oh, you’re leaving, are you? Go on, then! Don’t come back!”

She shouted loudly and immediately bolted the courtyard gate from inside.

Gu Litang ignored her. Carrying the oil lamp, he walked up to Su Hehua. When he saw her standing there blankly, without the slightest reaction, he walked around her and went straight inside.

“Sister-in-law, has something happened to your family?”

Although Madam Zhou disliked Madam Feng and, because of her, rarely associated with the eldest branch, she held genuine respect for Gu Litang. When she saw him arrive, she hurried forward to greet him.

“Eldest Brother, what brings you here?”

Seeing the expression on her face, Gu Litang grew concerned that something serious had indeed happened.

“I’ll go with you and see whether I can be of any help.”

With that, he hurried out of the Gu family’s courtyard and headed toward the village headman’s home.

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Meanwhile, Gu Qingbai had tied the reins around his waist. Holding an oil lamp in one hand and a whip in the other, he carefully urged the horse and cart forward.

Not long after leaving the town, night had fallen completely. He regretted his earlier impatience. But he had already come this far, and home was only a little over half an hour away. Returning to the town was clearly impossible. After hesitating for a moment, he lit an oil lamp and steeled himself to continue homeward.

Two Perils Mountain lay just ahead. Remembering the black bear he had encountered there that day, he felt uneasy, and all sorts of ways to save himself in an emergency flashed through his mind.

Holding his breath and concentrating, he listened carefully to the sounds ahead. After a long while without hearing anything, he quickened his pace, wanting only to pass the foot of the mountain as quickly as possible.

However, just as he was about to leave Two Perils Mountain and had not yet had time to breathe a sigh of relief, a wolf’s howl suddenly rose behind him. A moment later came the sound of a wild beast charging in his direction.

At that point, Gu Qingbai had no time to regret traveling at night.

He did not dare look back. He lashed the horse’s rump with his whip, and the animal surged forward nearly a yard. Taking advantage of the moment, Gu Qingbai reached into the carriage and pulled out the long staff hidden inside, gripping it tightly in his hand.

But the wolf was far too fast. It soon caught up and blocked the horse’s path. With a sharp snort, the horse raised its forelegs and threw Gu Qingbai off, then bolted diagonally forward.

For ease of illumination, Gu Qingbai had earlier tied the cart reins around his waist. Thus, instead of being flung directly onto the ground, he was left hanging near the horse’s knees.

The horse ran several yards while a gray wolf pursued relentlessly. It bared its sharp fangs and opened its jaws to howl several times, stamping its forelegs against the earth as it prepared to pounce on him at any moment.

Gu Qingbai adjusted the position of his legs and struggled to turn himself over, finally flipping back onto the horse’s back. But the long staff in his hand struck the carriage shaft and fell to the ground.

He had no time to climb down and retrieve it. He simply struck the horse’s back hard with his hand.

The horse, stung by the blow, lifted its legs and was about to run forward. But the gray wolf had already leaped into the air and lunged at Gu Qingbai. He swung the oil lamp into its face, forcing it back slightly.

Before he could strike the horse again, however, he was horrified to discover that wolves were gradually gathering all around them—at least ten of them!