Volume One, Chapter Seven: Only When Locked Is It Home

After the storm had passed, his young bondservant-wife, already exhausted, drifted into a deep sleep, tearstains still lingering on her cheeks.

Li Chen looked at her with a touch of pity, feeling a twinge of regret.

He had been carried away earlier, and even though he had been as gentle as he could, it had still been too much for her.

Let her sleep.

Li Chen lit a lamp and silently entered the workshop.

A hunting bow alone would not suffice; he intended to craft a crossbow for himself. Having a backup weapon would be wise for future hunts in the mountains.

For a mercenary, the ability to manufacture and modify both cold and thermal weapons was an essential skill. Moreover, in his previous life, he had been an overseas master’s degree holder in both mechanical and chemical engineering. Had his parents—both scientists themselves—not been trampled to death by foreign powers for refusing to create horrific biological weapons, he would have had a bright future ahead of him, never destined for the life of a mercenary.

His previous self had also spent ten years learning carpentry under his father’s strict tutelage, so his woodworking skills were more than proficient. Combining the expertise of both lives, building a crossbow was hardly a challenge.

However, crafting a crossbow, even a simple one, required a significant amount of time. After finishing a few components, he returned to bed, intending to perfect it bit by bit.

The next morning, just past five o’clock, he was already awake. It was a habit ingrained in him from his years as a mercenary—a routine he maintained even when he later became the CEO of a major corporation.

He first strapped on the simple sandbags he had fashioned the previous night and ran five kilometers along the mountain path behind the house. Afterward, he found a sturdy branch on a nearby tree to use as a makeshift pull-up bar, completing ten sets of ten repetitions each.

By the time he finished, his body was already trembling with exhaustion. But Li Chen would not stop. He had to train this body to at least half of his true peak capacity as quickly as possible.

Back in the courtyard, he did ten sets of fifty push-ups. Following that, he performed one hundred crunches while holding a thirty-pound stone, and one hundred overhead presses with a fifty-pound rock.

By the end of this, Li Chen had reached his limit. There was no helping it; chronic hunger had left his body frail. He could not push any harder, or he risked internal injury. He needed to replenish his nutrition significantly, and in a few days, he would increase the training volume.

To survive in these chaotic times, one had to rely on one's own strength!

He splashed himself with water to clean up. By then, his little wife had already finished boiling a pot of meat soup. She hadn't used the leftover grouse from the morning; instead, she had sliced five mountain rats into strips and stir-fried them with wild onions. Each rat, skinned and gutted, weighed about two taels. She had also stewed two large birds, each weighing half a catty after being plucked.

In truth, Yu Qingwan was reluctant to eat so freely—it felt far too extravagant.

But Li Chen had insisted. There was no choice; she had to obey her husband.

After the morning's exertions, Li Chen was famished. He swept through the food like a whirlwind, devouring more than half of it. His appetite shocked Yu Qingwan. Of course, Yu Qingwan, who had been worn out half the night before, was also ravenous, but seeing how fiercely Li Chen ate, she carefully ladled out only half a bowl of soup with a few scraps of meat, sitting to the side and eating in tiny, delicate mouthfuls.

She was afraid that eating too much would displease him.

Li Chen, in the middle of his meal, happened to glance over and saw that she had already finished, putting away her chopsticks and bowl. He frowned, reached out to take her bowl, walked over to the pot, and ladled in a generous portion of meat and a scoop of broth before placing it back in front of her.

"Ah? Husband, I... I am already full..." Yu Qingwan shook her head in a panic.

"Eat!" Li Chen glanced at her sharply.

"Husband, you are a man, and you have to hunt; you need to eat more. I don't have much of an appetite, and I eat very little..." Yu Qingwan whispered.

"I told you to eat!" Li Chen commanded.

Yu Qingwan said no more and buried her head to eat. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she kept her head bowed low, letting them drop into the bowl so that Li Chen wouldn't see and become annoyed.

Yet, why did the meat and soup, mixed with her tears, taste so good?

After she was full, the color began to return to Yu Qingwan’s pale cheeks, leaving them flushed and radiant. Even at her young age, she possessed a beauty that was becoming truly captivating.

Li Chen caught a glimpse and felt his heart stir once more.

"Tidy up. You're coming into town with me."

Li Chen turned away to gather his gear. With his hunger satisfied, his energy and stamina were fully restored. He slung his hunting bow and makeshift quiver over his shoulder and spoke to Yu Qingwan. At the same time, he went to the well in front of the yard to retrieve the rabbit and remaining game he had lowered inside the night before—the temperature at the bottom of the well was effective for preservation. Otherwise, in this heat, the meat would have spoiled overnight.

"Husband, I... I still need to go pick wild vegetables!" Yu Qingwan, clutching a large bamboo basket, said timidly as she prepared to leave. Walking was still quite uncomfortable for her.

"No more picking. We’re going to town to sell the rabbit and trade for grain," Li Chen said. He glanced at her patched hemp clothes and added, "And we'll buy some patterned cloth to make you a few new outfits."

"Ah?" Yu Qingwan’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Let’s go!" Li Chen ignored her gaze and walked toward the gate.

"Yes, Husband." Yu Qingwan was obedient. She quickly grabbed a smaller bamboo basket, followed him out with quick, mincing steps, and then turned back to lock the door with a rusted padlock. She threaded the key onto a string and hung it around her neck, patting it secretly with her small hand before turning and following behind Li Chen with her head bowed.

"Do we really need a lock for this house? Is there anything worth stealing?" Li Chen asked, shaking his head.

"It must be locked," Yu Qingwan whispered.

"Why?" Li Chen turned back, looking at her with some curiosity.

Yu Qingwan bowed her head slightly, feeling a bit uneasy. "Only when it's locked... is it a home."

"A home..."

Hearing those words and looking at the lock, Li Chen felt a momentary sense of detachment. After a long pause, he turned and continued forward, his tone softening slightly. "Let's go. To the county town."

Li Chen walked in front, while Yu Qingwan, carrying her small basket with her head bowed, followed close behind him with hurried, short steps.

After walking a hundred paces and rounding a mountain ridge, a straight path led downward. Beside the large elm tree at the village entrance, a crowd had gathered, as if something significant had occurred.

Li Chen shielded his eyes from the sun and looked over. Most of the village was there—over a hundred people. The majority were women, with only about thirty men. Of those men, most were over fifty, disabled, or not yet grown. There were very few healthy, prime-aged men between twenty and fifty; instead, there were many youths under eighteen, making up more than half the group.

The men were armed with bows, machetes, and spears; one might have thought they were heading off to war. Around them, a group of women chattered away like a boiling pot.

"Heaven has provided! You’ll surely catch some game—get back early!"

"Even that little rascal can hunt; surely you are all better than him? Come back early; the children are waiting for meat!"

"Brother, be sure to keep safe."

Li Chen realized with a start: the foolish women were urging their men to set out collectively to hunt in the mountains today.