Chapter 54
Chapter 54: Catch a Sheep, Bite a Sheep; Catch a Cow, Bite a Cow
The lone wolf stared at them with sinister intensity, its eyes like two pools of burning ghostly green flames in an icy abyss—unfathomably deep, yet radiating bone-chilling killing intent.
It crouched slightly, the muscles at its shoulder blades taut and bulging like a bowstring drawn and ready to fire.
Those eyes were like hooks—even the slight rise and fall of their chests as they breathed could make its ears twitch slightly, as if judging their weaknesses.
The three of them didn’t move a muscle, coldness shooting up from the soles of their feet straight to their hearts.
Once targeted by this kind of wolf, it would bring endless trouble…
Both sides formed a standoff, and for a moment, no one dared make a rash move.
At this point, Xie Changqing finished bandaging the sheep.
He walked over and asked strangely, “You guys… what’s wrong?”
“Don’t move.” Qiaoba lowered his voice, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: “Wolf.”
Xie Changqing followed their gaze and once again locked eyes with the lone wolf.
Strangely enough, this wasn’t their first encounter, but every time, they would keenly discover each other at first glance.
The lone wolf saw him and was actually slightly stunned.
Clearly, it remembered too.
It bared its teeth slightly, as if growling in threat.
But soon, it actually looked away first.
Not only did it not howl to alert the pack to Xie Changqing and the others’ presence, it even turned its head and began fighting another wolf for the sheep leg pinned under its paws.
This made the originally alert wolf pack relax again and begin wrestling with it.
“…Hm?” Qiaoba frowned, somewhat puzzled: “It seems like… it doesn’t intend to be hostile toward us.”
Sangtu and the others quickly left the area, then let out a long breath. He collapsed directly onto the snow: “My back is soaked.”
Once that lone wolf started howling and the pack discovered them, it would be very difficult for them to escape alive.
After all, those were a pack of wolves driven mad by hunger, having just eaten their fill and ready to vent their energy!
Xie Changqing thought for a moment and said somewhat hesitantly, “Last time, it watched me save Little Red—oh, my chestnut mare.”
Animals all have spiritual awareness. Although the wolf had taken the medicinal herbs and left, he was certain it hadn’t gone far, just hiding in the mountains watching them secretly.
Because of this, it would know that Xie Changqing could heal both people and animals.
“Mm, let’s head back.” Qiaoba nodded, truly feeling like he’d escaped death: “Although I don’t know why it acted that way, it’s good news regardless.”
After a pause, he added, “This kind of wolf is quite spiritual, especially lone wolves like this. Unless absolutely necessary, it’s better not to antagonize it.”
Sangtu mounted his horse and grunted in agreement: “Remember that wolf from the seventh pasture?”
That was also during a heavy snowfall. That family had little stored grain and small children, so his father went out to find food.
Whether it was good luck or bad, he killed a wolf pup and dragged it back to eat.
As a result, wolves came looking that very night.
“Catch a sheep, bite a sheep; catch a cow, bite a cow…”
And they only bit the necks, taking just one bite from each animal before running off.
If not for the quick shooting, that wolf would have rushed right into the felt tent.
Nothing else—pure revenge, the kind where they’d risk their lives.
Hairi Le held the sheep Xie Changqing had treated and mounted his horse, saying gravely, “I’ve also heard that all those sheep and cattle died afterward.”
“Yeah, at first they couldn’t bear to slaughter them, but later when they realized they couldn’t be saved, they hurriedly began killing them.”
They traded the meat for other things, barely recovering some of their losses, but after spring came, that family really couldn’t even cry.
That entire year, none of them had eaten their fill.
Xie Changqing looked thoughtful and said slowly, “A lone wolf doesn’t form a pack, a lone goose doesn’t make a formation.”
This lone wolf must have its own story…
“Huh? How strange.” Sangtu suddenly turned back with a puzzled expression: “Ah, Agula was it? How exactly did that kid provoke this wolf pack?”
What kind of grudge could make the usually cautious wolf pack chase them all the way, attacking two pastures?
You have to understand, that’s not just a few people.
They had both people and guns, plus sheep dogs.
Logically, winter wolves are extremely vigilant and wouldn’t do something so risky.
Qiaoba nodded, completely agreeing: “Either they deliberately angered the pack, or… they stole wolf pups.”
“But the pack didn’t keep chasing afterward.” Xie Changqing analyzed: “That means, if they did steal pups, after Agula and his group reached the tenth pasture, they threw the pups away?”
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.
“Very likely.”
They looked at each other and all saw the shock in each other’s eyes: Agula truly was both sinister and ruthless.
Qiaoba sighed and shook his head: “From now on, we should all be wary of Agula.”
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have saved him!” Sangtu punched his saddle.
“He wouldn’t have died.” Xie Changqing’s expression was calm as he urged his horse to go faster: “With that kind of wound, even if he’d been stabbed, at most he’d have lost a leg.”
As long as he could keep his life, if they had refused to help then, they would have become thorns in his side.
“Exactly.” Qiaoba glanced at Sangtu and said helplessly, “From now on when something happens, you should listen to Changqing.”
This guy with nothing but fists in his brain.
Sangtu chuckled, not getting angry: “Alright, I’ll listen to Changqing.”
On the way back, they spread a hide under the cow carcass they were dragging behind their horses.
So as they dragged it along, the entire path became smooth.
But when they reached the vicinity of their pasture, Qiaoba and the others still didn’t stop, continuing straight ahead.
Only when they reached the riverside did they put away the hide and load the cow directly onto horseback, leading their horses back on foot.
By now, the snow was indeed as deep as they’d predicted earlier—the deepest spots reached their waists.
Even on flat ground, the snow was already very deep. In places where no one had cleared it, riding was completely impossible.
So many people in the pasture were using long poles to knock snow off the felt tent tops, and others were clearing snow from the roads.
Especially between the various felt tents, everyone would help clear each other’s paths.
Qiaoba and the others went to Sangtu’s house first, unloading all the cow there: “I’ll help butcher it. You two can’t handle it alone.”
Hairi Le followed Xie Changqing back, and after delivering the sheep to their felt tent, he took a long pole to knock snow off their tent top.
“Let me do it.” Seeing this, Xie Changqing quickly stepped forward to take the pole: “You’ve had a hard day too. Go back and rest.”
“I’m not tired.” Hairi Le gripped the long pole tightly. His strength was too great—Xie Changqing tugged twice but couldn’t pull it away, so he smiled helplessly: “Alright, you do it then. Thank you.”
Hairi Le blinked and smiled with a bit of pride.
Only at moments like this could you see a bit of youthful spirit on his dark face.
His movements were quick and his strength great. What took Tana a long time to clear from just one side, he quickly finished clearing all the snow from the tent top.
Not only that, while it was still light, he ran to clear the snow from their stable roof as well.
Watching, Xie Changqing noticed that their stable roof had been built a bit too flat. Usually it was fine, but once it snowed, it became very obvious—the middle would even sag under the snow’s weight.
Even for Hairi Le, it took some effort to sweep the snow clean, and he had to keep running under the shed to jump up and knock the snow out.
“Come, Hairi Le, help me with something.” Xie Changqing brought two longer pieces of wood—these were support poles usually used for setting up felt tents.