Mimi and Kiqi saw Ye Tang, Eva, and Angeline—the three generations of mother and daughter—huddled together in an embrace. They exchanged a glance at once and happily rushed over to hug Ye Tang, Eva, and Angeline as well.
Lang and Xiu tried to stop the two little whirlwinds from ruining the warm moment of the mother-daughter trio across generations, but unfortunately, they were a step too slow. Mimi leaped onto Ye Tang, while Kiqi rubbed against Angeline’s cheek. And in the instant that Lang and Xiu moved to stop the twins, Ben—who was usually very introverted and quiet—followed behind his sisters and hugged Eva from behind, wagging his tail as he called out in a milky voice, “Grandma—”
Angeline was the twins’ and Ben’s best playmate. Eva had been afraid of the three little wolf pups at first, but the one who entrusted the pups to her care was not someone else—it was her own daughter. Therefore, Eva had always treated Mimi, Kiqi, and Ben as if they were the children of nearby neighbors and doted on them accordingly.
Ben had an introverted personality and was not good with words. Thus, Eva took the most care of Ben. Ben had completely become Grandma’s grandson, following behind Eva all day and wagging his tail.
The two brothers, ruthlessly abandoned by their younger siblings, were truly pitiful. Lang and Xiu stood frozen like wooden statues in place—one with drooping ears, the other no longer wagging his tail. Ye Tang saw this and chuckled. She simply beckoned to Lang and Xiu.
“No… we—”
Lang’s throat bobbed as he tried to refuse Ye Tang.
He had made a prior agreement with himself: he absolutely did not refuse to hold Mary in his arms. But that… how to put it? After all, he was male. Mary was female… A female scented with male pheromones—with his scent—would make his rationality a bit… whatever.
Before Lang’s words could land, Xiu had already brushed past his brother and strode up to Ye Tang with steps that recognized no kin.
He extended his paws, wrapped his arms around Ye Tang’s waist, and buried his face completely into Ye Tang’s chest.
Lang’s fur bristled from head to toe.
Ye Tang did not feel any discomfort—Xiu’s willingness to hug her surprised her a bit. But didn’t dogs pounce like this? The large dogs she had raised before also loved burrowing into her arms. As long as she stroked their ears and scratched their necks, the dogs would gaze at her with blissful expressions, hearts nearly leaping from their eyes.
Thinking of the dogs she had raised in the past, Ye Tang’s gaze softened. She casually stroked Xiu’s ears and then his neck.
Lang watched as his brother flushed red across his wolfish face under Ye Tang’s palm, like he had been electrocuted.
Sensing a subtle anger, Lang walked over without a word and hugged Ye Tang from behind.
A big gray wolf in front and another big gray wolf behind. Ye Tang, squeezed in the middle by the two fluffy ones, thought for a moment, then lifted one hand to stroke Lang’s muzzle.
Lang’s fur was longer than his brother’s, giving it a silky, glossy smoothness that was impossible to stop touching. Xiu’s fur was shorter and coarser than his brother’s, but it was still sleek to the touch, with its own unique appeal.
Lang felt a bit shy from the stroking of his muzzle. But seeing his brother’s glare, he flashed a provocative smile that said, “What can you do about me?”
Ye Tang was unaware that the big gray wolf brothers surrounding her were locked in a staring battle. She hugged Angeline, hugged Eva, hugged the twins, and hugged Ben. Being able to embrace those who could be called family and friends put her in a great mood.
“Mary, there’s one other thing—can I ask you for a favor?”
After teasing his brother for a while and realizing that neither he nor his brother had caught Ye Tang’s eye, Lang touched his nose.
“Of course.”
Thus, Lang pushed half a penny toward Ye Tang. “You know our family’s situation… Outside Abe Village, we probably can’t buy things.” And they would be surrounded and hunted by humans.
In front of Eva and Angeline, Lang did not voice the last part.
“Understood. You need me to buy things for you, right?”
“Exactly!”
Lang’s tail wagged bushily, his eyes gleaming with excited light.
“What do you want to buy?”
“Books! Human books! Mimi and Kiqi are about ready to formally learn human language and writing. I think simple and easy-to-understand fairy tale books would suit them! As for Ben… a dictionary would be better for him, right?”
Lang’s voice was light and bright. Ye Tang could tell he truly loved human culture and genuinely wanted his siblings to learn human language and writing.
For Lang, human culture was not just a means for communication with humans or survival by getting close to them. His enthusiasm for it stemmed more from pure love.
“Then next time I go to Lem Town, I’ll check the bookstore and secondhand shops.”
Ye Tang smiled and promised Lang, then patted Angeline’s head at the end. “What about you, Angie? Do you want fairy tale books with illustrations, or a dictionary?”
“I want a dictionary too, Mom!”
Angeline’s blue eyes brimmed with full expectation. “I want to read lots of really hard books like Ben does!”
“Oh? So Ben can read lots of really hard books? That’s impressive!”
Ye Tang squatted down to meet Angeline and Ben at eye level, and stroked Ben’s head while she was at it. Ben shyly clutched his tail and lowered his little head.
Xiu felt a pang in his heart. Couldn’t Mary stop releasing her damn charm at every turn? What if Ben also… then he—
Lang patted his brother’s head. Xiu could empathize with how he felt earlier—it was pretty good. Call it even.
……
Under the pretext of celebrating the Queen’s birthday, they ate a hearty meal until their bellies were stuffed. Ye Tang let Lang’s family stay overnight at Eva’s house.
Since Eva planned to move back to Abe Village to live with her daughter and granddaughter to help her daughter, her house built in the forest would be left empty.
The house would sit empty anyway, and besides, it was heartbreaking to let Lang’s family continue living in that cave overlooking Lem Mine. After discussing it with Eva, Eva agreed to let Lang’s family move into this house in Walnut Grove.
Eva’s only neighbor was the hunter Old William, who lived alone on the mountain. William took great care of Eva—her house wouldn’t have been built without his help, and Eva, who didn’t hunt on ordinary days, owed much of her meat to Old William trading his wild game for her woven goods.
The reason it was a trade rather than a gift was Eva’s own insistence—moving alone to the forest hadn’t stopped her fear of village gossip. Though close to Old William, she insisted on drinking tea with him outdoors only.
Old William was also a gentleman who knew boundaries. He never said to Eva, “Won’t you invite me in for tea?” or “Won’t you let me sit inside?” If he could finish speaking with her at the door, he wouldn’t step inside. When Eva handed him things, he wouldn’t let her cross the threshold.
Decades passed like this, and Eva felt both grateful and guilty toward Old William. Since she was moving, she naturally had to tell him.
It was the first time Old William had Eva visit his home, and he was flattered. Hearing that she was moving back to Abe Village to live with her daughter and granddaughter, his emotions tangled so much that he didn’t know what expression to make.
“…You’re moving tomorrow, right? Let me come help then.”
Old William’s words made Eva unable to lift her head.
“It’s fine, no need. I don’t have much stuff; I can move it myself.”
Seeing the woman he had liked for many years hang her head guiltily and wave her hands, Old William suddenly recalled Eva’s appearance as a young girl. She had been the same back then—full of guilt as she lowered her head and waved her hands, refusing his help because she couldn’t return his feelings.
“Still, let me help you, Eva.”
Eva jerked her head up. “But—”
“I’m helping you just because I want to.”
Just like how I love you simply because I fell in love with you—no need for you to love me back.
Gazing deeply at the person before him with a smile, Old William, single his whole life, did not feel any pain.
Ye Tang, who had accompanied Eva to see Old William, stood at a distance. She finally understood why, in the fairy tale she knew, the hunter “happened to pass by” Grandma’s house and immediately sensed something wrong there.
She couldn’t hear what Old William and Eva said, but she clearly saw Old William’s gaze toward Eva.
If it was Old William, he would value Eva’s safety more than anyone. If something was wrong at Eva’s house, he would be the first to notice.
Some might think it was inappropriate or shameless for people in their seventies or eighties to pursue love. But to Ye Tang, Eva had the right to pursue happiness. She hoped Eva, who had taken a step out of her past shadows, could take another step forward.
Still, matters of the heart ultimately needed to be judged and decided by the parties involved. However Eva thought or acted, that was her right.
Ye Tang would support Eva’s choice.
The sun set, and a new moon hooked on the treetops.
On one side, the miners who had bought wine and hamburger sandwiches from Ye Tang the day before enjoyed a happy feast, danced around the campfire, sang songs, and went back satisfied one by one.
On the other side, in Lem Town at the foot of the mountain, Mine Chief Francis and his brother Francois listened to a tip-off.
“Is it true? Those miners are really eating food brought by werewolves?”
“It’s true! I’m telling the truth, Lord Francis, Lord Francois! Please believe me!”
The miner who came to inform clutched his cap tightly. He had been intimidated by the grandeur of the mine chief’s home upon entering, but that only strengthened his conviction: the mine chief had power and influence! Reporting to him was far better than digging coal all day!
“Think about it, sirs—weren’t those miners sallow-faced and listless just a few days ago? Yet these days, the coal they’ve mined is several times more than before?”
The more coal the miners dug, the greater Earl Grant’s achievements. But this brought no benefit to Mine Chief Francis.
For Francis, the less coal the miners produced, the better. The contracts the miners signed stipulated weekly coal quotas; failing to meet them counted as breach of contract. Once they breached, Mine Chief Francis could deduct their wages and unconditionally extend their contracts without pay.
Whether the miners suffered, starved, or died in the mine was not something Francis and Francois would care about.
The poor were cogs—broken ones got replaced. Human rights were a privilege for the wealthy.
Exchanging a glance with his brother Francois, Francis and his brother simultaneously thought of an extremely vicious plan.
It was the surviving werewolves’ fault for daring to appear before humans. This time, not only would they wipe out the remaining werewolves, but they would also make an example to let everyone know that Lem Mine’s profits belonged solely to the mine chief and town chief.
Francois yanked viciously at the long whip in his hand and said sinisterly, “…It’s a witch! That woman with the werewolves is absolutely a witch! Only a witch could rescue werewolves from our encirclement and bring them to bewitch the foolish masses!”
“We must execute the witch! We must wipe out the witch and the werewolves together!”