In winter, birds chirp in the valley.
When dawn first arrived, the wind was biting. Birds and beasts disappeared without a trace.
Le Hua stood on the cold front steps of her home, smelling the coming snow and seeing the hanging meat.
Across the stream, skinless corpses loitered on low tree trunks, showing off their fleshy glory.
Three ruined houses formed a row along the far edge of the stream, each containing two or more flayed husks suspended by ropes from fallen branches.
This is air-dried venison that has been exposed for three days and two nights. The meat that has been air-dried has a more mellow flavor, making the meat and bones more delicious.
This novel and its characters are purely fictitious. Any similarity is purely coincidental and should not be imitated.
