readytorunbook Chapter 179 A Master Archer
Chapter 179 A Master Archer
Adult wild boar meat is tough and has a strong gamey smell, so hunters naturally prefer to hunt large wild boars.
But for buyers, young wild boar has a milder gamey smell and tender meat, so they naturally prefer it.
He Dashan naturally understood this as well, so he actually intended to give the wild boar, rabbit, and wolfhound to Lin Chang'er.
The basket full of mushrooms in He Chunhua's back is the goods she intends to sell.
The villagers were so hospitable that He Dashan, a grown man, didn't know which one to reply to first, let alone how to say that the gift was for Miss Lin.
Lin Chang'er spoke first, "That's right, Brother He's ancestors were skilled hunters, and his archery skills are a family tradition."
"These little wild boars are a rare sight, so those who want a treat should hurry and grab one!"
I want half!
"I want the rest!"
"Then shall we take it all? When Butcher Zhang comes back, let him help us divide it up?"
"And there are wild rabbits too. Look at those legs, so plump! How much are these wild rabbits?"
"Besides wild boar and rabbit, are there any other kinds?"
Nowadays, one-third of the households in Linshui Village are helping Lin Chang'er with their work. Their income is relatively stable, their living standards are relatively better, and they are willing to buy some meat to treat themselves.
Before He Dashan could reply, the villagers had already made arrangements for their belongings.
He Dashan was momentarily flustered, scratching his head, "This, this little wild boar of mine, weighs 80 jin (40 catties) whole. Pigs are 20 wen per jin, rabbits are 30 wen per jin, one weighs 8 jin, and the other weighs 10 jin."
"This basket doesn't contain meat, it contains mushrooms, which my sister picked early this morning."
He Chunhua hurriedly lifted the dust cover on her back basket, revealing fresh, uniformly sized mushrooms, all with their caps still closed.
The younger ones returned sometime later.
Gu Xiaoman leaned closer and exclaimed, "Wow, this stick is so plump, it looks like a chicken leg!"
Gu Xiaolu also said, "This mushroom has such thick flesh!"
"Delicious!" Zhou Yi was young and always lagged behind, so all he could think about was how delicious it was.
The little goldfish smiled, looked at Gu Xiaoman and then at Zhou Yi, finally someone had taken over Xiaoman's job.
Seeing that the children were very happy, Lin Chang'er smiled and said, "How about we have braised mushrooms for lunch?"
"Yay!" The boys and girls clapped in unison.
Although He Dashan had weighed the item before leaving home, he still followed the rules and borrowed a scale from Aunt Gu to weigh it again in front of the buyer.
The wild boar weighs a little over 80 jin (40 catties), so let's keep it at 80 jin. The wild rabbits weigh 8 jin and 10 jin respectively, and the mushrooms weigh a total of 15 jin.
The little goldfish helped He Dashan and his sister calculate the bill: "Wild boar is 20 coins per catty, 80 catties, which is 1600 coins, or one tael and six mace of silver. A wild rabbit is 8 catties, 30 coins per catty, which is 240 coins. Another one is 10 catties, 30 coins per catty, which is 300 coins. Mushrooms are 8 coins per catty, 15 catties, which is 120 coins."
The men who bought the meat paid their money. When it was Lin Chang'er's turn, she paused and asked, "Chunhua, do you want cash or grain? Coarse rice is 4 coins a pound, and fine rice is 8 coins."
"We need grain," He Dashan said first. They were originally going to buy grain, and the price was the same in town, but it would be a longer walk.
Lin Chang'er asked the little goldfish to take He Chunhua to Aunt Gu's stall to exchange for grain.
After He Dashan put away the money, he picked up the small baskets his two sons had carried and brought them to Lin Chang'er. "Miss Lin, these are wolfhounds I brought back from the mountain. They're not purebred wolves, but when they grow up, they'll be excellent at guarding the house."
"There are two more rabbits. These things can reproduce. Yesterday, you and Lord Wu brought my sister back. Our house was a mess, and we didn't even have a sip of hot water."
"This is just a small token of my appreciation, a toy for the children. You must accept it."
Da Mao and Xiao Mao quickly lifted the dust cover off their baskets, proudly showing them off, "The dog is very well-behaved, and the rabbit is very cute too." They insisted on accepting them.
If it weren't for Mom saying that the dog would need to grow up and eat a lot of food, and that the family couldn't afford to keep it, both Big Mao and Little Mao would have really wanted to keep the little wolfhound.
Lin Chang'er only glanced at the little wolfhound and felt a connection with it. She had previously considered buying a few dogs for the coastal defense team to raise.
Bringing a dog along on patrol is also a great help.
He Dashan's gift was very thoughtful, and Lin Chang'er said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
The He family father and son chuckled together. The happiest of all were Gu Xiaoman and Gu Xiaolu, one of whom loved dogs and the other loved rabbits. Zhou Yi was also happy, having new playmates!
After processing the wild game and mountain produce, He Dashan and his sister took their leave.
Lin Chang'er tried to persuade you to stay, saying, "This is your first time here, so I'll treat you as guests. Have lunch before you go back. I'll have Brother Liu take you there in a donkey cart so it won't delay you."
He Dashan and his sister naturally felt embarrassed and wanted to decline.
The brothers, Da Mao and Xiao Mao, were called away by Gu Xiaoman and the others first, leaving the siblings with no choice but to stay behind.
Lin Chang'er would check the prices every day when she went into town, and then buy things to bring back.
Needless to say, grains, oils, rice, and noodles, as well as meat, vegetables, and fruits, any leftovers were hung in the well for storage, some were pickled, and of course, some were put into the preservation space by Lin Chang'er.
Sister-in-law Gu buys some every day, so the Gu family's small warehouse is now quite full.
After closing up shop past noon, the group headed back home in a grand procession.
The women prepared lunch themselves. Feeling embarrassed, He Chunhua went to the kitchen to help. She happened to run into Niu Xiaomei, who came to help with the cooking, and the two started chatting again.
The children eagerly fed the puppy and the rabbit, having a great time.
As for He Dashan, he was taken to the coastal defense team's training ground by Wu Qingfeng and Bai Shaoan.
It's not the busy farming season right now, so the threshing ground has been converted into a simple martial arts training ground.
It wasn't until it was time to eat that the little goldfish ran around and called the person back.
Wu Qingfeng had a smile on his face when he entered the courtyard.
Lin Chang'er then knew the outcome. Sure enough, while serving the rice, Wu Qingfeng quietly told her, "This person is usable."
Lin Chang'er looked up, "How's your archery?"
Wu Qingfeng is considered a master archer. With further systematic training, he will undoubtedly be of great use on the battlefield in the future.
Lin Chang'er nodded. "Should you go and tell them, or should I?"
Wu Qingfeng glanced at the boys huddled together playing and smiled, "I'll do it."
"Alright!" Coastal defense was also considered one of his achievements, and Lin Chang'er was happy to take a break.
The Gu family originally had quite a few people, and now the Bai family, including the grandparents and grandchildren, and Liu Zi have joined them as permanent residents. Aunt Zhou and Sister-in-law Zhou are now helping Lin Chang'er with her work, and Zhou Li and Zhou Yi also eat at the Gu family's house.
Today, the He family has grown up with the siblings and two boys.
Two large tables were set up before people finally sat down.
The Gu family's current standard of living is second to none in Linshui Village.
The table is laden with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, including chicken, duck, fish, and seafood—a truly lavish meal for a farming family.
The He brothers, Da Mao and Xiao Mao, stared wide-eyed; this was far better than their family's New Year celebrations.
Was it really for their entertainment?
So much so that even after all the dishes were served, the two brothers didn't dare to touch their chopsticks...