Xi Qingyue glanced at the thatched cottage. The kitchen had left her some rice and flour, along with a bucket full of water. They had even lent her a pot to use. These people were far better than Xi Erniu.
Xi Weilan was squatting alone under the big willow tree up ahead, holding a twig in her hand to tease the ants on the ground, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Xi Qingyue walked over and patted her head. "Sister needs to go into the mountains for a while. Can you wait at home?"
"Sister, I want to go too! I can help dig for wild vegetables. I’m strong and not afraid of wolves." Xi Weilan’s small face was brimming with excitement, her eyes shimmering with hope.
Xi Qingyue thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Alright, then stay close to me. We’re going to catch rabbits to eat."
Xi Weilan clapped her hands in delight. "Great!"
As the two headed up the mountain, they ran into many villagers along the way—some were heading out to hunt, others to dig for wild vegetables, and some to find herbs to sell in town.
In response to the villagers’ greetings, Xi Qingyue smiled back at each one, then walked deeper into the forest under their astonished gazes.
She led Xi Weilan further inward until they reached a remote spot with no one around, and only then did she stop.
Taking out a small dish, she placed a serving of delicious braised pork on the ground. This meat was cooked using spiritual spring water.
Then, using her earth-based ability, she dug several deep pits nearby. With her wood-based ability, she lined the pits with thorny vines, covered them with soil, and camouflaged the surface with a layer of weeds.
Once all this was done, she picked up Xi Weilan and climbed a nearby tree to sit.
"Sister, what if a big tiger comes? Can we fight it?"
"Don’t worry, tigers are deeper in the forest and probably won’t come. Even if one does, your sister can handle it. Just wait to eat the meat."
Her wind-based ability carried the rich aroma of the meat far into the forest. Before long, a rabbit caught the scent and came hopping over.
The little rabbit bounded toward the braised pork, but just as it was about to eat, the ground suddenly gave way, and it fell into the trap.
Soon after, two more rabbits and a wild boar arrived, also falling into the prepared pits.
The rabbits were pierced by the thorns in their legs and lost the ability to escape. The wild boar, however, was far from docile. Trapped in the pit, it became even more frantic, struggling and squealing as it tried to charge out of the deep hole. Xi Qingyue ended its life with a single gunshot.
Instead of leaving immediately, Xi Qingyue waited in the tree. One wild boar wasn’t enough—a second would be perfect.
After another half an hour, another wild boar caught the scent and ran over. This time, she didn’t use the gun but killed it with a wind blade.
"Lan’er, we’ll have braised rabbit meat for lunch, sweet-and-sour spare ribs, and a stew of yam and ribs soup."
Xi Qingyue carried the beaming Xi Weilan down from the tree.
After sensing the surroundings to ensure no one was nearby, she stored the boar she had shot and two rabbits into her space, keeping only a wild rabbit and the last boar.
She handed the wild rabbit to Xi Weilan. "Hold onto this. We’re heading down the mountain now."
She cleaned up the traces on the ground, hoisted the wild boar onto her shoulder, and pulled Xi Weilan along as they descended. After a few steps, she remembered something and took out another wild rabbit from her space.
When the two came down from the mountain, the villagers they met were stunned, their mouths hanging open.
"Dayà, did you two shoot that boar?"
"Yeah, we got lucky. This boar seemed to be injured already, so we took advantage of the situation." Xi Qingyue explained with a smile, her face showing the excitement of a lucky find.
After she walked away, she could still hear the villagers gossiping behind her—about her good luck and how strong she was to carry a three-hundred-jin boar.
When they got home, she tossed the boar outside the woodshed, with the two rabbits beside it.
She picked up one rabbit and handed it to Xi Weilan, giving her careful instructions. "Lan’er, go to Grandpa Lizheng’s house. Tell them this rabbit is a thank-you gift, and ask them for a favor. Say we have wild boar meat to sell, and ask them to check if any villagers want to buy it—just thirteen wen per jin."
Xi Weilan nodded, took the rabbit, and ran off.
After she left, Xi Qingyue stroked her chin and murmured, "A kid this young—will she relay the message correctly?"
A quarter of an hour later, Li Wanqiu arrived with her son, followed by several other villagers.
"Dayà, did you hunt this? Keep the rabbit for yourself. We don’t need it." Li Wanqiu handed the rabbit back.
Xi Qingyue pushed it back. "Granny, we caught more than one. This is for you and Grandpa to enjoy. Please take it. I’ll also need your help selling the pork later. If you don’t accept, I’d feel shy about asking for your assistance."
Xi Weilan pointed at the other rabbit beside the boar, her voice soft and sweet. "Granny, we have another one. We’re eating braised rabbit for lunch."
Li Wanqiu thought for a moment before finally accepting the rabbit. But then she pointed at the boar and brought up the price. "Yue girl, ordinary pork in town costs at least fifteen wen a jin. You could sell this wild boar for at least twenty wen. Selling it for just thirteen seems too cheap."
She was afraid the child didn’t know the value of things and would lose out, so she explained the market prices again.
Xi Qingyue stepped forward, linked arms with her, and explained with a smile, "Granny, we’re all from the same village. I thought selling it in town would be too much trouble, so I figured I’d sell it cheap here. I’ll earn some money, and everyone can enjoy a treat. Next time I hunt a wild boar, I’ll take it to town. Then you’ll all miss out."
At her words, everyone burst out laughing. Someone joked, "Dayà, you haven’t even finished dealing with this boar, and you’re already thinking about the next one!"
Xi Qingyue lifted her chin, her tone full of confidence. "Of course! I’m sure to catch a lot more good things in the future."
She chose to sell the boar cheaply because she knew she’d have to deal with these villagers in the future, and building good relationships was the right call. Mostly, though, she was just too lazy to make the trip today. Selling a bit in the village would do for now.
Once she had some silver in hand, she’d first buy an ox cart or a mule cart.
The Lizheng’s son had already started processing the pork with a few villagers. They cut the meat into pieces and set the bones aside. Villagers gradually gathered around.
When Xi Erniu got home and heard the news, his face was full of shock. "That damn girl! She knows how to hunt but never did before. Is she messing with me? I have to go get some pork back."
Xi Qingyue leaned against the big willow tree, watching the lineup of villagers buying pork, a smile spreading across her face. A three-hundred-jin boar, minus the innards, would still fetch a decent sum.
She kept only a few pounds of meat and some ribs for herself. Each helper received a pound of meat to take home, including those who had helped tidy up her house earlier. As for how much more they bought, that depended on each family’s means.
Xi Erniu shamelessly dragged himself over to the big willow tree as well. With a stern face, he ordered Xi Qingyue, "Daughter, your cousin wants to eat meat. Give me ten or eight catties of your pork. It's not like you can finish all of it anyway."
Xi Qingyue pointed at her own head. "Are you out of your mind? We've cut ties, signed and sealed. Where do you get the nerve to ask for meat? If you want to eat meat, get in line and buy some. Say one more word, and I'll double the price just for you."
Xi Erniu, who had been about to put on airs, immediately shut his mouth at these words. Face red, he trudged over to the queue.
Wild boar meat cheaper than what they sold in town—he wanted to buy some home to eat too.
Upon seeing this, the other villagers showed contempt, and some even pointed at him, gesturing rudely. His nerve really was too thick.
