Making A Fortune Through Hunting To Support My Wife - Chapter 15

July and August are the peak season for eggplants. In the Xu family’s backyard, many purple skinned eggplants hung from the trellises, their long shapes dangling amongst green leaves, a truly pleasing sight.

Xu Jing picked a few. After washing them, they looked fresh, watery, and quite beautiful.

Braised pork with eggplant, chives with eggs, wild mushroom soup, and stir-fried amaranth, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. By the standards of hospitality in Dayue Village, this was an exceptionally respectable spread.

Xu’s grandmother, whose face was usually harsh and thin, looked a bit more genial under the glow of this fine meal. She pulled Granny Ge close and poured her a bowl of clear rice wine.

That very wine was what Xu Jing had just bought, intending to use it for cooking later, only for her grandmother to unseal it immediately to entertain Granny Ge.

“These are just simple home-cooked dishes. Don’t look down on them, elder sister. You must eat your fill.”

“What are you saying, sister? These are top-tier dishes. Your grandson’s wife has excellent culinary skills, and Jing’er is promising as well. You are a woman of good fortune.”

Granny Ge picked up the wine, took a sniff, and narrowed her eyes with a look of intoxication before turning to praise Xu Jing.

“This wine wasn’t cheap, was it? Jing’er is quite capable.”

The corners of Xu Jing’s mouth curled into a polite, detached smile.

She didn’t know if Granny Ge had truly seen through her identity. Based on her previous behavior, the old woman might know something or might not, either way, she hadn’t spoken up or exposed anything.

Xu Jing wasn’t looking for trouble and was happy to let the matter remain ambiguous. Whether in the modern world or ancient times, there were many people with strange abilities. As long as they didn’t provoke her, Xu Jing generally kept a respectful distance.

While the two old women continued to drink and chat after the meal, Xu Jing walked into the kitchen. Inside, Song Yu was busy cleaning the stove.

Hearing footsteps, Song Yu looked up, her clear eyes filled with obvious confusion.

“I’d like to ask for a favor. Do you have a moment?” Xu Jing used her pre-planned excuse.

Song Yu wrung out the rag, wiped her hands clean, and a hint of wariness rose in her gaze. “What is it?”

This person had never asked her for help before.

Seeing her looking guarded like a startled little rabbit, Xu Jing smiled.

“When I went into the mountains, I accidentally tore my clothes. I haven’t had time to mend them these past few days, so I bought some fabric in town. I wanted to ask if you could help me fix them.”

“Also, I bought half a bolt of fabric for each of us. If possible, could you also make me a simple set of clothes?”

Song Yu stared at her for a moment. Seeing that her expression was gentle and her attitude sincere, the tension in her heart eased slightly.

Half a bolt of fabric could make one or two outfits. Was this person really asking for help, or just giving her clothes…

“If you’re really unwilling, I can find…”

“I can do it,” Song Yu interrupted softly, pursing her lips.

“Then I’ll trouble you. I’ll give you the fabric first.” Xu Jing felt cheerful, she could finally have some decent clothes.

Heaven knows that when she went to town to sell or buy goods, many shopkeepers would look at her patched-up clothing with expressions of blatant suspicion. “Respect the clothes before the person”, sometimes that reality was written all over people’s faces.

Xu Jing walked briskly into the bedroom and showed the fabric in the large wardrobe to Song Yu. “The fabric is here. Just take it when you need it.”

Having said that, she turned around and seemingly out of nowhere, produced a paper wrapped bundle and pressed it into Song Yu’s hands.

Song Yu held the bundle, dazed for a moment, not reacting immediately.

Xu Jing tilted her chin slightly. “I bought some jujube paste cakes and mung bean cakes. I’ve tried them; the taste is quite good. Want to try some?”

Sweets were something she hadn’t had for a long time even in the apocalypse, a young girl should like them.

Through the oil paper, Song Yu seemed to catch the sweet scent of the pastries. Her mouth watered, and her fair fingers tightened slightly around the package.

Pastries. Even in the Song family, they rarely ate pastries, only during festivals. Later, as she grew older and both her mother’s and her own health declined, medicine took all the money, making pastries even rarer. Even if there were any, she would give them to her younger brother and sister.

Thinking of her family’s situation, a faint shadow of sorrow involuntarily touched her brow.

Song Yu tried to return the package to Xu Jing, her voice soft. “Thank you, but pastries are precious. I won’t eat them…”

Since the pastries were bought specifically for the girl, Xu Jing naturally wouldn’t take them back. She stepped aside to avoid the hand and laughed. “Things are bought to be eaten; there’s nothing ‘precious’ about them. I have to go into the mountains again these next few days and won’t be able to look after the house, so I’ll have to rely on you.”

“Besides, I’ve found a place with a lot of prey. If I catch them, they’ll fetch a lot of money. These pastries aren’t worth much in comparison.”

Xu Jing put on an expression as if she were entrusting Song Yu with a heavy responsibility, looking at her deeply. “I’ll be troubling you with the clothes later, too.”

“Isn’t the debt money enough? Why go into the mountains again…” The mountains were dangerous.

Song Yu was indeed distracted by her words, her voice carrying a trace of worry she hadn’t even noticed herself.

“The debt money is enough, but there’s no spare money at home. If something happens, we’ll be stuck.”

“I still have to go. We should eat what we need to eat and drink what we need to drink. Life will get better and better.”

As she spoke, Xu Jing leaned in slightly closer to Song Yu, her eyes twinkling. “Are you worried about me? Don’t worry, I can even take down a wild boar without a scratch. You can see how capable I am.”

Unused to the proximity, Song Yu took two steps back.

Who is worried about her? This person really knows how to brag.

“There are a lot of pastries here. I’ll share some with Grandmother and Granny Ge.”

Xu Jing straightened up and waved her hand dismissively. “As long as you like them. The pastries were given to you anyway, you can distribute them however you want.”

With that, she went off to tinker with her animal traps. There was still time in the afternoon, she planned to pack up and head back into the mountains early tomorrow morning.

Song Yu divided the jujube and mung bean cakes into two small, heaped plates and brought them to the table for the two old women. The two grandmothers, enjoying their wine, were delighted to have snacks. Even the usually sharp-tongued Grandmother Xu wore a beaming smile.

The mung bean cakes were small, about a quarter the size of a palm. Song Yu picked one up, brought it to her lips, and took a bite. The sweet flavor instantly flooded her mouth, both sandy and sugary.

Song Yu’s beautiful eyes narrowed happily, looking like a pretty little fox enjoying a meal.

Passing by, Xu Jing saw this and simply smiled silently. Feeding the girl was quite a pleasant experience after all. Stripped of her usual facade of maturity and wariness, she was undeniably cute.

In the afternoon, Xu Jing headed out again. However, she didn’t go into the Great Yue Mountains. Instead, she went to the mid-slope of the mountain on the west side of the village to find Wang Hu.

That morning, she had promised Wang Hu she would help him catch the thief stealing his prey, and they had agreed to meet at his house in the afternoon.

Crossing the village, she didn’t encounter many villagers. It was not long after the hour of the Sheep (around 2:00 PM), and the sun was at its fiercest. Even the most hardworking farmers wouldn’t dare work in the fields under such scorching heat.

Though Wang Hu’s house was on the mountainside, there were several other households scattered around that area.

Xu Jing didn’t go straight to Wang Hu’s house. Instead, she hid behind a tree by the road and opened her palm. A flicker of emerald green emerged.

The more time she spent in the deep mountains these past two days, the faster her powers recovered compared to being in the village. Perhaps there truly was spiritual energy in the deep mountains otherwise, Xu Jing wouldn’t know how to explain it. Her power level had dropped, but the methods of utilizing it were etched into her mind.

The green glow pulsed faintly. Xu Jing sensed the fluctuations with her consciousness and felt confident.

When she had helped Wang Hu set the traps, she had secretly added a “private ingredient.” Any person or animal that stepped into the trap would be tainted with the scent of her energy. Her luck was good, it had worked on the first try.

To catch a thief, you need the loot.

Following the trail of energy, Xu Jing continued toward Wang Hu’s house. The energy signals appeared in two places: one was Wang Hu’s home, and the other was a courtyard a few houses away.

Xu Jing went to investigate that house first. After sneaking in, she found a wild fox that hadn’t been fully cleaned yet and half a cured wild goat. Without alerting the residents, Xu Jing went to tell Wang Hu where the prey was hidden.

Hearing her report, Wang Hu didn’t doubt her words for a second. His face instantly darkened. Perhaps he had long suspected those neighbors but simply lacked proof.

“Good. Little brother Jing, I owe you for this help. I, Wang Hu, will remember this favor,” Wang Hu said deeply.

Xu Jing waved it off. “What are you saying, Brother Wang? It’s thanks to your connections that I could sell that wild boar for a good price this morning.”

“We’re helping each other. No need to talk about favors.”

Wang Hu nodded. “I’ll be bold enough to call you brother then. Your ability to hunt wild boar is no small thing. If there’s a chance to hunt big game in the future, I’ll be sure to call you.”

Hearing this, Xu Jing thought of the resources she had discovered in the deep forest. With her current strength, it would be quite difficult to hunt several large animals alone. Stumbling upon a lone wild boar had been pure luck usually, they traveled in herds, which she couldn’t handle.

Thinking of those wild goats, wolves, and boars, Xu Jing licked her lips.

“Brother Wang, are you interested in doing something big?”

Wang Hu looked at her in confusion.

Xu Jing smiled and slowly described the resource rich area she had found. After listening to her description, Wang Hu felt more certain that he hadn’t misjudged her. A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Since you treat me as one of your own, Jing’er, I actually have something to ask of you.”

“Go ahead, Brother Wang.”

“A few days ago, a nobleman was looking for tiger and bear skins. The pelts must be perfect, with no damage. The price is higher than the market rate.”

“Hunting tigers and bears takes more than just a couple of hunters. I was hoping you’d come into the mountains with me so we can look out for each other…”

This wasn’t really asking for help, it was Wang Hu’s way of returning a favor by inviting her to partner up and earn silver.

Xu Jing, naturally, agreed on the spot. After setting a time to enter the mountains, she took her leave.