Making A Fortune Through Hunting To Support My Wife - Chapter 21

By the door, Xu Jing and Song Yu were speaking in hushed tones.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay inside no matter what happened? What if you got hurt?”

Hearing Xu Jing’s words, which carried a hint of reproach mixed with concern, Song Yu lowered her head and didn’t offer a rebuttal.

Xu Jing sighed. Looking at the young girl’s drooping head, looking for all the world like a well-behaved kitten receiving a lecture, she found she couldn’t continue her scolding.

“This whole mess started because of me anyway. I’ve caused you to be dragged into it.”

Song Yu shook her head. “Wang Ergou and his lot are of a wicked nature. They only saw Yingzi and me alone and let their evil thoughts take hold. You don’t need to take the responsibility upon yourself.”

Xu Jing smiled. “Alright, anyway, it’s not our fault, it’s all Wang Ergou’s problem. I gave him a good thrashing just now. He won’t be getting out of bed to cause trouble for a month or two.”

Her voice was very low, and her eyes sparkled with a cunning light, as if they held the stars of heaven. There was a certain charm to her, even if her words were a bit wicked.

Her warm breath accidentally brushed against Song Yu’s cheek. Song Yu tilted her head up slightly, feeling awkward and unnatural.

Just then, the Village Chief and the others, having finished their discussion, came over to call for Xu Jing and the three Lu brothers.

“Xu Jing, Wang Ergou, Gao Xiang, Li San… this matter started because of you all. While Wang Ergou’s group moved first, they didn’t succeed and were instead wounded by Xu Jing’s arrows. Now, having brought people to the Xu family’s door only to be beaten again, they’ve learned two hard lessons.”

“Don’t even think about compensation. They deserved the beating! Their own clans will punish them further. If they offend again, the village will not tolerate it, we will certainly open the ancestral hall and sentence them to a flogging!”

The Village Chief’s long speech summarized into one meaning, he wouldn’t help either side, nor would he punish either side, and he gave a verbal warning to the troublemaking Wang family.

Old Lady Lin, who had suffered heavy losses, immediately wanted to make a scene, but the Village Chief glared her into silence.

However, a voice rang out, neither heavy nor light.

“That won’t do, Village Chief. Not only did they make the first move, but they also broke into my home and turned it into a mess. If I didn’t have good martial skills and the help of my neighbors, who knows how we would have been bullied.”

“If committing a crime carries no penalty, then everyone will follow their lead. If an evil thought arises in their hearts, they’ll dare to lay hands on other girls, thinking a verbal lecture afterwards means nothing.”

“I won’t accept this. They must pay. I don’t want much, one tael of silver to account for their assault and the damage to my courtyard.”

The Village Chief looked at the speaking Xu Jing, his eyes widening.

She really dared to open her mouth! Not only did she beat the men, but she also wanted them to pay a tael of silver.

Well, he thought, at least she’s better than Wang Ergou, she’s asking for less money.

“Jing’er, you…”

Just as the Village Chief was about to scold her, Xu Jing turned to the villagers surrounding her courtyard wall.

“Folks, isn’t that right? We are all fellow villagers, yet Wang Ergou and his lot showed no regard for neighborly sentiment. If we don’t make them feel the pain this time, what will happen when they bully other girls in the village?”

“This time I was here to protect my wife. Next time…”

Hearing Xu Jing’s words, families with grown daughters became agitated again.

“Jing’er is right! Wang Ergou and his lot are no good. If they aren’t hit where it hurts, they’ll just do it again. We don’t all have the martial skills of Jing’er or the Lu brothers.”

“Yes, exactly! The Wang brothers are used to bullying men and tyrannizing women. Their eyes are always towards the sky. They must be taught a lesson. This time they lost the fight, but next time…”

“Oh my, they look quite miserable this time. Xu Jing is quite ruthless, shooting legs and beating people…”

The Village Chief shouted with a dark face, “Enough!”

The courtyard, which had grown noisy again, immediately quieted down. The Village Chief still held significant prestige in the village.

He looked at the Wang clan elders, then back at Xu Jing and Wang Ergou’s group, saying with a grim expression.

“The Wang family will compensate the Xu family with one chicken or duck as an apology. The matter is settled!”

Having finished, he glared at both Xu Jing and Old Lady Lin, his eyes flashing a clear warning.

Xu Jing knew when to quit while she was ahead. Anyway, she just wanted to disgust the Wang family.

She said with a smile to Old Lady Lin, “Be sure to send that chicken or duck over early. We’re waiting to put it in the pot.”

Old Lady Lin was so angry she nearly toppled over. She wanted to wail, but receiving another sharp look from the Village Chief, she didn’t dare make a sound.

With the troublemakers gone, the replacement of the Xu family’s thatched roofs proceeded smoothly.

Xu Jing insisted that Lu Minghe and Lu Ying stay for dinner. They declined several times but eventually gave in to her persistence.

In the afternoon, Xu Jing and Lu Minghe pulled the cart loaded with medicinal herbs to town to sell.

Before leaving, Grandma Xu asked Xu Jing to take the eggs they had saved, about thirty or forty, to sell as well.

The chickens were raised by Grandma Xu, and Xu Jing didn’t want to pocket her egg money. Since an egg cost one copper coin, she simply took fifty copper coins from her own pocket and gave them to the old woman.

“Grandma, let’s keep the eggs at home for us to eat. It’ll nourish our bodies, and you’ve worked hard.”

Previously, Grandma Xu would have certainly disagreed. But after seeing Xu Jing’s free spending ways over the past two days and her fighting prowess, she merely pursed her lips and said nothing.

Xu Jing’s Poria cocos weighed 158 catties at 14 copper coins per catty, her He Shou Wu weighed 45 catties at 75 coins per catty, totaling 5,587 coins.

The Lu family had 48 catties of Poria and 15 catties of He Shou Wu, totaling 1,797 coins.

From this trip alone, Xu Jing earned over five taels of silver, while the Lu family earned nearly one tael and eight mace. Lu Minghe’s eyes were practically lost in his smiles.

This time, Xu Jing didn’t go on a shopping spree. She planned to save it and discuss with Song Yu what big items they needed to buy.

If there was anything left, she would save it up. She still wanted to build a courtyard made of blue bricks.

Thinking of the dozens of taels needed for a blue-brick courtyard, it still felt far off.

If she wanted to build it more luxuriously, adding a heated kang bed and nice furniture… Xu Jing felt she couldn’t think too deeply about it, or she’d only feel poorer.

Parting ways with Lu Minghe, Xu Jing headed home with the five taels of silver tucked warmly in her clothes.

In the courtyard, Song Yu had already cleaned everything. Things were organized neatly, making the place look comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

Xu Jing retracted her gaze, her eyes landing on the side room door, her brows lifting slightly.

The sunlight was gentle. The woman sat by the door, half her body hidden in the shade and half bathed in the sunlight. With her head lowered and eyes downcast, her fair, slender fingers moved nimbly with needle and thread through the half-finished garment. She looked elegant and gentle.

Sensing someone watching her, she looked up toward Xu Jing.

Xu Jing curled her lips into a smile and pointed at the clothes in her hands. “Making clothes for me?”

Song Yu gave a soft “Mm.”

“It’ll take a few more days. I’ve already mended those two sets of clothes you use for field work.”

“No rush, do it when you have time,” Xu Jing waved her hand. She then took two taels of silver from her pouch and handed them to Song Yu. “The money from selling the herbs. For you.”

Song Yu was stunned and immediately moved to refuse. “What are you giving this to me for? This is your…”

“Lu Ying’s brother already took her share. You also dug the herbs, so this share is yours.”

Xu Jing pressed the two taels of broken silver into Song Yu’s hand and smiled. “I can’t let you work for nothing and embezzle your hard-earned money.”

Song Yu gripped the silver, which seemed to retain Xu Jing’s warmth. Her fingertips felt hot. She pursed her lips and said, “If you ever run short of silver, you can come to me for it.”

Xu Jing waved it off and changed the subject.

“There’s still some He Shou Wu left there. Tomorrow, we’ll go dig more and earn a bit more cash.”

“By the way, did the Wang family send the compensatory chicken yet?”

Song Yu shook her head, indicating they hadn’t.

Xu Jing gave a cold laugh. “I hope they don’t make me go to their door to ‘invite’ them.”

Fortunately, the Wang family was sensible enough. Before the hour of the Rooster (5 PM), Old Lady Lin brought an old duck over. When she handed it to Xu Jing, her old face was full of resentment, as if she wanted to bite a piece of flesh off her.

Xu Jing shook her fist at her. Old Lady Lin gave a cold snort and didn’t dare cause trouble, walking away quickly.

“Come back again sometime!”

Xu Jing held the scrawny, old-looking duck and waved goodbye to Old Lady Lin.

The fast walking Old Lady Lin nearly tripped over her own feet.

Who would ever want to come back!

If it weren’t for that old geezer pressuring her, she would have even reneged on this duck.

“Eat, eat, eat, eat yourselves to death, you shameless things…”

Only after she was far away did Old Lady Lin dare to curse under her breath.

Xu Jing didn’t care what Old Lady Lin thought. As long as her enemies were unhappy, she was happy.

The old duck provided by Old Lady Lin was skin and bones with hardly any meat, weighing about two catties. It was just right for making soup.

Xu Jing happily carried the duck into the house. “Xiao Yu, do we still have those pickled radishes? Tonight, let’s have sour radish and old duck soup. How does that sound?”

Before Song Yu could answer, Grandma Xu spoke from inside the room.

“Didn’t we just have stewed pheasant with mushrooms yesterday? This duck should be a laying duck, we should raise it instead.”

Hearing this, Xu Jing didn’t get angry and instead explained:

“Grandma, we can’t raise this duck. Second Uncle and the Lu family helped us so much today. Once the duck is killed, we need to share some meat with them. Later, I’ll also send some of the mushrooms we picked yesterday to Second Uncle’s family.”

“This… it is right to share some meat with your Second Uncle.”

Second Uncle Xu was the one who cared most for Xu Jing’s family. Even Grandma Xu found it hard to refuse this suggestion, especially since he had helped them again today.

Xu Jing winked at Song Yu.

Song Yu: “…”

Firewood was stacked, the pot was set, water boiled, feathers plucked, radishes sliced, and the old duck was put in to stew.

The golden broth bubbled and rolled, and the sour-salty aroma of the sour radish and old duck soup filled the entire kitchen, making everyone’s mouth water.

Xu Jing took three large porcelain bowls and served three portions of the soup. One was for her own family, one for Second Uncle Xu’s family, and one for the Lu family.

The Lu family was the closest, she could deliver it just by stepping out the door.

“Oh, Jing’er, how can we accept this? Take it back quickly,” Mother Lu pushed it away.

“Auntie, you all helped my family a great deal today. It’s just a bowl of duck meat. Besides, this duck came from Wang Ergou’s family, you deserve a share of it.”

Xu Jing smiled and placed the bowl on the Lu family’s table.

Mother Lu had no choice but to call Lu Ying to bring their own bowl to transfer the meat.

After Xu Jing left, Mother Lu couldn’t stop sighing.

“Jing’er really knows how to handle things now. She has truly changed a lot.”

“You kids be more polite when you run into her, especially you, Third Son. Don’t go picking fights with her again.”

The third Lu brother, Lu Mingjiang, rolled his eyes and reached out his chopsticks to grab a piece of duck from the bowl.

Mother Lu snapped his hand away with her own chopsticks and glared at him. “Did you hear me?!”

“I know, I know,” Lu Mingjiang muttered unhappily. He then whispered under his breath, “She used to be gloomy, now she’s like a smiling tiger.”

As for the Lu family, when Second Uncle Xu saw the duck meat and mushrooms Xu Jing brought over, he smoked his pipe, feeling deeply gratified.

“Good, good. Jing’er is thoughtful.”

Then he changed the subject and asked about her debt.

“I heard you’ve been running into the mountains for the past few days. Have you gathered enough silver? If you’re short…”

“Don’t worry, Second Uncle. I’ve gathered enough. I’ll pay back Brother Lu’s family in the next day or two.”

Second Uncle Xu had a large family. After taking the bowl of duck to the kitchen to be sliced further, everyone got a small piece and felt their lips stained with grease.

Even Xu Wu and Xu Liu, who usually couldn’t stand Xu Jing, didn’t give her any attitude this time.

“Sigh, there’s just too little duck meat. Not even enough for a full bite,” the third daughter-in-law of the Xu family grumbled.

Though Second Uncle Xu at the neighboring table didn’t speak, he tapped his pipe against the table.

Second Uncle’s wife, Mrs. Cao, glared at her third daughter-in-law. “Even eating can’t shut your mouth.”

After delivering the meat, Xu Jing returned home happily.

The fragrant sour radish and old duck soup, along with stir-fried porcini mushrooms, here she came.

Previously, Song Yu was afraid the porcini were poisonous, so she had only fried a small plate for Xu Jing. The rest were saved and fried all together this time.

Xu Jing ate large mouthfuls of the two delicacies, finding them delicious.

Unfortunately, the staple grain was still the old rice they had exchanged for earlier, which affected the texture slightly. She was already starting to look forward to this year’s autumn harvest of new rice.