Shangguan Fang'er burst in, her clothes disheveled, her lips dry and chapped.
Upon seeing Jin Xiaolou, she grinned foolishly, "Thirsty, want water..."
The old Yun family had eaten stewed pickles for dinner, so everyone, young and old, was bound to be parched by midnight.
Stewed pickles involved simmering various preserved vegetables together, such as pickled radishes, pickled peppers, preserved mustard greens, mustard greens sprouts, and pickled potatoes.
Before cooking, they had to be washed thoroughly several times with clean water, then stewed with animal fat for a better flavor...
In the winter of Da Shui Village, besides pickled cabbage and mustard greens, this dish had become the villagers' favorite.
"Xiaolou, quickly pour a bowl of water for your sister Fang'er!" Old Man Yun said.
"Coming!" Jin Xiaolou responded and poured a bowl of boiled water for Shangguan Fang'er.
Xiao Jinfeng, holding his wine bowl, stared at Shangguan Fang'er for a moment, then smiled and said, "Miss Fang'er, it seems you are quite satisfied with farm life!"
Shangguan Fang'er: "..."
This darned deer, why was he here again? He was so annoying.
"Get out, scram, you're not allowed to drink here!" Shangguan Fang'er shouted.
Xiao Jinfeng: "..."
What did I ever do to offend you?
Seeing that Xiao Jinfeng hadn't moved, Shangguan Fang'er rushed over and grabbed him by the collar, "Get out, get out, you're not welcome here!"
Her strength was limited, but she still managed to pull Xiao Jinfeng stumbling, nearly making him fall off his stool...
Er Longzi, seeing this, rebuked, "Presumptuous! Let go of His Highness... Young Master!"
"It's alright!" Xiao Jinfeng waved his hand, broke free from Shangguan Fang'er, and stood up to bow to Old Man Yun, "Esteemed sir, I shall take my leave. If you are butchering game tomorrow, please remember to save a few wild boars for me!"
With that, he cast a helpless glance at Shangguan Fang'er and left with Er Longzi.
Xiao Xi Tian slept soundly that night, only her throat felt a little dry. She wanted water but was unwilling to leave her warm bedding, so she endured until morning...
In the early morning, Jin Huai Hua reheated the leftover stewed pickles from the night before and steamed large steamed buns with pickled cabbage filling. Although there was no meat, the family ate heartily.
After getting up, Xiao Xi Tian, without even washing her face, ran to the cowshed to check on the animals.
The animals hadn't eaten all night and were listlessly staying in the cowshed. A few rabbits had escaped through the gaps in the fence, likely having gone to the mountains to forage...
After breakfast, the village chief led a large group of villagers to the old Yun family's home.
The commotion last night had alerted most of the villagers that the old Yun family had brought back a large number of wild animals, so they all rushed to see the spectacle.
"Oh my, these wild boars are so plump! They say wild boars in winter are thin and small, but yours are the opposite!"
"Of course! The Yun family has a sweet baby. She can even save a donkey, horse, cow, or sheep that's about to die!"
"Old Man Yun, save one wild boar for me. I won't do any New Year shopping, eating wild boar meat will be enough..."
"Yes, yes! I want a roe deer, and two lamb legs!"
"..."
The villagers gathered in front of the fence, buzzing as they began to buy meat.
The village chief, hands behind his back, surveyed the cowshed area before pulling Old Man Yun aside into the yard, asking curiously, "Old Man Yun, where did you get so much game?"
If all of this were sold, how much silver would it fetch?
Old Man Yun, holding his pipe, proudly declared, "Of course, I found them in the snow dens. You don't know, when the weather gets cold, wild animals like to burrow into the snow. I didn't expect so many good things to be hidden in one den, haha!"
Village Chief: "..."
Who are you trying to fool? Even if there were wild animals in the snow dens, they wouldn't have every species, would they?
In winter, there was little dry grass to eat, and herbivores faced intense competition. How did they all become a loving family?
"Old Man Yun, catch me a sheep. I'll pay whatever the price!" The village chief rubbed his hands.
In the cold winter, everything was desolate, and the mountains were sealed by snow. How easy was it to get delicious game?
Therefore, at this time, whether it was a rabbit or a roe deer, anything that could satisfy a craving was not cheap...
Old Man Yun chuckled, "Village Chief, if you really want to buy, I'll give you a better price!"
After all, he had eaten quite a few rabbits from the village chief's family, so he had to return the favor.
Fu Daqiang brought over two boards of tofu in exchange for three jin of offal. Du Lao San carried half a sack of dried mushrooms in exchange for two pig trotters and two jin of intestines...
As soon as the news of the old Yun family having game spread, even villagers from neighboring villages came by horse-drawn carriage to buy meat.
Most households had pork, so they were interested in roe deer meat, venison, and yellow goat meat, among others.
With the New Year approaching, villagers wanted to do their New Year shopping early, filling their large vats in anticipation of feasting on New Year's Eve...
Fu Daqiang and Du Lao San helped butcher the game, and those in the village who knew how to slaughter pigs and sheep also came to help.
Soon, dozens of people gathered around the cowshed, resembling a slaughterhouse. Old Man Yun weighed the meat, while Gu Shi and Zhao Guihua managed the money and kept accounts. No one was idle.
"Haha, sister, see that? It looks like all the meat will be sold out before dark, so we won't have to take it to the county town to sell..." Yun Daman squatted in front of Xiao Xi Tian, helping her tie her scarf, and said with a smile.
Xiao Xi Tian nodded, sniffled, "We're selling the meat at a much lower price than the market rate, that's why the villagers are willing to buy!"
Selling wild boar meat as domestic pig meat, and yellow goat meat as mountain goat meat, seemed like the old Yun family was taking a loss. However, they had a large quantity, and the meat was plentiful.
After all, villagers preferred freshly butchered meat, which was both fresh and delicious...
While the Yun family was busy selling meat, Xiao Jinfeng walked over angrily, "Esteemed sir, didn't I say to save a few wild boars for me? If you sell them all, what will my subordinates eat?"
Old Man Yun glared at Xiao Jinfeng upon hearing this, "I don't want to sell to you, is that alright?"
"What, are you afraid I can't afford the silver?" Xiao Jinfeng frowned.
Watching the fresh ribs and large bones being carried away by villagers, Xiao Jinfeng's anger grew...
Old Man Yun shrugged, "I'm not forcing anyone to buy. If Young Master Xiao wants meat, then join the queue!"
Xiao Jinfeng: "..."
You're deliberately trying to make things difficult for me.
So, Xiao Jinfeng had Er Longzi and a few subordinates join the queue, while he stood at the gate sulking.
He glanced towards the village entrance and saw a horse-drawn carriage slowly approaching the old Yun family's home, plowing through the heavy snow...