After following Sun Fu to the kitchen yard, Su Sanlang put down the back basket, opened the sack, and grabbed the pheasants and hares.
Although their bound feet limited their range of movement, it didn’t stop them from being active.
It was obvious from the way the fur was glossy that these animals were good.
Compared to the other three hares and two pheasants in the corner of the yard, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Sun Fu looked at Su Sanlang and asked, “You said you kept it for a while, right?”
Su Sanlang nodded.
Sun Fu looked at Su Sanlang and praised him from the bottom of his heart, “Then your skills are really good. These wild things are just not willing to be raised by others. I’ve seen them getting worse the more they are raised, but it’s rare to see them getting better the more they are raised. These things are really good, but there’s a little too much. Wait here. I’ll go ask and come over to calculate the price with you.”
If it were just a few, Sun Fu would make the decision to buy them all. However, since there were so many of them, he wasn’t sure. He decided to ask.
Su Sanlang smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait here.”
Sun Fu went into the kitchen to wash his hands, then carried a rabbit to the front yard.
Su Sanlang waited quietly on the spot.
Not long after, Sun Fu returned with the rabbit with a smile on his face. Before he walked in, he started shouting, “Li, Zhou, come out and help weigh it.”
With that, Sun Fu smiled and said to Su Sanlang, “Congratulations. The family head has spoken. He wants all of them. If you catch anything else in the future, send them here first. If nothing goes wrong, our Sun family will buy them all.”
Su Sanlang was just as happy. “Okay, okay,” he replied with a smile.
If he could sell them all at once, he wouldn’t have to sell them elsewhere. He could shop early and go home. Su Sanlang couldn’t be happier.
He helped weigh them. The thirteen rabbits weighed 70 catties, while the eight pheasants weighed 31 catties and the six turtledoves weighed three catties.
4
Sun Fu smiled and said, “Let’s go with the same price as last time. I’ll calculate these turtledoves for you at the same price. Is that ok?”
1
Su Sanlang nodded. “Sure, no problem.”
Sun Fu said, “The rabbits weigh 70 catties, the pheasants weigh 31 catties, and the turtledoves weigh three catties. That’s a total of 104 catties for 25 copper coins per catty. That’s exactly 2,600 copper coins.”
1
After Sun Fu finished calculating, he started counting the money.
Two taels of silver and six hundred copper coins fell into Su Sanlang’s hands. They were heavy. He smiled foolishly. That’s a lot of money. He can buy a lot of rice and cloth, and they won’t have to starve or freeze.
“Master Fu, I’ll go back first. My family is still waiting for me.”
Su Sanlang smiled as he spoke.
Sun Fu looked at Su Sanlang and nodded. “Alright, go back then. I have to get busy too.”
Sun Fu had already taken out his knife to catch a rabbit. With a swift slash, he suddenly looked at Su Sanlang and said, “Look at my memory. You can find the way out of the residence, right? I don’t have time to lead you out.”
Sun Fu pressed the rabbit to receive the rabbit’s blood steadily. When the rabbit’s blood dripped into the bowl, not a single drop spilled outside.
Su Sanlang nodded, amazed. “I can find it.”
With that, he turned around and left the residence.
With the heavy money in his pocket, he thought for a moment and took out twenty copper coins. When he reached the back door, he gave it to the manservant at the door. Su Sanlang said, “You’ve worked hard, brother. I hope you don’t mind this small amount.”
Twenty copper coins wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t a small amount either. After all, Su Sanlang wasn’t exactly rich.
The servant immediately put on a smile and respectfully sent Su Sanlang out the door. He also wished him luck on the way out.
Su Sanlang smiled and said goodbye to the manservant. He was doing this to please the manservant, naturally, so that the next time he came, things would go smoother.
Although the servant was inconspicuous, he was very useful.
Su Sanlang’s generosity also made the servant have a good impression of him. As he watched Su Sanlang leave, he thought to himself, the next time this person comes, I’ll report it early. He won’t forget me after selling his things. He’s much better than other hunters. It’s better than nothing. No matter how little it was, it’s still money’
Su Sanlang went to the grain store.
White rice cost 16 copper coins per catty. Corn cost 8 copper coins per catty. White flour cost 17 copper coins per catty.
Su Sanlang had a clear goal. He smiled gently and said, “Boss, I want to buy 100 catties of grain and vegetable seeds. Can you give me a discount?”
The shop assistant smiled and said, “I’ll give you a copper coin cheaper at most for a catty. Do you want it?”
Su Sanlang smiled and nodded. “Yes. I want fifty catties of white rice, fifty catties of corn, and five catties of white flour. As for vegetable seeds, two taels will do.”
The shop assistant smiled and nimbly fiddled with the abacus. As he calculated, he said, “A total of 750 copper coins for 50 catties of white rice at 15 copper coins per catty. A total of 350 copper coins for 50 catties of corn at 7 copper coins per catty. A total of 80 copper coins for 5 catties of white flour at 16 copper coins per catty. I’ll charge you five copper coins for two taels of vegetable seeds. That’s 1,185 copper coins in total.”
After saying that, he smiled and said to Su Sanlang, “Sir, do the math yourself and see if there’s anything wrong.”
Su Sanlang did his own mental calculations. He was slow, but the clerk didn’t rush him.
Su Sanlang did the math and found nothing wrong. “That’s right,” he said.
With that, he paid the sum.
The shop assistant also began to weigh his food. Soon, three large pockets were filled and placed in Su Sanlang’s basket.
2
Two taels of vegetable seeds were also among them.
He even had 1495 copper coins left. Su Sanlang shouldered his basket, ready to buy some candy before heading home.
With so much food, the clerk even kindly helped him up and said with a smile, “Take care, sir.”
Su Sanlang then spent another ten copper coins on a few small pieces of candy before returning home with the rest of the money.
This time, it was only noon when he returned to the village. At this time, most people were at home.
They still greeted Su Sanlang warmly when they saw him. Su Sanlang knew very well that they just wanted to know where he got the money to buy food.
Su Sanlang only smiled and did not answer. Since he did not answer, the people who asked understood and did not ask anymore.
When they passed by the Su family, Madam Wang’s expression was extremely ugly. “Where did you get the money from? Did you steal from the family?”
Madam Wang stared at Su Sanlang’s basket with hatred in her eyes.
Su Sanlang’s heart went cold. He said coldly, “When I moved, didn’t Mother watch over me personally? Did I have a chance to steal the family’s money?”
Su Sanlang did not want to say anything more to Madam Wang. He walked straight past the house that made him sad. This was no longer his home. His home was at the back of the village.
Madam Wang felt very upset when she heard Su Sanlang’s cold words to her. She immediately cursed, “How heartless. You have money but would rather spend it outside than come to our house to buy food. I’ve raised you for so many years all for nothing. The heavens are blind. How can such a heartless person not die?!”
5
Madam Wang’s vicious curses did not make Su Sanlang stop. Su Sanlang quickly disappeared from Madam Wang’s sight. Madam Wang cursed angrily for a while, but no matter how much she cursed, she could not affect Su Sanlang.