Chapter Fourteen: Obtaining 100 Pounds of Pork! Desert Eagle *1

Although a light snow was still drifting in the air, the marketplace was bustling. Vendors were out in force, and the shops on both sides of the street were operating as usual.

The air was filled with the clamor of hawkers calling out their wares, punctuated by the laughter and crying of children and the back-and-forth of haggling. As they navigated the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, Cheng Yuan took a deep breath of the cold air.

She decided it was time to test a theory.

"Check-in," she whispered in her mind.

"Check-in successful. Congratulations, host! You have received 100 catties of pork, 10 pullets, and 10 cockerels."

Cheng Yuan froze in her tracks. After checking her inventory several times in disbelief to ensure she hadn't misheard, she nearly shrieked with joy. It was significantly more generous than the twenty taels of silver she had received from checking in at home the day before. It seemed that the larger the location, the greater the rewards from the check-in.

"What is it, Cheng Yuan?" Xie Changzhi looked at her with concern. She was standing still, staring into empty space, yet her face was radiant with delight.

Cheng Yuan snapped back to reality and shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's go look at the grain and flour."

A quarter of an hour later, Xie Changzhi emerged carrying a small basket containing a modest amount of coarse rice and flour. Thirty taels of silver had bought so little. Cheng Yuan’s expression turned solemn; she had expected the grain prices to be high, but they were several times what they used to be. This winter snowstorm was not to be underestimated.

"Do we have enough silver left to buy anything else?" Xie Changzhi asked, observing her face and choosing his words carefully. Even he was shocked by the prices. He had assumed their silver would at least fill a whole basket, but at this rate, their family—especially the three men—would likely finish it in less than two days. Thinking of this, he lowered his head in guilt. He would just have to eat less.

Cheng Yuan glanced at him. "Follow me."

Xie Changzhi trailed behind as they ducked into a secluded alleyway. He was looking over his shoulder, but when he turned back, he saw Cheng Yuan holding a large slab of pork in each hand. His eyes widened in shock.

"This, this..."

Before he could react, she ushered him along, grateful that no one in the alley had noticed. "We bought this pork. Do you understand?"

Cheng Yuan stared at him intensely.

"But... with so much pork, and with grain prices being this high..." Xie Changzhi found it hard to believe.

Cheng Yuan added, "You can tell Mother that the silver came from you. Regardless, Mother will believe it; just make sure no one else sees."

Xie Changzhi pondered this for a long time before hesitantly nodding. He placed the pork into his basket and covered it with a cloth so that no one could see what was inside. He carried the pork-filled basket, while Cheng Yuan took the one with the grain. "Shall we head back now?"

Cheng Yuan mused, "There is one more thing."

She led Xie Changzhi through several turns until they stopped in front of a clothing shop. "Mistress, do you have any cheaper fabrics?" Cheng Yuan stepped inside and got straight to the point. Compared to the bustling street, the shop was quiet, with only a customer or two.

"Cheap ones? That pile over there. It’s all leftovers from tailoring, or pieces that have been stained. If you want them, take them all for five taels of silver." The proprietress lounged in a sunlit spot, her rocking chair swaying lazily. Even seeing that Cheng Yuan and her companion looked poor, her tone remained indifferent.

Cheng Yuan walked over to the basket and sifted through the contents. Most of it was decent fabric; the dirty pieces could be washed, and the scraps were perfect for making small garments or shoes.

"I'll take them all, thank you." Cheng Yuan placed the silver on the table with a smile. She packed the fabric into her basket until it was completely full.

***

By the time they returned to Lian-Shui Village, the sun was high in the sky.

"Check-in."

"Congratulations, host! Check-in successful! You have received 10 wolf-repellent sprays, 10 solar-powered electric batons, and 1 Desert Eagle pistol."

As they walked toward home, Cheng Yuan was suddenly called out.

"Yuan'er! Oh, you've just returned from the county seat? What kind of fortune did you come into to be buying so much stuff?"

Cheng Yuan turned to see her uncle, his face wearing a nauseating expression. She turned to leave immediately.

"Yuan'er! I'm talking to you!"

The uncle stared greedily at the two heavy baskets, but Cheng Yuan didn't even look back. Annoyed, he hurried over to block their path. Xie Changzhi subconsciously stepped in front of Cheng Yuan.

"Speak your piece and be done with it," Cheng Yuan said, brow furrowed. She didn't have an hour to waste on him.

"You!" The uncle’s eyebrows shot up in anger, but seeing the look on Cheng Yuan’s face, he decided to spit it out. "Your grandmother wants to see you."

"My grandmother? Since when do I have a grandmother?" Cheng Yuan rolled her eyes and stepped around him to walk away. She had wondered what the matter was; it was just that old hag up to her old tricks again. She would be a fool to go.

"Jiang Yuan!! You stop right there!"

Cheng Yuan ignored him, her pace toward home quickening.

***

"That wretched girl refuses to come? If she won't come, drag her here! I’ve already paid the tuition for Yun-ge'er with the bride price money, every last cent. Mother, you have to do something!"

In a large house on the west side of the village, the elder aunt sat on the floor, wailing at the top of her lungs. Yesterday, because that "little hoof" had insisted on severing family ties, the aunt had been terrified to return home. Fortunately, the old grandmother hadn't said much, only mentioning that the Wang family in the county had already offered a ten-tael bride price to take a daughter as their eighteenth concubine.

The Wang family was a wretched place. It was said that whenever the master played a concubine to death, he simply bought another. His methods were notorious. Her own daughter, He'er, was only ten—she was being raised to marry a young gentleman, not to be broken by an old man. That left only one option.

"But Mother, hasn't Jiang Yuan already taken a man into her home as a son-in-law? We..."

"That's just child's play! The second daughter-in-law is just letting her run wild! When the bridal sedan arrives, she will go whether she wants to or not! As long as I, this old woman, am still alive, she will do as I say!"

The grandmother was so furious she struck the floor with her cane, her beady eyes blazing with rage. "Still talking about severing ties! Even if she dies, she is still a member of the Jiang family! Once she is carried off, elder daughter-in-law, you go and bring Hu-er over to raise yourself."

The aunt was reluctant to raise another person's son for nothing, but she dared not defy her mother-in-law. She asked hesitantly, "And the second sister-in-law?"

The grandmother shot her a glare that made her tremble. "That is not your concern. Just focus on raising Yun-ge'er well, that’s all that matters."

The aunt collected her thoughts. But the girl was becoming increasingly headstrong; she had even dared to refuse to see the grandmother.

"So, she claims she has no grandmother? Does she think I'm dead? Fine, if she won't come, I will go! I will go 'beg' her!"

The thin old woman was still sprightly, and she stood up, moving swiftly with her cane.

"Mother, I'll go with you! That wretched girl has grown a sharp tongue!" The aunt followed her happily. With the old woman leading the way, this time it would surely be settled.