Chapter 69:
The man turned pale, clutched his chest, and collapsed……
“Master!”
Bu Wei exclaimed.
Luo Zhi’er and her family of three returned home; they had come down by another path.
They ran into some villagers on the road and exchanged greetings.
Li Ergou limped along the village entrance road. Seeing Li Sanmao carrying a bamboo basket, with his family of three coming back from the mountain, he remembered what Gou Sheng’s Mother had said……
He picked his teeth and rolled his eyes……
“Yo, San Mao, went hunting on the mountain again?”
“Hehe, Er Gouzi Uncle, no, it was Miaomiao’s Mother who went up the mountain to dig some herbs, and I went to pick her up……”
“Dig herbs?”
“Really? What herbs? Can you tell Uncle?”
Li Ergou’s mouth curled into a strange smile……
Li Sanmao replied briefly, “Just that toad grass, ghost needle grass, and motherwort that the apothecary in town buys……”
“That kind of herbs?”
Those herbs had all been stripped clean by the villagers; they weren’t worth much anyway. Even if dug up, they could only fetch a few silver……
“Yeah, that’s right! Gou Sheng Uncle, I’ll head home first!”
Li Sanmao took Luo Zhi’er and Miaomiao and left.
Once home, Li Sanmao placed the bamboo basket in the corner of the yard. Zhou Shi heard the noise and rushed out first to check inside the bamboo basket……
She pursed her lips. “Tch, back so early. I thought you’d filled it up. Turns out you just picked a bunch of miscellaneous mushrooms to make up the numbers……”
“And why pick so many acorns? Not doing the real work, just scheming how to eat rice all day, back before dark.”
“Third Child, I told you, why rush to pick her up? With that big frame of hers, could she get lost? She’d come back naturally once she gathered enough!”
Li Sanmao’s brows furrowed slightly. “Mother, whether to pick her up is my business. How much she gathers is Zhi’er’s business. It has nothing to do with you!”
“What?”
This Third Child was butting heads with her again over this Luo Zhi’er!
“What do you mean nothing to do with me? Eating my food, drinking my food—if her business gets cut off, we’ll all be drinking northwest wind?”
She’d already spent some of that fifteen-tael deposit, and the rest was in her bag, not to be taken out again……
Old Li Tou stepped out of the main hall door. “His mother, say less. The rice in the pot is still hot. Serve some out first to Third Wife and Miaomiao, and there’s those egg pancakes……”
He specifically mentioned the egg pancakes, which people in this home rarely got to eat. Today Li Gui left, so she boiled some mao ji dan and baked some egg pancakes; there were leftovers not taken.
“Where are there egg pancakes? Muqing Yunliang ate them!”
Zhou Shi said without batting an eye.
Actually, she had secretly sent them to Zhenzhu earlier. After being locked up for two days, she finally saw her in the backyard corner under the cogongrass. She was peering over the courtyard wall.
That girl was starving like a reincarnated hungry ghost; she wolfed down two pancakes in a few bites and complained she didn’t bring more!
Those two were originally specially left by Old Li Tou for Luo Zhi’er and her daughter.
“What? You…… didn’t you say they were saved for Third Wife and Miaomiao?”
The afternoon pickled mustard greens shredded potatoes soup paired with these corn flour egg pancakes was so fragrant.
“The kid was hungry; you wouldn’t feed him?”
Muqing Yunliang had run out to play and wasn’t home, completely unaware he’d become the scapegoat. Xiao Zhou Shi had just gotten up and gone out, probably to find her own child……
Old Li Tou didn’t know when this Zhou Shi had become so generous, but…… Muqing Yunliang was his own grandson too. With Li Gui gone, it was normal for her to feel sorry for those two.
He could only look apologetically at Miaomiao. “Hehe, Miaomiao, next time your grandma will make some for you!”
“Dead girl liar, money-losing goods, still eat egg pancakes—eat shit!” Zhou Shi muttered softly under her breath so only she could hear……
Of course, Luo Zhi’er didn’t hear it, or she’d surely make a fuss.
For some reason, Old Li Tou felt from Miaomiao’s behavior last night that this girl was not simple in the future. Looking at her big black-and-white clear eyes, he felt they couldn’t mistreat her.
Plus, with Luo Zhi’er earning silver, his attitude toward Miaomiao naturally improved……
“Grandpa, since Brother Muqing Yunliang ate them, then he ate them. Miaomiao isn’t hungry!”
“Hehe, this girl has become much more sensible all of a sudden!” This was all thanks to Third Wife’s teaching; he thought even higher of Luo Zhi’er!
Luo Zhi’er had long known the ways of this home—how could they save good food for her and her daughter?
Earlier on the road, Li Sanmao mentioned it, but she didn’t expose it; she just listened as if chatting.
Anyway, she and Miaomiao had already eaten, and it was a fine meal; it didn’t matter……
“But, Third Wife, coming back so early—will it delay the delivery the day after tomorrow?”
Finally…… still complaining she gathered too little…… a reminder.
“Dad, Miaomiao’s Mother and Miaomiao encountered a black bear today!”
Li Sanmao added.
“What? What?”
Old Li Tou was so scared he could barely speak, his face ashen…… He always talked idly about Li Daqiang’s big bear paws and thighs, but if they really ran into a black bear……
He covered his mouth; he couldn’t speak carelessly, and said no more.
Black bear—that thing was a bone-deep terror for the villagers. He’d heard in past years so-and-so got torn apart by a black bear; by the time they found the body, only the skull was left……
If not for a few scraps of tattered clothes cloth, they wouldn’t even know who it was?
And someone else, slapped once and sent flying, died on impact!
An elder they also called Grandpa Li got licked by a black bear; his eyeballs and half his face were gone……
He was lucky to have seen him as a child, wandering the village with that horrific half-face; whoever saw it had nightmares!
Luckily, he’s dead now, never to be seen again!
Zhou Shi shrank back in fright too. “Black…… black bear?”
“Heavens, and you all came back alive!”
“You death-wishing fat hoof, where did you go to court death?”
Old Li Tou also noticed the blood on Luo Zhi’er’s sleeve and said in surprise, “Third Wife, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Dad. That black bear is dead!”
“What? Dead?”
Old Li Tou was even more shocked. A black bear dead?
“You killed it?”
Old Li Tou thought it impossible; with her size, not attracting the black bear’s attention was good enough. He just mentioned it casually.
“No……”
“Dad, it was an outsider hunter!”
Li Sanmao said.
“Oh, like that…… What does this person look like? To kill a black bear? This…… why come to our big mountain to hunt?”
Next sentence key: “This person is so skilled, Third Child—will it affect your future livelihood?”
Looking at this, his hunting skills were better than Li Sanmao’s!
In their minds, in the whole Zhao Li Village, only Li Sanmao did this head-on-pants-waistband livelihood, fearless of death; this area belonged to Li Sanmao’s domain……
Suddenly an unfamiliar hunter appears—this was infringing on his rights……
“Third Wife, what does this person look like? What’s his surname? From where?”
Old Li Tou probed.
Zhou Shi was tense-faced too; she realized the severity!
“I didn’t see clearly. I just helped him throw some stones at the black bear……”
“What? You brainless fat hoof! He hunts his hunt, and you go help? If he succeeds, he’ll know the good stuff in these mountains. Next time, no share for you in this spot—you can drink northwest wind!”
Zhou Shi cursed her.
“That black bear was left there to let him know not to dare come again next time!”
“Third Wife, you…… sigh……”
Old Li Tou sighed. This Third Wife was so honest; how could she not calculate!
Li Sanmao added,
“Dad, that person killed the black bear and gave it all to Zhi’er, so don’t blame Zhi’er……”
“What?”
This shocked Old Li Tou again. A black bear was not simple; so big, it could sell for some silver.
Why did that person give it to her?
Hopefully no ulterior motives?
“Third Child, why didn’t this person take the black bear back when he hunted it?”
“According to Zhi’er, he took the gall!”
“Oh, so that’s it……”
That made sense!
Zhou Shi rolled her eyes at Luo Zhi’er. This fat hoof didn’t know what bewitching drug she’d fed Third Child; look, always speaking up for her!
Old Li Tou pulled Li Sanmao aside to learn about the black bear. Luo Zhi’er carefully protected the Jianlan Orchid, found a spot, and planted it in front of the door!
Mother and daughter buried the soil and watered it……
After hearing Li Sanmao’s account, Old Li Tou hurried to fetch Li Daqiang who was still patrolling the paddy field. The three old men took tools and went to the place she described……
Luo Zhi’er didn’t go because she was too tired from climbing; her plump feet were swollen!
She described the general location; Li Sanmao was familiar with the area, so they knew it.
