Chapter 21: Can You Lend Me Some Money?
The trap dug yesterday needs to be checked today. If there’s something big, it would be a bit hard for Lin Nan to handle. Big Tiger just had surgery and shouldn’t move around, so it’s good to let it stay home with Lin Nan.
“Nan Nan, Older Sister is going to the forest to check the trap dug yesterday. Can you stay home with Big Cat and wait?” Lin Xin finished packing up and came to the courtyard to discuss with Lin Nan.
Lin Nan was a bit troubled. He wanted to follow Older Sister but couldn’t leave Big Cat in the courtyard. After a fierce internal struggle in his little heart, he reluctantly nodded. “Then Sis, you have to come back early.”
“Okay, when Sis comes back, she’ll bring something tasty for Nan Nan.”
“Bring some for Big Cat too.”
“Alright, bring some for Big Cat too.”
Having settled the conditions, Lin Xin shouldered the back basket, took the hoe, and went out. She also bolted the door from the outside. Although villagers generally wouldn’t come to her home, what if they did?
Seeing a Big Tiger right upon entering would definitely cause a stir in the village, and who knows what gossip would spread then.
So, bolting the door was the best method.
Lin Xin carried the back basket through the mountain forest. It wasn’t farming season, so quite a few villagers were around. Some greeted her kindly, some looked away pretending not to see her, and others sneaked glances at her with what they thought were subtle gazes.
She didn’t pay much attention to these. She smiled and responded to the greetings, ignoring the rest.
Before reaching the first trap, she could hear faint grunting sounds from far away. They were already very weak, probably stabbed by branches after falling in, not far from death.
She quickened her pace and looked down. Goodness, there were actually two wild boars stacked inside, the smaller one at the bottom already lifeless, the larger one on top injured less severely and still alive, but merely hanging on.
Lin Xin urged a Devil Vine to grow, binding the two wild boars. With a hard yank, the wild boars skewered on branches like candied hawthorns were pulled out of the trap and flung with a “bang” onto the nearby open ground.
She looked around and saw no one. With a wave of her small hand, the two wild boars vanished instantly.
After resetting the trap, Lin Xin headed to the next destination.
The three traps yielded two wild boars, one wild goat, one roe deer, and four wild rabbits. Lin Xin nodded in satisfaction. First time setting traps, and the results were remarkable!
Humming a tune and in a great mood on the way back, she suddenly stopped. What was that plant ahead in the bushes, topped with a headful of vermilion red small fruits?
She parted the waist-high bushes and approached for a closer look. Gem-like red berries were embedded among oval green leaves, with an upright smooth yellowish-green stem extending deep into the soil.
This seemed to be ginseng!
Genuine wild ginseng!
Lin Xin carefully approached and dug up the soil in a twenty-centimeter radius around it with the hoe. Grasping the leaves, she gently pulled upward, and a wild ginseng wrapped in mud was in her hand.
This wild ginseng was clearly quite old, already showing a human-like shape. The rootlets were slender and distinct. Holding it gave a unique sense of heft. Sniffing it closely revealed a rich, lingering medicinal aroma. Its age was estimated at over a hundred years.
This was different from the ginseng she grew with her supernatural ability—it was a true, naturally formed Hundred-Year-Old Ginseng, a real treasure!
Lin Xin stored the wild ginseng along with the mud into the space, pondering to herself that when things hit rock bottom, good fortune follows. That mess in the tiger’s leg before must have been compensated by heaven with this.
Fine then. For this haul of prey and this ginseng, she’d reluctantly let bygones be bygones.
On the way back, she detoured to the riverside grass and caught a few wild ducks, also taking several nests of wild duck eggs. They’d eaten too much wild chicken lately; time for a change.
Carrying her full harvest, Lin Xin walked home happily, but all her good mood ended at the sight of the slender figure lingering at the foot of the mountain, occasionally glancing toward her home.
She recognized her: Lin Duo, the eldest daughter of Lin Laosan and Zhou Shi. Being a girl, she was thoroughly neglected in the Old Lin Family too, but with Zhou Shi as her mother protecting her, her days were better than Lin Xin’s. Before splitting households, she often pushed her chores onto Lin Xin.
But since they were about the same age, they were somewhat close.
However, Lin Xin didn’t think she was here today just wandering idly. She was probably looking for her.
Thinking of whatever trouble the old house might stir up again, impatience flashed in Lin Xin’s eyes. The Old Lin Family folks were just like cockroaches—indestructible and annoying.
She walked home with a cold face, as if not seeing Lin Duo standing there.
Seeing Lin Xin like this, Lin Duo was stunned. In her memory, Lin Xin was that little girl who always kept her head down silently working. Since when did she dare walk with her head up?
Instinctively, as Lin Xin passed by, she reached out and grabbed Lin Xin’s wrist.
Lin Xin stopped, staring expressionlessly at their hands—specifically at Lin Duo’s hand gripping her wrist.
Lin Duo quickly pulled her hand back. For some reason, when Lin Xin’s gaze focused on her hand, she felt her wrist tingling, as if something was scraping back and forth. She even sensed that if she didn’t let go, her hand might permanently part from her wrist.
Her feeling was spot on. The moment her hand touched Lin Xin’s skin, Lin Xin condensed moisture in the air into countless tiny water blades scraping back and forth on Lin Duo’s wrist. If she didn’t let go, they would merge into a large one and sever her hand.
Lin Xin shook her just-grabbed hand, gave Lin Duo a cold glance, and turned to leave. Lin Duo hurriedly called out: “Lin Xin, wait, I have something to talk to you about.”
Lin Xin stopped impatiently, turned to look at her. “What is it?”
“That… ” Lin Duo lowered her head embarrassedly, fiddling with her hem, biting her lip without speaking.
“If you’re not saying, I’m leaving.” Lin Xin turned to go.
“Hey, don’t. I really have something. I… can we talk at your home?”
“No,” Lin Xin said even more impatiently. “Say it here if you have something.”
“I…” Lin Duo seemed to muster her courage and looked at Lin Xin. “Can you lend me some money?”
Seeing Lin Xin’s widened eyes, she quickly added: “Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back later.”
Lin Xin was so exasperated she almost laughed. The Old Lin Family was truly a nest of weirdos. Unable to get things and money by force, they were switching to a soft approach?
“I don’t have any. Last time, in front of everyone, I gave my money to your grandma. Go ask her for it.” Lin Xin turned to leave, thinking she couldn’t interact with the old house people anymore—what if their brain issues were contagious?
“Lin Xin,” Lin Duo screamed: “You know I can’t get money from Grandma! She only has eyes for Eldest Cousin and Yang Ge’er. Even if she has money, she won’t give it to me! Please, lend me some. If I don’t have money, Grandma will sell me to Zheng Tuhu in town as a concubine.”
