Chapter 19: Conditions

Mu Gushui’s expression stiffened; they had indeed said those words.

Village Chief Xu asked with concern, "Zhenzhen, do you intend to take this wild boar to the city to sell, or do you plan to keep it for yourselves?"

Yu Jinzhen sighed, her tone helpless. "My godmother told us that the city gates are currently swarming with refugees. I would like to sell it for money, but I fear the meat would be snatched away by the refugees before I even reached the gates, and it might even cost us our lives."

Mu Gushan showed undisguised greed and said shamelessly, "Then why not divide it among us to eat? You have so much meat that your family won't be able to finish it anyway, and it would be a pity if it spoiled."

Mu Gushui chimed in excitedly, "That’s right, it would be a waste. Besides, we are short on water here. I doubt the water you brought back is even enough for your own needs. Butchering a pig will leave the smell of blood everywhere. If you don't have enough water to wash it clean, you might attract wild beasts from the mountains. It wouldn't matter if you yourselves were bitten, but don't drag the whole village down with you."

Although Mu Gushui was greedy, his words did carry some weight. It was not suitable to butcher the boar in the forest just now; otherwise, they might have been targeted by predators smelling the blood before they could even escape.

Mu Guhuai, who had heard the commotion from the stone cave, climbed down as well. From the conversation, he quickly grasped the situation.

Gao Dali, a notorious loafer in the village, stared at the boar, drooling. "Zhenzhen, why don't you just donate the boar to us? We haven't had meat in a long time. Don't worry, we will remember your kindness."

Hearing this, some people looked at Yu Jinzhen with hopeful eyes.

Yu Jinzhen glanced at the eldest and second Mu brothers, then at the others. Very well, a wild boar truly reveals one's character.

Village Chief Xu said with displeasure, "Gao Dali, you just love getting things for nothing. It’s someone else’s boar, carried back with such difficulty, so why should you get it? If you wanted meat so badly, why didn't you help carry it down the mountain earlier?"

Xu Chengmao added, "Exactly. A young girl brought it down with such effort, and you have the nerve to eat it for free?"

Xu Chengjie huffed, "You don't put in the effort when needed, but now you want to pick up a ready-made prize? Always trying to take advantage of others, and a child at that—as adults, you should be ashamed."

Those who had designs on the boar looked away, feeling guilty.

Yu Jinzhen saw this and said expressionlessly, "You want to eat the boar for free? Fine, but I have one condition."

The Village Chief urged, "Zhenzhen, you must not."

Yu Jinzhen gave him a "don't worry" look.

Gao Dali was instantly delighted. "Tell us, what is your condition?"

Yu Jinzhen sneered, "It’s nothing special. Food can save lives right now, but a house cannot. Everyone knows my family has no place to live. Whoever is willing to give their house to my family, I will give the boar to them. But it must be a decent house; I don't want those drafty, broken shacks or straw huts."

Those who had been eyeing the boar were deeply disappointed.

Gao Dali frowned in displeasure, "How can a wild boar be compared to a house? The money spent on building a house could buy countless wild boars."

Yu Jinzhen replied, "But everyone is short on food now. You won't die without a house, but without food, people will die. Weigh the importance for yourselves."

Gao Dali gritted his teeth, "Do you take me for a fool? If I lose my house, what is the point of staying alive?"

Yu Jinzhen’s expression turned cold. She huffed, "You were the one who took me for a fool first. Look at this: my family has just been separated and we don't even have a home. Not only did you not offer to help, but you kicked us while we were down, forcing me—who has no house—to provide for you who do. Do you have no shame?"

"Even if you aren't willing to part with your houses, you should at least offer something—money, or perhaps extra quilts or clothes from your homes. If you can provide something, we can trade for meat. You want to eat meat without giving anything at all?"

"You!"

The Village Chief felt relieved and huffed, "Zhenzhen is right. If you want to eat meat, pay for it. I will be the first to object if anyone tries to take her meat for free."

Seeing the Village Chief had spoken, Gao Dali had no choice but to give up, and the others dared not say anything more.

"However..." Yu Jinzhen glanced at the unconscious boar and raised an eyebrow. "It is indeed difficult to take it to the city to sell. If I butcher it, my family can't finish it, and if I sell it in the village, I doubt anyone is willing to pay."

Gao Dali’s eyes lit up again. "Exactly, giving it away is the best—"

Before he could finish, he saw Yu Jinzhen staring in one direction, smiling. "The military camp should not be short of money. No matter how poor the imperial court is, it never skimps on the army. I will find time to go to the camp and see if they will buy it."

The Village Chief smiled, "That is a great idea. My family has a flatbed cart; I will have your second and third godfathers accompany you when the time comes."

Mu Guhuai’s eyes widened. "What? Second godfather? Third godfather?"

The Village Chief laughed heartily and briefly recounted what had happened in the forest. "If you don't agree, I won't let my sons accept, but rest assured, even if they do, we won't take advantage of Zhenzhen; we just want to look after her more."

Hearing this, Mu Guhuai said he had no objections, as long as Yu Jinzhen was happy.

Yu Jinzhen replied, "I have no objections. It’s even better to have a cart; I will come to you when I need it."

The Xu family felt at ease. Seeing there was nothing to gain, the others dispersed.

Mu Yiyue looked at his father with excitement, "Father, Sister Zhenzhen is truly amazing. Not only did she catch a wild boar, but she also caught a wild rabbit."

Mu Guhuai felt a bit ashamed, "Zhenzhen, you are truly extraordinary."

Yu Jinzhen pulled the rabbit out for Mu Sanyue to see, then put it back into the basket, which contained food she had prepared for the rabbits along the way. "Let’s keep the rabbits for now and finish the food my family sent first."

The round trip to Tianlei Mountain had taken over four hours. It was now the Shen hour (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM), and it was time to prepare dinner.

The wild boar was still unconscious and wouldn't die for a while; it wouldn't be too late to go to the military camp tomorrow.

...

Before dark, Lady Liu hurried her pace and finally reached the city gates. Using the servant’s token from the General’s Mansion, she returned inside without incident.

As she approached the kitchen, she felt an unsettling atmosphere. Turning her head, she saw Lady Du, a fellow cook, walking toward her with a tray of food, looking dejected.

Lady Liu asked, "What’s wrong? Has the Madam lost her appetite again?"

Lady Du nodded in frustration, "The Madam has always loved my cooking, but she hasn't eaten much for two days now. The steward said if I can't make something the Madam likes by tomorrow, I won't be allowed to serve her anymore."