The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 420: Wolf Meat Feast

Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Wolf Meat Feast

Old Granny Zhang, upon hearing this, how could she have forgotten such a thing? Her daughter was right; all the income they now enjoyed came from venturing into the mountains, didn’t it?

In the past, their family had only relied on a dozen or so acres of land, but wasn’t life now far more prosperous than before?

However, compared with her daughter’s life, all these were mere external possessions.

"If it really comes to it, and Boss Zhang can’t help, you know how to cultivate Yellow Pine Mushrooms by yourself, don’t you? We’ll just grow them at home. As for gathering wild produce, let your brothers take over. If they don’t work, do they still expect to eat for free? Listen to your mother, you are my lifeblood. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t want to live alone! We have enough money at home now. Mother doesn’t desire wealth or status; I just want you to live safely," she said.

Feeling moved, Wang Yongzhu hugged Old Granny Zhang’s shoulders, "Mother, don’t worry, I understand. Our family’s good days have just begun, and in the future, I’ll let Mother enjoy the service of maids. I know Mother is all for me; rest assured, after today’s incident, the wild products from Chongzi Gou will always be sold to our family."

"With the wild products from Chongzi Gou, our family’s business will not worry anymore. This year is our first time in this business, and there’s so much we don’t know. Come next year, when everyone is experienced, I’ll consider some other business that will allow me to stay home with you. How does that sound?"

Although Old Granny Zhang was still not entirely satisfied, she knew her daughter had a point and could only nod in agreement.

The mother and daughter then went to sleep.

In the Liu Family’s main wife’s room, Father Liu and Mother Liu were still awake.

Father Liu took a puff of his pipe and asked Mother Liu, "Today, our Chongzi Gou has indeed come to owe a huge favor to the Wang Family. I have no idea how to repay this kindness..."

As Mother Liu unfolded the bedding, she casually said, "What’s so hard about that? Haven’t we long heard that the Wang Family deals in buying wild produce? Initially, the Wang Family’s Fourth Child was saved by our child, wasn’t it because he got buried due to a landslide while gathering wild produce? Chongzi Gou might lack other things, but we’ve got plenty of wild goods. I think the Wang Family folks are all decent people. From now on, all the game and wild products from Chongzi Gou could be sold to the Wang Family at a discount. Wouldn’t that work? After all, it doesn’t matter who we sell to. Selling to outsiders, we’d get lowballed anyway, so it’s better to sell to the Wang Family and repay the favor."

Father Liu was stunned and tapped his tobacco pipe, "Wife, your idea is not bad. I’ll discuss it with Brother Huzi and the others tomorrow..."

"Alright, it’s already dead of night, why aren’t you sleeping yet? Will you be energetic tomorrow?" chided Mother Liu.

Father Liu said no more, extinguished his tobacco pipe, and climbed onto the kang bed.

Early the next morning.

The hunters gathered in the Liu Family Courtyard, and the women and children of the household joined them, packing the yard inside and out.

It was Uncle Huzi who saw that this wasn’t ideal and picked a few authoritative figures to handle the situation, directing the rest to wait outside.

After going to the Liu Family’s main wife’s room and murmuring a discussion with Father Liu for a while, they came out and announced that the wolf carcasses brought back yesterday belonged entirely to Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu.

Most were killed by them anyway, and the few left over, hunters from Chongzi Gou felt embarrassed to claim, so they readily gave them away as favors.

Upon hearing this, Old Granny Zhang joyfully looked over the yard full of wolf carcasses, seeing them as nothing but shiny silver.

Without any pretense, she called Song Chongjin over, urging him to skin the wolves quickly so they could extract the meat for jerky and meat sauce.

But was there any need for Song Chongjin to get his hands dirty?

A bunch of hunters were eagerly looking for an opportunity to repay Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu for saving their lives.

Skilled at skinning, a swarm of people dove in, each knowing their task.

Some skinned, while others cut the meat.

The women, too, squeezed in to help, and Liu Family’s stove house wasn’t enough; they set up an earthen stove in the courtyard immediately. Someone brought over a big pot from home, cleaned it, filled it with water, lit a fire, and started boiling the meat.

At this time, Wang Yongzhu was naturally generous, gave a few instructions to Old Granny Zhang, and then thanked everyone for their help.

Making a gesture to Song Chongjin, he understood immediately and invited everyone from the village to a wolf meat feast at noon.

Seeing how generous Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu were, the hunters, who were all straightforward people, felt that the two were worth befriending.

They immediately instructed their wives to bring out the best game from their homes, as they wanted to have a hearty feast today.

The entire village of Chongzi Gou was suddenly abuzz with excitement.

Not only were the hunters happy, but the women and children were also thrilled.

Each ran back home to bring out their best items, filling up the Liu Family Courtyard.

Father Liu and Uncle Huzi from the main wife’s side, seeing the scene in front of them, nodded with joy. To tell the truth, everyone had narrowly escaped death the day before, and it had been a blow to the hunters.

The wolf meat feast today had lifted everyone’s spirits.

This not only improved everyone’s impression of Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu, but as Father Liu thought this, he quietly discussed it with Uncle Huzi and others.

Uncle Huzi and several of the more experienced hunters nodded as they listened.

In the courtyard, the wives from each family came to help out, making light work with many hands. By noon, they had prepared meal settings for seven or eight tables.

When there was not enough room in the courtyard, they simply set up in the center of the village.

Each family brought tables and benches, arranging dishes and utensils.

At the center of every table was a big pot of wolf meat, tenderly stewed, mixed with various kinds of aromatic wild mushrooms.

There were also deer meat, roe deer, grouse, snow rabbit meat, wild sheep legs... plentiful and more sumptuous than a New Year’s feast.

Father Liu, Uncle Huzi, Wang Laozhu, and a few seasoned hunters were keeping company with Song Chongjin and Wang Yongping at one table.

Mother Liu, Old Granny Zhang, Wang Yongzhu, Liu Xiaoqiao, and a few hunters’ wives sat at another table.

The rest of the hunters and their families scattered, filling seven or eight tables to capacity.

Before the feast began, Uncle Huzi, holding up a drink, thanked Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu for saving their lives. Everyone from Chongzi Gou, men and women, young and old, stood up and raised their glasses to the two.

The children, too young to drink alcohol, held up soup bowls in a toasting gesture.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu quickly stood up, picking up their cups in front of them.

Wang Yongzhu hesitated for a moment, but seeing Song Chongjin down the drink in his cup with relish, said nothing more and drank all the wine in her cup in one go.

A spicy sensation entered her throat, and then there was no "after that".

Wang Yongzhu thought the wine would have a strong kick, but it turned out to be slightly spicy upon entry, not very palatable in taste, nor clear in color. After drinking it, aside from a bit of warmth, she felt nothing else.

She was slightly relieved.

Seeing Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu’s forthrightness, the hunters all drained their bowls of wine as well.

The atmosphere quickly became lively.

Seeing the mood was right, Uncle Huzi took the opportunity to announce that from now on, the mountain goods and game from Chongzi Gou would all be sold to the Wang Family at a good price.

Wang Yongzhu knew that this was the hunters of Chongzi Gou showing their gratitude.