Chapter 33: Lu Chuan’s Alternative Offer

That old fox!

And to think you’re an educated man!

So scheming!

Lu Chuan snapped back to his senses.

He looked around the room, then fixed his gaze on Sun Zhi. “Village Chief, what do you think?”

“Hehe…”
Sun Zhi let out a dry laugh. After a brief pause, he said, “This is something for you all to discuss. I won’t get involved. But as for my own household, we’ll give up our hunting team slot.”

“Consider it making room for someone else in Shuangshui Village.”

Sun Zhi spoke calmly.

This crafty old man!

Shady as he was, he truly did want to do something good for the villagers.

That hunting team spot was a valuable opportunity, and giving it up wasn’t easy.

“No problem,” Lu Chuan smiled.

Then he turned to the crowd. “If you all think the profit split is unfair, then we can discuss it.”

Upon hearing that, Sun Zhi looked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected Lu Chuan to be so agreeable.

But then, a bad feeling crept into his heart.

“But…”
Sure enough, Lu Chuan changed tone.

“I also think the number of days isn’t quite right. Five days in the mountains is a bit much. Let’s reduce it to three days. We’ll go hunting for just three days. Whatever game we catch in that time—we divide that.”

Lu Chuan’s tone was calm, his eyes sweeping across the group.

Fourth Aunt immediately deflated.

Hunting—hah!

It’s totally normal to go two or three days in a row without catching so much as a hare.

The village had formed hunting teams before. Five days at least gave some guarantee that they’d return with something.

But three days? Unless they had a fixed hunting spot, results were too uncertain.

“Lu Chuan!”
Sun Zhi spoke up. “Three days is really too short. During slack seasons, people can’t just sit around at home!”

“Let’s keep it at five.”

Lu Chuan shook his head slightly.

He looked at Sun Zhi. “Village Chief, I understand your intentions.”

“But this brings me no benefit. I have to spend time and energy leading them into the mountains. They’ll even end up learning my hunting techniques.”

“Am I just supposed to give all that for free?”

Lu Chuan spread his hands, his expression growing more serious.

To lead the group up the mountain, he’d have to explain a lot—precautions, techniques, how to defend themselves in danger, how to set traps, and so on.

In these times, the old saying often comes true: Teach the apprentice, starve the master.

Unless there’s deep trust, most people would rather hold something back.

“Yeah.”
Lu Chuan’s gaze softened a little. Looking at everyone present, he seemed to relax.

What a joke.

Even if you suffer losses, you don’t do it forever.

Lu Chuan scanned the room. After a brief smile, he spoke again: “Honestly, I’ve got a lot on my plate. At home, it’s not just me—there are three mouths to feed.”

“And none of them can work.”

“So I’ve got to find a way to survive, don’t I?”

At that, Fourth Aunt gritted her teeth. “Alright, Chuanzi, we’ll compromise. You can take half of the catch!”

“Still five days!”

Fourth Aunt spoke up, “If your family needs something, we will definitely help!”

Lu Chuan fell silent.

He shook his head helplessly. “Fourth Aunt, this isn’t what we agreed upon. I came here today to finalize the selection. For the hunting team, I plan to gather 11 people in total!”

“That means, besides myself, there are 10 spots available!”

“I don’t intend to argue about these things with you here.”

“How about this—I’ll write a Hunter’s Journal.”

“I’ll include some precautions and tips, like how to make traps, and all the information I know. Then, Uncle Sun can teach you.”

“You can learn it on your own and head up the mountain to hunt!”

“Whatever you catch, you can distribute it as you wish. How does that sound?”

Lu Chuan’s voice was calm.

He hadn’t originally planned to take the villagers into the mountains. He had the space and the ability to live well in the forest all by himself. Plus, he could go wherever he pleased.

“Really?”

At this moment, Fourth Aunt’s eyes lit up!

Hunting, huh?

Even a young child who hasn’t even grown a full set of fur can go hunting, so if they learn a few tricks, can’t they do it too?

“Yeah.”

Lu Chuan nodded.

“But my suggestion is this—keep the hunting team, and you can freely distribute whatever game you catch!”

“As for me, I’ll share everything I know with you.”

“But you’ll need to buy your own tools and make traps and such.”

Lu Chuan spoke very seriously.

“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”

At this point, Sun Zhi quickly stood up and said, “I’m also worried that Lu Chuan might withhold some knowledge during the teaching process.”

Lu Chuan smiled. “I don’t mind, but I won’t compromise on the distribution.”

“You can choose between the two options!”

After saying this, Lu Chuan looked at Sun Zhi.

Sun Zhi seemed to want to say something but noticed Lu Chuan shaking his head slightly.

Only then did Sun Zhi’s anxious thoughts gradually subside.

“Are you sure we can go hunting after we learn all this?” Fourth Aunt asked, raising her head.

Lu Chuan gave a bitter smile.

“When I go into the mountains, whether or not I get game is all about luck.”

“Sometimes, it’s normal to go one or two days without seeing anything. And hunting is dangerous—sometimes, one misstep and you could run into tigers, leopards, wild boars, or bears…”

“I can only say, I’ll write down everything I know.”

“But how much you can learn and apply will depend on your own abilities!”

Lu Chuan continued with a smile, “But this way, you won’t have to worry about someone else taking your share of the catch.”

The villagers began to murmur among themselves.

Lu Chuan’s idea was indeed tempting.

Although the things he would write might not turn them into skilled hunters, hunting small game like rabbits or pheasants should be manageable.

Larger game would require luck and teamwork, something Lu Chuan couldn’t teach them.

“Can we go back and discuss it?”

At this moment, Fourth Aunt looked at Lu Chuan, clearly torn.