Chapter 18: Small but Not Easy to Deceive

The two of them couldn’t finish two wild rabbits and a wild chicken, so Hu Zhaodi hung the other rabbit and chicken in a place and only roasted one rabbit.

An hour later, the surface of the rabbit was golden and shiny, sizzling with oil, and an enticing aroma wafted through the air.

Having been fleeing since morning, Mo Jinnan couldn’t help but salivate at the smell of the roasted rabbit.

After a whole day of hunger, who could resist such an irresistible scent?

Soon, the rabbit was done roasting.

Hu Zhaodi tore off a leg and handed it to Mo Jinnan.

Mo Jinnan accepted it without hesitation and began to eat.

The moment he took a bite, his eyes lit up instantly.

As the renowned war god prince of the Lingxiao Kingdom, the seventh prince of the current emperor, he had tasted all kinds of delicacies before.

Yet, this was his first time experiencing such delicious roasted rabbit.

He could usually identify all the spices used in his food with ease, but he simply couldn’t figure out the seasonings this girl used for the roasted rabbit.

“Miss, what spices did you use to marinate the rabbit?” Mo Jinnan couldn’t help but ask.

Hu Zhaodi looked up and replied casually, “This is my secret recipe, it’s not meant to be shared.”

Alright! Mo Jinnan didn’t press further and lowered his head to eat heartily.

The more he ate, the more he couldn’t stop. This flavor was even better than what the imperial chefs made. Before he knew it, he had eaten too much.

Despite having endured many hardships in his life, Mo Jinnan was extremely picky when it came to food.

Especially after the emperor ascended the throne and began to target him, sending assassins to kill him now and then, he remained particular about what he ate, even while fleeing.

This meal of roasted rabbit was the most satisfying he had in eighteen years.

After eating the roasted rabbit, Hu Zhaodi found some dry firewood for Mo Jinnan before taking her leave to return to the Ji family.

Once she was out of the mountains, she retrieved the wild chickens, wild rabbits, and the chicken eggs she had caught earlier from her space and carried the bounty back to the Ji family.

After washing up, Hu Zhaodi returned to her room to practice her skills in a meditative position.

The Next Day.

Hu Zhaodi woke up early, had a bit of breakfast with Grandpa Ji, and then hurried off to the county town in a bullock cart.

Upon arriving in the county town, Grandpa Ji said, “Zhaodi, you go ahead and do what you need to do. I have some matters to attend to as well. Let’s meet at the city gate later.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Zhaodi felt like she had struck gold.

Grandpa Ji had something to do, which conveniently saved her the trouble of making up an excuse to sell the game she had in her space.

“Okay, Grandpa, you go ahead! I need to make a trip to the herbal shop. By the way, can I use the bullock cart?”

“Of course! I was wondering where to put the cart, so it’s perfect that you need it.”

“Alright, Grandpa, you go ahead! As usual, we’ll meet at the city gate afterward.”

“Sure, you hurry up too. Remember to get some fabric to make yourself a couple of changes of clothes.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and nodded, then drove off in the bullock cart.

Finding an empty alley, Hu Zhaodi pulled out the carcasses of the wild boar and tiger from her space and loaded them onto the cart.

She then took out a piece of cloth from her space to cover the bodies before driving the cart toward the meat-selling stall.

The last time she had sold a wild boar, the uncle recognized her and immediately greeted her warmly.

“Little girl, did you catch another wild boar?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and replied, “Yes, uncle! I was lucky this time and managed to get several. How many do you want?”

The uncle lifted the cloth to take a look and gasped in surprise, his eyes widening. “So many? I can’t eat that much by myself!”

“Uncle, take as much as you want. I’ll think of a way to handle the rest,” Hu Zhaodi said.

The uncle picked out the fattest wild boar, which weighed three hundred and four pounds. Hu Zhaodi accepted three taels of silver from him.

The uncle also cut a piece of marbled meat and handed it to Hu Zhaodi, introducing her to other vendors.

With the butcher’s help, Hu Zhaodi quickly sold all the wild boar, leaving only the tiger quietly lying on the bullock cart.

The uncle leaned in close to Hu Zhaodi’s ear and whispered, “Miss, you should ask at the biggest restaurant in our county, Fu Man Lou. Perhaps you can sell this tiger there.”

Hu Zhaodi’s eyes brightened, and she smiled as she thanked him, “Okay, thank you, uncle! I’ll go ask at Fu Man Lou right away.”

“Go ahead!”

After bidding farewell to the butcher, Hu Zhaodi inquired along the way and drove her bullock cart to Fu Man Lou.

When she arrived at the entrance, the waiter frowned at Hu Zhaodi, who was dressed in rags, and urged her, “Quickly go away, don’t block our business. This place isn’t for just anyone.”

Hu Zhaodi wasn’t angry; her torn clothes were even worse than those of a beggar, so it was surprising they even spoke to her nicely.

Glancing at the waiter, Hu Zhaodi pulled back a corner of the cloth covering the cart, revealing some tiger fur, and then casually covered it again.

“Ah! Since I can’t come here, I’ll take my leave,” she said.

The waiter blinked in shock, his eyes wide as saucers. “Wait! Don’t go! I’ll go get my boss!”

Of course! Just days ago, someone inquired at Fu Man Lou about tiger meat. That person, judging by his clothing, was either wealthy or of high status—a significant figure.

The owner had already made it clear they were willing to pay a high price for a tiger.

If he let her go, wouldn’t the owner tear him apart?

The waiter hurriedly rushed inside and whispered to the manager, “Boss, there’s someone here selling prey—prey that the owner wants.”

The manager was startled. “What? Are you serious?”

“Absolutely true.”

“Let’s go take a look.”

The manager ran over to Hu Zhaodi’s bullock cart and quietly asked, “Miss, may I have a look? If it’s what our owner wants, the price is negotiable.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded and lifted the corner of the cloth, revealing the tiger’s fur.

The manager’s eyes widened instantly, and his heart raced. “Miss, let’s discuss this in the back courtyard.”

Hu Zhaodi smiled and nodded, driving the bullock cart as she followed the waiter to the back courtyard.

The manager entered the restaurant through the front door and went upstairs to invite the owner, who was chatting and drinking with friends.

Upon hearing there was prey he wanted, the owner immediately got up and headed downstairs.

When the owner of Fu Man Lou saw the intact tiger carcass, he was so excited that his hands trembled slightly.

“Little girl, where did you get this from?”

Hu Zhaodi replied, “I caught it in the mountains. I have an older brother who is very skilled, but he doesn’t want to show his face, so I brought it to handle. Boss, take a look at this big fellow—the fur hasn’t been harmed at all. Can you give me a price?”

The owner examined it carefully, delighted. “Indeed, the fur is unharmed. Miss, I’ll offer you three hundred taels of silver. How does that sound?”

Hu Zhaodi shook her head. “Boss, the fur alone is worth quite a bit of silver, not to mention the tiger bones can be used in medicine—very valuable. Three hundred taels is not enough; I might as well take it back and keep it myself.”

The owner raised an eyebrow; this little girl looked small but was not easy to deceive!

“Then you name a price. As long as it’s not too outrageous, I’ll buy it.”