Chapter 29: An Unconventional Seller

“Leng Shugen and Ma Dahua were so scared they peed their pants, but they still managed to retain a sliver of composure, pulling the two children out of the latrine.

Before they could even scramble into the house, the dark shadow ‘whooshed’ down from the roof again, passing over their heads and disappearing outside the courtyard.

Leng Shugen and Ma Dahua fainted dead away at the sight.

It was Leng Tiezhu and his wife who heard the commotion and ran out, dragging the adults and children into the house. Otherwise, they would have frozen to death outside last night.”

Bai Changpu spoke with a gleeful chuckle, making no attempt to hide her schadenfreude.

Leng You looked at Xiang Wentian.

Their eyes met briefly, then both naturally lowered their gaze. Only they understood the unspoken message exchanged.

In this harsh winter ravaged by blizzards, a wave of warmth slowly flowed through Leng You’s heart.

“What, there really was a ghost?” Wen Jiuyue’s face paled.

“They did too many wicked things, so they thought a ghost came knocking. Little did they know, the real ghosts are in their hearts. Heh…” Xiang Huaixin sneered, glancing casually at his son.

Xiang Wentian kept his eyes lowered, lost in thought.

“Exactly, it’s because they have ghosts in their hearts that they always think they see ghosts.

You can’t imagine what the Leng family looks like now.

When I entered the house… my god! I almost fainted from the stench! The whole house reeked of feces and urine.

The whole family was lying on the kang, some feverish and groaning, some babbling nonsense, some staring blankly. It was incredibly satisfying to see.”

Bai Changpu spoke excitedly, gesturing with her hands.

“Did you treat them?”

Except for Leng You, the Leng family were inherently bad seeds, having wreaked havoc on Daxueshan Village for years. Wen Jiuyue and her husband had also suffered greatly at their hands, so even with their kind hearts, they couldn’t feel any sympathy for this family.

“I did. I gave them some coptis water to purge the filth from their bellies. It’ll help.

But I also told them that the best cure is to stop having wicked thoughts and stop doing wicked deeds, otherwise, not even the gods can save them.

And I gave them some acupuncture.”

A mischievous smile spread across Bai Changpu’s face as she spoke of acupuncturing the Leng family.

Such a good opportunity presented itself; Bai Changpu felt she would be doing Leng You a disservice if she didn’t seize the chance to vent her anger.

The thought of Leng Shugen and Ma Dahua wailing in agony made Bai Changpu laugh until her stomach ached.

Leng You twitched the corner of her mouth.

She knew Bai Changpu’s character well. Years of hardship hadn’t extinguished the inherent loveliness, childlike playfulness, and innocence within her.

Wen Jiuyue stifled a laugh. She found it very satisfying.

Xiang Wentian remained expressionless. This wasn’t over; for some wicked people, a living death was the best punishment.

When Xiang Wentian and the others returned, they carried a large basin of wild chicken and a large basin of rice for breakfast the next day.

In this season, Leng You could only still use the cooking pot and the kang to dry and process the herbs. She planned to process more before selling them.

When they went to the county town today, Xiang Wentian carried a large burlap sack on his back, filled with the game they had caught yesterday.

They still went to Hu Liu. Rather than selling them one by one, it was better to lower the price slightly and sell them all at once.

“Uncle Hu Liu, my relative makes a living hunting these animals. They caught a lot in this snowy weather, and I would appreciate it if you could help sell them.

These two rabbits and this pair of wild chickens are for you.”

Leng You placed the two largest rabbits and the fattest pair of wild chickens on the ground in front of Hu Liu.

“Oh… what kind of relationship do we have? I can’t accept this, please put them away.” Hu Liu genuinely refused.

Leng You’s call of “Uncle Hu Liu” softened his heart, making him want to keep this incredibly endearing little girl as his daughter.

But he only dared to think it. Her brother was too intimidating; he didn’t even dare to make eye contact with him.

“You must take them, because I’ll need your help selling the game I catch in the future.” Leng You’s sincerity made it impossible for Hu Liu to refuse.

“If that’s the case, then I won’t be polite. Thank you, girl!

Da Sanzi, go find Liu Dazui and tell him there’s good stuff here.”

Hu Liu immediately sent someone to find him.

Soon, a middle-aged man with an exceptionally large mouth followed Da Sanzi into the courtyard.

“Dazui, come and take a look. These are fresh and plump game. You’ve always been short of these, haven’t you!” Hu Liu beckoned Liu Dazui.

“Only this little bit?” Liu Dazui looked at the game on the ground with a rich and arrogant expression.

“My relative is a skilled hunter, I’m afraid you won’t want that much.” Leng You tested the waters.

“Impossible, I’ll take as many as you have, I’m just afraid you don’t have enough.” Liu Dazui felt somewhat looked down upon, especially by such a small child.

“Let’s talk price!” Leng You was sure that Liu Dazui could handle all their goods in the future.

“Dazui, don’t play games, this is my niece.” Hu Liu’s face showed a warning.

“Oh, I see!

Since she’s Six Uncle’s relative, I’ll give you a fair price!

These game are quite plump. I’ll give you five yuan for each rabbit and chicken, and two yuan for each quail. How does that sound?”

Liu Dazui wanted to haggle the price down, but after receiving Hu Liu’s warning, he quickly abandoned the idea. He absolutely couldn’t offend Hu Liu, unless he wanted to stop doing business in Bei’an County.

“Deal!” Leng You immediately nodded.

This price far exceeded her expectations. She knew it was entirely due to Hu Liu’s intervention, which made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Everyone knew that the average worker’s monthly salary was only forty or fifty yuan. This price was outrageously high by that standard.

“Let’s count the number.” Hu Liu seemed satisfied with the price Liu Dazui offered.

“Fourteen rabbits, twenty-five chickens, thirty-seven quails, a total of two hundred and sixty-nine yuan. For our first cooperation, just give me two hundred and sixty yuan.”

As long as they weren’t enemies, Leng You didn’t want to be a bully, so she subtly compensated Liu Dazui.

“Ah? This…” Liu Dazui’s mouth opened wide in shock, having never encountered such an unconventional seller.

“Silly child, do you think Dazui won’t make money at this price? He will, it’s just that he’ll earn relatively less.

His buyers aren’t ordinary people, and these things are rare in Bei’an County, so the price is naturally high.”

What to do, Hu Liu wanted to keep this endearing little girl even more.