Chapter 23

Chen Wuji originally thought the five catties of snake meat that Xiong Paozi had set aside would no longer be needed.

As it turned out, when he was about to reach his home's door, Xiong Paozi suddenly rushed over in a hurry.

"Wuji, where's my meat? Give it to me quick, Chen Luozi has gone mad, I'm afraid I can't avoid a round of Sun Glare today." Xiong Paozi's nose bruised and face swollen, panting, he quickly fished out fifteen copper coins from his clothes and shoved them into Chen Wuji's hand.

Chen Wuji passed the meat over, "Should I go persuade you? It's not good for you two men to be doing this Sun Glare thing."

Xiong Paozi stared blankly at Chen Wuji for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Unbelievable, unbelievable, a married man is different, you little brat actually know how to say such things."

He shoved Chen Wuji, laughing, "Go about your business, it's still uncertain who'll give whom a Sun Glare between us two; Chen Luozi is rather delicate among men, I don't mind."

Chen Wuji instantly felt dirty.

He already had the image of those two fighting shirtless in his mind...

Can't bear to watch!

Having pocketed the money, Chen Wuji dragged the huge python back home.

In the kitchen, the sole oil lamp burned as Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei sat by the stove stripping hemp fibers.

Hemp is one of the most important materials for the common people of this era.

As long as it's not a place for growing grain, even in the tiniest corner where standing is difficult, villagers refuse to give it up and will definitely plant a few hemp stalks.

Firelight glowed in the stove cavity, the big iron pot passed down for two generations bubbled with large bones, meat fragrance filling the air.

Although reborn in this era, it's terrible, like a lump of feces.

But at this moment, the small kitchen illuminated by the firelight is the embodiment of happiness.

One wife and one concubine both beautiful and virtuous; even if life is poor, it is full of hope.

A commotion at the courtyard gate startled Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei, who had been speaking softly in the kitchen; they hastily put down what they were holding, took up the oil lamp, and went out.

"Has my husband returned?"

"Wuji, why are you so late today?"

The two had just exchanged greetings when they saw the huge snake body behind Chen Wuji.

Huo Sanniang jumped back a step in fright, "Wuji, is it dead?"

Shen Youwei, instead of retreating, moved forward, already beside the python measuring its length with her arm, "Sister, it must be dead; if it weren't, how could my husband dare drag it? This snake is huge—I've never seen such a big snake before, its waist is thicker than mine."

"How could your little waist compare to anyone's? You still need to eat more." Huo Sanniang said, also moving closer.

Chen Wuji wanted to say, one should eat more, but the waist had better not get thick.

Shen Youwei's current slender waist is already perfect.

Two hands gripping it is just right for exerting force.

"Mother, this snake is almost undergoing Dragon Transformation." Huo Sanniang glanced at the sinister, terrifying snake head, then exclaimed involuntarily, forcing a bitter smile, "Wuji, you say you always hunt these strange oddities; how did you kill such a big fellow? Wait, are you injured?"

Chen Wuji nodded, "I chopped it; it wasn't willing, its strength far exceeded mine, I fell a few times and broke the skin a bit."

"If you're going to chop someone, they definitely won't be willing; let me see how serious it is!" Huo Sanniang said anxiously.

Chen Wuji patted the weasel at his waist, "Dear, this one is quite willing; when I chopped it, it didn't make a sound."

"You really found it?" Huo Sanniang lifted Chen Wuji's clothing, examining the wound, glanced at it, and asked in surprise.

"Just happened to run into it; when I came down the mountain, it seemed to be waiting for me by the roadside, so I chopped it with one blow." Chen Wuji said.

Huo Sanniang frowned, "How could it be that coincidental?"

"Hmm."

After a thorough check, Huo Sanniang sighed in relief, "Good, it's just a skin break, though the area is somewhat large; don't go up the mountain these few days, rest well at home. With this snake and the weasel, the silver for tax should be enough, and we now have food at home."

"I boiled the Mountain God today… although it is the Mountain God, to waste such fine bones would really be a pity."

Chen Wuji had just seen it.

Huo Sanniang being able to think that way is simply perfect.

These are the bones he deliberately left behind, enough for the three of them to eat for two or three days.

"The Mountain God won't mind; this was a gift from the Mountain Lord." Chen Wuji echoed.

The villagers of Xishan Village have an extraordinarily high reverence and worship for heaven, earth, and nature; he needs to timely give Huo Sanniang a strong excuse for eating the Mountain God, lest she eat the meat and feel uneasy in heart and belly.

Huo Sanniang nodded lightly, helped Chen Wuji untie the rope around his waist, and asked gently, "Wuji, what do you plan to do with the snake meat?"

"Eat."

"Or we could keep a small portion and sell the rest for grain. Such a big snake should easily fetch four or five hundred wen. The weasel already has a buyer, worth three hundred wen; after paying tax we might still have two or three hundred wen left, enough to exchange for about a hundred catties of millet." Huo Sanniang whispered, calculating how to arrange the snake.

Chen Wuji took out the money he had just sold, "Dear, the money sold at the village entrance—you count it, I don't know how much."

He had sold about a hundred wen at the village entrance, but the snake meat actually only came from a small cut on the neck.

This snake could sell for four or five hundred wen; Huo Sanniang's estimate is clearly conservative.

"You've already sold this much? My Wuji has grown capable, truly become an adult, how wonderful." Huo Sanniang said delightedly.

She leaned under the oil lamp to count the copper coins and casually asked, "Wuji, how many wen did you sell it for?"

Her tone was soft and sweet, with a gentle lilt, truly like coaxing a child.

"Three wen."

"Three wen? You sold it too cheap; snake meat is tasty, at least it should be priced like pork." Huo Sanniang murmured, then paused and praised, "However, Wuji being able to do business is already very good; these details don't matter."

Chen Wuji also knew it was cheap.

But at that time he didn't know whether this thing was edible, so he could only live up to the fool's reputation and sell it cheap.

"One hundred thirteen wen, Wuji, that's a lot!" Huo Sanniang said joyfully after finishing counting the copper coins.

Chen Wuji felt even more like a gullible fool.

Lost on the hemp.

"Go rest, check the fire in the stove; I'll take Youwei to handle the snake meat." Huo Sanniang pushed Chen Wuji.

"I'll come, I'm not tired." Chen Wuji shook his head.

This snake is too big; with their two people's strength, they definitely can't handle it.

After a standoff, Chen Wuji secured the task of cutting up the snake meat.

Huo Sanniang lit a fire in the courtyard for illumination, then stood aside and helped Chen Wuji together with Shen Youwei.

As for the fire in the bathhouse, it became a chance to go check it out.

Outside the small courtyard where meat fragrance filled the air, a sneaky figure crept around.

He shrank his neck, took two deep breaths of the scent spreading in the air, and the corners of his mouth sank together gloomily.

"You still eat meat, Laborers will eventually ruin your family and grind your bones into powder to feed the dogs!"