Chapter 87: A Bountiful Harvest

Ever since moving out of the Educated Youth Courtyard, Zhang Qian has stopped hiding things; he brings back some wild game every day, and the scent of meat has never once faded.

Every few days, An Yinan also sends some to Li Xiue and Zhao Qiuhua; the two of them are grateful people and often stir-fry some melon seeds or make some meatballs to bring over.

"Can you handle them?" An Yinan was actually surprised; are there still people who buy these?

Zhang Qian nodded, "This wild deer is worth one hundred yuan; that roe deer isn't as expensive at the Black Market, but it's still fifty yuan."

Deer are considered highly nourishing, and wealthy families are very fond of wild deer; moreover, deer are very timid and highly alert, so it is rare to encounter them while hunting in the mountains.

An Yinan widened her eyes, "That much?"

Thinking of her space, it seems there are still six wild deer stockpiled, though she doesn't want to sell them off so quickly. Anything that enters the space has its time frozen; things won't spoil or rot. She isn't in a rush for money right now, but these items will be rare commodities in the future, not to mention that these animals will gradually become protected species, even the wild boars.

Protected animals cannot be hunted or eaten, so these can be saved for later.

However, today's harvest can be handed over to Zhang Qian to deal with.

"Let's check the other two traps in a bit. We'll set aside enough meat for us to eat for two days, and you can take care of the rest." An Yinan acted like a buddy and gave Zhang Qian an affirmative nod.

Zhang Qian smiled helplessly; he only plays the part of a scholar, but he isn't actually a scholar!!!

Chen Xun, can you come over and manage your guy!!!! (Chen Xun indicates that he cannot manage him at all!)

Walking to the fourth trap, their good luck did not continue; there were only two wild rabbits, but compared to the previous harvest, An Yinan was already very satisfied.

The two walked and stopped; their baskets were already full. They had originally planned to hunt in the mountains today, but they hadn't expected that after scouring four traps, the baskets would already be full.

Walking to the last trap, An Yinan widened her eyes once again; they were rich, they were rich.

In the final trap lay another deer, though the deer was no longer warm; it had clearly been dead for some time.

"Keep one small deer; I have other uses for the venison. We'll keep the rest of the venison to have in a hot pot this winter. Sell the other one along with the roe deer. Help me clean the rabbits; I want to make some cured rabbit, and tonight I'll make spicy rabbit, how about that?" An Yinan smiled mischievously, looking wickedly at Zhang Qian's face, which was turning dark as he struggled to hold back.

She had always thought Zhang Qian's Nurturing Qi Technique was very good. She really hadn't seen Zhang Qian lose his composure before, especially when they had just arrived in the countryside and weren't familiar with each other. This guy had the air of a refined gentleman, and if it weren't for his daily movements and habits that gave him away, she really wouldn't have guessed that this guy was a soldier.

And through news from Chen Xun's side, she learned of Zhang Qian's specific identity, which made her feel closer to him. She would crack jokes in her daily life, always challenging herself to see Zhang Qian's calm face break.

Zhang Qian was speechless at her wicked sense of humor, "Make more, otherwise there's no way to soothe my unwilling soul."

An Yinan nodded, "Buddy, I'll make plenty, so that your soul may find rest!"

Zhang Qian indicated that he couldn't win the argument...

The baskets were already full, and that deer was being carried by Zhang Qian. An Yinan kept picking up pebbles; whenever any movement appeared, her pebbles would fly out instantly. After these days of practice, both the accuracy and speed of her pebble-throwing had improved significantly.

"Look at the wind direction and strength now; consider whether the current humidity will cause static electricity—these are all things to consider for accuracy," Zhang Qian kept teaching her from the side.

An Yinan gained a lot; most of it had been her own practice, but now with someone teaching her, the pebbles she threw were even more accurate.

"Hit it." After hitting the seventh wild rabbit, the two of them had their hands full; they truly couldn't carry a single thing more.

"Going back?" Zhang Qian asked.

An Yinan looked at Zhang Qian with disdain and nodded helplessly. If it weren't for this guy being here, she could have thrown them into her space, but with him here, she couldn't throw a single thing!

Zhang Qian inexplicably felt a sense of resentment, but he was completely baffled.

The two deliberately avoided places with people, taking a winding path, and by the time they returned to the courtyard, it was almost dark.

"I'll take these to the river to process them," Zhang Qian said, pointing to the items.

An Yinan pointed to the seven newly caught rabbits, "Process these too."

Zhang Qian didn't say a word; he was very sensible in this regard. Regarding any aspect of cooking, he wouldn't express any opinion and would do whatever he was told.

An Yinan sometimes sighed that whoever becomes Zhang Qian's wife in the future would definitely be a very happy person; he is low-maintenance and hardworking.

An Yinan prepared the seasonings and used another pot to steam a large batch of Steamed Buns.

By the time Beibei returned from the Cowshed, the spicy rabbit and the potato-stewed rabbit were already out of the pot.

"Wow, sister, it smells so good." Beibei smiled, his current state of mind finally like that of a child.

"It is fragrant, I can't even sleep," Xie Yuanyuan licked her lips, looking at the bright red spicy rabbit on one side and the clear-stewed potato rabbit on the other.

Bunnies are so cute, and this is just too delicious.

Zhang Qian also took advantage of the time An Yinan was cooking to help her clean all the wild rabbits, and the deer had been skinned, then chopped into pieces at various joints and placed into their respective basins.

An Yinan told him to put the processed items into the storage room; the reason she kept this deer was that she intended to give it away.

"Beibei, take this plate of potato rabbit to Xiue." An Yinan filled a plate and asked Beibei to deliver it.

Li Xiue couldn't handle spicy food very well, and giving her too much wouldn't be good, so she simply sent one kind.

"Going now." An Xiangbei took the plate from his sister's hand and ran out quickly.

He had to go and return quickly, otherwise Yuanyuan would get there first.

An Yinan kept two more plates of potato-stewed rabbit and one plate of spicy rabbit; the rest were put directly into a large basin. She had specifically bought several large basins in the County for convenience, just to make it easier to hold dishes.

Every time she made a stew, she would just use a large basin, saving the trouble of serving them plate by plate; it was too much of a hassle.

At the very beginning, Xie Yuanyuan was stunned; you can eat like this?

Now, however, she was already used to it; if a small plate were brought out, she would be afraid there wouldn't be enough to eat.

After An Xiangbei returned, the four of them had a hearty meal. When the spicy rabbit hit their mouths, they instantly felt their taste buds explode; a spicy and numbing flavor made their tongues almost lose all sensation.

But the clear-stewed potato rabbit had a salty, savory taste; the meat was tender and smooth, carrying the potato broth, making it perfect with rice.

"Nan Nan, since coming to the countryside until now, I think I've gained three pounds," Xie Yuanyuan said, rubbing her belly, truly unable to eat another bite.