After waiting half the morning with no sign of Hou Li, several customers came to buy wild rabbits and hazel grouse from Huo Ling’s stall. He turned them all away, saying the game was reserved for regulars who’d arrive first.

A middle-aged man refused to leave upon hearing this, pestering him, “What old customers? It’s almost noon, and they still haven’t shown up. By the time the rabbits and pheasants are sun-dried and limp, they won’t fetch a good price. I think that guy is doing this on purpose! Young man, why not catch two for me? I’ll take them to the eatery early to find someone to cook them for my drink.“

Huo Ling seemed utterly flummoxed by the man’s persistence. With obvious reluctance, he pointed to the two smaller ones in the middle. ”It’s not that I don’t want to sell them to you, but my regular customer already placed an order for them. Otherwise, as a mountain traveler, when have I ever dealt in hunting goods? But seeing your earnest desire, you may choose one from these two. We’re both honest folk—let’s settle on a fair price.”

The middle-aged man grumbled, “These two are as skinny as sticks. What good are they? Bring me the fat one.”

Huo Ling still refused. The middle-aged man couldn’t help but retort, “What merchant is as stubborn as you?”

“But I’ve already promised it to someone else. It wouldn’t be right to go back on my word. If you like it, Brother, just give me a heads-up next time. I’ll save it for you at the next market day. I’ll make sure no one else buys it, just like today.”

For customers, a vendor’s stubbornness in such matters was actually a good sign. It showed they were trustworthy, not the type to pull fast ones like shortchanging weights or passing off inferior goods as premium.

Hearing this, the man’s expression softened slightly. After a pause, he said, “Never mind picking. I’ll take both. What’s your price?”

Wild game differed from farm-raised chickens, ducks, or pigs. Hunters typically quoted prices based on market conditions, which fluctuated. There was one rule: larger game, like roe deer or wild sheep, was sold by weight, while smaller game had a fixed price.

Beyond that, the most distinguishing factor was size and fat content.

“Originally, one was sixty wen and the other fifty. Since you’re taking both, I’ll sell them for fifty wen each. Just give me one silver coin, and they’re yours.”

Though hazel grouse meat is tender, its sheer abundance makes it commonplace. For an experienced hunter, catching and selling them requires little effort. Combined with their small size, this price was already quite reasonable.

Consider a plump hen—worth two hazel grouse—which fetches only seventy or eighty coins at the poultry market.

For a hundred-odd coins’ worth of business, the middle-aged man didn’t quibble over saving ten coins. He agreed readily, “Then tie them up for me.”

Huo Ling opened the straw cage and pulled out two hazel grouse for him to inspect closely.

While in the cage, the hazel grouse had their legs bound, forcing them to lie flat. After being caught, their wings were also tied to prevent flailing while being carried.

The man handed the coins to Huo Ling, who was busy tying the hemp rope. Seeing this, she said, “You can give it to my husband instead.”

Yan Qi stepped forward to take the coins. After counting them carefully, he handed over a small bundle of wild sunflower greens, fresh and clean.

“This bundle is on the house.”

Sunflower greens weren’t worth much, but who would refuse a freebie?

Besides, the man had seen many wild vegetable sellers along the way. Many had mud still clinging to their produce, as if that were the only way to prove freshness. But the truth of freshness could be seen in the leaves.

This batch was indeed neatly prepared. He wouldn’t need to spend time cleaning them at home; just a few rinses in water and they’d be ready for the pot.

“Thanks.”

He carried the pheasant in one hand and the greens in the other. Before leaving, he asked Huo Ling which village he was from, noting he always came to the market.

“I’m from Xiashan Village, surnamed Huo. My family has been gathering mountain produce for three generations. If you want the best mountain goods, come find me. I’m here every first and fifteenth day of the month, just circling around the City God Temple. You’re sure to spot me.”

“Alright, I’ll remember that.”

After the man left, they sold a few more pounds of tender thorn buds and two pounds of monkey leg vegetables. Not much remained.

Yan Qi felt the weight of the copper coins inside his money pouch through the fabric. Glancing toward the street, he murmured, “I wonder why Brother Hou hasn’t arrived yet. Perhaps something has delayed him.”

“Likely so.”

Huo Ling remained unhurried. He knew Hou Li’s obsession with “eating.” Even if he himself was occupied, Hou Li would likely send one of his household attendants to handle matters sooner or later.

His hunch proved correct. Roughly half an hour later, a blue-clad servant appeared, peering around warily as he approached.

Having accompanied Hou Li here before, the boy recognized Huo Ling. Approaching with courtesy, he said, “Master Huo, my master is detained by business and sent me in his stead. He says if you have any wild pheasants here, he’ll buy them all. Should you have another game, he’d like to see that too.”

His demeanor was worlds apart from that of the so-called gentleman from the Cheng household who’d come to buy vegetables.

Huo Ling immediately opened the cage for him to see. “I won’t hide it from you—I caught five. Some fellow insisted on buying them, haggling for ages. I sold him two scrawny ones, but the three plump ones I saved for Brother Hou.”

The young servant nodded. “Three is just the right number.”

He then asked to see the wild rabbit. Though it had been caged for several days and its fur had grown dull, it was still a robust, large male rabbit. He bought that one too.

Huo Ling settled the account: two taels for the three hazel grouse, fifty wen for the hare. Had it not been for Hou Li, he would have charged twenty wen more for the hare alone.

Finally, he grabbed a handful of kidney grass—always plentiful at the stall—and slipped it privately to the young servant.

“Take this back, young man. Steep it in water to drink.”

Most men beamed at the sight of kidney grass, and this boy, though only thirteen or fourteen, was no exception.

This herb didn’t grow at the foot of the mountain, but he did have some at home—a gift from his master.

“Thank you, Master Huo.”

Servants were sharp folk. Tucking away his gifts, the boy added, “I also need to pass a message for my master. He’s found the dog owner in Dongjia Village, whom we discussed last time. Word is they’re well-regarded in the village—honest, decent folk. The female dog they want to breed was acquired by chance, but she’s incredibly loyal and alert.”

The servant continued, “Just a few months back, during winter, a thief broke into Dongjia Village. Thanks to that dog, it bolted out and bit a chunk out of the thief’s calf. So this family wants to find a good stud to breed a litter—not to sell for silver, but to keep one or two for themselves. Their relatives and friends also want to take some home to guard their courtyards.”

Yan Qi listened to this lengthy account, astonished that the young man before him could recall it all.

Judging solely by this, the Dong family truly seemed exceptional. That the bitch had successfully pursued and bitten the thief showed both courage and cunning.

He now found himself, much like the prospective father examining the child, already subconsciously weighing his options.

Huo Ling, clearly satisfied, offered sincere thanks. “Brother Hou, you’ve been so thoughtful and helpful. How could I possibly accept payment for that wild creature?”

He turned to Yan Qi. “In that case, please return the fifty wen for the wild rabbit to the young master.”

Just as Yan Qi reached for his money pouch, the young servant hopped up eagerly. “Absolutely not! Master specifically instructed me to bring this up only after we finished shopping. He said it was just a passing inquiry—no trouble at all.”

Perhaps fearing Huo Ling would continue to insist, the boy bid farewell, then hurried off with his purchases, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Yan Qi could only fasten his money pouch again, sighing, “Brother Hou truly is a thoughtful man.”

How could Huo Ling not agree? He nodded. “Next time we go to the mountains, let’s see what rare treasures we can find. It’ll also be a way to thank him for looking out for our business.”

As for the Kang family, no one mentioned them now. Everyone sensed something was off, but matters concerning wealthy families were best not probed too deeply, lest it invite trouble.

After discussing it, the two decided that once back in the village, they would inform Huzi’s father. If the other side was still interested and the timing was right, they would send Dager over as soon as possible.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“I thought you’d forgotten about it. Four or five days ago, I ran into Dong Chengcai in town, and we chatted about it for a while. He said the timing is perfect now! I promised to ask around again and was planning to come find you today.“

At Huzi’s home, two cups of water sat on the table. Upon hearing the purpose of Huo Ling and Yan Qi’s visit, Huzi’s father rejoiced: “If you ask me, this should’ve been agreed to ages ago. I know Dong Chengcai fairly well—honest folk, that family. The bitch they want to mate with Dager is quite the character, too. Heard she even caught a thief, saving a bunch of other households from trouble. Because of that, lots of folks brought meat and bones over to their place.”

Huzi, who had been eavesdropping nearby, perked up at this and jumped excitedly from the kang. “Dad, can we get a dog too?”

His father shot back without mercy, “What dog? You three boys haven’t even learned to take care of yourselves yet. One more mouth to feed and we’d be starving.”

Huzi’s family was growing rapidly. He was the second son, with an older brother three years his senior and a baby brother just one year old, who was wailing loudly in another room right now.

Few families in the village could manage three sons. Many envied Huzi’s parents. It was true that families with more sons held more sway in the village, but three boys were no easy task to raise.

Ever since the youngest son was born, Huo Ling felt Huzi’s father had aged several years.

Huzi tried to make trouble again. His father swiftly grabbed the broom from the bed and raised it to strike him. Huzi immediately jumped off the bed, clutching his bottom as he fled in panic.

Huo Ling and Yan Qi exchanged amused glances. It had to be said, having children in the house truly brought liveliness.

After agreeing with Huzi’s father that they would stay an extra day at the mountain foot to await a reply, the two women walked home together.

Dager, unaware he’d already been promised to someone, was still playing tug-of-war with Huo Ying in the courtyard. This game involved a thick grass rope tied in a knot—he’d bite one end while people tugged the other, pulling back and forth in playful competition.

When Dager played this game, he adjusted his strength based on his opponent. If facing Huo Ling or Huo Feng, he’d pull with all his might, nearly knocking them over.

If it were Yan Qi or Ye Suping, he’d only exert 70-80% effort, still winning but not making them stumble.

With Huo Ying, it was purely a formality—out of five rounds, it would even let the little girl win one.

They had just finished a round when they entered. Dager had won, and upon seeing its owner’s home, it abandoned the grass rope and bounded over, jumping and prancing.

Huo Feng learned that Huzi’s Dad would have news tomorrow. “Hopefully it works out,” he said. “If puppies are born, I’ll take one back to train. It’ll be extra help up in the mountains. Store-bought pups? Nothing compares to Dager’s lineage.”

Having raised Dager all these years, he no longer resented Huo Ling for spending a fortune on the dog back then. Dager was simply unlike any other dog.

If someone offered money for Dager now, forget a dozen taels—he wouldn’t trade him for a hundred.

That evening, while eating mutton, Yan Qi gave Dager an extra bone and a separate bowl of offal, saying it was to nourish him well so the trip wouldn’t be in vain.

The mutton proved well-earned. By late morning the next day, Huzi’s father arrived in haste, announcing the Dong family had agreed. He asked if Dager could be delivered that very afternoon.

“Delaying risks missing the breeding window. If we miss it, we’ll have to wait for the next cycle.”

Now it wasn’t just the Dong family in a hurry—the Huo family was anxious too, both desperate to get their puppies as soon as possible. They agreed instantly. After lunch, Huo Ling and Yan Qi led Dager to Dong Village.

Passing through Sanjia village, they stopped at the butcher’s to buy a bag of large bone-in cuts and a pound of meat for the mother dog.