Chapter (7): A Trip to the Port City to Sell the Great Wild Boars (Part 2)
By then, the first and third daughters-in-law of the Bai family had heard the news and arrived at the small hut. Bai Mei had been as curious as the other villagers, eyeing the boars, but she followed her sisters-in-law inside the moment she saw them.
The eldest daughter-in-law, Zhou Shi, was a lazy woman with a sharp, coarse tongue. The third daughter-in-law was a Ge'er, yet he was nothing like Xiao Han; Su Shi was as cunning as a fox, with calculating eyes that could make one's skin crawl.
Bai Mei did not get along with either of them. They had been the most vocal in pressuring the family to kick her second brother out of the main house. Because she loved her brother, she harbored a deep resentment toward these two who never had a kind word for Bai Li.
Inside, while the older women spoke, Xiao Han held his little ones close, listening in silence without interjecting. He wouldn't mind if his mother-in-law took charge of his husband's earnings; he knew it was for their own protection. At the very least, his in-laws were good people who loved the children and possessed a strong sense of fairness.
The other Bai daughters-in-law entered the cramped space. Zhou Shi spoke first: "Mother, we came as soon as we heard."
Su Shi followed closely behind, his eyes darting around the interior of the humble hut. When his gaze landed on Xiao Han and the children, a flicker of disdain crossed his face. He had never set foot in this house before; had it not been for the news of the wild boars, he wouldn't have dreamt of coming here in his entire life. He loathed how much the Bai family had once favored Bai Li.
Zhou Shi was no different. This was her first time inside her brother-in-law's home. It was as destitute as she had imagined—a shack that couldn't begin to compare with the Bai family's sturdy brick house. At that moment, both felt a smug sense of superiority over the low status of Bai Li's household.
Bai Mei, who had followed them in, saw those expressions and felt a surge of fury. Her second brother now owned two massive wild boars, yet these people still dared to look down on him?
Du Shi and Mo Shi stopped their conversation as the others entered. Bai Li's affairs were none of these daughters-in-law's business.
Zhou Shi sat down on the kang bed, resting a hand on her protruding belly as if to ensure no one missed the fact that she was pregnant.
"Mother, that boar in front of the house is truly massive. Is it really true that Second Brother-in-law hunted it himself?"
Before Mother Bai could respond, Bai Mei snapped, "What is that supposed to mean, First Sister-in-law? My second brother hunted pheasants just yesterday—didn't you eat your fill of them then?"
Zhou Shi was momentarily embarrassed by Bai Mei's bluntness, but she was thick-skinned enough to brush it off.
"Little Sister, I'm just surprised. A wild boar isn't like a pheasant. Pheasants are easy to find, but boars are dangerous, aren't they?"
Bai Mei wasn't having it. She had found this woman increasingly insufferable since she became pregnant.
"Goodness! If pheasants were as easy to catch as you say, everyone would be eating meat every day. Don't talk such nonsense!"
Zhou Shi ignored Bai Mei and turned her attention back to Mother Bai.
"Mother, that boar is so big. If it's made into dried meat, just one would be enough to last Second Brother-in-law's family through the whole winter."
She then added pointedly, "Since Su Shi and I are both pregnant for the first time, it would be wonderful if we could eat more meat. It would be so good for the babies' health, wouldn't it, Mother?"
Zhou Shi's intention was transparent. Since two of the four pheasants caught yesterday had been sent to the main Bai house, she believed one of the two wild boars should be handed over as well.
Su Shi shared her thoughts, though he didn't care much for the meat itself. He hoped that if the Bai house received a boar, they would sell it and Mother Bai would distribute some of the silver to them. Both were driven by pure greed.
The faces of Mother Bai and Du Shi darkened at Zhou Shi's words. Bai Mei's eyes flashed with anger. These two never saw any good in Second Brother, yet the moment he finds success, they want to leech off him for free. How ridiculous!
Mother Bai, knowing her daughters-in-law only too well, shut down their hopes immediately.
"First Daughter-in-law, use your head. How could your second brother afford to eat such valuable meat? They must be sold, of course."
Zhou Shi wasn't ready to give up. If she couldn't have the meat, she wanted the silver. "Then the money would be quite a lot—"
She was cut off by Bai Mei.
"The money belongs to Second Brother! Have you forgotten? Second Brother has already officially split from the family! Are you trying to manage your brother-in-law's finances? People might get the wrong idea. If you want to talk about money, go out and hunt something yourself!"
Bai Mei's blunt accusation made even someone as shameless as Zhou Shi blush with shame. She glanced guiltily at Du Shi and Mother Bai, then peeked at Xiao Han.
"Little Sister! What are you saying in front of Xiao Shi (Xiao Han)? He might misunderstand! I only meant they would get a lot of silver!"
For a sister-in-law to try and control her brother-in-law's money was a scandalous matter. If word got out, people might even whisper of an illicit affair between Bai Li and Zhou Shi.
Xiao Han said nothing. He simply held his sons and listened in silence. He didn't for a moment believe there was anything between Bai Li and Zhou Shi; Bai Li was a scoundrel, but he had high standards—he wouldn't spare a glance for someone like Zhou Shi.
Bai Mei snorted. Zhou Shi was truly bold-faced. It was obvious she wanted a share of the profits, and she only stopped because she'd been called out.
Mo Shi and Du Shi exchanged a look and decided to remain silent. Regardless of what Zhou Shi said or Su Shi thought, nothing would happen without the consent of the Bai parents.
An awkward tension filled the small hut, but it was soon broken by a shout from outside.
"Uncle Bai! Village Head! Bai Li and Jiang Ting are back!"
A villager had spotted Bai Li carrying a boar, with Jiang Ting following beside him. Everyone scrambled outside—the women and Ge'ers included. The crowd parted to make way for them.
Several strong villagers helped lower the boar from Bai Li's shoulders. They realized this one was even larger than the first, with formidable tusks.
Jiang Ting was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, but his face wore a look of utter disbelief. Even though he was naturally stronger than Bai Li, he had only been able to carry the boar for a short distance. Bai Li had carried it most of the way and yet looked relatively unfazed.
Bai Li was clearly thin. Could his bones be made of iron?.
"Come and have some tea to catch your breath."
The Village Head, anticipating this, had already set out bowls of tea to cool. Bai Li and Jiang Ting didn't refuse. As they sat and drank, the villagers buzzed with excitement.
"Look at the size of those boars!"
"If I met one of those in the woods, I'd be eating my ancestors' funeral soup before I knew what hit me."
"They're bigger than a man! I wonder how many jin they weigh?"
"Regardless of weight, Bai Li is going to make a fortune."
"You're all looking at the money, but have you thought about where he found them?"
"Now that you mention it... there were two of them! Did Bai Li really go deep into the mountains without fear?"
"Heavens, there are bears, wolves, and tigers up there! This Bai Li is too daring."
"Jiang Qing said he found them at the foot of the mountain and killed them before they could reach the village."
"The foot of the mountain! If they had reached the village, it would have been a disaster!"
"It's a good thing Bai Li killed them, or who knows what would have happened."
The villagers circled the boars, their voices rising in a cacophony of debate. They wondered if the former village "trash" had actually turned into their savior. Some still doubted he had done it alone, but no one gives away two wild boars for free. Besides, the arrow wounds in the boars' necks made the cause of death clear.
The Village Head ignored the noise and spoke to Bai Li.
"Autumn has begun, but it isn't very cold yet. If we wait until tomorrow, the meat won't be fresh. You should go to town and sell them today. Your father has already brought the cart."
Bai Zhou nodded in agreement. No one in the village could afford these boars; they had to be sold in the city.
The Village Head continued, "You need to decide: will you go to the Port City or the small market town? You'll get more money in the Port City, but it's far—you won't be able to return today. If you sell in the market town, you'll get a fair price, but perhaps less."
Bai Li considered this. The nearest market town was about a two-hour journey by cart. The Port City was much further; even with a fast cart, they wouldn't arrive until evening. By the time they sold the meat, it would be night.
However, Bai Li wanted the best price.
"Village Head, I want to sell them in the Port City. I'm worried the small town won't be able to buy both boars at once. The Port City is more crowded and has many restaurants; we can sell everything and get a better price."
It was around ten in the morning. Hunting the boars hadn't taken as long as they thought.
Bai Zhou agreed. The market town was busy, but it was nothing compared to the Port City. The Village Head also found Bai Li's reasoning sound. The boars were huge, and a single restaurant might not want an entire animal, so they might have to butcher and sell them in parts. Spending a night in the city was no great issue.
"Then don't delay. The Port City is far; the sooner you leave, the better."
Mother Bai wanted to check her son for injuries, but with the journey ahead, everyone became busy with preparations. Villagers helped load the boars onto the cart and gathered knives and scales.
The group heading to the Port City consisted of five men: the Village Head Jiang Yan, his eldest son Jiang Ting, Father Bai, his eldest son Bai Jiang, and of course, Bai Li.
The cart, laden with two massive boars and five men, quickly departed from the village.
Before leaving, Bai Li made one last request to his mother: since they wouldn't be back tonight, he asked if she could take Xiao Han and the children to the main Bai house for the night. Mother Bai told him not to worry about them and warned him not to squander a single coin of the money they were about to earn.