Chapter 23: Great Gains

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Hu’s luck was indeed not bad today. He went up the mountain alone quickly and set up a trap. It was only 3 pm when the birds and beasts returned to their nests.

He was not in a hurry to go back. Instead, he found a leeward place to rest, because when his prey fell into the trap, they would struggle to escape.

He made a few traps nearby. Whenever there was any movement, he would rush over quickly, determined not to let a prey escape!

In addition to the insects, there were also weeds plucked from the vegetable garden. Chickens ate insects, rabbits ate grass. Surely, there was a chance to trap them.

Around midnight, the entire forest fell completely silent. Only then did Jiang Hu carry his gains and walk downhill slowly,holding on to the trees for support.

When he reached home, it was already four o’clock. If there were chickens in their village, they would be crowing their wake-up calls.

Unfortunately, there were no chickens, ducks, or dogs. The entire village was silent.

After going down the mountain, Jiang Hu walked quickly. In less than 15 minutes, he reached his house. Just as he pushed open the courtyard door, he heard a soft shout from inside. “Who is it!”

Jiang Hu smiled. “Erniang, it’s me. Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Hu?” Erniang’s surprised voice came from the house. “You’re finally back. I slept for a while and couldn’t get back to sleep. I woke up when I heard movement.”

When he heard a creaking sound, Jiang Hu hurriedly said, “Erniang, don’t move. I’ll come in with a basket. It’s cold outside. Don’t come out.”

It was already February. It was much warmer than the first few days of her childbirth, but the nights were still cold.

When Jiang Hu returned to his room with his bamboo basket and canister, Erniang had lit the oil lamp. When she saw the things in Jiang Hu’s hands, she was pleasantly surprised. “Ah, why are there so many!”

There was a cluster of pheasants and hares!

“Yes, three hares and two pheasants.” Jiang Hu was belatedly happy. He was very calm when he caught them, but now he became excited.

The pheasants’ wings and legs were tied with thatch and covered with a basket. He placed the wild hares in the bamboo basket, stuffed a little thatch in, and covered it with a bamboo plaque.

“That’s a lot. Are you going to town again tomorrow?”

Erniang squatted in front of the back basket and bamboo basket. She reached out and touched the two baskets, as though she could feel the pheasants and hares inside.

“I have to go. Sell them, and with the money, make new clothes for the children.” Jiang Hu was beaming. His luck today was really good.

Jiang Hu went to the kitchen to drink a bowl of water. When he returned, he saw that Erniang was still squatting in front of the pheasants and hares.

“By the way, Erniang, I saw a hare with a big belly. It’s probably pregnant too. Why don’t we raise that one? You’ve raised pigs before. With experience, you can definitely raise hares too.”

“Really?” Erniang was delighted. “That’s great. When they grow up, will I be able to sell hares often?”

The farmers liked to raise animals themselves, be it chickens, ducks, geese, pigs. Whether it was for food or money, it was all good. If they did not raise the animals, they would always feel that they were lacking something.

“Of course. Hares eat all kinds of grass, as long as it’s not poisonous. It’s more convenient than raising chickens and pigs.”

At this moment, Xiaomi suddenly babbled. Erniang finally diverted her attention from the pheasants and hares and quickly returned to the bed to pick Xiaomi up.

Jiang Hu had been on the mountain for so long that there were many branches and leaves on his body and head. He was shaking right now.

Xiaomi did not cry. She just kept babbling. Erniang fed her but she did not eat. She touched her buttocks. The diaper was still clean.

Jiang Hu understood first. “Erniang, did Xiaomi hear the sound of a pheasant? Look, she keeps looking over.”

“Is that so?” Erniang looked at Xiaomi in her arms, especially in the direction of her eyes. “Yes, Xiaomi is so smart. She knows that Daddy caught a pheasant.”

As she spoke, she carried Xiaomi to the corner of the wall. As she squatted down, she propped Xiaomi up and lifted the bamboo basket for Xiaomi to see. “Look, there are little hares inside. When the little hares give birth, there will be many little hares.”

Xiaomi became even more agitated. She babbled as if she were talking. She even tried to reach out, but before she could succeed, Erniang stuffed her back in.

After another look at the pheasants, Erniang carried Xiaomi back to bed. “Hu, you should sleep too. If you are going to town tomorrow, there’s not much time left.”

Jiang Hu nodded and lay down on the bed. “Dawa and Erni worked hard today to catch many insects. There probably won’t be many insects in the next two days. In a few days, I’ll go to the mountain again.”

Since there were still fish at home, he would not keep these pheasants and hares. He would exchange them for copper coins. It was more important to make clothes for the children.

Erniang nodded, then frowned slightly. “Hu, what do you think is going on? Why does Xiaomi and Bruiser’s diaper-washing water attract insects?”

She had taken care of her younger siblings at home and washed their diapers before, but she had never encountered such a thing.

Jiang Hu roughly knew what Erniang was worried about. He stretched out his arms and hugged Erniang, Xiaomi and Bruiser together.

“I know what you’re worried about, but didn’t we say that Xiaomi and Bruiser are lucky stars who have descended to the mortal world? They’re always different from ordinary people, right?”

“Huh?” Erniang was a little confused and surprised. “Really? Are Xiaomi and Bruiser really lucky stars who have descended to the mortal world?”

Jiang Hu patted Erniang’s back. “Whether it’s true or not, the villagers have already said so. Let’s say the same thing in future. We’ll say it often! Every day!”

Even if it wasn’t true, he had to say it was!

Erniang pondered for a while before she realized what was going on. Her eyes suddenly widened. “Hu, you’re too smart!”

“Go to sleep. Don’t think too much. Didn’t I splash the water that Xiaomi and Bruiser used to wash their diapers outside today? If anyone wants to catch insects in the future, go there and catch them. We won’t stop them.”

However, there was no need for others to go to his vegetable garden every day. They needed to feed themselves.

When he went to town to sell pheasants and hares the next day, there would definitely be people who would want to go up the mountain. At that time, as long as everyone benefited, they would definitely be more convinced and think that Xiaomi and Bruiser were the reincarnations of lucky stars!

Jiang Hu had never been to school and did not know much about philosophy, but he knew that gossip was a fearful thing.

Similarly, as long as everyone felt that someone was good, they would say that he was good. Even if that person did something bad, they would definitely find it excusable! They would help exonerate him!

In the past, when he was in the village, he had seen many people who were forced to commit suicide by jumping into the river because of rumors. Even after they were dead, people would still talk about them and even feel that their suicide was proof of their guilt, not innocence.

He might as well reverse the situation now and make everyone think that Xiaomi and Bruiser were the reincarnations of lucky stars. Besides, he didn’t start this conversation. Someone else said it first, right?

Moreover, that area was not only filled with insects, but the vegetables also grew well over there!

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. However, Jiang Hu felt that after selling the pheasants and rabbits the next day, he should not be in a hurry to go up the mountain. He would go in a few days. Otherwise, the others would definitely feel resentful that his family suddenly became rich.

He would leave these few days to the others.

Thinking of this, Jiang Hu quickly fell asleep.