Chapter Twenty-Two: Returning Fully Laden

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In modern times, muntjacs are protected animals. But in Dakang, they are prey. This hide has already been tanned; even if I don’t sell it to the system, keeping it for a leather jacket would be quite nice. Zhao Zheng was rummaging through the stall, picking out flaws and finding numerous faults. Complaining about the poor quality and damages, he caused Mao Xiaolong a headache.

“Brother, are you buying or not? If not, don’t waste my time!” Mao Xiaolong snapped.

“How much for this muntjac hide? Give me an honest price,” Zhao Zheng said.

“At least five hundred wen,” Mao Xiaolong replied.

Zhao Zheng rolled his eyes, “Two bolts of average hemp cloth cost barely four or five hundred wen; you want five hundred for a single hide? If it were a live muntjac, I might consider...”

“Then what price do you suggest?”

“At most one hundred wen,” Zhao Zheng stated. “These days, everyone’s tight on money. Hardly anyone wants to spend that much on a hide of questionable quality. The wealthy usually buy whole fur coats.”

Mao Xiaolong’s eyes widened, “One hundred wen? Why don’t you just go rob it then?”

Zhao Zheng smiled faintly, “Brother, you’re an experienced hunter; you know the prices better than I do. You must have regular buyers; if you could sell it, it would be gone already. Why is it still here at the market?”

“When people can barely fill their bellies, who’s buying this stuff?”

Mao Xiaolong was left speechless.

Indeed, the local shops drove prices down so much that even Zhao Zheng’s offer was generous. Selling in the city might fetch a better price, but it was too far, and city folk were shrewd. Without connections, one would have to sell at a loss.

If these hides lingered too long, trouble would arise.

“Too low, raise it a bit!”

“One hundred and five wen.”

“One hundred and fifty!”

“Maximum one hundred and ten wen!”

After much haggling, Zhao Zheng reluctantly parted with one hundred and twenty wen for the muntjac hide.

With the heavy money in hand, a faint smile appeared on Mao Xiaolong’s face.

“Brother Zhao, you’ve made a profit. If I weren’t in a hurry to exchange money for medicine, this tanned hide would fetch at least two hundred wen,” Mao Xiaolong lamented.

Zhao Zheng chuckled, “Brother Mao, small profits but quick turnover.”

Having secured the most valuable item, Zhao Zheng refrained from buying other hides. Many eyes were watching; it was best to keep a low profile.

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Leaving the stall, Zhao Zheng immediately sold the hide.

“Ding! Account credited with fifteen hundred wen!”

Refreshing!

Looks like I should visit the market more often; there might be good finds.

Zhao Zheng wandered aimlessly for a while, casually buying some chicken and duck eggs to blend in.

He thought of the glossy salted duck eggs. Though it wasn’t the ideal season for them, making them now would mean they’d be ready before the New Year.

Back at his stall, the rotten persimmons had indeed been traded for some less valuable items: small dustpans, brooms, even ceramic jars, chopping boards, and a yard of hemp cloth.

“Father-in-law, all the persimmons have been sold!” Zhang Xiao’e pointed proudly to the full bamboo basket.

Yang Zhaodi expressed some concern, “Father-in-law, mostly because the persimmons were in poor condition, no one could afford good prices...”

Zhao Zheng waved his hand, “That’s still good. We don’t eat rotten persimmons anyway. Better to exchange them for practical things than let them rot in hand.”

He didn’t eat rotten persimmons, but others would.

Moreover, rotten persimmons could be simmered into sugar syrup, a fine fruit sugar that could be life-saving in dire times.

Yang Zhaodi breathed a sigh of relief, “Father-in-law, what did you buy?”

“I got each of you a padded jacket and trousers,” Zhao Zheng said. “Let’s go back first. On the way, find a safe spot to put on the clothes inside. Don’t let the villagers see you wearing new clothes!”

Both women were thrilled, saying in unison, “Thank you, Father-in-law.”

On the way home, they found a safe place and put on the padded jackets and cotton trousers underneath.

“Father-in-law, it’s really warm,” Zhang Xiao’e said. “This jacket is so soft and cozy, and these trousers—what kind of fabric is this? How come it’s so warm?”

Zhao Zheng didn’t know about cotton, as there was none in Dakang. He had never heard of it.

“I don’t know either. I just saw the fabric was soft and warm, so I bought it.”

Yang Zhaodi winced, “That must have cost quite a bit?”

“Around a hundred or so wen. As long as you like it, I’m happy to spend more,” Zhao Zheng replied.

The two women were even more touched.

How many fathers-in-law in the village would spend so much to buy new clothes and trousers for their daughters-in-law? Not a single one!

“There’s also a piece of cloth here. Sew it into the mattress; it’ll keep warm at night.”

Though their earthen kang bed was warm, it wasn’t enough to fully ward off the cold night. The mattress filled with straw and fluff was hardly insulating and prone to harboring lice.

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The three returned home laden with goods, chatting and laughing all the way.

Entering the village, the villagers saw the full load carried in the basket and exclaimed, “Zhao Third Brother, you’re getting rich, bringing back so many good things?”

“Wow, Zhao Third Brother, where did you get the money for so much cloth?”

“Did you move the entire market home with you?”

The villagers half-joked, half-envied.

“Just lucky; all the persimmons sold out. These are what I exchanged for,” Zhao Zheng said.

The cotton cloth was at the bottom of the basket, and on top was the hemp cloth Yang Zhaodi had traded for.

“Let your daughter-in-law make you a new set of clothes,” an old neighbor said.

Zhao Zheng laughed, “This little piece of cloth? I’d complain if it couldn’t even hold a diaper!”

His words sparked laughter and playful jeers from the villagers, mocking Zhao Zheng’s boasting.

Once the trio walked away, the villagers whispered that Zhao Zheng had been incredibly lucky to find wild persimmon trees in the wilderness.

“Boasting? Wait for the real show.”

...

Zhao Zheng had just returned home and hadn’t taken a sip of water when voices erupted outside.

“Zhao Third Brother, come out here!”

“You freeloading bastard, how can you be so shameless?”

Hearing the curses, Zhao Zheng stepped outside to see Wu Yueying, bruised and battered, standing with her husband and in-laws at the doorstep.

Yang Zhaodi and Zhang Xiao’e hurried out of the kitchen, frowning at the Wang family matriarch scolding their father-in-law.

Just as they were about to retort, Zhao Zheng raised his hand to stop them.

“Sister-in-law Wang, I haven’t offended you, have I?”

“Not offended me? But what you did—do you call that proper behavior?” the Wang matriarch stood with hands on hips, her voice booming so loudly that neighbors soon gathered to watch.

Old Liu Fourth kicked Liu Tieniu, who was lying inert on a bed, “Zhao Third Brother’s house has trouble again. Hurry up and go see!”

Liu Tieniu jolted awake and scrambled up.

“Everyone, judge for yourselves. Yesterday, my Yueying took Zhao Third Brother’s family to forage wild vegetables. They found wild persimmon trees, but Zhao Third Brother kept them all to himself and only gave us two,” the Wang matriarch recounted vividly as if she had witnessed it herself. “Isn’t that like mocking beggars? Showing disrespect to my family? We found it together—why should he hog it all? Just because he thinks my Yueying is easy to bully?”

“If you don’t give me an explanation today, I won’t let this go!”