Chapter 140: The Peddler

The next morning, in a not-too-deep mountain behind Shili Village, Shen Yin stared at an undisturbed trap set for wild chickens, raising a crucial question.

"Brother, did you really learn this from Big Brother?"

Shen Jin: "..."

"I did learn it. Big Brother himself said it's correct. He mentioned that he too struggled about ten times before he successfully trapped a wild chicken. Just need more practice."

"But haven’t you already tried sixteen or seventeen times?"

Initially, they were preoccupied with their mother’s illness and then busy digging a hole. It was only recently that they started to think about trapping wild chickens. They've been trying for about sixteen or seventeen days now.

Shen Yin looked sorrowfully at the spot where they had scattered soybean dregs as bait. The chickens weren’t trapped, but the dregs were eaten clean. It was their secretly saved food. At first, reluctant to use it, they tried other baits to trap the chickens, to no avail. After ten unsuccessful days, they resorted to using their own limited food, costing them a small handful over these few days.

Shen Jin was also frustrated, pondering what went wrong. Initially, one could argue that the bait wasn't attractive enough to lure the chickens, but now, the soybean dregs were clearly consumed.

So, was it that the leaves used for camouflage weren't adequate, or did they not set up barriers as Big Brother instructed, allowing the chickens to eat without getting trapped?

He looked around carefully; he had adjusted the traps meticulously each time, choosing locations as taught by Big Brother. There were signs of wild chickens on the ground, like chicken feathers and areas where the ground was disturbed.

He meticulously recalled every step his elder brother had taught him about setting traps, unable to figure out what he was doing wrong. His brother had taken him into the mountains several times to set traps. Shen Jin had set them up under his brother's guidance and adjustments, successfully catching wild pheasants each time. Why couldn’t he do it on his own?

"Let's go and check the other trap."

Shen Yin got up dispiritedly and followed Shen Jin.

Seeing him like this, Shen Jin touched his nose and said, "Don’t lose heart. I’m pretty good with the slingshot. If it really comes to it, we can venture deeper where there are more pheasants. Instead of using traps, I can try shooting them with the slingshot."

Shen Yin glanced at him, "Didn’t Big Brother say we shouldn’t go deeper unless we are desperately hungry?"

Shen Jin, with his head down, muttered in response, "He did, but I’m worried about Mom. Ever since she got kicked by the yamen runner, her cough has been getting worse."

Shen Yin’s face turned pale too. He was always with Shen Jin, so he knew everything Shen Jin did.

Initially, their mother just had a cough and shortness of breath, but now it had gotten so bad she couldn’t sleep at night. Their home was filled with constant coughing, and at times it seemed like she couldn't catch her breath.

Their father, disturbed by the noise and unable to sleep well, had already moved to the room previously occupied by their elder brothers and sister.

Thinking of Li Shi’s condition, Shen Yin’s mouth quivered, and his eyes started to well up with tears.

Yet he knew tears were futile at the moment. Wiping them away briskly, the brief wetness around his eyes soon vanished in the mountain breeze, leaving only a trace of coolness.

"If only Mom had agreed to leave with us from the beginning. The Bai family and many others from neighboring villages fled to the mountains on their own."

If they hadn’t stayed, they wouldn’t have encountered those cruel bailiffs. They wouldn’t be without food, and Mom wouldn’t have developed this chronic cough from being kicked.

Shen Yin thought about his mother’s endless coughing, unable to rest by day or lie down at night, sitting or leaning on the bed, sometimes clutching her stomach in pain from the severity of her coughs. He felt a deep-seated hatred for the bailiffs. Yet being young and weak, his hatred could do nothing to them.

But the truth is, life has no 'ifs'.

Even after their father and mother were injured by the bailiffs, despite Shen Jin urging them to leave, neither Shen San nor Li Shi were willing to go.

Therefore, Shen Jin didn’t respond but silently continued towards the next trap.

Approaching, Shen Jin halted, sensing a disturbance.

Quickening their pace, they rounded a bush and found the source of the noise: a pheasant, struggling to break free from the hemp rope ensnaring its foot.

Both Shen Jin and Shen Yin’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, they dashed toward the trapped bird.

As the pheasant saw them approaching, its struggles intensified, suddenly taking flight. Shen Jin lunged, grabbing the rope and forcefully pulling it back, while Shen Yin pounced and pinned down the bird.

"Pheasant, pheasant, bro, we caught a pheasant!"

Shen Jin was also overjoyed: "I knew I remembered everything Big Brother taught correctly."

Shen Yin firmly grasped the pheasant by its wings, careful to avoid being pecked. Shen Jin quickly untied the rope from its foot, reset the trap, tidied up the disturbed area, scattered leaves over the trap, and replanted some shrubs around it. He then sprinkled a little soybean residue around the trap from his pocket.

"Let’s go, back home!"

Shen Yin, still holding the pheasant, followed merrily: "Bro, are we cooking this chicken today?"

"Of course not, we need to stock up on food, and Mom needs money for the doctor."

Food had been scarce at home recently; their two hideouts only stored some very dry wild vegetables, but no grains at all.

Shen Jin, who cooked every day and should have had easy access to food, found none to spare in their impoverished home, not even much soybeans, let alone grains to hide.

Shen Jin said, "First, we need to get Mom to the doctor."

"Okay!" Shen Yin agreed, but hesitated, "Do doctors accept pheasants as payment?"

Stumped by the question, Shen Jin paused and scratched his head, then suddenly remembered: "Let’s go the other way. The peddler comes to the village every day, right? Let's take the back route near Big Brother's house to the village outskirts and wait for him on the mountain path, see if he'll take the pheasant."

Indeed, a peddler had been frequenting the Ten Li Village recently, accepting grains and beans among other things. Who would have grains or beans to sell to him these days? But still, he showed up every day.

Fortunately, the peddler's load ostensibly consisted of combs and hair ties, but he also discreetly sold salt lumps. Half a year ago, few in the village used salt lumps, but now things had changed. With soaring salt prices, people were too impoverished to afford it, preferring to save whatever little money they had.

Thus, the peddler's daily inclusion of a few salt lumps was kept secret within the village. Everyone needed these items, and cutting off the peddler’s supply would mean cutting off their own lifeline.

Going to the county to buy salt was not feasible. With the county's heightened fear of infiltrating refugees, strict inspections, and the entrance fee raised to three coins per person, it was unaffordable. Those three coins could instead buy a small piece of salt lump from the peddler.

Therefore, the peddler’s frequent visits to Ten Li Village were welcomed, and nobody would think of reporting him, effectively safeguarding their own interests.

With the village head having fled, along with many others from different villages, and the local officials being overwhelmed with other problems like banditry, there was little concern over who was selling salt lumps. The dynasty’s control over salt was not stringent to begin with.

Shen Jin and Shen Yin needed to intercept the peddler outside the village because they feared attracting attention with the pheasant. If villagers started watching them, any future gains could be taken, and their hideout might be discovered, which would be disastrous.

They had been warned early on by their elder brother to keep their windfalls secret and not let the villagers know about their ability to hunt pheasants.

……

On the path leading to Ten Li Village, the Xu family's old servant, dressed in patchy clothes and shoes no better than a refugee's, made his daily journey with his load of old goods to visit the village.

He mainly visited Ten Li Village, occasionally running errands to the mountains for his young master.

As usual, while heading towards Ten Li Village, someone called out from the mountain path: "Peddler, hey, peddler!"

The old servant turned his head and recognized Shen Jin, the young master he was tasked to look after daily. He recognized the path as the one leading from Shen Jin's home.

The old servant stopped and smiled, "Young master, did you call me?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Shen Jin nodded vigorously, glancing around to ensure no one else was in sight. He and Shen Yin emerged from the side path, asking the peddler, "Do you buy live pheasants?"

The Xu family's old servant was surprised to see the struggling pheasant in Shen Yin's hands, raising his eyebrows in amazement at the two brothers.

Shen Jin was known for his hunting skills, having hunted bears and wolves. It was no wonder the young master considered sending his grandmother and the young couple into the mountains. But he didn't expect these young kids to catch a pheasant on their own.

Considering the strained relations between the two branches of the Shen family, it seemed likely that Shen Jin had been taught by his elder brother before leaving.

Nodding, the servant asked, "Are you looking to exchange it for money, grain, or something else?"

At the peddler's affirmation of trade, Shen Jin and Shen Yin's eyes brightened. Together they asked, "For money, how much can we get for this pheasant?"

The peddler hesitated, taken aback.

Aware of the dire circumstances of Shen Jin's family, surviving mainly on beans and wild vegetables, he wondered why they wouldn't opt for grain.

Thinking about the grain hidden at the bottom of his basket, meant as emergency aid for the children on his young master's instruction, he considered offering it.

The peddler suggested, "Wouldn't you prefer to exchange it for grain? Nowadays, grain is more valuable than money."

Realizing the peddler's kindness, Shen Jin, though thirsty, insisted, "My mother is ill. We need money for her treatment, so we prefer to exchange for money."

The middle-aged peddler, childless, was moved by the children's resistance to temptation, prioritizing their mother's treatment over their hunger, even knowing their mother's reputation.

He decided to help the children, acknowledging that while their father said not to interfere with the parents of the third Shen family, teaching these children skills also indirectly benefitted them. The complexities of family relations are sometimes inseparable.

He chose to help the children with their filial endeavor, leaving the matter of their devotion to their mother to them.

The peddler thoughtfully confirmed with Shen Jin and Shen Yin their desire to exchange the pheasant for money instead of grain. He weighed the bird and said, “Pheasants don't sell well in the countryside, but in the county's restaurants and wealthy homes, they're still in demand. Times are tough, and since it's for your mother's treatment, I won't profit from this. To be honest, with the current grain prices, the value of this pheasant has risen. It weighs enough for about 110 coins. I'll take a few coins for the entry fee into town and give you 110 coins. Consider it my good deed for the day."

110 coins was indeed the current price for a pheasant of this size in the county, as food prices had risen.

The peddler was cautious, willing to help the children of Shen's third household but careful not to be too obvious, especially since the children were not yet in a dire situation.

“110 coins?!”

Shen Jin and Shen Yin’s eyes widened, their mouths agape, big enough to fit half an egg.

“Yes, this price is special for you, given it’s for your mother’s treatment. Don’t mention it elsewhere; I don’t do favors like this for just anyone.”

Finally comprehending, Shen Jin and Shen Yin repeatedly bowed to the peddler: “Thank you, sir, thank you so much!”

The peddler smiled and pulled out two strings of coins, handing one string directly to Shen Jin and counting out ten coins from the other for him.

Shen Jin, familiar with counting money, didn't bother to recount. He took the coins eagerly, struggling to hold them all and quickly stuffing them into his pocket.

His heart pounded with excitement!

“110 coins!”

“110 coins!”

Overjoyed, Shen Jin couldn't stop smiling, his hand trembling slightly. Without further ado, he and Shen Yin deeply bowed to the peddler: “You are truly a good man. My brother and I will always remember your kindness. Thank you, sir, thank you.”

They repeated their gratitude four times, simple but heartfelt.

The Xu family's old servant thought to himself that he didn't deserve the praise, but he didn't clarify. Holding the pheasant in one hand and helping the children up with the other, he advised, “Keep it quiet, better to be cautious. Let’s head back now.”

"Alright, alright, we're heading back now."

As Shen Jin was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and said to the peddler, "Sir, could you please not mention our selling of the pheasant in the village?"

The old servant thought to himself that the child was quite astute and nodded with a smile: "Sure, if you trap another pheasant, just wait for me here on the village path. But I advise you, if you can exchange it for grain, do that. Though we can harvest grain in the fall, it's still several months away, and who knows what might happen in the meantime. You must understand, young master, that the world is unpredictable."

Shen Jin had never formally learned the phrase "the world is unpredictable," but he understood it all too well, especially given his recent experiences. How could he have imagined just a few months ago that his family's life would turn out like this? Or that several households in his village would be driven to flee into the mountains?

He nodded in understanding and gratitude, then pulled Shen Yin back onto the path to head into the village.

The peddler watched the brothers disappear into the distance, then plucked some sturdy grass from the roadside. He tied the pheasant's wings and feet together, opened his other basket, and placed the bird inside.

Deciding not to enter the village, he shouldered his load and headed straight back to the county to report in.