Chapter 32 – Roaming Deer

Chapter 32 - Roaming Deer

The villagers who had come to watch the spectacle gradually dispersed. Eldest Aunt was supported by her two daughters-in-law.

Uncle Chen, accompanied by his two sons, went to the town to seek a physician for their injuries. Uncle Chen II stayed behind to look after his elder brother's family, women, and children, on guard against any shameless counterattack from the Zhou and Li households.

Erniu looked around, seeing that everyone was silent. Rubbing his head in his simple-minded manner, he decided to squat down and start cleaning up the scattered items on the ground.

Elder Wei and Second Uncle Chen were conversing aside, while Tao Hua stole a glance at the courtyard. San Hua's legs were clutched tightly by the ducklings and goslings from her eldest sister's family, and on her back was her second sister's infant niece who couldn't walk yet. The trio of aunt and nieces huddled together in fear.

Spotting Tao Hua's gaze, San Hua's eyes welled up with tears, her expression timid. Tao Hua's heart ached, so she approached to pat her head gently and reassure her in a soothing voice, "Don't be afraid, San Hua. The bad people have left."

With tears still shimmering in her eyes, San Hua nodded hesitantly, "They... they're really gone?"

"Yes, they've been chased away! They won't dare come back!" Tao Hua declared fiercely, a side of her that was rarely seen as she usually spoke softly.

San Hua, sniffing back her snot, broke into a smile through her tears, "Auntie Tao Hua is so fierce."

Tao Hua gently tapped Fang Qiuyan's forehead with a smile, then took the weeping toddler from behind her into her arms. The little girl's confused face was covered in teardrops, her red-rimmed eyes staring up at Tao Hua. Tao Hua's dissatisfaction with the Zhou family grew; they had barged in with weapons, completely disregarding the presence of young children. It was utterly unreasonable and domineering!

Seeing their aunt comforting their sister, Duck Egg and Goose Egg looked on. Duck Egg, being older, had some understanding. He looked up at San Hua with tear-filled eyes and asked in a trembling voice, "Aunt, what happened to Mama's face? Was she hit by someone? Who hit her?"

Their family had kept the truth from the two boys, not allowing them into their parents' room. During the day, they were entertained outside by San Hua, while at night, they slept with their grandparents. Their father had told them that Mama wasn't home these days, so they hadn't seen her for several days.

But Mama was clearly at home – he had just seen her.

Goose Egg, clueless, clutched his brother's clothes, only able to wail along with him.

San Hua didn't know how to respond. The family had been concerned about the impact on Duck Egg and Goose Egg, fearing that seeing their mother in such a terrible state might cause nightmares, potentially leading to mental issues. They had witnessed children being traumatized in the past.

With uncertainty about whether her brothers' arm injuries would heal properly or leave lasting damage, San Hua felt a mix of worry and fear but didn't neglect to teach her nephews. "Children shouldn't ask too many questions; adults' matters have nothing to do with you. Duck Egg, take Goose Egg to play in the yard for now. Be obedient and don't go out anywhere these next couple of days!" She was concerned that Duck Egg and Goose Egg might be bullied by the Li family's children if they played in the village.

Duck Egg nodded understandingly, still crying as he persistently asked, "What about Mama? Does her face hurt? Is she okay?"

Tao Hua watched him cling to San Hua, inquiring about his mother's pain and well-being. Almost unable to hold back her tears, she quickly turned away to wipe them.

Fang Qiuyan, supporting her mother back to their room, nearly shed tears upon hearing her son's voice in the courtyard, asking about the little girl's pain.

She stepped out and looked at her two sons in the courtyard. "Duck Egg, Duck Egg."

Upon seeing his mother, Duck Egg ran to her with open arms, "Mama!"

Egg, seeing his brother dash off, cried while calling for him, tottering over to Fang Qiuyan, mimicking his brother, "Mama!"

Fang Qiuyan held them both. Duck Egg touched her face and asked if she was hurt. She smiled, saying she wasn't. Seeing his brother touch Mama's face, Egg also reached out his little hand to stroke the other side, echoing his brother's question. Fang Qiuyan affectionately kissed them both, assuring them that she was fine.

Tao Hua, carrying the daughter of the second family, had a sleeping infant in her arms. After Fang Qiuyan soothed her two boys, she said to Tao Hua, "Infants can be heavy. Tao Hua, take the baby inside to sleep."

Tao Hua nodded and followed Fang Qiuyan to Second Sister-in-law's room, gently placing the child in bed and covering her with a small blanket.

The Chen household was currently in chaos. Although the Zhou family hadn't entered the courtyard, they had caused a ruckus right outside. With two young men injured and bleeding, it was a time when stability and assistance were needed. With two sisters-in-law around, Tao Hua couldn't offer much help. All she could do was look after the children and comfort the frightened San Hua.

San Hua was different from her. The young girl had always been well-protected by her parents and siblings, never having witnessed such a scene. In contrast, Tao Hua had experienced this kind of turmoil when her biological father passed away, and her uncles came to cause trouble. Later, when Zhou Family's Second Father passed away, they tried to evict her mother and her from the house, similar to the current situation.

Ironically, this family also bore the surname Zhou.

She didn't have any resentment towards families named Zhou; her second brother shared the same surname. She merely pondered if there were similarities among people sharing the same name. The Zhou family was large and protective, yet despite her mother remarriage to Zhou Family's Second Father and her hard work, they still wanted to expel her mother after Second Father's death, simply because she had remarried soon after her first husband's passing. They viewed her as an immoral woman of loose character.

The Zhou family was equally "protective of their own," and upon hearing any news, regardless of its veracity, they would gather their kin and barge into someone's home to cause a ruckus. They were all equally unreasonable.

"Big Hu brother would be here today if only..." San Hua suddenly spoke up.

She was genuinely worried about her older brothers and said with tear-filled eyes, "Everyone in the village is afraid of Big Hu brother. My eldest and second brothers often say that no young man in the village dares to confront him. He's tall and strong, capable of lifting a wild boar with one hand. His punches hurt, so nobody can bully him; it's always him bullying others... If Big Hu brother were here, the Zhou family would surely be afraid."

Although San Hua was scared of her cousin, this fear was reserved for family. When it came to outsiders, she felt particularly secure with Big Hu brother around. Both boys and girls in the village were intimidated by him due to his muscular build and hunting skills, even though no one had actually seen him hunt. Rumors circulated that he was skilled in martial arts and not someone to be trifled with. Even when he smiled, no one dared to act recklessly in front of him, let alone the elders of the clan.

With teary eyes, San Hua looked at her cousin's wife, wishing that Big Hu brother was home during this crucial moment. Where could he be? Her older brothers had been beaten severely.

Wei Dahu had gone to the forest where he had previously found the deer. Following the tracks, he discovered a hidden spot and crouched there for about an hour before spotting a solitary elk.

Muttering to himself that luck was on his side that day, he picked up a stone, exerted his inner strength, and threw it directly at the elk's head.

No one but the elk knew the force behind the throw. The elk, which had been grazing with its head down, swayed dizzily for a moment. As it attempted to flee, its neck was suddenly caught by an unexpected person. From out of nowhere, a figure emerged and delivered a second blow to its head with a clenched fist. A few more punches later, the elk lay motionless, its limbs paralyzed.

Wei Dahu usually preferred to capture wild animals alive since live ones fetched a better price and brought in more silver.

A live catch had a good symbolic meaning, something scholars appreciated, which greatly facilitated his earnings!

With a deer slung across his shoulders, Wei Dahu took a shortcut through the hills and forests, heading for the town where he had previously purchased Little Long. Upon seeing him approach with a live deer, the gatekeeper didn't even wait for Wei Dahu to speak. Instead, upon hearing the mention of "Little Long," the gatekeeper's face lit up with a smile, urging him to wait while swiftly shutting the gate and rushing off to summon the household manager.

Their master has a fondness for such wild creatures. The other day, this hunter managed to catch a young dragon, believe it or not. It was quite a remarkable find; the creature seemed almost sentient. The master was overjoyed and, without hesitation, rewarded the hunter with twenty taels of silver. As servants, they couldn't appreciate the value of the creature, but they did notice their master's recent joyous demeanor. He spent his nights visiting the courtyards of several concubines, only summoning servants for water to wash up at dawn.

When the master is pleased, the concubines are satisfied, and their lives as servants become easier.

Throughout the grand estate, merriment resonated in every corner, save for the lady of the house, whose discontentment lingered like an uninvited shade.

Upon hearing that the hunter who sold Little Long had arrived, though this time it wasn't Little Long, the steward's interest was piqued as the man carried a live sika deer on his back. A deer was no less valuable; its whole body was a treasure trove—the blood invigorated, the bones made for potent brews when soaked in alcohol, and the meat, when roasted, was a delicacy particularly favored by the lady of the house...Ah, and then there were the antlers.

Satisfied Lord Deer and delighted Lady Venison—both ends pleased, nothing could be more perfect!

They were acquaintances on both sides. This lord was known for his generosity, and Wei Dahu was straightforward. One was willing to buy, the other willing to sell. With their previous satisfactory transaction, this deal… The steward wasn't quite content. He gazed at the broken antlers with a furrowed brow. "Isn't this a bit unscrupulous of you, Hunter?"

Wei Dahu didn't bother arguing and asked directly, "Do you want them or not?"

The steward continued to frown. "The antlers…."

"I have use for them. Are you interested in the deer?" Wei Dahu disliked hyping up his products before selling; he wasn't skilled in persuasion either. The deer was right there for the customer to inspect. If they liked it, they'd pay the silver; if not, he'd simply move on to another buyer.

Silver can often be found, but a living wild deer is a rare occurrence.

Seeing the manager lost in thought and silent, Wei Dahu picked up the deer and prepared to leave.

The manager, seeing that he wasn't willing to say a kind word and was truly about to leave with the deer, became furious but was also genuinely intimidated by his robust build. He stomped his foot and hastily stopped him, "Hey hey hey, you there, how can you just walk away without letting someone finish their words? Come back! Get back here!"

Wei Dahu carried the deer back, and the manager hurriedly instructed the servants to open the small gate. Swearing inwardly at this man's lack of business sense, he still greeted him with a smile as they discussed the price. "Deer antlers are quite valuable. Since you're keeping it, I'll be blunt: a deer missing its antlers won't fetch a high price."

Wei Dahu looked at him intently, making the manager feel immense pressure. Wei Dahu chuckled and nonchalantly said, "Not worth much, huh? Should I just give it to you then?"

"..." The manager cursed his ancestors for generations in his mind. If he dared to say the deer was worthless, this man would surely knock out his brains with one punch; he didn't seem like an easygoing person!

"You wait here for a moment while I consult the steward," the manager explained. As a mere supervisor of the kitchen transactions, he could authorize deals involving a few taels of silver, but anything more required the steward's approval.

Thus, Wei Dahu stood in the yard with the deer, declining the servants' invitation to sit in the gatehouse while waiting.

After a short while, the manager returned with a money pouch. With a raised eyebrow, he tossed the pouch to Wei Dahu, his eyes and brows radiating satisfaction. "Consider yourself lucky. Our young master will be taking the imperial examination next year and will soon receive the emperor's 'salary.' Our lord has said that if you ever catch a live deer again, even without its antlers, we'll pay you twenty-five taels of silver – a great favor from our lord!"

Wei Dahu mentally scoffed at the notion of a favor. How did his young master's exam next year relate to selling the deer this year? Nonetheless, the bulging money pouch was real, equivalent to the value of several wild boars. He'd take it as the lord being foolishly generous.

With a pleasant air, he gently placed the deer on the ground and turned to leave, clutching his money pouch.

The steward called out to him repeatedly, attempting to get him to carry the deer to the kitchen. Wei Dahu, striding with the grace of a dragon and the might of a tiger, seemed deaf to the requests and was out the door in just a few strides.

He wasn't one to bother with after-sales service; it was up to them to handle it.

"Author's Note"

-3- Let's add another chapter! Praise me!