Chapter 95

Chapter 95

As they chatted inside, Erhei suddenly barked outside. Just as Gu Tieshan got up to see what was happening, Li Yue's voice rang out.

"Mother." Li Yue, heavily pregnant, walked into the courtyard, and Erhei, recognizing her, stopped barking.

Miao Qiulian hurriedly threw off her covers and got out of bed, followed by Gu Lanshi and Zhu Ge'er, who also came down and put on their shoes.

Seeing her smiling face and realizing there was nothing serious, just casual conversation, Miao Qiulian felt relieved.

"It's warm outside, Mother. Let's sit in the courtyard," Li Yue said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ge'er stuffed all the peanuts he had in his mouth and brought over a chair for her.

With his daughter-in-law present, Gu Tieshan didn't feel comfortable sitting in the yard chatting idly, so after a word with Miao Qiulian, he left the house, with Erhei wagging its tail and following him out.

Gu Lanshi brought out the peanuts on a plate and poured hot water for everyone. After sitting down, he looked at Li Yue's belly and asked, "Second Sister-in-Law, how's your appetite lately?"

Li Yue touched her belly and said, "Much better than in summer. I can eat now. Your Second Brother bought a jar of pickled plums, and my appetite has gradually improved after eating them."

Miao Qiulian added from the side, "If you like it, let Dogwa buy you another jar when you finish it."

People often say that craving sour foods indicates a boy, so with her love for sourness, she might be expecting another big, healthy grandson.

Zhu Ge'er secretly chuckled. Dogwa was his second brother's nickname, but now that he was grown up and married, his second brother disliked being called by his nickname. His mother only used it behind his back.

"The date is set for the middle of the first lunar month next year. Although it will be after the New Year, it will still be cold then. We need to talk to the midwife early. When the time comes, we'll just go over to fetch her," Miao Qiulian muttered.

Li Yue laughed and said, "He mentioned a few days ago that he plans to visit the midwife before the New Year."

Miao Qiulian continued, "It's getting colder, not like before. With your big belly, it's hard for you to cook. When Dogwa comes back, tell him that the two of you should bring Heng'er here for meals. If the road is difficult to walk, have Dogwa carry food back for you. It's so cold; chopping vegetables can freeze your fingers. Cold hands easily catch a chill."

At the thought of not having to cook herself, Li Yue quickly agreed, "Okay, Mother. I'll tell him when he comes back."

Like Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan, she had moved out and lived separately from the family. There were only two adults in her household, but fortunately, they had gotten used to it over the years. Even with her large belly, she could still do farm work. But taking a break and having someone lend a hand was undoubtedly the best.

Since her mother-in-law was willing to help, it was only natural to provide some rice, flour, vegetables, and eggs from the old home.

As they chatted idly, their neighbor Liu Guihua heard the commotion and brought her daughter-in-law over for a visit, making the laughter in the courtyard even louder.

Gu Lanshi put down his teacup and caught sight of someone at the courtyard gate from the corner of his eye. He quickly looked over and saw that Pei Yan had returned.

He hurriedly got up and said with a smile, "Mother, Auntie, I'll head back now."

"Mother-in-law, Auntie." Pei Yan hadn't planned to stop outside the gate, but upon hearing the noise in the courtyard, he subconsciously glanced over and was surprised to see Gu Lanshi there.

"Good, good, go ahead." Seeing him rush out, Miao Qiulian suddenly remembered the wrapped yellow rock sugar she hadn't taken.

Sugar was rare, and she hadn't bought much. She couldn't spare any more for her daughter-in-law after giving some to Gu Lanshi, so she pretended she hadn't thought of it. She would give it to Lan Ge'er when he came over later.

The donkey cart jolted along the dirt road, the load of firewood sold out completely. Only two empty gunny sacks remained on the cart, not a single snake left.

They soon left the village, and Gu Lanshi walked beside Pei Yan, asking with a smile, "Are you cold?"

"Not cold. Today's sunny, much better than driving on a cloudy day," Pei Yan said with a smile in his eyes. He was a little impatient but couldn't openly express it outside, so he suppressed his joy and simply kept walking forward.

After they left the village, the few elderly people sitting under the earthen wall to bask in the sun finally looked away.

Zhou Ping's mother had a good relationship with the Gu family. Last time, when her grandson Zhou Shitou got married, Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi had brought a jar of fine wine from Baishui Village.

Though she was old, her eyesight and hearing were still sharp. She usually kept a tight watch on the family's belongings. For such a major event as a wedding, she carefully observed and remembered every detail of the various wines and snacks brought by relatives and friends. She mentally catalogued everything, clear as crystal. On that day, someone had brought something of little value, which she inwardly despised, but her hands never stopped accepting gifts.

"He's different after marriage, more mature," Zhou Ping's mother said to the two old ladies beside her.

She was quite fond of Gu Lanshi. He was handsome and a neighbor whom she had watched grow up. If it weren't for the Gu family's lack of interest, she had considered matchmaking him with her eldest grandson Zhou Shitou a few years ago.

Her original intention was to casually praise Pei Yan. Previously, when Gu Lanshi sent vegetables to his mother's house, their family had also benefited. However, the two old ladies feared Pei Yan and pretended to be deaf, as if they hadn't heard anything.

Who would dare provoke the living Yama? What if he had keen ears and heard them gossiping here? If he stormed into their homes, it would be disastrous. When Pei Yan lost his temper, he didn't care about age or gender, grabbing anyone within reach for a beating. They were both frail old bones, unable to withstand a brutal beating.

*

When they arrived home, the donkey cart was parked in a spacious area of the courtyard. Gu Lanshi glanced at the gunny sacks on the cart and said, "We should wash these gunny sacks before using them again."

He felt a bit uncomfortable and turned to look at Pei Yan, saying, "You wash them. I'm a bit hesitant to touch these."

Pei Yan smiled and agreed, "Alright, I'll wash them."

"Are you hungry?" Gu Lanshi asked, rolling up his sleeves.

Pei Yan untied the harness, his eyes bright and his smile unrestrained.

Gu Lanshi didn't understand at first and asked with a hint of confusion, "Why are you so happy?"

Pei Yan took out a pouch from his chest and opened it directly for him to see.

Gu Lanshi was dazed as the open pouch was presented before him, forgetting to reach out to take it. He lowered his head and peered inside the pouch. Upon seeing several silver ingots, he was extremely surprised and leaned closer, thinking he must have been mistaken.

If not for the pouch blocking the way, Gu Lanshi's face would have almost touched the silver. Pei Yan laughed and said, "In total, sixteen taels and eight mace. The firewood sold for fifty cash."

"So much." Gu Lanshi raised his head again, his eyes shining.

"Mm-hmm." Pei Yan said with a smile, "I was lucky. There were two venomous pit vipers and one golden ringed snake. The gallbladders of these two types of snakes are valuable, especially since they were alive. Each was worth five taels."

"The gallbladders of the three snakes I smashed to death can also be used, but they're not as valuable as the golden ringed snake. Each is only worth two mace. According to the shop assistant at the pharmacy, if they buy live venomous snakes, they keep them for a few days to increase the amount of bile, making the gallbladders better for medicinal use."

"There were also four live snakes, not as valuable as the golden ringed snake and the gray-brown pit viper. Each sold for three mace."

His smile couldn't be contained as he continued, "I specifically inquired. The most valuable gallbladders come from golden ringed snakes, silver ringed snakes, and five-step snakes. These highly venomous snakes are the most valuable. The shop assistant told me that previously, they purchased several top-quality five-step snakes, each worth ten taels."

"Ten taels!" Gu Lanshi's eyes widened. A gallbladder alone was worth ten taels. How expensive would the medicine made from it be? It was truly beyond his wildest imagination.

Pei Yan placed the pouch in his hand and said, "The gallbladder of a venomous snake is a precious medicinal ingredient, naturally fetching a high price. Just like ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms in the mountains, many herbalists risk their lives to gather them, all for the sake of striking it rich."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lanshi indeed understood. If there was no profit to be made, who would willingly take the risk of being bitten by a venomous snake?

Even the village men who ventured into the mountains to hunt snakes had encountered non-venomous ones that still managed to bite them.

The pouch felt heavy in his palm, and he instinctively weighed it, growing even happier. But when he looked up and saw Pei Yan's bright eyes, he hastily said, "We were lucky this time, selling it for so much money. Unlike scorpions, which can sting multiple times without causing fatal harm, catching snakes requires using chopsticks to grab them, preventing them from biting. When I returned home earlier, Father mentioned that someone from Tang Village was bitten by a venomous snake while catching snakes. Although they didn't die, they were bedridden for quite some time."

After realizing his words might have been inappropriate, he immediately spat out a few curses and hurriedly placed the pouch on the cart. Clasping his hands together and closing his eyes, he muttered, "I spoke out of turn; may the gods and buddhas protect us, ensuring everything goes smoothly and safely."

"I know, there's no easy way to make a fortune," Pei Yan replied after he finished speaking. He continued, "I was just thinking that if we don't have anything else to do when we go up the mountain in the future, catching a couple of snakes could earn us some extra money. One day when we're free, we should carve a wooden fork; it's better than catching snakes with bare hands."

Encountering valuable venomous snakes in the front mountains also depended on luck.

The people in the nearby villages knew about a place called Coiling Snake Ridge in the mountains. It was said to be teeming with snake dens, but fortunately, Coiling Snake Ridge was deep in the mountains, far from the foot, preventing a snake infestation. Even professional snake hunters dared not venture too deep, only capturing a few venomous snakes at the periphery.

Knowing that Pei Yan had self-restraint, Gu Lanshi felt slightly relieved regarding his snake-catching intentions. After some thought, he said, "If you really want to catch snakes, remember to bring some realgar. If you can't catch any, it doesn't matter; just drive them away. As long as you remain safe, that's what matters."

Pei Yan smiled and agreed, "Yes, there's no need to worry too much. With these sixteen taels, I definitely won't recklessly dig up snake nests anytime soon. There are so many earth holes on the mountain; even if I go digging, I might not find a snake den."

He led the donkey towards the backyard and said, "Quickly put the money away."

"Alright." Gu Lanshi readily agreed, picking up the pouch and heading into the room. Once inside, he poured out the small silver ingots and copper coins. The gleaming silver seemed to emit light, making him laugh foolishly. After playing with them for a while, he carefully placed them at the bottom of the box.

It was almost noon, the time for lunch. Upon stepping outside, Pei Yan had already propped up the cart and washed his hands.

Gu Lanshi headed towards the kitchen and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Pei Yan thought for a moment and said, "Steamed egg custard."

Since they had earned so much today, indulging in a good meal was acceptable. He added with a smile, "I was in a hurry when I came back and forgot to buy meat. Tomorrow, when I go out, I'll buy some pork fat. It's expensive, but it yields a lot of lard, and I'll also buy several pounds of meat. We can make steamed meat buns, and from now on, we can have stir-fried meat slices every day."

Gu Lanshi's face instantly lit up with joy as he said, "There's no need to eat meat every day; having lard is enough."

Entering the kitchen, Pei Yan followed him in. Remembering what Zhu Ge'er had mentioned, he turned around and asked, "Father and Mother are going to the big market in town the day after tomorrow. They asked if we wanted to join them."

"Let's go." Pei Yan readily agreed, the smile in his eyes unwavering. He said, "This time, when we go to the market, we can buy whatever we want. If we come across something delicious or desirable, just buy it."

With ample funds to spend, both of them were delighted.

Gu Lanshi took a Chinese cabbage and peeled off the outer leaves. After his excitement subsided somewhat, he opened his mouth with a smile, "We should spend a little and save a little. Life is long, after all."

"You're right," Pei Yan agreed, now calm. A faint smile graced his face as he sat in front of the stove, striking flint to ignite the tinder. Once the sparks caught fire, he grabbed a handful of wheat straw to light it, then stuffed it into the stove, saying, "Wait until the water heats up before washing the vegetables; otherwise, your hands will freeze."

"Okay." Gu Lanshi threw the wilted leaves into an old wooden basin outside the door. Later, he would chop them up to feed the chickens and ducks.

This joy seemed to be felt even by Big Black, who stood at the kitchen entrance wagging its tail. Seeing Gu Lanshi emerge, it stuck out its tongue and grinned.

Now, its coat was smooth, and it appeared stronger than before, no longer resembling the disheveled and emaciated stray dog it once was.

"It's so cunning, even it's happy," Gu Lanshi remarked as he entered the kitchen. Using the kitchen knife, he first cut off the root of the Chinese cabbage, so he wouldn't have to peel each leaf individually. He said, "Just in time, we can buy more bones the day after tomorrow. We should nourish its body since it has to guard the house all year round."

Sitting in front of the stove, Pei Yan glanced at the large dog outside. At this moment, Big Black actually seemed somewhat endearing, so he said, "Alright, we'll give it a meaty bone that hasn't been gnawed on as a reward."

Big Black didn't understand their conversation. If it knew there was a meaty bone waiting for it, it would have already run off in excitement.