After a flurry of clucking, the wild chicken flock became a bit chaotic.
This was just like with humans—when parents realize their children are missing, wouldn't they search frantically?
But it was getting dark, and the wild chickens' vision wasn't good. After a few turns, several of them ended up under the tree where Chen Xiaobei was hiding.
Opportunities like this don't come often.
Chen Xiaobei seized the moment, aimed at a pair of glowing eyes, and leaped down from the tree.
Something suddenly fell from the tree, and the wild chickens beneath the tree, with their poor eyesight, were momentarily stunned.
The distant wild chickens seemed not to have noticed yet.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Xiaobei had landed.
Thud.
A muffled sound.
Lucky for him, the net caught two wild chickens underneath.
After a brief moment of silence, the wild chickens erupted into a frenzy.
Clucking loudly, they scattered in all directions.
Chen Xiaobei, quick as lightning, pounced again and pinned another wild chicken to the ground.
It took him quite a while, but he finally secured all three wild chickens.
Chen Xiaobei didn't dare to stay any longer. In a hurry, he grabbed the wild chickens and headed down the mountain.
Before he left, he marked the area again.
Chen Xiaobei knew that wild chickens were clever, so they would notice the absence of their three companions.
But it was too dark, and the chickens couldn't see clearly what had happened. Plus, there were still eggs around, so it was very likely the wild chickens would return here the next day.
That's why making the mark was crucial.
Back at his drafty home, waiting until the sky brightened slightly, Chen Xiaobei couldn't hold it in any longer.
He got up and drank two wild chicken eggs raw. Then, he set off with the three wild chickens.
At this point, he had no concept of the value of wild chickens, so he just decided to bring all three along.
From Hetou Village to the county was over twenty miles, and the road was rough—dirt roads, mountain paths—all he had were his two legs. It was going to be a long journey.
By the time Chen Xiaobei had walked, it was already past noon.
He had finally arrived.
Looking at the towering city gates in the distance, Chen Xiaobei felt a little disappointed. It was much like the city gates of the Tang and Song dynasties that he had imagined.
Upon entering the county, he walked around and inquired, eventually finding a vegetable market not far from the West Gate.
It was midsummer, and logically, fruits and vegetables should have been plentiful. However, the market was sparse, with very few vendors selling produce.
Chen Xiaobei walked around, and finally, he chose a stall that seemed decent. He placed his three wild chickens on the side and squatted there, silently watching the vendor selling vegetables.
There weren't many vegetable sellers, but there were plenty of buyers. Soon, the vendor had sold more than half of his goods.
While he was admiring the business, a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes stood in front of him. "Hey, kid, are you selling these wild chickens?"
Chen Xiaobei nodded.
The man smiled. "How much for each?"
Chen Xiaobei hesitated and cautiously extended a hand. "Five…"
Before he could finish, the man shook his head. "Five hundred wen is too expensive. How about three hundred? If you agree, I'll take them all."
Wow, this was an unexpected surprise—wild chickens were worth that much.
Seeing that Chen Xiaobei remained silent, the man thought he was reluctant to accept the offer. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll add fifty more. Three hundred and fifty wen, deal? Live wild chickens are rare. If they were dead, they wouldn't be worth much."
The vegetable vendor beside them quickly chimed in, "I'm telling you, kid, these live wild chickens may be rare, but when it comes to eating, there's just bones and no meat."
The middle-aged man smiled and looked at the vegetable vendor meaningfully. "Yes, Old Wu, you're right. These are for giving as gifts—just for face."
Chen Xiaobei understood the implication from the vegetable vendor's words. It was clear that he was being urged to sell quickly, as this was a one-time opportunity.
The three wild chickens sold for 1,050 copper coins, which was equivalent to one tael of silver plus fifty wen.
This was far beyond Chen Xiaobei's expectations.
He wasn't a greedy person, so he casually took a copper coin from his pocket and handed it to the vegetable vendor. "Thank you, Old Wu. If it weren't for you, this big customer would have run off."
Old Wu laughed heartily. "In the county, the most generous spender is this Steward Cao. You'd better sweeten your mouth when you see him next time. It can't hurt."
As Chen Xiaobei helped Old Wu with selling vegetables, he also took the opportunity to learn about the current price levels. He knew that one wen could buy two pounds of rice.
However, the prices of vegetables were a bit high. The cucumbers and eggplants at Old Wu's stall didn't cost less than one wen each. It seemed that vegetables really weren't something ordinary people could afford. It wasn't hard to understand why there were so few vegetable sellers.
As for meat, it was even more expensive. Five wen could only buy one pound of meat.
In other words, a strong laborer could only earn enough for one pound of pork after working an entire day. But in this era, pork was scarce, making it a luxury item due to its rarity.
Chen Xiaobei took a long detour, bought a few pounds of rice, a bit of oil and salt, and half a pound of pork. Altogether, he spent ten copper coins, which he considered a lavish expenditure.
He didn't make a big show of his purchases because he knew the principle of keeping wealth hidden. With his humble appearance, if he suddenly returned home with a large bundle of items, it might arouse suspicion.
On his way back, as he passed by the city gate, Chen Xiaobei gritted his teeth and bought four meat buns, spending four wen. He felt a bit pained by the expense.
Of course, he wasn't going to eat the meat buns himself. He planned to bring them back for his sister Qiao'er. As for himself, he had a large bowl of noodles with spicy sauce and three bowls of noodle soup, eating until his stomach was full.
On the way home, Chen Xiaobei felt much happier.
What made him the happiest was that he would soon be rid of Chen Ermao and begin a new life with Chen Qiao'er.
But clearly, he was too happy too soon.
When Chen Xiaobei got home, he quickly went to Aunt Xiumei's house to pick up Qiao'er. To show his gratitude, he also brought about two taels of pork with him.
Aunt Xiumei was overjoyed when she saw him, smiling broadly. She quickly turned and brought out a bundle from inside.
"Xiaobei, this is from the Cui family, sent by someone. The matter is settled."
This...
Chen Xiaobei was at a loss for words. This was a classic case of a matchmaker setting up an arranged marriage.
"Aunt Xiumei, I never agreed to this. Why are you..."
Aunt Xiumei pointed at Chen Qiao'er, "Qiao'er agreed. She's your sister, and she can represent your wishes, right?"
I...
Chen Xiaobei was completely speechless. What kind of world was this, where a six-year-old sister could represent the head of the household and arrange a marriage for her seventeen-year-old brother?
Chen Qiao'er skipped happily over to her brother. "Brother, brother, Sister Hongyu is so beautiful. Let her be my sister-in-law."
Chen Xiaobei patted her head. "Let's talk about it when we get home."
The two siblings returned home, and Chen Xiaobei took out the warm meat buns and handed them to Chen Qiao'er.
When she saw the meat buns, Chen Qiao'er was so happy that she spun around several times on the ground.