"Uncle Liu, aren't you afraid that I might borrow money and never return it? If I make a loss, I'll have nothing." Xia Qianqian said with a smile.
"I'm not afraid of that. With your ability, you will definitely succeed. But I can only afford two taels of silver..." Uncle Liu was also embarrassed.
Farmers are honest, but they are not well-off, and it is unknown how long it will take to save up two taels of silver. Xia Qianqian could only accept Liu Bo's kindness, but could not really take his money.
"Thank you, Uncle Liu. I still have some money on hand. I'll let you know when it's not enough."
"Are you still going hunting?" Uncle Liu asked worriedly.
"Yeah. Don't let my mother know about this. I'm afraid she'll worry."
Uncle Liu sighed and said, "Well, I'll go with you tomorrow. It's almost New Year's Day, and I don't have any meat to eat at home."
"That's great, Uncle Liu, you have experience." Xia Qianqian smiled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Uncle Liu was not short of meat at home, but he was willing to accompany her into the mountains.
… …
The next day, Xia Qianqian got up early and baked some pancakes to take with her on the road. Liu Bo brought a machete and a crossbow, and the two of them went into the mountains together.
Not far behind Yangliu Village is the mountain, which is now a vast expanse of desolate scenery. Trees with all their leaves fallen stand on the white snow. Compared with spring, autumn and summer, the visibility in the mountains in winter is better, and it is easier to find prey. Moreover, there are fewer people going into the mountains to hunt, so there is no need to worry about the prey being snatched away.
"Uncle Liu, has your son not returned from work yet?" Xia Qianqian tried to find topics to talk about as they walked.
"I haven't been back for two years. Alas, your aunt misses Baoshan very much, but there is nothing we can do. Baoshan is nineteen years old this year. If he doesn't make money and get married, he will be old." said Uncle Liu.
"Pfft!" Xia Qianqian burst out laughing, "Uncle Liu, how come you're old at nineteen?"
"First get married, then start a career. This is the rule of our ancestors. But my family is poor, and the girl Baoshan likes has high standards. Oh! I hope I can save enough money for the betrothal gift next year."
"How much do you want as a bride price?"
"Five taels."
Xia Qianqian's mood was very complicated. Five taels of silver made it impossible for a man to marry a wife. For the gentry and nobles, five taels of silver was just enough for a meal.
"Uncle Liu, if we can kill a tiger or a wild boar today, we will have enough money for your son's wedding gift."
"Tiger..." Uncle Liu trembled in fear, "Please don't let us encounter it."
Xia Qianqian laughed: "I was just kidding. Tigers hibernate in the winter."
Uncle Liu looked at Xia Qianqian strangely: "Tigers don't hibernate."
Xia Qianqian: “…”
Don't animals hibernate in winter? That's why she thought of going into the mountains to hunt. If she encounters a tiger... Xia Qianqian shuddered. Oh my god, it's not certain who will hunt whom!
"It will still come out to look for food in winter. But don't be afraid, there have never been tigers in our mountains."
"oh… "
Xia Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief and continued to move forward. Soon, the two officially entered the mountain and began to look for prey.
There was so much snow, how could any animals come out? A few pheasants flew by, but by the time Xia Qianqian reacted and prepared to shoot with her crossbow, the pheasants had already flown away.
"Don't be discouraged. Pheasants are worthless. Let's go find rabbit holes and take one nest at a time!" Uncle Liu smiled.
But there is snow everywhere, how can I find the rabbit hole
Liu Bo pointed to the front left and whispered, "See? The rabbit left footprints."
Xia Qianqian looked carefully and saw a small set of footprints on the snow that had not yet been covered by the snow, indicating that the rabbit had moved around not long ago. She became excited: "Rabbit!"
(End of this chapter)