Chapter 108: An Equivalent Gift in Return

Zhang Guoqing returned to the well with a bamboo basket full of wild pheasants and rabbits. He used hot water to pluck their feathers and clean out the innards, set aside four pheasants, and quickly strung up the rest with rope, hanging them under the eaves of the west wing. The wild pheasant eggs he placed in the small sitting room.

He planned to cook one pheasant a day for Zhou Jiao, simmering them right on the stove. The wild rabbits were just for variety, something different for Jiaojiao to eat.

He took the four pheasants outside and came back with four large lumps of clay, which he casually placed in the two stove holes. It just so happened that tonight the family needed two pots to braise pig’s head, tail, trotters, and hock. By the time the pig’s head was done, the beggar’s chicken would be ready too.

Luckily, Zhang’s mother wasn’t around, or she’d scold him for being wasteful again. Xizi had been following him, watching his uncle roast the chickens in the fire, waiting in the kitchen.

After grabbing some clothes and taking a bath, Zhang Guoqing returned to his bedroom. Seeing Zhou Jiao and his mother-in-law, he smiled and said, “Mom, tonight I’ll sleep with my son in the outer room. You stay here with your daughter and have a good chat.”

Zhou Jiao laughed, “Sure! Mom can keep me company. And at midnight when Ping’an needs his formula, you can sneak a peek at your precious son.”

“Jiaojiao, once your confinement is over, I’ll take you to the forest. There are so many medicinal herbs there that I don’t even recognize, and you can still find lots of mushrooms. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to get wild pheasants and rabbits—just a toss of a stone and you hit one. There are also lots of wild pheasant eggs; I brought some back for you to build up your strength, but I didn’t bring too many in case they broke. The deeper you go, the more rabbits there are, and even some silly mushrooms. By the creek, you can see deer tracks. And that’s not even deep in the mountains yet.”

Zhang Guoqing enthusiastically recounted his adventures in the mountains, including tales of hunting wild boar. The mother and daughter listened with great interest, occasionally exclaiming in wonder, their faces full of longing.

Zhou Jiao said regretfully, “If only I weren’t still in confinement, I’d go with you.”

After sighing, she remembered the packages he’d brought back. “Brother, where did you get the packages and bags you brought home? They’re all such good furs and fine wine.”

Zhang Guoqing slapped his forehead, chuckling as he found the largest bundle, opened it, and took out the items one by one.

“I forgot all about it when I saw you. On the way back from the county, I took a detour to find someone for these things—it took a lot of talking. These two wolf pelts are especially for Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa always rubs his knees, and in winter, sleeping on wolf pelts keeps the cold away. I went out of my way to get them. In all the nearby villages, only Grandpa Wang has pelts this big—I practically wrestled them from him.

I’ve had my eye on them ever since he killed the wolf king. When I was little, I’d go to his house with Grandpa and knew he was skilled and kept a lot of things hidden away. This time I went to his door, told him my son was born, and he gave me two wolf teeth for good luck. Then I shamelessly pestered him until he finally, reluctantly, let me have the two biggest wolf pelts. The wine is tiger bone wine, and he put it in this jug so it wouldn’t break.

Mom, he also has a tiger skin at home, but he wouldn’t give it up no matter what—I think he’s saving it as a family heirloom. What a pity.” As he finished, Zhang Guoqing looked regretful. He really liked that tiger skin—if Jiaojiao saw it, she’d probably cry and beg for it.

“The rest I bought from others. These few pelts are for Mom. I also found the biggest two ginseng roots—Mom, you and Jiaojiao can split them as you see fit. We kept one for ourselves as a backup. Before the New Year, the village had a big hunt and went deep into the mountains. If we’re lucky next time, we might find more.” Seeing his mother-in-law about to refuse, Zhang Guoqing hurried to persuade her.

Lin Lishan looked at the two ginseng roots, each at least a hundred years old, and knew they must have cost a fortune. “Since you have some, I’ll accept these. But Xiao Wu, if it’s dangerous in the mountains, don’t go. A wise man doesn’t stand under a crumbling wall. You have a son now, and our family isn’t short on money—there’s no need to risk your life. Understand? I’ll take your nod as a promise. But, Xiao Wu, how much did these two cost? They must have been expensive. Century-old ginseng is hard to find on the market.”

Zhang Guoqing grinned and held up two fingers. “Six hundred yuan for both. One family asked three hundred, and I just gave the other family three hundred too. In the city, you’d pay at least five hundred for one. Cheap, right? I wouldn’t have bought them if they were more expensive. We hunters know each other and sometimes hunt together. They couldn’t ask for more.”

Lin Lishan nodded. “Without connections, you’d never get that price. You must not have much money left, right? Since I’m leaving tomorrow, I’ll give you all the receipts and remaining money. Use it as you need. When I come back, I’ll bring more money and we can buy a courtyard house in the county. We’ll go look at houses together then. Use what you have for now—we’re not short on money, so don’t worry.”

She took out her loose bills, remittance coupons, and change from her bag—over three hundred yuan in total. She put three hundred yuan, the remittance coupons, and the bills in the drawer, keeping only a little change for herself.

Zhang Guoqing quickly took the money and coupons out. “Mom, we still have money. No need to rush. Why keep pushing it back and forth? You only have me and Jiaojiao—we’re not going to be polite with you. Listen, keep the coupons with you—they’re good for the train and in Beijing. You can’t just show up at home and ask Grandma for money. Take them back with you. Leave the provincial coupons for me. As for cash, we really don’t need it.” He looked to Zhou Jiao for help.

Zhou Jiao couldn’t help but laugh. “Mom, take the money. Didn’t you say you’d buy me a cashmere coat? I have enough for now, and when you come back, you can buy us the county house.”

Lin Lishan thought for a moment, then nodded, separating out enough coupons for her train expenses and putting the rest in the drawer. With only one daughter and son-in-law, there was no need to stand on ceremony.

“These coupons are enough for three days. Once I’m back, they’re useless anyway—I’ll be eating at the cafeteria or at home. You keep them. Use what you have for now. When your dad comes back, there’ll be more.”

“I know, don’t worry. If I really run out, I won’t ask you for money. You’ll be back in a few days anyway, and if you can’t get leave, I’ll come to Beijing to find you. I have the address and phone number, so don’t do anything rash. If you can’t get leave, just follow Dad to Beijing.” Zhou Jiao was helpless in the face of her mother’s concern.

Lin Lishan patted her head, smiling happily. “I’ll definitely get leave. Even if I go abroad, I can find an excuse—your aunt can write me a sick note. Besides, your maternity leave is officially approved. If I weren’t worried about Grandpa bragging in the compound when he gets back to Beijing, I could’ve said you hadn’t given birth yet and stayed longer.”

Seeing he wasn’t needed, Zhang Guoqing left the women to their chat, taking the bundle of pelts to find his mother. These pelts were valuable—he still needed them to wrap up wild boar meat."