But to have the two of them directly kill someone, neither had the courage nor the ability.
After much deliberation, Chen Yutian finally made up his mind, "Old woman, I think we need to go find your bandit brother, Big Black."
Upon hearing this, his wife, Madam Jia, repeatedly waved her hands, "That's absolutely not feasible."
"Big Black usually robs the rich to help the poor. How could he kill an unarmed Chen Xiaobei? Besides, Er Mao is hiding with him. If Er Mao gets involved because of this, won't we be...?" Su Dan Novel Network
Chen Yutian, however, was surprisingly sharp this time, "Heh, precisely because he doesn't usually kill commoners, the officials won't suspect him this time."
"Furthermore, once Chen Xiaobei is dead, Er Mao can come back and leave that bandit den. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
Madam Jia fell silent after hearing this. Then, she looked up at the sky, "Alright, it's too late today. I'll go to Centipede Ridge first thing tomorrow morning."
Centipede Ridge was at least fifty miles away from Hetou Village.
So, it was definitely too late to go now.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaobei had already arrived at the county town.
At the Hua Hao Hall, Jia Wannian's eyes were full of joy when he saw Chen Xiaobei bring so much Houttuynia cordata.
"Oh, Brother Chen, these are all treasures!"
Hearing that they were treasures, Chen Xiaobei's heart was filled with excitement. It seemed he could get a good price today.
But after weighing them, for over thirty catties, Jia Wannian only offered him three copper coins.
This was difficult for Chen Xiaobei to accept.
"Shopkeeper Jia, didn't you just say these were treasures? Isn't the price a bit low?"
Jia Wannian spread his hands helplessly, "Yes, I said these things are treasures. They have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties and are valuable medicines. However, they need to be dried and ground before they can be resold."
So that was how it was. So many additional steps were required. After his explanation, Chen Xiaobei felt that the price was perfectly acceptable.
Leaving Hua Hao Hall, Chen Xiaobei headed for the general store.
When the shopkeeper saw Chen Xiaobei arrive, his face was so full of smiles that his wrinkles could have trapped flies.
"Oh, young master, you're finally here! Those water skins are all made."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper went behind the counter and brought out two large items.
Not bad, they were close to his expectations, about a foot and a half long and nearly a foot wide.
With these, he wouldn't be afraid of even the biggest fish.
By the time Chen Xiaobei returned home, it was almost dark.
To his slight surprise, dinner was very rich.
There was a whole chicken, a whole one that had been stewed.
Upon asking, he learned that it was sent by Cuihua from next door, and it was sent already stewed.
Chen Xiaobei knew this was to thank him for finding Dachun. They had killed the rooster they raised.
"Husband, I told them that neighbors should help each other, but Sister Cuihua insisted on giving it, saying you worked too hard last night."
Chen Xiaobei nodded and smiled, "Alright, if they want to give it, let them. I haven't eaten chicken in a long time anyway."
He was indeed tired.
He had made two trips to the county town today. Although he had slept, he was still a bit overwhelmed.
So, drinking some chicken soup and sleeping soundly tonight was a good option.
While eating, Chen Xiaobei asked Cui Hongyu, "Hongyu, when I sold the Houttuynia cordata today, the shopkeeper told me it needed to be dried and ground before it could be resold. What did he mean?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Hongyu smiled. She was very familiar with such professional questions, "Fresh Houttuynia cordata spoils easily. After drying and grinding, it's easier to store. When needed, it can be soaked in clean water, and its medicinal efficacy will not be reduced at all."
So that was how it was. Chen Xiaobei understood.
"Hongyu, what do you think? If we dry it directly before selling it, wouldn't that be even better?"
Hearing this, Cui Hongyu's eyes lit up.
Yes, why hadn't she thought of this method?
Cui Hongyu smiled and said, "Husband, your idea is excellent. Selling it after drying will naturally fetch a higher price, and we can earn more silver in one trip."
Chen Xiaobei nodded. His trips were not easy, so naturally, the more money he made, the better.
The next day, before dawn, Chen Xiaobei got up early again to go fishing. The large water skins had been brought back, and they needed to be fully utilized.
However, his luck seemed to be poor today. He had cast the fishing net several times, but only small fish were caught, the longest being no more than four or five inches. Fish of this size wouldn't fetch much in the city.
Relying on the heavens for food was not a long-term plan.
Chen Xiaobei sat by the river, lost in thought. It would be wonderful if he could raise fish himself.
To raise fish, he would first need a fish pond.
Chen Xiaobei stood up and looked around. Finally, he spotted a suitable location.
It was about a mile upstream.
Beside the river, there was a large depression.
This area could accommodate at least two mu. It was at least waist-deep.
If an opening were made on the riverbank to fill this place with water, raising fish would be entirely possible.
Alright, since Heaven had given him a day of rest, he would rest for a day.
Returning home, Chen Xiaobei cleaned the fish while sharing his idea with Cui Hongyu. Cui Hongyu frowned after listening.
"Husband, are you sure that place is wasteland? What if it has an owner? It would be troublesome if they come looking for us."
Chen Xiaobei thought about it and realized she was right.
The deceased Chen Xiaobei had been idle at home all day, doing nothing productive. He didn't know whose land it was, which was normal.
Therefore, it would be best to first confirm with the village head to see if it was truly wasteland.
With this in mind, he set aside two larger fish without cleaning them.
He still used an iron pot, greased with lard, to pan-fry the fish, then poured in water. While the fish were stewing, he took the two fish to find the village head, Chen Anbang.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei bring fish, Chen Anbang had to act very enthusiastically.
"Xiaobei, just say what you need to say. There's no need to be so polite to me."
Despite his words, he smiled and accepted the two fish.
"Second Uncle, I came to ask you something. Whose is that depression by the river upstream from our village?"
Chen Anbang scratched his head and thought, then couldn't help but laugh.
"Where are you talking about? By the way, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"Alas, you know my family's situation. The land granted by the government was subcontracted to others, yielding only two hundred catties of grain a year, which is not enough to eat. Now there are three mouths to feed, so I'm thinking of getting more land to cultivate."
Hearing this, Chen Anbang chuckled, but his mind was racing. That land was wasteland, but if Chen Xiaobei just occupied it, he wouldn't get any benefit.
With this thought, he nodded in agreement, "That piece of land was specifically allocated by the county to our Hetou Village, for the use of families who have additions to their household. However, since your grandfather and I were good friends, if you want to cultivate it, I'll give it to you first. But the rent cannot be less, as it needs to be paid to the county."