Chapter 49: Chapter 47: Does your mother know how ruthless you are?
He pursed her lips and reluctantly followed. She really didnât dare to go back, Mrs. Lv could tear her apart. Her back was sore, and she didnât know when she could go back to rest. Itâs exhausting working for so long and still unclear if they could actually sell it for silver coins, and the whole family was involved in this toil.
Mr. Gu had long noticed it. While He appeared to be working nonstop, she was actually lazing around, not having picked much. This second daughter-in-lawâs behavior was really growing intolerable. Even as these thoughts passed through his mind, his pace didnât slow down.
Gu Chengyu heard the footsteps of Mr. Gu and the others getting closer, knowing they had arrived. "Dad, over here, look, I canât even hold this anymore."
Mr. Gu heard Gu Chengyuâs voice and, sensing nothing amiss, felt slightly relieved, "You little rascal, didnât I tell you not to run off? Donât you know there are many wild animals in the mountains? Do you want to frighten your father to death?"
He parted the grass and, seeing Gu Chengyu standing there unharmed, let out a complete sigh of relief.
Gu Chengyu raised the rabbit in his hand, "Dad, look, whatâs this?"
Mr. Gu focused his gaze and looked closely, "A rabbit?"
He, who was following behind, hurriedly rushed forward upon hearing this, "Where is it? Whereâs the rabbit?" Her slightly plump body squeezed past Mrs. Fang, who was blocking the way.
"Oh my! It really is a rabbit! The Little Uncle can catch a rabbit? I told you! How could someone as clever as Little Uncle fail at anything? Look at this! Even caught a rabbit. Here, let me take it. Little Uncle, youâve worked hard!" He beamed at the rabbit in Gu Chengyuâs hand, her smile etching wrinkles into the corners of her eyes. Donât ask how Gu Chengyu could see this clearlyâit was dark, but he had night vision, and his eyesight was excellent.
He rubbed her hands together, eager to lift it. Gu Chengyu didnât refuse either, as she couldnât possibly eat it raw on the way back, and this rabbit weighed five to six pounds, making it quite heavy to carry. "Dad, look, thereâs also a nest of baby rabbits here! Letâs take them home and raise them. Iâll feed them grass every day."
Mr. Gu was quite pleased with this unexpected gain, especially when he saw the seven baby rabbits in the nest, which made him overjoyed. Hunters liked catching rabbits; rabbit meat could be sold to shops in town that collected wild game, and the rabbitâs fur could be sold to general stores. The purer the color of the fur, the higher the price. Some stores even bought them hide and all. Rabbits could breed often, and selling rabbits alone could become a source of income.
Mr. Gu patted Gu Chengyuâs head with a smile, then said worriedly, "This rabbit was found by Xiao Bao, so itâs your responsibility to feed it from now on! However, should there be a next time, never run off aimlessly, the mountains have numerous wild beasts and snakes; encountering them is extremely dangerous."
"Dad, I only chased after the rabbit when I saw it; I wonât dare to do it again. Please, donât tell mom. If she finds out, she wonât let me come out anymore." Gu Chengyu pleaded, tugging on Mr. Guâs hand.
"Now that you know, if you disobey again, Iâll have your mom lock you in the house, and you wonât be able to go anywhere."
"Oh~ mom, why is there blood?" He took the rabbit, delighting in it, without giving it much thought, unaware that she had touched a handful of blood.
"Xiao Bao, how did you catch this rabbit?" Mr. Gu, having been preocuppied with the urgency, forgot to ask earlier.
"I was sitting nearby playing, saw the rabbit bump into a stone, and when I went over to check, it had fainted. Afraid itâd wake up and run off, I used the stone to bash it dead." Gu Chengyu looked up with an innocent face, his almond-shaped eyes blinking at Mr. Gu.
Mr. Gu glanced at the rabbit, bleeding from the head in Heâs hand, then looked at his sonâs adorable face and innocent eyes, a corner of his mouth twitching.
Son, oh son! Does your mother know how ruthless youâve become?
He looked over at Gu Chengyu, noticing the childâs upturned, delicate face and charming smile, indeed adorable. Lowering her head to the bleeding rabbit in her hand, she couldnât help but shiver a bit.
Mr. Gu pulled some tall grass, twisted them into ropes swiftly with his fingers, and wove a simple grass mat. Gu Chengyu watched attentively; weaving grass mats was a skill every rural family had, and they even made bamboo utensils. Consequently, people selling bamboo goods in the market got poor returns, mostly sold to townsfolk. When their household made dried vegetables, flat winnowing baskets were insufficient, so bamboo mats were used. Edging them was too cumbersome.
"Alright, pack up the rabbits, letâs go pick flowers! The elders will be back soon, we need to get them home before it gets dark." Mr. Gu carefully wrapped the rabbits in the grass mat, then instructed Mrs. Fang and the others to head back to pick flowers.
Returning to the honeysuckle field, they secured the rabbits with grass ropes to prevent them from escaping. The dead rabbit was wrapped layer by layer with leaves in case wild animals on the mountain were attracted by the scent of blood. Before long, Gu Chengli arrived with Da Ya and others; now it was time for every household to have dinner, and those who finished were preparing for rest, with few people wandering in the village.
Mr. Gu was still a bit uneasy, "Eldest, did anyone see you on your way back?"
"Hopefully, no one saw us." Gu Chengli kept his head down as he walked along the path, fearing exposure, almost at a jog, paying little attention to his surroundings.
"Dad, rest assured, no one saw us. When we returned, the villagers were having dinner. Besides, we covered it with grassâunless someone comes up to check, they wonât know." Gu Chengyi stepped in to answer when it became clear his eldest brother couldnât be relied upon.
"Eh? Did Dad catch these rabbits?" Gu Chengyi, noticing the rabbits on the ground nearby, felt puzzled. Hunters often went up the mountains in Xialing Village and could catch rabbits, but since when did their dad have such skills?
"Weâll discuss this at home. Quickly pick the flowers, donât waste time." Mr. Gu was still uneasy about the dead rabbit, urging them to finish picking quickly and return home. With more people, they finished before 7 PM.
Gu Chengyu, like a thief, followed them back to the Gu Family home, where Mrs. Lv was already waiting.
"Come in quickly, why so late? Have you picked them all? Wow, where did the rabbit come from?" Mrs. Lv exclaimed in surprise, seeing the rabbit in Mr. Guâs arms.
"The rabbit is thanks to Xiao Baoâs skills! The one He is holding is already dead, and quite fat too. Weâll cook it tomorrow; everyoneâs exhausted from the busy farming season. The rabbit meat wonât be sold, weâll all have a good meal. Quickly, bring a mat, spread out the flowers. Weâll sun them tomorrow if thereâs sunshine; it should take a few days to dry." Mr. Gu worried the pile of flowers would get crushed in the baskets.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mrs. Lv snatched the rabbit He was holding.
"Eating it is wasteful. It could be sold for silver coins instead!" Mrs. Lv hesitated, looking at the rabbitâs white fur. It was indeed fat, at least five or six pounds. Selling rabbit with its fur brought fifteen coins a pound, and selling separately fetched a bit more.
"Alright, a single rabbit wonât sell for much; we have seven baby rabbits too. Werenât there two chicken cages left? We can keep them in there," Mr. Gu knew Mrs. Lv was reluctant, but the household hadnât seen any meat for over a month; even he was craving. During busy farming times, they had only a few extra eggs, no greasy meals. Even an iron stomach couldnât stand it.
Once everything was sorted, he sent everyone to bed.
Gu Wan hadnât gone to the mountain to pick honeysuckles. At home, she lived pampered, never engaging in fieldwork; Mrs. Lv couldnât bear to let her face the wind and sun. Fearing that in the future if she married into a household, sheâd be criticized for laziness, Mrs. Lv decided sheâd sternly have Gu Wan learn embroidery.
Gu Chengyu and Mrs. Lv returned to the main house, where Gu Wan had already fallen asleep.