Chapter 19: Pulling Off Something Big!
But Li Yuanjing soon found himself speechless. This group of women, each more animated than the last in their rambling gossip, offered little useful information. He could only comfort himself that, at least, he now knew the wolves nearby were still quite active.
“Master, I’ve finished making those hundred sharpened wooden stakes. Once I pay the autumn taxes, I’ll deliver them to you right away…”
At that moment, Zhang Kun also came to pay his taxes. Seeing Li Yuanjing there, he hurried over to report.
“Brother Zhang, how is it so soon?” Li Yuanjing was startled.
He’d only spoken to Zhang Kun yesterday evening, and now, not even twenty-four hours later, Zhang Kun had already completed the task.
“Heh,” Zhang Kun grinned sheepishly. “Master, not only did my mother and my two sisters help, but my younger brother put in a lot of effort, too.”
Li Yuanjing immediately understood. By advancing Zhang Kun his autumn tax money, he had given the despairing Zhang Liang a glimmer of hope—the courage to carry on.
He smiled, patting Zhang Kun on the shoulder, saying nothing more, and letting him go pay his taxes.
“Yar…”
“Yar, promise your mother, you must live on, you must survive! Otherwise, even in the underworld, I will not rest in peace…”
“Mother…”
Just as Zhang Kun went to pay his taxes, a woman’s heart-rending cry rang out nearby.
Li Yuanjing quickly looked over, his brows furrowing in distress.
It was Xiugu, wife of Hou Wu!
To pay the autumn taxes, she had actually pawned her own daughter.
But her daughter was clearly too young, barely enough to cover the taxes, and brought back little silver.
In that moment, the mother and daughter’s tragic cries were unbearable to witness; many villagers, previously engaged in discussing wolves, turned to look.
“Brother, those two, mother and daughter, are so pitiful…” Yuniang was already shedding tears, tightly clutching Li Yuanjing’s arm.
Li Yuanjing gently patted her back to soothe her, but could only sigh softly.
Xiugu was actually quite beautiful, with features reminiscent of southern women in later times.
Unfortunately, the one she entrusted her life to was clearly not a good man…
After a long while, when the slave traders dragged Xiugu and Hou Wu’s daughter Yar into their carriage and took them away, Xiugu finally ceased her heart-wrenching cries.
She was now like a wooden doll, drained of all vitality, stumbling away like a leaf swept up by the autumn wind.
“Let’s go, girl. What you’ve seen is a warning. We must live well,” Li Yuanjing said, giving Yuniang’s slender waist a firm pat, signaling her to return home.
Yuniang’s eyes were swollen from crying, and she understood the meaning of his words even more deeply, quickly snuggling into Li Yuanjing’s embrace as they walked home together.
“Something’s wrong, something’s wrong! There are wolves on the back hill!”
“Thank goodness I ran fast; otherwise, I might not have made it back today…”
Li Yuanjing and Yuniang had barely taken a few steps when another woman’s anguished shout echoed.
Everyone was drawn to the scene, turning to look.
It was a middle-aged village woman, relative of the old village chief, running barefoot toward the crowd, screaming in panic.
“Zhuzhi’s mother, what happened? Did you encounter wolves?” the old village chief exclaimed, rushing to meet her.
The tax collector Lord Ma and the other officials were also startled, quickly gathering around.
Zhuzhi’s mother was so frightened she wet her trousers, stumbling as she recounted the events to the chief and the others.
“Damn it, one crisis after another. Why can’t those wolves bite Hou Wu’s wretched son instead? Why must good people get hurt?” the old chief grumbled, clutching his dry tobacco pouch, his brows tightly knit.
Lord Ma said, “Chief, now’s not the time for that. Let’s take some men and check it out—this is serious!”
“Alright!” The chief nodded, quickly calling for the village’s able-bodied men to head for the back hill.
Li Yuanjing, being a scholar and having helped the chief with the matter of Lu Gang, had earned his favor and had the option to join the wolf hunt.
Watching a dozen men head quickly to the back hill, Li Yuanjing remained unconvinced.
According to the women’s accounts, the wolves had already tasted blood; how could they be so easily hunted?
Yet, an idea struck him, and his spirits lifted as he called Yuniang to hurry home.
Once Li Yuanjing and Yuniang returned, Zhang Kun and his sisters soon arrived, bringing a wheelbarrow loaded with a pile of sharp, freshly carved wooden stakes.
Li Yuanjing’s spirits soared, and he asked Yuniang to pour water for Zhang Kun and the sisters while he quickly inspected the stakes.
Soon, Li Yuanjing nodded in satisfaction.
Zhang Kun’s family worked diligently—these stakes were well made.
Not long after, dusk began to fall, and the wolf hunting party returned, passing right by Li Yuanjing’s house.
As expected,
They returned empty-handed, swearing and grumbling.
Once they left, Zhang Kun and the sisters prepared to take their leave, but the light in Li Yuanjing’s eyes grew brighter as he said,
“Brother Zhang, tonight, do you dare to join me in something big?”
Zhang Kun was stunned for a moment before he understood, his voice unwaveringly respectful:
“Master, whatever you say, I’ll do! Even if it costs my life, I won’t hesitate!”
As he spoke, the sisters also looked respectfully at Li Yuanjing, their eyes full of resolve.
Clearly, even if it meant dying for Li Yuanjing, they would accept it without hesitation.
Li Yuanjing smiled, patting Zhang Kun on the shoulder.
“Brother Zhang, what nonsense! I’m leading you to earn silver, so our wives and children can live well—why risk our lives?”
“With Daya and Erya here, let’s get ready!”
“Yuniang, take Daya and Erya, and gather all the things I prepared earlier.”
“Brother Zhang, head home now and bring two sharp woodcutting knives—the sharper, the better! Also, let Aunt Zhang know, understood?”
“Alright!”
With Li Yuanjing’s orders, Yuniang, Zhang Kun, and the others hurried to their tasks.
Soon, the group was ready and set off for the back hill.
…
Li Yuanjing dared to venture out at this hour partly because their group numbered five strong, and the noisy wolf hunting party had surely scared the wolves away.
Moreover, Li Yuanjing was well acquainted with the terrain in these mountains.
When he’d scouted the back hill earlier, he discovered a spot perfectly suited for setting traps.
Not long after,
They walked nearly half a mile before reaching the trap site.
It was a natural, oval-shaped ravine, about three or four meters wide and three meters deep.
Like a crescent moon, it curved around a robust old pine tree.
Behind the pine, there was a cliff at least several dozen meters deep.
Upon arrival, Li Yuanjing quickly assigned tasks:
“Brother Zhang, cut some sturdy timber and build a platform about ten feet up in the branches of that old pine, understood?”
“Yuniang, Daya, Erya—you three, pass me the stakes and earth. I’ll work down in the ravine!”