Chapter 6 Why Eat Rabbits

Cheng Wanwan isn't stupid.

How could Zhao Sidan, a ten-year-old child, possibly snatch the rabbit from the hands of this group of people?

This group of people thought Sidan went up the mountain alone, so they dared to act so unscrupulously.

Cheng Wanwan's smile turned cold: "Logically speaking, as an elder, I shouldn't be arguing with a bunch of kids, but you bullied my son, Sidan, and I'm demanding an explanation. Stop with the nonsense and pay for his medical expenses first!"

She rolled up Zhao Sidan's sleeve, revealing red marks all over his slender wrist, and even the sleeve was torn.

She said coldly, "Getting some medicine from Doctor Zheng will cost about thirty or forty coins, and this outfit is unwearable. You must compensate my Sidan with a new set of clothes!"

Zhang Dagang was dumbfounded.

Zhao Sidan's hand was only slightly red, there was no broken skin or bleeding, why should he be charged thirty or forty coins for medical expenses?

Besides, this brat's clothes are already tattered and unwearable. Why should he pay for a new set? Isn't that extortion?

Zhang Dagang's henchman whispered, "Last year, Aunt Zhao threw a tantrum at my door for two coins, which really angered my mother."

Now it's only thirty or forty coins plus a set of clothes. Aunt Zhao, this weirdo, is probably going to grab a rope and cry, make a scene, and then hang herself in front of their house...

Cheng Wanwan spoke again: "This rabbit is the evidence, and I think the village head will be on my side..."

Zhang Dagang immediately threw the rabbit he was holding away: "This has nothing to do with us, let's get out of here!"

A large group of boys ran away.

"My rabbit!"

Zhao Sidan pounced over and hugged the rabbit tightly as it was about to escape.

Cheng Wanwan opened the virtual panel, spent two coins to buy a small box of safflower ointment, and said, "Stretch out your hand."

Zhao Sidan obediently stretched out his hand. He saw his mother holding a small box, applying something cool and refreshing to his wrist, which immediately relieved all pain.

He stared blankly as Cheng Wanwan applied the medicine. His mother, whom he used to think was very fierce, was so gentle at this moment.

He used to envy Tie Zhu's mother the most. She was gentle and loved to laugh. She would save all the good food for Tie Zhu, and Tie Zhu always liked to show off in front of him.

Now that his mother has become like this, he is really happy.

But what if it's just a dream...?

Zhao Sidan was both happy and worried, and his little face drooped down.

Cheng Wanwan didn't understand where such a young child got so many little thoughts, being happy one moment and worried the next.

She had never given birth to or raised children, but in this day and age, as long as there is food, a child can be happy.

She asked, "Sidan, do you prefer steamed rabbit or braised rabbit?"

Zhao Sidan's eyes widened in horror. Rabbits are so cute, why would anyone eat them?

He wanted to take the rabbit home and raise it. He had already planned to build a grass nest behind the house for the rabbit to call home. He could play with the rabbit every day. This rabbit would definitely become his best friend...

Cheng Wanwan had no idea he wanted to raise rabbits. In this year of famine, people didn't even have enough food to eat, let alone afford to raise small animals.

She picked up the rabbit. This gray rabbit was pitifully thin, probably weighing less than two pounds. There were six people in her family, and one bite wasn't enough for each person.

[Ding! Found a pure wild-caught, free-range rough-haired rabbit, weighing 1.8 jin (approximately 0.4 kg), valued at 54 wen (approximately 0.5 kg). Want to sell?]

Cheng Wanwan glanced at the rabbit meat in the mall. Rabbits from modern farms only cost six coins per pound. This wild rabbit, weighing less than two pounds, could be exchanged for a domestic rabbit weighing eight or nine pounds... In fact, farmed rabbit meat is more tender and delicious, but people in modern society prefer to pursue pure natural wild flavors, so wild foods here are sold at relatively high prices in the mall.

However, Sidan was staring at the rabbit meat, so it was not suitable to sell it now.

"Mother, what happened?"

Wu Huiniang rushed over in a hurry, carrying a vegetable basket. She slipped and almost fell.

Cheng Wanwan quickly helped her up. Her eldest daughter-in-law was pregnant and her belly was showing. The original owner of this body was reluctant to find a doctor to examine her pulse, so she didn't know exactly how far along she was.

No matter how far along you are in your pregnancy, you should not go up the mountain anymore. If you accidentally fall, you might lose the baby.

"Si Dan caught a rabbit." Cheng Wanwan picked up the gray rabbit. "We're having rabbit meat today."

Wu Huiniang's face was beaming with joy. Her family hadn't eaten meat for at least a year. However, there was no way she would get any rabbits this small, but she was content just to smell the aroma of rabbit meat and drink a mouthful of the leftover millet porridge from this morning... Before, she couldn't even get a sip of porridge, and the wild vegetable gruel was only enough to fill her up. These past two days felt like a dream...

She couldn't help but say, "Mother, I know how to skin a rabbit. I can make a scarf for you by peeling off the whole pelt."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sidan immediately pictured a bloody scene in his mind.

He could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.

Wu Huiniang was startled: "Sidan, what happened?"

Zhao Sidan wiped his tears with the back of his hand, unable to utter a single word. His mother loved to eat rabbit meat and wanted to make scarves from rabbit fur. If he disagreed, would his mother revert to her old self...? He loved having a full meal and loved his gentle mother now. He was afraid that if he didn't let his mother eat rabbit, she would get angry and take all the good food in the house to his eldest uncle's place...

Cheng Wanwan comforted him, "Sidan, you caught this rabbit, so you'll get two more pieces of rabbit meat than them later."

Zhao Sidan cried even harder. "If Mom likes to eat it, then let her eat it. Anyway, I won't eat it!"

Cheng Wanwan assumed he was scared by Zhang Dagang and his gang, and planned to go back early to make braised rabbit to reward the kid.

The three of them headed back home.

Wu Huiniang's basket was full of wild ferns, Zhao Sidan's basket was full of chicken and mushrooms, but Cheng Wanwan's basket was empty.

Wu Huiniang thought to herself, "So my mother-in-law really is here to supervise our work..."

As they descended the mountain, they encountered many villagers. The original owner of this body had a bad reputation and was not well-liked in the village, which saved them a lot of trouble.

When I got home, the sun was high in the sky, almost noon.

There was a bucket of water in the yard; it must have been carried back by the second son, who then went to fetch more water.

"Mother, let me skin the rabbit first." Wu Huiniang walked over nimbly.

Cheng Wanwan said seriously, "Pregnant women shouldn't be exposed to blood, it's bad for the baby. Go and boil some water first."

What a joke! She's going to the mall to exchange it for a big rabbit; if her eldest daughter-in-law skins it, she won't be able to sneak around with it.

Wu Huiniang was somewhat flattered.

After she became pregnant, she did all sorts of heavy and tiring work. Two weeks ago, she even killed the last chicken in the house. Her mother-in-law never seemed to think about the baby in her belly... She felt that her mother-in-law was really different; the way she looked at her was subtly gentler...

Cheng Wanwan carried the rabbit to the backyard and quickly and skillfully exchanged it for a large, fat rabbit weighing seven pounds. With this sale and purchase, she made a net profit of 12 coins.

While Wu Huiniang was still starting the fire, Cheng Wanwan killed the rabbit with a single cut and then began to skin it.

She's good at business, but she's really bad at skinning animals. She tried and tried, but couldn't get a single skin off. The rabbit's gray fur was covered in blood...