Yi Qiangzhun was very happy and said with a smile, "Little Ma, well... then I'll trouble you to make this trip."

Ma Yunfei said decisively, "Godfather, let's head home after we finish eating. We shouldn't delay. I'm worried that things might change at any time. If that hunter makes a move on my sister-in-law these next few days, all our efforts will be in vain."

After finishing their meal, Ma Yunfei and Ye Ya followed Yi Qiangzhun into the mountains.

Yi Qiangzhun was very happy. Now, he no longer calls Ma Yunfei a rascal, and he always refers to him as "Little Ma".

We arrived at the foot of the mountain in the evening and stayed overnight at a friend's house. We went up the mountain early the next morning.

I didn't get home until almost noon.

When the eldest sister-in-law saw that Yiqiangzhun and Yeya had returned, she said excitedly, "Last night, I had a dream that Uncle and Yeya came back. My dream was so accurate!"

The eldest sister-in-law really believed in this dream, and actually prepared lunch, waiting for Yiqiangzhun and Yeya.

Ma Yunfei greeted his sister-in-law warmly: "Hello, sister-in-law."

Three months ago, when Ma Yunfei and his family went up the mountain, he spoke with his sister-in-law.

The older sister-in-law smiled and asked, "Xiao Ma, how are your wife and daughter?"

"Everything is fine, very fine."

The older sister-in-law glanced at Ma Yunfei, then at Ye Ya. Judging from her eyes, it seemed that Ma Yunfei and Ye Ya had some kind of story.

After finishing his meal, Yiqiangzhun sat outside the house cleaning his gun.

After the eldest sister-in-law finished cleaning up the dishes, she started chatting with Ye Ya.

Suddenly, a dazed-looking young man walked into the yard.

Ma Yunfei asked, "Sister-in-law, is that your son, Tuqiu?"

"Yes, the uncle has been away from home these past two days, so he has to go hunting alone and doesn't dare to go far. He just wanders around the neighborhood."

Three months ago, when Ma Yunfei's family was in the mountains, they heard that Tuqiu had gone to a relative's house to help build a house, so they hadn't seen him.

When Tuqiu saw Yiqiangzhun and Yeya return, he jumped for joy and shouted, "Uncle, Sister!"

My sister-in-law said, "The food is still warm in the pot, go and eat."

Yeya stood up and ran to the kitchen to serve rice to Tuqiu.

Ma Yunfei asked, "Sister-in-law, your son is not young anymore."

"I'm exactly eighteen years old this year."

"Sister-in-law, do you really want your son to be a hunter for the rest of his life?"

“In our mountains, generations of people have been hunters. If he doesn’t become a hunter, what else can he do?”

Ma Yunfei saw that Tuqiu was big and thick, with a very honest appearance.

He thought: As the business grows bigger and bigger in the future, I need to have a few capable assistants. Right now, I only have the abbot and Ye Ya, which makes me seem weak and powerless.

A sudden idea flashed into Ma Yunfei's mind: why not let Tuqiu work for him? That way, he would have another capable assistant, and his sister-in-law's son could also become successful. At the very least, he could earn a lot of money, and getting married in the future would be no problem.

Ma Yunfei asked, "Sister-in-law, I've heard that some hunters are still unable to find wives even when they're in their thirties or forties."

The eldest sister-in-law said with a worried look, "Yes, no woman wants to marry into the mountains. Who would want to be a hunter's wife? I married into the mountains when I was seventeen because my family was poor. My husband gave my family a dowry, which was like selling me."

Ma Yunfei tempted, "Sister-in-law, you should let your son go down the mountain and find a job outside. No matter what, he will earn more than being a hunter in the mountains."

“Alas! My son has no other skills besides his strength and hunting ability. If he goes down the mountain, what can he do? I’m afraid he won’t even be able to get a bite to eat.”

“Sister-in-law, I’ve set up a yam sales station in Qinglong Town. Yeya works there. If you trust me, let Tuqiu work for me too.”

Yeya returned from the kitchen, her face stern. She kicked Ma Yunfei and said unhappily, "Brother Ma, are you trying to sabotage my dad? My dad is getting old, and it's inconvenient for him to go hunting alone in the mountains. I feel at ease with Tuqiu as a companion. What will happen to my dad if you send Tuqiu to work at the sales station?"

Ma Yunfei said with a smile, "Ye Ya, I heard that your father has quite a few apprentices. You can just find any apprentice to keep you company."

Ma Yunfei winked at Ye Ya.

Yeya suddenly understood.

Ma Yunfei sent Tuqiu down the mountain to relieve his sister-in-law of any worries and to allow her to marry Yiqiangzhun without hesitation.

Ye Ya immediately changed her tune, helping Ma Yunfei persuade her sister-in-law: "Auntie, Brother Ma is right. We should let Tu Qiu go down the mountain. Hunting is becoming less and less profitable. Many wild animals are no longer allowed to be hunted or sold. Just hunting pheasants, rabbits, and wolves won't earn you much money. I think we should let Tu Qiu work with Brother Ma."

The older sister-in-law asked, "Xiao Ma, is your yam sales station profitable?"

"Hehe...Whether I make money or not, I can't let Tuqiu suffer a loss. As long as he works for me, I'll give him a monthly salary of one hundred yuan. What do you think?"

One hundred yuan is a large sum of money.

The sister-in-law exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Ma, can you really give my son a hundred yuan every month?"

"Sister-in-law, why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, I'll give you the money so you can keep it for your son."

The sister-in-law said happily, "I believe you. How could I not believe you? I've heard Ye Ya say that you are a very loyal person. I feel at ease knowing that my son is working for you."

Ma Yunfei pressed his advantage, saying, "Sister-in-law, since you agree, let Tuqiu come down the mountain with me tomorrow."

"I need to ask my son; I don't know if he'll do it."

Ye Ya pouted and said, "Auntie, how can we not do such a good thing? If Tu Qiu doesn't do it, I'll grab his ear and drag him down the mountain."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!