Chapter 30 Asking for Help in Processing the Prey
"Let's leave the branches for today; I can't carry any more." Ji Liangyou said breathlessly, leaning on a wooden stick, his legs trembling.
Ji's mother, aunt, and Ji Herun also looked exhausted, supporting each other. After hearing Ji Liangyou's words, they did not object.
"I wonder how Molly is doing. I didn't see her today." Ji Liangyou looked back at the mountains and forests behind him, his face showing worry. "She said she could hunt, but I don't know if that's true."
The three women, including Mrs. Ji, also turned around to look. The eldest aunt spoke up, "Let's go back first and wait there. Molly seems very composed; she shouldn't put herself in danger."
The whistle blew to signal the start of the descent, urging everyone to assemble. After the leader called out names, everyone lined up and headed towards the farm.
Grandma Ji returned from herding the cattle, and dinner was almost ready. Molly was boiling water so that the workers could have hot water to wash their hands when they returned from work.
"Molly's back!" Grandma Ji exclaimed in surprise.
Molly smiled and said, "You're back. Grandma, come and warm yourself by the fire. I'll pour you a bowl of hot water."
Grandma Ji sat down by the fire, took the hot water Molly handed her, and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Was it tiring going up the mountain?"
Molly nodded. "I was tired, but I took a nap when I got back, and I feel much better now."
Grandma Ji felt a little sorry for her, "Then don't go out tomorrow, just rest at home."
“I’m going again. I dug up a lot of kudzu roots today, but I only brought some back. I left some in the mountains and I’ll bring them back tomorrow.” Molly pointed to the two burlap sacks. “That’s my harvest for today. Grandma, go take a look.”
"So many!" Grandma Ji exclaimed in surprise. Only then did she notice that the room was even more crowded, with every corner packed full and barely enough room to move.
The things that had just been brought back from the mountains still seemed to carry the dampness of the mountains. Grandma Ji looked at the chestnuts and kudzu roots, tried to lift the bag with her hands, but couldn't.
"Be careful not to strain your back," Grandpa Ji reminded him from the bed.
"How did she, such a small person, manage to bring so many things back?" Grandma Ji asked, puzzled.
"She said she's strong." Old Master Ji said irritably. He felt that Molly was just making excuses for them. What girl is strong enough to carry two hundred pounds up and down a mountain?
And that kudzu root, buried deep underground, how did she dig it up without bringing any tools?
Molly sighed, stood up, walked to Grandma Ji, grabbed the top of a sack with one hand, and, under the slightly wide-eyed gaze of Grandma Ji and Grandpa Ji, easily lifted it up and raised it until her hands were straight up, without even breaking a sweat.
Squeak—
The door opened, and Ji Liangyou and three others walked in. They were stunned by what they saw. "What's going on here?"
After the initial shock, the Ji family finally believed that Molly wasn't joking when she said she was strong.
Seeing that they were still in a daze, Molly didn't disturb them and went straight to serve rice and dishes.
The mixed grains cooked with smoked meat were infused with oil and meaty aroma, making them taste many times better than usual. The pheasant stew with chestnuts was another highlight; the pheasant absorbed the sweetness of the chestnuts, elevating the flavor even further, while the chestnuts, coated in oil, became both powdery and fragrant. The chicken blood and offal paired with dried vegetables had very little fishy taste; enjoying a small amount before or after meals was very refreshing.
As the Ji family enjoyed their delicious dinner, all the fatigue of the day seemed to vanish in that moment.
After dinner, everyone lined up to take a shower. Molly then took out a basket of chestnuts, peeled them, and instructed Aunt Ji, "Steam these chestnuts tomorrow. Take them with you and eat a few whenever you're hungry. They'll fill you up and provide sugar to replenish your energy."
Mrs. Ji felt a warm glow in her heart. "Then I'll get you some now, and you can take it to the mountains to eat tomorrow."
“No need, I have food to eat in the mountains,” Molly refused.
"What are you eating? Wild berries?" asked Mrs. Ji curiously.
Molly paused before saying, "Roasted mountain rat."
Mrs. Ji: "......."
Molly had expected Mrs. Ji's reaction. After all, she came from a wealthy family and it was probably the first time she had ever heard that rats could be eaten.
Molly thought for a moment, "I'll brush my teeth carefully in a bit, so the smell won't bother you."
Upon hearing this, Ji's mother became anxious. "I don't despise you. I've heard of mountain rats eating people, let alone mountain rats. At the beginning of this year and last year, some people from the farm went to the mountains to catch rats. A group of people even got into a fight over a single rat, and some even had their heads cracked open. I heard them say that mountain rat meat is delicious, even better than chicken or duck meat. I don't know if it's true."
“It really is delicious.” Molly licked her lips. “Mom, I’ll bring some back for you to try tomorrow.”
Mrs. Ji: "...No need for that, we have other food at home, that's enough."
After a day's work, the farm quieted down early, with only the sound of the wind.
Molly lay on the bed, her left arm held by Grandma Ji, her left leg supported by Grandma Ji's leg, and her right arm and leg given to her mother. Their breaths fell on Molly's shoulders and chest, but she slept soundly, as if unaffected.
Around four in the morning, Molly got up, and Ji's mother was still awake.
"After I leave, go close the door and then go back to bed for a while," she whispered.
Mrs. Ji squeezed her palm and said, "Be careful. I'll be waiting for you to come home tonight."
Just one day later, Ji's mother found that her reluctance to part had become even stronger and heavier.
Molly didn't rush back to the hill where she had dug for kudzu the day before; instead, she headed in another direction. Along the way, she saw pine trees with pine cones, but only a few, and she didn't pick them. She also found quite a few wild vegetables, but didn't take them either.
Her goal today was to hunt some big prey; the blankets were too cold, and she wanted to hunt one or two big guys to replace them.
But before hunting the big guys, she had to eat breakfast first.
Molly went to dig up the mouse hole again, but before she found any mountain mice, she discovered a nest of rabbits: two large ones and four half-sized ones. The large ones weighed five or six pounds, and the half-sized ones weighed more than three pounds. There were six in total, and Molly twisted their necks off and stuffed them into her bag.
Half an hour later, Molly caught five mountain rats, each one fatter than the last, weighing a pound or two each. Molly found a sheltered spot and singed the fur off the five rats, but only roasted three of them, throwing the remaining two into a sack with the rabbits.
The weather seemed nice today; the sun came out just as Molly finished roasting the mountain rat. The sunlight wasn't harsh, and it felt warm and pleasant on the skin. However, after a while, dark clouds appeared in the sky, the sun disappeared, and only the whistling wind remained.
Molly continued on her way, catching three pheasants, eight rabbits, digging through more than a dozen mouse holes, and catching twenty-three mountain rats. This time she didn't singe the rats' fur; she killed them and threw them into a sack. Including the two she caught before, she had a total of twenty-five.
Seeing that it was getting late, Molly headed to the spot where she had dug up kudzu roots the day before. She hadn't expected to hunt any big prey today, but instead found two large and three small wild boars gnawing on the kudzu roots she had dug up the day before.
Molly almost burst out laughing; it was truly a case of finding something you'd been searching for without even trying.
After dark, Molly didn't return. Grandma Ji cooked dinner, a stew of cured pork and cabbage. The vegetables and meat smelled delicious, but the Ji family was worried about Molly and didn't have much of an appetite.
The wind was strong and the sky was dark tonight, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, but that made things easier for Molly.
She dragged five wild boars through the darkness, finally reaching Xu Xia'an's house. Xu Xia'an's family was already asleep. She climbed over the wall and gently knocked on Xu Xia'an's door.
"Who is it?" Xu Xia'an asked from inside the house.
As soon as he spoke, Qiao Ye woke up and muttered, "Who is it so late at night?"
“It’s me, Molly.”
The next second, the door opened.
Xu Xia'an invited Molly inside, but Molly declined, saying, "I still have something outside."
Xu Xia'an's heart skipped a beat; she had a gut feeling that what Molly said was probably not simple.
He went back, bought a coat, and got up to open the door.
In the darkness, he could see almost nothing, but he could smell blood, a strong and heavy stench.
Molly bent down and carried the things outside the door into the Xu family's yard, making six trips in total.
Xu Xia'an was shocked. How did she manage to get all these things here all by herself? Xu Xia'an was curious, but she tactfully refrained from asking.
Qiao Ye came out with a kerosene lamp. The dim light illuminated the objects on the ground, and when they saw what they were, the couple were stunned.
"Brother Xu, do you have any connections to help me get rid of these prey?" Molly asked.
Xu Xia'an snapped out of her reverie. "Your sister-in-law is quite lucky to have hunted so much. A few months ago, the commune organized the militia to go hunting in the mountains, and they only caught two or three more wild boars than you. There's a shortage of meat everywhere right now, so there's no worry about finding a market for these animals. But I can't say exactly how much they'll fetch. If you trust me, just give them to me."
Molly nodded. "Of course I trust you. Sell all five wild boars and then help me buy three quilts. I won't sell the fourteen rabbits and twenty-five mountain rats; that's my reward for you, Brother Xu. Also, please find someone to process the rabbit skins for me, Brother Xu. I plan to use them to make a vest for my grandparents."
Xu Xia'an frowned, "The reward doesn't need to be that much, three rabbits will be enough."
He needed to find two or three people to help him transport the wild boar to town. He didn't need to be paid, but he couldn't leave the others without paying their share.
“Yes, I will. This is a risky business. If there are any left over after changing the quilts, I would like to trouble you, Brother Xu, to help me buy some fine grains and a few boxes of face cream.” Molly thought for a moment and then added, “Fine grains are not easy to sell, so please do what you can afford, Brother Xu, and don’t force yourself.”
"I know what I'm doing." Xu Xia'an planned to go to the black market and exchange wild boar for cotton quilts and fine grains, which would be easier than selling them separately.
"You really don't need to give me so many rabbits and mountain rats. We won't need that many," Xu Xia'an said helplessly. "You should at least leave some for Grandpa Ji and the others, shouldn't you?"
Molly: "Keep them. There are still three pheasants left."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xia'an felt it was a bit too little, "Let's add two more rabbits and five more mountain rats."
Molly shook her head. "I will continue to go up the mountain and make sure they don't lack meat. Besides, it seems that Mom can't accept eating mountain rat meat."
Xu Xia'an: "........."
Mountain rat meat is so delicious.
Molly rubbed her aching hands. "I have to go back now. Do you have any more sacks at home?"
Xu Xia'an didn't understand this, so she looked at Qiao Ye, who quickly said, "Yes, I have some. How many do you need? I'll go get them for you."
Molly thought for a moment, "If there are extras, then three or four should be enough."
"I know where it is, I'll go get it for Molly." Xu Xia'an's sister-in-law had arrived at some point and overheard everything. She hurriedly grabbed a few bags, then ran back and shoved them into Molly's hands, smiling, "Here, take this, little sister."
Xu Xia'an's expression became even more helpless.
Molly didn't mind. They had been chatting for so long that it was inevitable that they would wake up the Ji family. She calmly took the sack, put the three pheasants inside, and said, "It's getting late, I should go back."
"Sister, why don't you sit a little longer? I'll make you a bowl of noodles," said Sister-in-law Xu warmly.
"No need. If I don't go back soon, Mom and Grandma will probably be too worried to sleep. I'm leaving now, see you later."
As soon as Molly left, all the adults in the Xu family, except for the children, got up.
Brother Xu looked at the prey on the ground and swallowed hard. "Little brother, I think you don't need to ask outsiders for help. We family can handle it."
The Xu family consisted of three brothers and their father, a total of four men, all of whom were skilled workers.
“Yes, yes, we sisters-in-law can help too,” Sister-in-law Xu quickly agreed with her husband.
Xu Xia'an thought about it. Molly's reward was quite substantial, but besides what they would eat themselves, they would also have to share some with the families of the women in the family. So, when they calculated it all out, there wouldn't be much meat left for the family.
“Okay, let’s carry the wild boar to the black market together. The black market opens at four o’clock, we’ll go back and sleep for two hours, and then set off at three o’clock.”
Back in bed, Qiao Ye couldn't sleep. "How is Molly so amazing? She managed to get so much prey. The prey all looks very fresh; she must have caught it today."
"Hunting so many prey in one day?" Xu Xia'an also found it unbelievable.
Qiao Ye nodded, "I'm certain these prey haven't been dead for long."
"That was truly extraordinary." Xu Xia'an thought of that huge wild boar. He couldn't see anything at the time, so he didn't lend a hand. Molly carried it into his house all by herself, which showed how strong she was.
"Let's just keep this to ourselves. If any other family members ask, just say you don't know."
"Okay, I know what I'm doing."
When Molly returned to the farm, there was still a faint light in Grandpa Ji's house, so she went there first.
"Is that Molly? You're back?" Mrs. Ji was sitting by the fire when she heard the door open and she stood up abruptly.
"Why isn't Mom asleep? Is she waiting for me?" Molly put down the sack and walked towards the fire.
Mrs. Ji yawned and said stubbornly, "I was just warming myself by the fire before you arrived."
Molly didn't call her out on it. "It's getting late, Mom should go back to sleep."
"There's some food left in the pot, you can scoop it up and eat it. There's also hot water, you can wash your face and feet, and take a bath tomorrow. Come back to sleep as soon as you're done," said Madam Ji, before going back to another thatched hut.
Molly had only eaten three roasted mountain rats today, which had been very tiring, and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. When she heard there was food, she washed her hands and went to get some rice, which she then wolfed down.
"Don't stay up so late next time, your grandma and mom will worry," Ji Liangyou said.
Ji Liangyou wasn't asleep either; in fact, Old Master Ji was awake too.
"Okay, come back earlier next time," Molly mumbled.
"It's so late tonight, did you encounter any danger? Are you injured?" Ji Liangyou asked worriedly.
“There’s no danger in the mountains for me. It’s just that there’s a lot of prey, so I went to Brother Xu’s house and asked him to help me deal with the prey.”
"Handling prey involves risks; don't let them work for nothing."
"Yes, I won't let him work for nothing; I paid him."
"You're back so late today, don't go out tomorrow, just stay home and rest."
"Okay, I'll listen to Dad."
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