Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

When Jiang Xing dragged the wild boar into Jiangjia Village, the entire village erupted in chaos, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She came down the mountain alone, dragging a wild boar that was heavier than her. The boar had three gashes on its neck, and the blood had already drained. As she dragged it down the dirt road, it left a shocking trail of blood, like a red snake, winding from the village entrance all the way to her doorstep.

The first person to see Jiang Xing was Aunt Wang. The embroidery needle in her hand pierced her finger, and beads of blood appeared, but she didn't feel anything. Her eyes were fixed on the wild boar.

"Oh my goodness!"

That shout brought out the voices of half the village.

"Is that Jiang Laosan's eldest daughter?"

"Is that a wild boar she's dragging? It's huge!"

"Look at that gash on his neck, one cut and he's dead. He's even more efficient than a butcher!"

"What did this girl eat to grow up like this? Her father wouldn't even dare kill a chicken when he was alive!"

The crowd grew larger and larger, and some people came up to touch the wild boar, only to be glared at by Jiang Xing.

There was no emotion in his eyes, as calm as a stagnant pool, which sent chills down your spine.

Aunt Wang rushed over, her expression shifting from shock to fawning: "Da Ya! What are you going to do with this wild boar? Sell it or not? If you're selling it, save a few pounds for me, and I'll give you the money..."

"I haven't decided yet," Jiang Xing said.

She dragged the wild boar into her yard and closed the gate.

The crowd outside the door had not dispersed.

The chattering voices buzzed like flies, reaching Zhou's ears.

Zhou was lying in the courtyard recovering from her injuries when she heard what Granny Zhao said, and she sat up abruptly from her recliner.

"Jiang Daya killed a wild boar? That's a wild boar!"

Granny Zhao beamed with excitement, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice: "That's right! A wild boar weighing over two hundred pounds! It dragged a trail of blood back, the sight was...tsk tsk tsk. Your family really struck it rich this time. If you hadn't fallen out with her, you could have gotten half of that boar..."

Zhou's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

She knew, of course, that Granny Zhao was stirring things up, but she couldn't control herself.

A wild boar weighing over 200 jin (approximately 100 kg) can fetch a lot of money! At least several dozen taels of silver! That amount of silver would be enough for Qingshan to study for several years and allow the family to live a more comfortable life.

But she also knew that the severance agreement had already been signed and the clan chief had given his approval, so she could no longer openly try to steal it.

What's more, she's covered in injuries right now.

However, if a direct approach doesn't work, a softer one can be used.

Zhou's eyes lit up, and a plan came to her mind.

She rummaged through her drawers and found half a pound of brown sugar, which she had hidden away to use for the New Year. She wrapped it in straw paper, placed it neatly in a small cloth bag, and hung the bag around her neck.

"I refuse to believe that brat won't even smile."

Fifteen minutes later, Zhou stood at Jiang Xing's door with the bag of brown sugar hanging on her back.

The gate was closed. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and kicked the gate.

"Da Ya, your auntie has come to see you!"

No one answered.

She kicked again, her voice even sweeter: "Da Ya, Xiao Niu, Mom, I brought you some brown sugar. You worked hard hunting wild boar, have a bowl of brown sugar water to nourish yourself."

The door opened.

Jiang Xing stood at the door, still holding the blood-stained woodcutter's knife in his hand. The blood on his face had been wiped clean, but the bloodstains on his clothes were still there, making him look like he had just come from a slaughterhouse.

Zhou's smile froze on her face.

"Da Ya, your aunt... your aunt has come to apologize to you." Zhou's tongue was tied, but she forced herself to continue, "What happened a couple of days ago was my fault. I was confused for a moment, hit Xiao Niu, and took your things. I know I was wrong. You see, we are relatives after all, blood is thicker than water..."

Jiang Xing looked at her without saying a word.

Zhou felt uneasy under that gaze.

"Here, take this brown sugar." Zhou reluctantly took the brown sugar off her neck and handed it over: "It's a small token of my appreciation from your aunt."

"Get out," Jiang Xing said.

Zhou was taken aback: "What?"

"Get out." Jiang Xing's tone was icy as he coldly stared at Zhou Shi. "Still haven't you learned your lesson? You dare to show your face in front of me again? You think you can let half a pound of brown sugar erase our feud? Dream on! Get out of my way!"

Zhou's expression changed: "You little brat, I've already humbled myself to apologize, what more do you want?"

"I didn't ask you to apologize." Jiang Xing leaned the wood-chopping knife against the doorframe. "I know exactly what you're thinking. Wild boar, you won't get a single bite."

Zhou's face flushed red, and her voice shrilly: "Jiang Daya, don't be ungrateful! I'm your aunt, after all. You're just a girl; how can you survive in this village without the help of relatives? Your father is dead, your mother ran away, and you'll need your maternal family to back you up when you get married! You've offended all your relatives; let's see who's going to support you now!"

Jiang Xing looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Don't you want your hands anymore? Get out of here, or I'll go easy on you later." With that, he raised the knife and was about to chop her down. Zhou was so frightened that she quickly backed away.

Zhou's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

More and more people gathered in the courtyard to watch the spectacle; some whispered among themselves, while others covered their mouths and laughed.

Mrs. Zhou stood at the door, holding the bag of brown sugar, unsure whether to go in or back out.

"You brat, you just wait!" Zhou wanted to throw the brown sugar on the ground, but then she remembered how precious it was, spat, turned around, and left: "You'll be begging me for help one day!"

Jiang Xing closed the door.

Before dawn the next day, Jiang Xing set off for town.

She placed the wild boar on her third uncle's oxcart, covered it with burlap, and rode with him in the oxcart to Qingshi Town before the morning market opened.

She didn't go to the butcher shop. The butcher shop had limited customers, and no one could eat a wild boar weighing over 200 pounds. Even if they did, they would try to lower the price.

She went to the largest restaurant in town, Wangyuelou.

Wangyuelou has been in Qingshi Town for twenty years. The owner, surnamed Zhou, is a shrewd businessman.

His customers are mostly wealthy people from the town and passing merchants who have high requirements for ingredients and can afford to pay high prices.

Jiang Xing parked the cart at the back gate of Wangyue Tower and knocked on the door.

A waiter poked his head out and frowned when he saw the oxcart behind Jiang Xing and Third Uncle: "Miss, we don't accept walk-ins through the back door."

"I'm not eating." Jiang Xing lifted the burlap sack: "I'm selling wild boar."

The waiter's eyes widened at the sight of the wild boar, and he turned and ran, shouting, "Boss! Boss! Come quick!"

Manager Zhou came out from the back room. He was a tall, thin man in his fifties, wearing a royal blue silk shirt and a jade thumb ring on his finger.

His eyes lit up when he saw the wild boar: "Girl, did you hunt this wild boar?"

"Yes."

Shopkeeper Zhou squatted down, pried open the wild boar's mouth to examine its tusks, then patted the fat on its back. He stood up and clapped his hands: "Two hundred and twenty catties, about one hundred and thirty catties of meat. Miss, I'll give you ten taels of silver, how about it?"

Jiang Xing looked at him without saying a word.

Shopkeeper Zhou waited three seconds, and seeing that Jiang Xing did not react, he added, "Twelve taels, no more than that."

Jiang Xing remained silent. She bent down, covered the wild boar with the burlap again, and made as if to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Manager Zhou exclaimed anxiously, reaching out to stop her. "Miss, why don't you name a price?"

"Sixty taels."

Shopkeeper Zhou nearly choked on his own saliva: "Sixty taels? Miss, do you know how many pigs sixty taels can buy? In peaceful years, a fat pig only costs fifteen or sixteen taels of silver. No matter how precious your wild boar is, it's not enough to..."

"It's a peaceful year," Jiang Xing interrupted him. "But this isn't a peaceful year; war has broken out in the north."

Manager Zhou's smile froze for a moment.

"There's a war going on in the north, and refugees are pouring south." Jiang Xing looked at him, his gaze as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Grain prices have doubled in five days. And meat prices? In ten days, even with sixty taels of silver, you won't be able to buy a piglet."

Manager Zhou's expression changed.

He wasn't unaware of this news. He knew better than Jiang Xing that the purchase price of ingredients at Wangyue Tower changed every day. Yesterday, pork was 25 wen per catty, but today it had risen to 35 wen.

But he never expected that a country girl could know all this.

"Thirty taels." Manager Zhou gritted his teeth.

"Fifty taels."

"Forty taels. If this pig can be sold, then sell it; if not, then don't." Anyway, her shop can recycle it, and if necessary, she can find other ways to make money through legitimate channels.

Shopkeeper Zhou stared at her for a full five seconds, then laughed; he genuinely found it funny.

"What's the girl's name?"

"Jiang Xing"

"Miss Jiang Xing, if you ever hunt a wild boar again, just bring it to me. The door to Wangyue Tower will always be open for you."

He took out three silver ingots from his sleeve, each worth fifteen taels, and neatly stacked them in front of Jiang Xing.

Forty-five taels.

Jiang Xing put the silver into her bosom. She also had a wild boar in her space, weighing 100 jin. Yesterday, she killed two large ones, exchanged one for points to upgrade her space, and put this one out to sell. Then another one appeared, which should be a sow. She also dealt with it and threw it into her space, intending to keep it for herself.

With the cost of the medicine, she now has over fifty taels of silver.