Damao, Ermao, Sanmao
Zhou Yao put all the money into his spatial ring. It was safer to keep it on him.
"Gurgle... gur... gur... gurgle..." Just then, Zhou Yao's temple of the five organs rumbled and protested. His belly was hungry and wanted food.
Today, Brother Zhou was going to eat wild boar meat. Of course, these boars had all been castrated, so their meat wouldn't have that gamey smell.
Zhou Yao went to the pigpen and caught a wild boar weighing thirty or forty jin, then tied up its four legs. He filled the water vat, washed the pot, and started heating water. Once it boiled, he could slaughter the pig.
Just then, Zhou Yao heard someone calling him. "Brother Zhou... Brother Zhou... are you home, Brother Zhou?"
Zhou Yao went out to take a look. It was Damao, Ermao, and Sanmao, three brothers from the same village. Of course, the three of them were also his best friends, and they had often come over to my place to mooch meals ever since they were little.
Zhou Yao smiled and said, "You three are here. Your timing couldn't be better. You're in for a treat today. I went into the mountains and caught a wild boar a few days ago, but I only got back today. I was just about to slaughter it for the meat, and here you are."
"You came at just the right time. Hurry and help heat the water, then we'll slaughter the pig and eat meat."
"Ah... Brother Zhou, did you really go into the mountains and catch a wild boar? Your luck is just too good!" Damao said in surprise.
The Great Zhou State had suffered two years of drought in a row, and the crops had yielded not a single grain. Hunting in the mountains used to bring results, but now hunting in the mountains was hard... hard... hard! Zhou Yao's luck was just too good!
But today they were in for a treat. In the blink of an eye, it had been several months since the three brothers had eaten meat.
"Ah..." Sanmao cried out. Brother Zhou really had caught a wild boar weighing thirty or forty jin! "Hahaha..."
When Sanmao heard Zhou Yao say he had caught a wild boar in the mountains, he hurried inside to take a look, and sure enough, there was a wild boar.
Ermao smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, Big Brother, you two older brothers can sit to one side and chat. Sanmao and I will heat the water, slaughter the pig, and prepare the pork."
"We brought cassava too. I'll make it into a paste in a bit, and we can eat it together."
Zhou Yao replied, "All right, then I'll leave it to you two brothers. But you'd better be quick. I'm so hungry my belly's stuck to my backbone."
"Hahaha... don't worry, Brother Zhou. Just watch us!"
Then Ermao and Sanmao went to heat the water and slaughter the pig, the two of them happily bustling about.
Zhou Yao and Damao settled down to chat and joke around. Zhou Yao said, "Damao, how's business been lately?"
"Alas... Brother Zhou, it's been several months now, and I've only gotten one job. A rich old landlord asked me to make a set of furniture, saying it was for his son's wedding. But he still hasn't come to collect it. It's worrying me to death."
When Zhou Yao heard there was such a good thing, he said to Damao, "Damao, I'll take the whole set of furniture that rich old landlord ordered. Just sell it to me."
"Look at the beds in my house—they're all about to fall apart. You know the authorities are going to assign us brothers wives in a few days. I'll grit my teeth and buy a set of furniture to keep up appearances."
When Damao heard there was such a good thing, his heart leaped with joy. He immediately agreed to Zhou Yao's request and said that after the meal, the three brothers would go to his house and carry the whole set of furniture over for Brother Zhou.
It was like finding a pillow just when he was sleepy: whatever he wanted came his way. Zhou Yao asked Damao how much silver the furniture cost, then paid him for it.
Damao asked, "Brother Zhou, if you buy the furniture, how will you get by afterward?"
"At worst, I'll make a few more trips into the mountains. If I get lucky and catch a few wild boars or something, won't I strike it rich?"
"Hahaha..."