Silver Taxes and Iron Arrows

The young master of the Xu Family Pharmacy, Xu Ren, saw the Compound Bow hanging from the top of the firewood stack. He walked closer and said, "Only live snakes are wanted. Dead ones are no good."

Cui Hao lowered the large snake, disguised as a firewood stack, from his shoulder and looked up at the young man speaking. The youth was decent-looking, dressed in an Azure Cross-Collar Robe. His neck was thick, and his clothes bulged underneath, suggesting he was a martial artist.

He deliberately moved aside a bundle of dry grass that was camouflaging it, revealing a section of golden-yellow snake body.

Xu Ren stepped forward to get a better look, gasped, and asked, "Is it still breathing?"

"Yes."

Xu Ren extended his hands, lifted the shoulder pole, and tested its weight. Feeling the heavy load, he said, "They'll give you fifteen taels at most. I'll give you twenty."

Whether selling the Four Treasures of the Study or buying rice, Cui Hao would always get quotes from multiple places. This time was no exception. "It's not easy to catch such a large haul. I need to ask a couple more pharmacies."

Saying that, Cui Hao was about to lift his burden again.

"Wait," Xu Ren quickly raised his hand to stop him, a wry smile on his face. "Young man, I'm not trying to trick you. For rare live medicinal ingredients like this, if you go to unscrupulous shops alone... they might drastically lower the price, or even find an excuse to confiscate your goods. You're alone and outnumbered; you probably won't get a good deal."

"If something unfortunate like that happens, you'll suffer a loss, and I'll miss out on a good item."

Seeing the sincerity and seriousness on Xu Ren's face, Cui Hao put down his burden and inquired, "What is this snake used for?"

"The Snake Gallbladder has the effect of improving eyesight and detoxifying. Its flesh is a great tonic for martial artists."

His previous self had no interest in martial arts, but Cui Hao yearned to become stronger. He wanted to grow stronger through eating. He tried asking, "I'll sell you half the Snake Meat, and I'll keep the Snake Gallbladder."

"...The Snake Gallbladder is the most valuable part. Many wealthy old people and martial artists will pay a high price for it. It's of no use to you."

"I'll eat it myself."

"You're young, you don't have eye problems, and you're not a martial artist. Eating it would be a pure waste. I'll add another two taels of silver and give you twenty-two taels for the whole snake."

Cui Hao shook his head and refused. Money was enough for his needs; his body was his greatest asset.

Seeing that the hunter before him wouldn't back down, Xu Ren reluctantly countered, "Leave all the snake blood. I'll give you six taels of silver."

"A lot of blood was spilled while catching it."

"It's fine. If it's alive, it still has blood."

The deal was struck. Cui Hao received six taels of silver and then went to the back of the pharmacy to divide the meat.

He emerged from the pharmacy, the weight on his shoulders significantly lighter. Just as Cui Hao was about to go buy some wine, Xu Ren caught up to him and handed him a medicinal packet the size of half a blue brick. "Soak the Snake Gallbladder with Strong Liquor for seven days. It's a free gift. Come back next time you have good merchandise."

Cui Hao accepted the gift and took the medicinal packet. He went to the adjacent tavern to buy some high-proof liquor. There, he ran into a neighbor nicknamed Lai Zi Tou, who lived only three houses away.

The neighbor was carrying a pound of fatty meat in his left hand and a wine jar in his right. He walked with a swagger, his shoulders swaying, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Xiao Haozi," Lai Zi Tou greeted him with a bright smile, "bought so much firewood, did you sell Su Yun?"

"Only a heartless person would sell their wife. Uncle Lai Zi, where did you get your fortune? Can you take me along?"

They were not of the same path, so Lai Zi Tou turned and walked away.

Cui Hao bought two pounds of high-proof liquor and carried it home in a gourd.

Outside his own wooden gate, he knocked.

"Oh, Xiao Haozi is back," his neighbor Aunt Li came out to chat. "Did you catch any prey?"

Cui Hao turned slightly, displaying the Grouse hanging on the outside of the firewood stack. "I caught a Grouse."

The eight chicks, perhaps starving or thirsty, were now quiet and not chirping.

Half the Snake Meat was hidden by many fine dry grasses, so Aunt Li couldn't see it.

"Lai Zi Tou might have sold his wife and children," Aunt Li, who was well-informed, said. "There was no movement from his house this afternoon. Usually, his two boys are quite lively."

The small courtyard gate of their house opened from the inside, and Su Yun walked out, about to take the gourd from her husband's shoulder.

She gently pushed Su Yun aside, walked into the kitchen, put down the burden, removed the camouflage, revealing the snake meat, golden on the outside and pink on the inside.

She let out the eight chicks, gave them water, and a little bit of minced snake meat, hoping they would survive until tomorrow.

"Have you sorted out your taxes?" Aunt Li asked Su Yun from the courtyard entrance.

Mentioning taxes, Su Yun's face clouded over, and she gently shook her head.

"Lai Zi Tou might have already sold his wife and children. Be careful."

Su Yun also noticed that some familiar faces in the village were disappearing. She emphasized, "Brother Hao won't sell me."

"You can't be sure..." Aunt Li lowered her voice. "Keep your wits about you. If anything seems wrong, run."

Su Yun closed the courtyard gate from the inside and propped it shut with a wooden stick. She then turned and went into the kitchen.

"Wow!" Su Yun exclaimed, "I've never seen a golden snake before! It's so big!"

"This is a Golden Python. The people at the pharmacy said eating it can strengthen the body."

"Wash your face and eat. Su Yun said excitedly, "We'll make it into smoked meat later."

"I'm in a good mood today, Sister Yun. We'll eat Grouse tonight."

Not knowing why her husband was in such high spirits, Su Yun agreed. She picked up the dead Grouse and said, "I'll prepare it now. Dinner is in the pot. You eat something first to tide you over."

Lifting the pot lid, she revealed a bowl of Brown Rice, a bowl of Snake Soup, and two flatbreads made of mixed grains stuck to the side of the pot.

He put the lid back on the pot, scooped a ladle of water from the courtyard to wash his hands and face, and then took six taels of silver from his pocket. Cui Hao approached Su Yun, who was busy preparing the grouse. "Sister Yun."

Su Yun looked up and saw the silver in Cui Hao's hand. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She looked at Cui Hao again, then at the silver, and tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably.

"Half of the Golden Python was sold to Xu's Pharmacy," Cui Hao explained. "Here's the six taels of silver. That covers the taxes."

Su Yun threw herself into Cui Hao's arms, sobbing.

"Tomorrow, we'll sell the chick," Cui Hao said, patting Su Yun's back. "I'll also go into town to buy some cloth and get you a couple of cotton-padded jackets."

With the silver, the pressure was significantly reduced. What need was there for cotton-padded jackets? Su Yun hugged her husband tightly, reluctant to let go.

After a long while, Cui Hao urged, "Hurry up and finish cleaning the chicken. I bought some wine, and we can have a small drink tonight."

Su Yun wiped away her tears and nodded in agreement. She gently removed the wooden arrow from the grouse's body.

Cui Hao cleaned a coarse pottery jar. He kept two taels of the strong liquor, pouring the rest into the jar. He added the medicinal herb packet and the snake gallbladder.

Then, he sealed the jar with lotus leaves gathered in the summer and oilcloth.

Next, he cut the snake meat into pieces and brined them in a wooden basin. They would be smoked tomorrow. If handled properly, they could be preserved for over a year, even longer.

Su Yun began stir-frying and stewing the chicken.

"Oh, right," Cui Hao said, as the couple worked, remembering something. "While I was out today, did Zhou Menghu or any of his ruffians come by?"

"No, they didn't. I heard from Aunt Li that they were at Aunt Hua's house today. They kicked down the door and tried to force her to sell Lingdang."

Aunt Hua was Jiang Gou's wife. The couple had no sons, only a daughter named Lingdang.

Thinking of Zhou Menghu's covetous gaze towards Su Yun, Cui Hao decided to buy iron arrows tomorrow! To increase their chances.

As Cui Hao was contemplating striking first, Zhou Menglong, under the cover of night, was in the village buying people.

With the tax deadline approaching, more and more people were selling their wives and children, making him a considerable profit. However, what he desired most right now was... Su Yun.