Selling

Over the next few days, Li Yuan followed the same method as before.

His skill in Archery had reached a basic level, and his haul far surpassed what it had been in the past.

Most of what he caught were pheasants and hares.

He didn't rush to sell them in the county town. Instead, he used them to nourish his rather frail body.

That day, Li Yuan was walking through the mountain forest as usual, searching for prey.

Besides the common pheasants and hares, one of his traps had even caught a muntjac that had wandered into the outer forest by mistake.

Both the muntjac's hide and meat could fetch a good price. Together with the few pheasants and hares, it made for a sizeable income.

"This time I caught a muntjac. I can take it to the county town with the others and sell them for a decent sum."

After walking down the mountain trail, Li Yuan passed by the village entrance with several pieces of game in hand.

He saw a large crowd gathered there. There were hunters who had just come down from the mountain, as well as women, and everyone looked grim.

"Didn't they just collect taxes a few days ago?"

"They want six taels of silver within a month! They might as well be asking for my life!"

The crowd surrounded the two tax collectors from the county town, their complaints rising one after another.

The tax collectors' faces were cold. "The border war is urgent. We're only following the rules handed down from above. This is the time for you to contribute to the Great Yan Dynasty.

"If you can't pay within a month, you'll either be conscripted or entered into the Corvee Registry!"

The tax collectors weren't afraid of these hunters starting a rebellion. They couldn't beat the enemies outside, but surely they could handle these villagers.

Something like this had happened before: a tax collector had been killed.

But the perpetrator's entire family had been hung at the village entrance and beaten for three days and three nights!

With that, the two turned and left, ready to head to the next village.

"Six taels in a month?" Li Yuan's heart lurched.

He'd worked himself to the bone over the past few days, but after all the deductions, he didn't even know if he'd made eight hundred copper coins!

And that was with good luck. If things went poorly, earning a hundred or two hundred copper coins over several days would be considered decent.

This tax was the same as making them work for the court for free for an entire month. Otherwise, they'd have to pay out of their savings.

Li Yuan took a deep breath. Having awakened his Past Life Memory, he understood better than most what the coming chaos meant.

Strength. It all came down to strength. He couldn't afford to delay his martial training.

If he wanted to earn a large amount of money in a short time, his only option was to hunt big game.

Inside the house.

After quickly tidying up, he prepared to set out for the county town and turn his game into money.

"A forty-pound muntjac should fetch around five hundred copper coins.

"Add the several pheasants and hares that the restaurants love, and that should bring in another three or four hundred.

"I'll keep a few for my own consumption. Things are finally looking up!"

There was no time to lose. Li Yuan had originally planned to go to the county town the next day, but the heavier taxes made him decide to head to the market today and sell his game.

"I'll sell a few hundred copper coins' worth, then buy some good arrows for hunting big game. That won't attract attention." He planned it out in his mind.

Li Yuan packed up his things, tied the game together with hemp rope, slung his basket onto his back, and set off for Wuxi County.

Blue Stone Village wasn't far from Wuxi County. With Li Yuan's current physique, it took him about half an hour to reach the county town's not-so-tall walls.

Soldiers stood lazily on guard at the city gate. Several figures hung high above, including hunters from other villages who had broken the rules.

Entering the city cost five copper coins. Li Yuan reluctantly fished out five coins and handed them over.

Wuxi County was divided into the Outer City and the Inner City.

The Outer City was mostly where low-status households and corvée laborers lived. It was full of shabby little houses, its roads muddy and its air a foul mix of odors. It was dangerous, too.

The Inner City, on the other hand, was home to prominent families, restaurants, and inns. Its roads were paved with bluestone, clean and regularly patrolled by constables.

At the very center of the eastern part of the city stood a large square.

This was where the market was held. Tenant farmers, fishermen, and hunters all did business here to earn a living.

The square was bustling with people, filled with hawkers' cries and the constant clamor of haggling.

Li Yuan found an empty spot and had only just set down his game when a man in a black uniform, a short baton tucked at his waist, sauntered over.

"Li Yuan? Haven't seen you in a while. Stall fee's eight copper coins." The man eyed him sideways, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Li Yuan's heart sank. As expected, the fee had gone up. It used to be only six copper coins.

He gritted his teeth and said nothing, silently counting out eight coins and handing them over.

The man weighed the coins in his hand, then walked away, satisfied.

Watching a chunk of his money pouch disappear in an instant, Li Yuan felt a twinge of helplessness.

He hadn't even made a sale yet, and they'd already stripped him to the bone.

"Yuan, you've had some good luck!"

"That muntjac alone is worth as much as we'd catch in several days!"

"Whoa, all this must be worth several hundred copper coins at least!"

As soon as the man left, nearby hunters selling their own game crowded around, their voices full of envy.

They were all hunters who lived off the mountain, so they knew exactly how rich Li Yuan's haul was.

His game was fresh, and his prices were fair, so it didn't take long for people to come over and ask about buying it.

But no matter how low the price was, in these hard times everyone wanted to buy as cheaply as possible.

The muntjac in particular caught the eye of a restaurant's kitchen steward.

He was a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a stern face.

He held a small notebook in his hands, seemingly buying provisions according to a list written inside.

"I can take all your goods. How much for everything?"

"Sure thing!"

Li Yuan's spirits lifted. A big customer had arrived.

He knew the man. He was Lin Youyu, the kitchen steward at the Yewen Restaurant—Steward Lin.

The Yewen Restaurant was owned by the Lin Family, one of the county town's Four Great Families.

The Four Great Families of Wuxi County were the Lin Family, the Li Family, the Zhao Family, and the Zhou Family.

Whether it was grain shops, restaurants, inns, or everyday necessities, the four families had their hands in every aspect of life.

On the surface, the government offices held the most power, followed by the Four Great Families, who jointly ruled Wuxi County.

"I can take everything, but I have one condition."

Lin Youyu's words were sharp, his tone leaving no room for disagreement.

Recently, the suppliers who delivered directly to their family had run into some trouble, forcing them to buy from the market for the time being.

In the eyes of these prominent families, mountain hunters like them were no different from lowborn rabble.

"If you catch anything that can greatly replenish the blood and vital energy, like bear meat or tiger meat, give me first pick."

Lin Youyu had heard that the young master of the Lin Family was at a crucial stage of tempering his blood and vital energy and urgently needed nourishing food.

If he could come through for the young master at this critical moment, perhaps his position as kitchen steward would rise even further.

Go to another prominent family for supplies? Forget it. Nobody in their right mind would support their enemies.

The families all wished the others would drop dead.

"No problem, Steward Lin!"

Li Yuan nodded and readily agreed, though he didn't mean it.

He didn't care about any of that. He'd worry about it if he actually brought in such a catch.

And if he really did get lucky and catch one, couldn't he just eat it himself?

Besides, did it look like he had the option to refuse?

Li Yuan had heard some rumors, too. Lin Youyu wasn't exactly a broad-minded, decent man.

Lin Youyu, for his part, only shook his head to himself.

He'd only brought it up in passing. This young fellow didn't look like the sort who could catch big game anyway.

Of course, if he did catch something and went back on his word by selling it to someone else, Lin Youyu wouldn't mind teaching him a lesson.