“Father, from now on, we’ll not only go to town, but also to the county. Having a cart will make everything much easier. Let’s borrow the village chief’s cart tomorrow—look at this prey! Hundreds of pounds, carrying it by hand would be exhausting. And in the future, we’ll probably keep hunting bigger animals; borrowing a cart every time isn’t practical. Don’t you agree?”
Eldest Brother chimed in: “Father, listen to our little sister. She’s thoughtful and has clearly planned this carefully.”
Zhao Lanzhi also nodded. “I agree. From now on, Yunshu calls the shots—she’s in charge!”
Tang Da thought for a moment, then relented. “Alright then. I’ll go to the village chief today to reserve the cart, otherwise someone else might borrow it tomorrow—it would be troublesome.”
The next day, before dawn, the Tang family was already busy loading the prey onto the cart.
Tang Da looked at the heavy animals and said, “Daughter, these two alone weigh over three hundred pounds. The cart can only carry about three people comfortably. We must be careful not to overwork the chief’s ox. So… who’s going with us?”
“Father, do you know how to drive an ox?” Yunshu asked.
“I’ve got that covered,” he replied confidently.
Yunshu then looked at her brothers. “Which of you can drive the cart?”
“Second Brother can,” they said.
“Then Father, Second Brother, and I will go to town,” Yunshu decided.
Third Brother quickly spoke up: “Little sister, Second Brother is just recovering from his injury. I’m worried Father and Second Brother can’t carry such heavy prey. I’ll come too, I’ll walk beside the cart.”
Tang Da nodded. “Alright, Third Brother goes too. You and Second Brother can take turns riding in the cart.”
“Good, Third Brother will go too,” Yunshu agreed.
Arriving in town, they first stopped at “Laifu Tavern.”
Yunshu walked in alone. The waiter’s eyes betrayed a hint of disdain at seeing a child in simple coarse clothing.
“Little girl, what are you doing here? This is a big tavern, not a place for just anyone,” the waiter said.
“I’m here to sell some prey,” Yunshu replied clearly.
“Prey?” The waiter raised an eyebrow. “Wait here—I’ll get the owner.”
Soon, a portly middle-aged man with a shiny face came out. He waddled slightly as he walked.
“Little girl, I hear you’re selling prey? What kind of animals?” he asked.
“I hunted a leopard and a deer. They’re outside the door. Will you buy them?” Yunshu asked politely.
“Yes, of course,” the owner said, eyes sparkling for a moment before masking his excitement. “But I need to check how fresh they are first.”
They stepped outside together. Seeing the size of the deer and the rarity of the leopard, the owner was thrilled inside but remained composed.
“Little girl, bring them inside; I’ll buy them,” he said.
Yunshu quickly stopped him. “Wait, sir, we haven’t agreed on a price yet. Don’t rush to move the animals.”
The owner forced a smile. “Don’t worry, little girl. The price is negotiable—I won’t cheat you.”
“And how much for the leopard and the deer?” Yunshu asked.
“For the leopard, ten taels; for the deer, eight. That’s the highest price in town,” he assured, patting his chest.
Tang Da listened and felt the price was suspiciously low. He tugged Yunshu’s sleeve, shaking his head to indicate it wasn’t fair.
Yunshu understood immediately. “Sir, we need to discuss it first. If we agree, we’ll bring them back,” she said, whipping the ox to pretend they were leaving.
The owner panicked. “Little girl, don’t rush! How about I add one tael to each?”
Yunshu remained unmoved. “Sir, we have other things to do first. We’ll talk later.”
She knew the owner was dishonest—his price was far too low.
After walking a bit, Tang Da said, “Yunshu, I haven’t sold leopards or deer before, but I know the going rates for other prey. Even just the leopard’s skin should fetch ten taels. This man’s trying to cheat us; we shouldn’t sell to him.”
“Father, I agree. Let’s try another tavern,” Yunshu said.
They arrived at “Keyun Tavern”—the name suggested they hoped for many customers.
As soon as Yunshu entered, the waiter greeted her warmly, not looking down on her simple clothing.
A short while later, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile approached. He radiated approachability.
“Little girl, what prey do you have? Can I take a look?” he asked.
Yunshu smiled sweetly. “Uncle, our cart is outside. Come see, and you’ll know.”
The owner followed her. Seeing the deer and leopard, he couldn’t hide his joy. “Wow! A deer and a leopard—rare and valuable! How much do you want for them?”
Yunshu said calmly, “Uncle, you look kind. I believe you won’t take advantage of poor folk like us. Offer a fair price—if we agree, we sell; if not, we’ll take them to the county.”
The owner said, “Little girl, I’ll give you sixty taels for the leopard, fifty for the deer. Check around town—you won’t find a better price. I was poor when I was young, I won’t cheat you. Of course, if you go to the county, you might get two taels more. But it’s far, and in this heat, the meat may not be fresh. Think carefully.”