In truth, Han Xiuxiu hadn’t been frightened because of the snake itself. What unsettled her was having to use her beast-taming ability to control it. She instinctively recoiled from connecting her consciousness with a snake. After resting for a while, she recovered, and by the time they reached home, she was back to normal.
They had gathered plenty of fiddlehead ferns and water celery that day. The vegetables were still wonderfully tender. Han Xiuxiu set aside some for dinner and prepared the rest to sell in town the next day.
Wild vegetables weren’t worth much, but they could still bring in a few coins.
Han Xiuxiu wanted to earn money through her own efforts. She didn’t want to rely entirely on Lu Yunfei.
Lu Yunfei transferred the fish into a bucket to keep them alive, then carefully secured the venomous snake. It wasn’t something that could be handled carelessly. If it escaped and bit someone, it could easily cost them their life.
Han Xiuxiu prepared dinner.
The two hens had laid several eggs over the past few days, so she took out two to stir-fry with the water celery. She also pan-fried a plate of the small fish they’d caught, while rice steamed in the pot.
A simple meal was more than enough.
That night, the two sisters once again shared a room.
Lu Yunfei reminded them to bolt the doors and windows tightly. He went to inspect the basket containing the snake one more time before finally returning to his own room to sleep.
The mountain nights were incredibly peaceful.
Apart from the occasional wind, birdsong, or chirping insects, there was almost complete silence.
Once you grew accustomed to those sounds, they became the most soothing lullaby imaginable, filling the heart with tranquility.
The next morning, because they had to reach town early, the three of them got up while the sky was only beginning to brighten.
After washing up, they set off.
The moon still hung high overhead.
The path through the village was quiet except for the chirping of insects.
Only after reaching the main road did they occasionally encounter others heading to the market.
Most looked just like them, carrying baskets or bamboo backpacks filled with vegetables and eggs from their farms, hoping to exchange them for money in town.
Lu Yunfei had long legs and an easy stride.
Even carrying a heavy load, he walked briskly.
Gradually, however, Han Xiuxiu and Han Xiaoxiao began falling behind.
When he noticed, he deliberately slowed his pace and waited for them.
The town was roughly fifteen li from the village—a journey of a little over half an hour for most people.
Since Lu Yunfei’s home lay farther into the mountains, it took them more than an hour to arrive.
By then, the sun had fully risen.
Today happened to be market day.
The morning market had drawn people from villages all around.
Most were farmers selling produce from their own homes.
Many shops in town had only just opened.
As they walked, Han Xiuxiu looked curiously at every signboard.
The shop names were refreshingly straightforward.
Grain Shop.
Winery.
Cloth Store.
Noodle House.
Restaurant.
…
Han Xiaoxiao had never visited town before.
The sheer number of people both excited and intimidated her.
She clung tightly to Han Xiuxiu’s hand while her curious eyes darted everywhere.
Lu Yunfei, however, had a clear destination.
He headed straight for the Shen Family Pharmacy.
First, he needed to sell the snake and free up some space.
It was still early.
There were no customers yet.
Old Doctor Shen was just removing the wooden shutters from the storefront when he saw Lu Yunfei approaching.
Smiling broadly, he greeted him.
“Yunfei! I heard you got married. Why didn’t you tell us? We would’ve come to drink at your wedding feast.”
Lu Yunfei smiled in return.
“Good morning, Uncle Shen. Everything happened rather suddenly. There wasn’t time to invite anyone.”
Turning to Han Xiuxiu, he introduced him.
“Xiuxiu, this is Uncle Shen. He’s known me since I was little.”
Han Xiuxiu quickly greeted him with a smile.
“Hello, Uncle Shen.”
Doctor Shen looked her over approvingly.
“So this is the young lady you married.”
“What a beautiful girl.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Doctor Shen finished opening the shop and ushered them inside.
The pharmacy was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs.
Rows of medicine cabinets lined one wall, each neatly labeled.
The shop itself wasn’t large.
A side door in one corner led to the courtyard behind, where Doctor Shen’s family lived.
Lu Yunfei pointed to the basket in his hand.
“I caught a Five-Pace Snake yesterday.”
“I remembered you once said this species is especially valuable medicinally, so I brought it over first thing this morning.”
Doctor Shen’s eyes immediately lit up.
“A Five-Pace Snake?”
“That’s excellent!”
The gallbladder of a Five-Pace Snake was a highly prized medicinal ingredient.
Steeped in medicinal wine, it could clear heat, remove toxins, dissolve phlegm, calm convulsions, and was particularly effective for respiratory illnesses, among many other uses depending on how it was prepared.
Doctor Shen carefully examined the snake through the basket.
It was large.
Healthy.
An exceptionally fine specimen.
The Shen and Lu families had been close since Lu Yunfei’s father was alive.
Whenever hunters found medicinal herbs or useful ingredients in the mountains, they naturally brought them to the Shen Pharmacy.
The arrangement benefited both families, and over the years they’d become close friends.
Doctor Shen had watched Lu Yunfei grow up.
Lu Yunfei then pointed to the fish and wild vegetables in his backpack.
“Uncle Shen, these fish and vegetables are fresh.”
“Take some home and have a taste.”
Doctor Shen also enjoyed mountain stream fish.
Without any ceremony, he called into the back courtyard,
“Wife! Xing’er! Yunfei’s here. Bring out a basin.”
Soon a woman and a boy of around ten years old came out.
The woman carried a wooden basin.
She had a round, kind face, and smiled warmly the moment she saw Lu Yunfei.
“Yunfei! You’ve come.”
Doctor Shen’s youngest son, Shen Nanxing, wore a simple blue robe.
He had the refined appearance of a young scholar.
Seeing Lu Yunfei, his eyes brightened immediately.
He hurried over.
“Brother Yunfei!”
Lu Yunfei greeted them with equal familiarity.
“Auntie. Xing’er.”
While setting down the basin, Madam Shen’s gaze shifted curiously to Han Xiuxiu.
“And this young lady is…?”
Lu Yunfei introduced both sisters.
“Auntie, this is my wife. Her maiden surname is Han.”
“This is her younger sister.”
Madam Shen warmly took Han Xiuxiu’s hand.
“What a lovely girl.”
“Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
“You must be tired.”
“Please don’t be shy when you’re here.”
Han Xiuxiu answered each question politely with a gentle smile.
Meanwhile, Lu Yunfei had already transferred several fish into the basin before taking out some of the wild vegetables.
“Auntie, these fish and vegetables are for your family.”
“We still have the rest to sell while they’re fresh, so we won’t stay long.”
Since business came first, the Shen family didn’t try to keep them.
Madam Shen merely urged them to come back for a meal after finishing their business.
“You must come by after you’ve sold everything.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Lu Yunfei replied. “But we’ll be heading straight home afterward. We still have work waiting.”
Then he turned to Doctor Shen.
“Uncle Shen, I’d also like some snake-repelling powder.”
“I need enough to scatter around the inside and outside of the house.”
The pharmacy already had such powders prepared.
This was the season when they sold best.
Doctor Shen handed him two large packets, then paid him for the snake as well.
He was an honest man.
Without hesitation, he offered twelve taels of silver.
“This is a rare specimen,” he said.
“If you catch any more like this in the future, bring them to me.”
“I’ll always pay the proper market price.”
“I won’t let you lose out.”
Lu Yunfei accepted the silver, placing it into his money pouch before taking out some small pieces of silver to pay for the powder.
“Thank you, Uncle Shen.”
“If I find another one, I’ll definitely bring it here.”
Doctor Shen firmly refused to accept payment.
“Enough.”
“Don’t stand on ceremony with me.”
“Go on and get busy.”
“When you have time, come visit.”
After leaving the Shen Pharmacy, Lu Yunfei explained to Han Xiuxiu,
“Uncle Shen and my father were the closest of friends.”
“Every time we come to town, I stop by.”
“Anything that can be used medicinally goes to his pharmacy.”
“His prices have always been fair.”
Han Xiuxiu nodded.
The moment she’d heard that a single snake had sold for twelve taels of silver, all the disgust she’d felt yesterday vanished.
This was practically a shortcut to getting rich.
Lu Yunfei tucked the two five-tael ingots securely inside his clothing.
He left only the remaining two taels in loose silver inside his money pouch.
Speaking quietly, he said,
“I’ll hand the rest over to you for safekeeping once we get home.”
Han Xiuxiu smiled and nodded.
“Then shall we go sell everything else now?”
Lu Yunfei shook his head.
“Let’s eat first.”
“We’ve been walking since before dawn.”
“I’m starving.”
Han Xiaoxiao immediately looked up at Han Xiuxiu with a delighted grin.
She had been looking forward to this all morning.
With practiced familiarity, Lu Yunfei led the two sisters to a noodle shop.
Long before they arrived, they could already smell the rich aroma of braised pork.
Several tables filled the modest restaurant.
Since it was breakfast time, every single seat was occupied.
Everyone had come for the shop’s famous braised pork noodles.
The noodle shop was run by an elderly couple.
The old man cooked the noodles.
His wife carried bowls to customers and cleaned the tables.
Two large cauldrons stood outside.
One slowly simmered with steaming braised pork over a gentle fire.
The other boiled noodles continuously.
Just as they entered, another group finished eating and left, allowing the three of them to claim an empty table.
Lu Yunfei ordered three bowls of braised pork noodles.
Each bowl cost fifteen copper coins.
Ordinary noodle shops charged only eight or ten coins a bowl.
This place could charge nearly double because of the old man’s secret braising recipe.
The pork was deeply aromatic, so tender it practically melted in the mouth.
Anyone who tasted it once would never forget it.
Expensive though it was, business remained excellent.
Before long, the noodles arrived.
Each bowl was enormous.
Fresh green scallions and cilantro were sprinkled over the top.
A thick slab of braised pork nearly covered the entire bowl, hiding the white noodles beneath.
Steam curled upward invitingly.
Han Xiaoxiao picked up the piece of pork with her chopsticks.
Her eyes grew perfectly round.
“It’s huge!”