Today the wild greens didn't even manage to get sold. The elderly couple of the Shen family carefully observed Shen Song's expression, and seeing that he was still cheerful, and that when he noticed them looking at him he obediently called out "Father, Mom," they silently exchanged glances.
No distress from being rejected—the boy had a steady temperament.
Shen Song's mind was entirely occupied with how to use crops grown with the Blessed Land Technique to lure prey, so he had no time to dwell on the failed attempt to sell vegetables.
Nothing in this world succeeds on the first try. If one path doesn't work, just take another.
While Shen Song was mentally simulating the feasibility of luring and hunting, Shen Jing watched his youngest brother staring blankly at that basket of wild greens, and his heart sank slightly.
He was just wondering whether to go comfort him when Sanqiu announced that dinner was ready.
Shen Jing watched as Xiao Ba, who had been deep in thought one moment, bounced up the next, all smiles, to help carry the food bowls.
At dinner, he ate with his eyes narrowed in delight—not a trace of being discouraged, only satisfaction at how tasty the wild greens were.
Shen Jing couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile as he watched. He was relieved.
The family's spring planting would be finished in the next couple of days. With no more vegetables to sell, Shen Yi'an went out to work in the fields early the next morning.
Shen Song said he wanted to go look around in the woods, so he didn't go work the fields.
The elderly couple of the Shen family, afraid he might go deep into the woods, made him promise over and over not to go to the innermost part. Only after Shen Song gave his promise did they nod.
By the time Zhou Niandong arrived at the Shen family's home, Shen Song was already in the woods, using the Blessed Land Technique to grow crops and lure prey.
He hadn't gone too deep into the woods. After using the Blessed Land Technique, Shen Song climbed a tree and kept his eyes fixed on the area below that had been infused with a large amount of energy.
After waiting a while with no reaction, Shen Song scratched his head, thinking something was off. This time he had deliberately infused a large amount of energy in a small area—if there were any animals nearby, they would surely have been attracted.
Could it be that there were no animals around?
Just as Shen Song was thinking this and preparing to move to a new spot to set bait, he suddenly felt a coolness behind him.
He turned his head, and the tip of his nose was flicked by a snake's tongue.
Shen Song's eyes went wide. As if looking at some rare species, he excitedly grabbed the snake's body and examined it back and forth.
Oh my, could this be the snake recorded in the ancient texts?
So slender, so long!
The smell wasn't very pleasant—kind of sour. Were these scales? The patterns were so pretty.
Shen Song had caught his prey, but he couldn't bear to kill and sell it.
He wanted to raise it, to treasure it.
This was a snake even the Leader of the Star Alliance had never seen with his own eyes, and he had found it—hehehe.
Holding the snake in his hand, Shen Song happily headed home.
He wondered if Sanqiu had ever seen a snake. Surely he must have. But had he ever seen such a pretty one? Oh well, never mind—he'd bring it back for Sanqiu to see too.
He'd also have to persuade his parents to let him keep it. The family didn't have much food, so if he raised a snake, he'd have to find food for it separately.
Shen Song ran home and saw someone in the fenced yard.
Looking closely, he recognized who it was and said happily, "Brother Zhou!"
Shen Song held his hands behind his back. He had originally planned to surprise Sanqiu, but since Brother Zhou was here too, he might as well give Brother Zhou a surprise as well.
To thank him for spending money on his wild greens the day before yesterday.
"Song-ge’er is back! Perfect timing, I need to talk to you." Zhou Niandong was in a hurry to leave. Seeing that only Shen Sanqiu was home, he'd felt a bit disappointed, thinking he wouldn't find any wild greens this time.
He hadn't expected there to be a full basket of them in the house, so he planned to pay first and take them, leaving other matters to discuss after he'd dealt with the restaurant's emergency.
Just as he was about to take out his money, Shen Song happened to return.
"I have a surprise for you too, Brother Zhou, and for Sanqiu." Shen Song looked mysterious, and the happiness on his face was clearly genuine.
Zhou Niandong and Shen Sanqiu were both filled with anticipation at his antics. Four eyes fixed on Shen Song, waiting for his surprise.
Shen Song chuckled and pulled his hand out from behind his back. "Look! I caught a really beautiful snake!"
"Ahhhhhh—"
"Ahhhhh—"
Two screams rang out in the fenced courtyard, one long and shrill, the other short and deep.
Shen Song was so startled by their screams that he nearly let the snake in his hand escape.
He stared at their faces—pale white, eyes wide open. They didn't look happy; they looked terrified.
"Are you two alright?" Shen Song stepped forward and asked with concern.
As he moved closer, the two of them scrambled backward like madmen. Shen Sanqiu's legs gave out and he fell straight to the ground, eyes locked on Shen Song, too frightened to even look at the snake in his hand, yet forced to keep watching in case Shen Song came closer.
Zhou Niandong, being older, wasn't as frightened speechless as Shen Sanqiu. He forced himself to stay calm, stretching out both hands and slowly pressing downward, his waist and back bending down, his whole body in a defensive posture ready to retreat at any moment. "Song-ge’er, quickly throw that snake far away! That thing is highly venomous!"
Shen Song looked down at the snake in his hand—brown in color, with black patterns on its underside and a triangular head.
The snake's beady little eyes were staring right at him, its tongue flicking out.
Man and snake stared at each other. Shen Song had only thought the snake's patterns were pretty; it had never occurred to him it might be venomous.
If it was venomous, then he couldn't keep it as a pet.
Shen Song felt quite disappointed.
Still, the snake was quite docile. He'd been playing with it in his hands all this time, and it hadn't gotten angry or bitten him.
Seeing that Shen Song was still holding it and seemed reluctant to let go, Zhou Niandong couldn't help saying, "That's a Five-Step Viper. One bite and there's absolutely no chance of survival. Song-ge’er, don't be fooled by how it's not biting you now—if you provoke it, it will definitely take a life."
Truthfully, Zhou Niandong also found it strange. What kind of snake had such a good temper, letting Song-ge’er wrap it around his hand without biting him?
Logically, it should have attacked the moment it was caught.
Shen Song genuinely felt it was a pity. "If I can't keep it, can I eat it?"
As he spoke, he even weighed it in his hand. "It's all meat."
Zhou Niandong was scared out of his wits by this action, his hands and legs shaking uncontrollably. He thought the snake would attack because of the movement, but it only flicked its tongue.
Having witnessed such a rare sight today, he couldn't help swallowing to calm his panic.
"If you want to eat it, you'd be better off selling it in the county town. The medicine shops buy snake gallbladders, and a live snake like this—a Five-Step Viper's gallbladder at that—fetches the highest price."
Money!
Shen Song's eyes lit up. "I'll go sell the snake in the county town!"
Seeing that Shen Song seemed able to keep the snake under control, Zhou Niandong, though still shaken, didn't repeat his demand to throw it away.
If it was taken to the county town to sell, it would be worth quite a bit.
Shen Song carried a tattered burlap sack, gripping the holes tightly shut, terrified that the snake inside might escape.
Zhou Niandong carried a basket on his back, stuffed full of wild greens—all the ones he hadn't managed to sell yesterday.
He kept glancing at the burlap sack in Shen Song's hands, terrified that the snake inside might slip out if he wasn't careful.
When they reached the family's fields, Shen Song saw that his family members were quite far away, and after thinking it over, decided not to call out to them.
Otherwise, all that back-and-forth would be a waste of energy.
On the way, Zhou Niandong said, "My boss is interested in wild greens. If this batch sells well, I'll put in a word with him and see if he'll buy yours too."
Zhou Niandong didn't dare promise anything for certain—wild greens weren't something you could dig up in such good condition every time.
Shen Song had already given up hope of selling vegetables, but hearing Zhou Niandong's words, hope rekindled in his heart.
He could sell vegetables and game at the same time!
Wouldn't he be raking in money!
"Thank you so much, Brother Zhou! Once I make money, I'll buy you something delicious."
Zhou Niandong couldn't help but smile at Shen Song's childish words. A man of his age—what would he want with delicacies?
The two of them headed to town first; it wasn't even lunchtime yet.
When Shopkeeper Xu saw them return, he greeted Shen Song and then eagerly inspected the quality of the wild greens.
Not bad, not bad—fresh and tender!
This time he still paid Shen Song according to the price Zhou Niandong had given before. The vegetables didn't weigh twenty jin this time, only seventeen.
But Shopkeeper Xu still gave him twenty wen.
He had come to understand that even among the same wild greens, the difference in quality could be significant.
Whether he'd want wild greens in the future was another matter—it wouldn't stop him from making a good deal this time.
Shen Song happily accepted the twenty wen, strung together on hemp cord—a short little string.
Zhou Niandong asked Shopkeeper Xu for a short leave, saying he needed to see his brother-in-law off to catch the ox cart.
Shopkeeper Xu, seeing that Shen Song was a young ge’er, nodded. "Just be back before mealtime."
Shen Song didn't know the way to the county seat; he'd have to take the ox cart. But he didn't know where to catch it either. On the way, Zhou Niandong had agreed to take him to the ox cart stop. As they walked, Zhou Niandong emphasized to Shen Song again and again, "Whatever you do, don't let anyone know you're selling a Five-Step Viper. This thing can fetch a high price, and if others find out, trouble could easily follow. Especially since you're a young ge’er—you'd have a hard time protecting yourself."
Shen Song didn't understand why his status as a ge’er needed to be specially emphasized, but he knew Zhou Niandong was reminding him out of kindness, so he nodded and said he understood.
At the ox cart stop, there happened to be one seat left on the cart heading to the county, so Shen Song didn't have to wait and climbed right on.
The trip cost five wen—this was Shen Song's first time spending copper coins.
He placed the burlap sack on his lap, gently pressing it with his stomach, and carefully counted out five copper coins, handing them over to the old man driving the cart with great solemnity.
After collecting the fare from his last passenger, the driver cracked his homemade whip and called out, "Hold on tight, we're off!"
Even as the ox cart began to move, Shen Song was still lost in the incredible feeling of it all—he had spent currency from ancient times and was now riding a legendary ox cart.
In the past, when he traveled, long trips meant a Cosmic Vessel and short trips a Hover-car. When had he ever ridden a wheeled cart pulled by an animal?
Shen Song kept staring at the ox pulling the cart, stars practically sparkling in his eyes.
An ox! He was seeing a live ox!
A woman beside him, seeing Shen Song's eyes shining as he stared at the ox, couldn't help but laugh. "Young ge’er, if you like oxen so much, save up your money and buy one."
Shen Song's eyes lit up. He turned to the woman excitedly to confirm, "You can actually buy an ox?"
The woman only thought the way the young ge’er looked at the ox was truly amusing, and couldn't help teasing him. In an ordinary family, who could just buy an ox whenever they pleased?
Seeing how shabbily the young ge’er was dressed—covered in patches, with his collar and cuffs worn so badly they couldn't even be mended—and how skinny he was, it was obvious at a glance that he came from a family that couldn't afford an ox.
But met with the young ge’er's bright, hopeful eyes, she still nodded. "Of course you can buy one."
As long as you had money, money could buy anything.
She didn't say this out loud, though. She had a feeling that if she did, the young ge’er might burst into tears from disappointment.
Shen Song had no idea how expensive an ox was. He had already silently made up his mind to buy one and raise it at home.
A species that had gone extinct—he wouldn't just get to see one, he might even have the chance to sell them. Ah, he was so happy, hehe\~