Before the sky had fully brightened the next day, Chen Zhiwei quietly got up.
She instructed Chen Zhiyi to stay home and guard the house, not to open the door no matter who came knocking, and to wait for her return.
Then, carrying a large basket on her back, she took advantage of the lingering morning mist—while most villagers were still asleep—and quickly headed toward the town.
She didn’t take the main road, instead choosing secluded paths with few people.
When she reached a quiet area outside the town, she slipped into a small grove.
After confirming no one was around, she moved her thoughts and took out the wild boar from her storage space.
The boar, weighing over a hundred jin, was still fresh. Thanks to the space, even the smell of blood had faded considerably. She covered it roughly with large leaves and coarse cloth she had prepared in advance. Taking a deep breath, she hoisted the heavy beast onto her back.
Even though her strength had greatly increased, the two-hundred-plus jin still weighed her down, making her steps heavy. Gritting her teeth, she adjusted her breathing and steadily made her way toward the largest restaurant in town—“Baiwei Restaurant.”
At this hour, the restaurant had just begun preparing ingredients for the day. At the back door, workers were busy carrying vegetables. Chen Zhiwei’s appearance with such a massive basket immediately drew attention.
“Hey, girl, what are you carrying?” a middle-aged man who looked like a manager stepped forward with a frown.
Chen Zhiwei set down the boar, lifted a corner of the covering cloth, revealing its black bristles and tusks. “Fresh wild boar, just hunted. Does the boss want it?”
The manager’s eyes lit up at once! The boar was a good size, and the meat looked fresh—exactly the kind of game the restaurant needed. He crouched down to inspect it carefully, especially the obvious fracture on the skull. He was inwardly shocked—what kind of strength would it take to crush a boar’s skull like that?
He couldn’t help but glance at Chen Zhiwei again. This thin little girl—could she really have done it?
“Girl, did you… hunt this yourself?”
“My family elder did. I’m just here to sell it,” Chen Zhiwei replied calmly, telling a small lie without changing expression.
The manager didn’t press further. It wasn’t unusual for mountain hunters to be reclusive. After weighing it in his mind, he said, “It’s a good boar, but it’ll take effort to process. I’ll give you a flat price—two taels of silver, skin and bones included.”
Chen Zhiwei didn’t yet fully understand the market prices, but judging from his expression, she knew there was room to bargain.
She shook her head, her tone steady:
“Sir, this is a prime adult boar—at least one hundred thirty to forty jin. The meat is thick and fatty. The net meat alone is worth more than that. Three taels. Not a coin less, or I’ll take it elsewhere.”
Seeing that she spoke clearly and wasn’t easy to fool, and since he truly wanted the boar, the manager pretended to haggle a bit more. In the end, they settled on two and a half taels of silver.
Holding the heavy silver in her hands, Chen Zhiwei felt a sense of reassurance. This was the first real “starting capital” for her and her brother.
She didn’t waste any time and immediately went to the market. Carefully budgeting, she bought the most urgent necessities first: a sturdy secondhand iron pot, several coarse porcelain bowls, a new kitchen knife, salt, a small jar of precious lard, and some common seasonings.
Thinking of her brother’s frail body, she gritted her teeth and bought a few jin of fine white flour and a sack of coarse grain. Finally, she went to a pastry shop and bought two packages of the most affordable-looking osmanthus cakes and sesame biscuits—one for her brother to enjoy, and one as a gift to thank the village chief for his fairness the day before.
After finishing her purchases, she carried the now fully packed basket and hurried back toward the village, her steps light. With these supplies, their life could truly begin. She even started planning—perhaps next time she went into the mountains, she could gather medicinal herbs, or try planting something valuable in her space.
However, when she returned to the village entrance and saw her dilapidated hut from afar, her heart suddenly sank.
A few older children were gathered outside, pointing and whispering. Her younger brother, Chen Zhiyi, was curled up on the ground by the door, his small body huddled together. A clear handprint marked his face, his clothes were torn, and he was quietly sobbing.
Beside him, the hunter Zhang Meng stood with hands on his hips, glaring angrily at two boys and scolding them, “Chen Jinbao! Chen Zhiyuan! The two of you ganging up on one—have you no shame? Come here again and I’ll discipline you myself on behalf of your parents!”
The two boys being scolded were Chen Jinbao from her uncle’s family and Chen Zhiyuan, her second uncle’s son, who studied in town and had returned home on break. Chen Zhiyuan wore a washed-out blue long robe, but his face carried arrogance and hostility far beyond his age.
A surge of anger rushed straight to Chen Zhiwei’s head!
She rushed forward, pulled her brother into her arms, and checked his injuries, her voice trembling with anger. “Zhiyi! Who hit you?!”
Seeing his sister, Chen Zhiyi burst into tears, clutching her tightly, his small body shaking. “Sis… they… they tried to take our rabbit meat… said we don’t deserve to eat it… and they hit me…”
Zhang Meng sighed when he saw Chen Zhiwei. “Zhiwei, you’re back. I happened to pass by and saw Jinbao and Zhiyuan snatching things from Zhiyi and even hitting him, so I stopped them.”
Chen Zhiwei lifted her head, her gaze like two icy blades shooting straight at Chen Jinbao and Chen Zhiyuan, who were trying to slip away!
Chen Zhiyuan flinched under her gaze but quickly straightened up and forced a calm snort. “What are you staring at? We’re disciplining our own younger brother—what’s it to you? We heard you stole meat from the family, so we came to check.”
Chen Jinbao hid behind him, bluffing loudly, “That meat must’ve been stolen from our house! Worthless girl!”
Chen Zhiwei gently set her brother down and slowly stood up. She ignored the boys’ shouting and first gave Zhang Meng a solemn bow.
“Uncle Zhang Meng, thank you for today. I, Chen Zhiwei, will remember this kindness.”
Then she walked step by step toward Chen Zhiyuan and Chen Jinbao.
With each step, the chill around her seemed to deepen.
“Stole meat? The severance document has already been written. Zhiyi and I have nothing to do with you anymore. ‘Stole’? Was it me who stole—or you?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a chilling edge.
“In broad daylight, you trespassed into my home, robbed us, and beat my brother. Uncle Zhang Meng is a witness. Tell me—should I drag you to the village chief right now for punishment under village rules? Or…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Chen Zhiyuan’s seemingly respectable robe, a cold curve forming on her lips.
“Or should I go to the town and ask your schoolteacher exactly how he managed to teach a student who bullies the weak and behaves like a bandit?”