Chapter 28 - Transmigration: The Farm Life of a “Fool”

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

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A Trip to Town

 

 

The next morning, Liu Tong got up early to prepare breakfast and left enough food in the pot for Xu Ran and the children. He left the pot hanging over the fire so they could eat as soon as they woke up.

 

Liu Tong gathered the game he had caught the day before. Apart from the wild chicken they had eaten and the two rabbits that were still alive, he planned to sell the rest. Money was tight, and eating a little less wouldn't hurt—besides, how could things be worse than when they were living at the Xu family?

 

The muntjac deer was still alive. Liu Tong made sure to separate it from the other game.

 

Finally, Liu Tong slung a sack of dead game over his shoulder and led the live muntjac out the door. It was market day in Daliang Town, which happened every six days, and Xu An was also heading to town, so Liu Tong planned to hitch a ride on Xu An's ox cart.

 

Since Xu Ran had mentioned it to Dahu the night before, Liu Tong headed to the village entrance to wait.

 

Before long, several villagers gathered at the entrance, most of them in groups. Liu Tong greeted them with a friendly smile, as there was no bad blood between them.

 

The villagers, especially the husbands and brothers, loved to gossip when they had nothing else to do. They all knew about Liu Tong's situation—some sympathized, while others found amusement in it. But only Wu Mei's family and two others had ever helped.

 

Liu Tong didn't mind. He had lived in the Xu clan village for seven years and knew exactly how these people were.

 

Some villagers' eyes turned green with envy when they saw Liu Tong holding a live muntjac, but no one said anything. They all knew Liu Tong was skilled at hunting.

 

Liu Tong hadn't waited long before Xu An arrived with the ox cart. Besides Xu An, Wu Mei and Wu Lan were also on the cart. When Wu Mei saw Liu Tong, he immediately called out, "Liu Tong, put your things in the cart!"

 

"Alright." Liu Tong loaded the sack and the muntjac onto the cart, then climbed up to join them. Xu An drove, while the three of them chatted in the back.

 

Noticing the live muntjac, Wu Mei and Wu Lan were surprised. "Liu Tong, you're amazing! You even managed to catch one alive."

 

Liu Tong smiled. "I had no choice. We need food and clothes, and with no land to farm, hunting is the only way we can survive."

 

"You're right. If you ever need anything, just let us know—we'll help however we can," Wu Mei promised earnestly.

 

"Thank you, I won't be shy about it," Liu Tong replied with a grateful nod.

 

They laughed and chatted as they rode the ox cart, eventually arriving in town.

 

Xu An found a spot to park the cart and paid ten copper coins to someone to watch it. Then, he joined Wu Mei and Wu Lan to do some shopping.

 

Liu Tong went off on his own, heading to the restaurant where he usually sold his wild game. The innkeeper, whose surname was Chen, knew a bit about Liu Tong's situation and always offered him a fair price.

 

Since Liu Tong's muntjac was still alive, it sold for over a tael of silver. The wild chickens fetched twenty copper coins each, and the rabbits, thirty. The dead game wasn't worth as much, but in the end, Liu Tong pocketed just over two taels of silver, tucking the coins into his clothes. He planned to use some of the loose change to buy food.

 

...

 

By the time Xu Ran opened his eyes, Liu Tong was long gone. Even his side of the bed had gone cold.

 

Remembering the two children at home, Xu Ran quickly got up and dressed.

 

When he went to the children's room, Tangtang and Guoguo were already awake and dressed, full of energy.

 

"Daddy!" they called out in unison when they saw him.

 

Xu Ran scooped them up, one in each arm, giving them both a kiss. "Go wash your faces first. Your Ah-mo has gone to town, but he left us some food in the pot. After breakfast, we'll get to work."

 

"Okay," Tangtang and Guoguo nodded obediently, wiggling out of his arms to wash their faces on their own.

 

After setting the children down, Xu Ran went to the kitchen. He took some wooden bowls and ladled the warm brown rice porridge that Liu Tong had left simmering over the fire.

 

Once Tangtang and Guoguo finished washing up, the three of them sat down to breakfast.

 

A new day had begun, and they were all filled with a sense of purpose and energy.

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