80 Getting Rough
“Only 50 silvers?” Zhao Chuchu was a little disappointed as she thought she could earn more from it.
However, since it was a hunt she had never expected, she was still happy.
“Granpa Lin, do you know how to process the skin?” Zhao Chuchu asked, hoping to make the most out of the tiger corpse. She could also keep the bones for herself as those were ingredients for a few medicines.
The old hunter quickly shook his head. “I’ve never hunted a tiger before, so I don’t know how to. I don’t want to ruin such a fine specimen. But, if you’re also selling the meat, you better hurry and butcher it while the corpse is still warm.”
Zhao Chuchu looked at the sun and realized it was still afternoon. If she hurried to the county now, she could make it there before nighttime.
“Da Lang, why don’t we head to the county together?” Zhao Chuchu turned to ask Xie Heng. “We’ll bring Junjun with us too.”
“Can I go too?” Xie Jun exclaimed. “Big bro! Let’s go!” The little boy begged.
“All right.” The older brother nodded.
Zhao Chuchu quickly found someone with a bull cart to help transport the tiger to the county.
Learning that she was going to sell the tiger, Madam Yang got anxious.
“Zhao Chuchu, when will you treat my son’s legs? Didn’t you say you were going to do it today?” The woman even sneaked a few peeks at the tiger when she said that. Naturally, she couldn’t just order Zhao Chuchu to hand the animal over.
“We’ll do that tomorrow. You sons are not as important as the money I’m going to make.” Zhao Chuchu scoffed. “Please don’t tell me you want to end up like the clan head.”
Madam Yang quickly took a step back when she heard that, worried that the lady would actually dislocate her jaw. All she could do was watch the three from the Xie clan leave.
When they finally arrived at the county, the sun was already starting to set.
The old hunter had suggested they head straight to the biggest restaurant, which they did.
Zhao Chuchu let Xie Heng and Xie Jun wait outside while she headed into the restaurant.
“Excuse me. Is the owner here?” she politely asked a waiter.
The waiter studied the lady before asking, “May I know why you’re looking for our owner?”
“I just hunted a tiger, and I’m wondering if he’s interested in buying it or not.”
The waiter immediately gasped and told her to wait while he went and fetch the owner.
Just a few minutes later, a middle-aged man who was overweight walked out.
“Where’s the tiger?” he nervously asked as if he was worried that someone would steal the trade away from him. “Take me to it!”
“She’s the one selling it,” the waiter replied.
“Her? Lady, are you joking?” The owner looked at Zhao Chuchu.
Just as Zhao Chuchu was about to reply, she heard a commotion outside.
“Finally! I thought where the tiger I’ve hunted had gone to. You guys were the ones who stole it! How dare you steal my stuff?”
Zhao Chuchu immediately dashed out of the restaurant.
About a dozen of thugs had surrounded the cart. Their leader pulled the sheet covering the animal corpse up and grinned.
“We didn’t steal it! My sister-in-law hunted it!” Xie Jun cried.
Xie Heng, with his eyes covered with a piece of cloth, sat there and hugged his little brother tightly while remaining silent.
Niu An, the cart’s owner, was already trembling in fear.
“Your sister-in-law? Kid, you should find a better excuse than that. Get lost! This tiger is mine!” The man laughed. “Be nice, or I’ll get rough.”
Zhao Chuchu quickly stepped between the brothers and the man. She stared at the man and challenged, “Is that so? How rough do you want it to get?”