CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 46 RABBIT BURROW

Unexpectedly, Gu Chengyi had already noticed the furrowed brows. He stared intently at the basket, lost in thought. Something’s not right; there must be something in that basket, and it must be something good. Otherwise, why would they hide it from us?

He saw the fifth child staring at the basket, drooling. Turning his thoughts, what treasure could it be? Could it be some snacks secretly hidden for the fifth child’s extra meal again? Thinking this way, he lost interest. He was used to his parents’ favoritism. Aren’t the third and fourth also their sons? But when it comes to the fifth, aren’t they sidelined?

Standing nearby, Gu Chengyu heaved a sigh of relief when Chengyi shifted his gaze. Actually, a ginseng doesn’t mean much to him; there were plenty in the space. But at the dining table, Mr. Gu had chosen to conceal it. If it were revealed now, it would surely lead to another conflict. Better to see what father’s plans are. Anyway, the money from selling it is for the family, and he won’t pocket it.

After dinner, Mr. Gu had the Gu brothers go up the mountain in batches. The women would go a bit later to avoid arousing suspicion in the village. Gu Chengyu wanted to go too, but Mr. Gu wouldn’t allow it. This gathering might take until dark, and it wasn’t safe for a little child to be in the mountains.

"Dad, I want to help too. Besides, it’s better if I watch over it. Some flowers aren’t fully grown yet and aren’t worth much now. If they’re all picked and dried with poor appearance, they won’t sell for much silver." Gu Chengyu began to softly plead, and Mr. Gu considered that an extra person meant more strength. Finishing the picking sooner meant getting home earlier since it would be hard to see at night.

Thus, when Gu Chengyu followed his father up the mountain and reached the destination, Gu Chengli and the others had already filled a basket. Before coming, Gu Chengyu had instructed them to pick whole flowers and never to pick them into pieces. Seeing them about to press down, he rushed to stop them. If they were crushed, they might break when dried later. The Gu family brought four large baskets, each capable of holding about twenty pounds. Just one more trip, and all the flowers here could be picked clean.

No one spoke, everyone focused on picking. Even He, who loved gossiping and lazing around, didn’t stop her hands. It seems the allure of silver is boundless.

The sky gradually darkened, and Mr. Gu checked the time. It was about 7:30 PM. He instructed Gu Chengli and Gu Chengyi to each carry a basket back first, while Gu Chenglian carried another basket. The trio headed home to pour the honeysuckle into the large round winnowing basket. Mrs. Lv was at home to receive, to dry the flowers, and then they had to return. Before leaving, they even grabbed a handful of pig fodder to cover it up. They walked in batches, making Gu Chengyu speechless, feeling like it was a guerrilla warfare.

With one basket left, everyone picked and put them in it. With more people and fewer baskets, there wasn’t much for Gu Chengyu to do. Since Gu Chengyu didn’t want to go back, Mr. Gu let him sit on the side, idly pulling at the nearby grass. He calculated in his mind how much silver this batch could fetch; he didn’t even know how they’d sell it. Oh right, Gu Chengyu’s eyes lit up. Couldn’t the price of ginseng be inquired from Doctor Li? Maybe he could also ask which pharmacy in town offered the fairest price. As for confidentiality, he trusted Doctor Li. Once instructed, he surely wouldn’t spill a word.

Thinking it through, he felt a bit drowsy, stretching his neck as his eyelids grew heavy. Suddenly, there was a bit of commotion in the nearby grass. Gu Chengyu immediately leaped up in fright, hoping it wasn’t a snake. A snake bite wasn’t a joking matter—who knew if the snake was venomous? Seeing that Mr. Gu and the others were three or four meters away, Gu Chengyu decided not to move rashly. If it was indeed a snake, he might get to test his skills.

Cautiously bending down, he picked up two small stones from the ground, focusing intently on the movement in the grass. Waiting for some time, out from the grass darted a snow-white rabbit. Upon seeing Gu Chengyu standing there, it immediately sped off toward the front. Gu Chengyu wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity; he rallied his inner strength and hurled the stones in his hand. Even as it turned dark, Gu Chengyu could still aim accurately at the rabbit’s direction.

He consecutively hurled both stones at the rabbit. The rabbit halted after running just a couple of steps and lay motionless.

Excitedly, Gu Chengyu went forward to check, lifting the rabbit to find two bloody holes in its head, embedded into the skull. Although not deep, they were deadly. Apparently, only one stone was needed. Perhaps because of drinking spiritual spring water, despite not practicing earlier, his aim was quite accurate. Both stones struck the head, though one intended for the eye landed slightly beside it. There was still deviation; he’d have to practice more in the future.

Gu Chengyu gained some preliminary understanding of his current internal strength growth and how to wield it. Lifting the rabbit, Gu Chengyu picked up a nearby branch to pry the stones from the rabbit’s head wound, enlarging it as he planned to find Mr. Gu and the others. He’d say it hit a large rock and got knocked unconscious. Fearing the rabbit would wake and run, he hit it with a stone once more. It seemed he’d need to devise a background for his skills in the future; otherwise, it would be quite inconvenient. This would be addressed later.

Gu Chengyu then thought about how this rabbit was so plump; wasn’t it said that where there’s a rabbit, there’s a burrow?

Following the path the rabbit took, he reached a dense patch of grass, taller than elsewhere. Peeling back the underbrush, he indeed found a few small rabbits, slightly larger than a palm, nestled together. Two of them were mottled. Counting them up, there were seven in total.

Gu Chengyu felt quite pleased, this could be considered a big haul. Thinking of rabbit meat made his mouth water. The last time he ate meat was over a month ago. Desperate, he opened a packet of meat snacks in the space, took a few bites, but found it tasteless. The guilt of secretly eating wasn’t great. This time he could rightly eat it, so naturally, he was happy. As for whether his mother would agree, he had his ways.

"Dad, come quickly!" Gu Chengyu shouted.

"What’s the matter? Xiao Bao, where are you? Don’t run around! I’m coming to find you." Mr. Gu was busy picking flowers and didn’t notice whether Gu Chengyu was around. Hearing the shout and realizing the boy wasn’t nearby, he panicked.

"Quick, go find Xiao Bao. Stop picking." At this moment, Mr. Gu cared more about his youngest son’s whereabouts than flowers.

"Dad, don’t worry, I’m right here in the grass ahead. Come quickly, there’s something good," Gu Chengyu heard the urgency in Mr. Gu’s voice, and his heart warmed.

Mr. Gu told Mrs. Fang and the others to put down their work and go with him to find Gu Chengyu. But He wasn’t too pleased, "Dad, Xiao Bao is just in front, I heard him shout. If we don’t hurry and pick, it’ll be too dark to see soon. Why don’t you go? We’ll stay and pick."

Mr. Gu, not seeing anyone and only hearing voices, was anxious, fearing Xiao Bao might encounter wild animals or snakes. With the second wife’s reluctance, he lost his patience, "If you don’t want to find him, go home." With those words, he didn’t bother to argue further or worry if others followed, focusing on finding Gu Chengyu.

Following the voices, Mr. Gu went toward Gu Chengyu, with Mrs. Fang quickly discarding her flowers to follow. In truth, her younger brother-in-law generally treated them well, and she knew it in her heart.