Wu Laosan hastily said, “How could that be? Last time I met sister-in-law, she even said the roe deer meat sold very well—it was all gone in just one morning, and she told me to bring more next time I have any.”
Hearing this, the butcher’s face couldn’t hold up, and he scolded, “What does an old woman know? All day long she just knows how to gossip outside.” With that, he waved his hand, “Anyway, this time I absolutely won’t take this roe deer no matter what. You’d better find a way to sell it yourself.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Laosan’s face couldn’t help but fall. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sell it himself—that way he could earn a few more coins—but the butcher Feng Cheng before him was the local tyrant of this street, monopolizing the private meat business here. Without his permission, no one dared sell any meat on this street, not even wild game hunted from the mountains. Once he found out, at best he’d have people smash your goods, at worst he’d come to your door for a beating.
He had once secretly sold meat before, and somehow Feng Cheng found out. That very night, he sent several workers to his door to beat him up, warning him that if he dared do it again, they’d break both his legs so he could never hunt again for the rest of his life. At that time, Meixue was still small and witnessed Wu Laosan being beaten black and blue, so frightened she didn’t dare speak for several days.
Since then, he never dared privately sell wild game again. Every time he hunted something, apart from keeping a portion for himself to eat, he would bring it to Feng Cheng to sell on commission, enduring Feng Cheng’s exploitation.
Wu Laosan said helplessly, “Brother Feng, please help me out. There’s only one person in my household—I really can’t finish an entire roe deer. How about… ” He gritted his teeth and said, “We split it sixty-forty, and you take one more tenth, Brother Feng?”
Feng Cheng waved his hand, “Alright, alright. For the sake of knowing each other for so many years, I’ll help you one more time. Sixty-forty split, but I get sixty, you get forty.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Laosan immediately became anxious, stammering, “This… this how can… how can this work?” This roe deer was something he had spent half a day circling around the mountains to finally hunt down. Feng Cheng didn’t need to do anything—just open his mouth to sell it—yet he wanted to take sixty percent. That meant what fell into his own hands was less than half. This was far too ruthless.
Feng Cheng’s face darkened, and he said impatiently, “If you want to sell, then sell. If not, hurry up and take it away. Don’t block my business here. Chunxiu might come back today, so I need to finish selling the meat early and go home.” With his words, several workers in the meat shop began driving Wu Laosan away.
Wu Laosan really didn’t want to sell, but if he didn’t sell, he couldn’t exchange it for silver and couldn’t buy the things his daughter wanted to eat. Thinking of his long-absent daughter, Wu Laosan said helplessly, “Alright then, sixty percent it is. I’ll come back later…”
“Father!” A clear and familiar voice interrupted Wu Laosan’s words. He quickly turned around to look, and indeed saw his beloved daughter standing not far away. He quickly walked over, his weathered face showing rare joy, “So you really did come back. Why didn’t you go home but came here instead?”
Yunyi smiled and said, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Father. I wanted to buy some things to bring home, but what a coincidence to meet Father here.”
Surnamed Wu, making a living by hunting, and having a daughter with “Mei” in her name—this must undoubtedly be Meixue’s father. The facts proved she had guessed correctly.
“No need to buy, no need to buy. Father has everything.” As he spoke, he noticed he was still carrying the roe deer and quickly said, “Wait a moment. After Father gives this roe deer to Uncle Feng to sell, I’ll go buy the osmanthus cakes and white sugar cakes you like to eat.”
Yunyi glanced at Feng Cheng and smiled, “Since Uncle Feng says this roe deer meat is hard to sell, let’s not make things difficult for him. Let’s take it home instead—your daughter happens to want to eat roe deer meat too.”
Wu Laosan said in surprise, “Roe deer meat? Didn’t you used to say roe deer had a gamey smell and was inedible? How come you want to eat it now?”
Yunyi’s eyes flickered slightly as she said, “Your daughter doesn’t know what’s come over her either. After being away from home for a while, I especially want to eat the game Father hunted with his own hands. As for the gamey smell, just add more vinegar and radish.”
Hearing this, Wu Laosan nodded happily again and again, “Good, Father will make it for you as soon as we get home. You can eat as much as you want.” While speaking, he stuffed the roe deer into the hemp sack.
Seeing him like this, Feng Cheng became anxious. The roe deer Wu Laosan hunted had always been popular goods in his shop, selling for several times the price of pork. Such a roe deer, weighing at least several dozen catties, would mean over a hundred coins if he took sixty percent.
He suppressed his inner anxiety and said with a stern face, “Wu Laosan, are you trying to make fun of me? One moment you say you’ll sell, the next you say you won’t?”
Wu Laosan didn’t dare offend him and said with an apologetic smile, “Brother Feng, don’t misunderstand. It’s just that my daughter said she likes it, so… please forgive me, Brother Feng.” Seeing Feng Cheng’s displeased expression, he drew his hunting knife and cut off a hind leg from the roe deer, presenting it to Feng Cheng with a flattering manner, “This roe deer leg is my treat for Brother Feng. Please don’t disdain it.”
Yunyi frowned, “Father, didn’t Uncle Feng just say this roe deer is hard to sell? He probably doesn’t like eating it either. You shouldn’t force Uncle Feng.”
Her words made Feng Cheng’s hand, which had been reaching for the roe deer leg, freeze in mid-air. His face turned alternately green and white, somewhat unable to save face.
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Wu Laosan scolded Yunyi, then put on a smiling face, “The young girl doesn’t understand. Brother Feng, please don’t stoop to her level. When I get home, I’ll definitely teach her properly. Next time I hunt a roe deer, I’ll definitely bring it to Brother Feng immediately, just as you said—sixty-forty split.”
Feng Cheng snorted coldly and ignored him. Wu Laosan could only awkwardly place the roe deer leg on the chopping board, then pulled Yunyi away. After walking just a few steps, they heard Feng Cheng’s cursing voice from behind, with extremely crude and unpleasant words that greatly disgusted Yunyi. She wanted to go back and argue with him, but Wu Laosan tightly gripped her hand and whispered, “Don’t say anything more. Let’s go home quickly!”
After winding through various streets, Yunyi finally saw the three characters “Changshi Alley.” After walking a bit more, Wu Laosan stopped in front of a quite aged osmanthus tree and took out a key to open the door.
After putting down the hemp sack containing the roe deer and his bow and arrows, Wu Laosan chattered on, “Girl, you rest for a while. After Father skins the roe deer, I’ll make my specialty braised roe deer meat for you. You always used to think the taste was too gamey and wouldn’t eat it, but actually let me tell you, roe deer meat is much more delicious than ordinary pork and chicken. Otherwise, why would so many people buy it? You’ll know once you taste it later.”
“Since Father knows many people buy roe deer meat, why did you agree to his such harsh conditions?” Yunyi’s words made Wu Laosan’s fire-starting movements pause. He looked up and said, “You mean Feng Cheng?”
Yunyi picked up some firewood nearby and handed it to him, “That’s right. He deliberately said roe deer meat doesn’t sell well, clearly using this as an excuse to pressure your price and take sixty percent for himself.”