Looking at Jin Feng accepting the rabbit, Zhang Liang visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Happily, he took his family back home.
At the end of the path, his hearty laughter could still be heard.
“Head of the house, cousin’s family is living so poorly, Liang got two rabbits with difficulty, and we took one. Is that a bit inappropriate?”
Guan Xiaorou, carrying the wild rabbit, felt somewhat uneasy.
“Xiaorou, Feng accepting the rabbit is for Yunfang’s sake.”
Tang Dongdong said with a smile, “Liang is a man of his word. Since he promised to share half the prey with Feng, if Feng didn’t accept, Liang would definitely feel bad. He might even return the crossbow to Feng on the spot.”
“Dongdong is clever.”
Jin Feng smiled and ruffled Tang Dongdong’s hair.
He regretted it immediately after.
Sure enough, Tang Dongdong’s little face turned bright red, even her neck became rose-coloured. With a soft whimper, she covered her face and ran to the shed.
Guan Xiaorou looked at Jin Feng with a teasing expression.
“Xiaorou, it wasn’t intentional…”
Jin Feng, like a cat caught stealing, scratched his head and explained, “I’m used to ruffling your hair.”
“Head of the house, I’m not a jealous woman.”
Guan Xiaorou covered her mouth and laughed, “Dongdong will be yours sooner or later. Even if you touched somewhere else, I wouldn’t mind. I think Dongdong wouldn’t mind either. If she did, I’d hold her down for you.”
Jin Feng: …
What a fine girl, spoiled in just a few days.
“Alright, stop laughing, or your eyes will disappear.”
Jin Feng said irritably, “Later, clean the rabbit and stew it, then send half to cousin’s house.”
The Zhang family had been struggling for years, all of them so thin they barely looked human. They needed some nutrition.
He was certain the Zhangs wouldn’t eat the rabbit. They’d sell it in town tomorrow for more coarse grains.
So, it was better to follow Zhang Liang’s wishes and accept the rabbit. This way, Zhang Liang wouldn’t lose face, and Jin Feng’s goal would be achieved.
Jin Feng guessed right. When he and Guan Xiaorou brought rice and rabbit meat to the Zhangs, the family was gathered around drinking watery porridge.
The large bowl of porridge had just a few grains and two dark green wild vegetables, not a trace of oil.
Even so, Zhang Xiaohua was drinking it with relish.
“Feng, Xiaorou, what’s this…”
Mother Zhang stood up and asked.
“We got married, and cousin sent a gift, so we’re returning the courtesy.”
Jin Feng smiled, took an empty bowl, filled it with rice, poured a ladle of meat broth and rabbit meat, and placed it in front of Zhang Xiaohua with a smile, “Xiaohua, try it, is it tasty?”
Being a child, Zhang Xiaohua immediately set aside the porridge bowl and devoured the rice.
How could she bother to reply?
“You’re thoughtful.”
Zhang Liang understood Jin Feng’s intention, but as it was a return gift, it wasn’t proper to refuse, so he accepted.
Knowing there was little prey in the back hills, Zhang Liang didn’t linger there the next day and went straight to the old forest.
That evening, he returned with three wild rabbits, one fox, and four pheasants.
This time, without Zhang Liang offering, Jin Feng took all the pheasants.
Rabbit meat is tough, far less tasty than pheasant.
Four pheasants were too many to eat, but they could be dried, which was nice.
In later times, these were protected animals, rarely eaten.
From that day, the Zhang family’s life improved completely.
The eldest son hunted daily, rarely returning empty-handed, and the younger son learned blacksmithing at Jin Feng’s, securing a livelihood.
The villagers’ eyes turned red with envy.
Everyone knew the Zhang family’s turnaround was all thanks to Jin Feng.
So, the women visited Jin Feng’s house more often, cozying up to Guan Xiaorou, hinting they wanted Jin Feng’s help to make crossbows, offering to share half the prey.
But Jin Feng refused, citing a lack of materials.
The prey in the mountains, though inexhaustible, would dwindle.
One or two more hunters in the village was fine, but dozens would deplete or drive away the animals near Xihewan.
After all, animals aren’t lifeless. Sensing danger, they’d migrate far from Xihewan.
Such overexploitation wouldn’t last.
Besides, Jin Feng wasn’t lying.
Suitable wood for crossbows was scarce. Ordinary wood either lacked elasticity, making it weak, or toughness, breaking after a few uses.
Zhang Mancang had cut all the usable jujube trees from the back hills, enough for only eleven or twelve more crossbows.
Guan Xiaorou and Lin Yunfang were relatives, and the Zhangs were struggling, so Jin Feng made a crossbow for Zhang Liang. Though envious, the villagers couldn’t complain.
But if Jin Feng made one for Third Aunt and not others, they’d have objections.
After weighing it, Jin Feng decided, except for Zhang Liang, he wouldn’t make crossbows for other villagers for now.
However, the villagers’ desire for a better life was what Jin Feng wanted to see.
A cart of hemp bark ordered by Tang Dongdong and Jin Feng from the county arrived days ago.
The carpenter delivered ten spinning wheel parts yesterday, and Zhang Mancang stayed up all night assembling them, neatly arranged in the shed.
Next to the spinning wheels was a pile of hemp bark.
Cotton hadn’t reached Dakang yet, so hemp was a primary textile material.
Processed hemp bark was spun into thread, woven into cloth on looms, and then made into clothes or bedding.
Hemp clothing was the most common for Dakang’s people.
Of course, there were silk, brocade, satin, and animal fur clothes, but those were mostly irrelevant to common folk.
With Jin Feng’s limited funds, he couldn’t venture into such industries.
With spinning wheels and materials ready, the next step was hiring.
Jin Feng and Tang Dongdong discussed and decided to hire twenty women, working in two shifts, each earning one copper coin daily, plus two meals.
When the women heard this, they forgot about crossbows and rushed to sign up.
They knew Jin Feng couldn’t make crossbows for everyone, and even with one, hunting wasn’t guaranteed. Encountering tigers, leopards, or wild boars could cost lives.
Spinning was the safest bet.
Two meals and a copper coin a day exceeded their expectations.
A copper coin could buy a meat bun in town or enough grain for three people for a meal.
“Xiaorou, does your man keep his word? Really one copper coin a day plus meals?”
“My man is a scholar; he won’t go back on his word.”
“Great, I’ll spin with my eldest girl. With the men and the boy at home, my coin will feed them, and the girl’s can be saved.”
