Chapter 18: Return Fully Loaded

Su Sanlang nodded quickly. “Yes, yes. This is my first time here.”

Butler Sun smiled and said, “I can tell. Don’t worry. The Sun family won’t make things difficult for you. Your goods are not bad. We’ll pay you a good amount for them. We’ll give you 25 copper coins per catty for the animals. These wild chestnuts are rare too, so we’ll give you 18 copper coins.”

This price was very high.

Su Sanlang nodded happily and was overjoyed.

“Okay, okay. Thank you, Butler Sun.”

Su Sanlang thanked him profusely and followed Butler Sun to the kitchen.

Butler Sun pointed to the ground and said casually, “Leave the things here.”

With that, Butler Sun shouted towards the kitchen, “Fu, come out and take a look at the goods.”

“OK.”

A voice came from the kitchen. Soon, a slightly plump man walked out. He looked about fifty years old. When he came out, he went straight to the wild animals. He examined them and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad, not bad. Let’s weigh them and calculate the money.”

“Oh, there’s also chestnuts. Coincidentally, the Young Master wants to eat sugar-fried chestnuts.”

Sun Fu reached into the sack of chestnuts and scooped up a handful. He was already planning on how to use them.

Butler Sun smiled and agreed. “That’s right. That’s what I thought as well.”

Su Sanlang stood silently at the side, waiting to calculate the payment. At the same time, he made a mental note of this place. He thought that if he had anything to sell in the future, he would come here and ask first. If the Sun residence didn’t want it, he would sell it at the market.

Sun Fu called the kitchen staff out and quickly weighed the goods.

The three hares and two pheasants weighed a total of 20 catties. 25 copper coins per catty amounted to 500 copper coins. The wild chestnuts weighed 17 catties. 18 copper coins per catty amounted to 306 copper coins. Together, they were worth 806 copper coins.

Su Sanlang was elated and shocked by the numbers.

Butler Sun saw his face and found it a little funny. He teased, “Why are you acting so silly? Haven’t you seen money before?”

Butler Sun was teasing, but Su Sanlang had really never seen money before. He nodded in embarrassment, his dim gaze hiding many stories that he could not tell anyone.

Butler Sun had sharp eyes and thought that this person had a story to tell. However, the two of them were not familiar with each other, so it was not good to ask about other people’s family matters rashly. Therefore, he did not ask any more questions. Instead, he counted the money and gave it to Su Sanlang.

Then, he sent Su Sanlang out the door. Su Sanlang kept the money tightly against his chest. On the way, he could not help but touch his chest.

Such caution made Butler Sun sigh. When he sent Su Sanlang out, Butler Sun kindly reminded him, “Young man, you have to be more magnanimous when you go out. If you’re being too obviously careful, others will know that you have valuables with you.”

Su Sanlang immediately understood. He looked at Butler Sun gratefully. “Butler Sun, thank you.”

Butler Sun smiled and waved his hand. “It’s not a big deal. If you have good stuff in the future, just send them to our Sun residence.”

Su Sanlang nodded gratefully. He was thinking about firewood, and since Butler Sun was so easygoing, he asked.

“Butler Sun, does the Sun residence need firewood? I’m good at chopping firewood. I guarantee that it’s all good firewood.”

After Su Sanlang asked the question, he looked at Butler Sun and waited for him to answer.

Butler Sun smiled and said, “We’ve no need for that. Seeing that you’re a good person, I’ll say a few more words. Wealthy families don’t need to buy firewood. Only ordinary families might buy it, but the prices won’t be very high. Moreover, most people have already agreed on a deal long ago. If you had come a month earlier, you might have had some business. But now… it’s difficult.”

Su Sanlang’s heart sank, but he smiled and thanked Butler Sun. “Thank you for telling me so much, Butler Sun.”

The firewood business would not work. Butler Sun’s kind words had saved him a lot of detours.

Butler Sun waved his hand indifferently. “I see that your hunting skills are not bad. Why don’t you work harder on this? The Sun residence will definitely not mistreat you if you send us good products.”

With that, Butler Sun went back in.

Su Sanlang could not tell Butler Sun that he was not a real hunter and that it was all luck. He could only smile and agree.

After leaving the Sun residence, Su Sanlang wanted to touch his chest several times, before he remembered Butler Sun’s reminder and lowered his raised hand.

He would act as an ordinary person with no money.

Thinking of the thin sheets at home, Su Sanlang asked for directions to the cloth shop. An ordinary bolt of cotton cloth would cost 300 copper coins. A slightly inferior bolt of sackcloth would cost 200 copper coins. Cotton was calculated by catties. A catty of ordinary cotton cost 20 copper coins, and good cotton quality cost 30 copper coins a catty.

Su Sanlang calculated the money in his hands and gritted his teeth. He bought a bolt of cotton cloth, a bolt of sackcloth, and ten catties of ordinary cotton. This cost him 700 coins at once.

Although his heart ached, when he thought that his family would not suffer from the cold this winter, a smile appeared on his face again. In previous winters, their family’s winter clothes were modified from the old clothes of his eldest brother and second brother. The cotton was thin and not warm. Every winter, Madam Zhao would always cough.

This year, their family could wear new clothes and be warm through the winter.

After packing everything in the basket on his back, Su Sanlang went to the grocery store and bought some salt. Salt was very expensive. He only got half a catty for 50 coins. He had 56 coins left. He didn’t plan to use them. He looked at the sky. It was already evening. He had to go home.

On the way out of the city, Su Sanlang paid the entrance fee he owed.

After the soldiers let him through, Su Sanlang eagerly carried his basket and rushed home.

Two hours later, Su Sanlang was back in the familiar village.

It was barely five in the afternoon and most of the villagers were busy in the fields. He did not encounter many people on the way, but there were still people who saw Su Sanlang carrying a full basket back.

Su Sanlang didn’t care. He just wanted to get home.

Even before he reached home, in the distance, he could see Su Sanmei with her two older brothers, catching insects. He could hear their sons cheering happily, and Su Sanlang’s gaze was tinged with joy.

Su Sanmei was washing diapers when she saw Su Sanlang return. She shouted happily, “Daddy is back.”

Su Chong and Su Hua also looked down the road and saw Su Sanlang. They shouted happily, “Father, there’s another egg.”

Su Sanmei had already gotten up and ran to him. She looked up and said to him, “Father, there’s another egg today. I picked it up and put it at home.”

Su Chong and Su Hua also ran over and surrounded Su Sanlang. “Father, Hua and I touched the egg. It’s not broken.”

Su Hua licked the corner of his mouth and looked at Su Sanlang hopefully. “Father, the egg smells so good.”

Su Sanlang was in a good mood. He smiled and patted the heads of the three children. “You’re all good children. I’ll make egg soup for you tonight.”

“Yay!”

Su Chong and Su Hua clapped in unison.