Chapter 41 Finding the Peddler

Su Yanwen was filled with indignation, turning a blind eye to the villagers' pleas as he turned sideways to bypass them and headed straight up the mountain.

Along the way, he walked with a calm composure, knowing that this day would arrive sooner or later.

Returning to the mountain, he gazed at his crude dwelling and thought of the black wolf's increasingly frequent visits, the hatred in his heart surging like a tidal wave.

His eyes swept over a freshly caught fish nearby, and an idea flashed in his mind. Since the black wolf wouldn't eat dog meat, wasn't fish—its usual favorite—the ultimate bait?

Su Yanwen quickly sliced off a piece of tender fish meat, his hands trembling slightly as he carefully sprinkled crushed rat poison over it.

Then, carrying this meticulously prepared "gift," he quietly placed it alongside the path the black wolf frequented.

Hiding behind a tree, he stared fixedly without blinking, full of anticipation for the black wolf to take the bait.

Before long, the black wolf swaggered over, sniffed the fish with its nose, but in the next second, it lifted its hind leg and brazenly urinated right on the fish meat.

To top it all off, it let out a few strange barks toward Su Yanwen's hiding spot, the harsh sound feeling like the ultimate mockery.

Su Yanwen's face flushed red with anger, his feet stamping fiercely on the ground, his hands clenched into fists as the sense of grievance in his heart grew even more intense.

Old Man Cai had even said that this creature might turn out to be a good omen.

A good omen like this?

Could it be that it didn't eat fish?

That was impossible; on several occasions, the black wolf had tried to snatch fish from him.

Looking at the fish inside the bucket, Su Yanwen randomly grabbed a lively, wriggling fish and tossed it onto the exact same spot.

After throwing it, he went back to his own chores, acting as if the wolf didn't exist at all.

"Daddy, the big doggy is back again."

Little Cao'er spoke up.

Sure enough, the black wolf was happily eating the fish. After finishing it, it simply sprawled out on the ground, sticking out its tongue to lick its paws.

With such a leisurely posture, it didn't look like a wolf at all, but rather like a giant cat.

"Daddy, fish, fish." Cao'er tugged at his hem in a babyish voice, her tiny hand pointing outside the door.

Su Yanwen snapped out of his thoughts, and looking at his daughter's adorable expression, his heart softened. He stood up and picked up a prepared fish.

Not far away, a black wolf with a coat as dark as pitch and standing a full two meters tall was quietly standing at the edge of the forest.

Mimicking Su Yanwen, Cao'er tossed a fish toward the black wolf as well.

Seeing that the black wolf showed no aggression, Su Yanwen gradually abandoned the idea of poisoning it.

Currently, grain and food were abundant, even more than they could finish eating.

Su Yanwen was considering whether he should exchange the surplus goods with the outside world.

Yet, he still habitually threw a small fish at the fixed spot every day.

As days passed, Cao'er followed suit, swaying her little body every day and sweetly calling out "Wolfie" as she threw fish to the black wolf.

Life was better than before, and gradually, whenever Cao'er encountered food she didn't like to eat,

she would say, "Feed the big doggy,"

and quietly dump the contents of her bowl onto the familiar spot.

After a while, the black wolf actually grew somewhat accustomed to them, and the fierce glint in its eyes faded.

Su Yanwen looked at his daughter's cheerful retreating figure with mixed emotions.

Forget it, as long as she was happy.

As long as it posed no danger, he wouldn't stop her.

To give his family a better life, he relied on his modern knowledge to weave an intricate "Fish King" trap out of rattan vines, reaping a bountiful harvest with every catch.

He even dug a pond in the courtyard to raise an endless supply of fish.

Only, eating these things day in and day out was truly dull.

There were still many necessities missing from their lives, and it would be even better if they could be exchanged for money.

Remembering what Cao'er had said about the salt peddler visiting the village entrance at regular intervals,

Su Yanwen decided to try his luck.

After all, ever since he got the tools from Old Man Cai, he had been acquiring even more game.

Shouldering a heavy load of game, Su Yanwen walked step by step down the mountain along the winding, snow-covered mountain path.

The biting cold wind howled, stinging his cheeks, but with his wife and daughter in his heart, his pace never paused for a moment.

When he finally reached the village entrance, he saw a lean-figured man with a dark complexion and shrewd, calculating eyes pacing back and forth while leading several mules.

The mules' backs were laden with salt bags of various sizes, securely and tightly wrapped in coarse cloth layers.

Su Yanwen thought to himself that this must be the salt peddler Cao'er had mentioned.

"Are you the one who trades for small fish?" Su Yanwen asked.

"Small fish?" The salt peddler sized Su Yanwen up, as if suddenly understanding.

He waved his hand dismissively: "Those things used to be valuable because they looked pretty."

"Now, nobody wants pretty things anymore."

Su Yanwen said: "I don't have small fish, but I have other things."

"Meat, grain, medicinal herbs..."

Upon catching sight of Su Yanwen, the salt peddler's eyes lit up instantly like a lone star in a cold winter night. He hurriedly dropped the reins and trotted forward to greet him.

First, he rubbed his frostbitten, chapped hands together.

Breathing out a puff of white vapor, he smiled obsequiously and said, "Oh, my good brother, I've finally been longing for you! Look at this freezing weather; I was just about to turn into an icicle standing here."

With that, he exaggeratedly shivered and cast a sidelong glance at Su Yanwen's load of game.

Smacking his lips, he continued: "I won't lie to you, brother, things are an absolute mess outside. There's a war going on; gun smoke and artillery fire are everywhere."

"The common folk are suffering bitterly, lacking everything imaginable—grain, fabric, medicinal herbs... especially salt, which is practically more precious than gold!"

The salt peddler grew more and more agitated as he spoke, his eyes reddening slightly.

His voice involuntarily rose a notch: "I've traveled over mountains and rivers through all this, taking risks to trade salt, just hoping to lend a helping hand to the villagers."

"I can see your game is plump, well-fed, and looks exceptionally fresh!"

"Brother, I've saved up some money. Although money isn't worth much these days, it can at least help tide people over in an emergency."

"Let's make a deal; I'll trade you some money for these game animals, alright? Just think, once you have money, what won't you be able to buy conveniently in the future?"

Hearing these words, Su Yanwen felt a jolt in his heart. The miserable scene of displaced people suffering from hunger and cold amidst the flames of war instantly flashed through his mind.

He raised his eyes to look at the rolling mountains in the distance, fell silent for a moment, and then looked down at his loaded pole of game.

His original purpose was to get money anyway, and if the other party brought it up proactively, it was naturally even better.

Taking another look at the salt peddler before him, although he possessed a certain merchant's shrewdness, his words were earnest and true.

Considering that everyone in these troubled times had their own hardships and helping one another was only right, he pondered for a moment, nodded heavily, and readily agreed: "Alright! None of us have it easy, I'll trade with you."

This had been his objective all along.

With the heavy money held firmly in his hand, his heart finally felt secure.

Carrying the money to the town, he exchanged it for daily necessities before finally turning back toward home.