Buying Meat

"Yep! That's why whenever we have a moment to spare, we head to the mountains." Xiaowu said, lying back with his hands behind his head and eyes closed: "We chase prey and race with wolf packs—it's pure bliss! It's like having a natural country club right in our backyard!"

As everyone chatted, Xiaoba's crunching on bones echoed in the background.

Once they'd eaten their fill, it was noon. They'd planned to catch some sheep for stew, so they gathered their things and set off to find the flocks.

With the wolf pack leading the way, tracking the sheep was a breeze.

Qibao spotted a small lingzhi mushroom. Even the tiniest bit of meat is worth gathering, so she picked it, planning to plant it in her space later.

Before long, they heard the sound of sheep—baaaahs filled with panic.

The wolves had already surrounded the flock, and a few trembling lambs huddled behind their mothers.

The scene was heartbreaking, but wolves aren't patient creatures. As soon as they picked their targets, they pounced.

After catching a few sheep, Qibao signaled the wolves to stop. The remaining sheep ran off into the distance. Luckily for them, the wolves were full—otherwise, this flock would have been nearly wiped out.

Xu Wenwu picked up the sheep that were no longer breathing and said: "Let's go back. We need to prepare these sheep, or they won't be ready for dinner."

Everyone agreed and headed towards the outskirts of Daqing Mountain.

"These sheep are quite heavy!" Su Chenyu remarked.

Qibao asked: "Do you want me to help?"

Su Chenyu shook his head and said: "Shouldn't this kind of hard work be done by grown men? If you, a little girl, were to do it, people would say we are weak!"

Qibao shrugged and climbed onto Bai Shuang's back, leisurely leading the way.

Behind them, the others trudged along, grunting as they struggled with the sheep. Their eyes were filled with envy as they watched Qibao.

Once they reached the edge of the mountain, Qibao dismissed the wolf pack to head home.

As they descended, they encountered many visitors.

One old man shook his head: "Fine work, young man. These sheep look plump. I can see that you're doing well."

Su Chenyu replied: "We caught these. We were planning to make soup with them tonight."

The old man smiled and asked: "Son, I like that too. Could you sell me a few pounds to satisfy my craving?"

No wonder he asked. Ordinary sheep are easy enough to get, but wild mountain goats taste completely different—they're much more flavorful.

This old man was dressed well, and an old lady was with him—they were probably married.

Su Chenyu looked at Qibao. After all, Qibao's wolves had caught these goats.

Qibao nodded: "Sure, Grandpa. Where do you live? Once my family gets the sheep cleaned up, we'll deliver some to you."

The old man grinned: "This little girl is really kind-hearted. I live at Xu Dafu's place. How much per pound?"

Qibao said: "Twenty wen a pound, I guess!"

The old man said: "That's a bit cheap, but I don't want to take advantage of a little girl like you. When you bring the meat over, I'll pay you at the market price."

Qibao didn't argue: "Okay! I'll have someone deliver it to you then."

After the first purchase, more people came forward, wanting to buy some sheep for a special meal.

Qibao said: "I'm keeping one for my family. The rest is first come, first served."

"Great. I'll have three pounds, then! Wild sheep are pretty rare, you know!"

"Me too. Give me five. My wife and kids will love it."

Qibao noted down their addresses and said: "Once it's all cleaned up, I'll have someone deliver it to you!"

"That's wonderful! You're such a kind young lady. I imagine this wild sheep would be expensive in the market. I'm surprised you agreed so easily!" a middle-aged man said.

"I'm a villager from Xujia Village." Qibao replied: "The fact that you're here means you must like our village. You're our guests, and this bit of meat is nothing. What's really important is that you have a great visit."

"That's very thoughtful of you." The man agreed: "I've been here for three days, and everyone in Xujia Village is so friendly. It's clear you all get along well. There haven't been any arguments or fights. Everything is just peaceful. That's not easy to find these days."

Qibao smiled and said: "Our Xujia Village is one big, indivisible family. Everyone, we need to head back now. We've still got to take care of these sheep, and they won't stay fresh for long!"

After speaking, Qibao nodded politely at the surrounding tourists and headed towards the Xu residence.

Upon returning home, Mrs. Wang saw the large number of sheep brought back by Qibao and company. She exclaimed: "So many? How long will it take us to eat them all?"

Su Chenyu replied: "Granny Xu, don't worry about that. Except for one we're keeping, the rest have all been pre-ordered by tourists."

Mrs. Wang was surprised: "I had no idea!"

The old man took a sip of tea and said: "What's there to be so amazed about? Wild sheep meat is incredibly delicious! How many people who've tried it don't like it?"

Qibao said: "Grandpa, let's have someone prepare these sheep so we can deliver them to the tourists."

Kui Wu slapped his chest and said: "Miss, leave it to me. I'll make sure everything is handled neatly."

Qibao nodded.

Kui Wu dragged one sheep under each arm towards the kitchen.

Qibao wrote down the list of names on a piece of paper and handed it to Uncle Fu, instructing him to send the servants to deliver the meat to the people on the list once it was ready.

Uncle Fu looked at the long list of names and said with a smile: "Miss, you have an amazing memory. I doubt I could remember even a few of these."

"These are all the villagers' names." Qibao said: "Of course I'd know them. Uncle Fu, you love noodles, don't you? Tonight, let's have the kitchen make a hearty sheep noodle soup for dinner. It'll warm your stomach—make sure you eat plenty."

Uncle Fu's face lit up warmly: "Ah! You don't need to tell me twice! Thank you so much, Miss!"

No one else knows my favorite foods, he thought, feeling touched. I never told anyone before, but whenever there are noodles on the table, I always eat extra.

The young lady must have noticed this detail and kept it in mind. Can you imagine any other young lady caring about what her servants like to eat? Only someone who truly cares about us would think of such things.

"Miss, you must be tired." Fuqiu said: "I'll fetch you some water to wash your face." She quickly left to get the water.

"Qibao, was it fun on the mountain?" Cui Cancan asked, smiling.

Qibao replied: "It was pretty good. Next time, I'll take you along too. Tonight, we're having mutton soup. You can have a small bowl too!"

Cui Cancan's eyes lit up with a smile. She nodded: "Sounds great! I can't wait to satisfy my craving tonight!"

Qibao noticed her weight loss: "I see you've lost some weight. Here's a bowl of mutton as a reward. I hope you keep up the good work!"

Cui Cancan nodded: "Thanks! I've gotten used to my lifestyle now and I'll be careful with my diet."

Qibao agreed: "That's the spirit! Even if you lose weight, it's important to control yourself. Try not to eat too many sweets and pastries. Remember, it's easy to regain weight if you're not careful!"

Cui Cankan responded: "Yes, of course. I worked hard to lose weight and I'm not going back to my old habits."

The two exchanged a look and chuckled. In her heart, Cui Cancan saw Qibao as both a savior and a friend. If it wasn't for Qibao's encouragement, she would still be the heavy and gloomy person she used to be.