Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 92 - 17 Want to Eat Mink?

"That person brought you treasures again? Are you talking about martial arts like the hard skills of a dart master? This book, even I can’t understand it! I can’t read," Mr. Gu felt extremely frustrated.

"Dad! This is a secret martial arts manual. I brought it back for the family to practice, but not everyone can train with it. It’s best for ages five to ten, and it also depends on a person’s physical build and talent! I want Da Lang and the others to give it a try. Although Da Lang is a bit late, who knows, he might be very talented? The third son and others are young, maybe it’s the perfect age to learn martial arts."

"Then mention it during dinner tonight and let the third and fourth sons try it out; it’s too late for the eldest and second sons, they’re a bit too old," Mr. Gu thought for a moment and decided to let the children in the family try it in the evening. The things that the Immortal gave are surely not bad. If they learn martial arts, even becoming a dart master in the future would be good.

"Dad! Do I have to learn too? I don’t like this stuff, wielding swords and spears, it looks ugly," protested Gu Wan from the kang bed when she heard that the younger ones would have to learn.

"Whether you learn it or not is up to your own will, we’re not forcing anyone. Young lady, you’re not understanding the good fortune here; this is something given by an Immortal. If you choose not to learn now, don’t regret it later." Mr. Gu actually thought about the fact that girls eventually get married, and this secret manual was meant to be a family heirloom. It must not be passed to outsiders. Once the daughter is married, she belongs to another family. Would she still side with her own family then? However, if the girls at home really wanted to learn, he wouldn’t stop them, but they would have to swear never to pass it on.

"This isn’t something a girl should learn, what’s there to regret? Practicing it just makes you big and burly, what’s the point?" Gu Wan only recalled hearing from the village kids that dart masters with martial arts were all big and tall with rough builds!

"Xiao Bao! How could you be so foolish? This is something the Immortal gave you, and you’re just going to give it to others? Won’t the Immortal be unhappy? Didn’t you say this is a secret manual that can’t be given to outsiders?" Mrs. Lv was afraid that Gu Chengyu had made another foolish mistake by taking out the manual without the Immortal’s consent.

"Mom! Don’t worry! What I learned is different from this, it was given by another person in a dream. Second sister, if you don’t want to learn, then don’t. Xiao Bao will protect you in the future. Xiao Bao is very impressive now; just today, he caught two wild chickens and a weasel! Oh right, Dad! No one in our family can read, how can we train with the manual?" Gu Chengyu suddenly realized that no one in the Gu family could read. He could read but couldn’t reveal it. He should have waited a few days until he started private school, then the problem would be solved easily! As for Gu Wan not wanting to learn, that’s a matter of personal choice and shouldn’t be forced.

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Let’s keep the manual with you, and take it out once you start private school in a few days. Let’s not talk about it today, to prevent any leaks," Mr. Gu decided that keeping the manual with the Immortal was the safest choice.

"What? You went up the mountain and hunted wild chickens? Did you go into the mountains? Let me tell you! You’re not allowed into the inner woods; otherwise, you won’t be able to go next time," Mrs. Lv, unlike Mr. Gu, was most concerned about Xiao Bao’s safety.

"Mom! I know, I wouldn’t dare go in. With my current abilities, I can only catch two wild chickens. Mom, let’s cook the wild chickens and eat them tonight?" Gu Chengyu felt that he hadn’t eaten chicken in such a long time, he almost forgot what it tasted like.

Mr. Gu snapped back to reality at the mention of wild chickens, "Wild chickens? Xiao Bao can catch wild chickens now? Didn’t you say you just started practicing two days ago? When did you train? In your dreams while sleeping?"

"Dad! That person said not to reveal it! I didn’t just catch two wild chickens today! I also caught a weasel!" A lie often requires many more lies to cover up, so why not just say that the Immortal forbade speaking about it when it’s hard to explain in the future.

Sure enough, when Mr. Gu heard that the Immortal forbade it, he didn’t pursue his curiosity. But when he heard about the weasel, he was overjoyed.

"Where’s the weasel? That’s something valuable, taking it to town can fetch a lot of money! Just its fur will sell for a good price."

Gu Wan, hearing about the weasel, remembered that wealthy families wore mink cloaks and coats, which were very expensive! She heard about it from Lin Liuliu at the Li Zheng family and was eager to see it herself.

"Where is it? I want to see it too."

"I let Da Ya take it to the kitchen," Gu Chengyu pointed towards the kitchen.

"Oh no! Why put it in the kitchen? Disaster!" Mrs. Lv exclaimed, standing up and running; Gu Wan got off the kang, put on her shoes, and followed. This left Mr. Gu and his son confused, so they also joined the chase.

"Second daughter-in-law, put it down! If you dare touch it, just try!" Gu Chengyu hadn’t even reached the kitchen before he heard his mother yelling furiously.

"Mom! Didn’t I see everything taken to the kitchen and thought they were going to be cooked? That’s just why I plucked the feathers," He said, his voice growing quieter. She didn’t care where those wild chickens came from; she initially planned to cook all the game in the kitchen while her mother-in-law wasn’t present. If her mother-in-law wanted to sell them, it wouldn’t be possible anymore. Moreover, with so much, she could grab several pieces for herself!

Mr. Gu soon caught up—he was in quite a hurry! If the wild chickens were cooked, then so be it, but the weasel must not be. If the second daughter-in-law plucked its fur, it couldn’t be sold for money. Anxiously arriving at the kitchen door, he saw the second daughter-in-law holding a light brown weasel. Although not the rare white kind, its fur was uniform and neat. The precious thing about a weasel is its fur, which he had only seen in Prefecture in the past. At this moment, the weasel was in the second daughter-in-law’s hands, about to be plunged into boiling water.

Mr. Gu felt as if he could hardly breathe from the tension, rushing into the kitchen where he usually never set foot, to stop the daughter-in-law.

"Second daughter-in-law, stop immediately! Do you even know what this is? How dare you even think of eating it?" Mr. Gu exclaimed while snatching the weasel from her hands, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"This is a weasel! It can sell for a lot of money, nearly losing money that was within our grasp," Mr. Gu composed himself, looked at the plucked wild chickens, and said, "Let these two wild chickens cook, they’ll cook. It’s been tough, everyone should nourish themselves."

"Oh! Dad!" The daughter-in-law was overjoyed hearing the wild chickens would be cooked, deciding to speed up her meal-grabbing later.

"What? Both are to be eaten? How are we supposed to manage living? Second daughter-in-law, you’ve grown too bold, haven’t you? Cooking the chickens without my consent? Do I even exist in your eyes?" Mrs. Lv felt that the second daughter-in-law deliberately took advantage of her absence to pluck the chickens’ feathers.

"Dad! I heard we bought a cow?" The three Gu brothers had just returned from the fields and stepped into the yard as Gu Chengli yelled out.

"Ah! It’s next to the pig pen behind the house, go take a look," Mr. Gu had guessed already that it wouldn’t take long for the news about the cow purchase to spread through the village.

From the house, came the cheers of young children who had been peeking out but hadn’t dared approach the kitchen. Following the Gu brothers, they ran to see the cow, and even Gu Wan joined in the fun. The weasel was dead, and it didn’t make an interesting garment, so there wasn’t much to see.

Mr. Gu thought it safest to keep the weasel in his own room.

Seeing nothing was happening, Gu Chengyu turned and went back to the upper house. Behind him, Mrs. Lv continued scolding the daughter-in-law, who was punished with having only porridge without cornbread for dinner. Gu Chengyu didn’t turn back to intervene, as the second daughter-in-law sometimes did need a talking-to. At the very least, they should inform the family about plucking feathers. What if the family had other plans for the chicken? And no matter what one might think of his mother, she is her mother-in-law, right? Such an attitude was fundamentally wrong.

Oh! These two peculiar people!