When Wei Lanxiang returned from the fields carrying a hoe, followed by Shen Yaoqing, she hurriedly set it down upon seeing her second son and bombarded him with questions. For a while, the yard was lively.
Shen Xuanqing hadn’t just brought back the goat and deer, his bamboo basket also held eight fox furs and two plump wild pigeons with their feet tied.
Once Shen Yaoqing tipped the two birds out of the basket (they were still alive, though barely), he lifted them aside and said to Shen Xuanqing, "What luck, I dug up some autumn bamboo shoots the day before yesterday, and there’s still some left. Tomorrow, we’ll kill one and stew it with the bamboo shoots."
Shen Xuanqing handed the fox furs to Lu Gu to inspect and replied with a laugh, "Kill both. The other one can be shared among the dogs."
Mountain pigeons weren’t particularly valuable, and Wei Lanxiang knew her second son was especially generous when it came to feeding his dogs, so she didn’t interfere, happily turning her attention to the fox furs instead.
"The weather’s getting cold, so meat keeps well. Let’s not sell the female goat, we’ll raise it for now and slaughter it when it gets even colder. Eating goat in winter nourishes the stomach." Shen Xuanqing spoke, pleased to see his family in high spirits.
Venison was too expensive. Even if they slaughtered the deer, selling the excess in the village would be difficult. It was better to sell the whole animal to a restaurant.
Still, venison enriched the blood and boosted qi, it was good for health.
This thought gave him pause. Lu Gu had never eaten venison before.
In fact, even he had only tasted it once, back when he was learning hunting from the old hunter. Old Man Yang couldn’t bear to eat much either, therefore after selling most to a wealthy family in Jixing Town, he haggled the price down slightly and brought back a catty of venison.
The small deer’s meat wasn’t as tender as that of a sika deer. Fulai Restaurant still bought them, but they always took the whole animal. Once led inside, it was out of their hands.
This year, he’d save more money. Next year, once the rabbits, chickens, and ducks were selling steadily, he could hunt a sika deer to let Lu Gu try the meat. It wouldn’t be too late. Besides, they’d already kept a goat, and mutton was plenty good too.
____
Selling deer was already a familiar routine for Shen Xuanqing. Fulai Restaurant, with its vast business, bought the entire small male deer this time for twenty-five taels.
Pocketing the money, he took Lu Gu for a stroll around the docks.
In town, fulangs and ladies preferred sedan chairs for outings, and they passed several along the way. Remembering how Lu Gu spent his days laboring at home, and how even trips out usually involved hawking goods, Shen Xuanqing deliberately slowed his pace today, stopping frequently to buy several things.
Oranges were a rare treat, only arriving by cargo ship in late autumn and winter.
At the sight of a basket of green-skinned oranges being unloaded from a boat, Lu Gu remembered how, last year, Shen Xuanqing had squeezed orange peel juice to tease him.
The tall man beside him clearly recalled the same incident, his handsome face breaking into a smile only the two of them understood.
"Let’s buy some to take back, yellow-skinned ones too, so we can try both." Shen Xuanqing struck up a conversation with the vendor while Lu Gu stayed close by.
By the time they left the docks for home, a small portion of Shen Xuanqing’s bamboo basket was filled with oranges. They’d also bought plum blossom shortbread (梅花酥), lotus cakes, two sticks of candied haws, a small jug of osmanthus wine, and hand cream and face cream for Lu Gu.
This year’s hunt had yielded twenty-four fox furs in total, leaving Shen Xuanqing in high spirits. Since returning, he’d worn a near-constant smile.
As they left the town, a cold wind blew against them. He turned to Lu Gu and asked, "Cold?"
"Not cold." Lu Gu shook his head, a faint smile on his face. "I’m dressed warmly."
Shen Xuanqing glanced at the sky. "Tomorrow, I’ll go to the prefectural city to sell the fox furs. Once I’m back, I’ll rest properly for a few days. After that, I’ll stay home for good."
"Mm." Lu Gu nodded, beaming.
Seeing him so happy made Shen Xuanqing smile too. He had missed Lu Gu in the mountains, just as Lu Gu had missed him at home.
"With all the rabbits we’re raising now, plus the winter hunt, even if the front mountains don’t have big game, there are still plenty of rabbits. We’ll definitely earn more this winter than before." Shen Xuanqing’s eyes sparkled like stars. Spotting no one nearby, he even held Lu Gu’s hand as they walked for a stretch.
Grasping that smaller hand filled him with contentment. In a low, steady voice, he said, "Once I’m back from the prefectural city, I’ll talk to the embroidery workshop. From now on, if you stitch any more handkerchiefs, just take them there. It’s too cold to hawk them on the street in this weather."
"Alright." Lu Gu was as obedient as ever.
He loved when Shen Xuanqing spoke to him like this - the deep, mellow voice sent a pleasant tingle through him. He often heard it at night before bed. Not wanting to interrupt, he stayed quiet, eager to hear more, as if making up for lost time.
Their clasped hands swung lightly between them, a picture of cheerfulness.
Only when someone approached from the opposite direction did Lu Gu reluctantly let go, too embarrassed to be seen holding hands in broad daylight, lest it invite gossip.
As the sun rose and set, Lu Gu’s happiness since Shen Xuanqing’s return far surpassed his usual contentment at home. Even while working, his face stayed bright with smiles, so amiable that anyone who saw it couldn’t help but find him endearing.
