Hunting 81: Gathering Goods in the Mountains, I Spoil My Ex-Wife to the Extreme

"What's going on? Why are you being so secretive?"

Seeing that Li Yunshan was unwilling to reveal anything and ran off happily, Lin Xiulan was both amused and exasperated.

"Clang clang clang!"

But when Li Yunshan came in from outside the courtyard and returned to the main room, handing her the chicken cake and the newly bought cotton-padded coat and shoes, Lin Xiulan was a little surprised, and her heart warmed instantly.

However, when she thought about how much money Li Yunshan must have spent buying so many things, and how that money was earned through hard hunting, Lin Xiulan couldn't help but complain, "Why did you buy so many chicken cakes? I love to eat them, but I can't possibly eat this many."

"And this outfit, you already bought it for me before, and now you're buying it for me again? How long am I supposed to wear it? It's such a waste."

They say new clothes last three years, old clothes last three years, and patched-up clothes last another three years.

Lin Xiulan had never worn any new clothes since she was a child.

When she lived with her parents, she wore other people's old clothes that didn't fit. If the old clothes still didn't fit, her mother would cut a piece of the old clothes and sew them together until they fit.

Later, when she fled to Guapigou Village, she received two new sets of clothes when she married Li Yunshan.

After living such a long time in poverty and hardship, Lin Xiulan had always longed for a better life, but suddenly she was living a good life, and she was a little unaccustomed to it.

Although Li Yunshan had already bought her new clothes last time, fulfilling her desire to wear new clothes, Lin Xiulan still subconsciously felt it was too wasteful to suddenly receive new clothes and shoes from Li Yunshan.

"Take it if I give it to you. Look how pretty and beautiful this cotton-padded coat is. I like it when you look pretty."

"And these cotton shoes, you have a problem with cold feet in winter, wearing these cotton shoes will keep your feet warm."

Li Yunshan unfolded his cotton-padded coat and gestured to Lin Xiulan.

……

"Father, Lihua, I'm back."

It was getting dark when Gao Hongmei finally got home.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she called out.

"You're finally back."

Su Lihua came out of the kitchen and saw that Gao Hongmei had left early in the morning but was only home so late, so she couldn't help but complain.

"Something happened on the way back, and I was delayed without realizing it."

Gao Hongmei never intended to hide the encounter with highway robbers from her family.

"What happened that took so long?"

Thinking that Gao Hongmei had gone to the city with Li Yunshan to sell wild boar meat, Su Lihua couldn't help but suspect that Gao Hongmei's so-called delay was related to Li Yunshan.

"Let's go inside and talk. I've been busy all day and I'm starving."

As Gao Hongmei spoke, she walked into the main room.

"Hongmei's back! Did selling wild boar meat go smoothly today?"

Inside the main room, Gao Zhankui, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, sat by the brazier to keep warm.

After undergoing surgery for a fracture, he seemed listless. His spirits only improved after returning home.

However, the pain from the fracture and surgery made him look much thinner.

Yesterday, Gao Zhankui learned that Gao Hongmei had gone to the mountains with Li Yunshan to hunt a wild boar in order to earn money to pay off her debts.

Early this morning, she went to town with Li Yunshan to sell wild boar meat.

However, it was freezing cold, and the sun was almost setting, but Gao Hongmei still hadn't returned home, so Gao Zhankui couldn't help but worry.

Upon seeing Gao Hongmei return home, Gao Zhankui's tense face instantly relaxed.

"It went quite smoothly; it sold out in less than half a day."

Gao Hongmei glanced at Gao Zhankui, whose face had become much thinner, hesitated for a moment, and then looked at Su Lihua before saying, "Father, Lihua, today Li Yunshan and I went to the county town to sell wild boar meat. On our way back, we encountered highway robbers."

Highway robbers?

Upon hearing this word, both Gao Zhankui and Su Lihua felt a tightness in their chests.

The term "road thief" is clearly not a good one, given the presence of the words "bandit" and "tyrant."

In those days, transportation development and management were not yet perfect, and roads lacked supervision. Some idle people who were bold and wild would deliberately rob passing vehicles and pedestrians in order to make a living.

Such people pose a great threat to society and ordinary people, and may even commit serious crimes such as murder and robbery.

In the past two years, highway robbery and banditry have been rampant in Xiangyang Commune, even causing several deaths and injuries, which is known to people in the surrounding area.

Therefore, when Gao Zhankui and Su Lihua heard Gao Hongmei say that they had actually encountered highway robbers on their way back, they couldn't help but feel nervous.

"You...you're alright, are you? If the money was stolen, it's gone, don't take it to heart."

Gao Zhankui asked nervously.

He also knew that Gao Hongmei had borrowed a large sum of money from Li Yunshan to pay for his fracture surgery.

Since he was discharged from the hospital and returned home, Gao Hongmei has been preoccupied with how to repay the money. She even went to pester Li Yunshan, hoping to go hunting with him to earn money to pay off the debt.

"It's alright, we're fine, Dad, Lihua, you don't know, Li Yunshan, he..."

Then, Gao Hongmei recounted to Gao Zhankui and Su Lihua how Li Yunshan dealt with those highway robbers.

As Gao Hongmei vividly described the scene, Gao Zhankui and Su Lihua both wore expressions of disbelief.

"Oh, right, Lihua, this was bought by Li Yunshan. He asked me to give it to you: a cotton-padded coat, cotton-padded shoes, and your favorite fried cakes."

After saying that, Gao Hongmei stuffed all the things that Li Yunshan had bought for Su Lihua into her hands.

"What did he buy me again? He's always so eager to please me. There's no smoke without fire. This bastard is definitely up to no good."

Su Lihua couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Although she knew that Li Yunshan meant well by buying her things, Su Lihua was not very willing to accept his kindness because of the divorce.

Just like last time, when Li Yunshan bought her something, it took Gao Hongmei a long time to persuade her before she reluctantly agreed.

But now, Li Yunshan bought her cotton shoes and a cotton-padded coat, as well as her favorite fried cakes, which made Su Lihua feel like she was being given charity.

This feeling made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, just take what Li Yunshan bought for you, don't refuse it."

Gao Hongmei said impatiently.

"You've had a busy day too, let's eat first."

Helpless, Su Lihua put the food aside and then brought the food from the pot to the table.

After dinner, Gao Hongmei, who had been out all day, quickly felt sleepy and her eyelids started to droop.

She went back into the house, and Su Lihua followed her in.

Su Lihua walked to the edge of the pit and sat down, looking at Gao Hongmei, and asked curiously, "Hongmei, how much did you sell the wild boar you hunted for?"

This question instantly snapped Gao Hongmei out of her daze. She slapped her forehead and muttered to herself, "Oh dear, I almost forgot. All the money from selling the wild boar meat today is with me."

As he spoke, he pulled a money pouch from his inner pocket and handed it to Su Lihua: "It's all here. Let me tell you, I was targeted by those highway robbers who were squatting there because I was counting money at the farmers' market."

Su Lihua took the money bag, emptied all the money inside, and placed it on the pit.

One-yuan notes, two-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, as well as small bills and cents, with the largest denominations being several large unity notes. All these coins were mixed together, creating a rather spectacular sight.

"Li Yunshan said there was 337.8 yuan. If we split it equally, I would get 168.9 yuan. But the wild boar I hunted was smaller, so I guess I'll get less."

"You only make this much money selling a wild boar? You might as well keep pestering Li Yunshan to go hunting in the mountains from now on."

Su Lihua smiled, first picking out the few ten-yuan bills, smoothing them out.

Next, five more plots of land were selected and leveled out as well.

Next, I smoothed out the two-piece and one-piece coins and arranged them according to their denominations.

Finally, there are small bills and cents.

After arranging them all according to their face value, she counted them again: "Five ten-yuan bills, fifty yuan; fifteen five-yuan bills, seventy-five yuan... That's over one hundred yuan."

Then they counted two yuan notes, one yuan notes, and some small bills.

As Su Lihua counted, she silently calculated in her mind, and finally concluded: "It's a total of three hundred and forty-two yuan and eight mao."

Gao Hongmei was stunned when she heard the number. Didn't Li Yunshan count 337.8 yuan? How come there was 5 yuan more?

"Perhaps he miscounted."

Su Lihua said from the side.

However, Su Lihua was also very surprised to see that Gao Hongmei had earned more than 100 yuan just by following Li Yunshan into the mountains to hunt a wild boar, because this one sum was equivalent to a strong laborer's work points for a year.

However, she also knew that hunting was a business dependent on the weather. Hunters wouldn't encounter valuable prey every day when they went into the mountains, and they might even risk their lives.

"I'll go and give him the money tomorrow."

Gao Hongmei said.

The next morning, Gao Hongmei took the money and went to Li Yunshan's house.

"Li Yunshan, this is the money from selling wild boar meat yesterday. Lihua helped count it, and it's a total of 342.8 yuan, which is 5 yuan more than you counted. How do you suggest we divide this money?"

Upon meeting, Gao Hongmei got straight to the point.

"Five extra pieces? Maybe I miscounted."

Li Yunshan was surprised when he heard Gao Hongmei's words.

However, upon closer reflection, it's possible that they miscounted under those circumstances.

"Let's split the money equally. This is a small business partnership, so we can't divide it up that much."

As for how to divide this money, Li Yunshan had already figured it out.

It's true that the wild boar he shot was bigger, but Gao Hongmei sold the whole belly of that wild boar.

Therefore, it's correct to split the money equally.

"In that case, even if I return 171 yuan to you, I still owe you 563 yuan."

When Gao Hongmei handed the money to Li Yunshan, she immediately felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.