Chapter 167: Putting Up For Sale
Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Haoran was completely oblivoius to all this. Qi Xiuyuan used an excuse to transfer him back to Xingzhou Prefecture and restrained him in the residence to recuperate. In less than two days, he got sick of it and could only get Fei Bai to call Fan Zijin back.
Thinking that it was something urgent, Fan Zijin abandoned his business and rushed back. When he realized that Qi Haoran was just bored and wanted to find someone to talk to, he immediately rolled his eyes. However, since he was already back, Fan Zijin still accompanied him for a long time.
Later, when Qi Haoran sent someone to call him again, Fan Zijin only returned six out of ten times. Most of the time, he was still focused on the business of the 5th Division.
Unable to take it anymore, Qi Haoran wanted to go back to the 5th Division. Qi Xiuyuan was also annoyed by him, so with a wave of his hand, he asked the deputy general to come back and let Qi Haoran go back. However, he strictly asked him not to train before he recovered.
Seeing that he didn’t have to be locked up anymore, Qi Haoran agreed to anything.
As Qi Haoran was seriously injured back then, Mu Yangling had thought that she wouldn’t be able to see him for more than half a year. Who knew that he would return in just ten days? Although his movements were still a little unsmooth, as long as one didn’t pay special attention, they wouldn’t be able to tell.
Mu Yangling looked suspiciously at the spot where his wound was. Qi Haoran waved his hand nonchalantly and said, “The wound has long healed. If Big Brother hadn’t stopped me, I would have returned long ago.”
“How can it be so fast?” Mu Yangling looked at him suspiciously.
Since Mu Yangling was not an outsider, Qi Haoran said casually, “I’m talented. My wounds heal faster than others since I was young.”
Fan Zijin glanced at him before explaining to Mu Yangling, “Haoran practices internal energy cultivation, so his wound naturally recovers faster than others.”
“Is that so?” There’s such a benefit to internal energy? Tempted, Mu Yangling wondered if she should learn it too.
Qi Haoran had already poked his head out to look at Mu Yangling’s rabbits and asked, “Why are there so many people here today?”
“The first batch of rabbits is leaving the fence today, so everyone is here to watch the show.”
Back then, some of the rabbits that Fan Zijin had sent over were not small to begin with. He had raised them in the camp for four to five days, and Mu Yangling had raised them for nearly 20 days. At present, they had already grown to the point where they could be slaughtered. In addition, Fan Zijin’s trade caravan had already agreed to set off in seven days. Now, there were still four days to make the last batch of diced rabbit meat and cured rabbit meat. Hence, Mu Yangling and Fan Zijin decided to put the rabbits up for sale after some discussion.
When Qi Haoran heard that they were going to catch rabbits from the shed, he immediately rolled up his sleeves excitedly. Fan Zijin wanted to stop him. “Don’t mess around.” Although those rabbits were trapped in the shed, their wild nature did not change, so they were not so easy to catch. Considering Qi Haoran was still injured, his wounds could rupture should he move too much.
However, Fan Zijin couldn’t stop Qi Haoran. When Mu Yangling saw this, she reached out and pressed a hand on his shoulder, rendering him unable to move instantly. Mu Yangling said with a dark expression, “If you want to cause trouble, don’t come here. If the general finds trouble with me later, I won’t let you off.”
Qi Haoran could only suppress his excitement and stand outside to ‘watch the battle’.
Xiuhong climbed in with the soldiers. Those soldiers went in to catch rabbits, but Xiuhong was there to comfort the young rabbits.
Seeing that Xiuhong was doing a good job, Qi Haoran raised his chin and said, “Your cousin is quite capable. It seems like you bring her along wherever you go.”
Mu Yangling said proudly, “Of course my cousin is capable.”
Qi Haoran walked around and saw Little Bowen and Xiulan standing outside handing tender grass to Xiuhong. He asked, “Didn’t you say that Bowen is going to school in spring? Why hasn’t he gone yet?”
“Class will only start tomorrow.” Mu Yangling said nonchalantly, “I’ll bring him to the academy to see the teacher tomorrow.”
After Mu Yangling finished speaking, she was no longer in the mood to chat with him. She went forward to help put the rabbits into the basket that Fan Zijin had brought over and counted the number. Fan Zijin also went forward and picked out a few unqualified ones from time to time to throw them into the shed.
After a while, there were 238 rabbits ready to be put up for sale in the last batch. It was not a lot, but Mu Yangling was very satisfied. She said to Fan Zijin, “The next batch of rabbits should be three to four times more than this batch.”
Fan Zijin nodded. “You’d better think of a way to raise the young rabbits. In another ten days or so, I’m afraid they won’t be able to send you any more suitable young rabbits.”
This meant that the rabbit plague on the mountain had subsided.
Mu Yangling’s lips curled up slightly as she nodded in agreement.
This batch of rabbits was quickly sent to the 5th Division.
In order to make it easier for Fan Zijin, Qi Haoran assigned the southwestern part of the camp to him. Everyone knew that this area was used to accommodate the disabled soldiers and veterans, and the crops they farmed might be their military rations in the future. Hence, the soldiers in the camp were not dissatisfied.
Even the two training commissioners and the four regiment commanders tacitly agreed with Qi Haoran’s actions.
However, after seeing the scale of this place, the two training commissioners were tempted again. They were amazed just by counting in their hearts the number of rabbits sent to the camp every day. No matter how worthless rabbit meat was and how cheaply it was sold, it would be a considerable income.
Hence, the two training commissioners had been causing a lot of trouble recently, eager to take over this area from Fan Zijin. The deputy general that Qi Xiuyuan had sent previously was only trying to smooth things over. Now that he had left and Qi Haoran had returned, the two training commissioners quietened down.
Fan Zijin pretended not to know what had happened and did not tell Qi Haoran. He only invited Mu Yangling to visit their workshop.
Mu Yangling, who had yet to check out that place, went to the West Camp with them after asking Xiuhong to bring Bowen and Xiulan back.
Fan Zijin’s workshop was divided into four parts. One was in charge of slaughtering rabbits, one was in charge of processing the chosen tender rabbits into diced rabbit meat, one was in charge of processing the remaining rabbits into cured rabbit meat, and the other was in charge of skinning the rabbit.
Mu Yangling picked up a piece of diced rabbit meat and took a small bite. Extremely tender, the diced rabbit meat was easily bitten off. The thick fragrance of meat filled her mouth. Mu Yangling finished one piece and picked up another piece to stuff into her mouth. Nodding at Fan Zijin, she said, “This is indeed delicious, but have you thought of how to preserve it?”
“Of course.” Fan Zijin brought Mu Yangling over to take a look. There were already many earthenware pots piled up in the storeroom. “These are all earthenware pots. After they’re sent to the south, they’ll be sold to and retail at dry goods stores.”
Then, he led the two of them to the other side. On this side, there were exquisite porcelain jars. Some were round blue and white porcelain, while others were slender and warm long bottles. Fan Zijin casually picked up a bottle and opened the cork. He poured out a diced rabbit meat and handed it to Mu Yangling. “Try it and taste the difference.”
Mu Yangling took a bite and chewed for a while before saying, “It’s more fragrant and delicate.”
Qi Haoran reached out to grab it. “Let me try it.”
Fan Zijin slapped his hand away. “You’re not allowed to eat these things since you’re still sick.” He turned to Mu Yangling and nodded. “I specially got someone to make this. This is better than that batch. When the time comes, we’ll just sell it in jars and bottles.”