Chapter 174: Incredible
Editor: Atlas Studios
Shu Wanniang rubbed her eyes and opened the embroidered screen. The entire family was stunned. Drooling, Mu Yangling asked with sparkling eyes, “Mother, can I learn this skill too?” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but reach out to touch it.
Madam Ma-Liu slapped her hand away and said, “Don’t touch it. This is worth lots of silver!”
Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. She said to her daughter, “It’s impossible for you to learn double-sided embroidery. I’d be very happy if you can master the most basic embroidery skills. On the other hand, Xiulan is very talented. Although she’s a little old, she’ll still be able to achieve something in the future if she works hard from today onwards.”
Xiulan looked at her aunt excitedly and grabbed her sister’s hand tightly. “Can… Can I really learn it?”
Shu Wanniang nodded with a smile. “With your talent, as long as you practice hard, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
Excited, Madam Ma-Liu pushed Xiulan in front of her. “Then Wanniang, guide this child more often. If she can learn a skill, her livelihood will be guaranteed.”
“Aunt, don’t worry. I’ll teach her well.”
Mu Yangling stuck out her tongue and said in a low voice, “She’s only seven years old, and you’re already calling her old.”
Shu Wanniang glared at her daughter. “Do you think they’re all like you? I started learning to separate the threads at the age of three and picked up a needle at the age of four. I only learned the basics after learning from my teacher for 11 years. Now, I can embroider this screen because of all the effort I put in in the past ten years. On the other hand, you’re already 10 years old and can’t even sew a dress properly…”
Madam Ma-Liu also said, “Ah Ling, you can choose not to learn embroidery, but you have to know how to make clothes. Otherwise, who will make clothes for you in the future? Do you have to find someone else to make clothes for you in the future? Aren’t you ashamed?”
“I understand, Great-aunt. I’ll definitely practice needlework diligently and strive to become accomplished as soon as possible.”
Madam Ma-Liu and Shu Wanniang looked at her in disbelief. Shu Wanniang put away the embroidery and handed it to her daughter. “Alright, exchange it for money in the prefectural capital. I’ll think of a way to embroider another set later.”
Mu Yangling put it away with a smile. “Mother, how much can this embroidery sell for?”
Shu Wanniang said, “If it’s in the south, it’s worth at least 500 taels. When the frame is installed, the price will be determined by the value of the frame. However, if it’s leaked out from the Shu family, it’ll be even more expensive.”
Shu Wanniang smiled slightly. “But in Xingzhou Prefecture, it’s already very good if you can sell it for 100 taels.”
Great-aunt clicked her tongue and said, “This is already very high considering you’ve only embroidered for two months. That’s 100 taels of silver in two months. It’s already not bad if in my lifetime I can earn half of what you’ve earned in the past two months.” She was even more enthusiastic about Xiulan picking up this skill now.
Shu Wanniang touched Xiulan’s head and didn’t say anything. Actually, what she wanted to teach Xiulan was another type of double-sided embroidery, which was much simpler than this. After all, this was a family heirloom of the Shu family, and she didn’t want it to spread.
Xiulan’s aptitude was not bad. As long as she worked hard, she might be able to become an expert in 10 to 20 years.
Just as Aunt had said, her livelihood would be guaranteed then.
As it was impossible to sell such a fine set of embroidery in the county, Mu Yangling decided to go to the prefectural capital tomorrow. Since she was going there, she could not just bring along the embroidery. She decided to go into the mountains today to see if she could catch some big prey and drag them to the prefectural capital.
Mu Yangling told Great-aunt and Xiuhong to go take a look at the rabbit sheds. Then, she carried her bow, arrow, and basket and entered the mountain.
The rabbits in this area had all been cleared out, leaving only a few sporadically. Every morning, Mu Yangling would go into the mountains to hunt rabbits and pheasants for her great-aunt to sell in the city. Now that she no longer wanted to harm these small animals, she walked straight into the mountains.
As the number of rabbits decreased, green sprouts could now be seen on the grass in the forest. It was not like the grass that had been eaten clean a while ago.
Mu Yangling paid attention to the traces on the ground as she walked in. When she heard a rustling sound, she stopped in her tracks. Mu Yangling lightened her footsteps and quietly poked her head in. She saw a big wild boar with six small boars arching the ground. There was a wild yam on the ground.
Mu Yangling looked at the wild boars for a while and pondered for a moment. She decided to get rid of evil for the people so that this group of wild boars would not run down the mountain to harm the crops.
Mu Yangling took out the bow and arrow on her back. After thinking for a moment, she lowered it and retreated to a place where the wild boars could not detect her. She began to pull the withered vines on the tree.
Mu Yangling pulled the vines down and rubbed them, snapping them into pieces before putting down the basket on her back and walking in.
The family of wild boars was still there, happily eating yam.
When the big wild boar heard the commotion and raised its front hooves to be on guard, Mu Yangling’s fist had already arrived. She sent the big wild boar flying with a punch. The wild boar flew out and hit a tree before being knocked unconscious by Mu Yangling. Seeing this, two of the little wild boars turned around and fled. The remaining four rushed towards Mu Yangling aggressively.
Mu Yangling kicked one away and sent the other flying with her right hand. She grabbed the front leg of the fourth one with her left hand and tied it up with the vines in her hand.
Only then did Mu Yangling chase after the two little ones that had run away. When she returned with the two, other than the unlucky little wild boar that had not fainted, the others were still unconscious.
Feeling that their struggles would make it difficult for her to transport them, Mu Yangling knocked out the two still awake and killed the group of wild boars without seeing a single drop of blood.
Mu Yangling felt that this was an excellent method. As long as she grasped the right amount of strength and method well, she wouldn’t have to worry about the smell of blood attracting ferocious beasts when hunting in the future. She could also maintain the freshness of her prey to the greatest extent.
Mu Yangling packed the remaining yams on the ground and threw them into the basket on her back. Only then did she stuff the little wild boars into the basket. However, although the little wild boars were still young and the basket on her back was big enough, it could only fit four. After thinking for a while, she hung the other two on her waist and carried the big wild boar out of the mountain.
Fang Dazhuang, who was cutting grass at the foot of the mountain to sell to Xiuhong, couldn’t help but widen his eyes when he saw Mu Yangling carrying the wild boars out of the mountain. Swallowing his saliva, he said, “If only I were Uncle Mu’s son too. Then I could also inherit Uncle Mu’s divine strength.”
“Stop dreaming. Mu Bowen is also Uncle Mu’s son, but he’s like a little chick. If you become Uncle Mu’s son, you might end up like him. Only Mu Yangling in the Mu family inherited Uncle Mu’s divine strength.”
“I’d be willing, too. With such a sister, won’t there be meat to eat every day?” Fang Dazhuang looked at the wild boar on Mu Yangling’s shoulder and drooled.
Mu Yangling took the things home. Afraid that the wild boar would wake up and struggle, she tied its hooves and locked it in the shed where she had kept the rabbits.
At night, when the big wild boar woke up and howled, Mu Yangling went in and slapped it, knocking it out again.
Mu Yangling touched its neck and stood up to say to the family members watching outside, “It’s fine, it’s still alive. It definitely won’t wake up tonight. Everyone can sleep well.”
Shu Wanniang looked at the wild boar’s neck, then at her daughter’s hand. With difficulty, she carried the twins back to the house.
The twins waved at their sister excitedly.
Great-aunt closed her mouth and returned to her room, leaving the three little kids staring at Mu Yangling with sparkling eyes.
Xiuhong said, “Cousin, you’re amazing!” She decided to follow her cousin closely in the future.
Xiulan said, “Cousin, you’re amazing!” Last time, her cousin seemed to have smacked her like this, too. Why didn’t she fall unconscious then?
Bowen: “Sister, you’re amazing!” When he grew up, he’d marry and have a daughter like his elder sister…