Jiang Hu was indeed lucky today. He went up the mountain alone, with quick steps, set up the traps, and it was only mid-afternoon, just when the birds and beasts returned to their nests.
He didn't hurry back but instead found a wind-sheltered spot nearby to rest, because when prey falls into the traps, they struggle, they try to escape.
He made the traps relatively close so that whenever there was movement, he would rush over quickly, determined not to let a single prey escape!
Besides insects, there were weeds pulled from the vegetable garden, the chickens eat the bugs, the rabbits eat the grass, something is bound to fall into the trap.
It wasn't until midnight when the whole forest was completely quiet that Jiang Hu carried his harvest and supported himself with a tree as he slowly walked down the mountain.
By the time he got home, it was already the fourth watch of the night, if there were chickens in their village, they should have crowed for the first time by now.
Unfortunately, there weren't, no chickens, ducks, or dogs, the whole village was silent.
Once off the mountain, Jiang Hu moved faster, returning to his own yard in less than a quarter of an hour. As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard a soft call from inside the house: "Who!"
Jiang Hu smiled, "Second aunt, it's me, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Hu brother?" A voice full of surprise came from inside: "You're finally back, I slept for a while but couldn't sleep well, I woke up at the slightest noise."
When the creaking sound came, Jiang Hu quickly said, "Second aunt, don't move, I'll bring in the basket, it's cold outside, don't come out."
It was already February, much warmer than the days just after giving birth, but the chill of the night was still heavy.
When Jiang Hu came back with the basket and bamboo crate, the second aunt had already lit the oil lamp and was delighted to see what was in Jiang Hu's hands, "Wow, how come there's so much!"
The wild chickens and rabbits were strung together!
"Yes, three wild rabbits, two wild chickens." Jiang Hu also felt a delayed excitement; he had been calm when capturing them, but now he was finally excited.
The wild chickens had their wings and legs tied with straw, then covered with an inverted basket, the wild rabbits were placed in a bamboo crate with a bit of straw inside and covered with a bamboo sieve.
"So many, will you go to town again tomorrow then?"
The second aunt squatted in front of the basket and bamboo crate, reaching out to feel them as if she could touch the wild chickens and rabbits inside.
"Yes, to sell them and make new clothes for the children," Jiang Hu laughed, today his luck was really good.
Jiang Hu went to the kitchen to drink a bowl of water and returned to find the second aunt still squatting in front of the wild chickens and rabbits.
"By the way, second aunt, I noticed one of the rabbits has a big belly, it's probably pregnant too, maybe we should keep it, you have experience raising pigs before, you can surely raise rabbits as well."
"Really?" The second aunt was thrilled, "That would be great, once they're grown, we could often sell wild rabbits."
Farmers love to raise things themselves, be it chickens, ducks, geese, or pigs, it's good whether for eating or selling, if they don't raise something, they always feel like something's missing.
"Of course we can, rabbits eat any grass, as long as it's not poisonous, it's even easier than raising chickens and pigs."
At this moment, Xiao Mi suddenly started babbling, so the second aunt finally shifted her attention away from the wild chickens and rabbits and quickly went back to the bedside to pick Xiao Mi up.
Jiang Hu, having been in the mountains for so long, had many twigs and leaves on him, which he was shaking off now.
Xiao Mi didn't cry, she just kept babbling, the second aunt tried to feed her, but she didn't eat, checked her diaper, but it was dry.
Jiang Hu figured it out first, "Second aunt, could Xiao Mi have heard the wild chickens? Look, she's been looking this way all along."
"Really," the second aunt looked at Xiao Mi in her arms, especially in the direction of her eyes, "Indeed, Xiao Mi is so clever, she knows father caught wild chickens."
Saying this, she held Xiao Mi over to the corner and crouched down, lifting the bamboo sieve while holding Xiao Mi upright to show her, "See, these are little rabbits, when they have babies, there will be lots of little rabbits."
Xiao Mi grew even more excited, babbling as if talking, trying hard to reach out, though unsuccessfully, she was put back by the second aunt.
After another glance at the wild chickens, the second aunt carried Xiao Mi back to the bed, "Hu brother, you should sleep too, if you're going to town tomorrow, there's not much time left."
Jiang Hu nodded and lay down on the bed too, "Today Da Wa and Er Ni caught quite a lot of bugs, there probably won't be much in the next couple of days, I'll go up the mountain again in a few days."
Since there were still fish at home, he wouldn't keep these wild chickens and rabbits, turning them into copper coins, getting clothes for the children was more important.
The second aunt nodded, then slightly frowned, "Hu brother, what's with this, why do the wash water for Xiao Mi Iron Egg's diapers attract so many bugs?"
She had taken care of her siblings at home before, had washed their diapers, but never encountered this.
Jiang Hu knew what the second aunt was worried about, stretched his arm to embrace the second aunt and Xiao Mi Iron Egg.
"I know what you're worried about, but didn't we say, Xiao Mi Iron Egg is a celestial blessing, a celestial blessing descended to the mortal world, surely different from regular folks, right?"
"Huh?" The second aunt was a bit confused and surprised, "Really? Xiao Mi Iron Egg is truly a celestial blessing?"
Jiang Hu patted the second aunt's back, "Whether it's true or not, the villagers are saying it now, let's keep saying it, say it often, say it every day!"
Even if it's not true, make it true!
The second aunt mused for a while, then her eyes widened suddenly, "Hu brother, you're so smart!"
"Sleep now, don't overthink it, didn't I pour Xiao Mi Iron Egg's diaper wash water outside today? If someone wants to catch bugs, let them go there, we won't stop them."
But there was no need for them to dig into their own vegetable patch every day; he still had to eat vegetables.
When he went to town to sell the wild chickens and rabbits tomorrow, surely some people would think of going up the mountain too, by then, as long as everyone gains some benefit, they'll surely be more convinced that Xiao Mi Iron Egg is a celestial blessing reincarnate!
Jiang Hu hadn't attended school, he didn't understand grand truths, but he knew what damning gossip was.
Likewise, as long as everyone thought someone was good, everyone said someone was good, even if that person did something wrong, people would surely find it understandable! They would naturally help justify!
Back then in the village, he had seen enough forced suicides over rumors, even then, people wouldn't stop gossiping afterward, even thinking those folks were in the wrong rather than wanting to prove their innocence.
Now he simply turned it around, leading everyone to believe Xiao Mi Iron Egg was a celestial blessing reincarnated, besides, he didn't start the rumor, others did, right?
And that area didn't only have a lot of bugs, the vegetables grew well there too!
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, but Jiang Hu still felt after selling the wild chickens and rabbits tomorrow, it's not urgent to go back up the mountain, wait a few days, otherwise everyone was more or less in the same situation, only his family suddenly prospered, it would surely cause imbalances in their hearts.
Let these days be for others.
With these thoughts, Jiang Hu soon fell asleep.