The two of them immediately agreed to head home first. Chen She would go retrieve money from his house, then come to Zhao Xuan’s place to purchase the rabbits—a fair, simultaneous exchange of cash and goods. Zhao Xuan promised to wait for him through the lunch hour, after which he would head to Shangtang Market to sell the rabbits if Chen She hadn't arrived.
A quarter of an hour later, Chen She arrived carrying a scale, showing full sincerity. Seeing this, Zhao Xuan simply produced two rabbits for Chen She to choose from.
A glint of surprise flashed in Chen She’s eyes. "Did you shoot both of these yourself?"
"Just lucky." Zhao Xuan laughed it off, unwilling to discuss it further. "This one is fatter; what do you think, Fifth Brother?"
Noticing Zhao Xuan’s reluctance to elaborate, Chen She didn't press the matter. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Gifts should come in pairs; I’ll take both."
Zhao Xuan gave him a thumbs up. "Fifth Brother is generous, so I can't be too stingy either. I’ll let you have them for five wen per catty."
*If a man treats me with respect, I shall return it tenfold.*
It meant less money, but it saved him the time of trekking to the market and the effort of peddling them, so, all in all, he wasn't losing out.
Chen She laughed heartily. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
After weighing them, the two rabbits totaled forty-two catties and five taels.
"Let’s round it down; I'll charge you two hundred and twelve wen."
Chen She readily pulled out two taels of silver and counted out twelve copper coins, handing them to Zhao Xuan.
With the transaction complete, Chen She probed, "Zhao Er, have you ever thought about going out into the world to make a name for yourself?"
Zhao Xuan shook his head. "I haven't thought about it for now, though perhaps in the future."
He hadn't even maxed out his Basic Archery yet, and his savings weren't enough to buy a decent hunting bow—why would he leave now?
Chen She smiled. "Zhao Er, that’s where you’re wrong. It’s better to set out early rather than late."
"I left home at fifteen, working diligently for the Wang family for eight years before I finally earned the master’s appreciation. I was promoted to steward, managing the farmlands for the master’s family with a monthly salary of three taels of silver."
"If I had waited a few more years, until I was old and feeble, how could I have secured such an opportunity?"
"Last year, through my persistent pleading, the Eldest Mistress promised to let me marry Yunduo, a maid from the inner chambers, and allowed me to build a house on the Wang family estate."
"Your sister-in-law is already pregnant. Once your nephew is born, he’ll be a city dweller."
The more Chen She spoke, the more excited he became. Zhao Xuan, however, felt a growing sense of dissonance. Wasn't this exactly the life he had lived before he transmigrated?
Chen She gripped Zhao Xuan’s arm. "I won't mince words. My purpose in returning this time is to recruit a few reliable servants from the village for my masters."
"Your archery is excellent. The three young masters are all preparing for the martial examination. If you could be chosen as a sparring partner for them, you’d be valued and put to good use—you wouldn’t end up wasting your years like I did."
"If you should become wealthy and honored, do not forget your friends."
Zhao Xuan realized then: Chen She was trying to recruit him.
With almost no hesitation, he firmly refused. "Many thanks for your high opinion, Fifth Brother, but I still prefer to wait a while before heading out."
Had he not awakened his talent, he might have been a starving mountain dweller who would have followed Chen She just to broaden his horizons. But with his talent, the idea of going off to be someone else’s servant seemed like a fool's errand.
Chen She urged, "Do you know that as a sparring partner, you’d have three meals of white rice a day, with meat every few days? You’d get at least two taels of silver a month—a stable, guaranteed income. It’s far better than staying in the village."
"Yes, you caught two rabbits today and made a profit, but can you guarantee you’ll catch rabbits every single day?"
"Don't you want to take a wife? Do you want your descendants to be just like you, living a life of feast and famine in this remote mountain village?"
He hadn't interacted with Zhao Xuan much, but he could clearly sense that compared to others introduced by the clan, Zhao Xuan had a steady temperament and a specialized skill—he perfectly matched the Wang family’s requirements for recruits. Even if he wasn't chosen as a sparring partner, he could still be brought in as a trusted aide.
Zhao Xuan simply shook his head. "Thank you, Fifth Brother."
Seeing Zhao Xuan’s resolute attitude, Chen She’s face was filled with disappointment.
"It’s a rare opportunity. I hope you’ll think it over carefully."
"I’m heading back this afternoon. If you change your mind, you can come find me at the Wang family estate in the southern suburbs."
Zhao Xuan cupped his hands in a salute. "I understand. I wish you a future as bright as brocade, Fifth Brother."
Watching Chen She depart, Zhao Xuan was struck by a thought: among the masses, who isn't struggling to live a better life?
*Starting today, I’ll increase my training.*
After finishing lunch, he began whittling bamboo arrows in his room. He planned to make two hundred, and shoot them all by the afternoon.
…
Half a month later.
"You have hit the target three times in a row; your archery skill has improved."
"You have hunted a cumulative total of one hundred animals; achievement 'Hundred Kills' attained. Archery skill greatly improved."
"Basic Archery: 75/100."
"Basic Archery increased to 75, reaching the Great Success level. Arm strength increased by fifty catties, and sensory range extended by fifty meters."
Zhao Xuan put down his bow and arrows, letting out a soft sigh of relief as he looked at the chamois, five rabbits, and two dozen various birds at his feet.
For the past half month, his life had been a strict routine: whittling bamboo arrows at home, hunting in the mountains, and selling his haul at the market. He had finally pushed his Basic Archery to the Great Success level.
Back home, Zhao Xuan stood by the water vat, examining his reflection.
He vaguely remembered that when he first arrived, he was a scrawny youth with gaunt cheeks, dull eyes, and protruding bones. Now, his brow was broad, his gaze sharp as a torch, and his arms as thick as the mouth of a bowl—it was as if he were a different person entirely.
*What a transformation!*
After a moment of reflection, he set aside the chamois—the most nourishing of the lot—and brought the rabbits and birds to the market. With his physical fitness improving, his appetite had grown, and naturally, he had to save the best for himself. It was hard to love others if you didn't love yourself first.
Besides, he had been frequenting the mountains quite often lately and the haul was large. With more goods, finding a market had become the biggest challenge. After all, in this poor, backwater area, there weren't many people who could afford to spend money on meat.
To solve this, Zhao Xuan had gone around promoting his goods at shops in Shangtang Market and Chang'ao Market, sometimes even offering discounts. To keep a low profile, he rotated between the two markets, visiting only one shop a day, and sometimes turning part of the meat into jerky.
Today was Shangtang Market’s turn.
Zhao Xuan walked into the blacksmith's shop, carrying the rabbits. "Boss, do you want these rabbits?"
The boss, who had been napping on a lounge chair, propped himself up. "You again, kid? That’s the third time this month."
Zhao Xuan grinned. "Can't help it—I’ve got my eye on that powerful bow of yours, so I need to hunt more rabbits to make money."
"If you think about it, I’m basically working for you, Boss."
The blacksmith laughed. "So, have you saved up enough money yet?"
Zhao Xuan said with a straight face, "If you buy these two rabbits, I’ll be just about there."
The blacksmith chuckled. "Fine, it's a deal: I buy the rabbits, you buy the bow."
Zhao Xuan did a quick calculation. After setting aside money for rice, salt, clothes, and shoes, he had a little over three taels of silver in savings. It wouldn't be a problem to take one tael to buy a good bow.
With a good bow and a few iron arrows, he wouldn't be trapped in a tree by a wild boar for two hours again next time.
"Great! Give me a discount, Boss, and how about you throw in ten iron arrows?"
The blacksmith thought Zhao Xuan was joking and agreed instantly. "Sure."
He turned to his apprentices and shouted, "You lot want some rabbit meat tonight?"
The apprentices replied in unison, "Yes!"
"Alright, everyone chip in twenty wen; I'll cover the rest. We’ll eat together tonight."
The apprentices: "..."
Counting the apprentices, there were fifteen people in the shop. Twenty wen each meant three hundred wen, which was more than enough for two rabbits. The boss truly lived up to his title.
Zhao Xuan took the payment for the rabbits and threw in two turtle doves as a bonus. Returning home, he took a bit of money from each of his seven hiding spots and went back to the shop.
Seeing him return with a pile of copper coins and silver fragments, the blacksmith was stunned. "Are you really buying it?"
Zhao Xuan said earnestly, "A man must keep his word. Since you bought my rabbits, I must buy the bow as agreed."
"Don't worry, Boss. I genuinely like that bow; it’s not just a whim."
The blacksmith felt a twinge of regret. "So, do I really have to give you a discount and ten iron arrows as I promised?"
Zhao Xuan giggled. "If you want to throw them in, I certainly won't mind."
The blacksmith rolled his eyes. "You gave me two doves; how could I be less generous than you?"
"Apprentices! One of you, come and forge ten iron arrows for this lad. Put some heart into it. Whoever ruins my reputation, I’m deducting it from your wages."