Chapter 16: Limited Insight
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Ning Xin reached the city gate like a gust of wind. When the guards saw her carrying a wild boar at either end of her pole, they were all struck speechless.
They privately decided that once she entered the city, they would charge her an especially hefty entrance fee.
Instead, Ning Xin stopped not far from the gate and gazed into the distance with a smile.
After quite some time, Dou Meng finally arrived on horseback.
“…”
Ning Xin looked at him and broke into a foolish grin.
Dou Meng, sitting astride his horse and looking at the silly girl, laughed aloud as well.
“Uncle, are these wild boars for your household?”
Dou Meng gave a noncommittal grunt.
“Good. From now on, whenever you hunt anything worthwhile, bring it all here.”
He rode toward the city gate, and Ning Xin immediately followed.
The guards bowed and scraped, greeting him with utmost respect. “Lord Dou, you’re back.”
“Mm.”
Dou Meng responded absentmindedly and rode into the city.
Afraid they would charge her an entrance fee, Ning Xin hurriedly called out, “Uncle, wait for me!”
“…”
Dou Meng burst out laughing. “Hurry up and catch up.”
“Coming!”
The guards glanced at Ning Xin, pressed their lips together, and stepped aside to let her pass.
Ning Xin quickly hoisted the wild boars and followed Dou Meng.
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A phrase came to her mind: riding on another’s coattails.
No, no, no…
But though she racked her brains, she could not think of anything else.
With a long-suffering expression, she followed behind Dou Meng.
Once inside the city, Dou Meng led his horse along at a leisurely pace. Partly, he was waiting for his young master; partly, he wanted to sound Ning Xin out.
Whatever he asked, Ning Xin answered honestly.
She even concealed the existence of her spatial realm, claiming instead that she had an immortal master.
Dou Meng became interested. “Could you introduce me to him?”
“Introduce you to what?” Ning Xin asked, puzzled.
“I mean, could I meet your master?”
“You can’t. He’s an immortal. How could an ordinary person meet an immortal simply because they wanted to?”
Dou Meng’s thoughts shifted.
“Then what techniques do you know? Perhaps we could spar sometime.”
Ning Xin frowned. “Uncle, I’m only selling you two wild boars. Don’t you think you’re asking rather a lot? Besides, if I fight you and win, people will say I don’t respect my elders. And if you stop buying game from me afterward, wouldn’t that be a terrible loss?”
She might have been somewhat slow-witted, but she was certainly not stupid.
Dou Meng finally understood her.
If one called the girl foolish, that did not seem quite right. She was not truly stupid—she simply lacked experience and was confined to her own small corner of the world.
But if one called her clever, that did not seem quite right either. She had yet to become truly perceptive and had no idea what deeper matters he was probing.
Ning Xin, carrying two wild boars, was simply too conspicuous.
Someone finally summoned the courage to ask, “Miss, are you selling those wild boars?”
“These two are already spoken for. I’ll bring more tomorrow.”
“How much for the meat?”
“Ten copper coins per pound.”
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That was the price Ning Xin had settled on during the journey.
Domestic pork seemed to sell for eight copper coins per pound. These were wild boars, raised on mountain herbs, medicinal plants, and wild fruit deep in the wilderness. An extra two copper coins was perfectly reasonable.
She had already made her plans. She would rise at the third watch tomorrow, enter the mountains, and catch wild boars by dawn. She would carry one home to slaughter and serve to the constables from the county office, then bring the other two to the county town and sell them to Dou Meng.
If Dou Meng did not want them, there were so many people watching with interest that she was certain she could sell them anyway.
“There are other kinds of game in the mountains. Why don’t you catch something else?” Dou Meng asked.
Ning Xin’s mind suddenly cleared. “Uncle, what about the ones with horns growing from their heads? Do you want those?”
“What sort of horns?”
“They look like ox horns, but they branch out, with several little forks.”
“You foolish girl, those are deer!” Dou Meng exclaimed.
Seeing deer and failing to catch them, yet choosing to catch wild boars instead—what else could she be but a foolish girl?
“Deer?” Ning Xin asked, bewildered.
She had seen them before, but had never considered catching one. Even catching wild boars was a first for her.
“Do you know how much a live deer is worth?”
Ning Xin shook her head.
This was only her second visit to the county town. How could she possibly know?
“Ten taels.”
“Wow…”
Ning Xin gasped in astonishment.
Ten taels! With ten taels of silver, one could repair several houses.
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