Chapter 23: Pride and Heartache

It was not yet dawn when Ning Xin arrived home.

She set down the wild boar and the deer, climbed over the courtyard wall, and was surprised to see the kitchen lamp still glowing with tung oil.

Mother Meng heard the commotion and came out, asking, "Are you heading into the mountains, Xin? It’s not light out yet; wait until daybreak. I’ll boil a couple of eggs for you to take along."

"..." Ning Xin licked her lips. "Mother, I’ve just returned from the mountains."

"What?" Mother Meng was stunned. "You’re back already?" she asked in disbelief.

Ning Xin nodded as she opened the gate. "Mother, I brought back a live wild boar and two deer. I’ll keep the boar here, but the deer are for the county town—I made arrangements yesterday."

Mother Meng was even more bewildered. Ning Xin hadn't mentioned a word about the deer.

Ning Xin hauled the boar into the yard. Its legs and snout were bound with hemp rope, yet it still grunted in defiance.

Mother Meng was filled with both shock and delight. "Xin, did you get hurt?"

Ning Xin shook her head. "Mother, this boar is no match for me. I have to head to the county town now."

"Let your father go with you—"

Ning Xin interrupted her, "No, Father walks too slowly. I’ll be faster on my own, and I’ll be back in time to help slaughter the pig."

She rearranged the two deer and prepared to leave. Suddenly, Mother Meng stepped forward and embraced her, her voice trembling slightly as she whispered, "Xin."

"Mother? What is it? Do you feel unwell?"

Mother Meng shook her head. "Go quickly and return soon. We’ll be waiting for you to help with the pig."

"Understood."

Mother Meng watched as Ning Xin’s silhouette faded into the distance. She felt pride in her daughter’s maturity, yet her heart ached because she was *too* mature. Looking at the boar, Mother Meng felt an overwhelming sense of pride. In all the surrounding villages, was there any girl as capable as her Ning Xin? No, there was not!

She went to wake Ning Dalang.

"Is the water out?" Ning Dalang asked groggily as he dressed and put on his shoes. "I’m getting up to fetch some now."

"Go look in the yard," Mother Meng said impatiently.

Confused, Ning Dalang stepped out of the room in his cloth shoes. Through the dim morning light, he saw it. A wild boar. And it was alive.

"Where’s Xin?" he asked excitedly.

"She went to the county town. She also brought back two live deer."

Ning Dalang’s mouth hung wide open.

Mother Meng chuckled, looking up at the sky as the first light of day began to spill down. She realized she had forgotten to fix something for Xin to eat, and she had forgotten to give her any money to buy a bowl of wontons or a few steamed buns in town. Ning Xin might be clever, but she was truly a simple and honest soul.

By the time she reached the gates of the county town, the sun had been up for a while. She waited patiently for the gates to open, then shouldered the deer and approached. She hoped to avoid the entry fee. Seeing the same guard from the day before, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Officer, do you remember me? I came in yesterday with Master Dou, carrying the boar. These two deer are also for Master Dou’s estate."

The guard understood perfectly. He had seen all sorts of people at the city gates. He knew he couldn't afford to offend Dou Meng, let alone Dou Meng’s master. Giving her a favor cost him nothing.

"Go on in," the guard said.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Ning Xin bowed repeatedly and headed into the city with the live deer.

"Roar..."

There were several hunters in Changning County, but while they often caught deer, they were usually either injured or dead. A catch as fresh and unblemished as this was a rare sight indeed.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was the most prosperous restaurant in the county. Its owner had connections even higher than those of the county magistrate, and he was a man of vast resources. Manager Yuan had noticed Ning Xin with the boar and Dou Meng the day before. He hadn't been interested in the boar, but these two live deer were a different story.

As Ning Xin walked past the restaurant with the deer, he hurried out to catch up. "Young lady, please, wait a moment!"