Chapter 6

One pound of mutton costs twenty coins, and a chick costs two coins.

Chen Mo stood at the entrance of the classroom, counting the money in his hand, trying to figure out what he could do with it. He had sold grain for three hundred coins and embroidery for five hundred, making a total of eight hundred coins. It seemed like a decent amount, but after the autumn harvest, Chen Mo wanted to buy a few more acres of land. If he were to buy an acre of land, it would cost two to three thousand coins according to the local prices. He also wanted to buy some eggs from time to time, so he needed to be frugal.

In the end, Chen Mo bought ten chicks for twenty coins. He was a bit hesitant about what to do with the remaining money for meat and a puppy. According to Uncle Wang, puppies were categorized differently.

Ordinary puppies for meat cost only three to five coins, but if they were of a better quality, such as those that could be trained as hunting dogs, they could cost up to a hundred coins. They were not as worthless as the village head had said.

However, Chen Mo didn't particularly like ordinary dogs. Uncle Wang had a hunting dog that died in the mountains a year ago. Before that, Chen Mo had really liked it. His fear of Uncle Wang and his desire to be close to him were largely due to that hunting dog. When he learned that the hunting dog had died in battle, Chen Mo was sad for a long time.

"Little Brother Wang, you're here~" Just as Chen Mo was hesitating, his ears were suddenly hit by a heavy blow. He looked up to see a fierce-looking man greeting Uncle Wang.

"I came to buy supplies today and thought I'd stop by to see you." Uncle Wang seemed to be on good terms with the man. After greeting him, he introduced Chen Mo, "This is Zheng Tu. You can call him Uncle Zheng."

Zheng Tu indeed looked fierce. The moment Chen Mo saw him, he suddenly understood the saying "birds of a feather flock together." However, after what had happened before, his fear had diminished. Perhaps a fierce-looking person wasn't necessarily a bad person, just like Uncle Wang. He bowed politely to Zheng Tu, "Nice to meet you, Uncle Zheng."

"When did you have a child?" Zheng Tu looked at Uncle Wang in surprise.

"This is a child from the village. He came to the city to buy supplies, and the village head was worried about him, so he asked me to come along," Uncle Wang smiled.

"This child seems well-behaved," Zheng Tu looked at Chen Mo, finding him quite likable. Children, especially quiet ones, often seemed endearing.

"Uncle Zheng, I want to buy some meat and..." Chen Mo hesitated, "I also want to buy a puppy."

"Meat is no problem. I have pork, dog meat, and mutton. Since you're here with Little Brother Wang, I'll give you a discount." Zheng Tu grinned, revealing his pale, sharp teeth, which made him look like a fierce wild boar.

"I want three pounds of mutton," Chen Mo said after a moment of hesitation. Too much would be wasteful, and it was already late summer, so the meat wouldn't keep well in the heat.

"Sure thing!" Zheng Tu picked up his bone knife and sliced the meat with a swift motion. Chen Mo saw a flash of white, and a piece of meat fell onto the cutting board.

"Amazing!" Chen Mo was shocked. He didn't even see how Zheng Tu moved, and the meat was already cut. If that were to happen to a person, they wouldn't survive.

"Good eye!" Zheng Tu laughed heartily. If an adult like Uncle Wang had said this, he might have taken it as a courtesy, but coming from a child like Chen Mo, it was quite flattering. Without weighing the meat, he wrapped it in a piece of skin and said, "Here, it's a gift!"

Chen Mo didn't quite understand, but he took the meat and, after a moment's thought, took out sixty coins from his money bag and placed them on the cutting board.

"You said it was a gift, why are you giving me money?" Zheng Tu frowned at Chen Mo.

"My mother said... don't take advantage of others," Chen Mo remembered his mother's words, though he couldn't recall the exact phrasing. He just used his own words.

"I like this kid more and more," Zheng Tu looked at Uncle Wang and laughed, "You said you want a puppy?"

"Yes," Chen Mo nodded.

"Come, I'll take you to pick one!" Zheng Tu called his assistant to watch the shop and personally led the two of them to choose a puppy.

"Kid, dogs are very intelligent. If you decide to keep one, don't let it down. To a dog, it's a lifetime commitment."

Zheng Tu led them to a yard behind the shop where many puppies were playing. They weren't afraid of people and even rubbed against them. Zheng Tu opened a few cages and said, "Go ahead and pick one."

Chen Mo nodded silently, but he was a bit skeptical. It seemed strange to hear such words from a dog butcher, but he didn't have time to think about it. The puppies were of various colors but looked similar, and he didn't know how to choose.

"Uncle Wang?" Chen Mo turned to Uncle Wang.

"I'll help you pick. What kind of dog do you want?" Uncle Wang smiled.

"A hunting dog," Chen Mo said, clutching his money bag with a bit of reluctance but determined to keep the dog for life.

Uncle Wang picked a lively black puppy for Chen Mo. It was entirely black except for two white marks above its eyes that looked like eyebrows. Its eyes were lively and very cute, and Chen Mo really liked it.

"Uncle Zheng, how much is this one?" Chen Mo held the puppy happily and asked Zheng Tu.

"This one..." Zheng Tu looked at the puppy and then at Chen Mo, smiling, "Ten coins will do. It's a meat dog, but it has a good appearance."

A meat dog?

Chen Mo was a bit reluctant, but the puppy really appealed to him. In the end, he gave Zheng Tu ten coins, happily put the chicks in a basket, tied the money bag to his waist, and held the puppy as he said goodbye to Zheng Tu and followed Uncle Wang back.

There was still some time before the hour of Shen, but his tasks were done. He had originally planned to look for a deity, but he didn't want to trouble Uncle Wang to accompany him. He decided to meet up with the village head and others and return early if possible. He wanted to build a shelter for the puppy and the chicks, and he was afraid he wouldn't have time if it got too late.

"Uncle Wang, is this puppy really a meat dog?" After leaving the shop, Chen Mo couldn't help but ask.

"Qingzhou fine dog, a good hunting dog," Uncle Wang glanced at the lively puppy in Chen Mo's arms and smiled.

"A hunting dog?" Chen Mo was stunned, "Then why..."

"It's a gift," Uncle Wang sighed, "Don't go back. Brother Zheng may look fierce, but he's a good person. Unfortunately, his profession as a butcher has brought him bad luck. He lost three sons and two wives, and later, he gave up on marriage. However, he really likes children like you. This puppy is genuinely for you. Otherwise, with his temper, he wouldn't do this. You, kid, have a face that can deceive people."

"No!" Chen Mo was a bit angry, feeling he was very honest.

"I mean you have a likable face," Uncle Wang ruffled Chen Mo's hair and smiled, "Let's go. If you feel guilty, come to the city more often and visit him. He likes children, but there's no one in Xiaqiu who talks to him like you do."

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