Chapter 54

In the following days, Lin Bei was in a state of recuperation. After shedding their skin, snakes need to quickly regain their strength to get out of their weakened state as soon as possible. Therefore, their food requirements become quite large. Lin Bei was no exception. Previously, eating two wild chickens a day was enough, but now he needed to eat at least twice as much, with six wild chickens being the minimum. Moreover, even though he had just eaten, Lin Bei would feel hungry again soon, making him doubt if he had some kind of illness. However, when he saw his body rapidly growing, Lin Bei finally felt reassured.

When he first possessed the snake's body, its length was just over twelve meters, not quite reaching twelve and a half meters. In just a few short days, the body had already grown to over thirteen and a half meters, increasing by more than a meter. Additionally, the snake scales had started to become more robust, and Lin Bei felt lively and energetic again, indicating that the weakened period had passed.

Although the weakened period was over, Lin Bei's appetite was still larger than before. He no longer overate, but he still needed to eat at least three wild chickens a day, which was about twenty pounds of meat. This amount of meat would have lasted him three months in the modern world, but here it was just a day's worth of food. The difference between humans and snakes was truly significant.

Today was the day the hunters were coming. In the morning, Lin Bei took a bath, then checked on the hatching of the baby snakes. The first one to hatch was still sleeping, which surprised Lin Bei due to the length of time. Didi and Qiqi were jumping around on the grapevines, sometimes leaping to the edge of the Dragon Pond to drink some water. Since Lin Bei had stopped taking care of them, the two little ones had started to fend for themselves. Fortunately, there were plenty of insects on the grapevines, and as long as they were diligent, the insects alone were enough to sustain them. Sometimes they would chirp at Lin Bei, complaining that their "mother" was neglecting them.

"You will eventually have to spread your wings and fly," Lin Bei thought. The sky was the world of birds, and he only hoped that the two little ones would become as independent as possible.

The taro leaves had grown very large, covering the taro field and even starting to sprout new buds. There were always croaking sounds coming from the taro, indicating that toads or frogs were hiding inside. Lin Bei didn't bother to chase them away, letting them live and die as they pleased.

At noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the hunters arrived at the Dragon Pond. Lin Bei was picking sour jujubes.

"Sir."

"Sir, it's been a long time."

The hunters greeted Lin Bei one by one. Lin Bei turned around and saw a group of people behind the hunters, all with wide-eyed expressions. These were the first pioneers who had come to trade with Lin Bei, and although they were prepared, the sight of Lin Bei's size still frightened them.

Bian Fuzi was also at the front of the group, bowing to Lin Bei and addressing him as "Sir." Seeing Lin Bei picking sour jujubes, he found it a bit strange.

Lin Bei nodded at them, stopped his work, and wrote, "You're all here? Come in, don't be shy."

Lin Bei also observed the newcomers. Apart from those he knew, there were about twenty unfamiliar faces, all of whom seemed to be servants.

"Sir, these are representatives sent by the major gentry families in Hepu County," Fuzi whispered as he approached. "The wealthy are afraid of death, so they sent these servants. As for the commoners, they are mostly still watching and waiting."

Ah, Lin Bei understood. The idea of a monster was too bizarre, and the impression of monsters was generally negative. The wealthy naturally didn't dare to take risks lightly, but they also didn't want to miss out on the opportunity, so they sent a few unimportant people to test the waters. Lin Bei was somewhat speechless.

"Fine, I'm not in a hurry," Lin Bei said indifferently. His initial purpose in spreading the news was to help Cui Lan and the others, and as long as that goal was achieved, it was enough.

"Good, I'm glad you're not angry," Bian Fuzi seemed relieved and praised, "Sir, the scenery here is getting better and better."

"It's still not good enough, far from it. By the way, have Cui Lan and the others help me get those walnuts and bury them in the ground," Lin Bei started assigning tasks to the hunters.

The wild walnuts were ripe, but they needed to be processed before eating. The outer layer of the walnuts was covered in hair, so they needed to be buried in the ground for a while. Lin Bei didn't know why they couldn't be dried, but since that was the practice, he followed it.

Hearing Lin Bei's instructions, the hunters became more spirited, as it indicated that Lin Bei was still familiar with them, which was a good sign.

"By the way," Lin Bei added, "Lan, how is your brother's leg?"

"Sir, my leg is almost healed, thanks to the bone-healing grass," Cui Jie smiled, moving his leg and taking a few steps. It usually took a hundred days to recover from a bone injury, but the bone-healing grass was miraculous, and Lin Bei could hardly tell that Cui Jie had been injured.

"Good, go to work then."

"Sure," Cui Jie said happily, though Lin Bei didn't understand why he was so pleased.

Lin Bei chatted with Bian Fuzi, ignoring the others for the moment.

"Have you started the school?" Lin Bei asked.

"The school opened five days ago, and many people have come to study, but it will take them a long time to learn to read and write," Bian Fuzi said with a hint of regret.

"Are you charging tuition?"

"Tuition? Sir, you mean the gift of dried meat? Of course, I am," Bian Fuzi said, bowing slightly and smiling. "The sage once said, 'I have never refused to teach anyone who brings me a gift of dried meat.' I may not compare myself to the sage, but I dare not break this precedent."

"Then your house must be full of dried meat," Lin Bei teased.

"Not exactly," Fuzi laughed. "For the wealthy, dried meat is not enough, but for the poor hunters, a small amount of rice is sufficient."

Lin Bei wanted to laugh. This Bian Fuzi was quite a character. He charged more from the wealthy and less from the poor, a method that deeply resonated with Lin Bei. It was about making the wealthy pay, and they should be grateful for it.

In the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, the gentry, mostly merchants, had a very low status in this era. The opportunity to learn to read and become a scholar was extremely rare. Even if they wanted to donate all their wealth to gain the title of a scholar, it was impossible. Therefore, it was understandable that the people who came with the hunters were so deferential, as their masters had low status, and their own status was even lower.

After chatting for a while, Lin Bei made a request, "Fuzi, are you using bamboo slips now?"

"Of course," Fuzi nodded. There was no doubt about this. Although paper had been invented, the cost of paper production was too high, and only the aristocratic families could afford it. As for silk, it was several times more valuable than paper and was often used as a form of currency, so only the aristocratic families could use it. These families included the Xun, Yuan, and Chen clans.

"Can you bring the bamboo slips for me to see next time?"

"Since Sir wishes to see them, Bian Ji will certainly comply. However, Sir, I have a request as well."

"Go ahead."

"Sir, the heat in Xishan Township is unbearable, and there are many students in the school. Your place is very cool. Could the school be moved here, so the students can also benefit from your teachings?"

"What? Move the school here?" Lin Bei was surprised.

PS: I'm updating twice a day, right? Why do some people say I update once a day? Everyone, the key is to collect and recommend, that's the motivation for writers.

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