Chapter 4

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In his previous life, Chen Sanlang spent his childhood in the countryside. He knew that chickens were particularly docile after roosting, and as long as one wasn't too rough, they could be moved around freely.

But based on his current life's memory, the free-range speckled rooster that had been strutting around proudly had managed to survive this long because there was a fierce large black dog by the chicken coop. The dog's barking would naturally wake people up.

However, this was no challenge for an expert. The phrase "steal chickens and pet dogs" was originally a single concept. He had several methods to catch both the foolish dog and the stupid chicken in one go. But considering the appetite of his three brothers and the difficulty of cleaning up afterward, he decided to temporarily leave the dog meat on the foolish dog.

He coaxed his two younger brothers to sleep, and it was already dark outside. In the rural areas at that time, people would work from sunrise to sunset and go to bed as soon as it got dark. Chen Sanlang tiptoed to the shed where the hired workers slept. After a short wait, he heard snoring from all directions.

He relaxed and stepped out of the shadows, sniffing the air. He found his target outside the door. He squatted down happily and used a small stick to pick up the object... It turned out to be a stinky shoe.

As he got closer, he almost fainted: "Damn, it's so stinky..." This must have been a pair of feet that had never been washed, from new to old, to produce such a foul smell.

This was his secret weapon against the dog... Everything in the world has its irresistible temptation. Just as cats go crazy for the smell of catnip, dogs can't resist the smell of butyric acid. Butyric acid is a foul-smelling acid found in salted fish and cheese, but nothing is as pure as a stinky shoe or sock.

If conditions allowed, he could make stealing chickens and dogs a refined affair. Unfortunately, the current conditions were simple, so he had to adapt to the environment and focus on the results rather than the style.

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The deep blue sky was adorned with a bright crescent moon, and below it lay an endless sea of bamboo. The edge of the bamboo forest was a shimmering lake, and everything around was silent. Only a thin, young boy, pinching his nose, carrying the stinky shoe, tiptoed to the shed where the bamboo charcoal was stored... No matter how strange a person was, they wouldn't keep a dog just to protect a chicken. The main task of the large black dog was to guard the bamboo charcoal. The rooster just happened to roost within its patrol range.

If it were any other day, the large black dog would have barked as soon as he approached. But today, the dog poked its head out of the den, sniffing the air, wagging its tail, and staring intently at the stinky shoe, making whining sounds of approval.

Chen Sanlang walked calmly to the large black dog and placed the stinky shoe on the ground. The dog let out a low bark and pounced on the shoe, sniffing and licking it with delight.

"Truly an extraordinary taste..." Although he knew this method was effective, Chen Sanlang couldn't help but marvel each time. He squatted down and gently stroked the back of the dog's neck. The dog, enjoying its meal and the massage, was almost in tears, making contented purring sounds.

After a moment, the large black dog completely betrayed its loyalty. If Chen Sanlang had untied the dog's leash at this point, it would have followed him. However, even thieves have their principles. Wiping out all the chickens and dogs was something only bandits would do. A refined thief like Chen Sanlang always left either the dog or the chicken, never both.

After winning the dog's favor, Chen Sanlang didn't disturb its enjoyment. He walked to the chicken coop, laid his tattered clothes on the ground, and gently opened the cage door. He saw the rooster, which even in its sleep maintained a proud posture.

The most captivating moment occurred, but there were no spectators.

Under the cold moonlight, a ragged, handsome young boy slowly and steadily extended his hands, making low "coo" sounds. Strangely, the usually proud rooster seemed trapped by a mysterious force, neither making a sound nor trying to escape. It was calmly held by Chen Sanlang's hands, who plucked a long feather from its wing and inserted it behind its head—then with a quick kick, the rooster was sent to another world, making no sound and not even shedding a drop of blood.

It might sound complicated, but the whole process took only a few breaths. Chen Sanlang calmly rolled up his clothes, tied the rooster to his back, and beckoned to the large black dog, which obediently approached.

Chen Sanlang patted the dog's head and gently kicked the stinky shoe out of the dog's reach. The dog whined in disappointment, but he comforted it a few times, and it calmed down.

Chen Sanlang then picked up the stinky shoe and left. The dog wagged its tail in reluctant farewell, mostly because it was sad to lose its treat...

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After putting the stinky shoe back in its place, Chen Sanlang returned to pick up the firewood, woke up his two younger brothers, and led them through the mountains and hills for several miles. They finally reached a pool in the bamboo forest, where he gutted the rooster, cleaned it, and wrapped it in a ball of mud without plucking the feathers.

Seeing him cover the rooster with mud, the two children, who had been eagerly waiting, were dumbfounded. How could they eat this? But they had blind trust in their older brother and obediently watched him prepare it, though they couldn't help but feel anxious.

Chen Sanlang didn't explain and quickly started a fire to roast the rooster. After a while, a sweet aroma began to seep through the mud. As the wet mud dried and turned yellow, the smell became even more intense. The two children, like puppies, circled the fire, eagerly asking, "Is it ready yet?" "Is it almost done?"

After they asked 72 times, Chen Sanlang laughed and used a stick to move the mud-covered rooster, now a "beggar's chicken," onto a large, clean stone. He knocked off the mud shell, and the feathers fell with the mud. The chicken skin was golden and fragrant, and the two children immediately started drooling...

Chen Sanlang inhaled deeply, tore the chicken apart while it was still hot, and handed a leg to Xiao Liulang, saying to Wulang, "Don't just stand there, eat!"

"Okay..." Wulang swallowed and tore off a piece of chicken breast, savoring it.

Chen Sanlang also tore off a piece of chicken and tasted it. The flavor was surprisingly rich and tender, satisfying even without any seasoning or salt.

While it was still hot, the three brothers shared the large chicken. In no time, they had devoured it, leaving only a pile of white bones. They leaned against each other, comfortable and content. Xiao Liulang, still licking his fingers, said, "I wish we could eat this every day..."

"As long as Liulang behaves, I'll treat you to this every few days!" Chen Sanlang smiled and patted his little belly. "But you must promise not to tell anyone about eating the chicken today."

"Why?" Xiao Liulang asked, puzzled.

"The old hag will be furious. You don't want your big brother to get beaten, do you?"

"No..." Xiao Liulang shook his head vigorously. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good, if anyone asks what you ate last night, say 'biscuits.' If they ask what you did, say 'slept.' Got it?" Chen Sanlang instructed.

"Got it, biscuits and slept..." Xiao Liulang nodded seriously.

Chen Sanlang repeated the instructions a few more times to his younger brother, then turned to Wulang. Seeing the serious expression on his face, he felt reassured and just patted his shoulder.

It was late, so Chen Sanlang poured water to extinguish the fire, buried the chicken bones, and took turns with Wulang to carry the sleeping Liulang back to their shelter.

When they returned, it was already the middle of the night. The two brothers were extremely tired and fell asleep without washing their faces.

Without the rooster's crow, everyone slept soundly. They were woken by the old hag's sharp scolding in the morning. Rubbing their sleepy eyes, the hired workers saw that the sun was already up and wondered why the rooster hadn't crowed today.

'Could it be that it finally got what it deserved?' The workers, who already disliked the miserly and stingy Lady Hou, were secretly pleased to see her in trouble.

When they put on their clothes and went to the courtyard, they saw Lady Hou standing in front of the chicken coop, fuming and cursing, "Which scoundrel dared to steal my chicken? I'll find you and crush your testicles!"

"Looks like the rooster didn't crow today because Lady Chen took over." Some of the more sarcastic workers teased.

"Liu Houzi, you're the sneakiest one here. I bet you stole it!" Lady Hou, looking for someone to vent her anger on, immediately started cursing, "Give me back my chicken!"

"Listen up, Lady Chen, we are decent people and can't tolerate your accusations!" Liu Houzi jumped up, furious. "Why don't you ask around? Have you ever heard anyone say I have dirty hands?"

These workers, though they worked for her, were not like the slaves of the previous dynasty, who were sold for life. In the Song Dynasty, the buying and selling of slaves was prohibited. All workers were free citizens, who signed contracts with their employers for three to five years to provide labor.

Once the contract was up, they could leave freely. If they wanted to move to another place or change jobs, a clean record was essential. This involved the so-called neighborhood and industry mutual guarantees. For any official matters, such as buying a house, opening a store, or obtaining a travel permit, a guarantee from neighbors or colleagues was required. A bad reputation would make it impossible to move forward.

So, no matter how lazy Liu Houzi was, he wouldn't risk his reputation.

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Thank you, Lord Fning, for your support, and thank you, Lord Fugong, for your growth. Thank you to everyone who has donated. To show my gratitude, I must add an extra chapter. However, I have something to do tomorrow, so I'll update on Monday. I'll do three chapters on Monday.

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