Ye Ling took Liu Duo’s hand and walked her to the yard, “Duo Er, this is our eldest brother, Yang, and our second brother, Liu. They just came back.”
“Oh. Hi, Yang, Liu,” Liu Duo addressed them politely.
The eldest brother, Ye Yang, was tall and strong, with darker skin, standing at over 1.8 meters, with handsome facial features. The scar on the right side of his face made him seem scarier.
The second brother, Ye Liu, was also over 1.8 meters in height, with a well-proportioned body, and he had the best-looking facial features of the four brothers.
Looking at Liu Duo obediently addressing them, Yang merely acknowledged her as he continued plucking chicken feathers, his head hanging low.
Liu measured the girl from top to bottom and whistled a tune when he was done, “Yo, lazy bum, you’re finally awake!”
“…” Liu Duo slightly twitched her mouth. For someone that handsome, Liu somehow behaved like a hoodlum?
After introductions, Liu Duo turned towards the outhouse, clutching the cloth that Ye Ling had sewn for her.
Ye Yang had managed to hunt 8 pheasants, 3 rabbits, and a large wild boar that should weigh about 100 jin.
The four brothers processed the pheasants in no time. Only several tail feathers were spared to separate the pheasants from the chickens.
Liu Duo exited the outhouse to find the brothers working on the boar. She paid no mind and went to wash up by the well. She took the time to wash her cloth too.
“Duo Er, there’s breakfast on the table. Go have it. Don’t starve,” said Ling, forever the kindest. Though busy, he remembered Liu Duo had not eaten.
“Oh, thanks, Ling,” Ye Ling’s niceness kept her happy.
More people came to the Ye family’s house. They were there for the game, to taste the meat, and most importantly, because Ye Yang sold his catch at a cheaper price, and they did not have to go to town.
“Boss Yang, great catch this time! I’m here to buy two pheasants. Haven’t had game in a while,” a simple man said as he came to the yard.
“Yes, me too. I’m here for the boar.”
“Me too…”
Liu Duo sat at the table under the roof, quietly eating her meal. Yang and Mo continued processing the boar, Liu took out the scale to weigh, and Ling handled the transactions.
Pheasants, wild rabbits, and other small animals alike were 5 wen per jin; wild pork was more expensive at 10 wen per jin. If taken to town, they would be a lot more costly.
“Here, two pheasants for you. That’s 8 jin and a half in total, so let’s call it 40 wen. Handle with care, brother Wang,” Liu gave the pheasants to a villager with that name.
“Alright, thanks,” he said as he passed the money to Ling and left with the goods.
Ling did not count the money when he accepted it, “Goodbye, brother Wang.”
They lived in the same village, and they rarely cheated, so Ye Ling did not bother counting.
The villagers who came to buy wild pork chatted along as they waited for the brothers to process the meat.
“Brothers, is that the wife Uncle Ye bought for you guys? She’s pretty,” said one villager as he looked at Liu Duo.
Group discussion was unavoidable after someone initiated the conversation.
“You’re right. For someone so small, she’s quite pretty.”
The Ye brothers buying a shared wife was not a big deal, but everyone knew everyone in the neighbourhood, so they would know sooner or later, but they had not seen Liu Duo in the flesh.
“It’s a pity she’s on the small side, while all of you tower over her. Better take things easy, ha.”
“Haha…”
In regards to the neighbours’ mockery, Yang said nothing, Liu merely giggled, “This isn’t something you have to worry about. Here you go. Your wild pork, 3 jin, 30 wen.”
Mo glared at the villagers joking amongst themselves. Ling blushed and said nothing as he took the money.
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