nycdaug Chapter 122 Making It Big
Chapter 122 Making It Big
Li Mu took the jar and said gratefully, "Thank you, Aunt Huang. I'll definitely thank you properly once I sell this blueberry juice."
Huang Xiue waved her hand: "Hey, no need to thank me, we're practically family. Alright, you should take it back now, I have things to do."
After bidding farewell to Huang Xiu'e, Li Mu carried the wine and jars up the mountain. After walking around several times and becoming familiar with his master's residence, Li Mu found his master, an old man, with ease. The old man lived in a large village with only a few dilapidated thatched huts, but the surrounding area was full of various kinds of herbs, which emitted a faint fragrance.
Li Mu walked to the thatched hut and gently knocked on the door.
After a while, the door creaked open, and the old master poked his head out. Seeing that it was Li Mu and smelling the aroma of wine, he smiled and said, "Oh, you've brought me wine again?"
"Yes, this time I brought you fruit wine, please have a taste."
As he spoke, Li Mu handed the wine to his master. The master took the wine, smelled it, and his eyes lit up: "Hmm, this wine is not bad, it has a fruity aroma."
Li Mu followed his master, the old man, into the thatched hut and put the jar down as well.
The old master looked at the jars and asked, "What are these jars used for?"
Li Mu replied, "Oh, these are for storing blueberry juice. Master, do you think this jar is suitable? It can hold one or two pounds of blueberry juice."
The old man picked up a jar, examined it carefully, and then tapped it.
"Hmm, this jar is good, quite sturdy, it should be fine for holding blueberry juice."
Li Mu was delighted to hear this: "That's great, Master. My blueberry juice business is just starting out, and I'll need your guidance in many areas."
The old master smiled and said, "I wouldn't call it giving pointers. I can teach you a little bit about hunting. But when it comes to doing business, this old man of mine doesn't know much about it."
"Master, I want to catch a big one."
Li Mu looked serious, as if he wasn't just mentioning it casually, but actually had a plan.
The old master frowned slightly: "Big stuff? What do you mean?"
Li Mu leaned closer to his master and whispered, "Last time we hunted a wild boar, this time I want to hunt a tiger."
Upon hearing this, the old master's face immediately changed: "Fight a tiger? Are you crazy! That thing is not to be trifled with; it could easily kill someone!"
However, Li Mu was in dire need of money. He had to pay off Zhou Li's debt, as well as cover the costs of his upcoming blueberry juice production and printing, all of which were considerable expenses.
He pondered that hunting tigers was indeed a dangerous idea, but it could solve his immediate predicament once and for all, freeing him from financial worries. Moreover, the tiger's fur and bones could fetch a good price, which would provide more working capital for his blueberry juice business.
But the danger is also obvious. Tigers are ferocious beasts, and a slight mistake could lead to death under their claws.
Li Mu only embarked on this path out of sheer desperation.
The old master immediately objected: "No! Your idea is too risky, I can't let you go."
Li Mu gritted his teeth and said, "Master, I know it's dangerous, but I really need the money. I already got a taste of success with the wild boar, and I want to take another gamble this time."
"Take a gamble? You're playing with your life!"
The old master said angrily, "You think you can beat a tiger? That's impossible!"
"Are you short of money? How much? I have some savings here, take it and use it first, don't do anything foolish!" The old man said, taking a cloth bag out of the house and handing it to Li Mu.
"No! Master, how can I take your money? I have enough." Li Mu quickly waved his hand to refuse. He knew in his heart that his master's money was hard-earned, accumulated little by little by collecting and selling herbs, and he couldn't accept it.
Seeing that Li Mu refused to accept it, the old man became a little anxious: "You child, why are you so stubborn! You can take it for now, and pay me back when you have the money."
Li Mu shook his head again: "Master, I really can't accept it. If my blueberry juice business takes off, the money will come back. Don't worry about it."
The old man sighed, knowing he couldn't persuade Li Mu otherwise, so he had to take the money back: "Alright then, you can do whatever you want. But remember, you only have one life, don't risk it for money. If you're really short of money, I have some herbs here, you can take them to town and sell them for a few bucks."
But that's still not enough; I can't earn a thousand yuan at once.
Suddenly, he heard a chirping sound coming from behind the house. It didn't sound like birds chirping. Li Mu was taken aback: "Is someone there?"
With that, Li Mu got up and walked towards the back of the house. His master, the old man, followed him.
Upon reaching the back of the house, Li Mu saw two minks entangled and tearing at each other. One of the minks had glossy fur, clearly a top-quality specimen.
Li Mu's eyes lit up, thinking: If I take this mink fur to town to sell, I'm sure I can get a good price for it!
He was about to step forward to catch it when his master stopped him: "Wait! This weasel is not to be trifled with; you might get bitten."
Li Mu didn't take it to heart: "Master, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
As he spoke, he stealthily approached the two minks, then suddenly pounced, only to miss. The two minks nimbly dodged his attack.
Undeterred, Li Mu pounced several more times, but failed each time. Instead, he was bitten by one of the weasels, causing him to wince in pain.
The old master watched from the side, shaking his head: "See? I told you you couldn't do it. This weasel is very cunning; it's not so easy to catch."
Li Mu gritted his teeth: "Master, is this what you raised?"
The old man was taken aback, then shook his head: "Why would I raise this thing? It can't be eaten or drunk."
Li Mu scratched his head, somewhat puzzled: "Then how did this sable end up with you? And why is it so beautiful?"
The old man thought for a moment and said, "It probably ran down from the mountain. Wild animals occasionally roam the forests around here. But this kind of weasel is quite rare; it's probably the overlord of some mountain."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu's eyes lit up: "Master, look how valuable these mink furs are. If we could catch one, wouldn't we be able to sell it for a good price?"
The old master glared at him: "So you've got your eye on that sable again? This sable is very intelligent, it's not an ordinary creature, no way!"
Li Mu only mentioned it briefly, but minks are still classified as protected animals, and they won't be allowed to be caught for more than a few years.
Although I felt a little tempted, I rationally shook my head and decided to give up the idea.
"Master, do you know where I can find mink?"
Upon hearing this, the old master frowned: "Why are you asking this? Mink are valuable animals, their fur is worth a lot. However, they are not easy to find, they are usually found in deep mountains and forests."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu immediately had a plan: "Master, I was just thinking that if we could find some minks and catch a few to raise, wouldn't we have a continuous source of fur in the future?"
Upon hearing this, the old master's eyes widened immediately: "You little rascal, you've got quite the ambition. But this idea isn't very realistic. Minks are very delicate creatures; they can't be raised just like that. Besides, if you really managed to raise them, wouldn't you have hunted all the minks on the mountain to extinction?"
"There's nothing wrong with raising mink privately. In winter, you can rely on mink fur to keep warm if you don't wear a coat. Besides, mink fur is in high demand in the market. If you can raise them, you can definitely make a lot of money."
Li Mu became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see piles of money beckoning to him.