Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountainsi (1/2)

Chapter 35: Chapter 32 The King of Banyan Trees in the Deep Mountainsi

Translator: 549690339

Qin Niu watched for a while, then decided to continue wandering deeper into the mountain.

Now that he had the Treasured Sword, and the probability of the Critical Chop skill had increased to 20%, his courage had greatly swelled.

The deeper he ventured into the mountain, the rarer the signs of human activity became.

The probability of discovering various natural treasures also increased significantly.

Of course, the chance of encountering ferocious beasts and poisonous snakes rose dramatically as well. The elders in the village always cautioned the young ones never to venture deep into the mountains, saying that beasts there devoured people.

The most widely told story was about Xu Zhenchang, who at thirty-one had made quite a sum by farming, purchased land, built an impressive brick and tile house, and had a matchmaker propose a marriage to a girl from another village. After providing the bride price, they set the date.

As the wedding day drew near, there had been nothing but continuous rain for days on end.

But finally, on the afternoon before the wedding, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared.

Xu Zhenchang had prepared everything else, with only a bundle of high-quality firewood still unsettled.

Thus, he publicly offered fifty Wen Money as a high price for a bundle of firewood for the wedding.

They generally used the wood of the phoenix tree.

Because this tree was considered to be the favored perch of phoenixes, representing festivity and nobility, auspiciousness.

But whenever villagers had a celebration, they would go up the mountain to chop down phoenix trees.

Naturally, they picked the ones closest to the village to cut.

Gradually, the phoenix trees near the village had all been chopped down, and no one dared to chop on the mountain belonging to the Yan Family, the landlords.

So they had to keep looking deeper into the mountains.

As a result, phoenix trees became harder and harder to find.

Some families were even driven to plant one or two phoenix trees in their courtyard the day their son was born. By the time the son reached sixteen, the age to take a wife, the trees were ready to be of use.

Xu Zhenchang’s family had been particularly poor in the past, naturally having made no such preparations.

Therefore, he offered the high price of fifty Wen Money to purchase a bundle of firewood made from the wood of the phoenix tree.

No one took up the job.

Because regular firewood could sell for seven Wen per bundle. Out of desperation to marry his wife, Xu Zhenchang gritted his teeth and raised the purchase price to 100 Wen.

It is said that substantial rewards would always find a brave taker.

100 Wen was about ten days’ income for an ordinary farmer.

Liu Dazhuang, the woodcutter from their village, took up the job.

Full of confidence, he headed into the mountain carrying his ax and carrying pole.

Seeing his assured manner, the villagers secretly guessed that Liu Dazhuang, who often went to the mountain to chop wood, must have already spotted some phoenix trees to cut.

Someone experienced like the woodcutter had accepted the job, and Xu Zhenchang felt as if a stone had finally dropped from his heart.