Chapter 822: Chapter 785: Bountiful Harvest

In the evening, a group of people started descending the mountain. Today’s hunting haul was quite good; they missed the sika deer but managed to bring back all the other animals they encountered.

Of course, even though they spotted the big brown bear weighing over five hundred pounds, it was not considered prey. The islanders from Lin Family Manor, with their simple weapons, wouldn’t dare face it.

Although bear gall is valuable, life is even more valuable.

The islanders, who dared to fight sharks in the ocean, remained cautious in the mountains.

After all, they were not professional hunters; the ocean was their real arena, not the mountains.

"We caught lots of wild chickens and ducks today. When we get back, I’ll host a barbecue at the open ground of the Cotton Workshop. Everyone come and enjoy!" Lin Wanwan shouted in the group, immediately receiving cheering responses.

"Alright, alright, another feast awaits us!"

"Wanwan, do you want all these mountain goods? If so, take everything."

"Yes, I want them all. If you don’t plan to eat them yourself and intend to sell them, just bring them to my place. Don’t sell them elsewhere; Yun Shang will take care of it," Lin Wanwan stated firmly.

"Got it!"

The group, carrying bows, shovels, and sickles, sang mountain songs and walked back under the setting sun.

They encountered someone from Lu Family Manor along the way, whose eyes kept glancing at their game.

"Hey, you Lin Family folks went hunting in the mountains today? You did well!"

"Not bad,"

Lin Mengbo, without hesitation, picked out a wild chicken with an injured wing and handed it over: "It’s for anyone who sees, take it."

"Oh, that’s too nice of you, thanks!"

"You’re welcome."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they parted ways.

Lin Wanwan was quite surprised by Lin Mengbo’s generosity, knowing that wild chickens are more valuable than domestic ones. Lin Mengbo himself might not even eat it directly, yet he gifted it so freely?

What’s more, others who went hunting with him seemed to have no objections, letting him decide.

Lin Mengbo noticed Lin Wanwan’s confusion and smiled, "Wanwan, you may not know since you don’t hunt often, but there’s a rule when going into the mountains: one cannot eat alone.

If something good is caught, those hunting together should definitely share a bit. Even if you encounter a passerby on the way who shows interest, you ought to give them some."

Lin Wanwan was quite surprised, "There’s such a rule?"

"Yes, there is. It’s a tradition passed down from our ancestors."

The group chatted while they hurried along, their pace brisk.

Under the camphor tree at the village entrance, several elderly villagers were sitting, chatting, and keeping watch. Most were the elders of those who went into the mountains.

Going into the mountains carries risks, and with the sun about to set, these restless elders naturally came to the village entrance to look out.

As they saw the group led by Lin Mengbo carrying nets modified into bags full of game, and noticed everyone returned unscathed, they couldn’t help but smile broadly: "You’re back? Everything went smoothly?"

"Yes, today went very well. We even saw a herd of sika deer. Unfortunately, there was a big brown bear nearby, so we didn’t dare get too close. By the time we circled back, the sika deer had already fled, or we’d be having venison tonight."

"Nothing to regret, the big brown bear is best avoided; you did the right thing."

Then they asked Lin Wanwan, "Did you go up the mountain today too? People from the County Government came by, delivering something for you, likely sent by Xiao Mingfu. You should check it out."

"Oh, okay. I’ll go have a look." Lin Wanwan was curious but maintained a calm demeanor, "Uncles, later come to the workshop’s open ground for barbecue. I’m hosting."

"Another feast, huh? Clan Leader might not agree," Wanwan’s uncles remarked, eyes gleaming and mouths watering, though feeling the need to voice out of habit.

Indeed, whenever Lin Wanwan hosted banquets in the clan, the first to oppose was the Clan Leader, who couldn’t stand her extravagance.

Granted, when she first arrived in the Great Tang, caution was necessary; now, Lin Wanwan had become quite uninhibited.

She had so much money in the Great Tang that she couldn’t spend it all, truly couldn’t!

Therefore, why not seize any chance to host lively banquets?

Lin Wanwan often held feasts at her home, inviting anyone in the clan who wanted to enjoy a bite.

She delighted in sharing delicious food with her clan and enjoyed the emotional feedback they gave her.

A successful hunting trip surely called for a banquet, so why not celebrate?

Celebrate, it must be celebrated!

Lin Wanwan loved flipping through the almanac, selecting a good day, finding a suitable excuse, and starting the celebration to make everyone happy.

Though her culinary skills weren’t strong, a little barbecue was all it took. In the Great Tang, virtually everyone was a barbecue master; Lin Wanwan didn’t need to lift a finger.

Lin Wanwan only needed to provide some timely suggestions and bring back some meat and vegetables, and that would suffice.

Upon returning home, Yun Shang and several others immediately gathered around, one removing her coat, another fetching water to wash her face, while others sorted the game, creating a busy scene.

Yun Shang, kneeling, reported, "Mistress, today Xiao Mingfu hunted a bear and sent a fresh bear paw, bear gall, and bear leg. I’ve stored them in the icehouse. Shall I fetch them for you?"

The bear was considered a treasure; bones, meat, paws, fat, blood, and neurons could all be used medicinally, with bear gall being the most valuable and bear paw the tastiest.

In modern times, bears are protected animals; there’s no legal way to obtain bear gall on the market.

Furthermore, bear gall is strictly prohibited for medical use, and only the earliest companies that started bear farming to extract gall juice make bear gall powder for pharmaceuticals. Newcomers find this line of work impossible, unable to obtain legal permits.

Due to involvement from animal protection groups and international public opinion, live bear gall extraction technology continues to improve, focusing on reducing discomfort for bears.

Currently, bear gall juice can only be legally added to medicine, while its use in health supplements is prohibited. If health supplements claim to contain bear gall juice, it’s either false advertising, concept confusion, or illegal.

Only in the Great Tang could Lin Wanwan possess fresh bear gall.

Discussing animal protection in the Great Tang would surely be impractical. Since it was already delivered, she naturally prepared it as Chinese medicine for future needs.

Bear gall doesn’t require special preparation methods; it simply needs to be dried in a clean place, turning gray-black outside before directly using it as medicine.

It has therapeutic effects on gallstones, cholangitis, convulsions, epilepsy, liver sclerosis, bronchitis, and many other diseases. As a supplement, it can even prevent stroke, thrombosis, etc.

Though prohibited in modern times, it’s absolutely a valuable medicine!

As for the bear paw, Lin Wanwan decided to have Hua Nong cook it immediately and eat it today!