I am just a commoner.

Chen Xiaobei's memory flashed back to Cui Fugui's daughter, Cui Hongyu, who was famous for her beauty far and wide.

However, this beauty had a tragic fate. The matchmaker had proposed marriage three times, but none of the engagements went through—each of her three fiancés died under various unfortunate circumstances.

It was said that the first time the matchmaker proposed, Cui Fugui asked for a dowry of dozens of taels of silver. The second time, the dowry was reduced to five taels. By the third time, the dowry was waived entirely—no money at all. This time, Cui Fugui even offered to pay to marry off his daughter, with only one goal in mind: to quickly get his unfortunate daughter married off.

Despite the bad luck, Cui Hongyu was known for her talent and skill. She could do everything, from housework to outdoor chores, but none of that could protect her from the damage to her reputation. Once her reputation was tarnished, everything else became meaningless.

As Chen Xiaobei hesitated, Chen Qiao'er suddenly spoke up. "Sister Hongyu is very beautiful. If she could be my sister-in-law, that would be really wonderful."

Chen Xiaobei gave her a glare, grabbed a piece of wild vegetable from his own bowl with his chopsticks, and stuffed it into Chen Qiao'er's mouth.

Aunt Xiumei, seeing that Chen Xiaobei didn't immediately refuse, continued, "Xiaobei, don't listen to their gossip. Those stories about her killing men are all rumors. She never even married any of them, so how could they be considered her husbands? It's just bad luck for them. Cui Fugui has said that at least ten taels of silver will be given as a dowry. To be honest, if Dachun hadn't already married, I would have thought about having him marry her."

Ten taels of silver was worth ten thousand wen, with each wen enough to buy two pounds of grain. So, while ten taels might not sound like much, the purchasing power was quite considerable.

However, the higher the purchasing power, the more it indicated one thing: Cui Hongyu really couldn't get married anymore.

When Dachun heard his mother say this, he felt a bit uncomfortable. He chuckled awkwardly. "Mother, it's a good thing Cuihua went back to her mother's house. Otherwise, what would she think if she heard you saying all this?"

Aunt Xiumei didn't seem to care and continued talking. Chen Xiaobei knew this was just her way of speaking, and even if Dachun wasn't married, he probably still wouldn't marry Cui Hongyu.

Seeing that Dachun didn't say anything, Aunt Xiumei smiled and looked at Chen Xiaobei. "Don't worry, Cui Fugui will keep his word. He's been a doctor for many years, and he can definitely come up with ten taels of silver. By the way, don't think too much about it. I'm really doing this for your own good, and I haven't taken any benefit from the old Cui family."

Whether or not Aunt Xiumei had taken anything wasn't important to Chen Xiaobei, but her words reminded him that while they were discussing Cui Hongyu, he had forgotten about the real matter he needed to take care of tonight.

Chen Xiaobei quickly put on a polite smile. "Aunt Xiumei, about the matter of getting a wife, let's put that aside for now. I need to discuss something with you."

Aunt Xiumei smiled broadly. "Why are you being so polite with me? Just say what you want."

"Aunt Xiumei, I'd like to have Qiao'er stay with you for the night. I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone at home."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dachun looked at him in surprise. "Xiaobei, it's getting dark. Where are you planning to go at night?"

Chen Xiaobei smiled faintly. "I'm about to get married, so I need to go into the mountains to get some dowry."

Hearing this, Dachun became anxious. He immediately waved his hand and said, "No, no, Xiaobei, you can't take such risks. Even the old hunters in the village only dare to go into the mountains during the day. Going into the mountains at night is like asking for death!"

Chen Xiaobei thought to himself, what do I even need my life for? My family is poor and destitute, living is no different from being dead.

If it weren't for Chen Qiao'er, I probably would have already disappeared without a trace.

"Dachun, your family has food and drink. I'm different. I'm a penniless fool, and I have my sister to take care of. I have no choice but to go into the mountains."

Chen Qiao'er immediately acted obediently, coming over and holding onto Chen Xiaobei's arm, speaking timidly, "I'll go dig wild vegetables, brother, don't go into the mountains when it's dark."

Dachun also took the opportunity to persuade him, "Brother, how about I go with you in the daytime? I'll go with you all the way to the Mountain God Temple."

The Mountain God Temple was located halfway up Qingniu Mountain, about ten miles from the foot of the mountain. Chen Xiaobei had been there once when he was little, but had never returned.

It was said that not many people from the village had been there.

It was clear that Dachun was really thinking about him.

Chen Xiaobei patted Dachun on the shoulder. "Big Brother Dachun, there's a saying that great kindness doesn't require thanks. You've helped me a lot, and I'll remember it. But today, I really have to go into the mountains."

Chen Xiaobei hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't mention the issue about using Qiao'er to pay off his gambling debt. That would be too heartless. He decided to keep some decency.

As he didn't speak, the atmosphere in the room grew a little tense. Finally, Aunt Xiumei broke the awkward silence. "Alright, since you want to go, then go ahead. I'll take care of Qiao'er, so don't worry."

Chen Xiaobei returned home, quickly packed up, and set off. He knew that the best time to catch wild chickens was just after it got dark.

The wild chickens had already been disturbed during the day, and with the fabric tied to the tree, the environment had changed noticeably. The chickens wouldn't dare return before it got dark.

Moreover, wild chickens had another trait—they had poor eyesight once it was dark.

Of course, while this was the best time to catch them, getting close enough was still very difficult.

As he moved through the overgrown grass, every step caused noise, and with a group of wild chickens, at least one or two would always be on the lookout as sentries.

Therefore, Chen Xiaobei had to hide nearby before it got dark.

The wild chickens were very alert, and they would definitely notice if he took their eggs.

It was like parents realizing that their children had gone missing—the wild chickens would panic and frantically search for the eggs.

That moment of confusion was his best opportunity.

Chen Xiaobei successfully found the spot he had marked earlier in the mountain.

This was it. He let out a sigh of relief.

It was still early, and the wild chickens should still be out foraging, waiting for it to get dark.

Chen Xiaobei found a tree not far from him, thick enough that it was wider than his waist. On this tree, there was a large branch, big enough to support his weight. He climbed onto the branch, found a comfortable position, and untied his belt, securing himself to the tree.

This would ensure that he wouldn't accidentally fall. Once the wild chickens returned, he could grab a few from the chaos, and his plan would be a success.

About half an hour later, distant sounds of clucking started to reach him, and the grass was shaking constantly. The wild chickens that had been foraging had returned.

Chen Xiaobei moved quietly, loosened his belt, and re-tied it around his waist.

He also grabbed the large net he had prepared earlier.

As soon as any wild chicken got close enough, he would pounce down from above.

When the wild chickens were suddenly attacked, their instinctive response was to take flight.

This made the chances of catching them quite high.

Moreover, if he was lucky and quick enough, it wouldn't be impossible to catch two or more.

Soon, he noticed some small glimmers in the grass—it was the wild chickens' eyes. As expected, as soon as the wild chickens returned, they realized that the eggs were missing.