The morning turned into noon as Tian finally arrived at the village market. His eyes immediately searched for a traveling merchant who usually visited the village for three days each week. This merchant was known for frequently buying the villagers' hunting catches, especially fresh meat from the forest.
After walking through the bustling market, Tian finally found him. The merchant was standing by his cart, chatting with a customer. His cart was filled with various goods, including smoked meats, spices, and some other necessities.
With quick steps, Tian approached.
"Uncle! Uncle merchant!" Tian called out while lowering a wild boar from his shoulder.
The merchant turned, and upon seeing a small boy carrying two wild boars on his shoulder, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow, kid! You brought a Giant Boar and two others? Where did you get them?" he asked with admiration.
Tian smiled awkwardly, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Giant Boar?! Is that the name of this wild boar, Uncle? Ah, yes, I hunted them myself, Uncle. Do you want to buy them?" he asked hopefully.
The merchant furrowed his brow, looking Tian up and down with a curious expression.
"Yes, that's right; the name of this monster is Giant Boar. But… are you really the one who caught them, kid?"
Tian swallowed hard, feeling a bit hesitant, but he nodded. "Yes, Uncle… I caught them," he replied, though he felt somewhat pressured by the merchant's sharp gaze.
In his heart, the merchant continued to think while observing Tian more closely. "Hmm… can this small child really catch these wild boars by himself? But if you think about it, he can lift two Giant Boars by himself… That's quite impressive… No, more than that. Isn't it impossible for a child to lift a weight that could reach about 500 kg?"
After a moment, the merchant finally smiled widely. "Alright, kid. I'll buy them. But first, what's your name?" he asked.
"My name is Tian, Uncle. Thank you for wanting to buy my catch!" Tian replied with a cheerful face.
The merchant nodded. "That's a nice name, Tian-kun. You're really amazing! You can lift those two wild boars by yourself; I'm truly impressed."
Tian blushed at the compliment. Carefully, he handed over the two wild boars to the merchant.
The merchant squatted down, inspecting the condition of the wild boars closely. "Hmm…" he murmured, feeling one of the boars' bodies.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the head of one of the wild boars. Curiously, he felt the area, then murmured, "Hmm...? Its skull is cracked... It looks like it was hit by a very blunt object…"
He glanced at Tian for a moment, as if wanting to ask something, but eventually just nodded slowly. "Ah, it doesn't matter. What's important is that the meat is still good."
After weighing it for a moment, the merchant finally estimated the price.
"This is a good wild boar. How about I buy them for 225 silver each? So, for two, that totals 450 silver."
Tian nearly cheered with joy. "Okay, Uncle! I agree!" he replied quickly, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
The merchant took a small pouch from inside his cart. "Alright, here's your payment."
He handed the pouch to Tian. "Inside is 45 gold coins so you don't have to carry too much money. That's in accordance with the price we agreed on."
Tian received the pouch with a heart full of joy. He weighed it for a moment before tucking it into his pocket.
"Thank you, Uncle!" he exclaimed happily.
"You're welcome, Tian-kun. If you have more catches, don't hesitate to come to me!" the merchant replied with a broad smile.
Tian nodded firmly before bidding farewell and walking away, heading to the meadow to gather grass for his goat.
As he walked along the village road, Tian tightly gripped his pouch of money. His heart raced with excitement.
"I can buy a female goat now!" he thought with enthusiasm.
However, his smile slowly faded as a memory surfaced in his mind.
One night, his father had said, "The price of a goat isn't cheap, Tian. You need a lot of money if you want to buy one."
Tian paused for a moment in the middle of the road, staring at his pouch of money with a bit of hesitation.
"Hmm... it seems that four gold coins aren't enough to buy a good goat," he murmured, slightly disappointed.
But Tian was not the type of child to give up easily.
His eyes sparkled again. He clenched his fists with determination.
"Then, I just have to go hunting again!" he thought. "The merchant will still be in the village for two more days. Maybe tomorrow I can go to the forest and hunt more wild boars or other animals."
With his spirit rekindled, Tian continued his steps toward the meadow. After gathering enough grass for his goat, he returned home.
Throughout the way, his mind was filled with new plans.
"I will keep hunting until I have enough money to buy a female goat!" he said to himself.
With an even stronger determination, Tian knew that his dream was getting closer to becoming a reality.
Upon arriving home, Tian immediately went to the back, where his goat was tied to a wooden post. The animal bleated softly when it saw its master coming with fresh grass.
"This is for you, eat a lot," said Tian as he scattered the green grass in front of his goat.
The goat immediately devoured it eagerly. Tian smiled faintly, watching it for a moment before heading inside the house while hiding his pouch of money so that his mother wouldn't see it.
In his room, he quickly hid the pouch of money he earned from hunting the wild boars in a safe place. Carefully, he opened his small wooden cabinet, shifted some piles of old clothes, and tucked the pouch between the folds of fabric.
"It should be safe if I keep it here," he murmured satisfied. "Later, after I gather enough, I will buy a female goat."
The next morning, Tian woke up early as usual. After having breakfast with his family, this time he took his goat to the meadow again. The sun had just risen, and the air felt cool, carrying the aroma of dew still clinging to the leaves.
When he arrived at the usual spot, Tian tied his goat under a shady tree. The goat immediately started eating grass eagerly, while Tian sat leaning against the tree trunk, gazing at the sky that was starting to brighten.
"How much money do I need, I wonder?" he said, scratching his head. "It seems I need to hunt again…"
He glanced at his goat, which was still happily eating. "If I can catch two more wild boars, will my money be enough to buy a goat?" he murmured.
A gentle breeze blew softly, making the leaves rustle softly. Tian took a deep breath, then smiled faintly.
"I can do it," he said, strengthening his heart.
"Today, I must go hunting again."
His gaze sharpened toward the forest in the distance. He didn't know exactly how much money he needed to buy a female goat, but he knew one thing: "I must gather as much money as possible."
Rising from his seat, he gently patted his goat's head.
"Alright, you stay here and eat a lot," he said.
The goat bleated softly, as if it understood.