Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 22 - 21: Staying at the Inn

Chapter 22: Chapter 21: Staying at the Inn
With a muffled thud, Qin Yao pulled the black bear from the rack and placed it on the banana leaves that had been prepared in advance in the inn’s kitchen.
The head chef of the kitchen, the waiter, as well as the shopkeepers, all gathered in the kitchen, curiously looking at the huge black bear.
Many inn guests also gathered curiously, standing at the kitchen door wanting to take a look at the black bear.
For some of these folks, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime sight, something to brag about to their descendants for years to come.
Qin Yao’s hands were stained with blood while moving the bear, and Manager Fan quickly asked the waiter to fetch a basin of hot water for her to wash up.
By the time Qin Yao was finished, the head chef, along with two apprentices, were discussing going to find the butcher from the east side of town to help with the slaughter.
They usually deal with already processed meat, so handling such a whole beast was a bit daunting.
First, they feared damaging the valuable hide, and second, ensuring the key parts of the bear were preserved completely for cooking high-priced dishes.
Butchering a pig is a technical skill; slaughtering a bear is even more so.
Inviting the butcher would require paying a labor fee.
Qin Yao was already going to settle the bill in the main hall, but upon hearing the discussion from the kitchen, she leaned in and asked:
"I can butcher a bear, I’m adept at skinning and extracting tendons, and I don’t require a fee. Just treat me to a supper and give me a place to sleep for the night."
It was getting late, so instead of finding a place outside, spending the night at this inn was more convenient and economical.
The head chef was tempted and quickly urged the apprentice to check with Manager Fan to see if it was acceptable.
The apprentice ran over and quickly returned, with Manager Fan, who was busy advertising bear dishes in the main hall, following along and said to Qin Yao:
"Miss, here’s the deal: our inn will purchase all your catches, and once I’m done here, I’ll settle with you together. As for butchering the bear, whatever you wish, go ahead and start. The inn has plenty of empty guest rooms, I’ll reserve one for you, so you can stay here tonight."
Manager Fan was now certain that Qin Yao was an extraordinary person; he had always admired these hidden experts, taking the opportunity to make friends, with free lodging as well.
Qin Yao thanked him generously and requested an apron from the apprentice before entering the kitchen to select tools.
The head chef had a row of knives, in all shapes and sizes; Qin Yao chose a small, sharp one and began working.
Her movements were swift and sure; she knew exactly where to start skinning, which spots were difficult, and where there were bones. Her eyes seemed to penetrate, her hands worked with precision.
The head chef and two apprentices gathered around initially intending to lend a hand, but soon discovered there was no opportunity for them to intervene.
In the time it took to burn two sticks of incense, Qin Yao had completely skinning the bear.
The two apprentices looked at her in admiration; if their master were not present, they would have knelt down and sought her mentorship.
The bear hide was taken outside, hung on poles in the backyard to dry, and the shopkeeper would later find someone to process it.
Qin Yao switched to a pointed knife and moved the skinned bear to the courtyard, where she gutted it and divided the bones and rare parts like bear paws and gallbladder.
In the front hall, Manager Fan’s promotion had already attracted people wanting to eat some hot bear paws. Qin Yao worked on chopping meat while the head chef managed the stove, the entire inn was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
This flurry continued until midnight when the inn finally closed.
The head chef cooked a pot of stew for everyone, a mix of leftover dishes brewed together, and served each person a bowl of noodles with a big steamed bun to eat with the soup, which tasted absolutely delicious.
Aware of Qin Yao’s large appetite, Manager Fan instructed the head chef to give her two extra buns.
Her appetite was equivalent to five adults; the inn workers watched in awe, uncertain how her small body could hold so much food without her stomach bursting.
However, after spending this evening together, Manager Fan had repeatedly expressed admiration for Qin Yao, calling her Miss Qin, as if he had already become a confidant.
After the busy night, Manager Fan unwound with a couple of glasses of wine, revealing that he was an enthusiast of martial arts novels, almost kneeling to take Qin Yao as his master, if not for the head chef stopping him.
Qin Yao was amused, finding this middle-aged uncle a bit adorably quirky.
As the city gate’s second watch bell sounded, the group cleaned up and dispersed.
Qin Yao was allocated a regular single guest room, the kitchen had some hot water left, and learning that she wished to bathe, the two apprentices helped carry hot water for her. Standing by the bucket and looking at her reflection, Qin Yao was startled by the ’female ghost’ with tangled hair and dirt-covered face in the water.
Having been in the mountains for several days without grooming, she was filthy and smelly. Thinking back to the scene of eating with everyone, she truly felt grateful for their tolerance.
Quickly locking the door, she washed up and shampooed.
She only had dirty clothes, unable to change, yet couldn’t go without wearing anything, so she cleaned what she could locally, wiped herself down, and continued wearing them.
It was very late, so she dumped the water out, returned to her room, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
This sleep was the most comfortable Qin Yao had had since crossing over.
The inn’s guest room was spacious and tidy, the bedding soft and warm, and the bed sturdy without shaking upon turning or being tormented by rustling sounds from the wind blowing the ceiling at midnight.
As daylight broke, Qin Yao woke naturally, she washed up simply and took her bow and arrow and short knife to the main hall.
Manager Fan was already up and, seeing her come out, hurried to settle the payment with her.
The payment for slaughtering the bear was fifty cents, the four pheasants were priced at twenty cents per pound, totaling four hundred cents.
The marten’s pelt was valuable, good for making writing brushes, estimated at eight hundred cents.
The two squirrels, being rather plump and with pretty pelts, were priced at eighty cents each, totaling one hundred sixty cents.
The roe deer weighing seventy-five pounds was priced at forty cents per pound, equivalent to three taels of silver.
Qin Yao also had seven hare pelts; originally considering taking them home to have someone make them into vests for winter, but realizing the pelts needed to be properly processed first, which was too troublesome, she sold them all.
The seven gray hare pelts were valued at nine hundred cents by the shopkeeper.
Along with the black bear’s eighty taels of silver, the total amounted to eighty-five taels and three hundred ten cents.
Manager Fan handed Qin Yao four silver ingots of twenty taels each, and five taels of broken silver pieces, along with three hundred ten copper coins, altogether packed in a cloth bag which he handed to her.
The money bag felt hefty in her hand, a large bundle.
Qin Yao now had some understanding of what it felt like to be wealthy; in an era without banknotes, traveling with money was truly inconvenient. It’s no wonder wealthy individuals traveled by carriage, as lugging around a heavy chest of copper coins made shopping impossible.
However, ordinary families traveling only carried a few taels of broken silver, which didn’t impede their mobility.
If traveling across provinces, the Money Shop issued bills of exchange, which could be redeemed at local money shops for drafts, allowing one to withdraw money without the hassle of carrying it on the road.
After receiving the money and thanking Manager Fan for his hospitality the previous day, Qin Yao left the inn and began her extensive shopping spree.