Chapter 14: The Hanyang Prefecture Office Offers a Hefty Reward for Capturing the Tiger
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Jiang Yi, accompanied by Shen Rong and Li Cuiyun, returned to the village, still shaken by their recent encounter with a tiger. The villagers, seeing them hurry back, guessed they might have faced danger.
Jiang Yi brought two fish to Zhao Shengkui’s house, feeling it improper to arrive empty-handed since he would need his help again in the future. He recounted the tiger encounter to Zhao Shengkui and asked him to inform the entire village.
“You encountered a tiger? It’s fortunate you’re unharmed,” Zhao Shengkui said, his brow furrowed. He had personally reported the incident to the government office yesterday. News from the authorities was expected soon, and the village had already been warned to avoid the outskirts of Niutou Mountain.
“We hunted six muntjacs and were about to bring them back when the tiger suddenly appeared near Funiu Village,” Li Cuiyun recalled, still trembling at the memory.
The place where the tiger appeared was not far from Jiang Yi’s home. If the tiger wasn’t hunted down quickly, staying indoors wouldn’t be a long-term solution.
“Hopefully, the government will send someone to deal with the tiger so we can live peacefully,” Shen Rong expressed her dissatisfaction with the government’s slow response, recalling how much tax they had paid in previous years to support these officials.
Hunting down a tiger would only require a few soldiers, but Jiang Yi had heard that mobilizing troops was complicated.
“You must be patient. The authorities will issue a notice soon. Do not express dissatisfaction with the government publicly; you don’t want to invite trouble,” Zhao Shengkui warned. He feared the villagers might riot in anger, prompting officials to send troops to suppress them.
Besides, life was still bearable; there was no need to clash with the government.
“Avoid going out unless necessary these days. If you must go out, travel in groups,” Zhao Shengkui advised Jiang Yi and the others before planning to alert the other villagers.
Jiang Yi was also displeased with the government’s inefficiency. “What if they ignore this matter entirely?”
“They won’t. Just be cautious with your words and actions so officials don’t misunderstand you,” Zhao Shengkui reassured, adding he would visit the Hanyang Prefectural office that afternoon to report the situation to the magistrate.
“Please inform the entire village to stay home as much as possible, and be extra careful even if they must go out,” he urged.
Having said all that, Jiang Yi took his wife home to wait. Once the tiger had its fill, it would leave, and they could return to the woods to check.
Li Cuiyun followed them to Jiang Yi’s house to help Shen Rong sew clothes.
About an hour later, Jiang Yi prepared to leave with his bow, arrows, and knife. Shen Rong and Li Cuiyun decided to accompany him, hoping to help carry the remaining muntjacs back.
The three arrived at the woods to find one muntjac partly eaten and taken by the tiger, with four others still lying dead.
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“That tiger has a huge appetite—ate one whole muntjac and took away another,” Jiang Yi noted.
Had they not managed to hunt those muntjacs, the tiger might have preyed on people.
Li Cuiyun still felt uneasy about the earlier encounter and warned, “Until the tiger is hunted down, it’s best to avoid this area.”
Their narrow escape was no guarantee of future safety.
“Uncle Chang must be returning soon, right? If he can bring some men back, maybe we can find a way to hunt the tiger,” Jiang Yi hoped. After all, Chang Yushan and his comrades were trained soldiers.
Their courage exceeded that of ordinary folk, and hunting a tiger wouldn’t be too difficult for them.
“By my count, he’ll be back tomorrow. If he brings a few of his comrades, they could definitely help take down the tiger,” Li Cuiyun said. She planned to inform Chang Yushan and ask him to lead a team to hunt the tiger.
Soldiers’ combat skills were far superior to civilians’, especially since Chang Yushan and his men had spent years guarding the frontier.
They faced enemies far fiercer than a tiger; to these border guards, the beast would be nothing to fear.
“We’ll wait for the government to offer a heavy reward. Once the tiger is killed, Uncle Chang and his men can collect the bounty,” Jiang Yi added.
The three carried the muntjacs back home as villagers gradually gathered toward the eastern end of the village.
Earlier, the village bell had rung, signaling the village head to call a meeting for an important announcement.
Villagers glanced enviously at Jiang Yi and the others, who returned with the muntjacs.
“Aunt Li, prepare this muntjac for us. When Uncle Chang returns, we’ll make some dishes for him and his comrades. Perhaps these four fish will be enough,” Jiang Yi said. Originally intending to give Li Cuiyun two fish, he added two more upon learning Chang Yushan would return the next day.
“Take the muntjacs to the city and sell them. Buy more grain and vegetables. For the next few days, avoid going out,” Li Cuiyun insisted, refusing the muntjacs but accepting the fish.
The couple’s life was just barely getting by; earning extra money to buy necessities would help.
As long as the tiger roamed nearby, hunting and fishing would be impossible.
Jiang Yi had twice encountered the tiger and twice narrowly escaped with his life.
“Listen to me—keep one muntjac for yourselves and sell the rest in the city. I recommend Ju Bin Inn; the shopkeeper, Pan Xingde, will offer you a good price,” Li Cuiyun advised. She knew the shopkeepers and proprietors in Hanyang City well and would guide them to trustworthy merchants.
They wouldn’t be cheated, as these merchants respected her.
Li Cuiyun did her best to help the couple and had seen their lives gradually improve.
“The whole village is gathering at the east end. You should go too. Ni’er and I will stay and sew clothes,” Li Cuiyun added, now with some free time, helping Shen Rong finish sewing.
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Whenever the village bell rang, villagers were required to assemble at the eastern end.
As a member of Funiu Village, Jiang Yi had to attend the meeting and follow the village head’s instructions.
“Husband, you should go. Aunt Li and I will stay home sewing; it’s all right if we don’t go,” Shen Rong said.
Usually, men attended major village meetings.
Jiang Yi left home and headed to the eastern clearing, where most villagers had already gathered.
Zhao Shengkui stood among them, holding an official notice from the government.
“Is everyone here?” he asked, surveying the crowd and deeming it complete.
“I have an important announcement: the magistrate has issued a bounty. Anyone who hunts down a tiger and brings it to the Hanyang Prefectural office will receive a reward of one thousand guan,” Zhao Shengkui declared.
The villagers were tempted by the substantial reward.
Even if fifty men teamed up to hunt the tiger, each could split twenty guan.
Yet many hesitated—it was no easy task to kill a tiger.
They were frightened even by wild boars, let alone a fierce tiger.
Rumor had it the tiger was several times larger than a boar, with forelimbs thicker than a grown man’s arm.
Just imagining its bloodthirsty jaws made them shudder.
The villagers exchanged glances; though the reward was tempting, they lacked the courage to face the beast.
“This is a great opportunity to earn money. Funiu Village has over a hundred able-bodied men. If you form teams to hunt the tiger and bring it to the Hanyang office, you’ll receive the bounty,” Zhao Shengkui urged.
Such a chance shouldn’t be lost to neighboring villages.
Observing their hesitation, Zhao Shengkui felt disappointed by their cowardice.
Jiang Yi stepped forward from the crowd. “Village head, if anyone forms a team to hunt the tiger, count me in.”
He knew he couldn’t kill the tiger alone, but with a dozen or so men, they had a good chance.
He wasn’t reckless and would cooperate fully with the team.
“Good. If a team forms, join them. The reward will not exclude you,” Zhao Shengkui said, pleased with Jiang Yi’s courage and hoping others would also participate eagerly.