Chapter 9: On the Snake Catcher

At that time, the sun was already high in the sky, and the villagers of Qilibao were bustling with activity.

Li Ping’an saw many retired soldiers carrying bows and arrows heading into the nearby mountains to search, but they returned empty-handed.

The women were busy in the fields, instantly picking tender tree shoots and wild vegetables as soon as they appeared.

Li Yun, carrying a basket on his back, hadn’t walked far before he somehow found a book. Head bowed, he followed Li Ping’an’s steps and began reciting again in a buzzing voice, “Do not think any good deed too small to do, nor any evil deed too small to avoid.” Li Ping’an’s head throbbed painfully from listening.

Being mischievous, Li Ping’an deliberately led him toward a dead tree and then swiftly stepped aside.

With a bang, Li Yun screamed painfully and fell to the ground.

“Third Uncle, there’s a tree ahead—why didn’t you warn your nephew?” Li Yun complained.

Li Ping’an squatted down, smiling as he looked at Li Yun. After walking just a short distance, beads of cold sweat covered his forehead—a typical sign of weakness from long inactivity. His sister-in-law was too protective to let him do even a small chore, embodying the old hope-for-success attitude that only made him weaker.

Li Ping’an couldn’t help but worry for his elder brother and sister-in-law. The eldest was irresponsible—enough to drive his wife away, causing endless trouble. The second was a bookworm, whose future might be worse off than their parents’.

This was the old saying: poverty never lasts beyond three generations.

Not that every generation must produce a prodigy, but that after three generations of poverty, the family line often ends.

Li Ping’an asked, “Yun’er, I’ve heard you reciting 'The Last Edict of the Later Lord.' I suppose you know quite a bit about the Three Kingdoms. Scholars often discuss politics and history; today, your uncle will test you.”

Hearing that his uncle wanted to discuss knowledge, Li Yun straightened up quickly and said, “Please go ahead, Uncle.”

Li Ping’an helped Li Yun up, and the two walked while talking. “If you were a scholar of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, how would you govern the country and resolve its crises?”

Li Yun frowned. “One should lighten taxes and labor, educate the people, then…”

“And then?”

Li Yun scratched his head, sweat increasing. “Uncle, I haven’t thought that far. The sages don’t give much guidance on that.”

Li Ping’an nodded slowly. “There’s a saying in the Analects: ‘Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.’ Blind memorization is useless. You must constantly think about what you can do with the knowledge you have—what you can change.”

“Our Li family comes from humble origins. The imperial exams are one path—they can change your fate. But we must also consider what we can do with our knowledge on a smaller scale for the family, or on a larger scale for the country.”

“When you succeed in your career and your family is prosperous, you won’t even need the exams for your family to hold office.”

Li Yun felt he couldn’t quite keep up with Li Ping’an’s pace and asked, “Uncle, I don’t understand.”

Li Ping’an’s eyes scanned the mountain path as he looked around thoughtfully. “You’ll understand one day. See these marks pressed by bamboo poles? We call them ‘snake trails.’ Come walk with me. If you’re always staring at books, your eyesight will fail. Getting out for a stroll can actually restore your vision.”

Startled, Li Yun grabbed his uncle’s sleeve. “Uncle, are we going to be snake catchers? I’ve heard that no snake catcher in any village lives long—they often die from venomous bites.”

Li Ping’an rolled his eyes. “Have you read ‘The Snake Catcher of Liuhodong’?”

Li Yun shook his head eagerly. “‘In the wilds of Yongzhou, strange snakes appear: black with white markings, touching plants brings death…’”

Li Ping’an waved his hand. “Okay, okay. Let me ask you: does it say, ‘In a year, two people die from snakebites, but the rest live happily. Is this like the neighbors in our village who die every day?’ No, it says, ‘Though some die, it’s less than the neighbors. So why fear the snakes?’”

“Do you think the snake catcher’s words make sense?”

“I don’t know. I just remember ‘harsh governance is fiercer than tigers,’” Li Yun admitted shamefacedly.

“See, that’s the problem with rote memorization. Even Liuhodong tells us snakes are valuable. Why don’t we catch and sell them?”

Just as he finished speaking, Li Ping’an’s hands moved swiftly, and with a flash, he caught a nearly two-meter-long black rat snake that had been eating a mouse in the grass.

This snake was agile and fierce, liked eating mice, and could be aggressive toward humans.

But under Li Ping’an’s experienced hands, it could only struggle miserably before succumbing.

He placed the snake inside a bamboo basket and covered it. Then he filled the gaps between larger and smaller baskets with wild grass.

The whole process was smooth and fluid, leaving Li Yun wide-eyed and speechless.

Why did most people avoid the mountains, especially the deep, remote Jiguan Ridge?

Because the mountains around Qilibao were full of snakes—Jiguan Ridge was practically a mountain of snakes.

Two common species were the Qisnake and the Black-Tailed Snake—one prized as expensive medicine, the other a delicacy popular in restaurants.

Of course, one had to be careful: the mountains also harbored terrifying snakes like the Ploughhead, Dog Shit Snake, and Bamboo Leaf Green.

Li Ping’an dared to catch snakes because he’d learned the skill during his military service and knew how to prepare antidotes. The combination of Five-Spirit Fat and Realgar he carried today was enough to counter common venom.

But he didn’t plan to do this often—after all, one cannot walk by the river without getting wet.

Now, desperate and nearly penniless, he had no choice but to take risks.

The poor must be harsh with themselves if they want to grow rich.

Li Ping’an’s previous life had been a series of struggles: two years as a veteran running a barbecue stand, three years in veteran domestic service—destitute enough to be barely clothed—yet he rose again because he was ruthless with himself.

“Swish!” Li Ping’an’s hands moved quickly, catching a Qisnake in the blink of an eye.

“Swish!” Another strike, and he caught a Black-Tailed Snake.

As Li Ping’an demonstrated his skill, he suddenly stopped, sensing a different kind of snake trail.

Following it, he found a more than three-meter-long cold snake.

Li Ping’an had never seen this snake in later times. It was silver, non-venomous, its meat tasteless and lacking medicinal value, but it had one great advantage.

Its body temperature was lower than ordinary snakes, making it a treasured pet for nobles seeking summer relief.

A live cold snake was worth twenty strings of cash in their rural market; if sold in the capital Chang’an, it could fetch at least two hundred strings—a tenfold profit.

In that moment, Li Ping’an felt his life was full of hope.

One snake alone was worth twenty strings of cash—his gamble could pay off.

With the rest, his small thatched hut might finally become a reality.

Watching Li Ping’an carefully place the snake into the bamboo basket without killing it as before, Li Yun grew curious.

“Third Uncle, why not kill this snake?” he asked, leaning in. The cold snake suddenly stirred, startling him so much that he plopped down with a startled squeal.

Li Ping’an said nothing but looked at the trembling Li Yun, then handed him the basket.

From his sleeve, he pulled out a cloth bag and gave it to Li Yun. “Today’s enough experience for you. Ahead is Jiguan Ridge—don’t wander around with me anymore. Take this bag and go gather some fresh branches and leaves from cypress or elm trees, but they must be fresh.”

Li Ping’an planned to raise cold-nosed birds to produce Five-Spirit Fat. These birds loved to eat fresh leaves.

The deeper into the mountains, the more venomous snakes lurked. Li Ping’an’s priority was his own safety, so he dared not let Li Yun follow him further.

He handed Li Yun some snake medicine and said, “If you get bitten, apply this powder. I see you have water hyssop—take some internally as well.”

After a few more instructions, Li Ping’an resumed his work.

Not long after, Li Yun excitedly shouted, “Third Uncle, Third Uncle, come quickly! I’ve made a great discovery!”