Chapter 49: Father, Let Me Show You My Unique Skill

With this thought in mind, Lin Yang sprang up from the bed in one fluid motion. Despite still feeling somewhat weak in the body and a bit unsteady in the legs from the previous night's exhaustion, his spirits were high, and he felt completely alert without a trace of sleepiness.

Besides, he now possessed the advantage of hindsight and knew precisely where that black bear was hiding.

As long as he could successfully get his hands on the Type 81 assault rifle, let alone a mere bear, even if the legendary Mountain Deity himself were to appear, he would be forced to crash to the ground under a single magazine of bullets combined with the system's auto-aim weak-point assistance.

The fifty-meter locking range already provided him with more than enough reaction time, giving him absolute confidence to handle any unexpected situation.

At that moment, as Lin Yang walked toward the front door, he checked the trade value required for the system's next upgrade.

When the specific number registered in his mind, his pupils instantly contracted violently, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Damn it!"

Lin Yang couldn't help but curse aloud. "System, are you intentionally trying to screw me over? Upgrading to level two only required a thousand trade value, so why does upgrading to level three instantly skyrocket to ten thousand?!"

At this rate, would reaching level four require one hundred thousand?!

One had to realize that in this era, although households with ten thousand yuan were no longer as unattainably rare as before, given his current environment, earning tens of thousands of yuan was by no means an easy feat.

Furthermore, a full ban on hunting would take effect in just three years.

While the enforcement of the hunting ban in their remote little county might not be as strict as in the major cities, unauthorized hunting was still an illegal act nonetheless.

Lin Yang had no desire to leave behind any handles for others to grasp or to bring trouble upon himself and his family over this matter.

He still envisioned living a stable and happy life with Li Xiaowan in the future, and he could never allow such matters to ruin his destiny.

During these three years, although he could earn a decent income through hunting, the difficulty of upgrading the system as quickly as possible would only grow increasingly harder.

While a ten-thousand-yuan household wasn't extraordinary in their parts, if someone were to amass a trade value of one hundred thousand in this remote little county, it would inevitably attract immediate attention from all directions.

As the old saying goes, men fear fame just as pigs fear being fat; by then, there was no telling what kind of trouble might be stirred up.

People might grow jealous of him, resort to underhanded tactics, and introduce all sorts of complications into his life.

"What are you making such a racket for!"

Hearing Lin Yang's exclamation, Lin Dahai walked out from the inner room.

Seeing that his son was empty-handed, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had been terrified that his son, still weak from illness, would take it into his head to run off to the mountains again and meet with some accident.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yang immediately broke into a brilliant smile and said, "Dad, I was just pondering when I'll be able to save up a thousand yuan, and incidentally earn enough to buy the 'three rounds and one sound'."

"I promised Uncle Li before that I would marry Li Xiaowan and bring her into our home in grand style. But it seems I took the matter too lightly; this money isn't easy to come by after all! I need to figure out a way to hunt more valuable game."

Hearing this, Lin Dahai couldn't help laughing, teasing him, "You little rascal, playing the big shot earlier, do you know what regret feels like now?"

"You just bagged a few small game animals in the mountains and caught a couple of fish in the river, and your tail was ready to curl up to the sky. Do you realize now that making money isn't a walk in the park?"

"Making money has never been that simple. You have to take it step by step, slowly and steadily, and you can't rush it in the slightest."

Listening to his old man's words, Lin Yang couldn't help frowning slightly.

Why did it feel somewhat like his father was enjoying his misfortune...

Yet he also knew that his old man genuinely cared about him, even if his way of expressing it was rather peculiar.

Gazing at his son, Lin Dahai's eyes were filled with a mixture of exasperation and high expectations. He glared at him reproachfully and said, "Your Uncle Li isn't that kind of snobbish person; he never took your big talk to heart in the first place."

"As long as you can turn over a new leaf and live an honest life, how could he possibly hold onto that one-thousand-yuan bride price!"

With an expression of unwavering determination, Lin Yang replied in a tone that brooked no argument, "Dad, my mind is already made up on this. We cannot wrong Xiaowan; the 'three rounds and one sound' are absolute necessities, and the bride price cannot be a penny less than five hundred yuan."

"This is not just about giving Xiaowan a proper account, but also my promise to her, proving how much I value this relationship."

Lin Dahai nodded approvingly, then patted his chest and promised, "You've already saved nearly three hundred by now. As for the 'three rounds and one sound', leave it to your dad—I'll figure out a way to gather them all!"

Hearing this, Lin Yang's heart skipped a beat, and his fists clenched instinctively.

Dad, please don't start entertaining those dangerous ways of making money.

In his past life, it was precisely because you were obsessed with earning extra cash that you went off to follow others to an illegal coal kiln, only to end up buried alive beneath the earth.

At this thought, Lin Yang's eyes grew slightly damp.

He truly did not want those agonizing memories to repeat themselves.

Since the heavens had granted him a second chance at life, he was determined to alter his destiny.

Lin Yang hurriedly spoke up, "Dad, you don't need to worry about this! I've already figured it out myself. I'm going to rely on my own abilities to marry Xiaowan in grand style. I must let Uncle Li see my resolve and capability."

"If you're the one helping me procure these things, what kind of impression would that make? What if Uncle Li thinks I lack dependability and looks down on me? Then how could I ever marry Xiaowan? I'd probably end up a bachelor for the rest of my life!"

"You dare!" Lin Dahai glared at him, pretending to be angry.

Yet deep down, he knew his son's stubborn temper all too well; once Lin Yang made up his mind, not even nine oxen could pull him back.

With a helpless sigh, Lin Dahai asked anxiously, "Then how do you plan to make money? Are you just going to rely on hunting in the mountains every day, trapping turtles and catching fish in the river?"

He unconsciously shook his head and persuaded him earnestly, "Setting traps for turtles and fish is one thing, but from ancient times until now, how many hunters have ever met a peaceful and natural end?!"

"As the old saying goes, walk often by the river, and how can you avoid wetting your shoes? Every time you go up into the mountains, your mother is left at home terrified and restless, and she's always complaining that I spoil you too much."

The corners of Lin Yang's mouth curved upward into a confident smile as he said, "Dad, you really shouldn't underestimate me. I've mastered a unique skill now. How about this, let me show you a trick and open your eyes!"

With that, he dashed into the room like a gust of wind.