Thump! With a dull thud, Clara dragged the black bear off the rack and laid it on the banana leaves that had been prepared behind the restaurant kitchen.
The head chef, the waiters, and the restaurant managers all gathered in the kitchen, their eyes wide with astonishment as they stared at the massive black bear.
Even some curious diners gathered at the kitchen entrance, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the beast.
For many, this was a once-in-a-lifetime sight. They'd probably brag about it to their children and grandchildren for decades to come.
Clara's hands were bloodied from moving the bear, and Manager Fan quickly had a servant fetch a basin of hot water for her to wash up.
By the time Clara finished cleaning up, the head chef and two apprentices were already discussing going to the east side of town to fetch a professional butcher to handle the carcass.
After all, they usually worked with meat that had already been processed. A complete beast like this was too much for them to deal with.
For one, they were afraid of ruining the bear's hide. And more importantly, they needed to carefully preserve each valuable part of the bear to make fine dishes that could sell for a premium.
Slaughtering a pig was already a skilled job—slaughtering a bear was on another level.
And hiring a butcher meant they'd have to pay a labor fee.
Clara had just stepped into the main hall to settle her bill when she overheard the conversation and leaned her head back into the kitchen.
"I know how to butcher a bear—skinning and tendon-removal, I'm good at all of it. I don't need any payment. Just give me a hot supper and a place to sleep for the night."
It was already late. Rather than hunting down accommodations elsewhere, why not just stay here for the night?
Cheaper and more convenient.
The head chef was tempted. He immediately sent an apprentice to check with Manager Fan.
The apprentice ran off and quickly returned with Manager Fan himself, who was just in the front hall working on a sign advertising the new bear dishes.
He came up to Clara and said warmly, "Miss, here's the deal—our restaurant will buy all your game. Once I'm done here, I'll settle everything with you at once. As for the bear, butcher it however you see fit. We've got plenty of vacant guest rooms upstairs. I'll reserve one for you tonight—you're welcome to stay."
Manager Fan was now convinced that Clara was no ordinary woman. He had always admired hidden masters and reclusive experts. When he met one, he made it a point to befriend them. The room was offered free of charge.
Clara thanked him generously, asked one of the apprentices for an apron, and walked into the kitchen to choose her tools.
The chef had a whole row of knives, all kinds and sizes. Clara picked a small, sharp blade and got to work.
Her movements were smooth and precise. She knew exactly where to start skinning, which spots would be tricky, where the bones were. Her eyes seemed to see right through the flesh, and every slice of her knife was accurate to the millimeter.
The chef and two apprentices had initially wanted to lend a hand, but quickly realized there was no chance of them even getting involved.
In just two hours, Clara had cleanly skinned the entire bear.
The two apprentices stared at her in awe. If their own master hadn't been standing there, they might've knelt and asked to become her disciples on the spot.
She hung the bear hide out on the drying pole in the courtyard. Manager Fan would later arrange for someone to treat it.
Then Clara switched to a pointed knife and hauled the skinned bear into the courtyard. She split open its belly and began carefully separating bones, paws, gall bladder, and other rare parts.
Out front, Manager Fan's marketing had already drawn in customers eager to try some hot, fresh bear paw. Clara chopped meat while the head chef lit the stove and took over the cooking. The entire restaurant blazed with light, bustling with excitement.
They worked deep into the night, only closing shop after the last customer left.
The head chef cooked up a huge pot of stew with leftover ingredients. Each staff member got a bowl of noodles and a large steamed bun to go with the soup—it was delicious and hearty.
Knowing Clara had a big appetite, Manager Fan reminded the chef to give her two extra buns.
Her food intake was enough to match five grown men. The kitchen staff stared in disbelief—how could such a small woman pack away so much food? Wouldn't her stomach burst?
But after spending the evening with her, Manager Fan couldn't stop praising Clara. He was now calling her "Madam Clara" like they were long-time friends.
A little tipsy after a few cups of wine, Manager Fan finally let it slip—he was a massive fan of martial arts novels. If the head chef hadn't been watching, he might've dropped to his knees and begged Clara to take him as a disciple right then and there.
Clara could only laugh. This middle-aged man was oddly endearing.
The second watch bell rang from the city tower, signaling it was late. Everyone tidied up and headed their separate ways.
Clara was assigned a modest single room. There was still some hot water in the kitchen, and when she mentioned wanting to bathe, the two apprentices helped her carry water up.
She stood by the tub and glanced down, startled by the filthy, ghost-like reflection of herself staring back from the water.
She hadn't bathed in days up in the mountains—her hair was a mess and she reeked. Thinking back to how she'd sat and eaten with everyone earlier, she felt deeply grateful for their tolerance.
She quickly locked the door and scrubbed herself down, washing her hair and body thoroughly.
She only had the one filthy outfit, and there was nothing else to wear. She dusted it off, did a bit of spot-cleaning, and put it back on.
It was already late. She emptied the tub, returned to the room, and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
It was the best night of sleep Clara had had since transmigrating into this world.
The guest room was clean and spacious, the bedding soft and warm, the bed sturdy without creaking every time she rolled over. No wind-whipped noises on the roof, no midnight chills.
She woke up naturally as dawn broke, freshened up briefly, and brought her bow and short blade down to the main hall.
Manager Fan was already up. Seeing her, he quickly brought out her payment.
Fifty copper coins for butchering the bear. Four wild pheasants at twenty coins per pound came out to four hundred coins.
The yellow marten's pelt was valuable—good for making brushes—he offered her eight hundred coins.
Two fat, good-looking squirrels were valued at eighty coins each, totaling one hundred sixty.
The roe deer weighed seventy-five pounds. At forty coins per pound, that added up to three taels of silver.
Clara also had seven rabbit pelts. Originally, she planned to have them made into vests for the winter, but it would've required additional treatment and tailoring—too much hassle. So she sold them too.
Seven grey rabbit pelts fetched nine hundred coins.
And the black bear itself was worth eighty taels of silver.
All added up, she received eighty-five taels and three hundred ten copper coins.
Manager Fan handed her four silver ingots worth twenty taels each, five taels in small change, and three hundred ten coppers—all neatly packed into a cloth money pouch.
The pouch was heavy—a proper bundle.
Now Clara understood what it meant to be "loaded." In a world without paper currency, carrying wealth around was incredibly inconvenient. No wonder the rich traveled by carriage—lugging around a chest of copper coins made shopping a chore.
That said, most common folks only carried a few taels of silver, which was still manageable.
For cross-regional travel, there were money houses that issued notes—one could present the note at a local branch and exchange it for silver, avoiding the risks of carrying large sums on the road.
With her earnings in hand and having thanked Manager Fan for the hospitality, Clara left the restaurant and began her shopping spree.
(End of Chapter)