Chapter 13

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Dashu, Ershu, and their wives all tried to persuade Old Chen, but he just wouldn’t eat.

Mrs. Li spoke up for him, saying, “If your father doesn’t want to eat, you can eat it yourselves.”

No one forced him, and they quickly finished the pickled fish before turning to the boiled fish.

In the past, they would have thought the boiled fish was good, but today they had the pickled fish for comparison, and it made them feel unsatisfied.

Chen Wushu couldn’t help but say, “Mother, please make more pickled fish in the future.”

“Grandma, we like the three-dish fish,” Dazhu represented his two younger brothers and nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Li shook her head repeatedly, saying, “You don’t understand how much oil this pickled fish needs. We can’t afford to eat it regularly.”

She had already used oil that would last for more than ten days just to make this dish.

Chen Xiaosang suggested, “If we don’t have enough oil, we can buy more. Next time, we should also buy some chili. The pickled fish with chili is even more delicious.”

Dazhu asked in surprise, “It can be even better?”

Chen Xiaosang nodded eagerly, as if she could already smell the aroma of the pickled fish she had eaten in her previous life. She quickly swallowed her saliva and continued, “Of course! We can also add soy sauce and chili. It will be both sour and spicy, and the fish will be tender. You can even swallow it without having to chew.”

Hearing her description, the three brothers couldn’t help but drool. The two sisters-in-law and Chen Wushu also salivated, wondering what it would taste like.

Mrs. Li’s eyelids twitched at their reactions. These people didn’t understand the cost of rice, oil, and salt. Adding oil and soy sauce to a dish would increase its expenses. As long as the food filled their stomachs, it should be enough.

“Dazhu and Erzhu are injured and can’t eat spicy food. When you’re better, I’ll have mother cook delicious meals for you every day. In addition to pickled fish, we’ll have fish slices, boiled pork slices, braised pork, sauce and vinegar pork knuckles…”

Chen Xiaosang counted on her fingers, and the sound of people swallowing saliva echoed in the room.

Mrs. Li tightly clutched her pocket. The 800 wen she earned today wasn’t enough for them to keep eating like this.

“Alright, alright. Now that everyone is full, go rest. Dazhu and Erzhu can’t go out tomorrow, so they’ll stay at home. Dashu’s wife will prepare the medicine for them to drink,” Mrs. Li quickly interrupted them.

Everyone was disappointed to be interrupted just when they were getting excited.

Chen Xiaosang was still lost in thoughts about various fish and meat dishes. She paid little attention to the interruption. After Mrs. Li arranged for her to take a shower, she lay on the bed, her mind filled with thoughts of delicious food, and she could almost smell the fragrant aroma.

No, she had to earn money quickly so she could enjoy lavish meals every day.

Lost in her thoughts, sleep overcame her, and she fell into a deep slumber.

When she woke up the next day, the adults had already left for work.

After freshening up and having breakfast, she grabbed a basket and decided to go to the honeysuckle patch at the foot of the mountain.

As he approached the cluster of flowers, he noticed Shen Dalang descending from the mountain with a bow in his hand.

Chen Xiaosand smiled as she greeted, “Shen Dalang, you’ve returned from hunting?”

Shen Dalang couldn’t believe his eyes upon seeing a short figure standing by the flowers. He swiftly walked towards her.

When he reached her, he lifted her up and placed her on a large nearby rock, asking in an assertive tone, “Why have you come down the mountain again? Weren’t you scared just the day before?”

Aware of his concern, Chen Xiaosang reached into her basket and pulled out a sickle, cheerfully saying, “I brought a weapon. I’m not afraid even if I encounter snakes.”

Although she was young and inexperienced, armed with a weapon, she could protect herself from the large snake she had encountered before, relying on her survival skills honed over many years in the post-apocalyptic world.

Shen Dalang glanced at the sickle, longer than her arm, then at her tender young face, his expression growing even more grim. This child failed to comprehend the danger she had faced just the day before.

“I’ll escort you home,” Shen Dalang firmly grasped Chen Xiaosang’s small hand and started walking towards the village.

Having sneaked out of her house, Chen Xiaosang had no intention of returning home. She attempted to free her hand from Shen Dalang’s grip and evade him.

Shen Dalang lifted her and held her tightly, sternly commanding, “Don’t move!”

Chen Xiaosang was already regretting having said hello to him. Now, she was about to be escorted back home empty-handed just for saying hello to this overprotective man.

She squirmed uncomfortably and protested, “If you take me back, I’ll find my way out on my own.”

“I’ll have your parents confine you at home,” Shen Dalang responded coldly.

And to think he would even report her actions— this was too much!

If she weren’t allowed to earn money, what would become of her brothers if they were captured and conscripted into the military?

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Gripping Shen Dalang’s clothes, she pleaded, her voice filled with grievance, “Please don’t tell my parents. They’ve been struggling lately. We can’t afford to pay the summer tax.”

Shen Dalang halted, glancing down at her wrinkled features. Some of the anger in his heart subsided, yet he maintained his cold tone. “I haven’t heard about it.”

Noticing the evident change in his tone, Chen Xiaosang felt relief. She blinked her eyes, trying to hold back her tears, and felt even more wronged. “My family has no money. If we can’t pay the summer tax, my four brothers will be taken away for military service. I heard that those who serve don’t come back. My brothers mean so much to me… I can’t bear to lose them.”

Shen Dalang’s pace slowed, listening to her endless rambling, torn between conflicting emotions.

“You’re a good person. If I tell you something, promise me not to tell anyone else.” She plucked up her courage and continued, “This is called honeysuckle. I can sell it for money. Even though it’s not much, if I work hard, I can earn more and prevent one of my brothers from being conscripted… My family is so poor. I need to work…”

Shen Dalang tightly pursed his lips and came to a halt, gazing down at the little girl’s distressed expression. He just couldn’t bring himself to be stern with her.

Insisting on escorting her home felt like forcing her brothers into a perilous situation.

Shen Dalang’s face darkened, and he turned around, settling Chen Xiaosang on the same large stone as before. Placing his bow, arrows, and the game he had hunted beside her, he took her basket and said, “Stay here and don’t move. I’ll gather some flowers for you.”

Chen Xiaosang, with her short stature, stood up on the boulder, her eyes level with Shen Dalang’s chin. She patted his shoulder with her small hand, grinning mischievously. “You’re a really nice young man.”

Veins bulging on Shen Dalang’s forehead, he held onto her little hand and positioned it by her side. “Behave yourself.”

Chen Xiaosang chuckled, revealing her pearly white teeth. “I can pick flowers by your side. I’ll be safe as long as I’m with you.”

Two people gathering flowers would be faster than one. After she returned the first basket, she could pick another.

Shen Dalang’s eyebrows twitched. How did he end up feeling like she had tricked him into doing chores?

Chen Xiaosang hung the basket on Shen Dalang’s long arm, turned her back to the rock, and crawled down, using both hands and feet. She grabbed Shen Dalang’s arm and pulled him towards the flower bushes.

Shen Dalang allowed her to lead him forward, observing her short hair fluttering in the air as she bounced around. He resisted the urge to touch her hair.