EHCR 11

Chapter 11: Generous Gifts

​The two bundles of water celery weighed a total of 126 catty. Priced at one copper coin per catty, that came out to a total of 126 copper coins.

​"The price I'm offering for this water celery is even a bit higher than cabbage, so I'm being fully sincere," Tiechui said generously. "In the future, if you have any more water celery, feel free to bring it all straight to me."

​This price wasn't sky-high, but it was already completely fair, and it could even lead to a long-term business arrangement. Song Zhaodi had no complaints whatsoever, so they immediately closed the deal and she collected the 126 copper coins.

​"Uncle Tiechui, you're straightforward, and I'm not stingy either. This time it was cold-dressed water celery; when I bring more water celery next time, I'll teach you another way to cook it."

​In this dynasty, people usually just steamed or boiled their food, added a bit of oil and seasoning, and called it a day.

​There was massive untapped potential in the stir-fry market.

​Tiechui nodded repeatedly and, under Song Zhaodi's guidance, even replicated a plate of cold-dressed water celery himself.

​Seeing that they had sold the water celery without a hitch, Zhao Zenghua felt relieved as well. "Little Sister, Zhaodi, it's getting late, I need to head back."

​Zhao Zenghua worked at a carpentry shop and had just briefly explained the situation to his boss to carve out some time to escort them here.

​After seeing off her eldest uncle, Song Zhaodi and Zhao Lanzhi stepped out of the tavern and handed the silver coins over to Zhao Lanzhi.

​"Mom, let's go buy Dad's medicine."

​Zhao Lanzhi took the coins, her expression deeply moved as she looked at Song Zhaodi, her eyes filled with immense gratification. "Zhaodi, we owe it all to you..."

​As a mother, she was falling short compared to a sixteen-year-old child.

​"We're a family, you don't need to say things like that."

​Although her grandparents treated the sisters harshly, as parents, Song Yaodong and Zhao Lanzhi's affection and protection toward them were flawless.

​They never belittled or neglected them just because they were girls, unlike other parents.

​Such parents deserved an equal return of devotion from their children.

​"Alright, alright, alright." Zhao Lanzhi nodded repeatedly, tucked the coins into her tunic, and said, "Combined with the money from selling the turtle, this time we can buy several more days' worth of medicine for your dad."

​"While that water celery is still tender, we should come back and sell more tomorrow..." Zhao Lanzhi began to dream about the future.

​Song Zhaodi smiled along with her. "Mom, I've discovered another great way to make money. It might even make more than selling water celery."

​Upon hearing this, Zhao Lanzhi immediately asked what it was, but Song Zhaodi kept her suspense. "It's a secret for now, you'll find out soon enough."

​The weather was gradually turning warm, and in just a few days, the water celery would grow old and tough, making it hard to sell.

​But for wild mushrooms, it was right in the prime season.

​The mother and daughter headed to the apothecary, where Zhao Lanzhi bought eight days' worth of medicine. Song Zhaodi was puzzled.

​"Mom, day before yesterday's 185 copper coins plus today's money was enough to buy ten days' worth of medicine. Why did you only buy eight days' worth?"

​Zhao Lanzhi stroked her head and smiled, "Girl, you forgot—you still need to buy some things to thank Shen Che for saving your life."

​"Our household rice and oil are running out too, we have to buy some more; we can't spend it all on medicine."

​Her mother was always like this, splitting a single copper coin into three just to make it stretch, trying to look after everyone in the household. Yet a mother-in-law as selfish and vicious as Sun Xiuhe didn't deserve any of it.

​"Mom, all the family's money is kept with Grandma. If we run out of rice and oil, Grandma will go buy it."

​Zhao Lanzhi let out a sigh. "With the whole family's expenses, that little bit of money still has to fund Yaozu's schooling... Since we have a bit of spare cash, it's fine to buy a little; we'll be eating it ourselves anyway."

​Such a pushover.

​Yet Song Zhaodi also knew that unless she let her mother see Sun Xiuhe's selfishness firsthand, her mother would foolishly keep sacrificing herself in the future.

​So she didn't argue any further.

​After finishing the medicine shopping, the mother and daughter headed to the market.

​Things are so expensive.

​Pork was nine copper coins a catty, coarse grain three copper coins a catty, white rice six copper coins a catty, and eggs one copper coin each...

​Holding the remaining seventy-one copper coins after paying for the medicine, Song Zhaodi truly felt for the first time just how heavy these prices were for them right now.

​Zhao Lanzhi was stingy with herself, but remarkably generous when it came to her daughter's savior.

​Two catty of pork, three catty of white rice, and twenty eggs came to a total of fifty-six copper coins.

​"Mom, we only have fifteen copper coins left."

​Zhao Lanzhi nodded and said, "Let's buy all coarse grain with it. It's fine to go without cooking oil for two days, we can buy it next time."

​Song Zhaodi disagreed. "Mom, let's just buy two catty of coarse grain for now, but we still need to buy oil, I have a use for it."

​"I checked just now—pork fat is nine copper coins a catty, which is a bit pricey, but chicken fat is cheaper, only five copper coins a catty."

​Hearing that Song Zhaodi had a use for it, Zhao Lanzhi agreed. After buying two catty of coarse grain, she bought one catty of chicken fat, and spent the remaining coins on salt.

​Busy all morning, and not a single copper coin was left over.

​Money left their hands faster than it came in.

​However, having already found a reliable way to make money, the mother and daughter still felt lighthearted inside.

​As they carried their bundles back home, they happened to run into Shen Che yet again.

​It was a great opportunity to hand over the "generous gift" right then and there, and hitch a free ride home into the bargain.

​Shen Che politely declined at first, refusing to accept it, but after Zhao Lanzhi dropped the line—"If you don't accept this, we won't dare ride on your ox-cart ever again"—he reluctantly took it.

​"Zhaodi-meizi, thank you for the generous gift," he said with a smile.

​Song Zhaodi answered with a completely straight face, "It's only right."

​With that, the two didn't exchange any more words.

​Though Shen Che looked fiercely intimidating, he turned out to be an easygoing person. All the way back, he chatted amicably with Zhao Lanzhi, acting remarkably good-natured.

​Right as they were about to get down from the cart, he tossed a string of meat directly into Zhao Lanzhi's bamboo basket, flicked his whip, and drove off.

​"Auntie, this is more than enough. Consider that string of meat my filial respect to you two elders."

​Zhao Lanzhi chased after the cart for a good while before giving up, and could only walk back home carrying the meat.

​Along the way, she kept praising Shen Che. "What a fine young man. It's such a pity he has no parents or family, left all alone in this world to scratch out a living."

​Song Zhaodi remained noncommittal, always feeling like Shen Che had two entirely different faces—one in front of Zhao Lanzhi, and a completely different one when facing her.

​In her past life, she had been single since birth for over twenty years, had no intimate contact with the opposite sex, and didn't understand the psychology of men.

​So she chose not to judge.

​When they got back home, Song Dachuan wasn't there; he had gone out to toil in the fields, leaving only Song Yaodong and Pandi at home.

​They said Sun Xiuhe and Song Yaozu still hadn't returned, and Song Dachuan had gone to the fields that morning with a pitch-black expression.

​Hearing this, Zhao Lanzhi hurriedly grabbed a hoe, terrified that if she arrived even a step late, she would catch Song Dachuan's wrath.

​"Zhaodi, you go start lunch first. I'll go help your grandpa in the fields for a bit, then come back to eat."

​Seeing his wife rush off like that, Song Yaodong felt a pang of heartache, but feeling utterly helpless, he could only lean on his crutches and hobble toward the kitchen.

​"Zhaodi, you cook, I'll handle the fire."

​He had to do something; he couldn't just sit around eating for free.

​"Big Sister, I'll go gather firewood for you," Pandi piped up, using her little short legs to scurry off and get busy.

​Song Zhaodi first washed the chicken fat and pork, sliced up some of the fat meat to render down with the chicken fat into cooking oil, and scooped out the cracklings to set aside.

​"Zhaodi, how come we bought meat today?"

​Catching the rich aroma of rendering fat, Song Yaodong felt his mouth water, though he still felt that eating meat was a bit too luxurious for them.

​"This meat was originally bought to thank Shen Che. But he ended up sending back a whole string of meat instead, saying it was a filial tribute to you two elders." 

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