"Chapter 14"

"Upon waking up in the morning, she found that the two children had risen even earlier than her and had already washed up outside."

"Shen Ning, returning to the room and seeing her sister-in-law awake, bounced to the bedside, both delighted and shyly sharing her dream of making money to buy grain. It was then that Sang Luo realized she wasn’t the only one filled with joy."

"Instantly invigorated, she threw off the blanket and got out of bed."

"Seeing Sang Luo up, Shen Ning turned to the stone where they kept the bowls, circled around it, and returned with a handful of grass roots, saying, 'Sister-in-law, here, these are what my brother and I gathered this morning!'"

"A primitive version of a toothbrush, these roots from a plant called 'white grass,' stripped of their bark, could be chewed on. Containing abundant cellulose, they were used by the poor, who were conscious about hygiene, for cleaning teeth and the mouth."

"Sang Luo had already tried using one the day before."

Now, seeing the siblings had prepared her share as well, she smiled and ruffled Shen Ning's hair in gratitude: “Thank you.”

She took the white grass roots and went out to clean up.

Only upon stepping outside did she realize that the ramie she had soaked in the pond the night before had already been retrieved. Shen An, though young, was deftly processing the ramie with a tool borrowed from the Chen family, his actions showing surprising proficiency for his age.

"Sang Luo was somewhat surprised; this wasn’t something one could learn just by watching."

"Thinking of Li Shi’s character, she wasn't too surprised."

"Shen An’s eyes lit up when he saw Sang Luo getting up: 'Big sister, can we go check the fish traps now?'"

"He had been thinking about it since he woke up in the morning."

"'Sure!' Sang Luo smiled: 'Just let me wash up and we can go.'"

"Shen An and Shen Ning were as happy as could be. While Sang Luo was still washing up, the siblings went to prepare."

"The children, now experienced, quickly tidied up the hemp stripping tools. One fetched the empty basket they had brought back the night before, and the other carried the old clay pot used for cooking, all to avoid occupying the basket so they could set more fish traps after collecting their catch."

"The traps set at night and collected in the early morning usually yielded a better catch, although this time the fish were not very big, with the largest being smaller than the size of a palm."

"Even so, the three of them were extremely content with their catch."

"Shen An and Shen Ning treasured the fish and shrimp, even carefully filling the clay pot with water to keep the fish alive longer. Sang Luo let them be."

"However, this was only feasible for the journey home. Once there, the clay pot needed cleaning for cooking, so the siblings couldn’t keep the fish. And the borrowed bucket and pottery basin from the Chen family, used for fetching water and cooking, couldn’t be left smelling of fish. Besides, they needed these for preparing food to sell in the next two days."

"Shen An, understanding this, asked Sang Luo how they should handle the fish and shrimp upon returning home."

"'Let's keep three or four fish for our lunch, and separate the rest into a bowl for later use. As for the shrimp, wash them and boil them in the clay pot, then dry them on last night's stone slab. Save the shrimp-boiling water too,' Sang Luo instructed."

"Though Shen An was curious about Sang Luo's plan for the half-bowl of fish, he followed her instructions without question."

"For breakfast, they boiled porridge again. Perhaps feeling more secure about food, Shen An watched Sang Luo measure rice without trying to save some like the day before, though his expression still betrayed his reluctance."

"Sang Luo, amused, took the opportunity to teach: 'Don’t fret over using rice. You know the saying, 'Don't skimp in the morning, don't overeat at night.' A good breakfast is essential for a healthy body and energy throughout the day.'"

"Shen An bashfully responded, 'Sister-in-law, I didn't say anything.'"

"Sang Luo smiled and, using the hot water left from boiling shrimp, skimmed off the foam and added the washed rice, stirring occasionally."

"Once the rice bloomed in the pot, she sprinkled some salt and added finely chopped wild onions, releasing a fragrance that had the children’s noses twitching in anticipation, barely holding back drooling."

"River delicacies truly lived up to their reputation."

"The freshness of the shrimp combined with the aroma of the onions resulted in a savory shrimp porridge."

"It was just unfortunate they had no ginger, which would have made the flavor even better. Yet for three people used to wild vegetables, this delicacy left nothing to be desired."

"With only two usable bowls left at home, Sang Luo cheerfully served half a bowl of porridge to each sibling. 'You two eat first, I’ll make a quick visit to Old Lady Chen.'"

"Carrying half a bowl of fish, she left the house."

"Shen An and Shen Ning exchanged glances, neither questioning what the fish was for."

"It was Sang Luo's plan to catch the fish, so naturally, she could decide what to do with it. Moreover, giving it to Old Lady Chen was fine, as she and Old Man Chen had saved their sister-in-law’s life."

……

"Sang Luo indeed went to give the fish to the elderly lady, but it wasn’t out of mere gratitude or obligation, nor was it a gift."

"She was boldly hoping to exchange the half bowl of fish for a piece of malt sugar from Old Lady Chen."

"'Fresh food might not be appreciated if people don’t know the taste. I thought of giving out samples at first, hence the idea of melting some sugar in water to take along,' she reasoned."

"It was a legitimate plan."

"After hearing her purpose, Old Lady Chen didn’t take the bowl from Sang Luo but asked her to wait, disappearing inside the house. She soon returned, handing over two pieces of malt sugar, 'Hurry back, leave the bowl. The sugar will melt if it stays out too long.'"

"Sang Luo gratefully accepted, 'Granny, would you like to take a bowl for the fish?'"

"Old Lady Chen had already given out four pieces of malt sugar in two days, feeling quite the pinch. She had seen the conditions at Shen's main house with her own eyes. The small amount of fish, likely caught from soaking all day in the stream, was hardly worth asking for from the children."

"She waved her hand dismissively, 'We have plenty to eat here. Take it back for yourselves.'"

"Sang Luo protested, '...But then wouldn't I be taking your sugar for nothing? What would that make me? We agreed on an exchange.'"

"Sang Luo went straight to the kitchen, confidently pulling Qin Fangniang along, 'Auntie You Tian, could you lend me a bowl to put this in?'"

"Qin Fangniang, hesitant to take something her mother-in-law had refused, peeked at Old Lady Chen for cues."

"Seeing the situation, Sang Luo didn’t wait idly; she scanned the kitchen, quickly spotted the cupboard, briskly took out a bowl, and poured in the half bowl of fish."

"She then turned to Old Lady Chen with a chuckle, 'Granny, I have another favor to ask. Could I borrow a bucket for tomorrow’s market? I’ll pick it up tonight and ensure it won't inconvenience your family’s use today. I’ll return it right after the market.'"

"Old Lady Chen and her daughter-in-law were speechless…"

"She used to be so shy, but now, if given a tail, she’d be as cunning as a monkey, not needing any help to clamber up."

"Old Lady Chen felt she was being imposed upon and looked at Sang Luo sternly, 'Isn’t one bucket enough for your sale? Do you think money rains down in the market? It’s not that easy to earn.'"

"The local market mostly attracted farmers, and in these times, few families were willing to spend much on food."

"Sang Luo sheepishly replied, 'Well, it’s just that carrying one bucket is hard, and it’s a seven-mile walk to the market.'"

"Pinching her thin arm, she added, 'Look at me, with my frail body. Carrying a full bucket of tofu for seven miles would not just tire my arms, I’d be utterly exhausted.'"

"So, I thought of borrowing another bucket from you. Carrying two lighter buckets would be easier."

"With a charming smile, she added, 'And one carrying pole, if you don’t mind.'"

"Her flattering demeanor…"

"Old Lady Chen, feeling somewhat helpless, nodded in agreement, 'Alright, alright, come and get it tonight.'"

"And so, Sang Luo, now a master of sweet talk, left with a pile of goodwill from Old Lady Chen."

"Old Lady Chen's mouth twitched with amusement as she tried to maintain a serious demeanor, waving Sang Luo off: 'Alright, you have a stall to run tomorrow, and plenty to do today. Better head back now.'"

"Sang Luo left the Chen family’s courtyard feeling content, clutching the empty bowl and two pieces of malt sugar. She hadn't gone far when she heard an exaggerated, sarcastic 'Oh!' with a couple of twists in tone."

"Li Shi leaned against her own gate, chin slightly raised, eyeing the empty bowl in Sang Luo's hand with a smirk: 'Switched to begging at a new place now, have you? What’s the matter, didn’t get anything?'"