Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Xu Meng could only stare helplessly at the youngest, who looked on the verge of tears. "Do you know how to do origami?"

The youngest shook his head.

Xu Meng then turned to the eldest. "Go get a homework notebook filled with writing."

The second child had already slipped into the room and came out holding several notebooks.

"Look, this is a big frog," Xu Meng said, handing the folded paper to the youngest and confiscating their marbles. "No more playing with marbles from now on."

The second child grumbled, pointing at the youngest. "It's all your fault! I saved up so many marbles!" He had won them fair and square from other kids!

Then, with a sheepish grin, he tried to butter up Xu Meng. "Sister, next time I won’t play in front of the youngest. Can you give them back to me?"

Back then, kids didn’t have many toys, and marbles were the most common plaything for boys.

Xu Meng thought for a moment. "What if your brother gets hold of one and swallows it? That’s no joke."

The second child swore on his honor. "I won't let him touch them."

"Yeah, right," Xu Meng scoffed. If they played together, who knew when he’d toss one into his mouth?

Ignoring him, Xu Meng waved the bag of marbles sternly. "Next time you want to play, check with me first. Then you’ll have to leave them with me afterward. Remember, Aunt Liu left you in my mom’s care. If something happens to your brother right after we move in, do you know what’ll happen to us?"

"We could get booted!"

The second child flinched and was summoned by the eldest to go take a bath.

The three children took turns bathing in the tub. The water, sun-heated during the day, was still warm. First the youngest went, then the second, and finally the eldest.

Water without soap wasn’t chemically tainted, even after washing. Once they were done, they poured the water directly into the flower beds, killing two birds with one stone—disposing of the dirty water and watering the plants at the same time.

Perfect!

After dumping the water, the eldest suddenly remarked, "My mom used to do it like this too."

No wonder their family had built so many vegetable beds—it must have been a way to both grow food and manage wastewater.

Xu Meng also heated water and bathed with Feng Yanwen. Luckily, they had bought a tub too. Without a bathroom at home, they had to squat inside the tub to wash.

They couldn’t use soap every day either. Washing with soap required cleaning afterward and changing the water, which was especially inconvenient. Every time she bathed, Xu Meng longed for a private bathroom. Summer was manageable, but in winter, they'd have to go to the public bathhouse, waiting ten or fifteen days just to wash once.

The next day, Zhang Xiufen came by to deliver watermelons, following Chang Xi’s directions to the newly moved-in house.

That day, Xu Meng received twelve watermelons. Zhang Xiufen left happily, asking only how many melons would be needed the next day before heading off.

But Xu Meng was stumped by the watermelons. The distance to the train station was an issue, and she now had a psychological aversion to large ones.

"This isn’t hard," the eldest said. He produced a small cart from somewhere and generously offered, "You can use this."

It was like a makeshift baby stroller—capable of carrying people or things. The wheels were taken from a woman’s bicycle, the frame was hand-carved woodwork, finely polished, and the basket was made of canvas material. Xu Meng tested it with a push and found it light but sturdy, able to carry five or six large watermelons at once.

"This is great. Who made it?"

The eldest’s face fell. "My dad," he muttered, then clammed up.

By the time his father passed away, the child had been old enough to remember him. Even now, the memory still stung.

Xu Meng paused, surprised: "...Then lend it to me for a while. I'll buy you watermelon tonight."

The kids couldn't help but drool at the mention of watermelon—Even the oldest’s sadness faded a bit.

Xu Meng had the urge to cut the watermelon for them right then and there.

With watermelon dangling like a carrot, the children became exceptionally well-behaved. In the morning, they trailed after Xu Meng like ducklings, preparing small buckets and stools. With the help of the small cart, mother and daughter reached the train station much more easily than the day before.

As soon as Xu Meng set the watermelons down, people began to gather around.

"Oh, what's this?"

"Watermelons for sale. Who would buy such big watermelons to take on the train?"

Xu Meng took one watermelon out and placed it on a tray, announcing loudly, "Watermelons for sale! Sweet, juicy watermelon slices! Fifty cents a slice—refreshing and cuts through the heat! Come and get your watermelon!"

She cut the watermelon open, peeled off the rind, and displayed the size to the crowd. The bright red flesh and fresh, fruity aroma made thirsty passersby lick their lips, and soon people began pulling out their money.

Feng Yanwen wasn’t great at hawking, so Xu Meng continued calling out.

Xu Meng quickly put her skills to work. One slice sold, and soon another followed. Today’s sales went exceptionally smoothly—twelve watermelons, four more than yesterday, were sold out before four o’clock. The two of them thought about the money they’d made and couldn’t help but feel a quiet excitement.

On the way back, Feng Yanwen remembered her promise to the children about the watermelon, so they swung by the market to buy another watermelon from Zhang Xiufen and also placed an order for the next day’s batch.

"Fourteen tomorrow?" Zhang Xiufen lit up.

She had brought extra watermelons today, and they were almost sold out. If Xu Meng and her mother could take this many every day, her business this year would be much easier. Zhang Xiufen quickly picked out a watermelon for them and didn’t ask any more questions about their sales.

By the time they got home, it wasn’t even dinnertime yet.

Xu Meng cut a quarter of the watermelon into slices and gave one to each of the three brothers.

Who knows how long it’d been since the children had eaten watermelon. Their mouths watered at the sight of it and, once in their hands, they wolfed it down without pause, behaving on their best behavior.

Feng Yanwen had never had children of her own, but she adored them. It tugged at her heartstrings watching them.

The eldest managed to keep his composure, eating neatly. The second brother, however, ate like a vacuum cleaner, finishing his slice in no time—even gnawing on the rind. The youngest had a small mouth and made a mess, juice everywhere. The second brother, already done, glared at the youngest’s slobbery slice and wrinkled his nose. "Can’t you eat properly?"

The youngest ignored him, too focused on his watermelon.

Xu Meng cracked up at the children’s antics. "Want more watermelon?"

The second brother bounced with excitement. "Yes!"

Xu Meng pointed to the small buckets and basins. "Take these to wash. Help me with chores every day, and I’ll set aside a slice for you every day."

Even the eldest was tempted. Since they weren’t in school and had nothing else to do, he quickly asked, "Anything else? We can do a lot."

Xu Meng’s mind raced. She and Feng Yanwen were swamped from dawn to dusk, and she still had to study when she got home. Having helpers would be a win-win—she wouldn’t feel guilty putting them to work if they got something in return. She pointed to the vegetable patch. "Till those patches for me, and wash all the pots and pans. Can you handle that?"

The eldest nodded repeatedly. "We can! We’ll behave!"

The second brother piped up, "So… do we get watermelon tomorrow?"

He was practically drooling again.

Xu Meng nodded. "Do a good job, and there’s more watermelon tomorrow."

Feng Yanwen didn’t object. While she pitied the children, handouts would spoil them. Xu Meng’s approach was much better. She was exhausted and just wanted to lie down when she got home, too worn out for chores.

They divided the leftover watermelon—keeping one portion for themselves, giving one to Chang Xi, another to Sister Liu, and handing the largest chunk to Wang Shuanzhu, the secondhand goods seller.

He’d helped them find a lot of good stuff.

At first, Wang Shuanzhu was taken aback, but once he heard they had given some to others too, he took it without fuss.

Feng Yanwen did the math. Even after accounting for the watermelon they had bought and eaten, they still made over forty yuan. Holding that money in her hand gave her a newfound sense of stability, and her mind started buzzing with possibilities.

That night, as they got ready for bed, Feng Yanwen couldn’t help but ask, “Mengmeng, do you think we could sell watermelons in two separate spots?”

Wouldn’t that mean more money?

But Xu Meng shot it down right away.

“First off, one person cuts and one handles the money—it’s already tough to keep up when it gets busy. I don’t want to end up doing poorly at both spots. And second, I’d worry if you went out by yourself.”

Feng Yanwen couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Xu Meng added, “But you just gave me an idea—even if we can’t split into two places, we can still sell two different things in the same spot. We could sell something besides watermelons.”

Feng Yanwen’s face brightened. “What else could we sell?”

“Mom, have you noticed? Most folks buying watermelons from us are out-of-towners or tourists.”

“Of course. Locals wouldn’t trek all the way to the train station for watermelons.”

All day, while Xu Meng chatted with customers, Feng Yanwen listened closely—not only picking up tips about popular attractions but also taking mental notes on sales techniques. Though quiet by nature, she was sharp-minded.

“What if we stocked up on tourist maps?”

“You want to sell tourist maps?” Feng Yanwen slapped her thigh. “Right! How did I not think of that before? I know where to get them.”

“Mom, you have a source for that?”

Feng Yanwen used to be a teacher and had regular contact with bookstore owners—she actually had the hookup.