Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Father!” Zhu Shi had never seen such treasures before and was so frightened she immediately looked toward Old Man Zhao.

Old Man Zhao had barely steadied his nerves; his eyes, too, were dazzled by the glittering objects. “What are you shouting for? Keep your voice down!” He snatched the handkerchief from his daughter-in-law’s grasp, weighed it in his palm, even bit it with his teeth—examining it from every angle: left, right, up, down. This was solid gold!

The solid-gold gourd was the heaviest; the gold leaves were thin, exquisitely patterned sheets; the melon-seed-shaped gold pieces appeared the smallest—so tiny his thick fingers could barely feel them between his fingertips.

Yet no matter how faint the sensation, this was gold! Gold!

They… they had struck it rich.

Old Man Zhao’s face flushed with excitement. The most valuable thing he had ever touched in his life was silver—and even that had been mere fragments. What he used daily were copper coins, which he often wished he could split in half to stretch their value. Where had he ever seen gold? And so much of it! Regardless of size, it was all gold!

“Dad, there’s more here!” Zhao Dashan cried out.

Old Man Zhao’s heart pounded wildly—a volatile mix of panic and frantic joy—his gums bared in a wide grin. Hearing his eldest son’s noisy exclamation, he swatted him hard on the back of the head: “Keep your voice down!” His burning gaze instantly snapped to him.

Zhao Dashan pulled another oil-paper package from the vase. This time, he handed it directly to his wife. After passing it over, he reached in again to feel around—but found nothing. He searched several times, even smashed the vase to pieces—still, nothing else.

Zhu Shi had already untied the handkerchief. Seeing the objects inside, her breathing grew heavier: a gold hairpin, a bracelet, two gold rings—all exquisitely designed.

There was also a gemstone-inlaid longevity lock, seemingly engraved with a name.

The “seemingly” stemmed from the Zhao family’s illiteracy. They couldn’t decipher whether those two messy, twisted circles were characters—they could only guess.

These items were clearly far more valuable than the gold gourds and leaves in the first handkerchief.

“Dad… husband…” Zhu Shi trembled, her whole body shaking slightly. What was this if not a pie falling from the sky? Oh no—there was a difference. This was worth infinitely more than a pie!

Old Man Zhao’s sharp eyes instantly scanned their surroundings. Aside from the rustling of leaves, only their family’s heavy breathing broke the silence.

He took a deep breath, quickly rolled up the handkerchief in his hand, stuffed it into his chest, and said to Zhu Shi, “Quick—hide these things. Let’s leave this place first.”

“Mhm, okay.” Zhu Shi didn’t dare carry such valuables on her person—she feared losing them. She rolled up the handkerchief, tied it into a tight knot, then stuffed it into her husband’s chest. She scooped up Zhao Xiaobao—who was squatting nearby, picking up shards—and left.

Zhao Feng hurriedly followed.

Zhao Dashan used his hoe to bury both the debris and the shards into the ground, repeatedly stomping the surface flat with his large feet. Aside from the freshly turned soil, no other trace remained. He carefully checked several times for oversights, then picked up the basket beside him and followed the others out of the woods.

…

No matter how much his hands trembled or how warm his heart felt, Old Man Zhao steadied himself, forced calm upon himself, and acted as if nothing had happened. He instructed his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson: “Remember—nothing happened. We just dug a hole to bury Xiaobao’s poop. Now we’re going to town to sell the eels.”

Zhao Dashan and his family of three nodded hastily: “We know, Dad/Grandpa. We only buried poop—nothing happened.”

“Mhm.” Old Man Zhao nodded, then couldn’t help glancing at Zhao Xiaobao nestled in Zhu Shi’s arms. His weathered face broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile. Goodness—this child truly was a lucky star for the Old Zhao family!

With a grand wave of his hand, he made a promise to his daughter, who watched him eagerly: “When Dad sells the eels, I’ll buy meat, candy, pastries, and candied haws! Buy! I’ll buy them all—for my little one!”

Hearing “candied haws,” Zhao Xiaobao couldn’t control the saliva flooding her mouth. She cooed sweetly, “Dad is the best—Xiaobao loves Dad the most!”

Old Man Zhao laughed heartily, not correcting her. Everyone in the family had, at some point, been her “favorite.” His rough hand gently rubbed his daughter’s little head as he softly instructed, “Dad loves Xiaobao the most too. Xiaobao—listen to Dad. Don’t tell anyone about what just happened. Not even your best friend Chunya—understand?”

“Mhm!” Zhao Xiaobao nodded obediently. “Dad, I won’t tell anyone—not even Mom.”

“Haha—good.” Old Man Zhao laughed loudly and rubbed his daughter’s head again.

As they spoke, the family quietly returned to the main road, gradually blending into the crowd heading into town.

People carrying loads on shoulder poles, baskets on their backs, or driving ox carts passed by. No one around seemed to pay them any attention. Zhao Dashan and Zhu Shi finally began to relax—their hearts no longer pounding, their eyes no longer darting nervously—as they entered the town with the flow of people.

Tongjiang Town was a large town—one of the most prominent in all of Guangping County. It was famous because a high-ranking official had once hailed from here.

Time had passed, and though it was unknown whether that official still lived—even if he did not, his reputation and lingering influence persisted through local word-of-mouth. As his ancestral home, Tongjiang Town reaped the benefits of this connection. Over the years, whether in development or transportation, it had grown more convenient and prosperous than surrounding towns in every respect. With more people, it naturally bustled.

Yet all this had little to do with Wanxia Village. Even if a peach tree laden with fruit stood right before their eyes, a short person standing on tiptoe still couldn’t reach it.

And even if they could, others would have picked it clean long ago.

Still, there was some advantage. Old Man Zhao knew that if you possessed something rare, you could try your luck in the eastern part of town—where wealthy, influential families resided. If they fancied something, they’d surely pay generously.

Selling eels required only one person. Wealthy families disliked noise—if too many people gathered, gatekeepers would chase them away before they even neared the mansion.

Worried about spoiling the sale, Old Man Zhao fished out a dozen or so copper coins and handed them to Zhu Shi. “Eldest daughter-in-law, take Xiaobao and the third child to the noodle stall for a bowl of noodles. Xiaobao skipped breakfast—her stomach must be hungry. Dashan, go to the dock and see how things stand now. Check whether it’s the same as the past few days—see if anything’s changed.”

He hadn’t considered the possibility of failing to sell them. Even at his age, he had never seen eels so thick and sturdy—nearly snake-like. How rare!

If one household refused them, he’d try another. Someone, somewhere, would recognize their worth.

“Grandpa, I want to go with you!” Zhao Feng pleaded, gazing eagerly at his grandfather. He’d insisted on coming to town precisely to sell the eels together—he didn’t want noodles.

“Alright, then the third child comes with me.” Old Man Zhao paused briefly. An extra child wouldn’t be a problem—it would do his grandson good to see the world.

They’d already delayed long enough on the road. Old Man Zhao wasted no more time and headed toward the eastern part of town with his grandson.

“Wife—keep a close eye on our little sister. Don’t take your eyes off her, and don’t let go of her hand. I’ll check the dock and be back soon.” Zhao Dashan repeatedly urged Zhu Shi to watch Zhao Xiaobao carefully. He wasn’t worried about her capability—ever since girlhood, she’d often come to town with her mother to sell vegetables, eggs, and livestock. She knew the town well. He simply fell into the habit of reminding her.

“Go on—don’t worry. I’ll hold our little sister the whole time—I won’t let go.” Zhu Shi urged him to hurry. What was he dawdling for?

Once everyone had left, she found a bustling noodle stall and took Zhao Xiaobao for breakfast.

This was Zhao Xiaobao’s first time in town. Ever since entering the city gate, her big eyes had darted everywhere—finding everything new and fascinating.

Zhu Shi found a corner seat with her back against the wall, giving her a clear view of the lively street. She’d originally intended to order plain noodles—but remembering the windfall they’d just received, she steeled herself and said, “Boss—one bowl of shredded pork noodles!”

“Coming right up! Please wait a moment, esteemed customer—I’ll cook it for you immediately!” The noodle stall owner flicked his towel and replied in a drawn-out tone.

Zhao Xiaobao stared across the street at the candied haw vendor for a while, then turned her head to the fried dough twist stall next door. Smelling the various delicious aromas drifting through the air, she kept sniffing vigorously.

“Sweet water for sale! Sweet, fragrant sweet water—the children’s favorite!”

“Meat buns for sale! Big, fragrant meat buns!”

“Fried dough twists for sale! Crispy, soft, delicious, fragrant fried dough twists!”

“Candied haws! Big, sweet candied haws!”

One vendor called out here, another shouted there. Zhao Xiaobao’s little head turned back and forth—almost too busy to keep up.

The town was so lively—so many people, so many vendors selling so many kinds of food. This one looked delicious, that one looked delicious too. She wanted to eat them all.

She couldn’t help reaching into her pocket. Before leaving home, her mother had tucked five copper coins into her clothes, telling her to buy snacks in town.

She wanted candied haws—three sticks—to share with her nephews when she got home.

Candied haws cost two coins per stick. She was still one coin short—not enough.

Zhao Xiaobao slumped onto the table, glancing around. The aroma from the fried dough twist stall next door made her eyes glaze over dizzily. She secretly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, covered her nose with her small hands, and forcibly shifted her gaze away.

Just then, the owner brought over the noodles, and she immediately sat up straight, her gaze fixed eagerly on the bowl.

The noodles were rolled thin, served in a broth that had simmered for half a day, dotted with oil droplets, a small handful of greens, a few visible shreds of meat, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions. Steam rose invitingly from the bowl.

Zhu Shi pulled a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo container. Seeing her little sister looking like a greedy kitten, she couldn't help but smile. "You must be starving. Come on, eat up."

"Mhm, mhm." Zhao Xiaobao imitated her, reaching for the chopsticks. "Sister-in-law, you eat too. Eat with Xiaobao."

"Good girl, I already had a pancake and I'm not hungry. You eat, Xiaobao." Zhu Shi handed her the chopsticks and gave her little head a fond pat. It was no wonder the whole family doted on her and indulged her—this little sister was simply too endearing. Since she was little, she was never possessive about food. Whenever there was something tasty, she always remembered them, and she would share any snacks or fruits with her nephews.

Zhu Shi liked Zhao Xiaobao simply because she was filial, generous, and considerate; the girl's unusual origins were a distant second.