Chapter 77: Can She Be Bought Off?

Old Qi wore a kindly expression. “A young man hired me to come haul some grilled fish fillets. He’s gone to buy baskets and willow hampers, but he’ll be here soon.”

“Uncle Qi, why don’t you tie your horse to that tree over there first? Come in for a bowl of mung bean soup in a bit,” Chu Feng said, then turned and called toward the kitchen, “Sis, someone’s coming soon to buy our grilled fish fillets. They hired Uncle Qi’s wagon.”

Uncle Qi didn’t reply, just led his horse over to a locust tree nearby.

When Chu Xuan heard, she quickly ladled a bowl of mung bean soup. “Xiao Feng, hurry and invite Uncle Qi in to sit.”

Uncle Qi looked a little embarrassed. “No need, I’ll just cool off under the tree.”

He didn’t want to take advantage and drink their mung bean soup.

So Chu Xuan had to bring the soup out herself and pressed it into Uncle Qi’s hands. “Drink some to cool off. Anyone who comes to our house to haul or deliver goods gets this treatment.”

Hearing this, Uncle Qi finally accepted the bowl and thanked her, sipping the soup slowly.

Chu Xuan didn’t ask who had hired Uncle Qi—she’d find out soon enough anyway.

After a few sips, Uncle Qi took the initiative to speak. “The person who hired me seems to be from the neighboring village. I don’t know his name.”

Just then, Feng Shuai came running over, panting. “It was me… I hired Uncle Qi. The baskets I bought before… a big customer bought them all, so I… bought new ones.”

He was carrying two baskets in his hands and had a large hamper strapped to his back.

Seeing the mung bean soup in Uncle Qi’s hands, he couldn’t help licking his dry, cracked lips. He was hot and thirsty, on the verge of heatstroke.

He really wanted some mung bean soup.

Chu Xuan saw it at a glance. “Come have a bowl of mung bean soup at my place! Bring the baskets and hamper in too.”

“Th-thank you!”

Feng Shuai dashed into the courtyard like he was sprinting.

Chu Feng, having heard his sister, had already ladled out a bowl of mung bean soup and handed it to Feng Shuai.

Feng Shuai didn’t even bother to thank him again. He set down the willow baskets, took the bowl, and gulped it down.

He finished quickly.

One bowl wasn’t enough, so he thickened his skin and asked for another.

Chu Feng, of course, didn’t mind.

Even though Feng Shuai had bullied him plenty in the past, his sister had said: the enemy of my enemy could become a partner.

Who knew, maybe someday Feng Shuai would go head-to-head with Feng Chunhua.

Chu Feng was really looking forward to that day.

After two bowls of mung bean soup, Feng Shuai finally felt alive again.

Just then, Chu Xuan walked over, so he got down to business.

“This time I brought 160 yuan. I want a hundred jin of grilled fish fillets.”

He pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to Chu Feng. He remembered that last time, Chu Feng had been the one to count the money.

Chu Feng took it and quickly counted, “That’s right, 160 yuan.”

Chu Xuan looked puzzled. Last time, Feng Shuai had only bought 60 jin of grilled fish fillets—he didn’t have much capital. How did he come up with 160 yuan so quickly?

Did he sell the fish fillets at a high price?

“How much are you selling the grilled fish fillets for per jin?”

Feng Shuai hesitated, unsure if he should tell the truth. What if Chu Xuan raised her price?

Chu Xuan saw right through him. “Don’t worry, just say it. As long as the price of skinless fish doesn’t go up, our grilled fish fillets won’t go up either.”

Only then did Feng Shuai tell the truth. He turned his back to the others, held up three fingers, and whispered, “Three yuan per jin. Sixty jin sold for 180 yuan. Don’t spread it around, or someone will go to the neighboring county and compete with me.”

After deducting travel costs, he made a net profit of 1.3 yuan per jin—78 yuan for sixty jin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Chu Xuan said, pointing to the kitchen. “The grilled fish fillets were just made today. I’ll go weigh out a hundred jin for you. Next time, remember to bring clean white cloths. I can’t keep giving you free cloth every time.”

Feng Shuai grinned. “I just ran into a big customer—he bought the cloth too. Next time, if I forget, I’ll pay for it.”

“How about you pay for it this time?”

“Don’t be like that.” Feng Shuai dropped his voice to a whisper. “Before coming, I snuck over to check on Qin Xuehong. She’s still the same. Her sisters-in-law from her mother’s side are taking turns looking after her.”

At the mention of Qin Xuehong, Chu Xuan didn’t press for the cloth money anymore.

She weighed out a hundred jin of grilled fish fillets, wrapped them in white cloth, and packed them into the willow baskets and hamper.

Feng Shuai loaded them onto the cart, and Uncle Qi drove the wagon to take him and the goods to the train station.

Hua Daling paused her fish cleaning, face full of curiosity. “Xiao Xuan, what was Feng Shuai whispering to you just now? How much is he selling our grilled fish fillets for per jin elsewhere?”

Chu Xuan teased, “He was afraid you’d blab, so he whispered it and made me promise not to tell you, or he won’t buy from us anymore.”

Hua Daling picked up her knife and went back to cleaning fish. “That kid really knows me. Fine, don’t tell me. If I knew, I might really spread it around. Xiao Xuan, are we really having stewed sea duck tonight?”

“Of course! I’ll go kill a duck now. I’ll also wash and dry the softer duck feathers—save them up to make knee pads someday.”

Chu Xuan said as she walked toward the corner of the yard.

The sea ducks were over there.

Hua Daling sped up her fish cleaning. Just thinking about stewed sea duck made her mouth water.

The others felt the same.

There were still eight or nine jin of lotus root left from yesterday. They could make lotus root and sea duck stew—a perfect summer dish, fresh and light, nourishing for the body.

A little after six in the evening, everyone sat in the courtyard for dinner, each with a big bowl of lotus root and sea duck stew. The lotus root was soft and sweet, the duck meat tender and flavorful.

Their tired bodies felt revived after the meal.

With renewed energy, they got back to work.

Before 7:30 p.m., all the skinless fish had been processed and marinated.

Fish livers were salted and stored in a big vat, fish heads piled in a corner, fish skins strung up to dry…

Miao Dacui and Gao Meijuan stayed to watch the roasting ovens; the others settled their wages and went home to rest.

When Hua Daling reached her door, Feng Chunhua suddenly walked over and grabbed her wrist. “I hear you’re working for that brat Chu Xuan now?”

Hua Daling yanked her hand free. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Why grab me? She’s a good person! When I was at my lowest, she hired me to clean fish so I could afford to eat.”

Feng Chunhua sneered, “How much can she possibly pay you?”

“I’m not telling you!”

“You don’t have to. I can guess. You work yourself to the bone all day, and she gives you three yuan at most! A boatman only makes three or four yuan a day. You think a woman can earn more than a boatman?”

“What’s wrong with being a woman? If you’re quick and capable, you can earn just as much! To tell you the truth, I make more than a boatman most days!”

“Then tell me—how much?”

“On a good day, over ten yuan. At the very least, three or four. Now you know. Satisfied?”

Hua Daling had a feeling Feng Chunhua wasn’t just prying about her wages.

Suddenly, Feng Chunhua pulled out a wad of cash. “Here’s three hundred yuan. Help me with something, and it’s yours when it’s done!”

Hua Daling snorted. “You think you can buy me for that? In less than a month at Chu Xuan’s, I can make three hundred!”

Feng Chunhua gritted her teeth and pulled out an even thicker stack. “I’ll add six hundred more! Nine hundred in total. Will you help me or not?”"