Chapter 9: Building a House Moves Up the Agenda

Tears welled up in Chu Xuan’s eyes. In these times, every family was struggling to get by, yet Grandma Gao’s family always helped her selflessly.

She quickly counted out fifty yuan from the two hundred, stuffed it back into Gao Meijuan’s hand, and said, “Grandma Gao, the mackerel tail was already a gift for you—it’s yours. This fifty yuan is what you deserve, you have to take it. If you don’t, I’ll return all the pots, pans, grain, lard, and everything else you’ve given me. Over the years, you’ve helped me and my little brother with far more than this.”

Gao Meijuan’s eyes filled with affection. “You and your brother have only each other—it’s not easy. My family will never forget how your mother saved my youngest daughter. No matter how many times we help you, it’s never too much! I won’t take this fifty yuan. When you get married and life is better, just come visit me and Grandpa Wang a few more times. Oh, and about splitting the household registration, Grandpa Wang will take care of it.”

Wang Depin walked into the main room and made his stance clear—he absolutely refused to take the money.

Unable to change their minds, Chu Xuan had no choice but to give up on insisting. In her heart, she resolved to repay their kindness in the future.

Wang Depin took the opportunity to pass along Tian Xiaoyun’s message from the phone call.

After a moment’s silence, Chu Xuan asked Wang Depin for Tian Xiaoyun’s contact information.

Wang Depin looked relieved. The day when mother and daughter would reconcile was not far off.

Over twenty minutes later, Chu Xuan and her younger brother returned home.

Chu Feng bolted the courtyard gate, worry on his face. “Sis, after sunrise, do you think Grandpa, Grandma, and Second Uncle will come after us for revenge?”

Chu Xuan couldn’t help but sigh. Her little brother had been raised timid by Feng Chunhua. He hadn’t dared say a word in front of the Chu family just now. Clearly, she’d have to teach him well from now on.

“Xiao Feng, do you know what it means to use leverage? Or what it means to unite every possible force?”

She patiently explained, bit by bit.

Reminded like this, Chu Feng suddenly understood. “Sis, I get it! If Grandpa, Grandma, or Second Uncle come looking for trouble, I can confidently bring up the village chief, and also mention the debt we owe the one-eyed dragon.”

Chu Xuan nodded in satisfaction. “Good boy! All right, go wash up and get some more sleep. When you wake up, I’ll take you to the county seat to buy supplies. We’ll be back before five-thirty to go clam digging again. When people ask, just say we’ve already paid off this month’s hundred-yuan debt.”

Chu Feng spun around three times in excitement. “We get to go to the county! That’s awesome! Oh, and about the remittance you mentioned before…”

“Grandpa Wang told me—it’ll definitely arrive in the next day or two.” Chu Xuan gently ruffled his hair. “You’re still a bit short. From now on, I’ll make sure you get plenty of meat every day, so you can grow tall—one meter eighty, at least!”

Chu Feng clenched his fists. “Yeah! I’ll definitely grow tall. Then I won’t be afraid of Chu Zhi anymore, and I’ll be able to protect you!”

At nine thirty in the morning, Chu Xuan woke up.

She checked her inner pocket to make sure the money was still there before getting up to wash.

She made some mixed-grain pancakes and cooked a vegetable noodle soup.

She called her little brother to come eat.

The first thing Chu Feng said when he saw her was, “Sis, is the money still—”

Before he could finish, Chu Xuan smiled and answered, “It’s here. Don’t worry!”

She checked his face on purpose—the swelling was gone.

After breakfast, just as they were about to head out, Gao Meijuan came bustling in.

She hurriedly handed Chu Xuan the household registration booklet. Before Chu Xuan could even thank her, she rushed off again.

Watching Grandma Gao leave, Chu Xuan patted the booklet. “This came at just the right time! We’ll take the horse cart to the town post office first—maybe Mom’s remittance has already arrived.”

Chu Feng looked disdainful. “Even if Tian Xiaoyun sends us money, I still won’t forgive her!”

Chu Xuan slapped him on the shoulder. “She’s our mother! Don’t call her by name. She must have had her reasons for leaving back then. You can’t spend her money and still badmouth her.”

Chu Feng was still a bit unconvinced.

Chu Xuan didn’t bother explaining further.

They went to the village entrance to wait for the horse cart. Everything went smoothly. At the town post office, sure enough, there was a remittance slip from their mother—three hundred yuan.

Chu Xuan used the household registration booklet to collect the money, then called her mother.

On the other end, Tian Xiaoyun answered, “Hello…”

Chu Xuan’s nose tingled. “Mom, it’s me.”

That long-missed “Mom” made Tian Xiaoyun choke up with emotion. “Yes! Good child!”

“Mom, thank you for sending money to me and Xiao Feng. I’ve earned a bit myself, and I want to use your name to take out some money to build a new house…”

Chu Xuan shared her thoughts, and Tian Xiaoyun agreed right away, saying she’d come visit them when she had time and explain in person why she left back then.

During the call, Chu Feng didn’t say a word.

After hanging up, the siblings took the bus to the county seat.

At four in the afternoon, they returned to the village, loaded down with bags.

On the way home, they attracted a lot of attention.

A gossip-loving neighbor asked, “Chu Xuan, did you strike it rich?”

Chu Xuan replied bluntly, “My mother sent me money. Not only can we pay off this month’s debt, we can also fix up the old house and build a new one.”

The news quickly spread through the village.

Back home, they sorted out their purchases:

Bamboo baskets, a big wooden basin, fabric, pork belly, pork bones, malted milk, new shoes, bamboo mats, iron buckets, tongs, an iron pot, white flour, cornmeal, sweet potato flour, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine…

Low tide would be around five-thirty today—over an hour to go.

They’d eaten meat buns and wontons in the county, so they weren’t hungry yet.

Chu Xuan put a three-jin slab of pork belly in a bamboo basket, covered it, and headed straight for Gao Meijuan’s house. She needed to repair the old house and swap land to build a new one. Reporting to Grandma Gao first would make everything go much smoother.

Chu Feng didn’t go with her—he stayed home to start the fire and cook the pork bones…

When Gao Meijuan heard Chu Xuan’s plans, she immediately took charge.

Chu Xuan took out a wad of money—two thousand two hundred yuan—and handed it to Gao Meijuan. “Grandma Gao, this money was sent by my mother. Please keep it for me. The old house is so dilapidated, it can’t keep out thieves.”

Gao Meijuan readily accepted the responsibility. “With this much, building two spacious brick rooms and fixing up the old house won’t be a problem. When Grandpa Wang gets home tonight, I’ll have him contact a construction crew.”

Chu Xuan gave her a grateful hug. “Thank you, Grandma Gao!”

The hug moved Gao Meijuan to tears. “You child, you’ve made me so happy I’m crying.”

They chatted a while longer before Chu Xuan got ready to leave.

Just then, the steamed buns were done. Gao Meijuan kept the pork belly and sent Chu Xuan home with six big buns.

She planned to make meat pies the next day and bring them over for Chu Xuan.

Back home, the fragrant bone soup was ready.

The siblings each had three big buns and a bowl of pork rib soup—what a treat! This was a life they’d never even dared to dream of before.

One carried an iron bucket, the other a wooden one, and they grabbed the rest of their tools to head out to the shore.

At the beach, Chu Feng made a beeline for the spot where the king mackerel had appeared yesterday—several others ran over too.

Chu Xuan, however, went in a different direction.

Whether she’d find anything good today would depend on luck.

Wherever the tide receded, she followed.

Suddenly, she spotted a fish weighing about five or six jin.

It had a long head, a short, rounded snout, a big mouth with fine teeth, small eyes, two pairs of nostrils, and a gray-black body with irregular black spots along its sides—a black carp.

It could live in both rivers and the sea.

Although the fish was stranded, it could survive a day or two out of water—its tail still twitched from time to time.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chu Xuan saw a woman sprinting toward her—was she coming to snatch the fish?"