Chapter 90: Important News

In her heart, Chu Xuan silently vowed: In my next life, I’ll definitely watch where I’m going!

Is this really the end for me in this life? Dying from cracking my head open—wouldn’t that hurt like hell?

Huh? The expected splitting headache didn’t come.

She hadn’t made intimate contact with the stone road.

Instead, her back seemed to be pressed against a wall of flesh, supporting her as she slowly regained her balance.

“Chu Xuan, hurry up and get away from me—I can’t hold on much longer!”

It was Mu Chenze’s voice.

Chu Xuan quickly took a step forward to put some distance between them, shook off the horse manure stuck to her shoe, and finally looked at Mu Chenze. “Thanks to you, I’d be dead or crippled by now. Thank you!”

Mu Chenze, sporting dark circles under his eyes and looking utterly exhausted, half-squatted on the ground. “You’re fine, but holding you up nearly knocked the wind out of me. You should definitely thank me.”

Chu Xuan felt a bit embarrassed. “How do you want me to thank you?”

“I want hand-pulled noodles. I haven’t had lunch yet!”

Mu Chenze stretched his limbs, making sure he hadn’t been injured by Chu Xuan’s fall, and started walking toward Chu Xuan’s house.

Chu Xuan wanted to say, Isn’t your mom home? She must’ve saved you some food.

She also wanted to mention she was in a hurry to go foraging by the sea.

But in the end, she said nothing. After all, she owed him.

When they reached the door, Chu Xuan didn’t go in. She turned to Mu Chenze and said, “Ask Xiao Feng to bring me a pair of shoes.”

She wanted to change shoes at the door to avoid tracking the smell of horse manure into the yard.

Mu Chenze grunted in agreement.

A moment later, Xiao Feng came out with a pair of flat black cloth shoes. “Sis, I heard you stepped in horse manure?”

He looked gleeful at her misfortune.

Chu Xuan raised her hand, pretending she was about to hit him. “You little brat, making fun of me?”

Xiao Feng tossed the shoes down and darted aside. “So what if you stepped in horse manure? Maybe you’ll get lucky foraging today! Sis, take me with you to the shore!”

“That depends on whether your Brother Chenze agrees.”

As she spoke, Chu Xuan changed into the cloth shoes and went to the water vat in the yard to scoop up a basin of water.

She planned to take it outside the gate and wash her shoes under the big tree—give the tree a little extra ‘nutrition.’

Mu Chenze’s voice came from behind, “No way. You can go after you finish all your first to third grade classes.”

Even so, Xiao Feng was still cheerful. He took the basin from Chu Xuan’s hands. “Sis, I’ll wash your shoes. You go make something tasty for Brother Chenze—he’s hungry. Didn’t we just buy a new ham?”

Chu Xuan was being bossed around so thoroughly that, for a moment, it felt like Xiao Feng and Mu Chenze were the real family, and she was just the cook.

Remembering how much she owed Mu Chenze, she hurried to wash her hands and start making noodles.

Half an hour later, Mu Chenze was enjoying a steaming bowl of vegetable and ham hand-pulled noodles.

The ham was something Chu Xuan and her brother had just bought from the county, but hadn’t had a chance to eat yet.

Xiao Feng, done with his chores, caught a whiff of the aroma. Even though he’d just had roast chicken for lunch, he couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

Seeing her foodie little brother, Chu Xuan quickly served him a bowl too.

There was still enough left in the pot for another big bowl—plenty for Mu Chenze.

It was Xiao Feng’s first time eating ham. “Sis, this ham is amazing! Once we finish this one, can we buy another?”

The unique flavor of the ham was so tempting, he just wanted more.

Chu Xuan rubbed her forehead. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to agree. “This kind of big, packaged ham that keeps well isn’t always available. It’s all about luck.”

Mu Chenze swallowed a mouthful of noodles, the corners of his mouth lifting. “If you want ham, just ask me! I’ll buy as many as you want from the city’s farmers’ market tomorrow. I saw some there today and was debating whether to get one.”

“Awesome!”

Xiao Feng was so happy he danced around.

Now that the family had money, Chu Xuan would buy anything Xiao Feng wanted to eat.

She immediately decided to get five more.

When she offered to pay, Mu Chenze refused, saying they could just settle up when he sold the grilled fish fillets tomorrow.

Not only that, after eating his fill, he even pulled out the money from today’s fish fillet sales and handed it to Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng counted the money and went inside to record it in their ledger.

Only Mu Chenze and Chu Xuan were left in the kitchen.

Chu Xuan finally asked, “How did the shirts sell?”

Mu Chenze’s eyes sparkled. “Sold out, thanks to Xiao Feng.”

“Earlier, when you saved me, were you just passing by, or were you looking for me?”

“Of course I was just passing by. I was planning to mooch a meal at Ji Ping’s house—I forgot my house key and no one’s home.”

“Aunt Qin and the others…”

“They went to my grandma’s. My dad and big brother should be home by now.”

“You haven’t had a chance to catch up on sleep, have you?”

“Nope. I’m heading home for a nap now. I’ll come by around ten tonight to pick up the fish fillets.”

“Okay. If no one’s home, you can nap in Xiao Feng’s room.”

“No way. We’re buddies, but I still have to be mindful of appearances. If no one’s home, I’ll nap at Ji Ping’s.”

Chu Xuan was speechless. He was the one who always talked about appearances, but he was also the one who’d help her without any boundaries.

“Suit yourself!”

Mu Chenze grinned and got up. “I’m off!”

After seeing him out, Chu Xuan called out to her little brother, grabbed her tools, and headed out to the shore.

When she arrived at her secret foraging spot, a dozen tide pools had already emerged.

She headed straight for them.

There was good stuff.

Maybe stepping in horse manure really did bring luck?

Chu Xuan scooped up five sea bass, each weighing six or seven jin, over twenty octopuses, nine high-quality sea cucumbers, more than twenty large sea snails, six big swimming crabs, and several jin of blue-scaled fish…

As for the small crabs and clams, she left those behind.

Just then, she noticed a boat about ten meters long out on the sea.

Boats rarely came this way.

Judging by the look of it, the boat seemed to be drifting with the current, with no one steering.

If it drifted a bit more, it might run aground.

Chu Xuan wondered, Could I actually pick up a boat today?

Even as a second-hand vessel, it’d be worth at least a thousand yuan.

She waited quietly.

Unfortunately, the boat always stayed just out of reach.

Even when the tide came in, it never drifted close enough.

Chu Xuan had no choice but to return to shore.

That’s when she saw there was someone on the boat—Chu Zhi—fast asleep.

He sure had nerves of steel.

Just letting the boat drift like that, not even worried about hitting the rocks.

Luckily, he didn’t wake up. Otherwise, he’d have seen Chu Xuan foraging here, and word would get out—her secret spot would become everyone’s go-to.

It wasn’t until the tide covered the beach that Chu Zhi finally woke up, glanced at the sun’s position, and piloted the boat back to the dock.

Chu Xuan had just finished selling her catch at the dock and was counting her money when she ran into Chu Zhi again.

Chu Zhi was holding two octopuses—his only catch of the day. When he saw the thick wad of cash in Chu Xuan’s hand, he couldn’t help but feel envious and struck up a conversation. “You made a lot today. Must be at least a hundred thirty or forty yuan, right? Did you go out to sea or just forage?”

Chu Xuan cursed inwardly. Sharp-eyed, isn’t he?

She’d made exactly one hundred thirty-five yuan today.

“What’s it to you?”

Chu Zhi grinned. “Nothing to do with me. But I do have some news that concerns you and your brother. Want to hear it?”

“What news?”

Chu Xuan immediately regretted asking. Nothing good ever came out of his mouth—why was she even talking to him?

Chu Zhi put on a mysterious air. “It’s very, very important for you and your brother.”

Chu Xuan was getting impatient. “Cut the crap and spit it out. I’m in a hurry—I don’t have time to waste!”

Chu Zhi held out his hand. “Fifty yuan, and I’ll sell you an important piece of news.”

Chu Xuan turned to leave. She was already being nice by not slapping him—now he wanted fifty yuan? No way!

Knowing fifty was too much, Chu Zhi quickly lowered his price. “Ten! Just ten yuan! I’ll sell you an important piece of news—I swear I’m not lying! You’ll regret it if you don’t hear it!”

Chu Xuan stopped and turned to look at Chu Zhi.

She knew his tells—if he was lying, his pinky would twitch; if he was telling the truth and feeling smug, his left leg would shake."