Chapter 23: Entering the City

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

On the other side, Wei Chiyu sat on the wall of his house. He looked at the starry sky and listened to the laughter coming from next door.

He waited until the light next door went out and the voices died down before he jumped down from the wall.

The next day.

Due to the successive happy events at home, everyone in the family slept very well.

Zhou Xiaoli woke up early in the morning. While she and Zhang Lan prepared breakfast, Zhou Yu carried the one and a half wild boar onto the pushcart.

The cart was brought over from Liu Liangcai’s house after they slaughtered the wild boars yesterday. Liu Liangcai left it for Zhou Xiaoli to use since she was going to the county to sell pork the next day.

After breakfast, Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu both pushed on the cart to sell the wild boars in the county.

After instructing the two of them to be careful, Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something and stopped them again. “Wait a moment.”

With that, she entered the house. After a while, she walked out with a fishing net. “I just made it yesterday. You can sell it when you go to the county as well.”

Looking at the well-made fishing net, Zhou Xiaoli was amazed by Zhang Lan’s dexterity.

Zhang Lan smiled. “You know how to praise your mother to make her happy. Fish net is not a rare item and the fishermen who often go fishing know how to make it too.”

Fishermen and fishing.

Zhou Xiaoli’s heart skipped a beat from excitement. As she was a carp spirit in her previous life, fishes and prawns loved her scent the most.

This was also one of the reasons why she could catch fish every time she set the fish basket in the Little Clear River.

Zhou Xiaoli asked, “Mother, would the villagers from our village go fishing?”

Boyu Village was considered a village that was relatively far from the sea. Because of the Little Clear River, there were many fertile fields in their village. Most of the villagers farmed rather than fished.

The original host of the body rarely interacted with outsiders, and the Zhou family had fled to this place in the past. The entire family did not know how to swim, and so, they had never gone out to catch fish.

As such, Zhou Xiaoli wasn’t too sure about this, so she asked.

Zhang Lan nodded. “They would. It’s usually in September or October. That’s when it’s in between harvest periods and basically, every family will go fishing to supplement their family’s income.”

Zhou Xiaoli nodded and said, “Then let’s keep this net for ourselves.”

Zhou Xiaoli had taken charge of all the matters in the family recently, so Zhang Lan listened to her.

Hearing Zhou Xiaoli’s words, she agreed. “Alright, then hurry up and leave so you don’t have to rush on the road.”

Only then did Zhou Xiaoli and Zhou Yu push the cart out of the door.

As soon as she went out, she met Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan. The two of them were at their door, and were talking to a woman with slanted eyes.

It was unknown what they were talking about, but Liu Yuanyuan hid behind Lin Xiujuan coquettishly, her eyes shining and her face had a shy expression on it.

When Zhou Xiaoli pushed the cart out of the house, the three of them looked over.

Zhou Xiaoli also noticed them.

The middle-aged woman couldn’t help but stare at the tall pile stacked on the cart.

Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips.

Fortunately, before she left the house, she had covered the wild boar with a cloth.

Zhou Xiaoli knew that Lin Xiujuan and Liu Yuanyuan didn’t like her getting close, so she didn’t go forward to greet them. She only nodded politely at them and pushed the cart away.

Zhu Mingfeng couldn’t help but pursed her lips. She followed Lin Xiujuan into the courtyard and said, “Hmmph, I remember that the last time I came, the courtyard beside your house was deserted?”

Lin Xiujuan smiled and said, “Ah, it’s like this. It’s because my man was loyal…”

Hence, Lin Xiujuan told her about Zhou Xiaoli and her family’s stay at her second uncle’s house.

Zhu Mingfeng didn’t seem to care about this and she replied casually, “Oh, I see. Your husband is a good person.”

Then, she snorted and narrowed her eyes as if she was stirring up trouble. “Just that, the girl didn’t look to be a smart girl. She saw you and didn’t even know that she should greet you as a sign of respect.”

Lin Xiujuan, who originally didn’t feel anything, felt that something was indeed amiss after hearing Zhu Mingfeng’s words. She was a little unhappy and began to feel that Zhou Xiaoli was indeed rude to her.

Just then, Zhu Mingfeng continued to ask. “Hey, what’s in the cart they were pushing? It looks like it’s full!”

Lin Xiujuan had yet to recover from her unhappiness and said casually, “Oh, it should be the wild boar.”

Zhu Mingfeng’s eyes lit up at the mention of a wild boar. “A wild boar? How did she get it?”

“Well, it was yesterday…” Lin Xiujuan briefly explained what happened yesterday.

“Aiyaya, she managed to find it by chance?” Zhu Mingfeng’s face was filled with disbelief. “She’s too lucky!”

Then, she thought of something and asked, “Your family helped her so much, and yet she didn’t say anything?”

At the mention of this, Lin Xiujuan’s unhappiness faded a lot. She smiled and said, “Oh, how can that be? She gave us a big piece of pork, the hind leg in fact!”

At the mention of the big piece of pork, Lin Xiujuan was really happy. “That’s why I had specially invited you over today. When you leave later, take a piece with you to nourish Brother Kun’s body. He studies all day and must be very tired from studying.”

As Lin Xiujuan spoke, she led Zhu Mingfeng to the kitchen to see the large piece of pork.

Hearing that she was able to bring some home, Zhu Mingfeng was overjoyed. However, when she thought of the two big wild boars, she sighed and said, “Future in-laws, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but you’re too kind. She managed to buy you over with just this small piece of meat?”

“When no one would help them, you took in their entire family. It could be said that you and your husband had saved their lives. That’s such a big favor done! Such a huge favor is only worth this little piece of pork?”

“Hmph, in my opinion, if she was sensible, she should have given him an entire boar instead of just this little pork leg. It’s like she’s dismissing a beggar.”

As soon as she said this, the happy expression on Lin Xiujuan’s face gradually faded. When she looked at the pork again, she no longer have the same joy that she had before.

Then, she waved her hand as if to end the topic. “Sigh, it’s just a token of their sincerity. It’s not easy for her family either.”

Although she said that, Lin Xiujuan took Zhu Mingfeng’s words to heart.

Zhou Xiaoli, who was deemed as being insensible for no reason, did not go straight to the county after leaving the house. Instead, she stopped in front of Wei Chiyu’s house.

Last night, when Wei Chiyu was at her house for dinner, he had asked her to go to the city together to sell the preys.

She thought of how Wei Chiyu often went into the city to sell his catch and that he must be very familiar with it. This was her first time going there, and she was unfamiliar with the place. She didn’t know the market and it was highly likely for her to be tricked.

Hence, when Wei Chiyu asked her out, she immediately agreed.

She got Zhou Yu to stop the cart and prepared to knock on his door.

At this moment, the door opened by itself. Wei Chiyu walked out of the courtyard with a fox in his hand.

Zhou Xiaoli looked around but did not see any other prey. She could not help but ask, “Is this the only one that you’re selling?”

Wei Chiyu nodded. “There’s also a pheasant. I’ll bring it to you when I get back.”

Zhou Xiaoli: “…”

This guy had gotten used to treating her as his chef.

She couldn’t help but joke, “You’re really taking me for granted. If you want me to cook, you have to pay.”