Chapter 17

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Apart from Dazhu and Erzhu, everyone else in the family needed to eat proper meals. They couldn’t survive on just chaff mixed with sweet potatoes any longer. Chen Xiaosang couldn’t bear to let them keep going like this.

As for the summer tax, she was determined to work hard and earn enough money. She knew she could earn enough soon.

Seeing that she couldn’t carry the money by herself, Old Chen quickly reached out to support her, “You can’t even handle the copper coins. Let me hold onto them for you. I’ll give them back when we return, alright?”

He couldn’t bear the thought of the little girl carrying such a large sum of money.

This money was meant for the summer tax, a matter of life and death for his sons!

Chen Xiaosang struggled to hold the copper coins and looked up at Old Chen, declaring, “Father, in front of the shopkeeper, make it clear that this money is mine. I can buy whatever I want!”

Concerned about the summer tax, Old Chen obviously wasn’t going to let her have her way, “Alright, let’s ask the shopkeeper to be a witness.”

Later, he planned to buy a few candies to distract her and claim that he had spent all the copper coins. After all, she was just a six-year-old girl. How could she know the cost of a candy?

In the past, people at the medicine shop always wore troubled expressions. The shopkeeper had never encountered such an amusing father-daughter duo before. He enthusiastically chimed in, “I’ll be the witness. The little girl can rest assured now, right?”

Chen Xiaosang fixed her gaze on the shopkeeper with her large eyes. “Shopkeeper, you must keep your word.”

The shopkeeper, whether amused by her or happy with the sale of Tianma, couldn’t stop laughing. He nodded repeatedly, saying, “I will keep my word.”

Chen Xiaosang then approached Old Chen, standing on her tiptoes and placing all the copper coins into his hands.

Old Chen quickly received them and counted the money. It was correct, so he swiftly put it into his makeshift money bag—a cloth bag sewn from rags. The bag bulged with copper coins, making the patches more evident.

Old Chen thanked the shopkeeper, stacking the wicker baskets on one end, placing Chen Xiaosang into another, and carrying her outside.

The shopkeeper watched their gradually disappearing figures, then glanced at the meticulously prepared Tianma nearby. He was very happy with what he was receiving.

Preserving the medicinal effects of Tianma so well required great skill. The person standing behind this girl was an extraordinary old pharmacist. There were bound to be many valuable things in their future. The shopkeeper knew he had to maintain a good relationship with them to keep business running.

Old Chen regretted his decision as he walked through the street with the little girl. He observed her buying rice and noodles, quickly spending their money.

If he tried to stop her, she would publicly snatch the money from him.

He could only glare at the assistant helping them with the rice and flour, and said, “That’s enough. This rice and flour will last you, Dazhu, and Erzhu for ten days.”

The assistant forced a smile and placed the rice and noodles into Old Chen’s empty basket before hastily retreating.

Chen Xiaosang nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll come back in two days.”

Old Chen almost threw away the carrying pole and hurriedly clutched the money bag at his waist. As far as he knew, spending all this money on food was nothing but waste!

When Old Chen learned that half of the thousand wen was Shen Dalang’s, he felt so sorry that he wished he could take half of the rice and white flour back to the grain store.

The town was very small. After being jolted around in the basket for fifteen minutes, Chen Xiaosang could already see Shen Xingyi’s meat stall.

From a distance, she spotted Shen Dalang standing in front of the stall, chopping meat. Chen Xiaosang was delighted to see him. From her perspective, Shen Dalang was a main contributor of the wealth she was accumulating.

With one hand pulling the basket and the other waving in the air, she excitedly shouted, “Brother Dalang!”

Shen Dalang’s hand trembled, nearly cutting his own finger.

The woman buying meat nearby was startled, repeatedly patting her chest and stealing glances at Shen Dalang’s handsome face. “It would be a shame if this handsome man were to lose a finger,” she thought.

Shen Dalang turned his head and saw Chen Xiaosang waving her arms enthusiastically. He furrowed his brow, gripping the butcher knife tightly.

How could he still run into her in town?

As soon as Shen Xingyi saw Xiaosang, he burst into manic laughter and roared, “Has Xiaosang finished her work?”

The people around them hurriedly covered their ears, casting horrified glances at the towering Shen Xingyi. They scattered like frightened birds, fleeing in all directions.

Shen Xingyi scratched the back of his head with his big, robust hand, offering an apologetic smile to the people around him. “Sorry! I was so happy that I couldn’t keep my volume down.”

None of the onlookers dared to express any grievances. They nodded awkwardly and quickly departed.

As soon as Old Chen set down his burden, Chen Xiaosang clambered out of the basket and hurried over to Shen Dalang. Smiling, she asked, “Are you here because you heard about how we sold tianma for money? You want your share, right?”

Shen Dalang moved toward the cart beside him, coldly replying, “I’m here because I hunted a wild boar to sell.”

Chen Xiaosang was astonished to discover a wild boar weighing two to three hundred pounds tied to the cart. She honestly didn’t expect a child of ten to be able to hunt boars.

Old Chen marveled repeatedly, “He’s truly talented. He’ll be a great hunter in the future!”

When Shen Xingyi heard Old Chen praising his son, he excitedly patted Old Chen’s back. The force was so strong that Old Chen stumbled several steps forward, colliding with a meat stall and clutching it tightly to halt his movement.

Chen Xiaosang rushed to her father’s side, anxiously asking, “Are you hurt?”

Old Chen held his stomach, reluctantly shaking his head. “I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt.”

Ouch!

Chen Xiaosang massaged his stomach, comforting him, “If I blow on it for Father, the pain will go away.”

After speaking, she blew air onto her father’s stomach and took the opportunity to press a few spots. Seeing her father’s lack of reaction, she felt relieved. Luckily, his internal organs were unharmed.

Shen Xingyi was startled and quickly helped Old Chen to sit on a nearby stool. He anxiously apologized, “I’m sorry, my friend. I become overjoyed when you praise my son, and I got carried away. I wasn’t doing it on purpose!”

Old Chen regretted it deeply. From now on, he vowed not to compliment Shen Dalang in front of his father.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Xingyi,” Chen Xiaosang comforted Shen Xingyi. “My father is in good health. It’s just a minor bump.”

He wasn’t injured, only feeling a momentary pain.

Old Chen clenched his teeth. He felt like his daughter wasn’t worried about him at all.

Shen Dalang went to the nearby stall selling Chaos and requested a bowl of warm water. He brought it over and handed it to Old Chen. Old Chen glanced at Shen Dalang, then at his daughter standing beside him, and let out a snort. His friend’s son seemed to be treating him better than his own daughter.

Unaware of her father’s thoughts, Chen Xiaosang leaned closer to Shen Dalang, who was squatting beside her, and whispered, “The Tianma sold for over 1,800 copper coins. Once my father recovers, I’ll give you half of the money.”

Shen Dalang’s eyebrows jumped, unable to resist asking, “You’re saying those plants can be sold for so much money?”

“That’s not just any plant; it’s Tianma,” Chen Xiaosang proudly lifted her chin. “It’s not just a weed. If you join me, there’s even more to earn in the future!”

“No, I can make enough money just by hunting boars,” Shen Dalang remained unmoved by her proposal.

Venturing into the mountains was a chore. If he weren’t careful and she got hurt, not only the Chen family but also his father would be in trouble.

Chen Xiaosang sighed and commented, “It’s not easy to earn money!”

The way she said it seemed quite bizarre, considering how she was still just a child whose priority was to play and have fun, not to make money to provide for the whole family.