stingy landlady

Chapter 32 Selling Shepherd's Purse Dumplings

Daya and Erya were worried about Guizhi and Zhou Qiong, fearing they would be so engrossed in digging for wild vegetables that they would forget to watch the cow. But when they got closer, they saw the two of them tending to the cow, one on each side – they had learned their lesson.

"Third Sister! You're so clever today! You two are standing on either side of the cow, be careful the cow doesn't eat the vegetables you dug up!" Er Ya teased Gui Zhi on purpose.

"Second sister, how do you know the cow will eat it? It just knocked the basket over!"

Da Ya and Er Ya laughed so hard they couldn't stand up straight.

"You, your second sister tricked you! And you actually believed her! Hahaha!"

Guizhi then realized that her sister was teasing her. She stopped digging for wild vegetables and ran over to annoy Erya.

Er Ya was ticklish, so she turned around and scratched Gui Zhi. Gui Zhi was not as strong as Er Ya, so she hid around Da Ya and reached out again when Er Ya was not paying attention.

The sisters laughed and joked around. After a while, they started digging for wild vegetables again. Guizhi told her two older sisters about what she had said to Dazhu about collecting wild vegetables, and also explained that for the time being, they would only collect vegetables from Hongmin and Hongli.

The two sisters were very happy. They were able to help their good friend make money too.

"Maybe they're digging for wild vegetables right now," Er Ya said.

Da Ya and Er Ya stood up and looked intently to the west and north.

In the distance, two little ones were digging for wild vegetables. Er Ya hurriedly said, "I'll go see if it's them!" With that, she dropped her basket and ran over there.

Da Ya sighed helplessly, "That fickle personality of hers!"

After saying that, Zhou Qiong lowered her head and started digging for wild vegetables with Guizhi.

"Big sister, third sister! It really is them! I knew they were the only ones who knew about digging for wild vegetables so early!" Er Ya said breathlessly, with Hong Min and Hong Li following behind, carrying two baskets of vegetables.

"Yes! Second sister is the best! Stop talking and take a break to catch your breath!" Guizhi said. This second sister was running back and forth in the field.

Hongmin looked at the sisters and said, "We've been here for half a day and were just about to go home when Erya came over and said she needed to talk to us."

Guizhi looked at the wild vegetables the two had dug up, just like them: shepherd's purse and wild garlic.

"What do you do with the vegetables you dig up?"

"How else can we eat it? Dip it in sauce, or make soup with it!"

"There's so much, can we finish it all?"

"My family is large, and there's not much left after making soup. By the time I take these back and come back to dig two more baskets, it'll be almost dark. I still have to feed the pigs!"

The three sisters looked at each other. Oh! They were thinking too simply; they didn't even have enough for themselves.

Daya tentatively asked, "Do you sell the wild vegetables you dig up?"

Hongli pointed to the vegetables in the basket, "This stuff can be sold for copper coins? Don't be ridiculous, who would want it!"

Guizhi, hearing this, saw an opportunity: "My family needs some! We use a lot. Shepherd's purse is one coin for two catties, and wild garlic is one coin for one catty. They need to be washed clean and drained. What do you want?"

"Really?" Hongmin couldn't believe it!

Hongli's eyes widened: "Are you kidding us?"

"Really, I'm not lying to you!" Daya said earnestly.

“We only asked a few of our close friends, and we didn’t ask anyone else. Only the two of you know, so don’t tell anyone else. We can’t accept that many,” Er Ya explained.

The two sisters looked at each other. Hongmin, being the older one, said, "Okay, fine. But we have to tell them when we get home. If we don't, we'll get a beating!"

"You can say that! We don't need much, and we can't dig it up ourselves. We're all good friends, so let you sisters earn some pocket money too," Guizhi said softly.

“Then let’s go home and ask now! If it’s possible, we’ll deliver these two baskets of vegetables to your house!” Hongmin said, pulling her younger sister along as they headed away.

"Don't send it to the old house, send it to the house at the far east end."

Hongli turned around and asked, "I've heard that your family bought that house. Is it true?"

"It's true!" the three sisters exclaimed in unison.

"Aren't you afraid..." Hongli found it hard to believe.

"What are you afraid of! I've already disinfected it! That house has been occupied for a long time. It's just my Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou living there. Just tell them we asked you to deliver it, and we'll pay you at my house tonight."

"You need to wash them thoroughly and let them dry completely, otherwise there's nothing we can do if people won't accept them. You can't sell things with mud and water on them anywhere!"

Guizhi, still worried, gave him another reminder.

The two sisters walked along excitedly, discussing how to get their family's approval and how to earn more money. Neither of them had ever earned a single penny on their own!

As expected, Hongmin's family agreed to dig wild vegetables to sell, and what was even more surprising was that all the women in the family went to dig wild vegetables to sell for money.

Old Mrs. Yang's original words were: "Since they only accept our family's share, what does it matter if it's a little more or a little less? Digging a little more will save them from having to look for someone else."

"Don't eat those two baskets of vegetables from Hongmin and Hongli. They can be sold for money. Just have some pickled cabbage and potatoes for yourselves. It's good enough that you have something to eat!"

When Guizhi returned home from herding the cattle, she went to check on the vegetable garden. The green vegetables had already sprouted, and as far as the eye could see, they shone with a green light like stars.

Then we went to see the piglets. The piglets, still unaccustomed to being separated from their mother, sniffed around and made occasional "mmm" sounds. They must be hungry.

Guizhi instructed, "Aunt Zhou, feed the pigs only a little tonight, it's okay if you don't feed them at all."

Tomorrow morning, feed them a little less too; don't overfeed them, as they won't digest properly and will get diarrhea, which is a real problem. Wash the wild vegetables, chop them finely, and mix them with cornmeal and a little water until they're half-dry and half-moist. Feed them small amounts frequently, about four or five times a day.

"Aunt Zhou, feeding piglets is like raising children; you have to be very careful."

"Yes, yes! Okay, Miss, I'll feed you properly!"

Guizhi looked at the chicks again. It was getting late, and the chicks, having eaten their fill, were all obediently lying on the sawdust to sleep. A few chicks were still wandering around.

Then I asked Old Zhou if he had taken any medicine and if his health was fine.

Old Zhou answered each question. He pointed to the pile of shepherd's purse in the outer room, "Miss, it was sent by Hongmin and Hongli. They said the master and young lady asked them to put it here."

“I asked them to dig these up. So many? These are the two baskets that were just delivered!” Guizhi reached for the shepherd’s purse. “They’re quite clean, quite good. How many pounds?”

"These are twelve catties of shepherd's purse and two catties of wild garlic. They said they went to dig some more, and will bring them over later when they're done."

"Grandpa Zhou, please take a look. They need to be washed clean and drained. Please weigh them for me. Shepherd's purse is only available for this time of year. Let's start drying it outside tomorrow so we can have some to eat in the winter."

Guizhi thought for a moment and said, "Since they're so enthusiastic, we'll probably have to start digging tomorrow morning. Grandpa Zhou will weigh them for them at home tomorrow. Remember the weight and settle the bill for them tonight. Oh, and the vegetables should be sold separately. We'll charge two catties of shepherd's purse for one coin, and one catty of wild garlic for one coin."

“Alright, this old man can still keep accounts,” said Old Zhou.

"Grandpa Zhou, we can't afford writing materials right now. Please use charcoal to write on the wooden board to keep accounts. We'll buy more when we can afford it later. Sigh! Essential items!" Guizhi sighed. So inconvenient! So very inconvenient!

Old Zhou said with a smile, "Life will get better with time!"

Guizhi and Qianniu strolled slowly home, watching the smoke rising from the chimneys on both sides of the road, and the sunset was infinitely beautiful!

When Guizhi got home, she saw a group of people gathered around the cowshed and panicked! What happened?

"What's wrong! Make way! Dad! Grandpa! I'm back!"

The crowd immediately parted to make way for Guizhi and the ox to cross.

"Sanya's back! Come and see, Xiaoyun has brought a horse back!" Dazhu casually took the reins and went to tie up the ox.

Guizhi had already seen a horse tied up in the cowshed, and Lin Xiaoyun was grooming the horse's mane with practiced ease.

"Third Sister, this is my horse!" Lin Xiaoyun asserted his ownership without any expression.

"Hey! Your horse! How did you lose your owner?"

Lin Xiaoyun's face flushed red. "I was too hungry to ride it myself. It's not its fault!"

"May I take a look at it?"

"You can look at it, but you can't touch it. It will kick strangers!"

“I won’t touch it. It’s so big, and I’m afraid of it, okay? One kick and it could knock me down.” Guizhi looked at her family members who had gathered around her.

"Grandpa and Grandma, is it pretty?"

"Not bad! This horse is nice! There are many horse breeders in my hometown. I used to raise horses before I got married!" The old lady unexpectedly chimed in.

"Oh! Grandma, can you ride a horse?" Er Ya asked curiously. Not only Er Ya, but everyone was curious.

"Of course I can! How could someone who raises horses not know how to ride them! Anyone who herds horses outside knows how to ride them for fun." The old lady said dismissively.

"Grandma, you're amazing!" Er Ya gave a thumbs up.

Guizhi turned to look at the horse. It was as tall as a person, chestnut-colored, large and muscular. Its eyes were bright and spirited, its ears were erect, its tail was long, and its hair was thick.

He looks very healthy.

"Grandpa and Grandma, from now on, he should feed and take care of his own horse. Shall we go back inside?"

"Everyone, go home, go home. You've only been watching for a while. You can come to visit every day from now on, since you're here every day! Go do whatever you were doing!" The old lady had a loud voice, and everyone went back to their rooms with smiles.

After returning to his room, Lin Xiaoyun dawdled for a long time before going inside, unsure of what to say.

“I rode a horse from home; it was mine. I was so hungry I couldn’t ride anymore, but it didn’t abandon me. It stayed nearby and didn’t go far.”

"Okay! Actually, nobody wants anything, right? Your family is well-off, isn't it?" Guizhi asked.

"It's alright." Then, remembering something, he quickly said loudly, "I have no money!"

He lowered his voice again: "My monthly allowance has been deducted. I only had a few copper coins when I left, and I've already spent them all. I have no money for food, so I go wherever the horse takes me. It brought me here."

"If you don't come home, your family will worry!"

“My father isn’t home and won’t be back for a long time. Only my stepmother and her child are home; she doesn’t like me!”

"So your dad is your biological father, right? How would he look for you if he knew you were lost? He must be so worried!"

“My father only listens to my stepmother. He’s not home. He leaves all the household affairs to my stepmother. He doesn’t care about me. He has other children!” Lin Xiaoyun’s voice was even lower, with a hint of sobbing.

"Alright, alright, since you're staying, let me say it again: we don't support idlers in this family." Guizhi felt like this was another melodramatic soap opera.

"Anyway, as long as they don't hurt our family, nothing else matters to us. Let's eat!"

“I had a fight with my grandma this afternoon. I also went up to the pigsty to add hay and smooth it out,” Lin Xiaoyun said.

"Alright. Let's go farming with my dad tomorrow!" Guizhi arranged.

"Okay!" The matter is settled.

Er Ya mentioned that starting tomorrow, they will only be making shepherd's purse dumplings.

When the topic of harvesting shepherd's purse came up again, Li wanted to say something but held back. Since things had already come to this, and the family couldn't spare any more people to dig for wild vegetables, she decided to leave it at that.

"Dad, Mom! With so many more people at home, let's make forty more food boxes! That'll make a hundred. We can make more of the fresh and delicious shepherd's purse dumplings; they should sell well in the shops!" Guizhi felt it was important to earn more money.

"If we can sell them, it's right to make more. After we finish eating, I'll go order some takeout boxes," Dazhu said.

While Dazhu's family was discussing matters, the old man sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) playing with his fourth sister, but he kept listening, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.