Chapter 11

As she spoke, she turned the mouth of the bag toward the others, letting them take from it. “Might as well help me lighten the load a bit.”

Most of the seated aunties just watched without making a move, but the one who had initially asked Lin Yun questions reached in and grabbed a handful. Lin Yun’s expression didn’t change at all during the whole exchange—she continued smiling.

“You all really shouldn’t go up that mountain so often. I’ve heard people say there are tigers up there. Some even said they saw one a few years ago.”

“Tigers are just the start! I heard there are wild boars too. You know that Zhang Mazi from the next village? I heard he ran into the mountain after getting caught doing shady deals. No one’s seen him since. They say a wild boar ate him.”

Lin Yun smiled as she listened to their conversation gradually shift into increasingly bizarre rumors about what was up in the mountain.

After giving away some mugwort, Lin Yun said goodbye to the group, “Aunties, we’re heading back now. It’s getting late—if we don’t go soon, my mom’s going to blow up.”

“Go on then, we’ll head back too after resting a bit.”

As the two of them walked off toward home, Lin Yun could still hear the aunties gossiping behind them:

“I don’t think the second girl from the Lin family is as stuck-up as people say. She seems pretty nice.”

“You’re only saying that because you got something from her. Usually you’re the one gossiping about her the most.”

“When did I ever gossip? I only said what I heard from others! Plus, my girl told me that she’s always keeping to herself at school. It’s not like I’m making things up.”

“Sis, you were smart to stuff all that mugwort into the bag earlier. If they’d found out we bought this much meat, who knows what kind of rumors would be flying around by now.”

“And that Auntie Wang is so annoying. She always pushes into people’s homes trying to get freebies. She even had the nerve to ask for stuff meant for our kids.”

“It’s not a big deal to us anyway. If giving her a little something keeps her mouth shut, it’s worth it,” Lin Yun said calmly. She really didn’t mind—if a few small things could keep the gossip at bay, it was a fair trade.

When the two of them got home, the house was lit by a kerosene lamp. They used to use a flashlight now and then, but ever since they started going out at night to collect centipedes, kerosene had become the main source of light.

“Mom, we’re back! You don’t know how awesome sis was today—we bought two jin of meat!” Lin Yong shouted as soon as he stepped in.

Hearing his voice, their mother, Zhao Lanxiu, came rushing out and smacked him on the head. “Are you stupid? That’s not something to shout about! Good thing no one’s here tonight. What if we had guests?”

Rubbing his head, Lin Yong looked a bit wronged. “I was just excited! I won’t do it again, promise. Mom, we really bought two jin of meat. Can you cook it for us during Dragon Boat Festival? I haven’t had meat in forever.”

“All you think about is eating. Look at Er Gouzi—he’s already helping with work around the house and can pull in half a day’s labor. You? You’re not young anymore and still useless. All you care about is food.”

“When did I ever say all I care about is food? I earned money today too, okay? Do you know how much I sold that snake for? A whole 20 yuan! But Mom, let’s make it clear—this 20 yuan is mine. You can’t take it. I’ve got plans for it.”

“What’s a kid like you need so much money for? To run around with those good-for-nothings? Hand it over. You did a good job this time, so I’ll let you keep 1 yuan as pocket money. I’ll save the rest for your future wedding.”

In the end, Zhao Lanxiu still ended up with the full 20 yuan despite Lin Yong’s protests. He clearly looked deflated after that.

After taking the money, she turned to Lin Yun. Before she could speak, Lin Yun cut in, “Don’t even think about me handing over everything. I’ll share what should be shared, but my part stays with me. I’m going back to school after summer break—I’ll need money too. Stop eyeing your own kids’ wallets like hawks. Big sis is an adult. I’ve never seen a grown child with not a single cent to their name.”

Lin Yumei clearly wanted to stop her from talking, but Lin Yun wasn’t afraid. “And don’t try to guilt-trip me with that ‘I’m your elder’ nonsense—I’m not buying it.”

“I never said I wanted your money. Why are you talking to me like I’m your enemy? Everything I do is for this family. Keep your money, alright? I don’t want it.”

“I never said you did. I just like putting things out there clearly from the start.”

This time, Zhao Lanxiu didn’t say anything more. Lin Yun took out the money and split it accordingly. Whether Zhao Lanxiu had accepted her words or was just shocked by the total, no one could say—but she didn’t ask Yumei for money again. Maybe the 300-plus yuan Lin Yun had pulled out had stunned her into silence.

When Lin Yun revealed that much money, everyone in the room gasped.

“Second Sis, you’re amazing! I never thought I’d see this much money in our house.”

Lin Yun accepted the compliment but also gave them a heads-up. “This is only because no one around here has ever gone out at night to collect centipedes before. Now that we’ve started doing it regularly, word will get out. It’ll be hard to make this kind of money again.”

“I get it. If we could make that much all the time, we’d already be the richest in the village.”

“Alright, enough talk. Come help make the rice cakes. I ground a lot of wheat this year.”

The group followed Zhao Lanxiu to the side room, where a big bamboo sieve already held two cakes.

“I made a few already. Since you brought back some mugwort, we’ll add that to the next batch. Let’s get these done first, and I’ll cook them for you during the Dragon Boat Festival.”

“Mom, what about the meat Sis and I brought back? In this weather, meat doesn’t keep long. It’ll spoil.”

“You think I starve you every day? All you ever think about is meat. You two, seriously—just started earning a little and already bought this much meat? Doesn’t matter how much money we have, we won’t last at this rate. What are we supposed to live on later?”

Lin Yonggang was starting to think he had misjudged things. Turns out the most naggy one in the house wasn’t his sister—it was definitely their mom.

“We’ve already bought it, so stop nagging. It’s not like they’ll take it back. Might as well enjoy a good meal together.” Lin Yun couldn’t take the scolding anymore either. The older generation sure had a knack for ruining the mood.