Chapter 5: A Bountiful Harvest from the Sea

Gu Yi didn’t even bother with the bucket and ran straight ahead.

She quickly spotted the octopus hiding under a large rock, attempting to “attack” Wang Yulan’s foot.

The octopus, with tentacles as long as an adult’s arm, was quite a large one by beach standards.

“Mother, don’t be afraid, it won’t bite!”

Gu Yi couldn’t help but laugh, quickly pulling Wang Yulan’s foot free.

Sure enough, there were several suction marks left on her delicate ankle.

Nearby, a woman who was also harvesting from the sea noticed the commotion and couldn’t help but laugh.

“How silly, afraid of an octopus. These people are so foolish. I heard they were punished and exiled by the Emperor.”

“They must have been noble ladies or madams, living in luxury and meeting the Emperor.”

The woman quickly grabbed a small octopus, speaking enviously.

“They were probably sent here as punishment. Who knows what crime they committed? People like that are usually lazy, always trying to take advantage of others. We should keep our distance so we don’t catch their bad habits!”

“Don’t be too harsh. The young lady jumped into the sea yesterday and was saved by Aunt Cao. She doesn’t look like the type who’d take advantage of anyone. She must have been wronged by her family.”

“Liu family, aren’t you eyeing her? Trying to get her as a wife for your son? Don’t get your hopes up. She’s so beautiful, and look at your son. There’s no way he’d be a match.”

Aunt Liu immediately became furious.

Her son might not be handsome, but to be mocked in front of her? Did they think she was a fool?

With a swift slap, she hit the other woman in the face.

“I’ll teach you to insult my son!”

The woman, stunned by the slap, quickly recovered and glared, her anger rising.

“Liu Yuhua! You evil woman, how dare you hit me! I’ll kill you!”

The two women stopped looking for seafood and began fighting in the water.

The loudmouth, He Chunli, was notorious in the village for starting trouble and fighting with everyone. This was far from the first time.

Onlookers laughed at the spectacle.

Some women, envious of Gu Yi and her mother’s looks, muttered, “That mother and daughter look like a pair of fox spirits, charming everyone around them. We should stay away, lest we attract trouble.”

Hadn’t they noticed how many men’s eyes were glued to them?

Gu Yi, excited, explained, “This is an octopus, it’s edible! And it’s delicious!”

The octopus squirted some ink before retreating into the rocks.

It wouldn’t be easy to pull it out, so she prodded it with a stick, and it quickly moved to the other side of the rock.

Dalang, quick as ever, grabbed the octopus by the head and lifted it, tossing it into the bucket.

“Nice speed!” Gu Yi praised, admiring his skill.

Dalang didn’t show much expression, but his ears turned slightly red, and he focused intently on searching.

“Looks like there’s a fight over there!”

Dalang squinted and looked in the direction of the commotion.

Gu Yi heard the sharp, angry shouts as well.

The whole family stood on their tiptoes to look.

Gu Yi, oblivious to the fact that the argument had started because of them, called out, “Let’s keep looking! The tide will come in soon, and we’ll miss our chance!”

Wang Yulan reluctantly turned her gaze away.

This was the first time she had seen village women pull each other’s headscarves, scratching and fighting fiercely. It reminded her of her own struggle with Lin Shi earlier, likely with similar postures, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

Gu Yi said, “We can sell the octopus at the dock for some money. It should be worth a few hundred wen. That’ll cover Second Brother’s medicine. Mother, we should go to the county tomorrow. We need to buy more grain.”

Wang Yulan nodded in agreement, feeling motivated now that they had a way to make some money.

“How I wish we could find more big octopuses. We could sell them all tomorrow!”

Gu Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Aren’t you worried the octopus will suck your feet again, Mother?”

Wang Yulan shook her head.

This was money in their hands. The octopus didn’t bite, so what harm was there in letting it suck for a bit?

“Big sister! Fish!”

The little sister pointed to a small puddle and shouted.

Gu Yi quickly ran over, scolding, “The sea is dangerous! Don’t wander off too far. Stay with me and Mother, alright?”

Jia Yue nodded with her round eyes.

“Fish.”

Gu Yi crouched down, gently picking up the small fish from the water. It was palm-sized, perfect for frying or making soup.

“Little sister is amazing!”

Jia Yue clapped her hands in excitement.

They continued searching, finding a few more fish just a bit bigger than the palm-sized ones.

“Come quickly! A big eel!”

Gu Yi shouted excitedly, spotting the eel’s tail sticking out from under a rock. She immediately recognized it—fat and juicy.

Eel meat was tender and delicious, and live eels were worth even more.

“Dalang, block it off over there. I’ll catch the live one here!”

Dalang nodded vigorously.

As before, Dalang drove the eel towards her, and when the time was right, Gu Yi quickly grabbed it by the head and placed it in the bucket.

The eel wriggled in the bucket, making it lively, which in turn made the other contents bounce around.

“Let’s go! Time to head home!”

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At their little stone house, Wang Yulan and the two daughters slept on the large bed, while the two sons slept on the small bed.

Gu Yi had expected to feel uncomfortable, as she had never shared a bed before. She had always slept alone, accustomed to it since childhood.

Now, with a wall at her back and her little sister kicking beside her, she realized that perhaps it was just the exhaustion of the day that helped her sleep soundly.

They said children were like warm stoves. That night, she felt unusually warm.

The next morning, Gu Yi and Wang Yulan woke early—there was much to do.

Household chores, cleaning, fetching water, cooking, washing clothes, and gathering firewood.

They were running low on firewood.

Gu Yi sighed, lighting the fire and cooking a few oysters and crabs for breakfast, hoping to have a proper meal once they bought grain in the county.

Soon, Dalang woke up, noticing the firewood was gone.

“I’ll go gather some firewood,” he said.

Wang Yulan asked, “Where are you going to get it?”

“On the road, up in the hills.”

“Eat something first!”

Dalang ate a few pieces of oyster meat to fill his stomach before leaving.

He called the younger siblings to eat, and then Wang Yulan and the girl set off with a large bucket of seafood, heading in the opposite direction to Dalang.

They asked Aunt Cao for directions. “There’s a boat from Liu’s family going to the dock. You can wait for it there and hitch a ride. I’ll be going too.”

To get to the county, they could take either the land route or the waterway, but the boat was obviously faster and more convenient.

“Thanks, Aunt Cao. We can go together.”

“I’ll sell the catch from yesterday. You can sell your fish in the county too,” Aunt Cao said.

Gu Yi smiled, “Yes, we got lucky and caught a few fish. We’ll sell them for some money. Second Brother’s sick, so I need to buy him some medicine.”

Aunt Cao asked, “Ah, your Second Brother’s ill? Why don’t you take him to see a physician?”

“I used to have many medical books at home, and I learned some medicine. I can treat my brother easily with just some medicine.”

Aunt Cao’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a doctor too, young lady?”

Gu Yi quickly shook her head. “I just know a little, not enough to call myself a doctor.”

Aunt Cao thought she was just being modest. “These educated types always downplay their abilities. They have the skills but pretend they don’t. You’re clearly capable.”

Her attitude warmed up even more.

“Be careful in the county. There are pickpockets everywhere, so watch your purse!”

The two women chatted as they waited for the boat, and soon it arrived.

Aunt Cao and the mother-daughter pair climbed aboard.

Wang Yulan asked, “How much is the fare?”

The uncle waved his hand. “Just get on. The boat belongs to the village, not just mine.”

Fishermen’s boats were like modern cars combined with work tools—they were expensive, costing at least one hundred or eighty taels. Not many families could afford one, so many in the same village would pool their resources to fish together.

Other people on the boat began to eye Gu Yi and her mother, exchanging looks and glances, with some women even sitting further away on purpose.

“Uncle, they’re not family, so why should they sit here? This big boat was bought by our clan at a very high price, not just by you,” He Chunli remarked.