Chapter 34 – Testing the Golden Finger

The next morning, Huo Tingwu left the house looking refreshed. Ye Tao lazed in bed for a bit before finally getting up to tidy the house.

They only had a water bucket at home, which wasn’t as convenient as a carrying basket. She thought she’d look for one at the market today—after all, she was used to baskets and found them far more practical.

Ruìruì was still asleep, so Xu Lan told Zhou Chongli to check in on him after morning drills.

“Sister Lan, do they sell baskets at the market?” Ye Tao asked.

“Yes,” Xu Lan nodded, “an old man from the neighboring village weaves them. His craftsmanship is excellent. He often sells them at the market—willow, rattan, bulrush grass, all kinds. They’re a bit pricier, but worth it. I’m using one of his today.”

Ye Tao touched it—it was tightly woven, smooth, with no rough edges.

“Great, let’s buy one first thing. Carrying a bucket is too inconvenient.”

On the road to the market, there were quite a few people. Ye Tao silently ran through her shopping list.

When they arrived, Xu Lan led her to the old man’s stall. Ye Tao picked out two rattan baskets and also bought a few small hand-baskets. She paid but left them there for now, planning to collect them after the rest of her shopping.

Her main goal today was chickens and eggs. She wanted to raise some chicks at home.

Xu Lan brought her over to a familiar vendor, a little girl who lit up at the sight of her.

“Taotao, I often buy from Maomao here,” Xu Lan said with a smile. “Her family’s chickens roam free by the beach, so their eggs are extra nutritious. I steam egg custard for Ruìruì every morning, and he loves it.”

“My eggs are really good, Sister,” Maomao—who looked about ten—piped up, eager to make a sale when she saw Ye Tao hesitate.

“Do you have hens or chicks, Maomao?” Ye Tao asked.

“I’ve got chicks, but I didn’t bring them today. They just hatched,” she replied.

“Perfect! Could you bring some tomorrow? I’ll come back to pick them up.”

“Okay!” Maomao agreed happily.

They bought up all of Maomao’s eggs, and she even gave them the bamboo basket they were packed in.

After wandering the market for a while, they finally bought two hens and a rooster.

Just as they were about to leave, Ye Tao noticed a new stall selling pork. People nearby explained that the pig had died after ramming into a tree in a rage.

The commune decided to butcher it and sell the meat at the market rather than waste all the effort of raising it.

Ye Tao squeezed through the crowd and managed to buy some liver and a slab of pork belly. Xu Lan bought all the pig’s trotters, knowing Ruìruì loved them.

With their baskets full, they headed home.

At the entrance, they ran into Huo Tingwu and Zhou Chongli returning with food. The two men took the heavy baskets from them, surprised at how much they had bought.

“Lucky coincidence,” Ye Tao explained. “Someone was selling pork.”

Back home, Ye Tao cut off a piece of liver for soup and prepared the rest for braising.

Liver was good for replenishing blood and improving eyesight—perfect for her, and also good for Tingwu, whose military training was very strenuous.

While braising the liver, she prepared soup: thin slices of liver marinated with seasonings, stir-fried with scallions, then simmered in water with a handful of greens tossed in at the end.

Each of them got a bowl, eaten with steamed buns from the canteen for breakfast.

Afterward, Huo Tingwu fenced off a corner of the yard for a chicken coop and put the hens and rooster inside. They looked disoriented at first, but when Ye Tao sprinkled in some corn, they perked right up.

Before he left for the base, Ye Tao packed slices of braised liver neatly into a lunchbox.

“Take this with you. It’ll last two days or so—eat it when you’re hungry.”

Since he always ate in a rush at home, she wanted him to have something to snack on at the office.

“Thanks, Taotao,” he said warmly.

After he left, Ye Tao locked the door and went back to sleep.

When she woke up, she sorted through the vegetables and began preparing lunch.

Huo Tingwu wasn’t picky at all—he praised every dish she cooked, which gave her plenty of encouragement. She liked him too. Every morning when she woke, the house was already swept, the garden watered, and the firewood neatly stacked. She couldn’t help but marvel at the difference in stamina between men and women.

When the day of their dinner gathering arrived, Ye Tao set out early to dig for seafood, with Xu Lan accompanying her.

She thought of the giant lobster she had found last time, and a bold idea flashed through her mind. Closing her eyes, she made a silent wish: “I want a jellyfish.”

When she opened them, the sea looked calm and empty. She sighed, disappointed—it had probably been coincidence last time.

But just as she stepped forward, she froze. Lying on the sand was a huge jellyfish.

Her heart raced. She tried again: “I want ten abalones!”

Sure enough, a cluster of abalones appeared on the shore.

Ye Tao hurried to gather them before anyone noticed. The thrill was indescribable.

Back home, she cleaned the seafood as usual.

Their neighbor, Sister-in-law Yuzhen, knowing they were hosting, brought over a bunch of vegetables from her own garden.

“Saozi, you shouldn’t bring so much again. Tingwu and I already feel bad for eating your produce every time.”

Zhang Yuzhen smiled. “To be honest, we’re leaving soon. These vegetables are at their best now—it would be a shame to waste them.”

That made Ye Tao and Xu Lan pause. They all sat down together.

“Sister-in-law, you’re leaving?” Ye Tao asked.

“Yes,” Zhang Yuzhen nodded. “My husband’s transfer order came. We’ll be moving in the next few days.”

“So sudden…” Ye Tao was reluctant—she had only just become close to her.

“It’s to Ancheng, our hometown. Still a distance from here, but closer to family.”

Ye Tao sighed. “We hardly got the chance to talk, and now we’re parting ways.”

But sadness came and went quickly—partings were inevitable. There would be chances to meet again.

With her mood steadied, Ye Tao focused on cooking.

Tingwu had said around a dozen people would be coming. She borrowed a large table from Yuzhen’s house—men would sit at the small table drinking, while the women and children would sit at the big one.

By the time the vegetables were washed, it was already dusk. Soon the men would be back from work.

Ye Tao planned ten dishes—too few would look stingy, and people might not get enough to eat.

She decided to start with braised pork, but when she heated the oil, she realized they were out of sugar. Xu Lan told her to run and buy some.

Carrying money and ration tickets, Ye Tao hurried to the supply cooperative.

“Comrade, I’d like two jin of sugar, please.”

The woman behind the counter—Zhao Juanjuan—was cracking melon seeds, ignoring her. Ye Tao called out twice more.

Studying her face, Ye Tao was sure she hadn’t met her before, yet the hostility was unmistakable. She looked around the shop—only two or three people were inside, and none were the kind clerk who had helped her last time.

Unfortunately, Zhao Juanjuan was the only one free. Ye Tao swallowed her irritation and repeated, “Comrade, I’d like two jin of sugar.”

“What are you yelling for? Trying to summon spirits? I’m not deaf, you know.”

Ye Tao’s temper flared. “Ha! Not deaf? I called you four times and you just sat there cracking seeds. What are you, a groundhog?”