Chapter 17

As Taohua continued digging, she was astonished to find that every spot she dug into revealed more bamboo shoots. In no time, her feet were surrounded by a pile of winter bamboo shoots.

When she called Qin Feng over to help her carry them, he was equally surprised.

“How did you find so many?”

Taohua, equally shocked, replied, “I don’t know, I just feel lucky today. This should be enough for several meals! But there are so many, how are we going to carry them all back?”

“I’ll handle it,” Qin Feng said as he quickly wove a simple basket from thin bamboo sticks.

He placed the smaller bamboo shoots in the basket, while tying the larger ones together with vines, carrying them with ease. He didn’t let Taohua carry any of the heavy load.

Taohua still wanted to help lighten his load. “It’s fine, Qin Gege, I can carry some.”

Qin Feng glanced at her and said, “You’re still young. What strength do you have? Just carry the machete for me.”

The machete wasn’t heavy, but Taohua felt warm and happy inside. Her Qin Gege was so thoughtful.

She was already thinking of making a special meal for him when they got home. Unfortunately, the rice at home was running low, so they’d only have porridge for now. However, there was still some meat, enough to fill them up.

Before long, the two of them returned home through the back door. As Taohua was closing the door behind them, Qin Feng suddenly turned around and said to her:

“It sounds like someone’s calling you.”

“Ah?” Taohua was confused. “Who could be calling me? It’s just the two of us here.”

“It’s coming from the front door, a woman’s voice.”

“Really? I didn’t hear anything.”

Although she said that, Taohua quickened her pace toward the front yard. As she walked, she did indeed hear the voice Qin Feng mentioned. It was Sun Xiaolan.

Taohua couldn’t help but smile and said, “Qin Gege, you really have sharp ears. It’s my good friend, Xiaolan. I’ll go open the door for her.”

Qin Feng gave a soft “Mm” in response and extended his hand toward her. “Give me the machete and the hoe. Your clothes are covered in dirt.”

Taohua obediently handed over the tools and quickly brushed off the dirt from her clothes, then hurried to meet Xiaolan.

“Xiaolan, what brings you here?” Taohua greeted with a bright smile as she saw her friend.

Sun Xiaolan leaned forward and glanced behind Taohua. “Where’s your husband? Isn’t he home?”

“He’s here, he went to the storage room to put some things away. I found a lot of winter bamboo shoots in the back mountain just now. I’ll bring you some later; I remember you like them too.”

Xiaolan’s face turned serious. “That can wait. I have something to tell you.”

“Then let’s go inside and talk. Don’t stand out here,” Taohua said, ushering Xiaolan into the house.

Once inside, Xiaolan looked around and then spoke.

“Your courtyard is really big, but the house is so small. There’s only one room? Your sleeping area and the main room are all in one. It must be inconvenient when guests come, huh?”

“Yes, it is,” Taohua replied with a smile. “But we’ll deal with it next year when the weather’s warmer. Actually, this yard is new. When I married here, there wasn’t even a fence around the house.”

“Really? I guess it’s true that a woman in charge makes a difference. But that’s not what I came to talk about today. I want to ask you…”

Xiaolan frowned. “Did the two sons of Wang Pozi come to cause trouble at your place today?”

“Yes, how did you know?” Taohua quickly responded, her expression turning anxious. “Did they go to the village chief to report us?”

“Yes, those two ruffians are limping, with bruises and swollen faces. They said you and your husband beat them up. They were crying and asking my grandfather to help them. Is that true?”