Font Size:
The Lin family couple happily weighed the vegetables. They sold them to the restaurant for five wen per catty. Song Anning’s vegetables weighed just over five and a half catties. Lin Dafu counted out 17 copper coins and handed them to her.
Today, they had collected some from the villagers and also picked some themselves. They could make a good profit, and their view of Song Anning changed.
“Anning, here are 17 wen. Please check. If you have more good quality goods in the future, bring them over. Grandpa will give you the best price.”
“Okay.”
Song Anning counted the money and was very excited. This was her first pot of gold since coming here. Adding the 49 wen from the system’s recycling, she had earned 66 wen in just half an afternoon.
Well, it was an auspicious number and a good start.
An inexplicable sense of achievement welled up in her heart. No matter what, the money she earned herself was the most reassuring to spend.
While talking to the Lin family couple, Song Zeyuan and his sister ran over, out of breath. Seeing many people standing under the large banyan tree from afar, they thought something was wrong.
“Brother, do you think Big Sis is causing a scene at the Lin family’s house?”
Song Zeyuan was also unsure. When their Big Sis acted up, no one could stop her. If she damaged something, they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for it even if they sold everything.
The two little ones were both anxious and afraid. They struggled to push through the crowd and squeezed into the Lin family’s courtyard. There, they saw their Big Sis chatting and laughing with Aunt Lin as they sorted the wild vegetables. The villagers watching had jealous expressions on their faces.
Wait, were those wild vegetables picked by Big Sis?
“Ah Yuan, your sister really made a name for herself today. She sold wild vegetables and earned a lot of money. Quick, let her buy some meat for you to eat…”
Song Zeyuan understood a bit from the sour remarks of the woman. He stared blankly at Song Anning until she finished her work and waved at them:
“Ah Yuan, Ah Yue, let’s go home…”
Song Anning put the basket on her back, said goodbye to the Lin family, and led them home, one in each hand. Song Zeyuan and Song Anyue still couldn’t believe it and couldn’t help but ask:
“Big Sis, did you really pick all those wild vegetables? They look so fresh.”
“Yes, I sold them for seventeen copper coins. I’ll make something delicious for you.”
Song Anning took out a handful of copper coins from her pouch and jingled them in her hand. The two little ones’ eyes lit up as the sound of the coins clinking was like music to their ears.
Big Sis was really different now. She didn’t steal things anymore and even earned money. On the way home, the air felt sweet and fragrant.
No, they couldn’t let Big Sis go up the mountain alone. Starting tomorrow, they would go with her. Their family’s days would definitely get better.
The two children thought to themselves. Halfway home, Song Anning stopped by Aunt Guihua’s house to buy two eggs and three catties of cornmeal, spending ten copper coins in total.
When she sold the wild vegetables earlier, Song Anning had set aside some to make cornmeal cakes and a wild vegetable egg soup. She was looking forward to it…
As they neared home, their path was blocked.
Blocking their way was the original owner’s grandmother, holding a tattered cloth bag, exuding a cold aura as she glared fiercely at Song Anning.
This grandmother wasn’t a blood relative. The original owner’s real grandmother had been in poor health after giving birth to her father and second uncle. During a famine, she passed away.
Her grandfather then married this Zhang woman, who gave birth to a son and a daughter. A year ago, her father and second uncle moved out to live separately, leading to their current situation.
“Dead girl, you’re stealing again!
You’ve shamed the Song family! I’ll beat you to death, you fool!”
Song Anning then saw that the old woman was holding a thorny stick behind her back. As the stick was about to hit her, Song Anning ran away.
Damn the original owner, you’ve caused so much trouble…
Poor Song Anning, her body had never done any labor and was quite plump, so she couldn’t outrun the old woman who had been working all her life.
She was caught not far away. Zhang grabbed Song Anning by the back of her neck but couldn’t bring herself to hit her, looking disappointed:
“Anning, your father isn’t my biological son, but we raised him for over twenty years. When your father and your older brother had their accident, your grandfather and I couldn’t sleep for nights. Your grandfather and your second uncle often go up the mountain to check, and you’ve seen all of this.
But, the living must continue living. Your mother is sick, and these two little ones are just starting to understand things. Your grandfather and I are getting old, and besides bringing some food over, we can’t help much. This family still depends on you.
Every family has its own life to live. If you can’t stand on your own, who can you rely on to help you forever?
Listen to Grandma, stop stealing, okay? Take care of the two little ones and live a good life.”
Zhang had said these words many times, but the original owner always did as she pleased. Sometimes, when she was beaten severely, she would even curse at Zhang.
But this time, Zhang heard a different response.
“Okay. Grandma, I will never steal again and will live a good life…”
“I don’t believe you.”
“…”
Song Anning felt a sharp sting in her heart: “Ahhh, my heartfelt promise only earned a ‘I don’t believe you!'”
At the same time, the system in her mind was laughing like a fool: “Ahahahaha, this is hilarious. Your grandma isn’t buying your excuses. You should prove yourself with actions by going up the mountain more often!”
The two little ones saw that their Big Sis was being cornered and quickly came to help:
“Grandma, you have to believe us. Big Sis has really changed for the better. She really, really has. This afternoon, she went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables. Look at her hands; they’re all blistered.”
“We just came back from Uncle Lin’s house. Big Sis sold the wild vegetables and earned a lot of copper coins.”
Song Zeyuan was afraid that Zhang wouldn’t believe him, so he went to jingle Song Anning’s small pouch.
“Really, really? Anning, did you really earn this money by selling wild vegetables?”
The pressure in Zhang’s hand gradually lessened, and Song Anning quickly straightened up, pouring all the money from her pocket.
“I spent ten wen to buy eggs and cornmeal, and the remaining seven wen are here. Grandma, please believe me one last time. Just this once. If I steal again, you can beat me to death.”
The old woman didn’t say anything, just reached out to touch the copper coins, then tightly gripped Song Anning’s hand, and tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
“Grandma, don’t cry. You can go ask Uncle Lin. I really earned this money by selling wild vegetables, not by stealing.”
Zhang turned her head to the side, wiped away her tears, and said chokingly:
“Grandma is happy because my eldest granddaughter no longer steals and can earn money to support the family.”
But the tears kept coming, uncontrollable, a mix of joy that Song Anning had finally changed and heartache for these children.
Song Zeyuan and Song Anyue came forward, hugging Zhang’s legs, burying their faces in her pants, and started crying softly too.
The evening breeze blew over the field ridges, carrying away the past, dissipating the sorrow of the grandmother and grandchildren. Zhang steadied her emotions and slowly said:
“It’s all in the past now. The debts you owe, your grandfather and your second uncle have discussed. Each family will contribute one tael of silver, and you will have to repay the rest yourself.”
Song Anning shook her head. Over the years, taxes had increased year by year, and every household was struggling. Saving one tael of silver would take several months. It was only because Banyue Village was nestled in the mountains that they managed to get by.
“Your younger uncle is still studying, and your second uncle’s family has many children. I made a mistake, and I will take responsibility for it. I will repay the debts bit by bit, and there will come a day when they are all repaid.”
Zhang was both crying and laughing as she reached out to tuck some loose hair behind Song Anning’s ear. “The fact that you can say this… you’ve grown up. My granddaughter has grown up so quickly.”
“Grandma believes you, one last time. It’s getting late, go home now.”
She handed the cloth bag she had dropped to the ground to Song Anning. “A few catties of mixed grain rice and some duck eggs, take them back and eat.”
“No, I earned money…”
Zhang waved her hand, leaned on her wooden stick, and turned to leave:
“We’re family, there’s no need to push each other over a few catties of grain. Grandma is still waiting for you to take care of her…”