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The next day, Shen Zhuo set out to sell the medicinal herbs. He had gathered quite a bit this time, and Ye Xin had even pulled up two heads of cabbage for him to take to Doctor Xu. The basket was getting a bit full, so to avoid any spillage, they decided to pack everything into a cloth bag and tie it to the cart—much easier than carrying it all on his back.
When he arrived, Doctor Xu chuckled, “You shouldn’t keep bringing me vegetables. I’m starting to feel embarrassed!”
Shen Zhuo had learned how to navigate conversations from Ye Xin and replied, “These are just from our own fields; they’re not worth much. I’m just trying to win your favor. Besides, I might need to leave my cart with you someday.”
Hearing that, Doctor Xu smiled and said, “Well, if that’s the case, I won’t hold back.”
Shen Zhuo felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He didn’t want to feel like he was just buttering up the doctor, especially if it wasn’t reciprocated. Instead, they were simply exchanging favors, and that felt much better.
This is how relationships should be—there should be a give and take.
His father had been a quiet man, and as an outsider living far away from the community, they had little social interaction. So, he had never really been taught these nuances of human relationships. Now, he felt he had learned a bit about socializing from Ye Xin.
After weighing the herbs, Doctor Xu calculated the price. “That’s seventeen dollars and eighty cents this time—not bad!”
Shen Zhuo felt elated. He had finally earned a decent amount.
After a fulfilling day of classes, he hurried back home and handed all the money he made from selling the herbs to Ye Xin.
She laughed, “Why are you giving all of it to me? You should keep some for yourself!”
Shen Zhuo shook his head, saying, “It’s for you to spend.”
Ye Xin couldn’t help but feel touched by his generosity. He truly didn’t hold anything back. The last time they sold vegetables in the county town, he was supposed to keep some of the money for himself, but when they returned to the town and he needed to buy supplies for the Chen family, he gave her everything again. She knew he had not a single cent left.
However, being too honest wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Ye Xin counted the money and took out ten dollars, returning the remaining seven dollars and eighty cents to him. “How about this? I’ll take the larger share for household expenses, and you can keep the rest. You’re going to town every day for training; you can’t be without money.”
Shen Zhuo still shook his head, “I don’t need it. I have food and water every day; there are no expenses.”
Ye Xin almost sighed, “You can’t guarantee you won’t need money while you’re out. It’s better to have a few dollars on hand just in case.”
Finally, Shen Zhuo accepted the money, secretly pleased.
Ye Xin thought for a moment and then added, wary that he might sneak off to the Chen family with his newfound cash, “Keep these few dollars for emergencies. There’s really no need to spend it regularly. I know what we have at home, and I’ll buy more when we run out. If you want to buy something, or if I don’t notice something has run out, just tell me first. Don’t go sneaking off to buy stuff, or I might end up buying the same things twice.”
Shen Zhuo nodded earnestly, “I won’t waste money.”
On the third day, the two of them got up early once again. Today was the market day, and if they wanted to sell vegetables, they needed to pick them early and claim a good spot in town. Fellow villagers selling goods were already bustling about—lazy folks wouldn’t earn a dime!
Once again, Shen Zhuo cooked breakfast while Ye Xin harvested and sorted the vegetables into two baskets, covering them with straw.
After they ate and prepared to leave, the sky was still dark. Thankfully, they had a flashlight.
In the chill of winter, Shen Zhuo worried that Ye Xin would get too cold, so he offered her his scarf and earmuffs, saying he had a hat and gloves to keep warm.
“I don’t need them,” Ye Xin insisted. “You’re the one in the front facing the wind; if you don’t bundle up, you might catch a cold!”
“I’ll be fine; it’s not that cold for me,” Shen Zhuo replied.
“I’m fine too! I’m sitting in the back, and you’re blocking the wind,” Ye Xin said, urging him on. “Let’s hurry up and ride; we can’t waste any more time!”
Shen Zhuo had no choice but to comply, getting on the bike and setting off. It was still early, and the village was wrapped in a blanket of silence.
As he rode downhill, the wind whooshed past them, cutting through the chilly fog as they left the village behind. Ye Xin held the flashlight in front of him, illuminating the path. Suddenly, she recalled something: “Isn’t it difficult to hold the flashlight while riding?”
Shen Zhuo replied, “Not at all. When I ride alone, it’s light enough that I can manage it with one hand.”
Ye Xin nodded, “That makes sense.” She realized she had fallen into a misconception; when she was with him, she was the one burdened with carrying extra weight. Shen Zhuo must have found it much easier to ride alone. Knowing their home situation, she understood that Shen Zhuo’s physical fitness was already impressive.
He added, “So I don’t need to leave so early. It’s more convenient to ride once the sun comes up.”
However, Ye Xin remembered what he had said about carrying vegetables to sell and felt uneasy. “Then if I’m not going, you shouldn’t carry the vegetables either. It’s too dangerous.”
Shen Zhuo replied, “I can carry a little, and it’ll be fine.”
“No way! You should do some chores at home before heading out,” Ye Xin insisted, immediately assigning him a task. “The chicken coop you built before is too small; you need to widen it a bit. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to collect eggs later.”
Shen Zhuo frowned initially, but then relaxed. “Alright, I’ll do what you say.”
Whether it was selling vegetables or working at home, his goal was to do more to lighten her load. Ye Xin was pleased with his obedience and wrapped her arms around him tighter, feeling warm and cozy against him.
Once they arrived in town, Ye Xin efficiently unloaded the goods and set up their stall. She waved him off, saying, “I can handle this. You don’t need to stay here; go to school.”
Shen Zhuo wanted to linger a little longer. “It’s still early—barely seven o’clock.”
Indeed, it was quite early, with the sky just beginning to brighten. Ye Xin didn’t mind his presence for the moment.
“Hey, young lady! It’s rare to see you selling vegetables again!” The first customer, a familiar face, arrived shortly after.
“Good morning, Auntie! Care for some cabbage?” Ye Xin greeted her with a smile.
“Of course! It’s not every day I see you, so I must buy some. Your vegetables are the freshest! And throw in a couple of radishes for my pork stew…”
The two of them quickly worked together, weighing vegetables and making change. Though cabbage and radishes were inexpensive, their produce was plump and juicy, with just one head of cabbage and two radishes fetching over ten cents. It might not be much, but at least they were making a profit, even if the weight limited how much they could carry.
After selling for a while and with the sun rising higher in the sky, Ye Xin turned to Shen Zhuo. “Watch the stall for me; I’m going to the Chen family’s place.”
Before he could ask anything, she tapped the basket behind her. “There are some dried vegetables and a few fresh ones in here. I’ll take them over to see if they’ll buy. If they do, I won’t have to sell for as long; if not, I’ll bring them back. I’ll also grab some food while I’m there.”
Seeing she hadn’t opened the basket yet, Shen Zhuo suspected what she was up to. The dried vegetables hadn’t sold well last time. He didn’t want her standing out in the cold for too long, so he thought it would be best if she could make a sale quickly. But he couldn’t help but feel bad about her carrying the heavy load. “Let me take it over,” he offered.
Ye Xin shook her head. “You wouldn’t know how to price them properly, and you might end up getting cheated. I’ll go instead.”
With that, Shen Zhuo had no further argument. He could only watch as she walked away, carrying the basket.
As Ye Xin approached the alley near the Chen family’s courtyard, she glanced around to ensure no one was watching before slipping into her hidden space to grab a bag of rice.
Originally, she hadn’t planned to take any more risks, but with so much grain piled up in her space, the temptation was too great to resist.
Determined to take one last chance, she steeled herself for this adventure!
Upon spotting her familiar silhouette, Chen Er immediately welcomed her in, taking the heavy bag from her and heading straight to the main room.
The Chen brothers were all present, and upon seeing yet another batch of fresh off-season vegetables and high-quality rice, their faces lit up with joy. However, Chen Da, ever cautious, asked, “Little girl, you’ve brought such heavy things all the way here. Did you run into many people along the way?”
Ye Xin smiled, reassuring him, “Don’t worry, Chen Ge! My companion is with me; he’s pushing a cart to deliver rice nearby. Otherwise, no matter how strong I am, I couldn’t carry a hundred pounds this far. He’s just around the corner keeping watch, you know we’re careful.”
Chen Da nodded, “I guess I worried for nothing. You two are quite thorough in how you handle things.”
With that, they weighed the vegetables and rice, which turned out to be priced similarly to before—twenty-eight bucks.
Then, Chen San brought over a packet of seeds. “These are sunflower seeds we received a few days ago. They don’t grow well here, but since you mentioned needing some, I kept them for you. Do you want them?”
Ye Xin’s eyes sparkled with delight; this was an unexpected gift! She quickly nodded, “I do! How much?”
Chen San exchanged glances with Chen Da and chuckled, “They’re not worth much, so just take them. Given that the weather is getting colder and vegetable prices are rising, you didn’t increase your prices, so we’ll consider this a fair deal.”
Ye Xin gladly accepted the seeds. “Thank you so much, brothers!”
After getting the sunflower seeds, she also picked up some sugar, eggs, and sausages, thinking that Shen Zhuo might want to study by lamplight tonight, which would use more oil. When she inquired about kerosene and found some, she bought a few pounds as well.
With her business concluded, she left the Chen family courtyard with a light step.
In an empty alley, she slipped back into her hidden space to retrieve twenty pounds of dried vegetables she had prepared the night before. With the New Year approaching, every bit of extra income mattered, especially since the fresh vegetables she had brought today wouldn’t last long. She planned to sell the dried vegetables as well.
She stuffed the dried vegetables into her basket, glanced around, and let out a sigh of relief.
However, her heart raced with anxiety.
This was truly too risky!
She silently reminded herself that this had to be the last time; she couldn’t afford to gamble like this again. Who knew what might happen if greed got the better of her…
Returning to the vegetable stall, she set down the basket and said to Shen Zhuo, “I sold some, but there’s still more. Let’s put it out for sale.”
Shen Zhuo glanced at her face and sensed something was off; perhaps it was just his imagination, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she seemed a bit down. “Didn’t you sell everything over there?”
Ye Xin replied softly, “There were too many dried vegetables, and they didn’t buy much. The prices weren’t good either; it’s better to sell them here.”
Thinking she was upset about that, Shen Zhuo reassured her, “It’s okay if we can’t sell everything; we have enough money. Don’t worry.”
Ye Xin nodded, her previous tension fading as she smiled, “It’s probably around eight-thirty now. You should go back and study.”
Seeing her brightening demeanor, Shen Zhuo felt relieved. “It’s still early; let’s sell a bit longer.”
After hesitating for a bit, he realized he had to leave. “Wait, how will you get back? How about you wait for me to finish class, and we can go back together?”
Ye Xin shook her head. “That would mean waiting all day! I’m not delicate; I can walk back. It was just too dark in the morning; I’m not afraid during the day.”
Shen Zhuo frowned. “Walking will take a long time.”
Ye Xin replied, “I’ll just take it slow. If others can walk, so can I. Now go back to class, or you’ll be late!”
Knowing he was running out of time, Shen Zhuo could only frown and say, “I’ll come find you after my first class; wait for me!”
With that, he hurriedly pushed his cart towards the school.
Once he arrived at the bike rack, he noticed seven or eight bicycles already parked inside, indicating he wasn’t the only one with a bike.
There was another male student locking up his bike. Seeing this, Shen Zhuo felt a bit of relief, knowing he hadn’t missed his class. The student glanced at him and then at his bike, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
When Shen Zhuo entered the classroom, he found almost every seat filled. Just as he sat down, the teacher arrived. If he had been just a moment slower…
He was almost late.
Huang Zhihao leaned in and quietly asked, “Why are you so late today?”
Shen Zhuo didn’t say much, simply replying, “I got held up by something.”
Meanwhile, Ye Xin continued selling vegetables, the rising sun casting a warm glow on her as it broke through the chill of the morning.
By nine o’clock, all the fresh vegetables had sold out, but there was still over half of the dried vegetables left, which were proving hard to sell. Just as she was about to pack up, a familiar voice called out, “Ye Xin, what are you doing selling vegetables here?”
Looking up, she saw Zheng Wenwen and Wang Xiaowei, who had indeed come to the market. They looked bundled up against the cold, their faces flushed, each carrying a bamboo basket on their backs.
With a smile, Ye Xin replied, “Just selling some vegetables I brought from home that we couldn’t finish. It’s a good way to earn a few extra coins.”
Zheng Wenwen eyed the assortment of dried vegetables and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you grow all of these yourself?”
Ye Xin nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! If we didn’t grow them ourselves, how could we sell them? It wouldn’t be right to buy from someone else just to sell at a higher price—that’s just speculation.”
Zheng Wenwen looked surprised. “I remember you asking the women how to pickle and dry vegetables. We all thought Shen Zhuo must be some kind of gardening genius, growing so much food that you couldn’t finish it all and still managing to take good care of you. I didn’t expect you’d have so many to sell!”
Ye Xin wasn’t aware of the rumors among the youth but found the misconception amusing, so she didn’t bother to clarify. Instead, she sighed, “It’s true that when times are tough, people often have to take charge at an early age. He works much harder than we do.”
She added, “Learning to dry and pickle vegetables wasn’t just for us to eat. It’s mainly to sell and earn a little extra for the household.”
Zheng Wenwen nodded, realizing the truth in that statement. A boy without parents certainly had to rely on his own hard work.
Wang Xiaowei, who typically kept quiet, looked at the scattered cabbage leaves on the ground and asked, “So, are you selling dried vegetables or still have some cabbage left?”
Ye Xin looked up at the girl, smiling as she replied, “I’m selling both. The cabbage sold out, but the dried vegetables aren’t moving too well.”
Wang Xiaowei complimented, “It seems you’ve done a great job growing the vegetables.”
Zheng Wenwen added, “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed since being with Shen Zhuo. You look healthier and sharper, and now you even know how to make money selling vegetables. That’s way more resourceful than us!”
Ye Xin chuckled, “It’s really not much. I usually just bring a few on my trips to town. On a good month, I might make a little over a dollar; that’s about it.”
Zheng Wenwen chimed in, “That’s still something! At least it could buy you a pound or two of meat.”
Ye Xin shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “Without meat coupons, that’s not happening. If I’m lucky enough to find a neighbor selling eggs, I might be able to buy a few to boost my nutrition.”
With her gentle nudging, Zheng Wenwen and Wang Xiaowei concluded that she and Shen Zhuo were so poor that they had to work hard growing and selling vegetables just to afford a few eggs. This way, they managed to keep themselves in good condition, which is why Ye Xin looked healthier than before.
Concerned that they might spread rumors about her earning just over a dollar, she sincerely suggested, “If you have extra vegetables or some free time, you could bring your grass weaving or bamboo crafts to the market to sell.”
The two girls exchanged glances and shook their heads with a wry smile. “We don’t have enough vegetables for ourselves. Besides, we’re too busy farming to learn crafting skills.”
Ye Xin understood their predicament. City folks might not be able to compete with rural farmers, and even if they had started a few years earlier, they were barely keeping up now. There just wasn’t enough time for anything extra.
With a smile, she began gathering the dried vegetables. She tied the straps of the baskets together, slinging both over her shoulders.
Zheng Wenwen asked, “Aren’t you going to sell more?”
Ye Xin shook her head. “No more sales; it’s not worth the hassle. I’d be wasting time. I still need to go to the post office to mail a letter.”
“Perfect timing! Let’s go together,” Zheng Wenwen said.
Ye Xin nodded, “But I need to let Shen Zhuo know first. His first class is about to end.”
With that, the group headed toward the town’s middle school.
Earlier that morning, Huang Zhihao had thought Shen Zhuo was just running late, feeling a sense of relief to finally see his friend exhibit a flaw. But as soon as the first class ended, Shen Zhuo made a quick excuse and hurried out the door.
Li Guangyao and Meng Chunlan exchanged puzzled looks. “What’s Shen Zhuo up to?” Li asked.
“Beats me,” Huang Zhihao shrugged.
As Shen Zhuo dashed out of the school, he spotted Ye Xin standing at the entrance, flanked by two fellow female youths.
Ye Xin waved and greeted him, “Just ran into Zheng Wenwen and Wang Xiaowei! We’re planning to head to the post office to write and mail some letters, then maybe browse around before heading back together.”
Shen Zhuo’s brow furrowed in concern. “That’ll take quite a while… Just wait for me.”
Ye Xin couldn’t help but laugh. “If I wait for you, I’ll be here forever! Do you think I’m just going to stand around all day? It’s a waste of time.”
She continued, “The three of us can walk together. It’s daytime now, bright and warm. There’s nothing to worry about. You should focus on your classes.”
After considering her words, Shen Zhuo realized he had no counterargument and fell silent.
Seeing he still hadn’t moved, Ye Xin urged him, “Go on inside! You don’t want people to start gossiping. We need to get going, too.”
Reluctantly, Shen Zhuo turned and walked toward the school entrance. After a few steps, he glanced back. Ye Xin waved him off, and he finally went inside.
As the two female youths approached, Zheng Wenwen teased, “You guys are so slow!”
Wang Xiaowei smiled knowingly, sensing the underlying tension.
Ye Xin sighed softly, “Alright, let’s head to the post office.”