Chapter 13

“Should we take all these things back on the cart?” Zhou Jing asked.

Shen Mo could still walk, but thinking about how Zhou Jing had been exhausted carrying just one chicken when walking to the town, and realizing that it wouldn’t make much difference to spend a few coins on the fare, he agreed.

They had bought a lot of items, and carrying them was both inconvenient and conspicuous. Zhou Jing spent four coins to buy two large, lidded baskets. He placed the rice, flour, condiments, and sugar inside and covered them, which helped block some people’s line of sight. However, the oil was stored in a clay jar, which was both expensive and prone to spilling, so Shen Mo held it carefully in his arms.

This was a rare treat; they hadn’t had it at home in ages. Back when he was not yet married, Zhao Chunhua had only dared to use a drop or two when cooking.

The ox carts in town only departed when enough people gathered, and each driver ran their route, charging two coins more than the mule carts from the countryside. So, when country folks came to town, they usually opted for the village mule carts, as they were cheaper, and it felt wrong to ask someone to make a trip back empty.

Zhou Jing and Shen Mo arrived just in time, missing only two people to fill the cart.

The driver happily said, “You two are just in time! Come aboard; I’ll give you a discount—two coins each, the same price as riding in the mule cart .”

Hearing the deal, Zhou Jing and Shen Mo felt delighted and said, “Thank you!”

The ox cart wasn’t very high, and usually, Shen Mo found it easy to climb up. However, today, with all the things he was carrying, it was a bit of a struggle. Zhou Jing waited behind and helped him up. Once Shen Mo managed to climb aboard, he followed suit.

However, once Shen Mo got on the cart, he awkwardly stood there, not finding a place to sit. Zhou Jing peeked over from behind and saw that only two spots were left, occupied by two familiar faces—Zhang Ju and Chen Shuhua, the girls they had encountered on the way there.

At that moment, seeing them approach to sit beside them, Zhang Ju and Chen Shuhua couldn’t exactly drive them away, so they pinched their noses and frowned as if there were some nauseating smell coming from them. They made a show of their disdain, ensuring that everyone around noticed their discomfort.

Originally, the two girls were quite attractive, but with their behavior, they seemed less delicate and more spiteful.

What were they doing here? Hadn’t they come on the village donkey cart? Could it be that something had delayed them, and they missed their ride?

Even if they had run into each other, there was no way they could refuse to sit together.

Zhou Jing patted the awkward Shen Mo, signaling him to relax. He then turned to a woman in her fifties sitting nearby and said, “Big sister, would you mind if we switched seats with you? After all, my wife and I are both men and sitting next to an unmarried young lady might make her uncomfortable.”

In today’s world, getting married young is common, and at around fifty, one could easily be called “auntie.” However, Zhou Jing chose to address her as “big sister.” The woman brightened up upon hearing this; it was a clear indication of her youthfulness. She acted like a “big sister”, and immediately nodded: “Sure.”

The woman moved aside, and Zhou Jing and Shen Mo took the seats she had vacated.

Once they settled in, the ox cart began to rattle along the road.

Shen Mo felt the weight of the items on his back; it was a bit uncomfortable. Zhou Jing noticed and helped him take the load off, placing it in front of them. This action caught the attention of Chen Shuhua, who had been secretly observing them. She quietly tugged at Zhang Ju’s sleeve and whispered.

“Zhang Ju, look at those two baskets Zhou Jing is carrying; they can’t be light. There must be some good things inside, right?”

Zhang Ju had kept her gaze averted from Zhou Jing and Shen Mo ever since they boarded the cart, wanting to maintain her pride.

“Hmph, what good things could they have? They’re so poor that they still live in a thatched house. Which family in our village still lives like that? Besides, didn’t you see that dilapidated house? A strong gust of wind could blow it down. Where would they find the money to buy anything valuable?”

Chen Shuhua replied, “That’s not necessarily true. Didn’t he carry a wild chicken to town to sell this morning? Maybe he got a good price for it. And don’t forget, when we ran into them earlier, they weren’t carrying those two big baskets. They must have bought too much and couldn’t fit it all, so they had to buy two baskets to carry their stuff.”

If it weren’t for needing extra baskets to carry their purchases, no farmer would spend two coins on something they could easily make at home from a couple of branches.

Zhang Ju stole a glance and caught a glimpse of something through the holes in the baskets. She then noticed Shen Mo carefully cradling a ceramic jar, the side of which had accidentally gotten a bit of oil on it. She immediately realized that it must contain oil!

That large jar held at least a liter of oil; a liter weighed two jin. Two jin of oil could last them for half a year!

At home, they usually cooked with just a few drops of oil, and it was only during the New Year that they enjoyed a few meals prepared with oil. The thought of those dishes, glistening with oil, made Zhang Ju’s mouth water uncontrollably, causing her to drool!

Seeing Zhang Ju’s greedy expression, Chen Shuhua couldn’t help but curl her lip in disdain. Zhang Ju often pretended to be high-minded, acting as if she were above desire, yet here she was, drooling like a puppy at the sight of oil. Chen Shuhua thought they were no different; it was just that Zhang Ju’s family was a bit better off. She had some pocket money to buy rouge and dress up, while her own family was poor. Not only did she not receive any pocket money, but she also had to do some sewing to help make ends meet.

If she were given money like Zhang Ju, she would surely look even better than her. The village beauty might not even be Zhang Ju anymore. Chen Shuhua had never thought she was less attractive; although Zhang Ju was considered the village flower, she believed it was merely because Zhang Ju could afford makeup while she could not.

“Zhang Ju, look at the jar Shen Mo is holding; it must be an oil jar. If you say something, Zhou Jing will probably share half of it with you. If you give him a hint, he might even be willing to give you the whole jar!” Chen Shuhua said this without fully understanding why.

Although she suspected that the jar Shen Mo was holding contained oil, Zhang Ju didn’t believe it would be full. Fat cost twenty coins per jin, while oil was thirty coins. Therefore, farmers preferred to buy fatty meat for flavor instead of spending that money on oil.

Zhang Ju had asked Zhou Jing for a large turtle. When Old Lady Wang heard about it from the villagers, she went to Zhang’s house and caused a commotion, turning the incident into a laughingstock for the village. As a result, Zhang Ju became extremely sensitive about anything related to Zhou Jing.

“Chen Shuhua, you better not say such things! When have I ever wanted someone else’s things? Just looking at Zhou Jing, with his toad-like appearance, makes me want to throw up. The very thought of anything he has touched—forget eating it; I’d just vomit it right out!”

It seemed as if a delay of just one second would lead to her being tainted by Zhou Jing. Frightened, Zhang Ju waved her hands in distress. Although her gestures weren’t particularly large, the crowded conditions in the vehicle caused her hand to inadvertently slap the face of a woman sitting next to her.

The woman let out a loud “Ouch!” after being slapped. She was not one to take things lying down and immediately retaliated with an even louder slap. It reddened one side of Zhang Ju’s face, causing her to shed a few involuntary tears.

“Pah!” the woman spat angrily. “What a joke! You look like a toad yourself but think you’re some kind of celestial being. Just because you’re sitting on an ox cart, you act like you’re too good for everyone else. If you ask me, you probably used to ride a mule cart before this, so now you’re getting too big for your britches!”

“No wonder, at sixteen or seventeen, you still can’t find a man. After all this fuss, it turns out you’re just a greedy thing! You see any man with something, and you come up to him with that shameless face of yours, and beg him to give you everything. Anyone who knows you, knows you’re just an unwed girl, but those who don’t might think you’re a whore from a disreputable place. Otherwise, why would you be so shallow?”

The woman vented her frustrations with glee. Still unsatisfied, she turned to Zhou Jing and Shen Mo. “You two young men, don’t you agree?”

Shen Mo thought about how Zhang Ju was still an unwed girl. Although she had often taken the good things Zhou Jing managed to get, it had always been with Zhou Jing’s consent. Living in close quarters with their neighbors made it awkward to say anything about it.

However, Zhou Jing had not forgotten Zhang Ju’s words from that morning. She had not only belittled him but also looked down on his wife. If it were just about himself, he wouldn’t care; after all, those past events had been the actions of the original owner of his body, and he had no intention of shaming a young girl. But the way she had insulted his wife that morning left a deep mark, and he was determined to get his revenge.

At that moment, it felt like the perfect opportunity for revenge. Zhou Jing nodded and said, “Sister, you’re absolutely right!”

Zhang Ju couldn’t hold back the humiliation and burst into tears.

“Why are you crying? As if I, the older sister, am bullying a little girl! Which word did I say wrong? Do you think everyone in this cart is deaf? I heard every word you two said! If you don’t believe me, ask the girl sitting next to you if she heard!” The more Zhang Ju cried, the more fiercely the woman scolded her.

In such a cramped space, even if they spoke softly, those sitting nearby could still hear them. The woman next to them had caught the gist of their conversation, but since the two young girls hadn’t provoked her, she didn’t join in the bullying. Instead, she offered a few words of advice to calm the angry woman down.

Zhang Ju and Chen Shuhua were just two fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls. In their village, they could act brazenly because they felt safe among familiar faces. But when faced with an unknown, fierce woman, they could only cry pitifully, too intimidated to retort or retaliate.

Fortunately, the woman got off the cart first, allowing a semblance of quiet to return.

As the ox cart entered Wang Family Village, dusk had settled in. Shen Lin stood at the door, eagerly peering outside. He knew full well that there were only five coins left in the house and that neither Shen Mo nor Zhou Jing could possibly contribute two coins each for the fare. Still, when he heard the sound of the approaching cart, he couldn’t help but look out.

The ox cart unexpectedly stopped at his doorstep, and indeed, Zhou Jing and Shen Mo were seated on it. However, Shen Lin immediately noticed the other two people in the cart, Zhang Ju and Chen Shuhua.

Zhang Ju’s eyes were swollen from crying, making her appear more like the one who had been bullied. Yet, Shen Lin instinctively asked with a hint of wariness, “Big brother, were you bullied? Did Zhou Jing give gifts to someone?”

At that moment, his brother-in-law stopped calling out.

“You little brat, if you’re going to call me by my name so disrespectfully, then don’t expect to eat at my house,”

Zhou Jing continued to scold lightly. “Can’t you see your brother is carrying a jar and has a basket on his back? They’re both quite heavy, Hurry up and show a little awareness and help him out.”

Only then did Shen Lin notice the two people carrying large baskets and the precious jar that Shen Mo was cradling in his arms.

Seeming taken aback, Shen Lin asked, “I can weave this too. If you like, I can go up the mountain and collect some branches, and in no time, I could make a dozen or twenty of them. Why spend the money?”

Although he said that, he still accepted the large basket that Zhou Jing handed over, which Shen Mo had been carrying.

The weight of the basket took Shen Lin by surprise and he almost dropped it.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and caught it in time.

At that moment, he displayed a look of disbelief as he quickly lifted the lid, took a glance inside, and then swiftly closed it again.

It was as if he was holding some rare treasure; he quickly closed the lid and dashed into the house, completely ignoring his older brother outside.

Shen Mo shook his head in resignation. Zhou Jing took the oil jar from his hands and waited until Shen Mo jumped down before handing it back to him and then finally climbing down from the ox cart himself.

From the perspective of Chen Shuhua and Zhang Ju, they could see Shen Lin lift the lid and reveal the contents of the basket. Although they couldn’t see what was at the bottom, the top was piled high with meat and bones.

Once they had walked a distance away, Chen Shuhua remarked, “It’s actually meat? How could Zhou Jing afford to buy so much meat?”

Seeming genuinely sorry for Zhang Ju, Chen Shuhua sighed, “If that woman hadn’t come to stir things up, those pieces of meat might have been yours. I bet there are several pounds; that’s quite a lot!”

Zhang Ju appeared lost in thought, her swollen eyes shining with a deep sense of unwillingness. Seeing her like this, Chen Shuhua couldn’t help but scold silently, “Wanting to keep your dignity while playing the role of a concubine.”

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Lucia’s notes:

I have a new schedule!

Schedule of Updates: 1 Chapter every Monday, Thursday and Saturday

Thank you so much for supporting this novel~ See you on Monday~ (❁´◡`❁)

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