Old Yang told them to eat first, and he went to find soone.
"Uncle, I’m going to eat; I’ll bring you sothing back."
Yang Minggang wasn’t hungry at all. But he didn’t refuse, as his mind was filled with thoughts of fish and money.
When Su Yuanyuan returned, she saw the yard crowded with people. Selling the fish by piece was convenient for everyone. Yang Minggang was in charge of collecting the money.
"Uncle, you go eat; I’ll handle the money."
Yang Minggang was worried, so he sat nearby, eating the brought-back fried dough and tofu pudding.
All the fish were sold within two hours. Given how big they were, you wouldn’t usually see fish like this. Even though it was a bit expensive, many people still bought them.
"Girl, you didn’t save any for ."
"Uncle Yang, I’ll bring so for you next ti I co."
"Can you catch more fish?"
Su Yuanyuan shook her head. "Who knows, but we’ll give it a try in a few days."
The fish in the water are alive, and we couldn’t see them. Yesterday was just pure luck."
Su Yuanyuan worried that the reservoir’s fish had all been collected by her. The fish in her space were many tis more.
"Girl, you all take a break; I’ll go prepare so food."
"Uncle Yang, we’re not eating; there are things at ho."
The father and son didn’t stand on ceremony; they sat down to count the money.
Wow, they made nearly four hundred yuan. Three hundred eighty-six yuan.
Su Yuanyuan knew Old Yang wouldn’t accept a share, but she took out twenty yuan and left the rest for the father and son to divide directly there.
Each family got one hundred eighty-three yuan.
Yang Minggang was all smiles, knowing that even if they couldn’t catch more fish, selling grain would still allow them to repay the debts by year’s end. Celebrating with at would feel satisfying and easier.
Old Yang hadn’t accepted the twenty yuan. Su Yuanyuan kept it.
On the way ho, Su Yuanyuan gave the money to Yang Minggang, "Uncle, we’ll go fishing again in a couple of days. Take this money ho to Aunt, ask her to buy so at these two days. Since Old Yang doesn’t want money, we’ll give him so at. Next ti, if there are fish, we’ll save a bag for him."
Su Yuanyuan didn’t ask Yang Minggang to escort her; she went ho on her own. She had sheep waiting for her.
When Yang Minggang got ho, Hu Chunhua saw only the burlap sack on the cart and felt relieved.
"Did you eat, husband?"
"Not yet, but breakfast was good, so I’m not hungry now."
The couple unloaded the cart, Hu Chunhua fed the donkey.
"Let’s not send the donkey back, keep it here for a few days. Yuanyuan wants to go again these days."
Even though her husband said he wasn’t hungry, Hu Chunhua still made him a bowl of wheat lump soup and so leftover mantou.
Yang Minggang took out the money and handed it to his wife, "This ti, each of us got one hundred eighty-three yuan, and twenty yuan for you to buy at in a couple of days. When we go again, we can bring it and repay Old Yang’s favor."
"So much money?" Hu Chunhua felt genuinely delighted.
"If we can make this much money next ti, we won’t need to sell grain."
Before nightfall, Hu Chunhua called her daughter to help prepare dinner.
Yang Xue noticed the smile on her mother’s face, "Mom, did we sell for a lot of money?"
"Yes, a lot of money. We’ll go again in a few days; if there are that many fish again, we’ll pay off our debt."
Yang Xue also bead with delight.
In the evening, mother and daughter made dumplings with cabbage and at. This at was from Su Yuanyuan, which Hu Chunhua hadn’t had the heart to eat yet.
"Chunsheng, take the tray of dumplings over to Yuanyuan."
Hu Chunhua didn’t send cooked dumplings to Su Yuanyuan. Everyone was cooking their own als; fresh dumplings are better hot from the pot.
Su Yuanyuan was still chopping firewood when she heard a knock at the door—it was Chunsheng.
"Yuanyuan, my mom made dumplings, cook them yourself." He handed them to Su Yuanyuan and ran off, his family ready to cook their dumplings too. It had been a long ti since they’d had dumplings with at.
Nowadays, the flour was quite dark, with bran not removed, making it not very tasty; but definitely better than cornal.
Nevertheless, having dumplings delivered was good. Today, she’ll cook dumplings.
The next day, Hu Chunhua and her daughter ca over to make shoes with Su Yuanyuan.
"Girl, thank you so much."
"Aunt, I didn’t do anything."
Hu Chunhua knew well whether she did or didn’t. "Girl, when are we going again?"
"I’m not sure, but maybe in a few days."
"Go on the twenty-first? Sell on the twenty-second, and be ho for Small Year on the twenty-third."
Su Yuanyuan could understand Hu Chunhua’s eagerness. Now there’s hope for earning money, debt repaynt before New Year’s, her urgency was natural.
"Alright, we’ll go on the twenty-first." Su Yuanyuan couldn’t be sure if there’d be fish again. Even if there were, they might be smaller.
The sausages had dried a bit, so she kept them outside daily and brought them in at night.
On the twenty-first morning, Yang Minggang’s family slaughtered a pig.
When they hadn’t divided the family, they raised three pigs. Upon division, each took one, but during New Year’s, they needed to give ten jins of at to the old lady.
After lunch, Hu Chunhua gave Su Yuanyuan a big chunk of rib at.
"Aunt, how much is this at?"
"It’s free."
"Aunt, if you don’t take money, then take it back. I don’t want it. Don’t ntion I gave you at last ti. You and uncle worked for a whole day."
Hu Chunhua had no choice but to accept six yuan from Su Yuanyuan.
"Yuanyuan, I kept twenty jins of at; bring it tomorrow morning."
Su Yuanyuan had no objections.
At ten o’clock, their family of three arrived again.
This ti, Su Yuanyuan added a drop of Spiritual Spring Water. Seeing the dense fish, her worries seed excessive.
The four of them worked quickly, fearing the fish might escape.
This ti, they had two more bags than last ti. They did as they did before.
The next day, Yang Minggang and Su Yuanyuan drove the donkey cart to the county again, and this ti, more people bought fish than before.
However, Yang Minggang saved a bag of fish beforehand for Old Yang.
This ti, each person got two hundred five yuan.
The next day was Small Year, Su Yuanyuan wasn’t ho. The previous night, she had frozen all the fish. Today, she planned to sell fish in the city. Keeping them in the space was botherso; better to exchange for money.
Last year she knew how to take the horse-drawn carriage there. So she went early to wait.
There were still quite a few people heading to the city today. It cost fifty cents each, but it was quite uncomfortable.
Su Yuanyuan tid it right and reached the city in an hour. Luckily, she had bundled up tightly; it was still very cold when she got off.
Upon alighting, she jumped in place for a while until her legs and feet felt less numb.
She heard a lot of information on the carriage. Although it was her first ti, two people were going to sell items. So Su Yuanyuan followed them.
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