***

Gu Chunzhu bit her lower lip. Although their family's life was hard, Su Wangqin carrying rice would be too much physical work especially since his leg was not in a good condition

"Chunzhu, I know you care about me but I'm the pillar of my family. I must let you and your children eat and wear warm clothes. If the shrimps can't be sold, I can earn some money and we can get through, right?"

Su Wangqin put his hands on Gu Chunzhu's shoulders and said with great emphasis.

Seeing that she was still hesitant, he pulled her cold little hand which had fished for shrimp.

"It's just physical work. After some sleep, I'll recover... Say, we can earn 30 coppers a day and save some capital. We'll then open a storefront since I can’t carry rice for a lifetime."

Gu Chunzhu's Apricot eyes brightened, Su Wangqin’s words moved her.

If they have a storefront, they can sell anything.

But she thought it was selfish. The burden of the family all fell on Su Wangqin.

The man rubbed her head.

**

Su Wangqin and Zhao Dafu went to the pier to see the situation.

Gu Chunzhu was left guarding the stall. Her heart felt empty, she racked her brain thinking about what she could do to earn more money!

Suddenly, a shadow shrouded in front of her. Seeing that she hadn't been awake for a long time, Uncle Zheng next stall poked her with his tobacco rod. "What's going on!?" Gu Chunzhu shouted in surprise and looked up.

Like a wolf, Boss Long's eyes were lonely and cold.

Crossing his arms across his chest, he looked down at Gu Chunzhu and joked, "Didn't you say you wanted to give me shrimps yesterday? I'm here."

"Ah?" Gu Chunzhu had just said it politely. He already got tomatoes from a peddler yesterday. Today, he really came to collect shrimps.

Does he want to eat them?

What a disaster!

Gu Chunzhu made up her mind with her lips closed. Yesterday, boss long gave her 20 coppers. She scooped out a bowl of river shrimp from the bucket and asked, "Brother long, where can I put it for you?"

He came here empty handed. Gu Chunzhu saw that he just looked at her and didn't speak. She thought of giving the bowl as well, this pottery bowl was not expensive anyway.

"Why bother? I'll just take this bucket." Boss Long put his hand on the edge of the bucket. Gu Chunzhu's eyebrows creased.

She poured the prawns back into the bucket.

It seems that after a bully left, another bully came. Gu Chunzhu was still hesitant to give him a bucket of prawns. This bucket was for sale and enough for ten bowls, which was 50 coppers.

"Don't need to pretend, Stingy woman." Boss Long touched his nose and enjoyed Gu Chunzhu's changing expressions. He lightly kicked the shrimp bucket and said,

"I don't bully women and children. I'm going to have a feast today. I'll buy this bucket, how much?"

He, he wants to buy shrimp? Gu Chunzu almost bit her tongue,

"Brother Long. If Brother Long wants a barrel, I'll give it for 40 coppers. OK?! This bucket is about ten bowls. I sell five coppers per bowl."

Boss Long took out the copper plates from his arms, he counted fifty of them and put them in Gu Chunzhu's palm.

He raised his eyebrow and said, "I never owe people."

Is this the ancient underworld? Not bad.

Gu Chunzhu took the fifty copper plates and found a hemp rope to string it.

Boss Long left with the shrimp bucket while saying "I will return your bucket someday."

Su Wangqin and Zhao Dafu went for a while and came back. When they came back, there were only about one or two bowls of shrimp left on the stall.

When Gu Chunzhu saw him, she told him about Boss Long's shrimp purchase. Su Wangqin told her to stay away from these people.

He was a soldier, so he didn't like these local ruffians.

"Got it, Brother Wang don't worry, look at my waist and my faint color, no one would want to take advantage of me."

Gu Chunzhu felt that she was only doing business, even the county magistrate had to eat. She did not put Su Wangqin's words into her heart. She laughed while teasing him a bit.

"Anyway, you are my wife and I will worry about you." Su Wangqin was teased by her lips, he took hold of her hand again.

Gu Chunzhu pulled her hand back.

He was getting addicted to it.

Su Wangqin was not upset and told her what happened at the pier.

The steward was nice, He knew that his leg was broken in the battle and left him without saying anything.

He only needs to carry 50 bags of rice a day and it's only a hundred meters away from the cart to the ship.

"By the way, I still have extra money here. I'll not go home to eat," Su Wangqin has his calculations. He can only earn 30 coppers a day which is enough to buy ten jin of brown rice. How can he support his family?

Besides, he wants to have children with Gu Chunzhu. After all, An An and Xiao Cheng...

Seeing Su Wangqin's black eyes flashed with hope.

"Ahh?" Gu Chunzhu made an unexpected noise and the expression on her face became more hesitant.

She can't bear to let the light dim and can only try to be more reasonable: "then you take care of yourself in the town. Don't worry about the family. I will take good care of the two children."

Well then, I'll go now, even if it's afternoon I can start to make half a day's worth of money." Su Wangqin looked at Gu Chunzhu reluctantly, then walked away firmly.

"Wait a minute Brother Wang."

Gu Chunzhu chased a few steps and stuffed twenty coppers in Su Wangqin's palm. "This is the money we collected from shrimps, You keep it. If the food at the terminal isn't enough, you can buy some pancakes to eat."

"You keep it for the children."

Su Wangqin refused to take it and walked faster with his lame leg.

Gu Chunzhu was afraid to chase in case he fell.

Someone came over to buy river prawns so she could only shout at him: "Be careful!"

**

At noon, the river prawns were sold out. The thin man across has some leftover prawns.

He looked at her with jealous eyes.

But Gu Chunzhu ignored his gaze and packed up the stall, gave the few dead shrimps to Uncle Zheng and went home carrying an empty wooden barrel.

Back home, she saw An An and Xiao Cheng drawing with branches in the courtyard.

"An’an, Xiaocheng, Mother is back." Gu Chunzhu pushed the door open. Xiaocheng stepped on the flowers drawn on the ground with his feet.

Gu Chunzhu didn't pay attention and held An An, she asked, "Mother returned early today. Is An An happy?"

"Happy, An’an and her brother are very happy today." An An hugged Gu Chunzhu's neck, Gu Chunzhu carried her and released the empty basket, it was very troublesome, she didn't want to release her An An.

Listening to what the little girl had to say, she already had a smile on her face.