***

In the afternoon, Gu Chunzhu locked the wooden door and went to fish for shrimps, she also sent the two children outside to play.

There were many people fishing for shrimps by the river. She was close to sister Fu and told her the secret of fishing shrimps. However, shrimps are still not so easy to catch.

After catching two bowls. Gu Chunzhu decided to go home.

Sister Fu had no children at home, her father and mother-in-law also passed away last year. She stayed by the river all day and only caught 3 bowls of shrimps.

When Gu Chunzu went home, she saw a man guarding the yard.

At first glance, she thought it was Su Wangqin but as she got closer, she found that it wasn't. She retracted the smile on her face.

"Hello sister-in-law, I'm Lao san."

This man can blend well in the dark. Gu Chunzhu remembered that he is a hunter so it's unavoidable.

"How many shrimps have you caught? I'll count them for you." Gu Chunzhu felt the key hanging from her neck and opened the door. She took out a ceramic bowl from the kitchen and scooped it out, about four and a half bowls. She rounded it up to five bowls for him.

"Today, sister-in-law sent money over when I was away. My mother took an extra copper from you... Every winter, my family would starve, so my mother inevitably..."

As a son, he didn't tell his mother what was right or wrong. Gu Chunzhu got what he meant.

"It's OK. I'll take yours and Sister Fu’s. I guess there'll be fewer shrimps in the rivers in the coming days since it's winter." Gu Chunzhu waved to show that she didn't mind.

Every family has a scripture that is hard to read. If life wasn't so hard, who would covet one or two coppers.

But at the insistence of Lao san, today's shrimps counted as four and a half bowls.

When he was about to leave, Gu Chunzhu said, "sprinkle some rice grains before fishing for shrimps, it can attract them." She taught him the method of fishing shrimp. This man is serious like Su Wangqin, really like birds of the same feather flocks together.

Gu Chunzhu gathered the shrimps and went to make dinner. The pig skin and tofu under the eaves was ready. Gu Chunzhu cut it into pieces, mixed it with vinegar and soy sauce, and added a little sugar then reheated, she also cooked cabbage soup. The three of them managed for the night.

Su Wanqin isn't here tonight.

Accustomed to his help in cooking and boiling water, Gu Chunzhu felt the need to have six more hands.

When the children went to bed, she took a clean bath for herself.

As the fire burned in the charcoal pot, Gu Chunzhu felt so cold especially since Su Wangqin wasn't here and it lacked some warmth.

That night, she had a nightmare.

Chen Chong came to settle accounts with her and she strangled him again. When she woke up, she was dripping with cold sweat.

When did she become an evil woman?

When the sky outside was already bright, Gu Chunzhu ate gruel and went to town with a bucket of shrimps on her back.

"Little sister-in-law came late, this Niuping has opened early today."

Uncle Zheng complained to Gu Chunzhu, "look, where did he get three buckets of shrimps today?"

"From our village." Gu Chunzhu was not in a hurry. This is a small market, where can he sell that many river shrimps?

Niuping has no customers in front of his stall. He glanced provocatively at Gu Chunzhu who is busy with her own affairs.

Soon regular customers arrived, Gu Chunzhu sold out a barrel of river shrimps and Niu Buping only sold half a barrel. His vicious eyes turned even worse.

Gu Chunzhu was packing up her things when a man in charge of the street came and brought her bucket back.

"The river shrimp you sell was very fresh. My brothers enjoyed eating them yesterday. Boss Long asked me to look after your stall as well. If there's something, just look for me."

"Thank you, brother Ying." Gu Chunzhu took the empty bucket and said a few pleasing words.

The man in charge of the street was satisfied with Gu Chunzhu and left.

Gu Chunzhu then carried the empty bucket inside the basket on her back preparing to go home.

But along her way, she remembered Su Wanqin's wheat colored face.

She went and stopped at a meatbun stall.

"Auntie, give me a meat bun."

The auntie who sells meat buns was also hard-working. She makes it on the spot to ensure its freshness.

Gu Chunzu looked at the shop enviously. It's a safe place that can keep you out from the wind and rain. She also has mixed feelings thinking about her past life. She's more encouraged now.

Auntie reached out to Gu Chunzhu and wrapped the bun with an oil paper. Smiling, she said "little sister-in-law, your shrimp are good. It tasted fresh when mixed into stuffing. I want to have a bowl every day."

"Not today. I'll bring it to you the next morning." Gu Chunzhu took the bun, put it in her arms and headed on the pier.

There was a big ship at the pier. Unlike the steel ship the other day, this ship is made of wood. Gu Chunzhu hasn't had time to appreciate the ancient people's crafts, she saw Su Wangqin carrying a sack. She reached out and waved happily, "Brother Wang, I'm here."

"Wait." Su Wangqin shouted, carrying the rice bag and transporting it to the boat.

Gu Chunzhu saw him talking to a man wearing fine cotton-padded clothes and quickly walked towards her.

"Brother Wang, isn't the bag of rice about 40 or 50 pounds? Can you bear it?" Gu Chunzhu and Su Wangqin squatted down on the street. She took out a meat bun from her arms and gave it to Su Wangqin.

However, he refused to accept it. "You eat it yourself, you must have been hungry all morning."

Gu Chunzhu squeezed her lips in and lifted her sleeves to wipe the sweat on his face. "You know I don't eat this, I'm trying to lose weight."

"You have lost a lot of weight."

Su Wangqin's eyes shone brightly, rewrapped the oil paper opened by Gu Chunzhu and said: "If you don't want to eat it, take it back for the children to eat."

"I bought it for you..." How can you do such a high-intensity labor without eating some meat? Gu Chunzhu was about to persuade Su Wangqin but a man, probably the cook shouted, "Lunch!"

The people working on the pier dropped the rice bags and rushed over. Su Wangqin also stood up, he turned to Gu Chunzhu and said: "I'll go get food first."

She was feeling touched when a man behind rushed out and shouted, "damn lame, your wife brought you steamed buns and instead of eating it, you want to rob us for food"

Gu Chunzhu's face sank. It turned out that Su Wangqin's life here was not easy, he was being insulted.

She almost burst into tears.

There, Su Wangqin took the bowl and fought for food, it was crowded.

He and Gu Chunzhu sat together and he said, "would you like to eat together, the food here is not bad, there's meat."

It was a bowl of brown rice porridge and a spoonful of dried tofu, as for Su Wangqin, the meat was just shredded meat, which was not enough to plug the teeth.

"I'll go home to eat later."

Gu Chunzhu shook her head, Su Wangqin ate like he was competing against the clock.

After eating, he wiped his mouth and left. "I'm going back to work. Don't come here in the future. The people's mouths here will stain your ears."

TL:

I'm working on a new novel!!

It caught my interest so I decided to translate and share it with you.

Please check it out:

Farmer's Treasured Wife : Raising A Bun To Farm Crops

If you like this one, you'll probably like it too ☺️

TL:

I'm working on a new novel!!

It caught my interest so I decided to translate and share it with you.

Please check it out:

Farmer's Treasured Wife : Raising A Bun To Farm Crops

If you like this one, you'll probably like it too ☺️