C9 Rich Fish and Bamboo Shoots

Bai Yuanchao was beaten nearly to death at the funeral parlor that day, and later, he burned his leg and stomach. Fortunately, the burns weren't severe. He went to the clinic, where the doctor gave him some basic treatment and told him to take it easy and let the injuries air out.

Now, he was lying in his bed at home, bored, so he picked up a pirated romance novel his wife, Zhao Xiaohong, had bought. "I've talked to Dad," Zhao Xiaohong said as she came into the room. "He's arranged for Bai Feng and Bai Liang to have steady work. Whenever there's a job, they'll be the first to get called."

Zhao Xiaohong's father, Zhao Weizu, was the foreman of the village's stone-cutting crew. When villagers built new houses, they used stone and hired locals during the off-season to help with the stonework. The job didn't require much skill—anyone could do it. Since not many houses were being built and the villagers were spread out, Zhao Weizu acted as a middleman, taking a cut for organizing the labor. Whenever someone needed to build a house, they went to him. Once he gathered enough workers, the project could begin.

Bai Yuanchao and his wife lived off the small commissions Zhao Weizu gave them, but it was never enough. They both preferred an easy life without much effort. Bai Shengli worried they wouldn't care for their kids, but in reality, they wanted Bai Feng and Bai Liang, who were seventeen and fifteen, to work in stone-cutting and bring home money for them to spend.

Bai Yuanchao thought for a moment and said, "Darn it, the money that the second brother and his wife earned from working all those years must have been hidden away by the sister-in-law. If they want us to take care of their son, they better cough up some cash."

Zhao Xiaohong chuckled, "No rush. Dad said when they come to us, they'll be begging on their knees for us to take both the money and the kid."

Bai Yuanchao was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Right now, they still have five kids to feed, and I heard each kid gets an egg a day. Without the second branch bringing in money, they're going to be desperate," Zhao Xiaohong explained her dad's analysis. "When they come to us, we'll be calling the shots."

Bai Yuanchao thought about it and agreed, "Yeah, the main branch is broke."

"When the time comes, I want to see how they beg me."

In the past, they wouldn't have been wrong in their assumptions. They knew Bai Shengli's simple-minded nature well, and he did end up pleading with them to take in the kids using the second branch's savings.

...

However, this time around, Bai Shengli has been selling shoes like hotcakes these past few days, so he hasn't even thought about what the third branch is up to.

After Bai Qiaoqiao's debut, Bai Shengli and Shen Jian took her out for two more days, and then they felt at ease. This little girl was steady as a rock! She could sell shoes effortlessly, without even pausing for breath.

Business usually isn't this good, and not all the shoes sell. At most, we make a little over a hundred bucks a month. But in just three days, Bai Shengli has already made over eighty dollars! He's been grinning in his sleep these past few nights.

So, Shen Jian and Bai Shengli decided to bring more stock from home to see if they could sell it. They half-jokingly asked Bai Qiaoqiao for her opinion.

"Qiaoqiao, do you think your dad and I should bring more shoes tomorrow?" Shen Jian asked with a chuckle.

Bai Qiaoqiao replied, "Bring the old ones, bring a lot."

The unsold shoes just piled up. But leather shoes, if left unworn, the glue and leather can deteriorate. If they sit too long, they end up being thrown away, and it's a total loss.

Shen Jian was surprised, "You know about that?"

Bai Qiaoqiao said, "Just bring more, but not the new ones." She turned to her dad with a smile, "Dad, bring as many as you can. I can sell them all."

Shen Jian and Bai Shengli thought about it and figured, why not? If they don't sell, they can just bring them back. It's just a bit of effort.

"Auntie! Auntie, I brought some bamboo shoots back! And I caught a fish too!" Bai Rui suddenly shouted from outside.

It startled not just Bai Shengli and Shen Jian, but even Bai Qiaoqiao! That kid loves to eat, and ever since he learned how to dig for bamboo shoots, he's been out in the hills every day with the older kids.

Bringing back bamboo shoots isn't unusual, but how did you manage to catch a fish too?

She followed her dad and Mr. Shen outside and saw Bai Rui, sweating profusely, dragging a basket.

Yes, Lin Yuefen had indeed given him a basket and told him to tie it with a rope and drag it along when it got too heavy to carry.

Lin Yuefen had already rushed out, beaming at the sight of the basket full of bamboo shoots and a grass carp. She couldn't stop smiling.

"Wow, that's impressive! You caught a fish!"

The kid had been obsessed with digging up bamboo shoots and picking wild vegetables in the hills these past few days.

But none of the village kids had ever caught a fish before. After all, there were only small creeks around here...

Suddenly, Lin Yuefen's expression changed, and she said sternly, "No more fishing! I'm worried you'll drown."

Bai Rui quickly replied, "I didn't go into the water!"

Lin Yuefen asked, "If you didn't go into the water, how did you catch the fish?"

Bai Rui glanced at Shen Jian and said, "Mr. Qiu and I dug a pit on the west bank. He said the fish would swim in on their own. I checked today, and there were four fish in the pit. Mr. Qiu told me I could take one, so I did!"

Shen Jian was taken aback. "Mr. Qiu?"

He wasn't sure what that was about and quickly said, "Show me where it is!"

Bai Qiaoqiao was also curious. How could digging a pit result in catching fish?

Seeing that Shen Jian and Bai Shengli were heading over to take a look, she quickly followed with a couple of steps. Bai Shengli turned back, scooped her up, and ran with her in his arms. Sometimes, country folks get excited like two big kids. Lin Yuefen called after them, "Come back early for dinner!"

...

When Bai Shengli and Shen Jian followed Bai Rui to the spot, they indeed saw Shen Heqiu crouched there. He had just finished school and stopped by to check on the catch, crouching down to tie some fish with grass. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and called out, "Dad, Uncle Bai." His voice was a bit cool, but that's just how he naturally was.

Bai Qiaoqiao wriggled free from her dad's arms and ran over to see. It turned out he had dug a trench by the shore to divert the water, making it easy to catch fish as they swam by. He had three plump fish tied up, though it was hard to tell what kind they were, and handed one to Bai Rui. Since he was rushing to school, Bai Rui had done a lot of the digging. Bai Rui took the fish, smiling so widely his eyes nearly disappeared.

Shen Jian and Bai Shengli wandered around for a while, intrigued by the setup. But Shen Jian asked, "Aren't you going to be late for school?" Shen Heqiu stood up and replied, "If I'm late, I'm late. As long as I do well on the tests, it's fine." Shen Jian was momentarily at a loss for words. Right, his eldest son always aced his exams, consistently scoring perfect marks, making it pointless to even mention first place since the second couldn't compare.

Shen Heqiu casually added, "Besides, I wasn't even late."

Shen Jian replied, "...Head home and have your mom make you some fish soup."

At the mention of "fish soup," Bai Rui immediately took off running back, as if possessed.

Even Bai Qiaoqiao felt a rare excitement. The wild fish had a firm texture, and the broth was delicious. Her mom had bought two blocks of tofu that morning to add in, along with some fresh bamboo shoots...

Thinking about this, her little legs moved even faster. But after just a couple of steps, her dad picked her up.