C14

Ruonan looked troubled and said, "Ma'am, my brother and I are just trying to earn our tuition. Please, could you cut us some slack?"

Hearing this, the elderly woman softened and thought for a moment before saying, "Sweet child, I know how tough it can be. Alright, how about 65 cents?"

Ruonan had hoped the woman might be more generous, but even a nickel off was something. With gratitude, Ruonan replied, "Thank you, ma'am."

She then led the woman over to her stall. When they returned, Dawei was sitting on a large rock, his eyes fixed on a nearby snack vendor.

Seeing this, Ruonan felt a pang of sympathy. She took a deep breath and called out, "What are you staring at so intently?"

Startled, Dawei quickly turned his head and waved his hand nervously, saying, "Oh, nothing, sis."

Ruonan walked over, teasing him with a smile, "Sure, nothing. Wipe your mouth, we've got a customer."

Ruonan then started to help the woman, who picked out 11 pounds of crayfish.

"Ma'am, do you have any food stamps? We can also accept those. For each pound, you can get a pound and a half of crayfish," Ruonan asked the woman.

The elderly woman glanced at Ruonan and Dawei, understanding the situation, and nodded, saying, "Yes, we have some."

By eight o'clock, Main Street was bustling with people, and the siblings didn't finish selling everything until nine. The last few catfish fetched a good price.

Looking at the money and food stamps in his pocket, Dawei was beaming with joy; he had never seen so much money before. Ruonan patted his hand and said, "Keep it safe, don't lose it. I'm going to buy something."

Hearing Ruonan's words, Dawei quickly tucked the money securely into his pocket.

At the general store, Ruonan spent a dollar on a bottle of loose liquor, still thinking about her father. She wanted to make sure Hongqu felt obliged to her.

Then she returned to the meat stall from earlier. She glanced at the middle-aged man, who gave a slight chuckle, fanning himself and ignoring her.

Ruonan turned to a middle-aged woman nearby and asked, "Ma'am, how much is the meat?"

The woman didn't judge Ruonan by her appearance and wiped her hands before saying, "Ninety-two cents."

"Ma'am, I'll take two pounds," Ruonan said, noting the price was better than before, and started pulling money from her pocket.

"Ma'am, I don't want the fatty parts, just the lean meat," Ruonan quickly added, seeing the woman cut off a large portion of fat. She didn't want to end up with just a pot of oil and hardly any meat.

The middle-aged woman smiled but didn't say much more. After Ruonan left, the middle-aged man leaned in and whispered a couple of things. The woman playfully hit him and said, "She's just trying to make a quick buck. What are we doing? It's the times we live in; don't overthink it."

On her way back, she picked up a small snack for Dawei, spending just a penny. She still hadn't adjusted her mindset; it was like she had almost forgotten the value of a penny.

As she walked happily towards him, she suddenly noticed two shady-looking guys standing next to Dawei. They were dressed in a way that screamed trouble. Instantly, Ruonan's heart sank, and she hurried forward.

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