Chapter 67 Midnight Snack

Shen Cuifen continued walking forward, replying casually.

"Giving you a ride is just on my way; I have other things to take care of and can't afford to delay you."

She absolutely had to come to this town today.

In her past life, Lu Xiuye ​​was tricked by that beast Lu Weidong on this very day.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was home, he tricked Guizhi into going to town with a few words, and then sold her to another province.

That departure meant a separation by death, with no further news from them.

Lu Xiuye ​​later suffered greatly and died of illness in less than a year on the edge of a stranger's field; her remains were never brought back.

Although Lu Weidong's leg was broken before, he still walks with a limp and is huddled in his room like a cripple recovering from his injury.

But Shen Cuifen still dared not relax in the slightest.

She dared not let Lu Xiuwei go to school alone, nor dared she leave Lu Xiuye ​​alone at home.

She can't afford to gamble, so she has to keep him by her side today, never letting him out of her sight.

"Mom, what exactly are you going to do?"

Seeing Shen Cuifen acting mysteriously, Lu Xiuwei finally couldn't help but lean closer to ask.

"You're being so mysterious, it's really piqued my curiosity. Can you tell me the truth?"

She had just spotted Shen Cuifen squatting in the corner, whispering to Lu Zhongshun for a while.

And they deliberately avoided people, acting suspiciously.

Although she went to question Lu Zhongshun afterward, the guy's mouth was as tight as if it were locked.

No matter what she said, Lu Zhongshun refused to say a word.

Lu Xiuye ​​was also listening intently, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation as she gazed at Shen Cuifen.

"Hey! What's the rush!"

Shen Cuifen feigned impatience.

"You'll find out soon enough. Hurry up and get going, don't delay my business! If you dawdle any longer, it'll be too late!"

Despite saying that, she raised her hand and tightly grasped both of her daughters' hands.

They were afraid that if they let go, their children would be snatched away.

Seeing that she looked relaxed and had a smile on her lips.

The two girls figured it wasn't anything bad, so they didn't ask any more questions and obediently quickened their pace.

Finally, Shen Cuifen safely delivered Lu Xiuwei to the school gate.

People come and go at the school gate, and the sound of reading aloud can be faintly heard from the classrooms.

"Alright, we're here. Go in by yourself."

Shen Cuifen patted Lu Xiuwei on the shoulder, her tone gentle.

"Study hard and don't worry your family."

"Okay, Mom!"

Lu Xiuwei smiled and waved, then turned and ran into the school gate, her figure quickly disappearing into the crowd.

After watching her daughter's back disappear into the distance, Shen Cuifen turned around, took Lu Xiuye's hand, and headed straight for the town's supply and marketing cooperative.

Upon arrival, they discovered that all the meat had been snapped up, leaving only the hind leg bone calcium unsold.

Shen Cuifen's eyes lit up, and she breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully she arrived in time and didn't come up empty-handed.

She pulled out the meat ration coupon and banknotes and handed them to the counter.

"I'll have one of these!"

Lu Xiuye ​​quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled the money and tickets back.

"Mom, why did you buy this thing? It's expensive, and it's all bones with hardly any meat."

Her voice was low, her eyes filled with incomprehension and heartache.

In her opinion, the bone was not worth the price at all.

It costs 50 cents a pound, so 5 pounds would cost 2.5 yuan, almost the price of half a chicken.

It's not like her family can't afford meat, so why waste money on this?

"Wouldn't it be better if we bought some lean meat? Look at these bones, they're so hard to chew, they won't taste good when stewed."

"It's alright, Mom will be useful."

The sales clerk at the counter got annoyed seeing the two of them dawdling and not paying for a long time.

"Comrade! If you want to buy, buy it now. If not, move aside and don't block the way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people in line behind him began to murmur and urge him on.

When Shen Cuifen noticed that there were other people staring at the bone, she quickly handed the ticket and money back over.

"Buy! Buy! We'll buy it right now!"

The salesperson quickly weighed it.

"Hinbone, 50 cents a pound, 5 pounds, 2.5 yuan!"

After taking the money and giving change, he tied the bones tightly with thick hemp rope and handed them over.

Shen Cuifen happily accepted it and turned around to put it into the basket on her back.

She had a smile on her face, as if she had received some treasure.

As soon as she left the supply and marketing cooperative, Shen Cuifen looked up at the sky; the sun was about to set.

The wind cooled down, making the willow leaves along the roadside rustle.

"Hurry up and let's go, it'll get dark if we dawdle any longer."

She walked quickly, her shoes making a "clattering" sound on the stone pavement.

"Mom, do you want some bone broth? I'll make some when we get back, and you can have it as a midnight snack."

Lu Xiuye ​​caught up with him, talking as she walked.

Although there's not much meat, you can still make a big pot of soup, add some vegetables, and cook noodles, and it'll be delicious for a while.

She's already starting to plan how many cabbage leaves to put in and how much salt to sprinkle.

Shen Cuifen shook her head.

"No need to cook tonight, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Lu Xiuye ​​nodded.

"Then I'll salt it tonight to prevent it from spoiling."

Although it's only spring, the weather is starting to warm up, and bones left out overnight might spoil.

"Don't worry about it, I can handle it myself. Let's hurry up, the road is difficult to travel in the dark."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuye ​​assumed that her mother was just being considerate and didn't want her to go through any trouble, so she didn't think much of it and obediently agreed.

She tightened the cloth bag on her shoulder and silently followed behind her mother.

The crescent moon has quietly climbed to the treetops, casting its cool light.

The two jogged all the way and finally made it back to Daqiao Village.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Shen Cuifen paused slightly.

She looked up and scanned the entire courtyard.

Lu Zhongshun was slowly walking back and forth in the yard, fiddling with something in his hand.

The windows of the other rooms were all dark, with not a single light shining through.

Lu Zhongshun looked up and saw Shen Cuifen and Lu Xiuye, and a smile instantly bloomed on his face.

He immediately threw down the paper gun in his hand, turned around and ran towards Shen Cuifen.

"Mom! You let me—"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Cuifen quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth tightly with her hand.

"Don't make a sound! It's getting late, it's not good to wake others! We can talk later!"

Lu Zhongshun was taken aback, then hurriedly nodded, his eyes wide open, afraid of making her angry again.

Seeing that he was obedient, Shen Cuifen slowly let go of his hand.

She bent down and gently placed the bamboo basket on her shoulder onto the ground.

Then, she straightened up, turned to look at Lu Xiuye ​​behind her, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Guizhen, go wash up and go to bed early. Remember to bolt the door from the inside tonight so that stray cats and dogs don't get in."

Lu Xiuye ​​stood still, her gaze shifting back and forth between Shen Cuifen and Lu Zhongshun.

She noticed their strange expressions, as if they were hiding some secret.

Although she was curious, she also understood her mother's nature.

So he simply nodded silently and replied in a low voice, "I understand."

But before she could take a step, her gaze fell on the basket on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, she pointed at it.

"Mom, how about I help you move this..."