Xia Chunmei and the others were busy until late afternoon.

She felt like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Before she left, the Wang family came to settle the bill with her.

There were actually only thirty tables occupied, but the dishes were prepared for thirty-two tables.

According to the rules, the bill should be settled based on 32 tables, but since the Wang family was her first customer, Xia Chunmei only charged for 30 tables, totaling 360 coins.

After deducting the wages to be paid to Xia Ming's family and Aunt Lihua, there are 228 coins left.

Feeling the heavy purse in her hand, Xia Chunmei felt very at ease.

Adding the money she made from selling fish, she now has a tael and a half of silver in savings.

This money is far from enough for them to get through the winter; they need to keep working hard...

Back home, Xia Dongmei rushed over with her younger sister in her arms and asked, "Big sister, second sister, you're back! How much money did you make?"

This girl is really heartless, asking such a private question so loudly in public. I guess I'll have to teach her a lesson about keeping your wealth hidden when we get back.

"Let's go home first."

Back home, behind closed doors, Xia Dongmei pressed again, "Big sister, how much money did you actually make?"

"More than two hundred copper coins should be enough for each of us four sisters to have a pair of cotton shoes."

Xia Qiumei and Xia Dongmei jumped for joy. Seeing her two older sisters so happy, the youngest, Yaomei, also chuckled.

"From now on, you are not allowed to ask outside how much money you've made, nor should you mention how much grain or money you have at home. Don't flaunt your wealth; what if someone with malicious intent overhears and steals it?"

"Big sister, I understand. I promise I won't ask outside again." Xia Dongmei realized she had said the wrong thing and felt somewhat guilty.

"I won't say it either, eldest sister, will we be able to save up an ounce of silver soon so we can eat meat?" Xia Qiumei still remembered the matter of eating meat.

“That’s right. If someone asks us to cook, we can earn a tael of silver very quickly.”

Xia Chunmei didn't tell them that the family already had more than one tael of silver, mainly because she was afraid that they were too young to keep quiet.

"I'll take a nap first, then go night fishing tonight. If I'm lucky and have a good catch, and can sell it all tomorrow, we'll buy some meat for a treat."

Xia Chunmei's eyelids were already drooping; she couldn't stay awake any longer and needed to catch up on some sleep.

"Then I'll go borrow two buckets. All the wooden buckets and basins at home are full of fish." Xia Dongmei carried Xia Yaomei to Aunt Lihua's house next door.

Now that Aunt Lihua knows Xia Chunmei's abilities, she wishes she could worship Xia Chunmei. She didn't hesitate to borrow two buckets without any hesitation.

Hearing that the sisters were going night fishing, he immediately told his daughter Guixiang, "You should come night fishing with them too."

"Mom, we don't have any fishhooks at home."

"Then I'll go with Chunmei."

"I'm not going. There are too many mosquitoes by the river. I want to stay home and sleep."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Lihua slapped her on the forehead: "You lazy brat! Chunmei is a great cook. If you get along well with her, you can learn a few tricks from her. When you get married, your in-laws will look at you with more respect."

Actually, Aunt Lihua also had her own selfish motives. She wanted Guixiang to get along well with Xia Chunmei so that Xia Chunmei would naturally consider her daughter when the next banquet was held.

…

Xia Chunmei slept for a full hour, and when she woke up, it was already completely dark.

Just as Xia Chunmei was about to get up, a sudden gust of cold wind blew up.

Immediately afterwards, Xia Chunmei discovered that there was someone by her window—or rather, a ghost!

In modern times, Xia Chunmei occasionally sees ghosts, so she is not afraid when she sees Xia Ping'an.

That's right, the ghost by the window is none other than the original owner's father, Xia Ping'an!

"What are you doing here?" Xia Chunmei wasn't scared, but she was very surprised!

Ghosts can't roam the human world, so is he not an ordinary ghost?

"You can actually see me? You really are no ordinary person!" Xia Ping'an exclaimed in surprise.

Xia Chunmei was taken aback: Did he know that she wasn't the original?

Xia Ping'an seemed to see through Xia Chunmei's thoughts and said, "I know you are not my daughter."

"Although I'm not real, don't worry, I will take good care of your three daughters."

"Young lady, you are very capable. They are all still young, so please take good care of them in the future."

After saying that, Xia Ping'an actually knelt down before Xia Chunmei.

"What are you doing? Get up!" Xia Chunmei got up to help him, only to realize that the other person was a ghost. She could see him and talk to him, but she couldn't touch him.

"Don't worry, now that I've taken over your daughter's body, I'll take on this responsibility. Did you not reincarnate because of them? Why are you loitering here?"

“There’s a queue for reincarnation. My original number was given to Chunmei, and she’s been reincarnated. There are tens of thousands of people ahead of me in the queue now, so it won’t be my turn for a while,” Xia Ping’an said. “Besides, my great-grandfather is now the head of the ghost messengers in charge of this area of ​​Xiangzhou City. I’m worried about my children, so he found a way to let me come up here to check on them.”

It turns out it was just a ghost behind the scenes.

"If only your backer were still alive, I wouldn't be so exhausted," Xia Chunmei thought to herself.

"Am I the only one who can see you and talk to you?"

Xia Pingan nodded.

Upon hearing this, Xia Chunmei's eyes lit up, and a plan immediately came to mind.

"Could you ask your great-grandfather to find a way to let you stay for a while? I need your help with something."

"What's the matter?"

Do you know how Chunmei died?

"I know, it was that old hag Shi Zhenxiang who killed him!" Xia Ping'an gritted his teeth in anger when he mentioned Shi Zhenxiang.

"Shi Zhenxiang is just a pawn; the real culprits are Xia Changjiang's family and the Fan family."

Xia Chunmei told him the whole story, but he didn't believe her at all!

“I have no reason to lie to you. If you don’t believe me, just keep an eye on Xia Changjiang’s family. They will definitely come after me again. Besides, last time I made some money selling fish, Xia Xiumei went to Chenjiaqiao to inform my stepmother’s family to come and smash and rob my house.”

If he can't be reincarnated for the time being, Xia Chunmei thought that maybe she could scare the Chen family and Shi Zhenxiang so that they wouldn't dare to do anything reckless.

Xia Ping'an knew very well that if something happened to Xia Chunmei now, his three daughters wouldn't live long either.

"I want you to stay and help me scare the Chen family and Shi Zhenxiang, so they won't dare to come and beg for money."

“I can only touch inanimate objects, not living people. I can’t touch them, and they can’t hear me. I probably can’t scare them. Besides, if I did, I would be subject to the laws of the underworld. I came out through the back door, and I’m afraid it would implicate my great-grandfather.”

Ghosts have their rules, and humans have theirs.

Xia Pingan also hated them, but he had to consider things more carefully.

"Then you'll go and help me monitor Chen Sanhua and Xia Changjiang. They'll definitely try to harm me so that Fan Baowen can rightfully annul the engagement in order to bring Xia Xiumei and Fan Baowen together."

"Big sister, who are you talking to? Can we leave now?" At this moment, Xia Qiumei's voice came from the next room.

Hearing his daughter's voice, Xia Ping'an's eyes welled up with tears.

Xia Chunmei opened the door, and Xia Qiumei had already prepared her fishing gear.

"Sister, I'm scared at home. Please let me take my sister with you." Xia Dongmei also got up.

“But there’s no one to guard the house,” Xia Qiumei said. “We have money, food, and fish at home; what will we do if they’re gone?”

"But I'm scared..."

Xia Chunmei hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about this, I'll go and call Xia Ping over to keep you company."

Xia Ping and her family were still awake, enjoying the cool air in the courtyard with their neighbors. After Xia Chunmei explained her purpose, Xia Ping suggested going night fishing, as she had never tried fishing at night before.

"It's so late, is it even possible to catch any fish? Maybe you shouldn't go. If you fall into the river, no one will be able to retrieve you," Xia Mingshi said.

"Grandma, don't worry, we'll be careful. And I have a feeling we'll have a great catch tonight because I dreamt about my dad. He told me to go night fishing," Xia Chunmei said earnestly.

Xia Chunmei had previously said that her father's blessing brought her so many ten-pound grass carp, and now that she said this, everyone believed her a little more.

At this moment, Aunt Lihua said, "You go fishing. I'll have Guixiang keep Dongmei company. But come back early, and be careful late at night."

"Thank you, Auntie. When I catch a fish, I'll bring one to your house."

This finally solved Xia Chunmei's problem.

When they arrived at the riverbank, fifteen minutes after casting the hook, Xia Chunmei made a wish in her heart: a big mandarin fish! Let a five or six-pound mandarin fish take the bait!

Sure enough, less than a minute later, Xia Chunmei's fishing hook started to move. It was hard to see clearly at night whether it was a mandarin fish or not, but it was certain that the fish was very big!

My own magic touch is truly amazing!

"Chunmei, come help! I can't pull it up!" Just as Xia Chunmei and her sister pulled up the third fish, Xia Ping also started making a commotion.

Xia Qiumei quickly ran to help.

It's a big fish too.

"What a big fish! Hahaha!" Xia Ping hugged the fish and laughed heartily. "Chunmei, I'll go offer incense to Uncle Ping'an later too. This big fish must have been a gift from him, hahaha..."

Xia Ping'an, who came along, said: No, I didn't send it!

“Keep casting your line. My dad said I’d catch a lot of fish tonight. This is just the beginning.” Xia Chunmei went along with it, shifting the blame onto Xia Ping’an.

Upon hearing this, Xia Ping quickly rebaited and recast her hook.

About fifteen minutes later, Xia Chunmei continued to make a wish: she hoped that this time she would catch two three-pound black carp, one two- or three-pound bass, and a five-pound grass carp from Xia Ping's place.

Similarly, less than a minute after the wish was made, fish began to bite the hook.

Xia Ping laughed heartily.

Then they baited the hook and cast it for the third time…

Xia Chunmei caught three more grass carp weighing five jin each, while Xia Ping caught a carp weighing over three jin.

"That's enough, we should head back."

Xia Chunmei's nine fish, with water added, weighed nearly 100 pounds, and her small frame couldn't lift them anymore.

"I'll go back and ask my dad to come and choose," Xia Ping suggested.

"Ping'er, Chunmei."

No sooner had Xia Ping finished speaking than Xia Mingshi arrived.

Xia Ping stood up and waved vigorously: "Grandma, I'm here! Come quick, we've caught a big fish!"

Upon hearing about the big fish, Xia Mingshi quickened her pace, and when she saw the big fish in the bucket, she was once again dumbfounded!

"This...this...Chunmei, your father really did appear in your dream!"

Xia Ping said excitedly, "Of course! As soon as the fishing hook is down, a big fish will bite. I'm only doing this because of Uncle Ping An and Chun Mei. Grandma, I'll offer incense to Uncle Ping An tomorrow too."

"Of course, of course," Xia Mingshi said several times.

Xia Mingshi, an adult who worked hard all year round, was strong and helped Xia Chunmei carry the load of fish back, while Xia Chunmei helped Xia Ping carry her bucket.

Fortunately, everyone in the village was asleep at that time, otherwise it would have caused another disturbance.