The matter has finally come to an end.

After the crowd dispersed, Xia Huohua said worriedly, "Chunmei, you were too impulsive. Today you've put the clan chief and the others in an awkward position. What will happen in the future?"

"Uncle, I know you mean well, but I can't get by by compromising myself."

Xia Changjiang and his wife are clearly trying to sabotage themselves, so there's no point in trying to humble themselves or compromise.

"But I know that you mean well for us sisters, Uncle. I understand, so don't worry."

Xia Huohua sighed and said, "If you need anything, just come to me. If I can help, I definitely will."

"Thank you, Uncle."

After seeing Xia Huohua off, Xia Chunmei looked around carefully and sighed, "They're so poor!"

I had only ever heard of homes with bare walls before, but now that I see this home, I finally understand what it truly means to be destitute.

Even if a thief comes, he'll probably leave crying.

"Big sister."

Xia Qiumei stood timidly at the door with her two younger sisters.

Thin, dirty, and short—that was Xia Chunmei's most immediate impression of them.

The youngest sister started crying, saying, "Hungry, hungry."

"Gurgle," Xia Chunmei's own stomach began to rumble.

Xia Chunmei then realized that there was no rice left to cook.

Not only is there no rice left, but those three acres of land are gone too.

Before the original owner's mother, Chen Erlan, remarried, she sold the family's land, took the money from the sale, and sent all the family's stored grain, chickens and ducks, winter clothes and quilts to the Chen family.

This is completely leaving those sisters no way to survive!

This is the start...

Xia Chunmei couldn't help but curse!

"You guys stay home, I'm going out to find something to eat."

"Big sister, I'll go with you." Xia Dongmei handed Yaomei over to Xia Qiumei, and then she carried her basket and went out with Xia Chunmei.

Along the way, Xia Dongmei kept looking at Xia Chunmei. She felt that her older sister was different and had become so amazing!

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the riverbank.

Here, Xia Chunmei couldn't help but think of that handsome man from early this morning—his physique, his looks, his sexy buttocks…

Ugh, I'm starving and I still have the nerve to think about men, I despise myself!

"So much wild celery!" Xia Dongmei almost cheered when she saw the tender wild celery by the river.

Xia Chunmei was filled with emotion. Poor child, she thought, "He can be so happy over a little bit of wild vegetables."

"Sister, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and pick them!" Xia Dongmei urged.

Xia Chunmei didn't move. Seeing the patch of wild vegetables, she couldn't help but sigh: "Are we going to have to rely on wild vegetables to fill our stomachs every day from now on? What will we do in winter?"

They'll starve and freeze to death in winter!

She remembered that the original story mentioned that this winter was particularly cold, and it started snowing in mid-November, with the snow being half a foot thick.

After the New Year, it snowed again. The family had no warm clothes, and since they usually only ate wild grass and vegetables, their health was very poor. All the sisters fell ill, and the youngest, Yaomei, died on the night of the Lantern Festival.

After her younger sister died, the original owner sold herself so that her other two sisters could live.

She was violated, jilted, and her reputation ruined. She didn't want to live anymore. After her suicide attempt failed, she lived like a walking corpse at home for several months. After seeing her younger sister's cold body, she decided to sell herself so that her two younger sisters could have a better life. She was willing to do so.

But life as a slave is not easy either!

Recalling the author's description of the original owner's life in the extra chapters, Xia Chunmei still sighed: She should have been a wealthy heiress. Before she turned evil, she was kind, but she was never treated gently by time.

Her sisters also met tragic ends.

In this era, it's a sin for a girl to be beautiful, and it's also a sin to not have family protection...

Xia Chunmei looked at her younger sister who was busy picking wild vegetables and felt a surge of emotions. She hoped that her arrival could change the fate of her three younger sisters.

So we absolutely have to find a way to make money, otherwise how are we going to get through the winter? Are we really going to have to sell ourselves?

And these wild vegetables, it's fine to eat them once in a while for something new, but if you eat them every day, no one can stand it.

Xia Chunmei's gaze fell on the river. There were quite a few fish in the river, but it was a pity that she didn't have any fishing gear. Her family didn't have a single penny, and she couldn't afford to buy any.

A pair of fishing hooks and lines can cost several coins.

You can only eat fish if it jumps into your arms.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, a fish leaped out of the water and hit Xia Chunmei on the forehead.

"Fish! Fish!" Xia Dongmei jumped up excitedly, afraid that the fish would get away, and hugged it tightly in her arms.

Xia Chunmei was dumbfounded; what incredible luck!

She stared at the river surface, thinking, "Nothing special. How did that fish jump up?"

Why don't you get a few more? There are four sisters in my family, and this fish only weighs a little over a pound. It's not enough for us.

The thought had barely formed when, with a whoosh, another fish leaped out and hit Xia Chunmei on the forehead.

Xia Chunmei: ...

So, I was able to have my wishes granted and traveled through time with a cheat-like ability?

Xia Chunmei's mind raced, and she silently thought: "Give me another big grass carp!"

With a whoosh, a large grass carp weighing about ten pounds hit her on the head again!

Xia Chunmei: ...

It really does make your wishes come true!

Dare to do one more?

I'm not afraid of pain, my forehead is tough enough to take a hit! Really, come on!

Another big carp, please!

As soon as the thought crossed Xia Chunmei's mind, she felt as if she had been pricked by a needle.

Xia Chunmei paid no attention, instead staring intently at the river surface, waiting for several minutes. The river remained perfectly calm, so was it a coincidence or were there only three opportunities a day?

Xia Chunmei plans to try again tomorrow. Now that she has fish to eat, she should hurry back and make soup!

Xia Dongmei was the happiest of all, her mouth agape as she hugged the big grass carp tightly, saying, "Big sister, we're so lucky, haha."

"We'll take the big fish to trade for food, and we'll keep the two small fish for ourselves."

There was no food, oil, or salt at home. Xia Chunmei didn't know the price of fish, but she figured such a big fish could at least be traded for something.

Ten-pound grass carp do exist, but they are not common.

When the two sisters returned to the village, the large fish in Xia Chunmei's hand indeed attracted a crowd of onlookers, who marveled at it.

The villagers kept asking Xia Chunmei where she got the fish. Xia Chunmei smiled but didn't answer. Instead, she said, "My family doesn't have any rice or grain. If any uncles, aunts, or other relatives want to eat fish, they can exchange oil, salt, rice, or flour for it. I have three fish here."

The other two fish were also quite large, each weighing over a pound; they were crucian carp.

"How do you plan to change it?" Grandma He from the village asked.

"Grandma, you can give me whatever you think is appropriate."

"Then give me those two crucian carp, and I'll give you two pounds of sorghum rice," Grandma He said.

Xia Chunmei originally intended to keep the two crucian carp for herself, but since someone was willing to trade, she decided to trade, as trading for grain would be more worthwhile.

“I heard that the village chief of Xiaowang Village next door especially likes to eat fish. His family is rich and he can afford to eat it. If you take the fish to Xiaowang Village, you might be able to sell it,” Grandma He reminded her. “A big grass carp can sell for at least eight coins a pound.”

"Thank you, Grandma He."

The old lady was worried that she would sell at a loss, so she specifically reminded her.

With Grandma He's advice, Xia Chunmei didn't dare to delay and quickly set off for Xiaowang Village.

It was quite strenuous for her, being so thin, to carry a ten-pound fish on foot.

But in order to survive, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and persevere.

However, Xia Chunmei was really lucky. She sold the fish before she even reached Village Chief Wang's house. The fish weighed a good ten and a half pounds!

Xia Chunmei traded for one and a half jin of rice, three jin of millet, and two eggs.

Given the current situation at home, switching to new rice isn't worthwhile because rice is expensive.

If we switch to sorghum, we can eat it for longer, but we have a child at home who is less than two years old, so we can't eat sorghum and wild vegetables every day.