Chapter 49 Chapter 49-Two in One Buy a rooster to stew chicken mushrooms...
Lin Chuntao nodded: "Yes, that's why I carried it to you first."
The old man's eyes lit up when he heard that, and he called out to them, "Come in, come in, weigh them all for me."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I'll weigh everything in my backpack for you."
The old man was walking in front. He turned around and saw the small bamboo basket in his sister's hand. Just as Lin Chuntao was about to speak, she said, "I'm going to leave a little bit for Shopkeeper He over there. She told me before that if she finds more next time, I'll bring it back to you."
Doctor He looked at Chuntao and thought of Pei Ying, who had carried her that day and was still working in the butcher shop. He smiled and said, "Okay! Just weigh the things in the backpack."
Doctor He called his wife to get a dustpan while he went to find a scale.
When the old lady came out with the winnowing basket, Lin Chuntao had just removed the green grass covering the chicken mushrooms, revealing a bunch of excellent chicken mushrooms. The old lady looked at her with a smile on her face.
"Hey, girl, where did you pick up these chicken mushrooms? They look really nice."
Lin Chuntao replied with a smile, "In our area of the mountains, there aren't many, so it takes a long time to find one. Doctor He said last time that if we found one, we should carry it back to him first, so we've brought them all here now."
The old lady smiled and put the dustpan directly on the ground. Lin Chuntao picked up the chicken mushrooms and weighed them. Although she had walked a long way, almost none of the chicken mushrooms in the basket were broken. The old lady smiled happily every time she took one away.
The total weight came out to be twenty-one and a half pounds. Doctor He asked, "Can I give it to you at the same price as last time?"
Lin Chuntao replied, "Okay."
The old lady went back to the house and took out the money, a total of seven hundred and fifty-three coins.
After receiving the money, Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Doctor He, I brought my sisters here to have their pulses taken and to prescribe some medicine to help them recover."
The old man looked up at Lin Chunxing and the others, nodded, and turned back to tell the old lady to clear the dishes. Lin Chuntao said, "It's okay, you eat first, we'll wait for you."
Doctor He laughed and said, "No, I won't eat it anymore. I'll eat chicken mushrooms later, so why should I eat fried rice cakes?"
Hearing this, Lin Chuntao also laughed. The old man asked them to sit for a while, then called Lin Chuntao over and took her pulse first.
"Did your husband tell you what I told him that day?" Doctor He asked as soon as he sat down and started taking your pulse.
Lin Chuntao nodded. "He did, but I haven't had my period yet. Is there something wrong?"
Doctor He frowned slightly when he heard this and said, "You've had menstrual period. It's probably due to your body that the color is wrong or the amount is very small. You didn't notice it yourself, and your body is suffering from too much damage. I'll prescribe some medicine for you to take home. Eat more on a daily basis."
Lin Chuntao nodded. "Okay, thank you, Doctor He. How long will it take for me to recover after taking this medicine?"
"It will take some time to recover, maybe one or two months. I'll prescribe medicine for you for seven days. Come back after seven days to check your pulse and I'll adjust the prescription for you."
Lin Chuntao agreed, and the old man ground some ink and took out a pen and paper to write a prescription for her.
While he was writing the prescription, Lin Chuntao said, "The older one outside is my second sister. She's fourteen and still hasn't had her period. I'll ask Doctor He to check on her later."
Doctor He nodded and said, "I'll take the pulses of the two younger ones as well."
"Okay, thank you, Doctor He."
While waiting for the prescription to be written, Lin Chuntao called them in, took the pulses of the three sisters, and prescribed medicine for them.
Lin Duoer and Lin Chunhe each had three pairs, and she and Lin Chunxing each had four pairs.
Doctor He wrapped the medicine and gave it to them separately, and reminded them: "Don't mix them up. Take your own medicine. It's different."
Lin Chuntao nodded and asked the price with a smile. Doctor He looked at her and Lin Chunxing and said, "Yours is more expensive, 32 wen a pair. Hers is cheaper, 18 wen. The total is 364 wen."
She spent most of the copper coins she had just earned from selling chicken mushrooms. She thought it was too expensive, but she kept smiling as she counted the money.
As the sisters left with the medicine, the old lady smiled and said, "This girl is quite interesting. She doesn't worry about spending so much money on her health."
Doctor He glanced at his wife and said, "You don't know her physical condition. She must have worried too much in the past. She's worried enough."
"If you don't worry about it, the medicine will be effective if you take it."
After leaving the clinic with the medicine, Lin Chunxing lamented that it was too expensive. Lin Chuntao looked at her and said, "Even if it's expensive, you have to take it. Once your body is well, you'll be less likely to get sick and won't have to keep spending money at the clinic."
Lin Chuntao took the small bamboo basket from Chunhe's hand and said, "You hold the medicine, and I'll carry it."
"Sister, I can carry it." She said without letting go. Lin Chuntao smiled and took the backpack off, putting her medicine into it. "You carry the backpack."
Lin Chunhe smiled and let go, then picked up the basket and walked towards the market.
Those who wanted to buy mushrooms today were still waiting around the previous location. When they saw Lin Chuntao, they hurriedly called out, "Mushroom Lady, you're finally here. What mushrooms do you have for sale today?"
Lin Chuntao looked at the three or four women and pulled them to a corner, as if they were plotting something shameful, with a strong sense of stealth.
As soon as I passed by, one of the women whispered, "Did you pick up any chicken mushrooms?"
Lin Chuntao nodded. "Yes, I found some chicken mushrooms, but they're a little few. I estimate there's only about six or seven pounds. Do you ladies want any? If so, I'll give each of you one pound."
Several people's eyes lit up and they stared at her small bamboo basket and nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes."
Lin Chuntao removed the grass covering the chicken mushrooms, took out a scale, and weighed it for them at the same rate of 35 wen per pound.
There were seven pounds in the bamboo basket, which was divided among four people, and the total income was two hundred and forty-five coins.
Just now when Lin Chuntao pulled the people away, Lin Chunxing was standing not far away with her sister waiting. Seeing that Lin Chuntao quickly sold the bamboo basket of chicken mushrooms, she pursed her lips and smiled.
After watching the women walk away, Lin Chuntao took Lin Chunxing and the others to the butcher shop.
When they were almost at the butcher's shop, Lin Chuntao and Lin Chunxing said, "The doctor said we're very weak. Why don't we save two pounds of chicken mushrooms and buy a chicken to kill and eat?"
Lin Chunxing's mouth was watering just by listening to it, but when she looked at the medicine in her hand, she realized it was so expensive.
It costs forty or fifty cents to buy a chicken that can be slaughtered and eaten, and the chicken mushrooms cost more than thirty cents per pound, and the two are eaten together. Just thinking about the money makes people sad.
She looked at Lin Chuntao's thin appearance, and then remembered that she was sick two days ago, and nodded.
"I always listen to my sister."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "It's settled then! Leave two pounds for yourself."
Everyone was happy to have delicious food, but some were reluctant to spend the money. Lin Chuntao was also anxious to save money to build a new house, but health was the most important thing. Since the doctor said that their bodies were seriously damaged, they should eat more to replenish their bodies. Good health was more important than anything else.
When they arrived at the butcher shop, Pei Ying and Chun Zi were busy.
He saw the medicine in Lin Chuntao's hand and asked, "Have you been to the pharmacy?"
"Well, Doctor He took our pulses and prescribed medicine."
Lin Chuntao looked around but didn't see Helan or Xiaolingling. She frowned slightly and asked, "Is Shopkeeper He not here today?"
Pei Ying said, "He must have gone to the market. He was here just now."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Then you guys go ahead and get busy. I'll take my sisters out for a walk."
There were many people in the market in the morning, and the aroma of all kinds of food intertwined and mixed into the air.
Lin Chuntao brought her sisters with her and took them to the dim sum shop.
There were many kinds of cakes and candies in the shop. Lin Chuntao asked them to buy whatever they wanted to eat. The three sisters looked around and finally bought some malt sugar, dried peaches and dried plums.
According to the shopkeeper, the dried peaches and plums were soaked in honey water and then dried. They were very sweet and delicious.
Seeing that her sisters wanted to eat it, Lin Chuntao bought it for them as well.
As soon as they paid and walked out of the shop, they couldn't wait to take out a piece. The three sisters each took a small bite, savored it for a long time, and looked at Lin Chuntao with joy on their faces.
"Sister, it really tastes like honey, try it."
Lin Chuntao shook her head: "I haven't washed my hands yet. I'll eat it when I get back."
Hearing her say this, Lin Chunhe wrapped the dried peaches in oil paper and said with a smile, "Then we'll go back and eat them." After that, she put the wrapped dried peaches into the backpack.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Sister Chuntao!"
Lin Chuntao turned around and saw Manager He and Xiao Lingling not far away.
Xiao Lingdang ran towards her, followed closely by He Lan. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Good morning, Shopkeeper He!"
"Good morning, Madam Lin! Didn't you sell mushrooms this morning? We just went to the place where you set up your stall, but we didn't see you."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I picked up some chicken mushrooms today, but there aren't many left. Doctor He from the pharmacy bought some, so I want to keep some for myself. If Shopkeeper He wants some, I can share it with him."
He Lan looked at the small straw-covered bamboo basket in her hand and said with a smile, "Yes, yes. Thank you very much, Madam Lin. Are you still shopping? If not, let's go back to the shop now."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Okay, we're done shopping."
After that, they walked towards the shop together. On the way back, Lin Chuntao and Helan introduced the sisters to each other. Helan smiled and asked, "How are you? When Xiao Pei carried you here that day, I saw that you were quite ill."
That day, officials took Pei Ying away from the shop. She also learned the whole story. Although she was not implicated, she was still imprisoned. Lin Chuntao was still young and she had to endure the incident until it was over. It was normal for her to get sick. For example, after her husband's accident, she endured until the funeral was over and also fell seriously ill.
She looked at Lin Chuntao. She was much better than when Pei Ying carried her here, but she could still vaguely see that she was a little weak. She comforted Lin Chuntao, "My wife is still young. Don't dwell on the past. It's harmful to your health. Let the past be the past."
Lin Chuntao smiled and nodded when she heard this: "Thank you for your concern, Shopkeeper He. I'm much better now. I went to see Doctor He to get some medicine today."
The two of them were talking and unknowingly returned to the butcher shop.
There were still people queuing up in front of the shop to buy meat. Helan led Lin Chuntao and the others into the house. She put the vegetable basket aside and then went to find a winnowing basket to collect the mushrooms.
Lin Chuntao removed the grass from the chicken mushroom, picked up about two pounds and put it in another bamboo basket, and gave the rest to Helan.
Little Lingling squatted beside Lin Chuntao, looking at the large clusters of chicken mushrooms with her mouth wide open.
"Sister Chuntao, there are so many chicken mushrooms!"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I'll ask your mother to make it for you later."
Xiao Lingling nodded. Helan found a dustpan and brought it over. He was surprised by the appearance of the chicken mushroom. "I haven't seen such a big chicken mushroom in many years."
"This is the first time I've picked up one that's this big. The last time I picked one, it was almost a bud."
As Lin Chuntao spoke, she picked up the remaining chicken mushrooms and put them into the dustpan. After she finished, she said, "We left some for you too. Manager He, please don't think it's too little."
Helan laughed and said, "How could that be? Madam Lin must have remembered to save some for me. You can't buy it on ordinary days. Besides, this is quite a lot. Weigh it and I'll give you the money."
Lin Chuntao was not polite either. She weighed the weight and found it was a little over four pounds. She accepted money from Helan for the four pounds.
On the way back, Lin Chunxing whispered, "Sister, will Shopkeeper He be unhappy if you accepted her money?"
Hearing this, Lin Chuntao looked at Lin Chunxing, remembering that she had mentioned earlier that she wanted to come to the county town to sell clay pot noodles. She would definitely be facing many acquaintances by then, but business is business, and it's impossible not to charge money from everyone she knows.
Since Lin Chunxing asked this, she must have this kind of trouble.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "We specifically saved some chicken mushrooms to sell to her. Why would she be unhappy?"
Lin Chunxing pursed her lips and frowned slightly. Lin Chuntao looked at her and said, "Ask your brother-in-law if Shopkeeper He charges money when he sells meat to the neighbors next door."
Lin Chunxing slowly looked at Pei Ying, only to hear Pei Ying say, "Of course I'll take it. Manager He has been selling pork for many years and knows a lot of people. If he doesn't take the money, won't this business be a loss?"
Lin Chunxing frowned and thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be true.
Lin Chuntao patted her gently and said, "Forget about doing business, even when making friends, you have to be open and honest when talking about money. Being vague and dragging your feet can easily lead to misunderstandings and lose friends."
"If you do business, you go there to make money, not to make friends."
"Let me be more clear. Use the best attitude to make money. Your goal is still to make money. Do you understand?"
Lin Chunxing thought for a moment and then laughed, "Just like the shopkeeper who sells dried peaches? He smiled and called us sisters, praised the snacks in the shop, and sent us away after we bought and paid."
Lin Chuntao nodded. "That's right. If we keep coming here, we'll become familiar with her. When we get to know her, she'll be polite, but she won't refuse to take our money, nor will she offer to give us a discount. We're just her guests, not her friends."
"I understand, but I still feel a little embarrassed."
Lin Chuntao smiled when she heard this: "Thinking about losing money, would you still feel embarrassed?"
Lin Chunxing pursed her lips and said, "I still would do that, but compared to the heartache of losing money, it's better to make money with a thick skin."
On the way back, even Lin Chunhe was in high spirits. They had picked up some chicken mushrooms today and sold them for a lot of money. Although they had bought some medicine, they still had a lot left. Lin Chuntao also bought them malt sugar and dried fruits. There were also chicken mushrooms in the small bamboo basket. Lin Chuntao said that they would buy a chicken, kill it and cook the chicken mushrooms.
Being able to eat chicken and chicken mushrooms is like living a god-like life.
When they returned to the village, they happened to meet Lin Miaomiao and her two younger brothers leaving the village. Lin Miaomiao had just quarreled with Lin Chunxing a few days ago. When they met on a narrow road at this time, they turned around and walked away. The three siblings did not call Lin Chuntao, and Lin Chuntao naturally did not speak to them.
After they passed by, Lin Chunxing asked, "Where are they going?"
Lin Chunhe said: "I guess she is going to her grandmother's house."
Lin Duoer also asked, "Are they going to look for food? I heard that everything in the house was taken away by the officials."
Lin Chunxing shook her head slightly. "I don't know. I heard they went to my great-grandfather's house yesterday and said the land had been taken by the government. Is there any way to get the land?"
The three sisters were talking to each other, and Lin Chuntao just listened and did not participate in the discussion.
At this point, Lin Chunxing asked Lin Chuntao, "Sister, do you think they can still get the land?"
"I don't know. If there's a way, Grandpa and the others will probably arrange it."
Lin Chuntao finished speaking in a calm tone, thinking of what Li Honghua said yesterday, she looked at her three sisters.
"Oh, there's something I want to tell you. Yesterday, I went to the fields and met my fourth grandmother and that aunt. She told me something, but I forgot to tell you when I got home last night."
Lin Chunhe already had a premonition that something bad was going to happen, but Lin Duoer still didn't quite understand. She looked up and asked, "Sister, what did they want to talk to you about?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "She said that now that the adults are gone, the house over there is spacious, and we don't have a place to live, so we are staying in the old house of our great-grandmother's house. She asked us to move back so that we can live with Lin Miaomiao and the other six."
As soon as these words were spoken, the three sisters' expressions changed instantly.
They looked at Lin Chuntao with some confusion, "Sister, shouldn't we go back?" Lin Duoer asked cautiously.
Lin Chuntao asked in return: "Do you want to go back?"
The three of them looked at her and shook their heads in unison. Although they could live in their own home when they returned, why should they support Lin Miaomiao and the others? When they were kicked out before, Lin Miaomiao and the others didn't even say a word of kindness, so they didn't want it.
Lin Chuntao looked at them steadily and said, "Since you don't want to go back and don't want to get involved, then don't pay attention to them. Don't look at what they do, what they eat, or how they live. It has nothing to do with us. If anyone in the village asks, we won't know."
Lin Chunxing and the others nodded. When they passed by the gate of the old Lin family's courtyard, Lin Jialang and his siblings were squatting at the gate playing. When they saw Lin Chuntao and the others passing by, Lin Jialang stood up and called out, "Sister Chuntao."
Lin Chuntao ignored him and walked past.
After they walked away, Lin Chunxing looked back and saw that Lin Jialang had squatted down and no longer looked at them.
People are sometimes a little strange. Even though they are already very pitiful, they still feel a little bit sorry when they see someone who is even more pitiful than themselves.
But that’s all.
Lin Duoer is generous and doesn't remember much of the suffering in the past, but she and Lin Chunhe both remember it. Precisely because they remember it, they can't be free of grudges.
It wasn't until they entered the house that Lin Chuntao spoke. "Grandpa must have discussed with the other three families about where to send Lin Miaomiao and the others, but they probably couldn't come to an agreement. No one wanted them, so the eldest aunt from Fourth Grandma's family came out and tried to dump them on us. My attitude is very clear. I don't want to have anything to do with them, and I won't give them a single grain of rice."
"Maybe you feel sorry for them, but we're not much better off than them. We, like them, can only live our own lives."
Lin Chuntao's tone was extremely flat, and Lin Chunhe even felt that she was a little unhappy. She actually understood her sister's thoughts and agreed with them.
"We understand what my sister said. Don't worry, we will definitely not associate with them."
Listening to Lin Chunhe's words, Lin Chuntao said, "You don't think I'm cruel, do you?"
The sisters hurriedly shook their heads. Lin Chuntao said, "I'll tell you again, kindness and sincerity should be given to those who deserve it. You may not understand just from my words, but you should understand in a few days."
Although her words were a bit harsh, they all laughed when Lin Chuntao asked them to wash out the chicken mushrooms.
Since returning that day, Lin Chuntao has not been to Muramasa's house. She took the opportunity to go there while going out to buy chicken.
"You guys steam the rice. I'm going to go to Grandma's house and buy a chicken. I'll kill it after lunch."
The sisters nodded, and Lin Chuntao took some money and left.
When she arrived, Sun was pounding chickens in the yard. Seeing Lin Chuntao coming, she smiled and called her in to sit down.
"I heard from your Aunt Guizhi that you were not feeling well. Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm fine now, grandma. I just caught a cold from the rain that day. I took two doses of medicine and I'm fine now."
Sun nodded slightly and looked at her carefully.
"Your complexion still doesn't look recovered. You haven't been working in the fields recently. Don't be too tired. Have a good rest for a few days."
After Sun said this, Lin Chuntao nodded. Chen Dongniang brought a chair over to her, went into the house and brought out some melon seeds, and asked her to sit down and eat them.
Lin Chuntao sat down with a smile and grabbed a handful of melon seeds.
After Sun had driven all the chickens to the backyard, she returned and sat down. She told Lin Chuntao about the discussion that night regarding the renovation of the ancestral tomb. Lin Chuntao said, "Grandma, when the time comes, please tell me how much each family will contribute, and we'll contribute as well."
Sun said, "You are all still children, there is no need for you to go out."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "When my parents were around, I was a child. Now that we're considered a family, I have to raise my children. There's no such thing as a child."
Sun understood what Lin Chuntao meant and nodded slightly, "I'll tell you then."
They talked about repairing the ancestral tomb, but they hadn't told Lin Miaomiao and the others how to arrange it. Lin Chuntao didn't really want to hear it, as she had already guessed something from Li Honghua's words.
Muramasa and Sun have a good relationship with her, and they may not directly ask them to move back and live with Lin Miaomiao and the others, but Lin Chuntao generally does not bet on people's hearts.
She looked at Sun and Chen Dongniang and sighed softly, "When the ancestral tomb is repaired, I will buy some tributes and go pay my respects."
Sun and Chen Dongniang, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, frowned and looked at her. "What happened?"
Lin Chuntao turned her head and looked around to see if there was anyone around. She whispered, "I was sick this time. I had a fever, so Pei Ying carried me to get acupuncture. The old doctor told me to go back and get medicine after I got better."
"What should I eat? What's wrong with my health?"
Lin Chuntao pursed her lips, looking extremely embarrassed and conflicted. Sun said, "Child, is there anything you can't say to me and your aunt?"
"The doctor said I wasn't in good health because I'd fallen into the water and was overworked and hungry, so I couldn't get pregnant."
As soon as these words were spoken, Sun and Chen Dongniang's expressions changed instantly.
"Did you say that in front of Xiao Pei?" asked Sun.
Lin Chuntao nodded, and seeing the worry in their eyes, she continued, "The doctor said I should take the herbal medicine for a few months first. He prescribed it for me today. It's over 30 wen a dose, which is too expensive. I still want to save money to build a house."
Sun clicked her tongue and patted her gently.
"Are you stupid, kid? It's such a big deal. You have to take the medicine no matter how expensive it is. It doesn't matter if you build the house later!"
Lin Chuntao's eyelids drooped, and Chen Dongniang said, "It's okay. The doctor said it can be cured. Maybe it will be better after a while. Besides, you just got married, so there's no need to rush."
"Is Xiao Pei unhappy?" Chen Dongniang asked again.
Lin Chuntao shook her head slightly, "That's not the case."
"I almost forgot if I hadn't mentioned it. Yesterday he asked me to ask who has a rooster so he can buy one or two to keep at home. He has to get up early to do his work, and sometimes the crowing of the chickens in the village is not very clear."
Sun said, "We only have three roosters at home. You can catch one and take it back later. If you want two, you can ask your second grandmother next door. She has four roosters."
Lin Chuntao pointed at the stone.
They sat and chatted for a while, then had to go back to cook. Sun caught a chicken for her and went next door to buy her another one, spending ninety-two cents for the two.
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