The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the bluestone path, casting long shadows of the father and daughter.
Lin Yun clutched the heavy money bag, her fingertips tracing the patterns on the copper coins, as if she could touch the outline of hope.
Her heart was like a butterfly about to take flight, light and joyful.
Ten coarse cloth garments could fetch such a high price; if more were made, and more exquisite ones… She glanced at her father beside her and saw his brows furrowed, yet a dazed smile played on his lips. She knew he must be overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
"Father, let's go to the rice shop first," Lin Yun said softly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze brushing against willow branches, tender yet firm.
Lin's father suddenly came to his senses, a glimmer of light flashing in his cloudy eyes: "Good, good..." he replied, but his steps were unsteady, as if he were walking on clouds.
Two taels of silver! He had never seen so much money piled up in one place in his entire life.
But then he thought about it again, and the eighty taels of debt was like a sword hanging over his head. His joy receded like the tide, leaving only bitterness in his heart.
He secretly wiped his eyes, afraid that his daughter would see his vulnerability.
The streets were bustling with noise, and the shouts of vendors rose and fell.
The sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts wafted in the air, mixed with the crispy scent of fried dough cakes, making one's mouth water.
Lin Yun took a deep breath, and the long-lost warmth of home cooking brought tears to her eyes.
In her past life, she had never been overjoyed by a peck of rice or a piece of meat. But now, the warmth of the copper coin in her palm brought her more peace of mind than any jewel.
"Yun'er, this rice..." Lin's father stood in front of the rice shop, his rough fingers picking up a grain of snow-white rice, and hesitated, "How about we buy some old rice first? It'll be cheaper..."
Lin Yun shook her head and stuffed a string of copper coins into her father's hand: "Dad, let's buy new rice." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable determination.
"We'll weigh out two more pounds of pork belly, to nourish Mother and my eldest brother."
Lin's father's hands trembled violently. He looked into his daughter's clear eyes, which held not only stubbornness but also a vitality he hadn't seen in a long time.
Finally, he nodded emphatically, turned to the rice shop owner, and said, "I want five catties of new rice, the whitest and most fragrant kind!"
In front of the meat stall, the butcher was chopping pork bones with his knife, and the grease on the cutting board glistened enticingly in the sunlight.
Lin Yun picked out a piece of pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat. The butcher tied it with straw rope and handed it to her with a smile, saying, "Young lady, you have a good eye! This meat is perfect for stewing; it'll be incredibly tender and flavorful!"
Lin's father took the meat, feeling the greasy texture of the fat on his fingertips, and smelling the long-lost aroma of meat.
He suddenly remembered the last time his family ate meat. It was during the Chinese New Year when they cut off a palm-sized piece and stewed it with cabbage. The children even licked the soup clean.
"Dad, buy some more salt and sugar," Lin Yun said softly. "Mom always says the wild vegetable soup is tasteless; with these, the food will taste sweeter."
Lin's father stared blankly at his daughter, and for a moment he felt that she was not like his timid and cowardly daughter, but rather like a phoenix that had been reborn after experiencing vicissitudes.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end he only sighed: "Yun'er, Father... Father is sorry for you."
Lin Yun felt a pang of sadness. How could she not know her father's guilt?
She gently took her father's arm and said softly, "Dad, things will get better."
The last rays of the setting sun disappeared into the horizon, and twilight gradually enveloped the town.
The father and daughter carried heavy bags of rice and meat on their way home.
Lin's father walked much more briskly than when he arrived, but the worry in his heart remained with him.
Eighty taels... How can we possibly gather that much within three days?
Noticing her father's silence, Lin Yun turned to look at his face, etched with the wrinkles of time, and whispered, "Father, do you believe me?"
Lin's father was taken aback.
"I will definitely be able to raise eighty taels within three days." Her voice was soft, yet every word was like a pearl, falling into Lin's father's ears. "You can rest assured, your daughter keeps her word."
Lin's father looked into his daughter's determined eyes.
He wanted to ask questions, to question them, but in the end, he simply nodded firmly: "Father believes you."
A night breeze swept by, carrying the slight chill of early spring.
When I got home, the familiar aroma of wild vegetable soup wafted from the yard.
Lin Yun has been eating so much these past two days that she's almost thrown up...
Lin's mother was squatting in front of the stove, carefully adding water to the pot. When she saw the father and daughter enter, she quickly wiped her hands and came to greet them.
Her gaze fell on the meat in Lin's father's hand. She was stunned for a moment, then her eyes reddened slightly: "This...this is meat?"
Lin Yun smiled and nodded: "Mom, business is good today, let's treat ourselves to something nicer."
Lin's mother's lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just turned away, wiped her eyes, and whispered, "I'll go cook."
Lin's mother hadn't eaten meat in ages. Ever since her two sons went to school, the family had been living frugally. Even though her sons were sensible, they were still growing and could eat a lot, so they only had simple meals. The family hadn't given them any proper nutrition, let alone her and her husband. She wiped away tears as she walked into the kitchen.
Lin Feng peeked out from the inner room and saw his father and sister carrying rice, meat, and some other things. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then his expression dimmed.
He walked over with his head down, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "Dad, let me help you with that."
Lin's father glanced at him, but didn't scold him. He simply handed over the rice bag silently. Lin Feng took the rice bag, his fingertips touching its heavy weight, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart.
He recalled the silver he had squandered in the gambling den; if that money had been used to buy rice, it would have been enough to feed his whole family for several years.
He gripped the rice bag tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palm.
At dinner, the family sat around the table, where, for the first time ever, a plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots with sliced pork was placed, glistening with oil and emitting a fragrant aroma.
Lin's mother served each person a bowl of steaming hot rice. The grains were plump and translucent, quite different from the thin porridge mixed with wild vegetables that she usually made.
Lin's father placed a piece of meat in Lin Yun's bowl and said softly, "Yun'er, eat more."
Lin Yun felt a warmth in her heart and smiled at her father.
She noticed that her older brother, Lin Feng, kept his head down, fiddling with his chopsticks in his bowl but not picking up any meat. After thinking for a moment, she picked up a piece of meat and put it in his bowl: "Brother, you should eat too."
Lin Feng looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then lowered his head in shame.
He stared at the meat in the bowl, his throat felt like it was blocked, and after a long while he finally managed to say in a hoarse voice, "I... I don't deserve to eat."
Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Lin paused in their work, and the room immediately fell silent.
Lin Yun put down her chopsticks and looked directly into Lin Feng's eyes: "Big brother, let bygones be bygones. From today onwards, let's work together as a family, and there's no obstacle we can't overcome."
Lin Feng's shoulders trembled slightly. He bit his lip tightly, afraid that if he let go, his long-suppressed emotions would burst forth.
He suddenly stood up and rushed out of the house.
Lin's mother wanted to chase after him, but Lin Yun gently pulled her back: "Mother, let my eldest brother have some peace and quiet."
Lin's father sighed deeply, picked up his bowl, but couldn't eat a thing. He gazed at the dark night outside, a heavy weight pressing on his heart.
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