The Spirited Daughter-in-law and the Mountain Man

Xiao Yuchuan’s heartache was written all over his face, “Wife…”

“It’s fine, it doesn’t matter who eats first at home.” She didn’t seem to care. The three men listened and felt even more affection for her.

After eating lunch, Su Qingyue used two large banana leaves to make a mat on the ground again, poured all the fish from her back basket onto them, took her hatchet, and went back to the stream with her empty back basket.

In the evening, she came back with another full basket of fish.

But this time she also cut down a bundle of long, two-finger-thick firewood, adding three long bamboo poles and a large bundle of long grass, and carried it all back with her.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Auntie Hua and Aunt Zhang were already waiting for her in the yard.

“Oh, wife of the Xiao Family, where did you get so many fish?” Aunt Zhang asked in surprise. Even Auntie Hua was amazed, “You have so many mushrooms drying in the yard, and another basket of fish… You’ve had quite a harvest today.”

“I caught them in the stream.” Su Qingyue dumped a bundle of bamboo in the yard and put the basket in the kitchen. She didn’t mention the many mushrooms and fish still in the kitchen.

She took a sip of water and went back into the yard.

From inside the house, Xiao Yishan’s steady voice came, “Yue’er, the two aunts have been waiting for you for a while.”

Su Qingyue politely said, “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Auntie.”

“It’s fine.” Aunt Zhang said, “It’s not like we have anything else to do.” She glanced at the bundle of firewood on the ground, “All of the firewood you’ve cut is straight and uniform in size, it doesn’t look like it’s meant for burning?”

“I wanted to build a rack to dry things.”

“Oh, I see.” Aunt Zhang nodded.

Auntie Hua said, “Wife of the Xiao Family, I just came back from the neighboring village. Wang Xiaoliu’s family is short of vegetable dishes, and they want to buy mushrooms from you. He wants a hundred jin. Do you have that many at your home? Can you give him a discount on the price?” “I have a hundred jin. As for the price, what does Wang Xiaoliu say?”

“He was thinking that since mushrooms are sold for two cents per jin in town, and he’s buying so much at once, can you give him three cents for every two jin? He also said that some guests will come early tomorrow, and in order not to delay breakfast, your mushrooms must be delivered before daybreak.” “Deal.” Su Qingyue agreed without much thought.

“A hundred jin would be quite heavy, and it’s a seven or eight-mile walk to the neighboring village. The carrying pole won’t be light either.” Auntie Hua thought for a moment, “I have to go to Wang Xiaoliu’s house for a feast tomorrow morning anyway, so why don’t we go together? On the road, we can take turns carrying the pole.”

“Thank you, Auntie Hua.” Su Qingyue didn’t refuse and went to the pile of firewood under the shed built outside the kitchen in the yard. She picked two thin, long branches with hooks.

She put two fish, each about one jin in size, on each thin hook and handed them to Auntie Hua and Aunt Zhang, “Aunties, this is a small token of my gratitude for your help.”

“Absolutely not, absolutely not!” Aunt Zhang waved her hands hurriedly, “I just took a basket of mushrooms from you this morning, how can I take your fish

“Yes,” Auntie Hua added, “Times are tough for the Xiao Family. Wife of the Xiao Family, you should keep it for yourself.”

“There are too many fish, and we can’t eat them all.” Su Qingyue insisted they take them, “Just take it, just take it. Give your families some extra vegetables.” The two reluctantly accepted the fish after some more convincing.

“Wife of the Xiao Family, I’ll come to call you before dawn tomorrow, and we’ll go to the neighboring village together.” Having said that, Auntie Hua and Aunt Zhang each left with two fish..