Xu Chuang worked the day shift at the pig farm, finishing up the pigs’ dinner around four or five in the afternoon, and then he could head back home without worrying about feeding them. He carried a bag of meat in his hand and shouted “Jiu’er” from a distance. Ji Yuchen turned around, his face bright with a smile, and suddenly, he wasn’t so angry anymore.
Xu Chuang was just a simple country man. What normal man wouldn’t want a warm life with a wife, kids, and a cozy bed? Earning a little money, having rice and meat, was considered a good life around here. So Xu Chuang wasn’t really at fault; it was Ji Yuchen who had crooked thoughts, wanting Xu Chuang to follow him down that path. In a way, he was being a bit too demanding.
He stood at the gate of the small courtyard, waiting for Xu Chuang to catch up. Xu Chuang quickly reached him in a few strides, raised the bag in his hand, and said that the boss had given him a piece of pork belly when he got off work, perfect for stewing with eggplant, and he’d make it for dinner.
As soon as Ji Yuchen heard “eggplant,” his smooth little face scrunched up in resistance, “I don’t like eggplant, it’s all mushy and not tasty at all…”
Xu Chuang laughed, ruffled his hair, hooked an arm around his neck, and led him home, saying, “Picky eater, huh? So what do you like to eat?”
Ji Yuchen pouted, unable to think of an answer. He remembered the snails he had touched yesterday and wondered how they were doing.
The two of them turned into the small courtyard. Xu Chuang put the meat on the stove for later and went inside to change clothes. Ji Yuchen ran to check the bucket: the slightly murky water was crowded with snail shells, their little heads with two antennae sticking out, as if exploring.
Ji Yuchen had never seen these before, squatting there, fascinated, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “They can move…”
Xu Chuang came out after changing clothes, just in time to hear this, and laughed, “Of course they’re alive, otherwise what would you eat?”
He deftly changed the water for the snails, sprinkled some salt, and said they could eat them tonight.
Ji Yuchen wasn’t upset by the comment, thinking that at least he wouldn’t have to eat eggplant tonight, which brightened his mood.
He squatted by the faucet, watching Xu Chuang clean the snails: using pliers to clip off the pointed ends, leaving only the round shells. Ji Yuchen curiously asked, “What are you doing?”
Xu Chuang showed him a clipped one, saying it made it easier to absorb flavors and allowed them to spit out sand, making it easier to suck out later.
Ji Yuchen didn’t comment further, and Xu Chuang figured he probably didn’t know how to eat them. He thought of the half bowl of rice left in the house, with untouched eggplant, realizing the little guy really didn’t like it, so he shouldn’t make it again.
Xu Chuang washed the snails several times, and at Ji Yuchen’s suggestion, added a bit of spice. He made the pork belly into a sauce stir-fry, boiled the whole piece of pork in cold water, removed the skin to get rid of the smell, then cut it into thin slices and stir-fried it with side dishes.
Xu Chuang rarely did it this way because it was troublesome to cut and not as satisfying to eat as a whole braised piece. But Ji Yuchen had a small mouth and throat, and when he ate Xu Chuang’s stewed meat, he almost choked himself, having to bite big pieces into several smaller ones. So when Xu Chuang asked for suggestions, Ji Yuchen was straightforward.
The aroma of meat wafted through the small courtyard. Xu Chuang finished cooking and took a bowl to give to Uncle Zhang next door before they sat down to eat.
During the meal, Ji Yuchen asked about Uncle Zhang’s family situation, curious why he lived alone at such an old age.
Xu Chuang explained, “Uncle Zhang’s wife passed away from illness a long time ago. His two sons live out of town and only come back for holidays, so he’s usually alone.”
Ji Yuchen understood that this made Uncle Zhang a solitary elder, but he wondered how his sons were doing out there. If they were doing well, why not bring the old man to live with them?
Xu Chuang recalled, “A couple of years ago, his eldest son wanted to bring him to the city, but Uncle Zhang didn’t want to leave. He said he wanted to stay close to his wife, afraid she’d be lonely here by herself…”
Ji Yuchen was silent, thinking Uncle Zhang was quite the romantic, something he hadn’t noticed from their conversation earlier.
He asked, “Where is his wife buried?”
Xu Chuang gestured with his chin towards the back mountain.
He continued eating, not noticing Ji Yuchen’s expression. Ji Yuchen tentatively asked, “Are your parents… also there?”
Uncle Zhang had mentioned that in a couple of days, it would be the anniversary of Xu Chuang’s parents’ passing, suggesting Ji Yuchen accompany him to visit. Although it seemed a bit improper, at least he had the “friend” title as a cover. Ji Yuchen thought if Xu Chuang was willing, he’d be happy to accompany him.
He looked across the table, slightly anxious. Xu Chuang seemed surprised by the question, and after a moment, he nodded slightly. Ji Yuchen said, “When you want to visit them, I can go with you.”
A gentle evening breeze passed through the courtyard, much more pleasant than during the day. Ji Yuchen didn’t get an immediate answer, so he didn’t press further.
After thinking for a while, Xu Chuang agreed, “In a couple of days, I’m busy these days…”
If the crops in the field weren’t picked soon, they’d rot on the branches, and he needed to plant the second round. Xu Chuang had to go to the market to sell what they couldn’t eat.
He didn’t do this often because the prices were low, and what he grew were just ordinary vegetables, a few cents a pound, available everywhere. Plus, he wasn’t good at selling, so he rarely sold much. Most of the time, he shared with villagers or traded for things they didn’t have.
This year, the village had allocated an extra half-acre of land to him, so Xu Chuang thought of trying to grow something he hadn’t before. But in the end, they still couldn’t finish it all, and the neighbors weren’t interested since everyone had their own land and grew the same things. So he had no choice but to brace himself and go to the market.
He told Ji Yuchen about the plan for the next morning, suggesting he rest at home, and he’d be back by noon. But Ji Yuchen was intrigued by the idea of going to the market and asked what was there.
Xu Chuang said, “Food, supplies, and some fabrics, clothes, pots, pans, and the like.”
Ji Yuchen thought it sounded interesting and insisted on going. Xu Chuang, half-laughing, half-crying, said, “I’m going to sell vegetables, carrying a bunch of stuff. You’ll just suffer if you come along.”
Ji Yuchen earnestly replied, “I eat your food, use your things, and even take up your bed. If I can’t even accompany you to sell vegetables, wouldn’t I be too useless?”
He looked up with a righteous face, and Xu Chuang couldn’t argue with him, telling him to go to bed early if he wanted to come, as they’d have to get up before dawn.
Excited by the permission, Ji Yuchen prepared for the outing as if going on a trip, organizing what to wear and bring the next day, placing them by the bed, and applying an “aloe mask” on his face.
The aloe juice in the glass bottle was almost gone. Ji Yuchen had applied it several times during the day, and now his face wasn’t red anymore. He remembered to ask, “Did you give Aunt Wang some vegetables?”
Xu Chuang nodded, saying he had taken some to her in the morning. Ji Yuchen muttered to himself, thinking he should give something in return and bring back the glass bottle.
After some discussion, they decided to pick a basket of wild jasmine from the back mountain to give her. Xu Chuang said Aunt Wang loved flowers and liked making flower tea and cakes. When he visited in the morning, she had mentioned that with her husband not around, she had no one to accompany her up the mountain, and it would be inconvenient for her to pick jasmine this year.
They agreed to go up the mountain to pick flowers if they returned early the next day. Ji Yuchen didn’t even go to feed the neighbor’s rooster that night, hoping it would crow early so he wouldn’t oversleep.
The next morning, before dawn, Xu Chuang went to the field to pick cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes from the branches, and dug up some potatoes to bag. He figured they couldn’t eat it all anyway, so he might as well sell more.
He packed the sacks and called Ji Yuchen to get up. The rooster next door had crowed several times, but Ji Yuchen was still dreaming—he had just dreamt of Xu Chuang carrying him home and placing him on the bed when he was shaken awake.
Spring dreams leave no trace, and Ji Yuchen was a bit dazed when woken up, thinking the dream and reality had overlapped, and he instinctively reached out. Realizing Xu Chuang was already dressed, he hurriedly got up, dressed, washed, and went out with Xu Chuang.
They took a tractor to the market, located at the entrance of the neighboring village, where villagers from nearby gathered.
By the time they arrived, it was almost seven in the morning, and the sun was shining brightly. Xu Chuang found an empty spot, spread out the burlap sacks, poured out the produce, and sorted them into small piles, waiting for business.
Ji Yuchen was already feeling sleepy again. Although he had napped against Xu Chuang on the tractor, it wasn’t as comfortable as at home, and now his eyelids were drooping. He stood up, stretched, rubbed his eyes, and looked around to see what was going on.
The market was just as Xu Chuang had described, bustling with people, with rows of small vendors selling all sorts of things. Ji Yuchen stood on tiptoe to observe and found that most of the surrounding stalls were selling vegetables, with a variety of types. Some sold leafy greens, others sold onions, ginger, and garlic, and some sold a mix of fruits and vegetables. Xu Chuang’s stall wasn’t particularly noticeable, even ordinary enough to be overlooked.
They had hardly any customers since arriving, and even when someone did stop by, they’d ask the price, glance around, and then move on to another stall.
Ji Yuchen thought Xu Chuang wasn’t good at business, and his stern appearance didn’t make him seem approachable when he wasn’t smiling. He looked down at the little guys on the burlap sack: plump potatoes, crisp cucumbers, sweet and juicy tomatoes, all of which he liked except for the big purple eggplants.
Although Ji Yuchen hadn’t planted or fertilized them, he had visited the field a few times and watched them grow from tender green cucumbers to their current plump, mature state, so he didn’t want to see them rot in the field, unappreciated.
He squatted next to Xu Chuang and asked, “Is this how you usually sell them? How does it work? Do you sell a lot?”
Xu Chuang shook his head, saying he only came a few times a year and rarely sold much. Whatever was left, he’d see if he could trade with other vendors, but it was mostly the same.
Ji Yuchen was speechless, thinking it was just as he suspected: Xu Chuang wasn’t good at business, the classic honest man getting the short end of the stick.
He thought about how to help him break through the bottleneck, at least to get people interested first, and then they could negotiate the price.
With people coming and going at the market, Ji Yuchen set his sights on a middle-aged woman who had just bought some meat from the beef stall and was heading their way. He crouched down and pulled the burlap sack a bit closer to the middle of the path, placing a few of the better-looking tomatoes in front, which indeed caught the woman’s attention.
“How much are these tomatoes?” the woman asked, holding a basket in one hand and patting her freshly permed hair with the other, looking quite pleased.
Ji Yuchen cheerfully introduced, “Sister, the tomatoes are eighty cents a pound. If you buy more, I’ll give you a discount!”
He picked up a small tomato, rinsed it with water, shook it dry, and handed it to her, saying, “Try it. If you like it, buy some. Our tomatoes have a sandy texture, different from others. The skin is thin, juicy, and they’re great for stewing with meat!”
Perhaps pleased by the address, the woman smiled more and took a bite of the tomato, exclaiming, “Oh, it’s really good!”
She took a second bite, confirming it was just as Ji Yuchen had said, with bright orange juice glistening in the sunlight. The woman set the half-eaten tomato aside and reached for a bag.
Ji Yuchen quickly signaled Xu Chuang to hand one over, mainly because he didn’t know where the bags were, and continued to enthusiastically introduce, asking how she planned to cook them—stewing with meat or stir-frying?
The woman, picking as she spoke, said, “Stewing with beef. My kid keeps asking for tomato beef brisket, calling it tomato, but isn’t it just a tomato…”
Ji Yuchen, kneeling on the burlap sack, grabbed a couple of potatoes and continued to pitch, “Tomato beef brisket is a hearty dish, and it’s even better with potatoes. Our potatoes were just picked from the field this morning, guaranteed fresh. They have a dense texture, perfect for stewing! Why not try some?”
He handed a few more to her, and the woman, seeing they looked good and the price was reasonable, asked him to pack a bag.
Ji Yuchen picked the best ones and filled a small bag. The woman turned and said, “That’s not enough! It’ll be gone in two meals. Weigh some more!”
She finished picking tomatoes and moved to the pile of potatoes, helping to pick them out. Meanwhile, someone else came to ask about the price, seeing the buyer getting a big bag, and bent down to pick some too.
From then on, the stall was bustling with customers, and in no time, most of the vegetables were gone, leaving only a few cucumbers and some eggplants.
Ji Yuchen sat on a small stool, counting the money, stacking the same denominations together, and neatly putting it into Xu Chuang’s pocket.
Xu Chuang, a bit embarrassed, scratched his head and said, “You keep the money. You sold it all, and I didn’t help much…”
The man was sincere, and Ji Yuchen thought the saying about being sold and still helping count the money might just describe someone like Xu Chuang: the vegetables were his, and all Ji Yuchen did was move his lips, yet Xu Chuang was willing to give it all away. Wasn’t that silly?
He earnestly asked, “Are you this nice to everyone?”
The other shook his head, thinking it was Jiu’er who was good to him, not the other way around…
They didn’t sort it out, and someone bought the last few eggplants, officially closing the stall. Xu Chuang had never sold so smoothly before, and the bulging bills in his pocket felt particularly reassuring.
Seeing it was still early, he asked Jiu’er if he wanted to look around since he hadn’t really experienced the market yet.
Ji Yuchen was eager, spotting a paper-cutting stall and running over, with Xu Chuang following closely behind…