When she carried the wooden bucket home, Wang Xiulian had just finished preparing breakfast.
“Suisui, breakfast is ready. Wash your hands and let’s eat together.”
Li Niannian came running toward her with pattering footsteps. “Big Sister, where did you go just now? I didn’t see you when I woke up.”
“I went to the shore to gather seafood.”
“What did you pick up? I want to see!”
Li Suisui pointed at the wooden bucket by her feet. “It’s in the bucket. See for yourself.”
The moment Li Niannian looked inside, she became excited. “It’s a grouper—and such a big one! Big Sister, did you catch this fish?”
“Hahaha, of course I caught it.”
“Mother! Mother! Come quickly! Big Sister caught a huge grouper!”
“Why are you shouting? Your sister is still so young. How big a fish could she possibly—”
Before Wang Xiulian finished speaking, she was stunned by the grouper inside the bucket. “It really is a grouper.”
Now it was Wang Xiulian’s turn to be delighted. She picked up the bucket and headed toward the stone house.
“Erzhu, Erzhu! Come quickly and look! Our Suisui is amazing today. She caught such a big grouper!”
Li Erzhu was also happy when he saw it. “Suisui, grouper aren’t easy to catch. How did you manage it?”
“Hehe, I was lucky today. As soon as I reached the shore, I saw this grouper stranded. I grabbed its gills and lifted it up.”
“Hahaha, your luck is really good.”
Listening to Li Suisui’s lively storytelling, the family finally showed smiles they hadn’t worn in a long time.
“Father, how much can this grouper sell for in town?”
“This grouper weighs a little over three jin and looks good. It should sell for about one hundred copper coins. Take it to the old house and give it to your eldest uncle so he can help sell it.”
“I want to sell it myself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! What if you get abducted going to town alone as a little girl?”
“I’m not three years old. I won’t be kidnapped that easily. Besides, Eldest Uncle has his own work to do. I don’t want to delay him.
Now that Father is injured and Mother is heavily pregnant, someone has to support the family. I’m the eldest sister and a member of this family. I should help shoulder the responsibility.”
Although Li Suisui was already twelve, her small stature made her look more like a ten-year-old.
Hearing such words from her shocked and moved both Li Erzhu and Wang Xiulian.
“Suisui, we know you mean well for this family, but we’re still worried about you going to town alone. How about I go with you?” Wang Xiulian clearly sounded exhausted as she spoke.
“Mother, you’re pregnant and not in good health. I already said your job now is to take care of yourself and my little brother. Leave the family matters to me.
Mother, don’t worry. Father, you too.
I promise I won’t follow strangers around this time.
And if I don’t handle things properly this time, you won’t even need to stop me—I won’t go to town again on my own.”
“Sigh… fine. Since you’ve made up your mind, go ahead. But you must be careful.”
With permission granted, Li Suisui was instantly filled with motivation and immediately went to tidy up her small wooden bucket.
She removed all the small fish and snails, leaving only the grouper inside.
Li Niannian stepped forward hopefully. “Big Sister, I want to go with you.”
Although Li Suisui had the soul of an adult, she didn’t dare bring another child along while she herself had the body of a child—especially to an ancient town with poor security. She also wasn’t familiar with the town. If Li Niannian got lost, she wouldn’t know where to find her.
“Be good and stay at home. I’ll bring you something tasty when I come back.”
It took an hour to travel from Shigang Village to Yugang Town.
After breakfast, Li Suisui set off, carrying her wooden bucket toward town.
After only half an hour, she felt like her body was burning and the soles of her feet were painfully rubbed raw.
She looked down at her straw sandals and realized they were nearly worn through.
When she returned, she would need Li Erzhu to weave her a new pair.
“Jingle, jingle…”
“Huh? Why do I hear bells?”
She turned around and saw an ox cart wobbling toward her.
Touching the five copper coins Wang Xiulian had given her before she left, she felt tempted and waved toward the cart.
“Whoa… little girl, want a ride?”
“Yes. How much for one person?”
“You’re small, and you’ve already walked part of the way. I’ll charge you two coins. Others pay three. Want to ride? If so, get on quickly.”
“I’ll ride.” Li Suisui didn’t want to torture her feet anymore.
She placed her bucket on the cart first, then climbed up.
“Hyah…” The cart driver flicked the reins lightly, and the ox cart slowly moved forward.
She had just settled in when a woman on the cart suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my! Little girl, there’s a big grouper in your bucket!”
With one woman’s shout, the other five or six passengers also looked into Li Suisui’s bucket.
A woman with triangular-shaped eyes immediately grew interested. “This grouper is good. It’s at least three jin. Little girl, are you selling it? If you are, sell it to me.”
To be honest, Li Suisui disliked the way the woman looked at her. It felt calculating.
But business was business. As long as she didn’t get cheated, it didn’t matter who the buyer was.
“I’m selling. How much will you offer?”
The woman’s eyes shifted. “I won’t cheat you. I’ll give you twenty copper coins for the fish and the bucket. A fish at the market only costs four or five coins. I’m offering a high price because you’re young and this fish is big.”
As she spoke, the woman even started taking money out of her pocket.
Li Suisui’s expression instantly turned cold. She had overestimated this woman.
“Twenty coins is too little. I’m not selling.”
“How is that too little? Little girl, you shouldn’t be greedy.”
After speaking, the woman even tried to grab Li Suisui’s bucket. But Li Suisui was not someone who endured quietly. She quickly hugged the bucket tightly to her chest.
“Auntie, I already said I’m not selling. Why are you trying to snatch it?”
Seeing the strange looks from the other passengers, the woman looked embarrassed.
“When did I snatch it? I just wanted to take a closer look.”
“You don’t need to look. I won’t sell at that price.”
“Since you don’t appreciate kindness, forget it. When you get to town and can’t sell your fish, don’t regret it.”
“Hmph. Even if I can’t sell it, I won’t trouble you with it.”