Scholar's Sweetheart

When the sun went down, Soong Xintong walked home leisurely with a tail of about 4 lb grass fish. She met a woman who was carrying some pigweed home. They were chatting about what happened that afternoon when they suddenly saw her and stopped talking.

Soong Xintong smiled and walked straight home without a word.

When they arrived at the gate of the village, they coincidentally met up with Soong Dajiang, who was walking over from the center of the village.

"Where's the girl?" Soong Dajiang asked in a kind tone, "You went to catch fish in the river?"

There was a river outside the village, and everyone in the village would go there to fish. Soong Dajiang thought that she also went there to fish.

Soong Xintong didn't answer him directly. She pushed open the half-closed gate and walked in. She put the fish into the bucket and answered Soong Dajiang, "Yes, Uncle?"

Soong Dajiang's expression was a bit ugly, but he did not say anything unpleasant. He directly handed over a hundred letters, "This is your compensation. Take it and buy a new copper lock."

Soong Xintong accepted the money without any hesitation.

Seeing that she accepted it, Soong Dajiang smiled, and then said: "Although we broke off our relationship, in the end, we are still blood relatives. Seeing that she accepted it, Soong Dajiang smiled, and then said:" Although we broke up our relationship, in the end, we are still blood relatives.

"I don't need outsiders to meddle in my marriage. I won't send you off." Soong Xintong didn't like being fed a sweet jujube with a slap. Furthermore, it was a poisonous jujube.

Soong Dajiang glanced at Soong Xintong with a sullen look. He felt that he was hit, but he couldn't do anything about it. He turned around and walked into the village depressingly.

Soong Xintong looked at the direction Soong Dajiang left in and was really disappointed with her uncle!

Carrying the fish to the well at the back of the house, Xiao Yun skillfully cleaned up the fish before returning to the kitchen. With a cold and indifferent expression, he chopped the fish together.

Soong Xintong liked to eat pickled fish. She had a bowl full of pickled leaves that had been cooked by the owner of the dish. She also prepared some seasonings, such as pepper, dogwood fruit, ginger, spring onion, and other seasonings.

If only there were chilli peppers, this dogwood always has a bitter taste, and also not as delicious as chili peppers.

I wonder if there will be chilies anywhere else?

Soong Xintong sighed, if there was a chance, she would definitely take a walk around Lingnan City, and heard that it was the most bustling city in the entire Dazhou, with anything, perhaps there would be chili peppers?

At this moment, Uncle Xie's voice came from outside the house, "Xintong, are you home?"

"Here." Soong Xintong hastily washed her hands before hurrying out. When she saw him pick up two baskets and clean the roots of his ears, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Uncle, where did you dig these?"

"It was in the mountains. I found it when I was going up the mountain. But I've already dug it up. That's about it." Xie Daniu moved the basket into the house so that it wouldn't get caught in the sun.

Soong Xintong took out her scales and asked, "Uncle, how many pounds are there in total?"

Xie Daniu said, "There's no need to weigh it. It's at most two hundred catties."

How could this only be two hundred catties? The two baskets were filled to the brim, so it had to be at least three hundred catties. Soong Xintong didn't want to take advantage of them. "Uncle, please address us as relatives. We have to get even."

"Hey, what's the relationship between your Abba and me? There really isn't a need, it's no more than a few dozen pounds." Xie Daniu waved his hand, unwilling to ask for more silver coins.

"Uncle, my father is still watching. If he knew that I was so dishonest, he would have scolded me even in his dreams." Soong Xintong joked.

Xie Daniu was surprised for a moment, then looked at the memorial tablets in the room and laughed out loud, "Your father dotes on you two and your three siblings the most, how could he bear to scold you two?"

"There's really no need for that. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first." Xie Daniu turned around and walked out.

Soong Xintong sighed. "Then give Uncle an estimate of two hundred and sixty catties. We will split the money with him tomorrow."

Xie Daniu scratched his head. He originally wanted to ask for less, but there was too much of it. Just as she was about to speak, Soong Xintong spoke again. "Did Uncle Xie find a place with plenty of money in other places?"

"I couldn't find it. I told Righteous Noble to go to another place to take a look." Xie Daniu was very anxious, "What if we can't find it?"

"It's fine, I've already found a place, so I won't have to worry about it for the next few days." Soong Xintong explained the place to him.

Xie Daniu also knew about the pond in the cove. Usually, no one would go there, but when they passed by the cove, they would see the commotion below, "What if someone sees us?"

"There's no other way. The supply is more important." Soong Xintong said.

"That's true. We'll go earlier tomorrow and avoid them." After Xie Daniu said that, he walked out, "Then I'll go back first."

"Uncle, take care." After Soong Xintong saw Xie Daniu off, she returned to the kitchen and began to cook dinner.

By dinner time, the sun had yet to set.

"Sister, our family meal is getting earlier and earlier." While eating the fish that Soong Xintong had shaved for him, Dabao sighed with emotion. "This fish is so delicious."

"If it's delicious, then eat more." Soong Xintong picked up another piece of fish belly meat and put it into their bowl. "Be careful, don't crack your throat."

"I know, sister." Xiaobao sipped the fish meat and said, "We eat meat everyday, it's just like every new year."

"Then eat more." Soong Xintong looked at her palm-sized face. She had been raising it for so many days, but it still didn't grow at all. As he thought about it, he could not help but pick up more food for them. "Eat more, grow fatter."

"Sister, you eat too." Dabao took the initiative to give Soong Xintong a piece of fat fish belly meat, "Sister, you have to grow fat too."

Little Treasure looked at his sister and brother with wide eyes. He couldn't help but laugh, revealing his baby teeth. He licked his chopsticks that were covered in saliva, then propped himself up on the bench and gave Soong Xintong and Big Treasure a piece each. "Big sister and brother, Little Treasure is for you to eat."

Xiaobao raised his head and asked, "Brother, how is Xiaobao doing to you?"

"Alright." Big Treasure nodded without thinking and gave a piece of fish belly meat to Little Treasure as well. He didn't forget to say, "Big brother treats Little Treasure well too."

Soong Xintong raised her eyebrows and looked at Xiaobao. Sure enough, she heard his next words. "Then big brother, give this swim bladder to me to eat."

Big Treasure glanced at the swimming pool floating above him. He also wanted to eat something. What should he do? But there was only one.

After thinking for a while, Dabao said to Xiaobao, "How about we give it to Big Sis to eat?"

Hearing Dabao mention her, Soong Xintong ate the fish slowly, then looked up at the two of them. Under their gazes, she picked up the white swim bladder and put it into her bowl.

The two of them did not say anything as they obediently lowered their heads to eat the fish in the bowl.

Soong Xintong didn't actually like eating these. She split into two and placed them in separate bowls.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao couldn't help but squint their eyes as they looked at the fish swim bladder that was being handed over.