68, Easy to Get Along With (4th Update)
Xie Zhinuan trusted Yuanbao, and didn’t insist on his staying; she had indeed many things to keep her busy.
After Yuanbao left, Xie Zhinuan turned to prepare dinner. There wasn’t much good food at home, so she thought about stewing meat the next day and returning the basket to Old Mrs. Ni, and at the same time, she would take a bowl of stewed meat to her.
She thought of the abundant wild fruits nowadays, but as she was unfamiliar with Xiaohe Village, she didn’t know where to find them.
“Auntie Chen, when you cook tonight, I’ll take a walk around the village!”
“?” Auntie Chen didn’t understand.
Xie Zhinuan had already taken Routuan out the door, heading toward the entrance of the village.
As soon as she entered the village, the place was abuzz.
The unmarried villagers sneakily watched her, and so did the married ones, though afraid of their wives’ complaints, they glanced quickly and moved away, only to find themselves looking back a few more times.
Whether it was her looks or her aura, Xie Zhinuan differed from the village women and girls, with her boldness and confidence particularly attracting attention.
Suddenly, a few grandmothers with children approached her, “Isn’t this Zhinuan? I heard you don’t live with Old Yuan anymore; you’ve moved out?”
“Yes, I moved out. It was in such a rush that I barely have anything at home, so I’m looking to buy some things from everyone!” Xie Zhinuan said with a smile.
At this, the grandmothers became excited, “What do you want to buy?”
“I need to buy firewood first, and then ten hens that can lay eggs. I also want to buy some fruit trees, loofah, pumpkin, and flower gourd seedlings, though I don’t have much land, and there aren’t many people in my household, so I can’t buy too much. I also want to hire someone to help me build a chicken coop!”
Xie Zhinuan had no sooner finished speaking,
when a granny eagerly said, “Then how about buying firewood from my house? It’s dry, and it’s ten wen a bundle. I have ten bundles at home, all chopped and ready. Do you want them?”
“Sure!”
With Xie Zhinuan’s agreement, the granny hurriedly hugged her grandson, “Then you wait, I’ll go home right now and have my eldest son bring them to you!”
Firewood wasn’t valuable; the mountains were full of it. Usually, people would take it to town to sell, but there were many who sold firewood in town, so it wasn’t worth much. Xie Zhinuan truly struck a good deal.
“How about I sell you a few old hens from my house, they are very fat, one hundred wen each, all egg-laying hens. You can buy them and they’ll start laying right away!”
Everyone was clamoring to sell something to Xie Zhinuan.
Xie Zhinuan noted the number of hens; she couldn’t exceed too much.
A few extra wouldn’t hurt; she could butcher them to stew for some nourishing soup later on.
Even shoe soles were promised, with scores to be picked up once she had the measurements.
The villagers found Xie Zhinuan approachable and easy to relate to, more so than the family across the street. That household seemed wealthy, but they brought in goods from town every morning and never asked to buy from the villagers. They were tough to deal with and couldn’t be offended.
After making arrangements with the adults, Xie Zhinuan called over a few little boys, “I want you guys to help me pick some wild fruits, and I will pay!”
“Really?”
Xie Zhinuan nodded, “I’ll pay according to the amount, but there’s a requirement: they must be clean. I don’t want them if they’re unclean!”
Several boys.quickly glanced at their dirty hands, hastily hid them behind their backs, and anxiously looked at Xie Zhinuan,
fearing she would see them and refuse the wild fruits they picked.
Xie Zhinuan smiled softly and then turned to a skinny boy standing aside, envying the boys and girls gathered around her, his eyes filled with longing, but he didn’t dare to approach. Such a child evoked sympathy, and she beckoned to him.
The mute pointed to himself?
Among disbelief and a touch of excitement, he hurried forward, gesturing at his mouth, signaling that he couldn’t speak.
“Can you mow and chop wood?” Xie Zhinuan asked.
The mute nodded eagerly.
He did those chores every day.
“Then from now on, you’ll help me cut grass to feed the mules, and chop wood to sell to me. I’ll not only give you money but also treat you to good food. How would you like that?” Xie Zhinuan asked gently, as if to discuss it with him.
Chapter 70