While talking, she smiled and handed the basket in her hand to Land Officer Yang’s wife, "Granny, these are the crabs my younger brother and I picked up from the beach this morning. We found a few big ones, so we brought them to you and Grandpa to have a taste."
Land Officer Yang’s wife looked and scolded, "Oh, these crabs are quite big. You child, it’s fine if you eat them yourself, but why send them over? You just brought fish last time. Good girl, although we live by the sea, these things are as precious to us as pork. Your grandpa and I, two old folks, can’t eat this. You have to take it back and share it with your siblings. If you can’t finish it, you could sell it in town and get some coins."
Land Officer Yang also laughed, "Your granny is right, you should take them back. Look at us, we’re both old and don’t have good teeth to eat this."
How could this be? There’s no reason to take back something that has been given away.
Yang Chuxia glanced at Land Officer Yang’s grandson playing nearby, her eyes twinkled, and she laughed, "Grandpa, please accept it. We still have some at home. We picked up quite a few. If you and granny don’t like it, my uncles can eat it. Besides, I’ve already brought them here, there’s no reason for me to take them back." As she spoke, she pushed the basket into Land Officer Yang’s wife’s hands.
Land Officer Yang’s wife was in a dilemma, "You girl..."
"Hehe," Yang Chuxia laughed, "Grandpa, I came to see you about something. Yesterday, I went with my father to reclaim land on the west side, so I wanted to buy the deed from you."
"Oh, it’s about that. That’s easy. You bring the money later, and I happen to be going to the county tomorrow, so I can help you with the deed."
"Ah, thank you, grandpa! I brought the money." She immediately took out the prepared five hundred wen.
Land Officer Yang took the money and praised, "Your dad is a capable man who always finds time to reclaim land. At the end of the day, for us farmers, land is still the most important thing. Although it’s tiring to work on wasteland at first, if it’s well managed, you can still grow crops. It’s better than having no land."
"Exactly! That’s what my dad thinks too. With land, if you have a little more of everything else, life gradually gets better."
Yang Chuxia and Land Officer Yang chatted for a while before leaving, and naturally, she didn’t forget to take the big wooden tub with her when she left.
When she returned to the Yang family, Yang Dachuan had just come back.
With all the items she needed, such as Sichuan peppercorn, liquor, preserved fruits, dried plums, tangerine peel terracotta jars, and so on.
"This is perfect!" Seeing these items, Yang Chuxia was overjoyed. She had been worried that the lack of such items in ancient times might make it difficult to buy everything she needed, but surprisingly, she managed to buy everything without missing a thing.
"Girl, what do you need these things for?" Yang Dachuan looked at the items on the table and then at the crabs and shrimps in the basin in the house, feeling a little puzzled.
Ms. Wang heard Yang Dachuan’s question and said helplessly, "Look at you, not knowing what your daughter wants to do but buying things for her anyway. Aren’t you afraid she’ll waste them?"
Yang Dachuan chuckled, "My girl has a good mind; she definitely won’t waste them."
"Father is the best, he trusts me!"
"Alright, your father’s the one who indulges you." Ms. Wang ignored the father and daughter, turned her head, took the remaining few big crabs to the small basin, and prepared to go out and wash them.