Translator: Fan Translation Studio

  Proofread by Claire.KK

  As for the romantic novels brought by Ye Xiaoxian, Xiao Baozhu didn’t show any interest in it from the beginning.

  Xiao Baozhu was just beginning to learn how to write and it was already a miracle that she could read two-thirds of the words in one page. Ye Xiaoxian did not urge Xiao Baozhu to understand all the stories straight away, but she read the novel to her first.

  Girls were always interested in romantic stories, so it was why, when Ye Xiaoxian read a story about a scholar falling in love with a common girl, Xiao Baoshan began to show an interest in it.

  Ye Xiaoxian only read half of the story for Xiao Baozhu and asked her to finish it by herself.

  Xiao Baozhu had no option but to start reading arduously by herself. She turned to Ye Xiaoxian for help once she encountered some obstacles and Ye Xiaoxian would explain to her patiently. It turned out that by the end of the afternoon Xiao Baozhu was able to finish the first story on her own.

  Li Hongmei, who was beside them, saw this and could not help reminding her daughter. “Baozhu, look how patient little Ye Xiaoxian is with you. She has taken many pains to teach you how to read and write.”
……

  No one expected that Xiao Baozhu was addicted to reading romantic novels.

  After she came back home at dusk, she even asked her little brother, who had just returned from school, how to read the second story.

  Xiao Baofeng went to school every day and his job was to read and write, plus he was diligent and intelligent, so what he had learned was far more than Xiao Baozhu. He knew almost all of the Chinese characters in that novel and if there were occasionally some obscure ones which he did not know then he just left them there for now, planning to ask Ye Xiaoxian for help later.

  Xiao Baozhu then felt hard done by. “Baofeng, it’s really unfair for girls these days. Why on earth can’t girls go to school? Look, after you go to school you have learned much more than me, but I have no choice but go to town to sell cold jelly.”


  “Well……” Xiao Baofeng did not know what to answer.

  In fact, he indeed enjoyed more resources than Xiao Baozhu. After pondering for a while, Xiao Baofeng was obliged to console his sister. “Yea, the unfairness of private school is to blame. Only men are allowed to go there and not women, otherwise Sister-in-law will let you go to school as well.”


  Xiao Baozhu said again, “Do you know that those novels were taken by Sister-in-law from a rich lady? So why can that lady read so well and read all the novels?”


  “I heard that for rich ladies they asked teachers to come to their home and tutor them.”


  “So all in all, it’s because we are so poor. Born into such a poor family we had no opportunity to learn to read and write!” sighed Xiao Baozhu.

  Xiao Baofeng did not agree with her, so he said, “But we can’t choose where we are born, can we? Actually, although we are no match for wealthy families, compared to other children in our village, we are already very lucky. Look, you have novels to read and our brother and sister-in-law were teaching you reading and writing, but the next door neighbor, Mrs. Zhao’s daughter, Feng, is not as lucky as you are.”


  Xiao Baozhu had been going to town for a while after all and seeing various people, so she was not very happy hearing that Xiao Baofeng compared her with Feng. “Feng hasn’t even gone to town once.”


  That day was the first time that Xiao Baozhu did not help Ye Xiaoxian with dinner and Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei cooked it, but Ye Xiaoxian saw that Xiao Baozhu had rarely been interested in reading, so she then went easy on her. They were going to have fish fillets in hot chili oil and she was the only one who knew how to cook this anyhow.

  By dusk, Xiao Baoshan had also come home.

  Once Xiao Baoshan returned, Xiao Baozhu then pestered her brother to teach her how to read. What Xiao Baofeng did not know were obscure characters. Ordinary romantic novels did not contain many obscure characters, most of which were names of places, and even stranger was that Xiao Baoshan knew them all.

  “Second Brother, have you been to all of these places?” asked Xiao Baozhu confusedly.

  Xiao Baoshan raised his head and looked at the sky as if he had seen somewhere far faraway, but his face just sank and became silent.

  The fish fillets in hot chili oil that evening smelled extremely good, especially with some dried chilies and Zanthoxylum which were fried in oil, so it took no time for the fragrance to emanate out from the courtyard.

  Wong Mudan and Chen Ju were washing vegetables in the courtyard as well.

  Their husbands had monthly wages, so they were able to have a meat dish several times a month, but they were a big family after all so they did not usually stir-fry the meat but instead had to make a meat broth, and in this case everyone could taste the meat.

  Wong Mudan and Chen Ju smelled the fragrance of fish from next door and swallowed.

  “Elder Sister-in-law, what kind of fish do they have? It smells too strong, doesn’t it?” Chen Ju swallowed.

  Wong Mudan recalled the “Pig’s feet soup” from last time and dared not plan anything against the second household in case they would once again drink a bowl of pot cleaning water.

  “They must have made a pot of hodgepodge stew, right? As for fish, freshness is the most important thing and one just needs to get rid of the fishy smell by using some ginger, so who will put so many spices in it? In my opinion Little Ye is trying to make it taste very savory so they will eat more rice with fewer vegetables.”


  “That’s right!” Chen Ju echoed, but continued drooling.

  Her five-year-old daughter, Baoxue, happened to be carrying a bowl and came over. “Ma, when will the dinner be ready? I’m hungry!”


  Chen Ju was just about to say that it would not be that quick, but she glanced at her daughter’s bowl and had a bright idea.

  “Xue, why don’t you go to your second auntie’s and ask them what they eat?”


  The little girl was not yet sensible and since her mother asked her to do this, she then ran over to the second household happily.

  Wong Mudan gave Chen Ju a thumbs-up. “Well done. You send a kid to them and although those people of the second household were mean to us they were alright to our little ones.”


  Chen Ju replied, “We don’t know if it will succeed or not. Let’s wait for Baoxue to come back and then see.”


  The kids in village were all very timid and Baoxue was no exception. When she reached the kitchen door of the second household she then gazed into the kitchen with eager eyes. She saw a big dish placed on a small table. White and shiny fish slices were floating on the red soup with an inviting smell which made Baoxue dribble until her chin was wet.

  Ye Xiaoxian noticed Baoxue standing outside as well and saw her bring a bowl with her, so she wondered if this kid was sent here by her mother.

  But Ye Xiaoxian was always very generous, especially to children.

  She waved to Baoxue to let her come in and carried two slices of fish to Baoxue’s bowl using her chopsticks and then said, “Baoxue, the fish is spicy and hot. Don’t go out, just eat it here.”


  Baoxue obeyed, placed her little bowl on the table and used her chopsticks to eat the fish little by little.

  It was the first time that she’d had something spicy and she found it really hot, but regardless of the spiciness, little Baoxue enjoyed the dish very much. She was panting and continuing to eat and she soon finished the two slices of fish fillets.

  Ye Xiaoxian put a cucumber and some bean sprouts into her bowl also. “These are spicy as well, so eat slowly.”


  Baoxue was so happy by eating all of this.

  Children were easy to feel full and the fish was also a bit hot, so after eating the cucumber and bean sprouts Baoxue ran out joyfully with her empty bowl.

  Chen Ju saw Baoxue stay in there for such a long time and called her over. “Baoxue, have you eaten anything inside?”


  “Yes, I did. I ate fish, cucumber and bean sprouts.”


  “Why did……you not take something out for Ma as well?” Chen Ju asked.

  Baoxue opened her eyes wide. ‘Can I really do this?’


  “Forget it. They won’t give anything to you again. Just go somewhere else!” said Chen Ju sulkily.

  Baoxue then ran away.

  Just at that moment, Xiao Baocheng came out from his room.

  Wong Mudan’s eyes shined and she waved to Baocheng to come over. “Baocheng, come here. I need you to do something for Ma.”


  “What?” Xiao Baocheng asked.

  “Go and see what goodies your second aunt is cooking. Take a bowl with you and try to take something with you, will you?”


  Xiao Baocheng was already ten years old and had been to school, so he could tell right away that his ma must be drooling over others’ dinner, so he replied coldly, “I won’t go. Just go there yourself!”


  He then turned around and went back to his room to practice writing characters.

  “You……”
……

  Wong Mudan and Chen Ju finally had an opportunity to eat fish fillets in hot chili oil that evening.

  The second household was obliged to take some fish to Old Mr. Xiao since they had cooked some.

  Old Mr. Xiao had been eating light his whole life, so by no means did he enjoy spicy food like fish fillets in hot chili oil. He spat the moment he put the fish into his mouth.

  “What the hell is this? They made such fine fish taste like this!”


  He then placed the fish hard into the middle of the table, suggesting that he did not care who was going to eat it.

  Wong Mudan and Chen Ju reached out their chopsticks immediately, like crocodiles hunting for prey, and took the fish.

  They took the fish to their mouth right away. Though the fish had already cooled down, it still tasted very good with the flavor overwhelming their taste buds, which they enjoyed very much.

  Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu also tried it and they all found the fish to be tasty, including Xiao Baofeng, Xiao Baoyang and other kids.

  Xiao Tieshu, “Ju, find a moment to ask Second Sister-in-law how they made it. We can make it this way next time as well.”


  Xiao Tieshu had just finished talking when he was scolded by his father. “Don’t even think about it! I’ll never allow this stuff to appear on my table again!”


  “.……” They shared the same kitchen and could not cheat Old Mr. Xiao by cooking something else for themselves, so Wong Mudan and Chen Ju were all feeling very wronged and upset……

  The next morning.

  Xiao Baozhu got up very early.

  Her task was to make cold jelly.

  Ye Xiaoxian had now stopped selling shortbread, so she gave a hand to Xiao Baozhu just after she got up. She asked Baozhu, “How come you got up so early today?”


  Xiao Baozhu hesitated. “Sister-in-law. I kind of don’t want to go to town today……is that alright?”


  “You want to stay home alone?” asked Ye Xiaoxian, confused. “We all go to the town and Baofeng goes to school. If you stay home alone, what are you going to eat for lunch?”


  “Well……well, okay. As you are so hard-working, just stay at home and practice reading more!” said Ye Xiaoxian.

  Ye Xiaoxian always pitied Baozhu, who was just a girl of around twelve or thirteen years old. If she was living in the modern age, she would still be getting pampered by her parents.

  She then began to think about herself. She was not much older than Baozhu either. She was only sixteen here and would not need to care about anything apart from school work in the modern age as well.

  It is all fate!