Chapter 21: Uncle

“Seven hundred and eighty coins,” Shao Diandian said.

Shao Erdan was astonished. “Sister, I was the one collecting the money. How do you know?”

Shao Diandian replied, “You tasted twelve, gave one away, ate three yourself, broke six in the process, and there were seventy-eight left. Ten coins each.”

Shao Erdan admired his sister immensely.

“Sis, you didn’t break your brain; you fixed the broken one, didn’t you?”

Shao Diandian was utterly speechless at her simple-minded little brother.

“Sis, shall we sell pancakes again tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“At Jinji’s again?”

“Mm.”

They would continue to ride on Jinji’s foot traffic.

“Alright!”

Shao Erdan was delighted.

Selling pancakes was much easier than extorting money, and he could keep eating to his heart’s content.

“Sis, I like the preserved mustard greens flavor best!”

Oily, a hint of sweetness in the salty taste—so delicious it made him want to bite his tongue.

“Is your tongue better now?” Shao Diandian asked.

Shao Erdan stuck out his tongue and wiggled it slightly. No pain.

“It’s better,” he said.

Shao Diandian said, “I’ll make you braised pork with preserved mustard greens when we get home.”

“What’s that?” Shao Erdan asked.

Shao Diandian smiled faintly. “You’ll know once you’ve tried it. Come on, let’s go to the market to buy some ingredients.”

Business was so good that she planned to make more tomorrow. That meant the ingredients wouldn’t last long.

“Miss!”

As she reached the market entrance, someone called out to her.

She looked up and saw the young butcher who sold meat.

He jogged over, sweating profusely. “You finally came, I was wondering where to find you.”

“Looking for me?” Shao Diandian asked in surprise.

The butcher smiled sheepishly. “Well, you… do you still have that marinated large intestine you made yesterday?”

To be honest, he hadn’t planned to eat it at first, but throwing it away seemed a waste, so he braved a taste.

“It’s better than what my mother makes,” he stammered.

Shao Diandian stroked her chin. “Are you here to ask how to make the marinated large intestine, or to buy a bowl?”

“Ah…”

The butcher was caught off guard.

Of course, he came to learn the recipe, but after the village girl’s words, he felt reluctant not to buy a bowl.

“Buy, buy… how much is it? How do you sell the marinated large intestine?”

He stammered, struggling to speak.

Shao Diandian smiled gently. “Not expensive—twenty coins per jin.”

The butcher doubted his hearing.

“Tw-twenty coins? Per jin?”

A whole set of pig intestines weighed twenty jin, and he couldn’t sell it even for ten copper coins. How could she dare to ask such a price?

Scarcity drives value. She was the only one in the market making this marinated delicacy. Also, sugar and salt were costly. She wasn’t overcharging.

Shao Diandian added, “If you buy, I’ll only charge you ten coins.”

The butcher was stunned. “So, so much cheaper?”

Could the village girl have taken a liking to him?

Shao Diandian smiled. “Well then, see you tomorrow.”

“Ah, s-see you tomorrow.”

The young butcher turned and blushed.

Passing by a dried goods stall, Shao Diandian met the old woman from last time.

The old woman blurted out, “Preserved mustard greens, sixty coins!”

Last time she lost money selling at fifty coins!

Shao Diandian replied, “I don’t want preserved mustard greens today.”

The old woman was speechless.

—-

They didn’t buy much today, and with Shao Erdan helping as a pack mule, they walked back to the village without riding the ox cart.

Shao’s father wasn’t home—likely attending to Uncle Cheng’s funeral arrangements.

The three little ones were at Liu Shan’s house, watched over by young Mrs. Wu.

“Go bring Da Hu and the others back,” Shao Diandian told Shao Erdan.

“Alright!”

Shao Erdan set down his heavy basket and left the hall, but soon returned in a panic.

“Sis! Sis! Sis! Someone’s here!”

Shao Diandian was fetching water in the backyard. She glanced up calmly. “Who’s here that you’re so flustered?”

Shao Erdan was at a loss for words. “It’s uncle and aunt!”

The uncle and aunt he mentioned were from their mother Chen’s family. Uncle was Chen Feng, Chen’s elder brother, and aunt was Mrs. Huang.

The Chen family lived in Yangliu Village to the east.

Shao Diandian sifted through the original owner’s memories and understood why the Chen family’s arrival disturbed Shao Erdan so much.

Shao’s father was an orphan who drifted to Yangliu Village during famine years, working as a cowherd for the village head and eating from many households.

The Chen family was well-off and wouldn’t marry their daughter to a cowherd.

They had arranged a marriage for Chen in town.

The groom already had someone, and before the wedding, he misbehaved toward Chen. She refused to marry him, but the Chen family pressured her for the dowry.

Later, young Shao Kang went to town and beat that man badly, canceling the marriage.

Afterward, Chen was to marry young Shao Kang.

The Chen family opposed this and threatened to cut ties if she did.

They thought this would scare her, but Chen resolutely left Yangliu Village with Shao Kang and settled in Xinghua Village.

During Shao’s father’s years as an escort guard, the two families resumed contact.

Later, after Shao Kang’s long escort trip, Chen sadly passed away before he returned. He never saw his wife one last time.

Since then, he never took escorts again.

The Chen family blamed Shao Kang for Chen’s death, fined him heavily, and relations soured again.

Occasionally, when they met, the Chen family treated Shao’s family disdainfully.

Because of his wife, Shao Kang was unusually tolerant of the Chen family, and Da Ya and Erdan didn’t dare to confront them.

After digesting these memories, Chen Feng and Mrs. Huang entered the house.

“Oh, isn’t this Da Ya?” Mrs. Huang said at once, spotting Shao Diandian entering through the back door.

Shao Erdan hid behind his sister.

Shao Diandian said to him, “Erdan, greet uncle and aunt.”

Reluctantly, Shao Erdan poked his head out. “Uncle, aunt.”

Chen Feng looked stern.

Mrs. Huang stepped forward happily, appraising the siblings. “It hasn’t been long, and Erdan’s grown so tall! Da Ya is also…”

“Fatter,” Shao Diandian finished for her.

Mrs. Huang smiled awkwardly and pulled Shao Diandian’s hand to sit on a chair.

Chen Feng had already sat down heavily.

He frowned at the suddenly neat Shao household, momentarily doubting if he was in the right place.

The last time Shao’s house was this clean was when their sister was alive.

Mrs. Huang noticed this too but ignored it, as she had serious matters today.

Shao Diandian said, “Erdan, go heat some water in the kitchen and make tea for uncle and aunt.”

“Okay,” Shao Erdan said, relieved, escaping the hall.

Mrs. Huang affectionately held Shao Diandian’s hand and smiled. “Where’s your father? Isn’t he home?”

Shao Diandian looked at her hand warily—no good deed goes unpunished.

“He went out. Not sure if he’ll be back today. Uncle and aunt come at an inconvenient time.”

Mrs. Huang’s smile stiffened. “Your father wouldn’t oppose it anyway, and neither would I.”

Shao Diandian smiled faintly. “What does aunt want to say to me?”

Mrs. Huang looked indignant. “We heard about Liu Tongsheng’s matter. That Tongsheng is a terrible man! How dare he humiliate you like that!”

Shao Diandian said, “So aunt is here to stand up for me?”

Mrs. Huang’s smile froze again. “Of course, of course! Tomorrow, your uncle will go to his place and beat up that He fellow!”

Shao Diandian nodded. “Why wait for tomorrow when today will do?”

Mrs. Huang was speechless.