Novel Bin Chapter 212 - 212: Sharing The Goods
The two elderly nodded without insisting that Xu Niu stay longer. However, Zhou Wan quickly stopped him. “Xu Niu, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Let’s divide the goods for you to take home.”
Upon hearing that there were more goods, Zhang Min swiftly grabbed Zhou Wan by the ear. “1 told you to deliver pork, so why did you bring stuff from your sister’s place?”
Zhang Min’s temper seemed to mirror that of Zhou Lan’s. It was evident why they were mother and daughter in this world.
Guarding his ear, Zhou Wan exclaimed, “Ouch, Mom, be gentle! My sister insisted on giving this to us. I didn’t ask for it. Let me divide the goods for Xu Niu first so he can eat lunch. 1’11 explain everything about Zhou Lan later at the table!”
Zhou Lan’s father, Zhou Cheng, approached to soothe his wife. “Haven’t you heard? Someone in the village mentioned that the men in Zhou Lan’s family went to the county town. They might have earned some money. Don’t rush things. Let the boy divide the goods.”
Only then did Zhang Min release Zhou Wan, her hands on her hips, observing him intently.
Zhou Wan then unveiled two wild rabbits tied with a rope and a large basket of wild vegetables beneath a cloth cover.
These wild vegetables were vibrant and lush. It was clear that they had thrived from ample nutrients. Their leaves were twice the size of other vegetables.
He had never heard that the harvest in the neighboring village was superior. Why did the wild vegetables grow better there than in his own village?
Xu Niu’s family consisted of four members. Including the old couple, there were six people. Zhou Wan only had to care for two elderly individuals and had no children, totaling four in his household. Therefore, without considering the number of mouths to feed, he directly divided the wild vegetables into two portions, one for each family.
Zhou Wan found another cloth bag and filled it with melon seeds. He handed them to Xu Niu, saying, “No one in the family enjoys melon seeds. Only Zhou Ling snacks on them when she has nothing to do. Take these melon seeds with you. I’ll just keep a few to try.”
Xu Niu didn’t refuse. He planned to take these raw seeds home for Zhou Ling to roast. They would be enough for her to snack on for half a month, satisfying her craving.
Zhou Wan placed the packed seeds into Xu Niu’s basket. Then, with one hand, he picked up a wild rabbit by its ear, comparing the weight of both rabbits. Finding them nearly identical in weight, he chose the slightly lighter one for Xu Niu to take home.
Xu Niu was taken aback by the generous offer. He remembered that, before he left, Zhou Lan had mentioned the rabbit was for his sister-in-law to help her recover. Xu Niu hadn’t even thought of keeping the wild rabbit for himself.
The eldest brother had been married for several years. His eldest sister-in-law had suffered two miscarriages. The entire family hoped she could strengthen her body to bear a child for the eldest brother, and Xu Niu was no exception.
“Brother, I can’t accept this,” Xu Niu protested. “This rabbit is so plump; it’s rare. You should keep it to make soup for our parents and my eldest sister-in-law to nourish them. I can’t take it.”
Zhou Wan, thinking of his own wife, hesitated for a moment, torn about giving away the rabbit.
Zhang Min quickly grabbed the rabbit and tossed it into the basket, saying, “Just take it and hurry home. Zhou Ling must have already prepared lunch and is waiting for you. It’s okay for you to wait, but don’t keep the kids waiting too long.”
Zhang Min had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She might sound harsh, but she always considered others’ best interests. Fearing his mother-in-law, Xu Niu didn’t say another word and quickly left with the basket.
Lastly, Zhou Wan took out the meat sauce made by Zhou Lan and the untouched pig offal he had brought back.
Upon seeing the pig offal, Zhang Min was ready to scold Zhou Wan. “You! 1 told you to give the pork to them so they could exchange it for grains at the co-op. The offal was meant for Jiang Chuan to eat. Why did you bring it back?”
Fearing Zhang Min’s reprimand, Zhou Wan quickly relayed the conversation he had with Zhou Lan the previous night. After listening, Zhang Min seemed only half-convinced but didn’t appear inclined to scold him further.
“Has Zhou Lan’s family been doing well since they separated from the main family?”
Zhou Wan responded confidently, “Yes! Their living conditions are much better than when they were with the old Jiang family. Their courtyard is spotless, with no bad odours. Each of the two girls has her own room, which is spacious and bright. Seeing that, 1 even thought about building a similar house for us.”
Only then did Zhang Min seem relieved. “The county town is indeed different from our village. Selling wild vegetables in the county town definitely brings in more than exchanging them at the co-op. Jiang Chuan is truly resourceful.
Even when trading isn’t in vogue, he still manages to find buyers. Impressive..”