Chapter 27: Making Money

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The little river shrimp continued to receive no attention. Fortunately, they had planned to take them to a restaurant anyway, so there was no need to worry.

Because Chen Wenjun’s fish had sold so well, Lin Qin had assumed the vegetables would go unsold and they would have to bring every bit of them home. Unexpectedly, just before eight o’clock, someone came over to ask the price.

The newcomer was a huge, corpulent man. In those days, fat people were a rare sight.

Lin Qin looked him over a couple of times.

Zhang Youren seemed accustomed to such stares. With the easy familiarity of an old acquaintance, he smiled and said, “I’m in charge of a canteen. How much are you asking for these vegetables? And what about the river shrimp?”

Lin Qin came back to herself and hurriedly replied, “The beans are ten cents, the bamboo shoots twelve cents, the cauliflower eight cents, and the river shrimp two yuan a pound.”

Those were the prices she had just asked about in town. In those days, people always haggled when buying vegetables. She could not lower the price on her own, or everyone else would regard her as a thorn in their side. If the buyer wanted to bargain, that was another matter.

Sure enough, Zhang Youren frowned instinctively. First he rummaged through the basket, criticizing this and finding fault with that. Then he complained that some of the river shrimp were dead and no longer fresh.

“Couldn’t you make it a little cheaper? If the price is right, I’ll take everything!”

After listening for quite a while, Lin Qin finally heard him get to the point. Pressing her lips together, she said timidly, “These river shrimp were all gathered from the river this morning, and they were alive when we brought them up. We also have eels. If you buy everything, I can take ten cents off the shrimp and the eels, and I’ll round down the prices on the vegetables. How does that sound?”

“That’s more like it!” Zhang Youren’s attitude became much friendlier. This time he stopped picking through the goods and simply told Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun to weigh everything and pack it up for him.

After Zhang Youren paid and left, the older woman at the neighboring stall muttered under her breath, “You shouldn’t have sold to him so cheaply! That Zhang Youren will definitely falsify the accounts when he gets back. Everyone says he takes kickbacks! Nobody wants to let him profit at their expense!”

It had to be said that people in those days were still rather simple and honest. They valued sincerity in business, did not play tricks, and possessed a strong sense of justice.

Lin Qin put on an eager-to-learn expression and helplessly explained, “But the sun is already up, and nobody wanted to buy our shrimp. We had no choice but to sell them to him at a slight discount. Otherwise, we would have been stuck with them.”

“That’s true enough!” The older woman was right beside them and knew Lin Qin was telling the truth, so she had nothing more to say.

By around nine o’clock, the market was nearly empty.

Lin Qin and the others still had some marbled gobies and carp left.

The two of them pushed their cart and carried their shoulder pole through the streets, calling out their wares. As it turned out, they really did find people who wanted to buy.

After half an hour and two streets, they had sold all the marbled gobies. The two remaining carp could not be sold, so they had no choice but to take them home for their own dinner.

With the money tucked into her pocket, Lin Qin could not suppress the smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

The two returned to the fishing boat.

Chen Wenjun began putting everything away.

Lin Yi asked impatiently, “Well? Did you sell everything?”

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Lin Qin beamed. “We did! Every last bit of it! Dad, the vegetables you grew brought in two yuan and sixty cents. Here’s the money. You keep it.”

Lin Yi shook his head firmly. “Those vegetables were for you to eat, and you were the ones who sold them. Why would I take the money? Are you trying to embarrass me? Put it away!”

“You said it yourself. Then I won’t stand on ceremony!” Lin Qin immediately stuffed the money back into her pocket.

When Chen Wenjun came in, she promptly took out all the money and began adding it up.

“The bighead carp sold for one yuan and fifty cents a pound, bringing in six yuan and seventy-five cents. The small crucian carp went for eighty cents each, and the large ones for one yuan and ten cents, making eleven yuan and seventy cents in all. The eels sold for two yuan and forty cents a pound, bringing in five yuan and twenty-eight cents. The carp sold for one yuan and fifty cents a pound, making seven yuan and fifty cents. The marbled gobies sold for one yuan and eighty cents a pound, bringing in ten yuan and twenty cents. The shrimp sold for one yuan and ninety cents a pound. There were five pounds and three ounces altogether, which would have come to ten yuan and seven cents, but I rounded it down and took ten yuan. That makes a total of...” She counted once more. “Fifty-one yuan and forty-three cents.

“Add the two yuan and sixty cents from the vegetables, and we have fifty-four yuan and three cents altogether.

“We made that much money in a single day! We’re rich!”

Lin Yi swallowed in disbelief. “Girl, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

Chen Wenjun, standing nearby, shook his head with a laugh. “She’s right. That’s the total. Recently, whenever I’ve gone into the city to sell fish, I’ve made more than twenty yuan each time. With two people going today, doubling that is perfectly normal.”

“Good grief! If fishing makes this much money, why does everyone bother farming?”

Even with the money spread out before him, Lin Yi still could not accept it. This was nothing like the hard life he had imagined for the Tanka people.

“Dad! The facts are right in front of us. If Wenjun and I keep working hard, buying land is within reach.” Lin Qin narrowed her eyes in delight and clenched her fists.

Lin Yi shook his head helplessly. “Don’t start boasting. Make lunch first. The two children have been playing all morning and must be hungry.”

Lin Qin immediately took out the carp they had failed to sell, killed both of them, and stewed them into soup for the whole family.

During the meal, Liu Yaya asked in a small voice, “Mom, can I go down to collect river snails with Brother Ping’an? Brother Ping’an says there are little crabs and tiny turtles by the creek.”

Without even thinking, Lin Qin refused. “You two are too young to play in the water. The weather is still cold, and if you catch a cold, it’ll be a nuisance.”

Liu Yaya lowered her head dejectedly.

Seeing this, Chen Wenjun said, “How about I make each of you a fishing rod, and you can fish together?”

The children’s eyes lit up at once. “Yes! Yes!”

Lin Qin shook her head and muttered, “You spoil them too much. They’re so young—what fish could they possibly catch? Don’t let a fish drag them into the water!”

Lin Yi was worried too and hurriedly said, “Grandpa will keep an eye on you. One rod is enough for the three of us.”

Lin Qin: “...”

So apparently she was the only bad person in the entire family!

After lunch, Chen Wenjun went out as usual, first setting the fish traps and then gathering marbled gobies.

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Lin Qin stayed on the boat fishing with the three elderly, weak, and vulnerable members of the family.

In order to continue the good luck they had enjoyed the day before, she even bowed in the direction of the Dragon King Temple before casting her line. Lin Yi found the sight utterly ridiculous.

Lin Qin had been busy for quite some time without beginning, and Liu Yaya grew impatient. To everyone’s surprise, she caught an earthworm herself and threaded it onto the hook.

The little girl was not afraid at all. In fact, she handled it with remarkable skill.

When Lin Qin turned around and saw that the children had already cast their lines, she hurriedly baited her own hook as well.

Once the bait sank into the water, everyone fell silent in perfect understanding.

Before long, there was movement on Lin Qin’s side.

Liu Yaya grew anxious. “Mom, why won’t the fish eat my worm?”

The moment she finished speaking, her fishing rod nearly slipped from her hands.

Fortunately, Lin Yi had been watching closely. With quick eyes and quicker hands, he caught both the rod and Liu Yaya.

Chen Ping’an immediately reached out with his right hand to help hold the rod.

Seeing the three of them struggling, Lin Qin quickly pulled in her own catch. It was a small crucian carp of roughly four ounces—not much to look at. She hurriedly tossed it into the bucket, grabbed the landing net, and went over to help them.

The four of them summoned every ounce of strength they had. At last, the great fish beneath the water broke the surface.

Lin Yi glanced at its pitch-black head and burst into delighted laughter. “Another huge bighead carp! It’s even bigger than yesterday’s!”

“Dad, hold on tight. I’ll net it.”

“Be careful.”

With everyone working together, the enormous bighead carp was finally hauled onto the boat.

Lin Yi was panting from exhaustion, yet his face had split into a radiant grin. “Looks like the bighead carp in South Creek have multiplied into a plague!”

Lin Qin: “...”

“Dad! Isn’t it possible that we’re simply lucky?” Lin Qin said.