Chapter 22: Returning to the City

"What in the hell is going on? That bastard has been beating his wife every other day, so when did he start learning to protect her?"

Qin Qiumei felt a tightness in her chest from Chen Ling's final words, but she dared not shout back. She only curled her lip and muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong, Dongmei? Who are you arguing with out there so early in the morning?" Hearing the commotion, Qin Qiumei walked out. Unlike the past few days, the young woman wasn't dressed in her usual flashy style; she was bundled in a thick cotton-padded coat, and her complexion didn't look too good.

"Hmph, who else could it be? That good-for-nothing from across the street!" Qin Dongmei’s face was dark. With a scowl, she bent down and laboriously shoved the broken stone door block to the side. "He’s grown some nerve today, daring to kick my door block and showing no respect for our Chunyuan. Just look at him, acting like he’s something special."

"A complete idiot with a head full of dung—that spendthrift. Once his fields stop producing grain, let’s see how he cries then!" Qin Dongmei cursed incessantly. The memory of being so thoroughly frightened by Chen Ling earlier only made her angrier and more resentful the more she thought about it.

"What happened? Why is he picking a fight with you?" Qin Qiumei asked, her brow furrowed. She knew her sister’s personality well; she had been sharp-tongued and fierce since childhood, never one to suffer a loss, and after marrying a well-off husband, her temper had only grown worse. With that sour look she wore every day, few people in Chenwang Village dared to provoke her, though few were willing to associate with her either.

"It’s nothing, don't worry about it. Go back inside and get some more sleep; I’ll call you when the food is ready." Qin Dongmei dusted off her hands and glanced at her sister. "Look at how frail you are; you haven't been out for a minute and your lips are already dry and pale. Hurry back inside. It’s best you don’t catch a draft these next two days."

"Mm." Seeing that she wouldn't talk, Qin Qiumei didn't press the issue. She cast one more frowning glance at the house across the street before turning to follow her sister inside.

***

On the other side, Wang Susu felt a bit anxious after returning home with Chen Ling. "A-Ling, by clashing with Dongmei like that, won't she hold a grudge against us? Her sister is the director of the township family planning office, and Chunyuan works at the township health center—they have such broad connections... If they decide to trip us up in the future, we’ll be the ones to suffer. Didn't Erzhu get thrown in jail for 'hooliganism' because someone was secretly sabotaging him?"

Chen Ling smiled reassuringly. "It’s fine. It’s such a small matter, it won't come to that... Besides, Erzhu actually got into a fight and beat someone quite badly; I didn't lay a hand on her. Though, watching her bully you, I really did want to give her a couple of slaps."

Wang Susu hadn't thought much of it at first, but upon hearing Chen Ling’s last sentence, a wave of warmth rose in her heart, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. She had indeed been on the verge of tears earlier, but Chen Ling’s performance this time had been both a huge surprise and a source of great comfort.

Despite how she felt, she said quite seriously, "Don't, please. If you get arrested, it won't be a laughing matter." She remembered how Chen Erzhu, a man as tough as they come, had been locked up for years, and his wife had even left him. Wang Susu was terrified of such things.

"I know. I’m not going to stoop to the level of a shrew like her. The porridge is ready, let’s eat." Chen Ling smiled and walked over to take the pot off the stove.

In this era, the charge of "hooliganism" still existed. While it wasn't as notoriously feared as it had been in the previous decade, it was still something an ordinary person couldn't handle. However, it would be abolished in '97, so he just needed to be cautious and avoid crossing that line.

"Huh? Today's sweet potato porridge smells exceptionally fragrant!" At the table, Wang Susu took a small sip and couldn't help but praise it.

"Is it? I guess it’s because it simmered long enough to draw out all the sweetness from the dried sweet potatoes." Chen Ling replied without looking up. He was busy feeding goat milk to Blackie and Goldie. Originally, this task should have been left to Wang Susu to build a bond with the two puppies, but after the morning’s incident, they had been so startled that they refused to let anyone but Chen Ling near them.

After feeding the puppies, Chen Ling went to fetch two bowls of cornmeal. The meal had been infested by mice and was no longer fit for human consumption, but it could be fed to the chickens. He mixed it with bran, chopped up some peanut vines and leaves from his hidden dimension with a wood knife, and poured the mixture into the stone trough next to the coop.

The peanut vines and leaves grown with the water from his hidden dimension were incredibly attractive, causing the rooster and the hens to scramble over one another. Fortunately, Chen Ling had provided a generous amount, otherwise, a real fight would have broken out.

Once that was done and breakfast was finished, Chen Ling hitched the donkey cart in the backyard and headed toward the county town. After leaving the village and passing the reservoir dam, Chen Ling found a secluded spot as usual, loaded the cart with peanuts until it was full, and continued on his way.

Sitting on the cart, bathed in the warmth of the early spring sun, he looked out at the beautiful mountain scenery. Feeling lighthearted, Chen Ling couldn't help but crack his whip and sing out loud:

"You are on the other side of the mountain,
I stand on this ridge,
I call to you, my sister, but you don't hear,
You are the apple of your brother's eye..."

The weather was excellent and very warm today. As he traveled along the road, the sounds of birds in the surrounding forests were noticeably more frequent. Every now and then, Chen Ling would spot a few wild rabbits, but they would be startled and scurry away long before he could get close.

"The weather is truly wonderful today; it's sure to be even warmer this afternoon. After I finish dealing with the peanuts, I’ll go to the river and try my luck—see if I can catch some fish, or maybe, if I'm lucky, snag a soft-shelled turtle." Chen Ling narrowed his eyes at the warm sun in the sky, pondering to himself.

There were few fishmongers here because fish were so common. Once the weather warmed up, the rivers, ponds, and puddles would be teeming with fish and shrimp. In the densest areas, you could even catch them by hand. The ecological environment was far beyond what it would be in later generations; one could almost say it was an infestation.

Not long after, he arrived in the county town. Chen Ling headed to the nearest oil mill, where the owner greeted him with great enthusiasm.

"Brother Fugui, you've finally arrived. I've tested it, and your peanuts yield excellent oil. I'll take this whole cartload you brought today at 90 cents a jin."

This was Liu Xingeng, the man whose goats he had helped deliver. He had a round head and a short, stout build, with a pair of small, piercing eyes. The only problem was that he shouldn't smile. Whenever he did, he looked both cunning and incredibly punchable. His oil mill was mid-sized by county standards, but his demand for peanuts and soybeans was no less than that of the larger mills.

Chen Ling knew this, so he said, "Boss Liu, take a look at the peanuts I brought today first. Inspect the goods, and then we'll talk price. I don't want you to be dissatisfied and think I'm trying to pull a fast one with inferior goods."

The peanuts today had spent two extra days in the hidden dimension, and Chen Ling felt they were even better than the previous batch. Whether in taste or other qualities, they were a step above. Selling them at 90 cents a jin was, honestly, a bit of a loss. He wanted to raise the price.

There was an old saying about doing business: ask for a high price and let the buyer haggle down, but one couldn't be too unreasonable; one still had to respect market conditions. He had tested the waters on his first visit; this time, he was here to probe for the highest price the buyer was willing to offer.