Chapter 31:
Li Sanmao carried the bamboo basket on his back and went early with Luo Zhi’er to the spot in the village where the ox cart was, waiting.
They could also flag it down directly at the intersection, but to grab a good seat position.
Otherwise, jolting all the way, Luo Zhi’er’s body wasn’t like others; she would start feeling sore all over before even reaching the town…
Li Sanmao was mainly worried that Luo Zhi’er would be uncomfortable standing…
He even brought her one of his old cotton clothes to pad her butt…
When they arrived under the big locust tree at the corn grinding millstone, there was still no one there.
Li Sanmao set down the bamboo basket, padded the cotton clothes for her, and the two sat together…
They two were the earliest to arrive, looking at the horizon where half a moon still hadn’t set…
Luo Zhi’er took a breath of fresh air; there were still bird calls in the dark branches of the big locust tree. This feeling was really nice, like getting up early in the modern era to go read in the morning…
The two had never had such a time alone together. Luo Zhi’er took out the cakes she had baked last night to fill his stomach…
She herself had also brought some honey water; this was what she had saved a little of last time…
She also took one out and bit into it with effort; one bite was like a crescent moon. This corn flour, once cold, was hard and rough on the mouth.
In her view, it wasn’t even as good as pig feed. Mainly because they might have to walk a lot today, she was also afraid of not having enough energy…
Still, she persisted in finishing it!
Her body was actually a bit strange; if she didn’t eat, she would get hungry, so hungry that her head spun and eyes blurred…
This was also the reason Luo Zhi’er was fat, and she had discovered that weight loss seemed a bit difficult for her…
Just like those with very, very slow metabolism. These past two days, she had tried her best not to eat anything at night, and during the day she kept working and exercising nonstop, climbing mountains and such, but it seemed like nothing had changed at all.
She comforted herself that it might also be because the time was too short.
She planned to go to the apothecary to find a doctor to check once she had silver!
Perhaps have the doctor prescribe some medicine to condition her, and it would get better!
“Yo, whose this, coming so early?”
A slightly grating woman’s voice rang out. The two turned back to look; at the blurry figure, Li Sanmao recognized her, “Gou Sheng’s Mother, it’s you. You’re also going to town for market day?”
“Sure is. So it’s Sanmao and his wife sneaking snacks here! I thought who it was this early in the morning!”
Luo Zhi’er saw she had a small square scarf wrapped on her head, wearing a dark blue outer garment with a small floral pattern. Why did these words sound so off-putting?
“The sun rose from the west! Your parents agreed to let your wife go to town with you to fool around? What are you going to sell?”
Gou Sheng’s Mother asked curiously.
Li Sanmao was slightly embarrassed,
“Yeah, got something today, going to town to sell some things!”
Gou Sheng’s Mother craned her neck to peek, seeing it covered by the bamboo basket, “Hehe, let auntie take a look, I won’t tell anyone…”
In these times, managing to make a livelihood was a big deal. This bamboo basket was bulging high; who knew what was in it?
“What could it be? Some wild game Li Sanmao hunted before, smoked dried meat chunks. Dad told him to take them to town to sell.”
Luo Zhi’er added.
“Oh, like that…”
Gou Sheng Niang pursed her lips.
“Gou Sheng’s Mother, what are you going to sell?”
Luo Zhi’er pretended to ask.
“What can I sell? Some small vegetables from home and such…”
She immediately covered the bamboo basket in her hand…
Her eyes rolled around,
“Hehe, being able to hunt is great. Look at us folks selling small vegetables from our home garden plots; we can’t sell much all day!”
“Sanmao, next time why not take your uncle to help you hunt, then you can just give him a few meat chunks…”
“Hehe, Auntie is joking. Hunting is risking one’s life. Sanmao comes back with injuries on his body every day; he almost lost his life before! If anything happened, Sanmao really couldn’t take the responsibility!”
“That’s true!”
Gou Sheng Niang was stumped and had nothing to say, remembering there was such a thing, but she also noted it down in her heart.
In a bit, many villagers going to market day gathered here, greeting each other with you a word and me a word…
Some carrying chickens, ducks, geese; some carrying bamboo baskets with some home poultry eggs inside…
Some selling sweet potatoes, potatoes, dried vegetables, some food made to carry to town to sell…
Rural women and old women, chattering away, all asking each other what the other was selling.
Zhao Er’s Wife and Aunt Huaihua also came. Seeing Luo Zhi’er, her face changed, “Yo, Sanmao, you’re also going to town?”
“Yeah, Aunt Huaihua.”
“Selling wild game again, or… what?”
Before Li Sanmao could speak, Gou Sheng’s Mother from the side opened her mouth: “They won’t tell you what they’re selling. Who are you!”
Two-faced and three-knived.
“Gou Sheng’s Mother, can’t you speak nicely? Did you eat explosives this early in the morning?”
“Eat what explosives? Am I wrong? Why should they tell you what they’re selling? You’re not his parents, and even if you were, they might be hiding it secretly!”
The people nearby perked up their ears to listen to their back-and-forth.
Luo Zhi’er with her fiery temper couldn’t hold back,
“Gou Sheng Auntie, if you didn’t brush your teeth after getting up in the morning, don’t randomly spew stinky gas; it’s bad if you fumigate others!”
“What did you say?”
Gou Sheng’s Mother flushed red all over, stifled red, “I didn’t say anything. I’m just saying whoever got up in the morning without brushing teeth and spewing stinky gas!”
“You!”
Laughter erupted around them…
“Clop clop clop!”
It was Zhao Maogen driving the ox cart, the sky already dimly lit, and the spot full of people.
“Uncle Maogen, you’re here!”
“Hehe, you’ve been waiting a long time. Come on up!”
No sooner had he spoken than everyone swarmed onto the ox cart. By the time Luo Zhi’er got on, everyone had squeezed full; she was fat and there was no space for her to squeeze in…
“Tch, doesn’t know how fat she’s gotten. This cart is gonna collapse under you…”
Indeed, the cart felt like it shook when she got on, making people feel like it would fall apart…
She also felt her face red and ears hot, embarrassed, somewhat awkward…
“Zhi’er, sit here.”
Li Sanmao had long found a position and occupied it, laid out the cotton clothes, calling her over.
“Yo, Sanmao is really attentive to this big fat wife of yours.”
Aunt Huaihua teased.
“I say Sanmao, your wife’s big butt sitting here takes up several spots, not to mention the cart’s gonna fall apart…”
The words were unpleasant, but true. Zhao Maogen looked embarrassed and didn’t say anything.
Luo Zhi’er thought for a bit, “Sorry for troubling everyone. Sanmao, you carry the bamboo basket and go to town first; I’ll come later.”
With that, she turned and got off the cart herself! Walking toward the road to town…
She had to go to town; besides walking, there was no other way. Luckily the town wasn’t far, just five or six li; she could walk it.
Li Sanmao saw his wife laboriously get off the cart, felt a bit heartbroken, quickly picked up the bamboo basket, “Wife, wait…”
Then he also got off the ox cart…
Originally the people on the cart were teasing, a bit worried, but unexpectedly Luo Zhi’er was so kind, getting off to walk herself…
For a moment, they felt a bit guilty…
Watching the ox cart go far, Luo Zhi’er asked Li Sanmao: “Why did you get off? Carrying that bamboo basket is very heavy; it’ll chafe blood marks on your shoulders later, and your arms will hurt for days!”
Li Sanmao smiled; his wife was still as kind as before.
“No matter. As long as I’m with you, nothing feels tiring!”
Luo Zhi’er felt a touch moved deep down, envious, not sure if it was envy of the previous Luo Zhi’er, anyway her heart felt sour…
