Shen Dalang fought the urge to hold his head, instead pushing an egg into her hand. He said in a stern voice, "If you won't eat this, I won't take you up the mountain anymore."
So, that meant...
"You're not angry anymore? You'll still take me up the mountain?" Chen Xiaosang asked Shen Dalang, her eyes shining.
This was a chance for a better life. If she could just cling to it, things at home would improve.
Shen Dalang glanced at the egg, then at the little girl who only came up to his thigh. He took a deep breath and said, "If you do as I say, I'll take you up the mountain."
Chen Xiaosang was delighted and stuck out her little finger, "Let's pinky promise!"
Kids only keep their word if they pinky promise, at least that's what she had learned.
But he wasn't going to do that, was he?
Shen Dalang looked at the bent pinky, then at Chen Xiaosang's hopeful, smiling face. He put his awkwardness aside, hooked his pinky around hers, and moved his hand with hers.
Just as they let go, Chen Xiaosang cracked the egg on her forehead and started to peel it.
He couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't your forehead hurt?"
Chen Xiaosang shrugged, "My forehead's strong. Cracking an egg on it is no big deal."
Not knowing how to react, Shen Dalang focused on storing the meat. He put it in a big barrel and hung it in the well to keep it fresh. Then he took Chen Xiaosang back to the kitchen.
The so-called kitchen was a simple setup, with a few tree trunks holding up a grass roof. Inside was a dirt stove, a water tank, and a cupboard made from bamboo.
It was open to the elements, cold in winter and hot in summer.
Chen Xiaosang watched as he brought out a big bowl of rib soup from the cupboard, heated it up, poured it into a bowl, placed it on the stove, and motioned for her to eat.
Looking at the bowl full of ribs, Chen Xiaosang swallowed and pointed to herself, "Is all this for me?"
Thinking she was still hungry, Shen Dalang pointed at the cupboard, "If it's not enough, I can heat up more."
Chen Xiaosang, thrilled, tried to grab a rib as big as her fist with her chopsticks. The rib kept slipping away, though.
Annoyed, she rolled up her sleeves, grabbed the bone with one hand, and started biting it with the other.
The ribs tasted so good. She hadn't eaten ribs in over ten years...
But... they were a bit salty...and a little fresh...
After finishing one piece, Chen Xiaosang couldn't eat anymore. She could only look at the leftover ribs with regret.
Even though they didn't taste great, they were still precious ribs.
Shen Dalang looked at her tiny belly before returning the bowl to the cupboard. Chen Xiaosang saw several big basins in the cupboard, filled with bones and meat, along with a lot of pig parts.
"You have a lot of meat at home," Chen Xiaosang said with envy.
"Unsold stuff," Shen Dalang answered while washing the dishes.
Being a butcher had its advantages; he could eat the unsold meat slowly.
What a wealthy family!
Chen Xiaosang sighed, circling around Shen Dalang, "Can you and your dad finish all the leftover meat?"
"We can't finish it," he replied. But he could use it to lure wild boars into traps
It would be such a shame if the hot weather spoiled the meat.
Chen Xiaosang's thoughts had her swallowing in anticipation. Her mind had started to spin. "If your family has unsold meat and bones, you could sell them to me," she suggested.
Shen Dalang had cast her a sidelong glance and asked, "Do you have money?"
People in the village were known for stretching every penny, and she was just a little girl with pockets emptier than her stomach. Doing business with her didn't seem practical.
"I will have some later," Chen Xiaosang confidently declared.
Shen Dalang gave her a skeptical glance. After pouring out the dishwater, wiping the pot, and covering it, he left the kitchen.
Chen Xiaosang, however, was not easily discouraged. She followed him, chattering, "I earned over 900 wen last time I sold the Tianma, didn't I? I know how to make money. If you help me up the mountain, I can quickly pay you back for the meat."
Shen Dalang paused, considering the 900 wen she had mentioned. Unprepared for his sudden halt, Chen Xiaosang bumped into his thigh.
She rubbed her throbbing forehead.
Shen Dalang responded, "I don't do credit. If you pay me, I'll sell you a pound of fatty meat for 12 coin, and lean meat for 10 coin."
This was a really good deal.
Chen Xiaosang found the price reasonable, but she knew her parents would never agree to spend that much on leftover meat.
After a moment's thought, she asked, "What about pig offal?"
Shen Dalang frowned, "That's for feeding dogs. What would you do with it?"
"I'm buying it for my two nephews," Chen Xiaosang earnestly explained. "They lost a lot of blood and often feel dizzy."
Shen Dalang felt his irritation rise. He was almost ready to send her home.
Who, except a family barely surviving, would eat pig offal?
He gritted his teeth, "We still have plenty of bones. If you want them, take them home for a coin per pound."
"Great! I'll take all!" Chen Xiaosang exclaimed joyfully, then turned on her heels and dashed toward the kitchen.
Shen Dalang had no choice but to follow her. He helped her carry the cupboard, and there were still ten pounds of bones. She also wanted the pig's offal. In the end, she even asked him to put the pig's head and tail into the basket.
Shen Dalang couldn't hold it in any longer." The pig's head and tail are used to worship the ancestors. You won't be able to eat them even if you buy them back. Why don't you just take the meat?"
"I can handle it. Don't worry," Chen Xiaosang reassured him, patting her chest confidently. She asked Shen Dalang to pack all the items into her basket.
Stuffing the worthless items into her basket, Shen Dalang estimated it to be about 30 pounds. With Chen Xiaosang's frail arms and legs, she definitely wouldn't be able to carry it. So, he decided to carry it himself, preparing to escort her home.
Before leaving, he tipped over the quiver. Four pieces of Tianma, each about as thick as two fingers, tumbled out.
Chen Xiaosang's face lit up at the sight. Shen Dalang, suppressing his annoyance, said, "This time, I found these myself. After selling them, you'll have to give me sixty percent of the profit."
Chen Xiaosang's smile broadened. She smacked her chest and responded, "No problem!"
At home, Dashu wife, who was processing honeysuckles, was taken aback by the sight of the basket filled with bones. Stammering, she asked Shen Dalang, who had brought Chen Xiaosang back, "What... what are you doing?"
Shen Dalang pointed at Chen Xiaosang and replied, "She bought these, and I delivered them."
Dashu's wife looked stunned. "Why did she buy these?"
"For Dashu and Ershu's health," Chen Xiaosang said cheerfully. "We can have soup too. Isn't that wonderful, sister-in-law?" She held up three fingers, adding, "All for just thirty coins, what a bargain!"
Dashu's wife felt her head spinning and nearly passed out. She leaned against the stove for support, attempting to convince her sister-in-law, "Xiaosang, the three old hens given by the big uncle's family should be enough for you and the three brothers..."
"But it's not enough," Chen Xiaosang interjected, counting on her soft, white fingers, "Including dad, mom, five brothers, two sisters-in-law, the three brothers, and me, our family totals thirteen people."
Running out of fingers to count, she grabbed Dashu's wife's fingers and continued, "An old hen weighs three catties. Each of us won't even get four taels. We could only have chicken for one meal."