Lin Xiaohe’s eyes lit up—this was perfect!
It wasn’t one of those super-large woks; the widest part was only about the span of two or three adult hands across.
It had two looped handles so you could lift it, and it would fit just right on their stove at home—anything bigger wouldn’t have fit.
“Auntie, that’s wonderful! We can definitely use it! Let me pay you for it—I can’t just take it for nothing.”
She felt in her pocket; it didn’t seem like she had enough cash. She’d have to pay in installments, and she looked down awkwardly.
“What money? I was going to throw it out anyway. But since I spent over 200 yuan on it, I couldn’t quite bring myself to do it—so it’s just been sitting there. I couldn’t bear to toss it, but I never used it either.
If you can put it to use, then it won’t have gone to waste. It’s much better than throwing it in the trash—that’d make me feel a lot better. Take it and don’t worry about it. If you bring up money again, I’ll get upset.” Chen Fang pretended to be annoyed.
If she’d thrown it in the bin, she really would’ve felt a pang of regret. But giving it to someone who could use it? Suddenly, she didn’t mind at all—it even felt satisfying.
“Alright, Auntie, I’ll take it. Don’t worry—I’ll have you covered for wild greens from now on!”
Lin Xiaohe patted her chest in promise.
“Hehe~ I’ll be looking forward to your greens then.” Chen Fang laughed along, not taking it too seriously.
Not having to spend money on the wok was completely unexpected. The cash that had felt a bit tight suddenly seemed much more generous.
“Sis, are we buying meat?” Xiaogu’s eyes shone like two little light bulbs, brimming with anticipation.
“Yes!” Lin Xiaohe waved her hand grandly. “We’re buying plenty. Let’s all have some meat to build up our strength.
And now that we’ve got a proper wok, today we’re going to go all out—stir-fried meat with rice!”
“Yay! The last time I had rice was last New Year’s—and even then, it was mostly sweet potatoes with just a thin layer of rice on top.”
She’d secretly noticed—only she and her sisters, Da Ya and Er Ya, had gotten that. The boys didn’t.
Hmph ╯^╰
Wasn’t it just rice? Well, they could have it now too! Not just rice, but lard and cracklings, and stir-fried slices of fatty meat too.
“Then today, we’re having rice—no sweet potatoes, no potatoes, just pure rice.”
Lin Xiaohe rubbed her sister’s head, then turned to Aunt Chen. “Auntie, I’d also like to ask—where do you buy the plastic bags you use in your shop?
We’re selling wild greens, and it’s inconvenient without bags. We’d like to get some.”
“Bags? I get mine from the wholesale market. It’s a bit far. Since you don’t need a huge amount, how about I grab a bundle for you when I restock?
There are about 100 or so in a bundle—should last you a good while.”
“That would be great! Thank you, Auntie!”
“It’s no trouble at all—just something on the way. I’ll be restocking tomorrow morning, so before you go sell your greens, stop by and I’ll give you the bags.
When you’re running low, just let me know in advance. Your uncle goes to stock up every two or three days—not every day.”
“Got it. Auntie, is there any particular wild green you’d like? I can go look for it up the mountain tomorrow.”
Chen Fang thought for a moment. “Do you have any wild garlic shoots around there?
I remember when I was little, they were everywhere. The adults would dig up a whole bucket, and us kids would sit around cleaning them.
They look like regular scallions, but thinner—with a bigger bulb at the root. I never understood why they’re called ‘wild garlic shoots’—it feels like the name’s the opposite of what they are.
We’d wash them by the river, and the adults would stir-fry them with eggs—so fragrant. I haven’t had that in a long time.”
As she spoke, Chen Fang even talked herself into a craving and swallowed hard.
Lin Xiaohe thought for a moment. “Got it—I’ll remember. We’ll definitely find some!”
After saying goodbye to Aunt Chen, Lin Xiaohe took her sister’s hand and walked on.
“Sis, where are we going?”
They’d walked a good distance, leaving the market area behind, when Xiaogu finally asked in confusion.
“I heard Aunt Chen mention the supermarket—she pointed in this direction. Let’s go take a look.”
“Okay!”
At the supermarket entrance
The two of them fidgeted with the hems of their clothes, a little nervous about going in.
Unlike the chaotic, mixed crowd of the market, the floor here was so clean it reflected light. Peering in from the entrance, row after row of fully stocked shelves stretched as far as the eye could see.
The shoppers coming and going were all neatly and cleanly dressed.
“Sis, are we going in or not?” Xiaogu pressed closer to her sister, feeling like they didn’t belong in a place like this.
Lin Xiaohe gritted her teeth. “We’re here—might as well go in and have a look.”
Every step they took was cautious.
They followed the crowd toward the entrance, but just as they were about to cross the threshold, someone stopped them.
“Hey there, kids—you can’t go in with that.”
The two of them immediately hung their heads in bewilderment.
“Kids, you can’t bring this inside. You’ll need to leave it at the front desk for safekeeping. You can pick it up when you leave.”
The auntie by the door, who was handing out shopping baskets, stopped them. “Just leave it here at the counter—and don’t forget to come back for it when you’re done.”
Lin Xiaohe let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Carefully, she placed the wok on the glass countertop, afraid that even the slightest pressure might shatter it.
The front-desk staff gave them two wristbands—one tied to the wok handle, and one around Lin Xiaohe’s wrist.
“Don’t forget to pick it up when you leave, kids. And don’t lose the wristband—you’ll need it to claim your item.”
“Got it—I’ll remember.”
They picked up a small basket at the entry point.
Curiously, they looked around!
All those brightly colored packages—they didn’t even glance at them. Clearly, those weren’t things they could afford right now.
“Sis, this place is like a fairyland! They’ve got so much stuff—way more than the commune supply store.”
Xiaogu felt like her eyes couldn’t take it all in. How could there be this many things?
“Like you’ve ever been to a supply store.” Lin Xiaohe tapped her sister on the head. “Don’t let anything slip where people can hear—even whispering isn’t safe. Someone might have sharp ears.”
“Okay, I got it.”
They’d browsed half the supermarket and still hadn’t found a single thing they wanted to buy. A lot of items they couldn’t even figure out what they were, and the ones they did recognize were way too expensive.
Finally, as they rounded the other half, they saw something familiar—a whole row of shelves stacked with fresh vegetables.
The two kids didn’t know many characters, but they could at least read numbers.
“Sis, does this say cucumbers are 5.99 yuan per jin?”
Xiaogu pointed at a price tag, her jaw practically dropping to the floor.
“I think so,” Lin Xiaohe nodded. “That’s expensive!”
“Yeah, really expensive. Back home, cucumbers and beans—we’d have so many we’d dry them for storage. I can’t believe they’re so pricey here.”
Hearing that, Lin Xiaohe’s eyes lit up. “That’s good news for us! We can sell not just wild greens, but vegetables we grow ourselves too.”
“But it’s so dry—how could we possibly grow anything?” Xiaogu reminded her.
“But there’s still that other place.” Lin Xiaohe was referring to the place where they usually dug for wild greens.
Leave a Reply