Chapter 18

"Not bad. It's something new, and it counts as meat. Tomorrow, Fourth Sister-in-law and I will pick all the eggplants in the field, steam them, and dry them. If we don't cook them now, they'll get too old."

Zhou Dafeng was supposed to have taken those eggplants to town to sell, but Jinian's wedding had delayed things for a few days, and then Zhou Dafeng had been injured. The whole family had forgotten about the eggplants in the field for half a month.

"Fourth Brother and I will pick them. You rest and mind your back," Zhou Sanfeng cut in. "You've only just gotten back on your feet, and already you're not taking care of yourself."

Lin Jin knew he was concerned about him, so he did not argue. He only said, "All right, I'll take care of myself. I'll be more careful."

Zhou Jinian had been copying books much faster lately. Once the Reunion Festival was over, he planned to bring up dividing the household with his grandmother. He could finish copying a book in ten days, which came to fifteen hundred wen a month, enough to cover their expenses. Once the prefectural qualifying examination was over, the whole family would be able to breathe a little easier.

The family also planned to sell snacks in town. He needed to advance through the imperial examinations one step at a time. Having lived his life over again, Zhou Jinian was eager to earn money, and had come to understand how even a single coin could stump a hero.

The two of them went up the mountain again that morning. Taking advantage of the cool early hours, they dug up some medicinal herbs and discovered quite a few chocolate vine fruits that had already split open. They picked them all and put them in the carrying basket.

After Zhou Jinian finished picking the fruit, he saw that Xie Ning was already gathering firewood. He went over, ready to take his hand and lead him into the cave. "We can gather firewood on the way back. Come on."

"Let's take it with us. I'll go down along the rope in a bit, and you can pull the rope up and tie the firewood and fire striker to it. I'll hold them up and carry them onto the rock ledge. I want to roast some fish and shrimp." Xie Ning smacked his lips, his cravings taking over.

Zhou Jinian tapped Ninglang's head. "Clever, aren't you?" Then he bundled up the dry wood on the ground and carried it.

When they reached the cave entrance again, Xie Ning insisted on being carried on his back once more.

Zhou Jinian took off the bamboo basket and handed it to Ninglang, pinched his cheek, then turned around to let him climb on.

Since they had not brought any salt, they only built a fire and roasted some shrimp in the end. Still, Xie Ning preferred shrimp to fish anyway.

Over the next few days, Zhou Jinian copied books every morning and took a book along each afternoon to keep Xie Ning company while he soaked in the pool. Xie Ning helped him transport his books. The two occupied themselves separately in Pool Cave, one swimming and catching fish and shrimp, the other reading and studying. It was like their secret base.

Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law pushed open the courtyard gate. Both the front and inner courtyards were packed with eggplants laid out to dry. They were so dark that the sight alone killed her appetite.

Then she saw Jinlang and Guihua chatting and laughing as they discussed going to Praying for Grace Temple to sell their goods during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She curled her lip. Her husband lay on his stomach in bed every day now, while her son was wholly focused on preparing for the imperial examinations. He would soon be attending a Mid-Autumn banquet, another considerable expense.

Her family really did not have a single able worker now. And ever since her son's engagement had been broken off, they still had not found a suitable family for a match.

At that thought, Zhou's Eldest Daughter-in-Law ground her teeth and went to complain to her mother-in-law.

Only fine lines remained on Xie Ning's face and hands now. They were still quite obvious up close, but from a distance, his skin already looked as smooth as a normal person's.

Beneath his clothes, however, red markings had appeared on his body, looking even more conspicuous. His body rarely became hot or itchy anymore, though.

Zhou Jinian examined him once every day, recording the changes in his body without any distaste.

Author's note: Thank you to all the little angels who sent me Overlord Tickets or watered me with nutrient solution between 2020-09-22 21:58:34 and 2020-09-23 22:02:25~

Thank you to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solution: Unknowing Parting, 43 bottles; Novel Fan, 10 bottles; 42719963, 5 bottles;

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard!

Chapter 18

That day, Xie Ning went to the kitchen to stir-fry a sauce of dried chilies, glutinous rice, and garlic. His father tended the fire behind the stove, and Grandmother Zhou came to question Lin Jin.

Grandmother Zhou asked, "Can these blackened eggplants really sell?"

"They can, Mother. Once they're ready tomorrow, I'll steam some for you to taste, and you'll see." Lin Jin fanned the fire in the stove.

Recalling what her eldest daughter-in-law had said, Grandmother Zhou repeated it. "They're already dried, so do as you see fit. But you'll have to pay for these eggplants."

At first, Lin Jin did not understand what she meant. "Mother, do you mean you're selling these eggplants to me?"

"That's the idea." Grandmother Zhou nodded along.

That was a good thing, Lin Jin thought. Eggplants were not expensive. By that reckoning, after deducting their cost, all the money they earned would belong to his family.

He could only blame himself for not asking clearly. He truly had not expected his mother-in-law to do something so revolting to him. He had just counted out the money and handed it to Grandmother Zhou when, only after taking it, she said, "Hand over half after you sell them."

"Mother? That's not right! So my family buys the vegetables, makes them into food to sell, and still has to put the money into the common fund?" Lin Jin raised his voice.

If that had been the family rule from the start, he would certainly have had nothing to say. But there had never been such a precedent!

His eldest sister-in-law had taken more than ten jin of the household's peanuts to make peanut brittle, and she only handed half the proceeds into the common fund after selling it. She had not paid for those peanuts.

The eggplants and peanuts had all been grown by his family and Fourth Brother's family, so there was even less of an excuse.

"I won't do it. Either the household supplies the eggplants, and I turn them into something to sell and give Mother half the money as a filial offering, or I pay for the eggplants and keep what I earn." Lin Jin felt confident. His whole family had already decided they wanted to divide the household. Presumably because of the Reunion Festival, they simply had not brought it up yet.

"Are you trying to turn everything upside down? Are you?" Grandmother Zhou was so furious that she searched everywhere for a broom, shouting, "As long as I'm alive, I make the decisions in this family! You want to run things? Then get out of the Zhou family!"

Xie Ning hurried to stop Grandmother Zhou. His father's back had only just improved enough for him to walk around. He could not let his grandmother strike or knock into him.

"Grandmother, you can't handle things like this!"

Zhou Sanfeng snatched the broom from his mother's hands and flung it hard into the courtyard. He sighed. "Mother, let's divide the household."

"What did you say?" Grandmother Zhou raised her triangular eyes and shrieked, "You unfilial son!"

Her outburst startled everyone in the Zhou family into gathering around.

"Mother, you've always acted as though you never had me, your third son, anyway. Eldest Brother and Sixth Brother are all you need. I'm a cripple, half useless. Jinlang has hurt his back and can no longer help with the household chores. Ning-ge'er has been ill all this time, and Jinian has no prospects, so you think nothing of him either."