Chapter 9

Madam Qian turned and immediately noticed two people in the yard staring at her. She jumped, then composed herself and ordered, "Wanwan, help me with the cooking. Steam some buns later, we'll be harvesting soon and won't have time to cook."
Zhao Wanwan didn't move. "You secretly gave money to Uncle?"
Madam Qian's face changed; she cast a furtive glance at Li Qinghe and scowled, "You little brat, learning to spy now. How can that be 'secret'? That money is what your father told me to give your uncle, he works hard at his studies and should eat more meat and vegetables."
By the end of her explanation, her face was full of worry.
And in fact, she really did think that way.
Li Qinghe had no objection to Madam Qian using the money to help her brother, but the money belonged to her father. If Li Fu were treated poorly later, she couldn't just stand by, otherwise the village gossip would drown her.
"I'll go ask my father," she said.
With that she set out, carrying a grass-cutting knife. Ignoring Madam Qian's calls, she headed toward her uncultivated plot.
Saying anything probably wouldn't help, Madam Qian always had a way of placating Li Fu. She didn't bother; her words had been mere show to frighten Madam Qian.
The land she had bought lay to the southwest of the village, near the foot of the hills, separated from the houses by a small stream. In the morning the sun was just breaking, and the scenery was pleasant. In her previous life, after marrying into the Xu family, she never had the leisure to go wandering, she was buried in household chores the moment she walked in, and during planting and harvest seasons she had to work in the fields. She hadn't enjoyed such ease and freedom in a very long time.
She walked contentedly southwest along a fairly wide path. Ahead, a woman carrying a heavy bundle of grass stopped when she saw Li Qinghe. "Qinghe, where are you headed?"
The woman had hair gone white and deep tracks of hardship carved into her face. Her smile was forced, faintly ingratiating.
This woman… was Mrs. Zhou, Zhou Chengkang's mother.
Zhou Chengkang's family had five children; he was the third, with younger sisters below him. His father fell ill shortly after the youngest was born and, after two years of illness, died. The family, already poor, was reduced to near ruin by those two years. Madam Qian wasn't lying about the Zhou household's poverty. No ordinary family would willingly marry a daughter into the Zhous.
Zhou Chengkang's eldest and second brothers were still bachelors.
In her previous life Zhou Chengkang had never spoken of his feelings for her; that was probably the main reason.
Li Qinghe sighed inwardly and smiled faintly. "Aunt Zhou, up so early?"
Mrs. Zhou waved her hand. "Not early, I'm heading back now."
When Li Qinghe reached the field edge, she didn't rush to clear it. If she tackled this whole expanse alone, she might not finish until after the new year. An abandoned plot like this had tree roots to pull and stones to clear; some spots even had large boulders. If she tried to farm it now, she'd be waiting ten years or more for a harvest.
She remembered that when they measured the land there was a pond of roughly two fen in area that had running water; the excess drained into the stream and small fish lived there. Some bold villagers even came to catch fish with their bare hands.
Li Qinghe had originally thought of using it for fish farming. Fresh fish were rare in Luoyue Town and all came from outside, selling for as much as pork. But fish aren't the same as pork, one pound of pork is a whole cut, whereas a pound of fish includes water, guts and bones, making it effectively worth much more than pork. Even so, whenever fish appeared at the market they were always snapped up.
Staring at the pond, she figured she'd need to hire someone to clear out the dead branches and leaves, repair the banks, and then buy fingerlings to stock it.
She would have to inquire carefully about the fingerlings… Lost in thought, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw Zhou Chengkang hurrying over. "Need help? If you need anything, come to me."
Li Qinghe watched him, watched him awkwardly bow his head, then said, "By the way, I still haven't given you the silver for the times you helped fetch people. How much should I give you?"
"No need!" Zhou Chengkang hurriedly refused. He hesitated, then finally mustered his courage. "I don't want your silver. I only want to help you, to take care of you, I..."
"Qinghe, what are you doing here?" Li Fu's voice came from afar, cutting off the rest of Zhou Chengkang's words.
He soon came up beside them, his displeased gaze falling on Zhou Chengkang. "What are you doing here?"
Li Qinghe answered, "I asked him to help and we're just settling payment." Then she asked, "Father, what are you doing here?"
Li Fu snapped, "I came home for breakfast and Aunt Qian told me you grabbed a knife and ran off. I was worried and came asking all the way here. When Aunt Qian first said you’d run out to look for someone I didn't believe her..."
Was he insinuating she had run off after arranging it with Zhou Chengkang?
Since she wasn't going to live properly, Li Qinghe didn't hold back. "Father, I saw Wanwan's maternal uncle today. Aunt Qian even gave him some silver."
Li Fu's face darkened instantly. Out of consideration for Zhou Chengkang he said no more, his tone sour, "There aren't many fish here. Go home."
To think he took them for people wasting time here, Li Qinghe thought for a moment and said, "Father, I bought this pond."
Li Fu had already turned to go home; hearing this he turned back, frowning. "What did you say? What about this pond?"
"It's mine!" Li Qinghe replied, plainly.
Li Fu froze for a moment, realizing she wasn't joking. Recalling how she'd insisted she'd spent that silver, fury and disbelief mixed together. "You must have some nerve! What good is a pond?"