Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 27

Father Jiang originally wanted to sell it for more money, but he couldn’t hide it anymore.

He smiled bitterly and admitted, “Two cents a pound. I gave them to the children as snacks, adding plenty of cucumbers and peppers.” Father Jiang sighed, “I even followed the child’s suggestion and got carried away. All my cucumbers and peppers were… used.”

“Ah, so there are indeed people willing to buy them,” remarked some, undeterred by the low price. “Two cents isn’t much. Perhaps some are considering picking some up to sell at the market.”

Father Jiang’s bitter smile persisted as he replied, “Who would buy them? Today, I went to sell fish. All the fish caught on the riverbank yesterday were sold today. Who would buy crayfish? I can’t even sell them for two cents a pound. They’re just for my nieces and nephews to eat. My in-laws were hesitant to feed them for fear of worms, so I made sure to thoroughly wash and cook them before they ate.”

When everyone heard Father Jiang’s explanation, they nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Nobody eats crayfish from those stinking ditches. We all know how dirty they are.”

“If they were edible, I would have eaten them ages ago. Why wait until now? Crayfish are everywhere in the pond, but nobody bothers to even look, let alone eat them,” someone chimed in.

Seeing that all the villagers agreed with her, Mother Jiang’s anger intensified. “Exactly! Am I wrong? If you want to raise more pigs, I won’t object. But wanting to use several acres of land to raise crayfish? That’s just like throwing money into the water.”

Indeed, raising crayfish would require not just the crayfish themselves but also several acres of land, land that could otherwise be used for growing crops.

The villagers felt that Jiang Ning truly deserved punishment. After enjoying a few good years, she was now ruining the farmland. “She’s just too spoiled. Let her go hungry for a few meals.”

“You’re both shameless, letting a girl dictate everything. A woman may have long hair, but she lacks wisdom,” remarked another villager.

Father Jiang, feeling helpless, interjected, “But that’s what Ning Ning suggested. I haven’t agreed to it yet.”

“That’s nonsense,” retorted the villager.

“You shouldn’t let her study. After a few years of education, she doesn’t even know her place. Now she wants to raise crayfish,” a villager sneered.

“You hear that? You hear that?” Mother Jiang tugged at Father Jiang’s ear. “Listen to what others are saying.”

Outside, Father Jiang could only placate Mother Jiang, saying, “Yes, yes, you’re right, you’re right.”

Mother Jiang was eventually coaxed back home by Father Jiang. Despite her return, her eyes remained red with anger as she addressed Father Jiang, “Stop thinking about these things all day long. If you dare to pursue such foolish ideas, you’ll have to deal with the consequences, even if it means my death.”

Father Jiang could only nod helplessly, attempting to appease her, “I’ll listen to you, I’ll listen to you. Whether we proceed with it or not, it’s up to you. I just thought of selling them for a few more days after making a little money today.”

In truth, Father Jiang had no desire to raise crayfish. The market had been bustling, ensuring all the crayfish were sold. However, with no market for the next few days, he pondered where he could possibly sell them.

With market days occurring frequently, there were still three days until the next one.

Father Jiang handed Mother Jiang the money he earned from selling fish and crayfish. After Mother Jiang counted the money and locked it away in a cabinet, she emerged with a vicious declaration, “When she returns today, she’ll receive a good beating.”

Jiang Ning wandered under the shade of the locust tree and settled on a stone, despite its slight warmth.

The summer breeze wafted gently, rustling the endless lotus leaves by the riverbank, against a backdrop of a bright blue sky adorned with a few soft white clouds.

The cowherd, leading his cow home, spotted her sitting alone under the locust tree, enjoying the cool air. He greeted her with a smile, “Ning Ning, why are you sitting here alone instead of going home? The mosquitoes will have a feast on you later.” As he spoke, he snapped and killed a mosquito.

Onlookers who had witnessed the commotion earlier approached, wearing knowing smiles. “She’s probably too afraid to go home because her mother will beat her.”

“She deserves it,” remarked someone who had heard Mother Jiang’s version of events. “Her mother told us that she was the one who encouraged her father to use the farmland to raise crayfish. Isn’t that just a waste of money? Do you think she should be punished?”

Everyone who heard nodded in agreement, affirming that Jiang Ning deserved punishment. They then asked with curiosity, “Has she been beaten yet?”

“No, her mother chased her for miles with a thick broom,” replied the eyewitness, gesturing with his hand to emphasize the broom’s size, as thick as his calf.

“Brave girl,” exclaimed a listener, regretting not witnessing the excitement firsthand. “What happened next?”

“Later, she managed to escape,” disclosed the aunt who had witnessed the chase. “She ran incredibly fast. She’ll probably take after her father in the future, with those long legs of hers.”

Laughter filled the air as everyone enjoyed the spectacle.

With the busy farming season over, the villagers had idle time, leading them to gather under the shade of a tree to chat and jest. Soon, a crowd had formed to join in the amusement.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning relocated to another tree and sat down, gazing at the swaying lotus flowers in the pond.

Jiang Ning understood that Mother Jiang was still furious and it wasn’t safe to return home. She could only bide her time until darkness fell, waiting for Mother Jiang to calm down and hopefully fall asleep.

However, it was uncertain when Mother Jiang would truly calm down. Even when she appeared composed and collected, it didn’t necessarily mean she was truly calm.

Once, Mother Jiang returned home seemingly normal, eating and bathing like any other day. But while Jiang Ning was in the bath, Mother Jiang suddenly burst in, wielding a thin bamboo rod, and began striking her relentlessly. Each blow felt like being scratched by countless wild cats, leaving her body covered in red, bloody marks.

The pain was unbearable, causing her to writhe in agony, clutching at Mother Jiang’s legs and curling into a ball on the ground, pleading, “I won’t do it again, I won’t do it again.” Yet, she remained clueless about what she had done wrong.