CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: NO NEED FOR SYMPATHY

"Yes."

Chun Ning nodded, acknowledging that her grandfather’s death was unjust, and mentioning his name was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Tsk tsk, such misfortune."

Manager Lin looked Chun Ning up and down again: "Originally, you were the lady of a wealthy family in the Capital, and now you have to rely on making embroidery to supplement the household income. It’s truly pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Chun Ning’s face turned red.

Not from embarrassment, but from anger.

"Manager, my mother wishes to make embroidery with her own hands to supplement the household and there’s nothing shameful about that, nor is it a tragedy for us."

Indeed, they never needed anyone’s sympathy, nor did they want to be laughed at or mocked.

"The back of one’s head can be felt but not seen, and no one can guarantee a smooth life forever." Chun Ning said seriously, "Three wealths and three poverties until old age; if you don’t need an embroiderer, just say so, but please do not mock those who strive to live."

"Oh, young man, are you upset now?"

Seeing Chun Ning’s serious expression, Manager Lin burst into laughter.

"Interesting, Doctor Xiao’s grandson is truly different."

"Excuse me. Goodbye."

Chun Ning had a feeling that there was an insult hidden in her words and turned to leave, fists clasped.

"Hey, young man, wait."

Chun Ning didn’t want to say another word to her, but one must be polite; regardless of the circumstances, one should at least listen to what the other person has to say.

"Young man, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mock your Xiao family, I was just..." To say she sympathized with them might provoke more protest: "I just feel, well, it’s just a bit more emotional that someone like Doctor Xiao could encounter misfortune."

"Grandfather said that he has a clear conscience with heaven, earth, monarch, parents, and teachers."

"We all believe that Doctor Xiao is innocent." Manager Lin quickly said: "About your mother doing embroidery, to be honest, my establishment is too small for such grandeur as your mother. Her embroidery skills are truly superior, better than those of the embroiderers in Changzhou’s embroidery workshop. Asking your mother to embroider for me, I’d be embarrassed to pay less, but paying more, I can’t afford it. Plus, my fabric doesn’t match such good embroidery."

Chun Ning... when it comes to matters of needlework, his understanding is somewhat lacking.

Having sorted through her words, he understood a bit: this was a polite refusal.

"If there is any embroidery work from a wealthy family willing to pay, I will definitely ask your mother to do it."

"Thank you."

Although these words seemed insincere, they sounded rather nice.

"Hey, don’t you doubt it, I will indeed come and ask." Manager Lin quickly added: "My maiden home is in Shuikou Village, the large house that Lin Zhu passed by, the Lin family. If you don’t believe, ask around; who doesn’t know the name Lin Qiaoqiao?"

So, her name is Lin Qiaoqiao.

"Thank you."

Since she was being sincere, Chun Ning also thanked her earnestly.

Leaving the embroidery shop, he saw Luo Xiaogang cheerfully running toward him at the dock, carrying a small basket.

"Brother Chun Ning, look." He said as he tilted the basket toward him.

"What?"

Peeking into the basket, wow, there were all sorts of fish, large and small.

However, they seemed to be dead.

"I just saw a fishing boat dock, and they didn’t want these dead fish. I asked the boat owner, and he said I could take them. So I collected these to take home and eat. Brother Chun Ning, we need to hurry, or they’ll spoil."

"Alright."

Luo Xiaogang’s find was unexpected, but his own search for embroidery work came up empty.

Chun Ning went home to report about the embroidery shop to his elder sister.

"The shopkeeper also said she was from the Lin family by the bamboo forest and said if there’s an opportunity, she’d ask mother to help her embroider."

"She was telling the truth." It seemed that the comings and goings of business at the dock’s embroidery shop weren’t of high quality anyway: "Let’s put this matter aside for now."

While speaking, Luo Xiaogang entered the Xiao family home dejectedly with his basket once more.

"Brother Chun Ning, my mom won’t cook the fish for me. She said it stinks and told me to throw it away." Despite his hard work carrying it such a long way, convinced he’d earn his mother’s praise, he was scolded instead. Had he not run quickly, he might have been spanked.

"What fish?"

Chun Nuan looked at Chun Ning, puzzled.

"Xiao Gang collected half a basket of dead fish." Chun Ning took the basket over to show Chun Nuan.

"Your mother doesn’t want these fish?"

Chun Nuan picked up a few and sniffed them. Though they had a fishy odor, it was definitely a normal smell and still edible.

Isn’t eating fish better than eating wild vegetables?

"Yes, Mother doesn’t want them and told me to throw them away. I think it’s a pity." Luo Xiaogang said, "Sister Chun Nuan, you’re so good at cooking. Why don’t you cook the fish? I... I’ll just eat one."

"Sure, I’ll cook them."

Might as well use them, tonight we can have an extra dish.

Chun Nuan directed Chun Ning and Luo Xiaogang to take the fish to the stream to clean them.

"Scrape off the scales, remove the gills, slice open the belly, discard the innards."

The oil and seasonings for frying wontons were still around; perhaps frying them could be an option?

But given the amount of fish, it would take a lot of oil, so instead, she decided to cook them.

"Sister Chun Nuan, do you want to cook the fish with pickles?"

Luo Xiaogang said, "My dad says sometimes at the dock, they cook fish with pickles, and it’s tasty. I’ve always wanted to try pickled fish, but my mom says it’s not good, and there are too many bones. Once, my fourth sister choked on a bone while eating fish, so she doesn’t make it."

"We don’t have pickles at home."

Chun Nuan remembered that there were two pickle jars in the Xiao Mansion’s kitchen. Because their paternal grandfather was from Shu City, he kept the habit of loving to eat pickles, and it had passed down to the whole family.

Pickling radishes, chili peppers, ginger, and the like, makes them especially appetizing in the summer.

Suddenly, she felt her mouth watering, and she craved it too.

"We have them; I’ll go get some."

"Xiao Gang, maybe it’s better not to." Chun Nuan felt embarrassed, eating their fish and also wanting their pickles.

"It’s fine. My mom always said, if you don’t have any vegetables, you can get pickles from our place. We have three pickle jars, including last year’s pickled radishes, and we can’t finish them all."

With Luo Xiaogang’s words, Chun Nuan’s mouth truly began to water, and she quickly wiped it away.

She felt both amused and annoyed: When did she become such a glutton?

Indeed, Aunt Luo was very generous, letting Luo Xiaogang bring over a big bowl of pickled radishes, ginger, and chili peppers directly.

"How do you cook this?" Mrs. Huang, helping to cook rice, was flabbergasted at the sight of fish and pickles. She would eat it but had never cooked it before.

"I’ll do it."

Chun Nuan didn’t really know how to cook them either, but when eating, she always asked a few more questions, and she had asked Aunt Zhu before, so she could probably manage it.

Finely chopping the pickled radishes, ginger, and chili peppers, she added a bit of oil and sautéed them in a pan, then added water to extract the flavors, before placing the cleaned fish, one by one, into the pot.

When she saw that Chunyan and the others had also dug up some wild onions today, she washed a few and added them to the pot.

In no time, a tangy aroma wafted out, straight to one’s head.

"Third Aunt, Second Sister, what are we eating today?" Mrs. Zhu couldn’t resist any longer, waddled into the kitchen with her big belly: "It smells wonderful."

The aroma was so enticing it left her mouth watering, though she was too embarrassed to say so.

A once-grand young lady of the Zhu family reduced to drooling over food was quite unseemly.