The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 24 No Need for Sympathy

"Yes."

Chun Ning nodded in agreement, acknowledging that her grandfather had died unjustly and that mentioning his name was nothing shameful.

"Tsk tsk, what a mess."

Shopkeeper Lin looked Chun Ning up and down again: "She used to be the lady of a wealthy family in the capital. Now she has to make embroidery to supplement her family's income. How pitiful."

Chun Ning blushed immediately upon hearing this.

It wasn't out of shyness, but out of anger.

“Shopkeeper, my mother wants to supplement the family income by making embroidery, which is not shameful. We are not doing anything wrong or miserable.”

Yes, they never need anyone's sympathy, and they don't want to be laughed at or made a spectacle of themselves.

"You can touch the back of your head but not see it. No one can guarantee a smooth life forever." Chun Ning said seriously, "You'll be poor or rich for a long time. If you don't need an embroiderer here, that's fine. Please don't laugh at people who work hard to make a living."

"Hey, buddy, you're angry?"

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

"Interesting. Physician Xiao's grandson is indeed extraordinary."

"Excuse me. Goodbye."

Chun Ning felt that her words were insulting, so she clasped her hands in a fist and turned to leave.

"Hey, buddy, stop right there."

Chun Ning didn't want to say another word to her, but one should still be polite, so she had to let her finish speaking no matter what.

“Brother, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mock your Xiao family, I just…” But when he tried to express sympathy, he wouldn’t let it go: “I just feel that it’s a bit sentimental that someone like Physician Xiao would meet with such misfortune.”

“My grandfather said that he was worthy of heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teachers, and worthy of his conscience.”

“We all believe that Physician Xiao is innocent.” Manager Lin quickly said, “Well, about your mother’s embroidery, to be honest, my little temple simply cannot accommodate such great bodhisattvas as your mother. Look how well she embroiders. It’s no exaggeration to say that her embroidery skills are better than those of the embroiderers in Changzhou’s embroidery workshops. If I asked your mother to embroider for me, I would feel embarrassed if I asked for too low a price, but I couldn’t afford to ask for too high a price. Besides, my fabric is not worthy of such good embroidery skills.”

Chun Ning... his comprehension of needlework was somewhat lacking.

After sorting through her words, I understood a little: it was a tactful refusal.

“If there are any embroidery jobs from wealthy families who can afford to pay a high price in the future, I will definitely come to your house and ask your mother to do them.”

"Thank you."

These lies actually sound quite convincing.

"Hey, don't you believe me? I really will come to invite you." Manager Lin said hurriedly, "My family home is in Shuikou Village, in the big house that Lin Zhu used to live in. The Lin family, if you don't believe me, go ask around, is there anyone who doesn't know my name, Lin Qiaoqiao?"

So her name is Lin Qiaoqiao.

"Thank you very much."

Since they were sincere, Chun Ning also sincerely thanked them.

When he came out of the embroidery workshop and went to the dock, Luo Xiaogang, carrying a small basket on his back, ran over happily and called him.

"Brother Chun Ning, look." She said, turning the basket on her back towards him.

"what?"

Peeking into the basket, wow, it was almost half full of fish, all kinds of sizes.

However, it seems to be dead.

“I just saw the fishing boat dock. They didn’t want these dead fish, so I asked the boat captain. He told me to pick them up. So I picked these up and carried them back to eat. Brother Chun Ning, we have to hurry, or they’ll go bad.”

"it is good."

This was an unexpected bonus for Luo Xiaogang, but his attempt to find work at the embroidery workshop failed.

Chun Ning went home and reported the embroidery workshop's affairs to her elder sister.

"The shopkeeper also said that he was from the Lin family over in the bamboo forest, and that he would ask my mother to help her with the embroidery again when the opportunity arises."

“She’s telling the truth.” It seems the embroidery shop at the bustling dock isn’t doing very well. “Let’s put this matter aside for now.” As he was speaking, Luo Xiaogang, carrying a basket on his back, dejectedly entered the Xiao family’s house.

"Brother Chun Ning, my mother won't cook fish for me. She said it's fishy and smelly, and told me to throw it away." He had carried the fish for such a long way with great effort, expecting praise from his mother, but instead he was scolded. If he hadn't run fast with the basket on his back, he would have been beaten.

"What fish?"

Chunnuan looked at Chunning with a puzzled expression.

"Xiao Gang picked up half a basket of dead fish." Chun Ning brought the basket over to show Chun Nuan.

"Your mother doesn't want these fish?"

Chunnuan reached out and grabbed a few, smelling them. They had a fishy smell, but it was definitely a normal smell and still edible.

Isn't eating fish better than eating wild vegetables?

"Hmm, Mom doesn't want it. She told me to throw it away, but I think it's a shame." Luo Xiaogang said, "Sister Chunnuan, you're such a good cook, why don't you cook the fish for me? I... I'll just eat one."

"Okay, I'll do it."

Why not take advantage of this opportunity? We can have an extra meal tonight.

Chunnuan instructed Chunning and Luo Xiaogang to take the fish to the stream and kill them.

"Scrape off the fish scales, remove the gills, cut open the fish belly with a knife, and throw away the intestines and entrails."

There's still some oil and seasoning left from frying the flower cakes, should we fry them and eat them?

Then I thought about how much oil it would take to cook so many fish, so I decided to just boil them instead.

"Sister Chunnuan, would you like some kimchi cooked with fish?"

Luo Xiaogang said, "My dad said that they sometimes cook fish with kimchi at the dock, and it's quite delicious. I've always wanted to eat fish cooked with kimchi, but my mom said it's not good and there are too many fish bones. Once, my fourth sister even choked on a fish bone, so she stopped making it."

"I don't have kimchi at home."

Chunnuan remembered that there were two pickle jars in the kitchen of the Xiao family. This was because her father had come from Sichuan and had always maintained the habit of eating pickles, which had been passed down to the whole family.

Pickled radishes, chili peppers, ginger, and the like make for a particularly refreshing summer dish.

Suddenly I felt my mouth watering; even in the warmth of spring, I was craving this taste.

“I have some at home, I’ll go get them.”

"Xiaogang, maybe you shouldn't go." Chunnuan felt embarrassed; not only did she have to eat their fish, but she also had to eat their kimchi.

"It's alright. My mom said a long time ago that if you don't have any vegetables, you can come to my house and get some pickled vegetables. We have three pickling jars at home, and there are still pickled radishes from last year in them. We can't possibly finish them all."

Upon hearing Luo Xiaogang's words, Chunnuan's mouth watered, and she quickly wiped it away.

She felt both annoyed and amused: how long ago did she become such a gluttonous little girl?

It has to be said that Aunt Luo was really generous, and she directly asked Luo Xiaogang to bring over a big bowl of pickled radishes, pickled ginger and pickled chili peppers.

"How do you make this?" Huang was helping with the cooking when she saw the fish and kimchi and was a little dumbfounded. She knew how to eat, but she had never cooked it before.

"Let me do it."

Chunnuan didn't know how to make it either, but she would ask a few more questions when she ate it. She had also asked Aunt Zhu, and it seemed that she could probably make it.

Chop the pickled radish, pickled ginger, and pickled chili peppers, add a little oil, stir-fry the pickled vegetables in a pot, then add water to cook and bring out the flavor. Then add the cleaned fish one by one into the pot.

When Chunnuan saw that Chunyan and the others had dug up some wild onions today, she washed them and put some into the pot.

In no time, a sour smell hits you right in the head.

"Third Aunt, Second Sister, what are we having for dinner today?" Zhu couldn't resist any longer and entered the kitchen, clutching her large pregnant belly. "It smells so good!"

It smelled so good it made her drool, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

It was a great loss of face for a young lady from the prestigious Zhu family to be reduced to drooling over the smell of fragrance.

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(End of this chapter)