Chapter 15: Unfathomable

Mu Chenze came to a halt half a meter away from her.

His gaze fell upon the hairtail, carrying a hint of appreciation.

"Chu Xuan, you're in luck today! This hairtail can be half braised and half deep-fried."

Today he was wearing a simple white undershirt and blue trousers, yet he looked so pleasing to the eye.

The more beautiful a person was, the less Chu Xuan felt like ruining them.

If she didn't marry him, being friends would be just fine.

"Mu Chenze, just take it already!"

If he didn't take it now, she was worried she might change her mind and keep it for herself.

To her surprise, Mu Chenze replied, "I like eating octopus. You keep the hairtail for yourself!"

It wasn't until Mu Chenze had grabbed two octopuses from the bucket and walked away that Chu Xuan snapped out of it.

That guy loved eating hairtail most in his past life; since when did he switch to octopus?

He was quite unpredictable.

Chu Xuan pushed the door and entered the courtyard.

Hearing the movement, Chu Feng rushed out of the bedroom like an arrow.

"Sis, you must be starving! I left some food in the stove, go wash your hands and eat. Such a big hairtail? Should I take it to sell for money? And there are swimming crabs too..."

Chu Xuan pulled the money from selling the fish out of her pocket and placed it in Chu Feng's hand. "Keep the hairtail and the crabs in the bucket to eat. This is what I earned from selling the hairtail today; count it. I'll wash up and change clothes, then come out to eat."

"Whoa, this much money?"

Chu Feng counted quickly; it was 95 yuan in total.

Five minutes later, Chu Xuan was enjoying a delicious breakfast: steamed egg with scallops, scallion oil pancakes, and rice porridge.

Everything was made by her younger brother and suited her palate perfectly.

After the meal, Chu Feng handed the money back to Chu Xuan and scrambled to clear the dishes, looking happy. "Sis, you keep the money for now. I'll handle the housework from now on. Since we split from the family, your luck has been amazing! If this keeps up, our family could get rich just by beachcombing."

Chu Xuan agreed. "My luck with beachcombing has been quite good lately. I'll go back out when the tide goes out this afternoon."

She slipped the money into her pocket.

Usually, she kept money in a close-fitting pocket on her shirt, but since she went beachcombing often, she might get soaked one day and ruin the cash.

Should she let her brother keep it safe?

He wouldn't go gambling with it like in her past life, would he?

Recalling her past life, her brother didn't start gambling until four years later; he hadn't fallen into it yet.

Chu Xuan counted the money in her pocket—there was over 700 yuan in total—and made a major decision.

She immediately found one of Chu Feng's shirts and sewed a close-fitting pocket inside.

She put the 700-plus yuan inside and handed it to him.

"Xiao Feng, while I'm out beachcombing, you're temporarily in charge of the money and watching the house. Once we build a new house with high courtyard walls, glass shards on top, and a dog, then we can hide the money in the house."

In her past life, many villagers had their money stolen.

In this life, money was what Chu Xuan lacked most, so she had to guard it carefully.

Chu Feng felt the weight of the responsibility. "Don't worry, Sis! Even if I get stolen, I won't let our family's money be stolen."

Chu Xuan said earnestly, "If your life is in danger, you can throw the money away. Saving your life is more important. Do you understand?"

Chu Feng nodded solemnly. "Understood!"

He immediately put on the shirt with the hidden pocket.

Approaching ten in the morning, Mu Chenze, carrying two octopuses, walked into his good friend Ji Ping's house.

Ji Ping lived here alone; he was the same age as Mu Chenze, twenty-two this year.

"Pingzi, let me use your kitchen."

Ji Ping had just finished washing his hair. He walked toward the kitchen while drying his head with a towel. "Why have you been running to my place so much lately?"

Mu Chenze found a wooden basin, preparing to wash the octopus. "I'm planning to make stir-fried octopus. Shall we have a drink at noon?"

Ji Ping looked Mu Chenze up and down with a confused expression. "Not only did you skip going out to sea today, but you also look like a drowned rat. You come to my house to bathe, borrow my clothes, and then run out wearing them just to fetch two octopuses for snacks? You don't have a fever, do you?"

He placed a hand on Mu Chenze's head to check his temperature.

No fever.

Mu Chenze remained silent.

Ji Ping gave up on him. "Fine, if there are things you don't want to say, I won't ask. That's what friends are for. I'm going out to buy some liquor."

At that moment, Mu Chenze's mother, Qin Mahua, was pacing anxiously in her own courtyard. "Why hasn't that brat returned yet? We agreed on a blind date this noon..."

Fu Qing reminded her cautiously, "Mother, could it be that Chenze doesn't want to go on the blind date? He seemed to say last night that he hates blind dates."

Qin Mahua scratched her ear. "How did I miss that? This won't do, I have to go look for him. Maybe he's at Pingzi's house."

She made a move to go out and find her son.

Fu Qing stopped her. "Mother, stay home. If Matchmaker Wang brings the girl early, you can help smooth things over. I've always been bad with words; I'm better suited for running errands."

Before Qin Mahua could agree, Fu Qing had already run out the door.

She ran into Ji Ping on her way out to buy liquor.

"Pingzi, have you seen Chenze?"

Ji Ping didn't answer directly but asked instead, "What's going on? Doesn't Chenze go out to sea every day? He didn't go today? Is something wrong at home?"

Fu Qing didn't suspect anything. "Oh, we're planning a blind date for him. But he left early this morning and hasn't come home yet."

Hearing this, Ji Ping lied without even blinking. "I haven't seen him today."

"Then I'll look elsewhere."

Fu Qing waved with a smile and headed in a different direction.

Ten minutes later, Ji Ping returned home carrying a bottle of white liquor and a bag of peanuts, without mentioning his encounter with Fu Qing.

He believed he knew Mu Chenze well enough that after a few glasses of liquor, he would spill everything.

Around eleven in the morning, Ji Ping and Mu Chenze sat on the kang, drinking and eating.

After one small glass of white liquor, Mu Chenze did not open up.

Ji Ping waited patiently.

After five small glasses, Mu Chenze still hadn't spoken.

Ji Ping was puzzled. Why wouldn't he talk?

Just before getting drunk, he finally heard Mu Chenze say, "Pingzi, women are nothing but trouble. Do you believe that?"

With bleary eyes, Ji Ping nodded repeatedly. "I believe you! Of course! Did you end up looking like a drowned rat this morning because of a woman?"

The question was asked, but the answer was lost because he had fallen asleep...

A moment later, Fu Qing's voice and knocking sounded outside the door. "Pingzi, open up! I heard from the villagers that Chenze came to your house..."

Mu Chenze, walking with unsteady steps, went to open the courtyard gate.

Seeing that he was drunk, Fu Qing grew anxious. "Why did you drink so much? Matchmaker Wang is at our house with a girl, waiting for you to come back for the date!"

She stood outside the gate, waiting for Mu Chenze to come out.

As his sister-in-law, she felt awkward about stepping forward to help him; she should have let her mother-in-law come instead.

Mu Chenze squinted and pointed behind him. "Sister-in-law, please take two steps back."

Confused, Fu Qing obediently stepped back.

Immediately after, she heard the sound of the door closing and the bolt being slid into place.

She could only keep knocking. "Open up! Open the door! Or I'll have Mother come!"

Mu Chenze shouted through the door, "It won't matter who comes! I'm not going on a blind date! I want free love! Whoever I fall in love with, that's who I'll marry! Tell Mother not to worry herself sick!"

Fu Qing kindly reminded him, "If you don't go, and Mother decides for you in a fit of anger, what will you do?"