Chapter 4: Gold Ingot

Qi Hong and Chu Feng were about the same height, around five feet, and if they were to fight, they would be evenly matched.

Compared to Qiu Daguang, Chu Xuan was worth two of him.

Seeing that she had no advantage, Qi Hong had no choice but to step aside.

Chu Xuan gave Chu Feng a quick nod, then shouldered the fish and headed toward the old house.

Chu Feng followed quickly behind.

Qi Hong shouted from behind, "I'll pay fifteen yuan for this King Mackerel! I heard you have to pay back a hundred yuan every month, so you'd better sell the fish quickly!"

At the thought of the mackerel's deliciousness, she salivated with greed.

Qiu Daguang felt a twinge of pain in his wallet. Fifteen yuan could buy several pounds of pork and several pig trotters; did she really have to pay that much? It would be better to just wait and steal it tonight!

He whispered to his wife, "Wife, if we really can't buy it, I'll go steal it tonight!"

Qi Hong pleaded in a low voice, "But I want to eat it right now! It's freshest if we eat it now!"

Since money usually came easily to her, Qi Hong didn't take it very seriously.

Ignoring Qiu Daguang, she continued to follow the Chu siblings.

Chu Xuan turned back and glared at Qi Hong. "Our family isn't selling this fish. Stop following us!"

Chu Feng wanted to say they would sell it if the price was right, but he didn't dare defy his sister, so he remained silent.

Qi Hong, feeling emboldened, said, "I really want to buy your big mackerel. I heard the current wholesale price is 40 yuan per *dan*. A *dan* is only a hundred pounds, which is about 4 mao per pound. This big mackerel of yours is probably fifty or sixty pounds; I'll count it as sixty pounds and offer 24 yuan! Think about your family's debts!"

Chu Xuan let out a cold snort. Who was she trying to fool? Mackerel wholesale prices are based on size.

For fish over two pounds, the price is at least 160 yuan per *dan*. Since a *dan* is a hundred pounds, that's 1.6 yuan per pound. Larger fish fetch even higher prices.

Although Chu Feng was only twelve, he knew a bit about the prices. As he walked behind his sister, he looked at Qi Hong from the side. "Qi Hong, you're talking about the wholesale price for small mackerel. This is a rare King Mackerel weighing sixty or seventy pounds! If we take it to the county town, selling it for a hundred yuan or so won't be a problem!"

Hearing the price, Qi Hong scoffed. Even if they went to the county town, it would have to be tomorrow morning. She would send her husband to steal it tonight; she didn't believe she couldn't get her hands on a King Mackerel!

Once Chu Xuan confirmed that Qi Hong had truly left, she quickened her pace back to the old house.

Upon arriving at the door, she saw the village chief's wife, Gao Meijuan, with a pot and a cutting board at her feet. The pot was stuffed with things: rice, flour, vegetables, bowls, chopsticks, and a kitchen knife.

It didn't need to be asked; she had come to bring them some warmth.

In her previous life, the village chief's family had helped Chu Xuan quite a bit. Gao Meijuan was in her forties; in terms of complex kinship seniority, Chu Xuan would have to call her Grandma Gao and the village chief Grandpa Wang.

Chu Xuan had been thinking of going to her house to borrow a knife and a cutting board, but she hadn't expected them to be delivered right to her door.

With a look of gratitude, she spoke up proactively, "Grandma Gao, our family caught a King Mackerel. I'll cut a piece of the tail for you to take back as a side dish in a bit."

The tail is the most delicious part of the mackerel, and a cut would weigh at least ten pounds.

Gao Meijuan looked kind and waved her hands repeatedly. "Xiao Xuan, I don't want it. This King Mackerel can be sold for a lot of money; it would be a waste to eat it. What you and Xiao Feng need most right now is money. Take it to the county town to sell! You can get at least a hundred yuan. Once it's sold, you'll have the money to pay your debts this month. You can also ask Grandpa Wang to coordinate the tractor. By the way, everything I brought is a gift for you. If you ever need anything, just come to my house. I have things to do at home, so I won't come in."

She turned and ran, fearing that if she stayed too long, Chu Xuan would force fresh mackerel pieces upon her.

Chu Xuan shook her head helplessly, thinking she would send her younger brother to deliver the items later.

Once tonight passed, even if only half the fish remained, it would still fulfill its value.

The two of them carried everything into the courtyard.

Before they could even catch their breath, Chu Xuan instructed Chu Feng to bar the door to prepare for cleaning the fish. She estimated that once the villagers heard they had a King Mackerel, they would come to watch the spectacle. It was best to find the gold ingot while no one was around.

With the current rise in gold prices, it was over a hundred yuan per gram. The gold ingot in the fish's belly was over twenty grams, worth at least two thousand yuan.

She hoped that in this life, the gold ingot was still inside this fish.

If so, the money for building their new house would be secured.

After barring the door, Chu Feng muttered softly, "It's a pity not to sell such a valuable King Mackerel for cash. We should go to the county town to sell it and pay off the debt..."

Chu Xuan didn't bother explaining. She gave him a fierce glare. "Aren't you going to get the knife and cutting board quickly?"

Seeing that she was about to lose her temper again, Chu Feng put down the wooden bucket and hurried to obey.

A moment later, Chu Xuan's knife fell swiftly, and she began cleaning the fish with practiced efficiency.

Her eyes were fixed intently on the fish's belly.

Especially when removing the entrails, Chu Xuan's eyes widened, and she didn't dare blink for a second, fearing she might miss the gold ingot.

Chu Xuan's heart was in her throat, terrified that something might have changed in this life.

Fortunately, after a moment, she truly saw a glint of gold, and only then did she feel relieved.

In a good mood, she wanted to tease her brother. "Xiao Feng, what is that yellowish thing in the entrails?"

Chu Feng stood to the side, feeling nothing but heartache that such a good fish wasn't being sold for money. "Maybe it's fish roe!"

"It doesn't look like it."

Chu Xuan reached out to grab it, and in the next second, a hard, glittering golden object was in her hand.

Chu Feng jumped up in shock. "Holy crap, is that a gold ingot? I've seen them in New Year paintings!"

Chu Xuan hissed, "Keep your voice down. Luckily there are no neighbors nearby. It looks like a gold ingot. I'll go to the county town to ask someone; if it's real, we'll sell it."

Though she said it aloud, she was certain in her heart that it was gold. She would sell it, build a new house, and send her brother to school!

She quickly rinsed it with water, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, dried it, and wrapped it up.

Even though Chu Feng wasn't very educated, he knew gold was valuable.

"This... this..." He tried his best to lower his voice. "Sister, if it's real gold, can we sell it in the county town right now? Won't people have finished work?"

Chu Xuan smiled brightly and whispered back, "If it's real gold, I'll sell it to a private buyer. Private buyers work at night. Don't worry!"

Chu Feng had a feeling the ingot was indeed gold, and his hands shook with excitement. "Make sure you hide it well on the way! I was just thinking about selling that big mackerel earlier; thank goodness we didn't."

He was beyond excited.

Chu Xuan put the gold ingot into her trouser pocket. "Don't tell anyone about this ingot. Whether you can go to school, eat white flour buns every day, and live in a new house depends on it."

"I promise I won't say anything!"

Chu Feng was a smart boy; if he spoke, his grandparents would come to snatch it.

The fact that his grandparents had insisted on separating him today had truly hurt his feelings.

He wasn't stupid enough to share half with them.

However, he quickly thought of the three thousand yuan debt. "Sister, once we have money, pay the debt first. I don't want anything to happen to you."

He didn't want her to carry a heavy psychological burden.

Chu Xuan couldn't bear to keep hiding it. "Xiao Feng, actually, that three-thousand-yuan IOU is fake. The name and the thumbprint aren't mine. Brother Long is someone I hired to help act. I wanted you to see the true faces of Grandpa, Grandma, and Second Uncle, and I also wanted to take this chance to separate from them. I'm sorry for making you worry. You'll keep this a secret, right?"

(End of Chapter)