Chapter 51: As long as you see it with your own eyes, you'll have to believe it even if you don't want to

Liu Chuxue noticed several people in the ward paying attention to them. "I'll tell you the details later. It's getting late; I'm going out to buy food for you all."

Hearing this, Liu's mother quickly spoke up, "Just buy some for your father."

After a moment's thought, she corrected herself: "Just buy enough for the two of you. There are still two buns in the bundle; I'll just eat those so we don't waste more money."

Recalling the information she had gathered from the nurse this afternoon, she added, "Chuxue, we didn't bring much money with us, so we have to be frugal. I asked the nurse this afternoon, and I'm afraid we'll have to pay more fees tomorrow or the day after."

Liu Chuxue naturally understood her concern. She glanced around the ward; perhaps because people hadn't heard what they wanted to hear earlier, they weren't paying attention to them now and were busy with their own business.

She crouched by the bedside, pulling her mother closer, and spoke in a voice only the three of them could hear: "I've already found a way to make money."

She pointed to the fishing gear on the floor. "I traded the snakehead fish I caught this afternoon for this. With this fishing rod, I won't have to worry about not being able to exchange fish for money or coupons."

Liu's parents were momentarily stunned. "You know how to fish? How come we didn't know?"

Liu Chuxue whispered, "I originally wanted to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment first. But as soon as I stepped out of the hospital gates, I heard someone saying they were going to the moat to try their luck to see if they could catch some fish to stew for their hospitalized family members to boost their nutrition.

Thinking about our family's situation, I thought I'd join in the fun.

I didn't expect my luck to be so good. Once I got there, near a grove not far from the bank, I found a homemade fishing tool made from a firewood stick that someone had discarded. It was probably left there because they hadn't caught anything, so I thought I'd give it a try.

But I never imagined it would actually work. I don't know if someone had pre-baited the spot or if my luck is just heaven-defying, but either way, I haven't come up empty-handed once, and the fish I've caught are all quite large."

Liu's parents stared blankly, almost unable to believe their daughter's words. "This... this..."

They didn't know what to say. If they didn't believe her, they had just witnessed her trading fish for quite a few coupons; but if they did believe her, it sounded so far-fetched.

Liu Chuxue wasn't afraid they wouldn't believe her. At worst, she would take them once before they returned to the countryside. Once they saw it with their own eyes, they would have to believe it.

Only by getting them to accept that she was extraordinary could she act freely in the future.

Seeing them still looking dazed, she stood up with a smile. "Mom, look after Dad. I'm going out to buy food."

Without waiting for their response, she picked up the only two coarse porcelain bowls they had brought. "I'm off."

After going downstairs, she first went to the boiler room to wash the bowls thoroughly inside and out, then scalded them with boiling water. She then went to the hospital canteen. Seeing that they had cabbage and vermicelli stewed with meat, she decided not to go to the state-run restaurants outside, thinking it was better for them to keep a low profile.

She ordered one portion of the dish and six steamed buns made of mixed flour before returning to the ward.

As soon as she entered, the middle-aged man in the bed by the door spoke up, "Oh, the canteen has cabbage stewed with meat today? Your luck is truly good."

As he spoke, he said to the girl bringing him his hospital meal, "Er Lan, go and get a portion for me too."

"I've already brought my food, just make do with what you have. Why waste extra money?"

"Didn't you see there's meat in the dish? How is that wasting money? Hurry, hurry, or there might not even be any broth left."

The relative called Er Lan gave Chuxue's family an unhappy roll of her eyes and muttered very quietly, "Putting on airs to act rich, and even leading others astray. You'll eat yourselves to death."

Though her voice was extremely low, Chuxue's hearing was extraordinary. Not only did she hear her words clearly, but she also happened to see her rolling her eyes at them. *Is there something wrong with this woman?*

(End of Chapter)