Chapter 16: Accomplice

Song Hexiu asked with a serious expression, "A-Man, what are you thinking?"

Song Chuman naturally wanted to eat them, but in her memory, seafood was highly popular among the wealthy families in the city. Eating all of it would be far too luxurious given their current circumstances.

However, not eating them would be a disservice to her stomach.

After pondering for a moment, Song Chuman said solemnly, "Father, we need to rush to the city now, and by the time we arrive, the city gates will likely be closed. How about this: we eat some now, and keep some alive in the wooden buckets. If they are still alive tomorrow morning, we can go foraging again and bring everything to the city to sell together."

It wouldn't work to exchange them for supplies with the villagers or sell them to the villagers.

Seafood was very precious in the Xuanling Kingdom. Even when villagers went foraging or went out to sea and found seafood, they generally took it to the city to sell.

If they finally managed to sell something, only for the family to come to their doors to trade it back for seafood, they certainly wouldn't agree.

If they tried to sell it to the villagers, the villagers would undoubtedly drive the price down.

Rather than being lowballed, it was better to just eat it themselves.

Song Hexiu nodded. "Good idea. Let's do that."

They set to work immediately.

Since they didn't have money to buy other seasonings, they planned to boil everything in plain water.

There were wild onions and wild ginger on the mountain, but since the weather was cold right now, they likely hadn't grown yet. Even if they had, the villagers would have picked them all.

They also planned to use the meat Song Hexiu had brought back from the city this morning to make a sliced meat soup, so everyone could nourish their bodies well tonight.

Just as they were preparing to cook, four people approached from a distance: Village Head Du, Song Xiangqian, Gao Siyue, and Huang Xiaoli.

Gao Siyue and Huang Xiaoli had also gone foraging earlier, but after searching for a while, they only found a few clams. They found nothing else, so they went home and told their parents-in-law about it.

Li Cuicui was very skeptical of their words, so she sent Song Xiangqian to see for himself.

Coincidentally, Village Head Du was passing by their house and heard them, so he followed along to take a look.

After all, in recent years, the people of Qingyu Village had never found as much seafood in a single foraging trip as Song Chuman had found today.

Song Hexiu was tidying up the stove.

Song Chuman, who was outside the cave, was the first to notice the four people in the distance. She suddenly frowned. "Father, someone is coming."

Song Hexiu turned to see the newcomers, and his expression was not good either.

Asking his daughter to perform the sacrifice—without Village Head Du's approval, the villagers certainly wouldn't dare to perform a sacrifice on their own.

One could say Village Head Du was an accomplice who had nearly caused his daughter's death.

Naturally, he had no friendly expression for an accomplice.

Song Hexiu said expressionlessly, "Village Head Du, you've come."

Village Head Du nodded.

Song Xiangqian was very dissatisfied with his eldest son's attitude and frowned. "Dalang, don't you see that your brother and sister-in-law are here too?"

Song Hexiu said calmly, "I see them now."

"You!" Song Xiangqian was furious at his eldest son's cold attitude. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Village Head Du reached out to stop him.

Left with no choice, Song Xiangqian could only temporarily suppress the anger in his heart.

Village Head Du looked around, saw the wooden buckets not far away, and strode over. Sure enough, he saw a wooden bucket overflowing with seafood, likely weighing dozens of catties.

Strange. Wasn't Song Chuman cursed by the Sea Goddess?

How had the luck of the Song family's first household improved so much?

The seafood they found was more than what they usually found in ten days or half a month.

Song Xiangqian also led his daughters-in-law over, making no effort to hide the greed on his face. "I haven't seen this much seafood in a long time."

(End of Chapter)