Chapter 8: Money Tree

Just as Ah Lin was about to step away, someone called out to her, and this was already the fifth time today that she had been stopped. Ah Lin stopped her steps helplessly and turned back to see who had called her.

It turned out to be the vendor selling douhua nearby; everyone called the auntie Douhua Sao... and Douhua Sao was the mother of that boy who had fallen into the river and been rescued by her master not many days ago. Ah Lin had bumped into her several times in this market, and she felt that Douhua Sao was a kind-hearted, straightforward person.

Ah Lin put on a smiling face and greeted Douhua Sao directly.

"Douhua Sao, you called me?"

"Yes! The weather is hot today, and you've surely been walking for half the day. Your feet must be sore and your throat must be thirsty, right? Come, come, come—"

Douhua Sao waved her arms frantically, beckoning Ah Lin to come over. But she could just speak! Why did she have to get handsy too?

She grabbed Ah Lin's hand and pulled her straight toward her stall. Ah Lin knew what Douhua Sao wanted to do again, but—

"Douhua Sao, don't be like this. You run a small business; don't always insist on treating me to douhua," Ah Lin spoke up, pleading with her in embarrassment.

She was a straightforward person; she didn't like people taking advantage of her, nor did she like taking advantage of others, but the people in this market always loved to treat her to food or give her things.

Look! Most of the wild vegetables and fruits she was carrying in her hands were given to her by others. This... this truly made things difficult for her.

"Douhua Sao—" Just as Ah Lin opened her mouth to refuse, Douhua Sao cut her off, not letting her speak.

She forcibly pulled Ah Lin to her stall and said, "Don't be polite with me, this douhua isn't worth much." Douhua Sao pressed Ah Lin down, making her sit on a chair, and then brought over a bowl of chilled tofu pudding.

Looking at that tofu pudding, Ah Lin was truly conflicted. She said to Douhua Sao, "But this is your money tree."

"What money tree! If I, Douhua Sao, charge you a little less for a bowl of douhua, I won't starve to death on the streets. Instead, it's your man—"

"My master," Ah Lin hurriedly corrected her regarding her relationship with Jiu Jin.

How many times had she said it! The people in this market just couldn't understand that her relationship with Jiu Jin was master and servant; they kept calling her master "her man, her man," which made her feel so embarrassed!

"Yes, yes, yes, your master has helped me time and time again, which is why I feel so bad! Like the other day, my Da Niu fell into the river, if it weren't for your man—" Douhua Sao got it wrong again.

Ah Lin gave her a look.

Douhua Sao quickly corrected herself. "Oh, no! It's your master. If it weren't for your master, my Da Niu would have died in the river long ago. Ah, that's right!" Douhua Sao suddenly remembered something.

"Da Niu, Da Niu—" Douhua Sao suddenly raised her voice to call her son, but she shouted for a long time and Da Niu did not appear.

"Where has this brat run off to play again!" Douhua Sao rushed out from the stall and bellowed at the top of her lungs, "Da Niu, Da Niu—" Her voice was like a great bell.

My goodness! At this rate, I'm afraid everyone in the market will know that Douhua Sao is looking for her son! Ah Lin rubbed her aching temples, unable to take it.

A moment later, Da Niu came running back, covered in dirt.

"Mother, are you looking for me?" Da Niu ran up to Douhua Sao, the silly boy lifting his dirty face and asking breathlessly, "What for?"

Without a word, Douhua Sao demanded her son "kneel down."

"Mother, I didn't do anything wrong, why are you punishing me by making me kneel?" Da Niu protested.

"If I tell you to kneel, then kneel! Where do you get all these 'whys'!" Douhua Sao grabbed her son's ear and roared like a lioness, "Do you want to kneel or not?"

Da Niu's ear was being twisted so painfully; while protecting his ear, he pleaded with his mother, "Okay, okay, okay, I'll kneel, I'll kneel! Just don't twist my ear, it hurts a lot!" Da Niu was sensible enough not to say another word! With a "thud," he knelt on the ground.

How was that? He was very well-behaved, right! Da Niu was somewhat proud, but he didn't expect his mother to command him again: "Kowtow."

"Huh? Kowtow!" Da Niu lifted his face, not quite understanding why his mother was making so many demands of him today. He had only fallen into the water a few days ago and almost lost his life! For a son who had been lost and found again, forget about Mother doting on him properly—why was she constantly making things difficult for him!

A look of displeasure appeared on Da Niu's face.