Having calmed down, Jiang Hu went straight to buy half a pound of salt, spending over a dozen copper coins, and then turned around to go home.
Sure enough, as soon as he returned to Fuan Village, villagers who saw him from afar sprinted over.
"Jiang Hu, how much did you sell it for? I heard from the village chief that you caught a big fish." Liu Yang shouted loudly, asking even before he got close.
Jiang Hu didn't hide his excitement, his face full of smiles: "Sold for more than twenty copper coins! I bought half a pound of salt; there was no salt at home."
"Oh my, that's a lot!" Liu Yang was immediately shocked. He stepped in closer and peeked into Jiang Hu's basket, which aside from a wooden bucket, only contained a small bag of salt.
Even so, Liu Yang couldn't help but feel envious.
"Are fish that expensive? Can we all go sell fish tomorrow?" someone else walked over.
It's impossible not to be envious, but more than twenty copper coins, and Jiang Hu bought half a pound of salt, probably spending at least a dozen, wasn't enough for jealousy.
However, those who overheard it began to contemplate selling fish themselves.
Yet, Jiang Hu shook his head: "Fish are cheap. I almost couldn't sell it today. Luckily, I ran into a young master who found the big fish intriguing and bought it."
As soon as Jiang Hu said this, he was met with a slew of doubtful stares: "Jiang Hu, you wouldn't be lying to us, would you?"
When it comes to money, it's no wonder people are skeptical.
Jiang Hu wasn't angry: "You don't have to believe me, but try for yourselves tomorrow and you'll see. I heard there are many people selling fish in town; if you're late, you can't sell anything. Anyway, I'm not going again."
After saying this, he licked his dry, cracked lips: "I won't talk to you more; it's getting late, I need to go back."
Then, ignoring what others thought, he hurriedly made his way home.
After being out for two hours, he hadn't had a sip of water, and it was already noon; he needed to go back and make a meal.
As for whether others believed him or not, he didn't care.
Though everyone came to escape hardship together, now they each have their own families, and conflicts were inevitable. After all, with stability, people had leisure time.
Those who survived hardship for a year and a half had their calculations, and merely Jiang Hu's one-sided words wouldn't convince them; someone was sure to go sell fish in town, maybe even tomorrow.
But Jiang Hu didn't mind, as he wasn't planning to go. He had other plans for the afternoon, intending to check the mountain.
With those bugs that attract birds, he figured catching wild chickens shouldn't be an issue either.
Walking swiftly towards home, he saw smoke rising from the kitchen from afar. Jiang Hu grew a bit anxious, not knowing if it was the eldest or the second wife cooking. He almost flew home.
As soon as he got home, he saw Erni coming out of the house and joyfully shouting: "Daddy, Daddy's back!"
Jiang Hu breathed a sigh of relief: "Erni, who's cooking?"
As the words left his mouth, he was already in the yard, and the eldest came out from the kitchen: "Dad, it's me. I'm cooking porridge with vegetables for Mom."
Yesterday, while weeding, he gathered a lot of wild vegetables. The eldest didn't know how to cook fish, but making vegetable porridge was no problem.
Jiang Hu patted the eldest on the shoulder: "Not bad. Is it ready? Let's go see your mother together."
The eldest: "It's almost done. The younger siblings got their diapers changed this morning. Mom wanted to wash them herself, but I didn't allow it. Dad said Mom shouldn't touch cold water during her confinement."
Jiang Hu took out the salt, set down the basket and water bucket, and listened to the eldest with approval: "Good, you've grown up and learned to care for your mother."
The father and sons went back inside; Xiaomi and Tiedan were placed on the bed. Er Ni stood at the door, happily exclaiming when she saw Jiang Hu: "Brother Hu, you're back."
Jiang Hu's expression softened instantly, as he proudly placed the half pound of salt in Er Ni's hand: "Er Ni, look, I bought half a pound of salt."
Er Ni was overjoyed: "Really? So much salt! We can use it for a long time."
Carefully, she opened it to take a look, noticing the eldest and Er Ni also curiously standing on their toes, quickly bending down so they could see as well.
Jiang Hu then fished out a few copper coins from his pocket: "Er Ni, look, after buying the salt, there are still five copper coins left, keep them."
Saying this, he slipped them into Er Ni's hold.
Overjoyed, Er Ni quickly returned the salt to Jiang Hu's hand, took a copper coin, and bit on it, then excitedly said: "It's real, really copper coins! Our family finally has money!"
The eldest curiously watched Er Ni's action: "Mom, let me bite it too."
"I want to, I want to, Er Ni wants to take a bite too!"
Er Ni quickly gave them each a copper coin, and although they didn't understand why they needed to bite the coin, they mimicked their mother's action, took a bite, and returned the coins to Er Ni.
Jiang Hu patted the heads of the two children: "Eldest, take Er Ni to cook, Dad'll check on the younger siblings and be right over."
"Hm!" The eldest was elated, thinking only about the newfound money, and pulled Er Ni along.
Jiang Hu stood at the door, watching the eldest and Er Ni enter the kitchen, then returned to Er Ni's side.
Er Ni watched Jiang Hu's actions curiously: "Brother Hu, what are you doing?"
Jiang Hu placed the salt by the bed, then lifted Er Ni's hand, covering her mouth: "Cover it well, and don't make a sound."
Er Ni looked puzzled, but tightly covered her mouth and nodded.
Only then did Jiang Hu extend his hand inside to his innermost clothing, pulling out a string of copper coins.
"Ah~~" Er Ni took a deep breath, her eyes nearly popping out: "Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"
Brother Hu, where did you get this money!
Sadly, covering her mouth, she couldn't speak.
Jiang Hu quickly explained the situation, then slightly lifted the bed plank: "Quick, Er Ni, help me place all these inside, further in."
Er Ni snapped back to reality, quickly covering her mouth with one hand, while using the other to pick up the copper coins and stash them under the bed plank, trying to flatten it out.
Jiang Hu placed the bed plank down, catching Xiaomi's wide-eyed gaze: "Good Xiaomi, don't tell your brother and sister."
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh..."
She's still young; she doesn't understand.
Jiang Hu realized Er Ni still had her mouth covered and quickly took her hand away: "Alright, alright, it's okay. I was just afraid you'd be scared."
Er Ni patted her chest, somewhat shaken: "I-I was a bit scared."
She had never seen that much money in her life!
Back at her maternal home, her mom controlled the money. After marrying Jiang Hu, his mom managed it. When war affected their village, everyone scattered, with their wealth with his mom.
It was her first time seeing this much money!
And it was all theirs!
Er Ni had an impulse to faint, overwhelmed by this sudden happiness.