The two little brothers each hugged a large sack, squatting at the door like eager puppies, eyes wide with anticipation.
She glanced at the pitch-black sky and then at the two people squatting on the ground, feeling her temple veins throb.
"Don't you two know what time it is?"
She opened the game interface and took a quick look. Great, it was just past 3 a.m.
She had finally fallen asleep around 12:30, barely slept three hours before these two dragged her up.
Before she could get angry, Su Jianwu excitedly tugged at her sleeve, "Third sister, come on, let's go make some money."
Ever since they found out Mugwort could be sold for money, the two little brothers were more enthusiastic than ever about collecting it.
Before Su Xiaoxiao could react, Su Jianwen stuffed the sack in her hand and even thoughtfully gave her a rock-hard cold cornbread.
Su Xiaoxiao: "..."
Whose decent family goes out to gather Mugwort before dawn?
Ignoring her protests, the two little brothers forcibly dragged her out.
Right now, the sky was brightening early, and by the time they reached the field ridge, the outlines of trees along the roadside were already faintly visible.
As soon as they arrived, the two little brothers got to work enthusiastically.
By the time it was fully light, the three large sacks were stuffed full.
Even Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but admire their efficiency.
Su Jianwu eagerly suggested, "Third sister, it's still early. How about we go back, empty these out, and do it all over again?"
Su Xiaoxiao, struggling to stay awake while leaning against a tree, immediately denied it when she heard this, "No way, you two have to go to school."
The expressions on the two little brothers' faces froze simultaneously. They were making money now, so why did they still have to go to school?
More importantly, thinking they wouldn't have school today, they hadn't even done their homework.
In the end, the lifeless fourth and fifth were forcibly sent to school by Su Xiaoxiao.
And since they hadn't done their homework, they got a good spanking.
The two of them made their way to school, holding their butts and gritting their teeth.
During class, because their butts hurt, they couldn't sit still and kept squirming. The teacher mistakenly thought they were goofing off in class and punished them to stand for three periods.
It was quite miserable.
While the two little brothers were being punished to stand, Su Xiaoxiao remembered her own pending task.
She messaged the guy selling anti-hair loss shampoo: "Big bro, can you exchange the shampoo for some sausages? I'm begging you."
Anti-Hair Loss Warrior: "No can do. Exchanging is impossible, but I can give you two pounds of sausages to taste."
Kidding me, this anti-hair loss shampoo had been hanging there unsold for over three months. Finally, finding a gullible—no, a discerning buyer, how could he allow a return?
Anti-Hair Loss Warrior: "Rest assured, even though this is the gift set of shampoo, it's genuinely effective. My forehead was half bald before, and now it's all grown back. It's even imported."
Realizing return was not an option, Su Xiaoxiao tearfully accepted a heap of anti-hair loss shampoo.
She swore upon sausages that next time, she would thoroughly understand before purchasing, as this was a bloody lesson.
Just as she was about to exit the game interface, another message popped up from the big bro.
Anti-Hair Loss Warrior: "How about this, sis, I'll send you five pounds of sausages. How about not returning the shampoo?"
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly got excited. Wasn't it just anti-hair loss shampoo? She could find a way to sell it later; after all, it could bring in some money.
And getting five pounds of sausages for free—what luck!
As she was happily thinking about it, she heard a "ding" — the other side had already shipped it.
Man, this guy ships fast, as if afraid she might change her mind.
What surprised her even more was that by evening, both the shampoo and sausages had arrived.
Oh wow, this brother really didn't hold back, sending it by the most expensive express.
Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but marvel, then went around outside to a secluded place to retrieve the five pounds of sausages.
Smelling the enticing aroma of meat, she uncontrollably swallowed her saliva. She couldn't resist thinking about steaming these sausages tonight for a taste.
She had just gotten to the door with the sausages when she ran into the two little brothers and Liu Cuilan coming back from school.
Liu Cuilan came home early from work today and picked up the fourth and fifth herself.
The two little brothers had their backpacks crookedly slung over their shoulders and walked with their butts stuck out, making for quite a comical sight.
Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The two little brothers immediately glared at her with hatred, but as soon as they saw what she was holding, hate turned to surprise.
"Third sister, where did you get the sausages?"
"I ran into someone selling them on the road, and they looked good, so I bought some."
Su Jianwu eagerly leaned over, and Su Jianwen followed suit: "Third sister, these sausages are heavy, let me help you carry them."
As he spoke, he quickly stepped forward to help her with the sausages, acting very obsequiously.
Su Jianwu saw this and quickly joined in, "Third sister, let me help you carry them too."
Five pounds of sausages did feel quite heavy in hand, and the two little brothers were grinning ear to ear: "Third sister, can we eat these sausages tonight?"
"Eat, eat, eat, all you two think about is eating."
Liu Cuilan took the sausages from their hands and turned to go inside.
In the end, even though Liu Cuilan pretended to be tough, her heart was soft and she relented, steaming half of the sausages for everyone to enjoy.
When the steaming hot sausages were served, Su Jianwu eagerly grabbed one, which was so hot he almost dropped it, and quickly bit into it.
Eating with loud hissing and puffing sounds.
He looked as if he had never eaten sausages in his life.
Su Jianwen couldn't wait either, but being a bit smarter than Su Jianwu, he picked one up with chopsticks and started nibbling from it.
The two of them took a synchronized bite, then "ptui, ptui, ptui," they spat it all out, perfectly in sync.
"Third sister, what's up with these sausages? Why are they both salty and sweet and burning hot?"
Su Jianwu fanned his mouth with his hand and gulped down a big cup of water from an enamel mug.
Su Jianwen quietly picked up his cup and gulped it down too, his lips a bright cherry red from the spice.
Hearing this, Su Xiaoxiao picked up a sausage and brought it to her mouth, feeling puzzled.
It smelled fragrant, and the color looked normal; shouldn't be anything wrong with it, right?
She cautiously took a small bite, and her face turned green.
Gosh, no wonder that brother wanted to sell it cheap—she had never tasted such terrible sausages before.
She reasonably suspected that the brother gifted her the sausages not because of the shampoo, but simply because they couldn't be sold.
How could she even describe this taste?
Like a salt seller got hit, then knocked over a sugar vendor, and finally toppled into a pile of chili powder. In a word, indescribable.
Just then, the door creaked open a crack, and the big yellow dog stretched its neck, looking eagerly at the sausage in Su Xiaoxiao's hand.
It seemed to have come over drawn by the smell of meat.
Su Xiaoxiao hesitantly tore off a piece and tossed it to the big yellow dog, who eagerly came up, bit into it, and then with a dry heave spat it out in the same shape and ran off without a backward glance.
Su Xiaoxiao: "..." What a waste of good meat.
No way, there's so much meat; it would be a shame if no one could eat it.
Su Xiaoxiao slapped the table, "Don't eat the sausages yet. I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things and fix them up a bit when I come back."
Actually, going to the co-op was just an excuse; she intended to find a place to buy some spices from the marketplace.
Who knew, just as she stepped outside, she'd run into the person she disliked the most.