Chapter 334: Watermelon Seeds
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Jiang Gu once had watermelon rind at the old Jiang family home. It was given to her only because Jiang Hong really couldn’t eat anymore and decided to share. Her two elder sisters didn’t eat the rind, so they passed it to Jiang Gu.
To Jiang Gu, it felt like a treasured gift. She held onto the watermelon rind, eating every bit of the red flesh until there was none left, before she reluctantly threw it away.
Ever since then, she always had watermelon on her mind, hoping to taste the sweet and juicy fruit again.
However, there was a severe drought later on, making it difficult even to grow crops, let alone watermelons.
Upon seeing watermelon seeds, Jiang Gu excitedly shouted, “Dad, Second Sister, look, there are watermelon seeds here!”
The three people inside the house looked out, seeing Jiang Gu holding a small bag of watermelon seeds, smiling happily.
The bag of watermelon seeds wasn’t big, about the same size as Jiang Gu’s face. She held it high in her palm, shining golden in the sunlight, looking incredibly cute.
Su Zhen was the first to approach, spontaneously pinching Jiang Gu’s tender cheek. Her round face was squeezed out of shape by Su Zhen’s hand. Frowning, Jiang Gu carefully held onto the watermelon seeds before slapping Su Zhen’s hand away.
Jiang Gu said fiercely, “If you pinch my face again, watch out, I’ll hit you!”
Su Zhen was taken aback, rubbing his reddened hand, surprised at the young girl’s strength.
Jiang Gu had been told by Zhou Lan about keeping distance between males and females. If someone tried to touch or bully her, she should fight back. At such times, there was no need to hold back her strength. She could give it her all to hit that person.
Jiang Gu was an obedient child. If her mother said it was okay to hit someone, she would certainly not hesitate to hit Su Zhen!
Upon witnessing this, Jiang Chuan didn’t find it odd. Instead, he felt relieved that his daughter had such a strong sense of self-defense, knowing she wouldn’t be bullied in the future.
Protecting Jiang Gu behind him, he said, “Xiao Su, 1 see you have many other types of seeds here, but not many of each. Can we trade?”
Rubbing his hand again, Su Zhen hid his hand behind him and replied with a smile, “Of course. Uncle Jiang has helped me a lot. If you like these seeds, I’ll give them all to you. No need for formalities.”
Jiang Chuan didn’t stand on ceremony either. Sometimes, building relationships requires the giving and taking of favors. When doing business, relationships are essential. Thus, Jiang Chuan accepted the seeds directly. Before leaving, he reminded Su Zhen to remember to deliver the seeds to Pushan Village in three days. Only then did he head home with his two daughters.
The group only arrived home around one or two in the afternoon. It was past mealtime in the village, but Zhou Lan anticipated their late return and had just finished preparing the meal. As soon as they entered the house, they were greeted by the fragrant aroma of freshly cooked rice and the scent of winter bamboo shoots stewed with cured meat soup. Just smelling it warmed their bodies.
After washing their hands, Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu hurried to the kitchen to help Zhou Lan serve the food. Jiang Xia took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of the winter bamboo shoots, “Mom, this winter bamboo shoot dish is so fragrant. I’ll have two big bowls of rice later!”
Usually, rice was made into porridge because it was more filling when swollen with water, saving rice grains. Now, Jiang Chuan’s family was well-off with food supplies. They no longer needed to make wild vegetable porridge to conserve grains. Every noon, they enjoyed white rice.
At the dining table, Zhou Lan kept serving dishes to the three family members. Watching them eat heartily brought her more joy than eating herself.
While eating, Zhou Lan suddenly remembered something, “Dear, the son of the captain came by earlier. He said the captain has something to discuss with you and asked you to see him this afternoon.”
Jiang Chuan, taking a bite of the cured meat, nodded and replied, “I have something to discuss with him too. I’ll go after the meal.”
Zhou Lan continued, “Today, when 1 went to see the child from the Yangliu family, she chatted with me. She mentioned that Wang Xing wants to be the village accountant. Lately, he’s been constantly giving gifts to the chief captain’s family and even visiting the village chief, offering many items. It’s quite a display; he seems determined to get that position.”
Jiang Chuan didn’t think much of it, serving himself another bowl of soup. Drinking it warmed him up, “Then let him have it. It’s better to confirm the accountant position earlier so that the one thousand kilogram of seeds can be sown by the villagers as soon as possible.”
Zhou Lan was worried, “That’s true, but I’m afraid that once Wang Xing becomes the accountant, he might cause us troubles openly or secretly..”
