This pair of mother and son argued over a man, so neither of them noticed the man lying on the straw bed was moving the eyelids. He slowly opened his eyes, washing away the moment’s confusing, with that pair of almond-shaped eyes which were exactly the same like the two little buns’ locking them. The more they said, the more agitated. The man showed an I-knew-everything-now look, then closed his eyes like he had never woken up.
“Xiaowu, what we just heard must never be known to anyone else, including daddy.”
Of course, they never knew that the two buns who just came back heard all their conversation. While they still didn’t notice them, the big bun quietly pulled the small bun to the backyard. At such an early age, he may not all understand the meaning of those words, or understood their concerns, but he knew two things, first, that man is likely to be their father, and second, daddy doesn’t like that man. Since daddy doesn’t like him, he doesn’t either. Although he was small, he was crystal clear that they had suffered so much all because of that man.
“Why? I want a father.”
Little bun lowered his head, rubbing his fingers, eyes with tears, the villagers cursed them that they had no mother, they were monsters, and now their father came back, their home should be better and better. Why hide it?
“Xiaowu!”
Ling Wen’s voice suddenly went high, giving Ling Wu a scare, this time those tears popped out of his eyes. Seeing this, Ling Wen hurriedly stretched out his thin arms to hold him, “Xiaowu, don’t cry, we don’t need a father, only daddy is enough.”
“Boohoo… um…”
Although he did not understand, little bun still nodded, moaning. Ling Wen used the way Ling Jingxuan used, gently patting on his back, with that pair of small round almond-shape eyes refracting a firm light, he would protect his daddy and little brother.
Under Ling Jingxuan’s insistence, the man stayed, relatively, the old couple got very angry. Before leaving, they said they would never care things about him.But the next morning, Ling Chenglong still came to fetch the fish with Ling Jingpeng, after all, that was their own son. How could they really not care about him?
“Dad, Jingpeng, after the fish is sold, please help me buy twenty clay pots of this shape, and a few jars the size of salt shakers and two wooden barrels of the largest size, and finally ten jin of corn flour and two jin of pork.”
After his dad and little brother ate breakfast, Ling Jingxuan said while sketching the shape of the pots. Yesterday’s fish were sold 500 copper coins, equivalent to half a tael of silver. They could eat some meat for nutrition…But…
“Oh, daddy, we just earned a little money, you already want to spend it all? No, you can’t buy anything. You can’t let waste money like that.”
Big bun screamed, showing a I-don’t-agree-face. Ling Jingxuan held the forehead. speechless, and he didn’t say after quite a while with some patience, “Xiaowen, the clay pots are used for for the wild grapes, I told you we will turn them into a lot of money, but before that, a small amount of investment is necessary, and the corn flour and pork, you know, we do not have any food at home. Can we just starve? Look at you and Xiaowu, so thin, shouldn’t you eat some pork for nutrition?”
Now the most regretful thing in this life for Ling Jingxuan was to hand out the financial power. See? Spending some money was like killing the big bun!
“Daddy, you just don’t know how to sustain a family. How expensive are the small pots? Why don’t we buy two big ones? It is too luxurious to eat corn flour every day. Some black flour will do? Forget about the pork, too expensive, we can’t afford it for now. We still have no idea whether we can make money with those wild fruit. We should save money.”
After hesitating for a moment, the big bun shouted.
Ling Jingxuan felt so depressed, still wouldn’t give up, “Think about it, Xiaowen, a piece of cloth sold in the stalls and in the shop, how can the prince be the same? The rarer a thing is, the more expensive it is, you know? And expensive things usually should have exquisite and beautiful packaging. As you said, if we buy two big jars, even it’s some good stuff we make, it’d be wasted. We can sell it for ten taels of silver, however, due to the pots, we can only sell it for one tael of silver. Do you have any idea of the big gap? If you want to make a good money, we have to invest first, so the conclusion is, we have to buy little pots.”
He must be crazy to talk to a five-year-old about the rate of return on investment. Ling Jingxuan, at this time, only felt devastated in the heart.
“Are you sure you can sell the stuff made out of those wild fruits for ten taels of silver?”
After a long silence, Ling Wen opened his mouth trying to confirm what his daddy said.
He got a chance!
Seeing this, Ling Jingxuan’s eyes were shining, he hurried nodded, “If there’s no accident, at least ten, or more.”
“All right, we will buy small pots as you ordered.”
As if cutting his flesh, the big bun finally nodded, just…
“Grandpa, uncle, except the pots and the barrel, buy us some black flour, the cheapest kind.”
Before Ling Jingxuan had time to be happy, the big bun turned to Ling Chenglong and his son and said so. Ling Jngxuan immediately wanted to cry without tears. Can he have some rice to eat in this life???
“All right.”
Watching the whole scene from beginning to the end, Ling Chenglong gave a simple and honest smile, gently touched his head while turning to the depressed Ling Jingxuan, “So this is it. Xiaowen has lived a poor life for too long. Try to stand in his shoes. How many fish are there in Yuehua Ditch for you to catch? You really should save money as much as you can.”
“I know, dad, sorry to trouble you and Jingpeng. Oh right, Jingpeng, you go to the grocery store to see if there is rock sugar to sell. If there isn’t, help me buy a few jin of white sugar. I want to use it as the guiding medicine for your second brother.”
What other choice does he have? Take it slow. One day he’d change his big son’s stingy temper.
“Ok, big brother, our fish was big and fat, easy to sell. When sold out, I will come to help you, yesterday you said you want to dig a pond in the backyard?”
Hearing that his second brother’s disease could be cured, Ling Jingpeng said with a sunshine smile while patting his chest, his wheat-color skin glowing with youthful splendor.
“All right, you go quickly, it will be hot later.”
“Got it!”
Ling Jingxuan sent his father and Ling Jingpeng out with the two buns. Not until their backs disappeared in sight did Ling Jingxuan turn around and went in. Today he still got tones of work to do. Those wild grapes, he intended to make wine. If there was any left, he planned to boil some jam. Even if it couldn’t exchange for money, he could let the two buns eat it.
“Huh?”
Feeling the bottom of the clothes was being pulled, Ling Jingxuan lowered his head, the big bun loosened it and said not so naturally, “Daddy, I know you want to eat something good, but we have no money, after we have money, I will definitely let you eat white rice every day.”
“Ha ha… Then I will wait for that day to come. Come on. Yesterday I taught you two words. You practice it with Xiaowu.
Hearing his words, Ling Jingxuan couldn’t help smiling. Whether he was just trying to comfort him, at least he has the heart, right? Since his big son is so afraid of being poor, he would only have the confidence when he got a lot of money in his hand, then he will try to make money, as much as they could never spend it all. Then he would no longer be so stingy.
Right now Ling Jingxuan still had no idea, some habits, once formed, it would never be changed. Even if they had a gold hill in the future, the stingy big bun would still be so stingy. He wouldn’t change a bit.
“Daddy, can I go to play with Tiewa after practicing calligraphy?”
“Certainly, but remember to come home before lunch. For the sake of your health, you must form the good habit of taking an afternoon nap!”
Indulgently rubbing his nose, Ling Jingxuan smiled and nodded. After the two buns obediently went to the backyard to practice, Ling Jingxuan turned to go to that man’s room.