A reborn woman abducts her husband: after emptying his pockets, she marries a military officer.

Chapter 12: Another Source of Income Discovered

Looking at the eggs in the basket, Li Hehua patted her chest with lingering fear: "Luckily, your grandma came, otherwise I don't know how long Tian Xiaohua would have kept up her unreasonable demands."

"Next time she comes, just beat her up and kick her out," Qin Yingxue frowned.

“She is, after all, your aunt.” Li Hehua sighed.

She used to turn a blind eye, and even today, when Tian Xiaohua stuffed a few cornbread buns into her bosom in the kitchen, she pretended not to see them.

Before Qin Yingxue could say anything more, footsteps approached.

Qin Jiasheng returned with a pipe in his hand and a somewhat anxious expression: "Dajiang's mother, did you and your daughter suffer any losses?"

"It's alright, Mom and Zhaodi came and took your wife back." Tian Xiaohua said, then frowned and asked, "Honey, how did your wife know that loaches could be sold for money?"

“When I went to find my older brother, my sister-in-law happened to be there. My brother and I tried to avoid her, but she still overheard us.” Qin Jiasheng took two deep drags on his cigarette. “After my brother and I finished talking, I learned from Grandma Qin on the way back that my sister-in-law had come to our house to cause trouble.”

This was the first time Qin Yingxue had seen anger on Qin Jiasheng's face.

"After this commotion, things will probably calm down for a while," Li Hehua sighed, her face full of relief.

When you encounter such an awful relative, you can only accept your bad luck.

The most pitiful are the four Zhao Di sisters. I wonder if Tian Xiaohua will learn her lesson after Qin Jiawang gave her a good scolding, given the example of Qin Zhao Di.

"Dad, Mom, sister, we're back!" Qin Dahe's cheerful voice came from the courtyard.

Following closely behind him were Qin Dajiang and Qin Dahai, their trousers rolled up to their knees, completely bare, clearly having washed themselves before going home.

In just over an hour, the three of them had caught more than half a bucket of loach and eel.

Zhou Lanhua and Fang Xiaoye had relatively fewer, but Zhou Lanhua had a three-pound turtle in her wooden bucket.

I had just taken a few sips of water when the work bell rang.

Fang Xiaoye stayed home to sort out the loaches and eels, and Qin Yingxue, having nothing else to do, also helped out.

An hour later, after finishing the sorting, Fang Xiaoye looked at the sun outside and felt a little restless.

"Second sister-in-law, I'll go with you..." Qin Yingxue realized something as soon as she finished speaking.

There are two teenagers in the family, and they also keep loaches and eels in a wooden tub, so the family can't be left alone.

“Okay, I’ll take the two children to my aunt’s place. Sister-in-law, wait for me a moment,” Fang Xiaoye said cheerfully.

After Qin Yingxue returned, she wanted to get closer to her, but she always felt there was something between them.

Now that her sister-in-law has taken the initiative to speak up, she naturally won't miss this opportunity.

Half an hour later, Qin Yingxue followed Fang Xiaoye toward the fields behind the village.

“Every year, the busy farming season always starts with the field at the edge of the village. This field is in a relatively remote location, so it’s always the last one to be plowed. My father’s idea is that we can’t waste the plowed fields; if we want to catch loaches, we can only do so in these fields that haven’t been cleared yet.”

Fang Xiaoye explained as she spoke.

Qin Yingxue nodded in understanding.

"Behind this field is the river that runs through Qin Village Commune. Look, it's the area with large reeds. At the end of the river are rolling mountains covered with mulberry trees. It's mulberry season now. After we catch some loaches, I'll take you to pick some mulberries to eat."

As Fang Xiaoye finished speaking, her mouth was drooling and her eyes were full of longing.

In those days of scarcity, when people could barely fill their stomachs, there was no room for snacks.

Looking at the lush green scene in the distance, Qin Yingxue's eyes lit up: "Are all those mountains planted with mulberry trees?"

"Yes, I heard that every household in our village used to raise silkworms. But later, for various reasons, the silkworm eggs were all gone. The mulberry trees on the mountain could bear mulberries every year. During the most difficult years, the whole village survived thanks to these mulberry trees all over the mountain. My uncle wanted to cut down the mulberry trees and plant other fruit trees to increase the village's income several times, but the village elders rejected it."

Fang Xiaoye began to explain in detail.

Qin Yingxue seemed to be deep in thought, and an idea suddenly came to her mind.

She had previously wanted to help her family by catching loaches and eels to earn some money and improve their lives.

As it turned out, Qin Jiasheng was a man who didn't keep secrets, so he leaked the information, wanting everyone in the village to get a share.

The more innocent and kind they are, the more Qin Yingxue wants to help them.

Aren't these rolling mulberry trees another kind of wealth?

After spending two hours catching a bucket full of loaches and eels with Fang Xiaoye, Fang Xiaoye helped Qin Yingxue wash her hands and feet clean and then eagerly led her up the mountain.

It's an old mulberry tree, with branches as thick as two adults' waists. The branches are numerous and complex. Perhaps due to the abundant rainfall this year, the mulberry leaves are lush and green, dotted with black and red fruits, creating a thriving scene.

Fang Xiaoye nimbly climbed up the tree, quickly becoming hidden by layers of green leaves, and reached out to pick the fruit.

Soon, she had filled a large bag with the fruit and quickly slid down from the tree: "Yingxue, come and taste them, they're big and sweet..."

Fang Xiaoye picked out the largest mulberry and handed it to Qin Yingxue with a big smile.

Fang Xiaoye must have already eaten on the tree, for she smiled, revealing her dark purple teeth.

With a "pfft," Qin Yingxue laughed, holding a handful of mulberries, and ate one under Fang Xiaoye's expectant gaze.

It's sweet and sour, and tastes really good.

Even Qin Yingxue, who doesn't like sour food, ate several in one go before stopping.

"How is it? Delicious, right?" Fang Xiaoye asked while eating.

"It's delicious." Qin Yingxue nodded.

"You eat slowly first, I'll pick some more to take back so everyone can try them." After saying that, Fang Xiaoye scurried up the tree, as nimbly as a monkey.

Qin Yingxue shook her head with a chuckle, glancing around as she pondered silently.

Mulberries, whether fresh or dried, can be sold to the mall.

Moreover, she had just checked and found that wild mulberries were more expensive, with the online store offering 10 yuan per jin for fresh ones and 25 yuan per jin for dried ones.

One pound of dried mulberries requires three to five pounds of dried mulberries, so selling dried mulberries is actually not profitable.

Moreover, she had just checked and found that most of the mulberries on the tree were still red, and there were still a few days until they were ripe.

Once spring planting is finished, it will be time to harvest the mulberries.

You can imagine how abundant the mulberries are in these mountains.

If every household works hard, they can earn a considerable income.

Moreover, this money is provided every year.

Qin Yingxue finally relaxed, but when she glanced at the tree trunk unintentionally, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened involuntarily when she saw the protruding brown bump hidden on the trunk.

She jumped up, rushed forward, rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and then couldn't help but laugh.