EFB Chapter 381: Not a Fit Foster Mother 22
Chapter 381: Not a Fit Foster Mother 22
"His pork is all sold to outsiders. The locals know his ways; who would do business with him?"
...
Yuan Chun scooped a small bowl of sunflower seeds and placed it in front of the aunts, smiling, "Here, crack some seeds. If you get thirsty, there’s still water inside."
"Oh, Yuan Chun, you’re too kind. We chat here and always end up eating your snacks." Grandma Fan said this, but her hands were unceremoniously grabbing a handful of seeds, cracking them with relish.
Yuan Chun took a small chair and sat down beside Aunt Zhang, replying, "You all come here and bring more life to my shop. What’s wrong with eating a bit? It’s not worth much, anyway."
Grandma Fan laughed, "That’s because you’re generous."
She continued, "Do you still have braised pig’s head? Save me ten yuan’s worth. My fifth child just got out of the hospital and has been thinking about your pig’s head."
"Alright."
"Yuan Chun, save half a pound of pig ears for my family, too. Uncle Liu loves them. But I didn’t bring any money. I’ll pay you when my old man comes back from chess."
Another aunt chimed in.
Yuan Chun chuckled, "Okay, I’ll save three yuan’s worth of pig ears for you."
Yuan Chun hadn’t even warmed her seat before getting up to cut the pig’s head and ears. Once weighed, she wrapped them in oil paper and put them in the fridge to chill until the aunts took them home.
To sell braised goods and popsicles, Yuan Chun had specially bought two refrigerators: one freezer for the popsicles and ice water, and one fridge for the braised goods, soda, and beer.
Yuan Chun grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and sat at the doorway to listen to the aunts gossip.
Don’t underestimate this group of aunts; they are Yuan Chun’s main source of information. No matter what happens nearby, within a day, these aunts will know about it.
"The doctor said Eldest Li hit his head with a lot of force. Even if he wakes up, he might become a fool. He could even become brain-dead."
"Oh my, is it that serious?"
"That’s right. They say Eldest Li’s wife cried endlessly. His family relies on him selling pork to support everyone. If anything happens to Eldest Li, how will his family live? Eldest Li’s three kids, the oldest daughter, is only in middle school."
"Just a few days ago, he was fine. How could he do something so reckless?"
"Reckless? Everyone’s saying Eldest Li got possessed."
"There’s no such thing as ghosts. I’m not superstitious. I suspect Eldest Li was sleepwalking." An old retired nurse from the hospital believed in science and wasn’t superstitious.
Aunt Zhang and Grandma Fan were superstitious, believing that for a grown man to run out in the middle of the night and hit a telephone pole was indeed quite strange.
They believed the rumors outside.
So, within a day, everyone was saying Eldest Li was possessed and whispering that the Li family had done too many bad things and attracted a great evil into their home.
Even Li the Second’s business was greatly affected.
The locals didn’t dare buy pork from Li the Second’s stall, fearing they would attract some dreadful evil spirit. As a result, more than half of Li the Second’s pork was left unsold.
The weather was hot, and pork couldn’t be kept for long. Although the Li family had a refrigerator, it couldn’t store that much meat. Li the Second could only approach local restaurants to sell it at cost price.
But the next day, even fewer people came to Li the Second’s meat stall.