The truck started up, rattling and clanking. It looked like it was about to fall apart at any second, yet it stubbornly drove off into the distance.

"Da Huang’s big brother, split the money."

Jiang Xia looked at An Ning, speechless. His devil-may-care air returned.

"I’m telling you, you’re way too vengeful. I only called you ’Sika Deer’ so Fatty wouldn’t know your name."

After speaking, he waved the money in his hand at An Ning and tilted his head toward the mountain.

"We’ll split the money up on the mountain."

An Ning had no objection. The sun was already out, and people would soon be heading to the fields to work.

The two walked toward the mountain together. An Ning spoke up again, "When we were hunting the wild boar, you shouted ’Sika Deer’."

Ahead of her, Jiang Xia’s pace slowed for a moment. He frowned, thinking back. It seemed he really had shouted that.

He suddenly stopped and turned to stare at An Ning.

"You have a pretty good memory, huh?"

An Ning wore her usual sincere expression as she nodded and replied.

"I am indeed smart."

The sight of An Ning’s expression gave Jiang Xia a headache. He pursed his lips and said, a bit provocatively, "You’ve got a bigger head than me."

"Impossible. According to the formula for calculating area, your face is at least one-half larger than mine."

"Impossible! It’s only a third larger, at most! How could it be one-half?"

Jiang Xia’s focus was also a bit skewed. After shouting that, he himself was stunned for a few seconds. Finally, he shook his head and stopped walking altogether.

"Let’s do it here. Hurry up and split the money."

He didn’t want to spend another second with An Ning. He felt like his brain wasn’t getting enough oxygen.

"Alright."

An Ning also wanted to get it over with. She was planning to go to town to buy things; there was so much she wanted.

The two squatted in a mountain hollow, while Da Huang stood guard with his back to them.

Jiang Xia took out the banknotes and began to count them.

"One thousand eight hundred eighty-eight. We agreed before, we split it fifty-fifty. That’s nine hundred forty-four for each of us."

Jiang Xia counted the money bill by bill. The cash he’d received was a bit old, mostly ten-yuan bills, with a couple of fifty-yuan bills, but not many.

Fatty had originally wanted to give Jiang Xia the newly issued one-hundred-yuan bills, but Jiang Xia refused. They were too conspicuous and inconvenient to spend.

"This is yours. Count it, so we’re clear."

Jiang Xia added this so An Ning wouldn’t feel embarrassed to count it.

Too bad for his consideration. An Ning took the money without the slightest bit of embarrassment and began to count it, very seriously, one bill at a time.

"It’s all here."

Jiang Xia actually appreciated this side of An Ning. Business was business; it was better to be clear.

"Alright. If there’s another opportunity in the future, let’s work together again. It’s been a pleasure cooperating with you."

"You’re a good partner, too. If you find a suitable opportunity up the mountain, you can look for me." An Ning waved the stack of cash in her hand.

"I need money. Can’t have too much."

"What a coincidence. Me too."

After saying it, Jiang Xia felt something was off. He shouted after An Ning, who was already heading down the mountain, "Money! I mean I’m lacking money!"

With her back to Jiang Xia, An Ning felt like laughing, and so she did.

She casually plucked a blade of grass from the side, wrapped it a few times around the folded stack of money, tied a dead knot, and tucked it into her waistband.

It had to be said that the An Ning from the interstellar era was becoming more and more down-to-earth.

It was not yet six o’clock when An Ning arrived home.

At the main gate, she happened to run into An Guoming, who was returning from a run. Trailing behind him was a valiant-looking rooster, swaggering with an air of utter triumph.

"Little Sis—"

"This rooster—it’s become sentient! It’s too smart."

An Guoming sat on a rock by the gate, panting and wheezing as he tattled.

As if it understood, the rooster behind him let out a low CLUCK-CLUCK-CLUCK, the feathers on its neck bristling as if ready to attack.

"There, there. You did a very good job. I’ll catch some bugs for you to eat today."

An Ning crouched down and patted the rooster’s head twice. Miraculously, the feathers on its neck smoothed down.

"Second Brother, did you try to slack off and get caught?"

An Guoming, who had been taking a break to complain, immediately sensed it was a trap.

"No, no! I was just saying it’s smart! It has nothing to do with me."

An Guoming somehow found a burst of strength and stumbled into the courtyard on wobbly legs.

’Life is so hard. I don’t even have a higher status than a chicken.’

An Ning stifled a laugh and beckoned the rooster to follow. The two of them, one person and one chicken, entered the courtyard.

Breakfast was corn grit porridge, served with a cold cucumber salad and tofu with scallions.

An Ning saw the tofu on the table and was intrigued; she had never eaten it before.

"Mom, where did this come from?"

"An Laoqi from down the street made it. I traded some soybeans for four pieces."

After speaking, Lin Cuihua wiped her hands on her apron and said, "He saw our family business was doing well without any issues, so he also got the idea to earn some extra money."

’True,’ she thought. ’Who would complain about having too much money?’

The family sat down, and An Ning got to taste the tofu.

It was perfectly firm, smooth, and refreshing. Paired with a little soybean paste and scallions, the flavor was truly excellent.

"An Laoqi’s tofu tastes great. Get a couple more pieces tomorrow, and we’ll have braised tofu for lunch," An Sancheng said.

After An Sancheng finished speaking, Lin Cuihua casually agreed, saying she understood.

When she was almost done eating, An Ning put down her bowl and chopsticks and said to An Sancheng, "Dad, I want to build a small bathhouse."

An Sancheng also put down his chopsticks and said without any hesitation, "Alright. Your eldest brother and I will get it done for you tonight."

The mention of this made An Sancheng feel he had been too neglectful. ’It really is inconvenient for An Ning, being a girl.’

It wasn’t like it was for the men of the house, who could just go wash up in the river when they got hot.

"That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that? My daughter is so smart."

Lin Cuihua was very much in favor of An Ning’s proposal. Before, she could only do a simple wash in her room with a small basin.

Although her eldest sister-in-law didn’t say anything, the delight in her eyes was impossible to ignore.

"Thanks, Dad. I’m going to town this morning. Is there anything the family needs me to buy?"

Lin Cuihua also put down her bowl and chopsticks and looked at An Ning. "What are you going to buy? Don’t go spending that little bit of money you have recklessly. And your dowry money—don’t you dare touch it, you hear?"

’Dowry money?’

Only then did An Ning remember that she still had three hundred yuan in dowry money, hidden in...

In any case, she had completely forgotten about it. Otherwise, she would have taken it out and spent it last time.

She looked up at Lin Cuihua and promised, "I won’t spend it recklessly, and I won’t buy useless things."

Only then did Lin Cuihua relax and begin to clear the table.

Off to the side, An Guoming just pursed his lips.

’That line sounds a lot like something I’d say. As long as you claim everything you buy is useful, you’re covered.’

It had to be said, An Guoming and An Ning’s way of thinking was surprisingly similar.

After the meal, An Ning didn’t go to work. Instead, she slung a large basket onto her back and headed for town.

Lin Cuihua, holding a broom, watched An Ning’s departing figure with a single feeling.

’Isn’t that basket... a little too big?’

’Why is my eyelid twitching nonstop?’

As for An Ning, after leaving her home, she hadn’t gone far when she came across an oxcart. She didn’t want to take it; it was too slow.

But the villager driving the cart was overly enthusiastic, so she ended up riding on the butt-numbing oxcart after all.

Upon arriving in town, An Ning first went to find Fatty to exchange for some coupons.