Chapter 54

Early in the morning, everyone sat in the car and shook for over an hour on the mountain road, then on the highway, and felt dizzy.

Da Yong didn't get carsick, but after sitting in the same position and driving for two hours, his waist was also quite sore. When the car stopped, he immediately jumped out and took out a cigarette to light up. After taking a deep breath, he felt revived.

Looking at Lame Su's college student daughter, after not seeing her for a few days, she looked even more handsome and tall, wearing her school uniform. It seemed like she had lost some weight. Lame Su said his daughter was tutoring students in the city.

Da Yong had worked in the city before and went to big cities to try his luck (work). He knew that No. 1 Middle School students were valued highly by city people, unlike villagers who thought it was a waste of money for a girl to study, and felt Lame Su was silly. There was a kind of vigor in college students that they didn’t have.

Su Xiaoqi didn't care about the eyes of the villagers. She stood at the back of the truck and reached out to help her father who was about to jump off the car.

After sitting in the cargo box for a long time, her legs were numb. Lame Su was already a little lame, so getting off the car was a bit strenuous.

Seeing her daughter lend him a hand, he felt a little embarrassed. His daughter was so young, but still he stretched out his hand.

Although the villagers jokingly called him "Lame Su, Lame Su" with ridicule, they still helped Lame Su get the burden of winnowing baskets down from the truck.

Driver Da Yong also came over with a cigarette dangling to lend a hand.

Xiaoqi rarely thanked everyone without shyness.

Although it was effortless to help, gratitude still had to be expressed. If kept in the heart, others wouldn't know and it would be forgotten after some time.

Lame Su had a grinning face.

"I said I would go straight to your aunt's place to find you after selling the winnowing baskets. How come you ran over so early? Have you eaten?"

"I went out after eating. I have nothing to do in the morning and will accompany you." She realized her father had only picked ten pairs of winnowing baskets today, plus two sacks, but the load was not light at all.

She could see the difference in the winnowing baskets this time. They were better and more solid than the ones made before. Just looking at them, they were very beautiful. When touching, they were not prickly either. The twisted parts were also nice-looking, unlike the previous ones which were crudely twisted, and she had worried the bamboos might break.

Noticing his daughter's gaze, Lame Su couldn't help saying, "I looked at the pictures in the book and figured out that twisting the bamboo strips one more circle makes the bamboo more flexible and smooth without burrs, also better-looking. I tried loading them and they are more sturdy."

"Dad, let me carry a bag," Xiaoqi said.

Lame Su immediately declined. How could he let his daughter carry such heavy things? The bags contained vegetables like crisp cabbage, plus several jars of pickles Aunt had made. When his niece said last time that she liked the homemade pickles, Aunt kept making them. However, pickling takes time. The ones taken today were made half a year ago. His daughter had been eating at her aunt's these days. There was also a bag of rice.

In short, it was not light at all.

Xiaoqi looked at the things her father had loaded. She picked up the bag of rice and vegetables packed in a vertical red snakeskin bag which she could carry.

When carrying stuff, reducing the weight a bit makes a huge difference. Dad must not take a pedicab. She couldn't just walk empty-handed watching Dad carry such heavy things.

She put the snakeskin bag on her shoulder and clearly felt a slight pain. It was still quite heavy.

But she stood very straight and could still greet other villagers.

"Dad, let's go."

When seeing his daughter, Lame Su somehow felt his eyes sour for no reason. He bent over to pick up the winnowing baskets and unconsciously rubbed his eyes.

The villagers going downtown were all busy running errands and didn't linger.

On the other hand, driver Da Yong drew on his cigarette feeling bored after seeing everyone leaving.

Actually at this time, if he was enthusiastic enough, he could also go downtown to help transport the winnowing baskets to the place purchasing them. But he didn't want to run around too much. Running more would also make it awkward to charge villagers more money.

Just watching the father and daughter walking slowly ahead, he felt he should have been more enthusiastic just now and shouldn't have let Lame Su take the winnowing baskets off the truck himself.

Next time, he thought. He flicked the finished cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it with his shoe sole.

Xiaoqi held a heavy bag with her palms a little red, but seeing Dad carrying a huge burden, she had nothing to complain about.

"Dad, next time, talk to Uncle Da Yong the driver to let him send you to the place selling the winnowing baskets. You can pay him a bit more."

Lame Su was about to shake his head on instinct. But looking at his daughter walking ahead who had grown thinner, much thinner, working must have been not easy. Just now when looking, her face was one size smaller and her chin sharper. She seemed to have grown taller too, like having a growth spurt.

Yet she was carrying a huge bag. Filial child. He wouldn't feel at ease if not letting her carry it. "Well, I'll talk to Da Yong next time when I come back." Lame Su replied.

On the way, Xiaoqi told Dad about her recent life. Although she didn't lie, her wording was still ambiguous. For example, saying she went swimming with Auntie, Dad would assume by default that Auntie took her. In Lame Su's mindset, things like swimming were not proper necessities anyway.

Hearing his daughter now had 7 students with over 2,000 yuan income per week in summer, Lame Su was also shocked.

She could indeed earn her tuition back this summer break. With some money he and his wife pitched in, living expenses would also be covered.

Thinking this way, he suddenly felt the burden on his shoulders lighter and he didn't seem to hunch that much.

Usually carrying winnowing baskets from North of River to South was particularly long. The more he carried, the heavier they became. With fewer winnowing baskets today plus Xiaoqi carrying a bag, it was rare for Lame Su to feel more relaxed. He also had less pressure without too huge a burden.

When he could change shoulders, he chatted with his daughter.

"I made the baskets and bamboo bags from your book. I'm thinking of taking them to give it a try selling them since they didn't take much effort anyway." Lame Su said lightly.

Of course it actually took huge efforts unlike the simple little bamboo bags he made for his daughter's student Liang Jiajia. Lame Su racked his brains for several nights before figuring it out. His calloused hands even chafed a few more blisters. He almost thought about how to make them when sleeping at night.

It seemed more hair had fallen in recent days.

But he wouldn't tell these to his daughter. Lame Su always only talked about the good side.

Xiaoqi was also very happy to hear Dad made other stuff.

The father and daughter kept talking all the way to the destination. Xiaoqi did most of the talking.

Soon, thanks also to Xiaoqi's recent exercises like jogging and walking which enhanced her physical fitness by a lot, otherwise, she probably wouldn't have been able to walk so long with Dad carrying such a heavy bag.

They arrived at the place selling winnowing baskets which was a messy market with many old furniture and second-hand items, very dark.

Xiaoqi followed Dad into a store she hadn't entered before. Dad asked her to wait outside.

That store was neatly arranged against expectation. It was huge with indeed a lot of things - winnowing baskets and other woven bamboo items.

Xiaoqi also went inside with Dad. Together they opened the sack and took out the bamboo baskets and bags made.

Xiaoqi held a bamboo bag reluctant to put down. It was delicate with the cool touch of bamboo strips yet not prickly at all. Old bamboo strips were inserted with natural bamboo markings on them, boiled, still emitting the fragrance of bamboo.

At this time the middle-aged female owner noticed the young girl holding the bamboo bag standing by the door. For some reason, it reminded her of a painting she recently bought from an art shop when decorating her home to embellish - a little girl holding a water pot. And she freakishly felt as if that painted girl was standing at her store entrance now.